My 1966 Beetle rebuild

[supercub]

[mukluk]

[supercub]

Yep, that's the video. Just watched it again for the first time in several years. It was as good as I remember it. Such an interesting story. Thanks mukluk.

[supercub]

The big news this week was the drastic changes in the weather. Monday morning it snowed a little bit and by today it was sunny and in the mid 70's. That's fall for you. I can't complain because this morning I was able to get in another trail run at Lapham Peak State Park. It's really close by, and I try to get at least two runs in a week there. Today will likely be the last for the year though because the falling leaves start to cover the rocks and roots along the paths which makes tripping and falling a real possibility. I've ate dirt there several times over the years and it's not fun. Today it was beautiful with most of the trees at peak color. There are a lot of maple trees on the east end of my route, and with the sun just peeking through, it was like running through a tunnel of gold. On Thursday I went for a nice walk at Glacial Park in Illinois. I saw a couple of pairs and a few small groups of Sandhill cranes there. The milkweed pods were open, and the fluffy seeds were floating through the air in the wind. I like pulling small clumps of seeds from the pods, holding them up in the wind, and letting them go. Most blow a bit and then get stuck in the scrub but a few will catch an updraft and float way far away until I lose them in the blue sky overhead. Nothing remarkable with the VW this week. I did go for a little ride before work one day just to check out the foliage, as well as another today to get a couple pictures for this week's post. Oh yeah, at work I did a set of tires on a mid 2000's Corolla which had the same 195/65r15 tires that I run on the Beetle. The fronts were junk, but the rears were 8/32nd's tread with a 2018 date code, so I snagged them to save for the VW. Only expense this week was one tank of gas for $29.03.

Man, I just realized I never got the mileage off the car when I got it back out on Tuesday so that's going to mess up my mileage calculations for this week too. Total mileage is back on track now though.

Beginning odometer 10-17: more than 64752
Ending odometer 10-23: 65761
Total mileage this week: don't know
Expenses this week: $29.03

Total mileage: 11,022
Total expenses: $2043.45

Here are a couple of pictures near Palmyra, WI. This road passes through a hilly area with lots of maple trees so naturally it's very nice in the fall.

[supercub]

This week I had a bit of a scare with the VW's engine. So, last week I had noticed a drip of oil hanging from the vacuum advance on the distributor which seemed a bit odd. The engine has a variety of leaks and I normally pay them little mind outside of making sure the oil level stays where it should, but I've never seen oil dripping from there before. At the time I just wiped it off and didn't think much more of it. Yesterday after work I noticed a small puddle of oil a bit further back from where the normal drips fall when the car is parked after driving. I hate to admit it on here, but I just kind of shrugged off the oil spot and drove home.

When I got home, I noticed there was a lot of oil soaked into the rear of the piece of cardboard I park the car over. The oil spot has always been confined to the middle of the cardboard. After seeing this new spot, I opened the hood and what do you know, oil is leaking out from behind the crank pulley. There's oil on the pulley and breastplate tins, oil on not only the vacuum advance but the distributor cap as well, and a streak of oily spots across the inside of the hood. With the engine closing in on 100k miles, my first thought was the piston rings are getting worn resulting in blowby pushing the oil out behind the pulley. This kind of bummed me out a bit. I was poking around on this forum and saw posts about the breather tube getting clogged and pressurizing the crankcase, so I figured it couldn't hurt to check that.

I pulled the breather tube off and sure enough, its clogged solid with off-white gunk. I'm kind of ashamed I didn't think of this first because it's been chilly and damp for the past few mornings on the way to work. The engine has an industrial fan shroud with no flaps or thermostat (I know, I know), so it doesn't warm up properly in the colder weather. There was also the same white goop under the oil cap. Oddly enough it never had this problem until I put the little rubber seal on the end of the road draft tube earlier this year. That piece had been missing since long before I rebuilt it, but this spring I installed one on a whim because hey, it's supposed to be there, right. It was after I put the tube seal on that I sometimes would notice the goop under the oil cap.

I bent up the end of a coat hanger and pushed the gunk out of the breather tube. There was a lot of it. I also removed the rubber seal from the road draft tube. I took the car for a 40-mile drive of varying speeds on today's cool, damp morning and all seems well again. I'd be lying if I said it doesn't leak now, but it has returned to its normal amount of leakage. I'm relieved. I'll have to remember to check the breather tube periodically in the cooler weather. Other than that minor incident, I bought a bottle of fuel stabilizer to put in when I park the car for the winter. Expenses this week were $12.34 for the fuel stabilizer and two tanks of gas for $57.03.

Beginning odometer 10-24: 65761
Ending odometer 10-30: 66072
Total mileage this week: 311
Expenses this week: $69.37

Total mileage: 11,333
Total expenses: $2112.82

[John P]

Thanks for the update. Nothing to be concerned about (and you're right, common in cooler, damp weather).

To illustrate, I live on a small island, where it's impossible to get the oil up to temp. Winters are mild but damp/humid. Even with all of the factory tin, thermostat, etc., I need to do a late winter cleaning of the breather tube to remove the white, moisture-laden mayonnaise goop. This includes cleaning the oil filler neck breather passage. It occurs whether your rings are new or old. The goop clogs the tube, pressurizing the case.

The mayonnaise is also why I change my oil after winter.

I also run the road draft tube check valve/flap, as I drive on a lot of dusty/dirty/gravel roads/driveways, and want to keep dust out of the system. Like the car, it's ingenious how that simple valve works: oily water builds up until the seam opens and lets it out. It then closes keeping crap out of the road draft tube. I can see how removing the rubber valve helps with worn rings.

My 1.5 cents.

[Buggeee]

[supercub]

[supercub]

Yesterday I decided to put the VW away for the winter. The weather has actually been holding quite nicely, but the car was due for an oil change and the unseasonable warmth can't last much longer. On Tuesday, a flock of birds laid waste to the car while I was at work. After clocking out, I walked to the car and was greeted by bird poop splattered all over the front half of it. I usually don't even bother washing the VW before I put it away because it gets really dusty in the garage where I store it. After this avian attack though, the car was a mess, and I couldn't just leave it.

Wednesday, I didn't have to be to work till 10:00, so I got up early and drove it over to my parents' house where it gets stored. I changed the oil and dumped some fuel stabilizer in the gas tank. Then I gave it a good washing to rid it of its speckled coating of bird crap. With the car now clean again I headed to the gas station and filled the tank for the last time this year. After that I took the car on one last drive to get the engine up to temp and the fuel stabilizer circulating well. It was a perfect morning, relatively warm without a cloud in the sky. Once I returned to my parent's house, I went to the detached garage and backed out my Mercury Grand Marquis which will take over driving duties for the winter. I then parked the VW where the Mercury had been. The only expense for this week was topping off the gas tank for $22.21.

Over the course of roughly seven months, I drove the VW 11,477 miles. That is 94,074 miles on the car since I started driving it in 2012 after the rebuild. I'm still amazed how well the VW has done over the years. I never expected it. I spent a total of $2135.03 in gas and repairs to keep the car going this year. That works out to 18.6 cents per mile. I'm not sure whether that is good or bad because I've never kept such a detailed track of car expenses before. I do know that this summer had the highest gas prices I've seen in my life. The VW averaged 29.1 mpg. The only real down time was when I had to rebuild the generator to replace the bad bearings, which left the car immobilized for a few days while waiting for parts. There were several other repairs as well, but those took only a few hours at most. I did put off some repairs that I deemed non-critical, such as the mushy rear trans mounts, plugged heat riser, and creaky steering column bearing. The car is also in desperate need of new engine to body seals, but I am pleased to say that my wired-on rubber patches made it through the entire year. I'll get to all these things next spring.

I would rate the experience as an overall positive one. However, I do have some mixed feelings about using the VW as a daily driver given the current state of traveling on the roads where I live. With only 40hp, the car is too slow. It's almost dangerously slow when you factor in how modern drivers operate. I don't know if it is just the area where I live, but I've noticed that people are equally hyper-aggressive and inattentive with how they drive. Driving this slow and unsafe VW, I keep very aware of what is going on around me at all times. In traffic interactions, I just assume that people are going to do the stupidest thing possible and generally I'm right. I have avoided a number of potential accidents in this manner. I've been tailgated more times than I can count in this car even though I drive the same 5-10 over like everyone else. The VW just can't get there as fast, and it aggravates people. In all honesty, there were a few times when I seriously thought about giving up on driving the VW so much. As cars and trucks keep getting bigger, heavier and more powerful, I can't see the situation improving.

I do still love driving the VW though, otherwise I wouldn't be doing it. Once I get a bit west of where I live, the backroads clear out and driving the car is a pleasure. I can ramble along at my own pace while watching the fields and forested hills slide by around me. A nice drive in the VW can be a very relaxing and enjoyable experience. I loved the trip along the Mississippi River in early October, especially the drive north on the road along its banks and bluffs. Even the occasional commute when I ended up in a gap with no other drivers around me was nice. It's these good times, along with the VW's reliability, that keep me in it. I hope the car continues to do well and I can keep driving it for many years to come. Thank you to all who have been following along. I'll see you again next year.

Beginning odometer 10-31: 66072
Ending odometer 11-2: 66216
Total mileage this week: 144
Expenses this week: $22.21

Total mileage: 11,477
Total expenses: $2135.03

A passing flock of birds gave their opinion of the car. The whole front half of it looked just like this.

All cleaned up now.

A picture from the last drive of the season. It was a beautiful morning.

The VW parked with its winter companions. The 1965 Buick Riviera was my dad's car for a long time but has been mine for several years. I like it but it doesn't see a whole lot of use now, more just sentimental value. Same with my old 1982 Honda C70 Passport peeking out to the right of the VW.

[toxicavenger70]

Killer thread and VW! Great job on it. When you get time please post some pics of the Rivera. Take care.

[Buggeee]

Captures perfectly my thoughts on modern city driving and the enjoyment I get from living just outside the outskirts and having long two-lane Country Roads to meditate on
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1966 Sportsmobile Camper https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...mp;start=0
72 Super Duper http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=672387
(adopted out) 61 Turkis Pile https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=728764

[John P]

Thanks for all of the work in maintaining the weekly updates this year - enjoyed them! The '66 served you well.

Cheers,

J

[supercub]

[supercub]

[supercub]

[toxicavenger70]

[Buggeee]

The Riv is so bad ass
_________________
1966 Sportsmobile Camper https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...mp;start=0
72 Super Duper http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=672387
(adopted out) 61 Turkis Pile https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=728764

[supercub]

A couple weeks ago I got a set of 205/70R15 Yokohama Geolandar A/T's to run on the 5.5" wide wheels. I'm heading out to Kansas in a little over a month and plan to cross as much of the state as possible on dirt roads, so I wanted something a little better than the cheapo all seasons I normally run on it. The 195/65's that were on these wheels will go back on the old 4.5"wheels for regular use. I've been back and forth about these tires for a couple years because I'm not sure how the 40hp will handle them. They are a little less than an inch taller than the stock 165/80 and quite a bit wider and heavier. Fortunately, the trip is mostly on fairly flat terrain, so we'll see how it does with them.

[cdennisg]

You will notice the difference in power. But just pay attention to engine speed versus the load (hills/headwind) and don't overwork it. You'll be fine.

Tires look good on there BTW. I have a similar size on my 66, but it has a 1600 sp.
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nothing

[supercub]