My Fastback resurrection: A work in progress

[Russ Wolfe]

[jim altemus]

[jim altemus]

[jim altemus]

As we get to the end of the driving season here in Connecticut, I'm enjoying taking the car out for the occasional drive. With the rear wheels and tires installed I'm declaring, with a few caveats, the mechanical portion of the project complete.

The Caveats:
1. It is leaking both engine and gearbox oil. The gearbox oil is pretty obvious, it is coming from the side plates. The engine oil leak is a bit trickier. I can't find an obvious source. I just replaced the mangled washers that seal the oil pressure sensor block to the oil cooler and while it helped it hasn't solved the problem. All I can see is some oil droplets on the bottom of the sump. This is a bit of a bummer because the motor is basically new and since my engine builder passed away this year I don't have someone to bring it back to.

2. Changing from the merged header to j-tubes, the ISP exhaust and installing the sled tins didn't do much to much to cool the motor down. There are so many variables here, but I'm not 100% sure the motor is overheating. Because I know Russ will ask, I have:

a. All the tin with the exception of the mustache tins around the plug wires (with the Weber intakes there isn't that much room to install those). I also haven't filled in the gaps that the heaterboxes would fill on the sides of the sleds.

b. No thermostat. I have all the parts to install it the next time I pull the motor. My experience with watercooled cars tells me that the thermostat helps speed up engine warm up but doesn't do much to help control the ultimate maximum temperature.

3. After taking the car for a long ride yesterday I found that the tires rub ever so slightly on the rear quarter panels. I have a set of original brake drums sitting in my garage. I noticed that the mounting surface on the OEM drums are a good 1/8" thinner than the repop drums I installed. The rub is so slight I think that 1/8" will make the difference; if the drums are within spec after being turned.

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Next up I think will be the interior, mainly because it is something I can do myself. This probably won't happen until Spring, thanks to my unheated garage. I need to pull out the windows, install a headliner then put the windows back in (with the chrome trim this time). I'm looking at Corbeau Moab seats to replace the one racing seat and I have the rear seat upholstery kit to complete the black interior.

I'd like to get the car painted, but that will have to be the last step in the process.

Jim
_________________
aka Jimal
Currently sans Volkswagen

[DONGKG]

Sure lots of works you did there, buddy. It is a good thing that you know how to address those issues on your Fasty. And I can truly say that your fasty is in good hands by the way you remedy those problems... Pretty cool, buddy... By the way, cool fasty you've got there...
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'67 KG Cabrio (Mickey) ;
'66 Type 3 (Sharky 2)
'72 Type 2 Homey
'67 Splitty Bus
'65 beetle;'69 Country Buggy; '44 Kubelwagen (replica) TOOB MEMBER #20

[jim altemus]

Link


Thanks. It is getting there, slowly but surely. To celebrate the impending end of the driving season I decided to try out one of my new camera mounts for a quick ride around the block. I really think a headliner (and probably some dynamat) will get rid of some of the tin can sound, as well as installing a seal on the engine cover. Just add them to the to-do list.

Jim
_________________
aka Jimal
Currently sans Volkswagen

[pitargue]

[Ossipon]

[Bobnotch]