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MercurialThing Samba Member
Joined: January 12, 2008 Posts: 218 Location: Matthews, NC
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Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2008 10:08 pm Post subject: |
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Well, I didn't work on the Thing "today" but this weekend, I finally finished the rear brakes. Ran new lines (hard and soft), adjusted the parking brake and put its rear 'feet' back on the floor.
The next job was to put on the front shocks and put the front 'feet' back on the floor, but since my father-in-law was helping out, he suggested we do the front brakes as well. Sound advice, but I wasn't ready for that quite yet, thus no parts... so it turned into a tear down of the front end.
Well, it's all good for the most part since I really do need new ball joints and tie-rod ends and the front brakes REALLY needed work, I just wasn't expecting to do that now.
So, the front is partially disassembled and I am left wondering how I'm going to remove those beastly ball joints as well as ordering new parts to the tune of $400-$500... Hmmm.
Well, one thing at a time, and the first thing is to finish cleaning up the old parts, prepping for paint, then ordering parts.
I will be done eventually, I will be done eventually, I will be done...
Here's what I started with:
And here's the lower control arm now:
And here's the brake drum and backing plate now:
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Van-go108 Samba Member
Joined: November 23, 2006 Posts: 2995 Location: Southwestern, NM
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Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 1:35 pm Post subject: |
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Carb is back on and I drove around the mountains a bit. It runs really smooth but seems like she wanted to die when I came to a stop sign in town. I didn't mess with the air/fuel mixture. It died a couple of times when I first got the carb back on and it was getting better. It could just be nothing but some crap on the plugs from gas dumping down the intake prior to rebuild.
Anyone have any suggestions to a basic adjustment based on an altitude of 6500 feet?
Meanwhile, I'll go through my books and see what I can find. Other than that, I'm very psyched. _________________ "Okay, so there's 6 beers and 5 of us. You know what this means don't you? 4 of you are going to have to leave."
1973 Thing
1957 Continental Mark II Click to view image |
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bmwloco Samba Member
Joined: March 19, 2006 Posts: 1093 Location: Asheville NC
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Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2008 6:51 pm Post subject: |
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My Thing is still land locked in the garage, blocked by sun room wood and such.
So... I pulled the battery out, put it on charge, cleaned out the battery area, sanded down the paint, cleaned it, metal prepped it, then POR-15'd the battery area.
Liked it so much I may well do the entire pan.
Battery on charge out of Thing. I'm going to spiff it up clean and keep an eye on it. _________________ '85 Vanagon Westfalia |
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Van-go108 Samba Member
Joined: November 23, 2006 Posts: 2995 Location: Southwestern, NM
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Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2008 7:55 am Post subject: |
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I yanked the carb last night. My Thing being somewhat new to me, has had a few little issues to work out. I have had some toxic exhaust and some hesitation at the first sign of a green light. When I got the carb off, I realized that the gas was mostly drippin' down the intake. I should have it together by the weekend for some more back woods driving. I love monsoon season here. _________________ "Okay, so there's 6 beers and 5 of us. You know what this means don't you? 4 of you are going to have to leave."
1973 Thing
1957 Continental Mark II Click to view image |
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amidemon Samba Member
Joined: April 09, 2008 Posts: 16 Location: Southeast IN
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Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2008 9:33 pm Post subject: Finally |
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I finally found some time to work on my Thing today.
I changed the brake shoes, wheel cylinders and master
cylinder. All went well until I was finishing the last wheel.
It was a rear wheel and the steel line had been bent.
When I tried to straighten it, it cracked. Oh well, now I have
an excuse to work on it tomorrow instead of mowing the
yard.
As I was working on it I found some disappointing things.
more lousy bodywork than I had previously noticed. The
floorpans are probably going to need replaced, and it will
probably need to spend some time on a frame rack.
I guess it wouldn't be any fun without surprises. |
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bmwloco Samba Member
Joined: March 19, 2006 Posts: 1093 Location: Asheville NC
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Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2008 3:33 pm Post subject: |
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I trapped mine in the garage, during front end restoration finishing, with a new Lindal Sunroom delivered the day before the 4th of July.
The last 6 hours spent stacking the cedar, un-crating, carefully offloading the windows.
Sore. Thing o.k. _________________ '85 Vanagon Westfalia |
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41Woodie Samba Member
Joined: November 09, 2007 Posts: 23 Location: Dead center of Oklahoma
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Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2008 12:50 am Post subject: What I did today |
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I woke up this morning and drove our 74 past the Arctic Circle north of the Yukon river in Alaska. Forty five degrees, thunderstorm and hail |
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howiesfamily Samba Member
Joined: March 31, 2004 Posts: 858 Location: Panther City, Texas
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Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2008 11:25 am Post subject: |
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I'm just about to go change the oil, replace a leaky exhaust donut, then drive around looking for some good mud holes! It doesn't look right clean. _________________ member of: Fort Worth Aircoolers Gang |
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pewe_kodok Samba Member
Joined: October 15, 2006 Posts: 64 Location: Bandung, West Java, Indonesia
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Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2008 8:37 am Post subject: try to replace intake |
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I plan to replace my intake.. heater pipe was snapped.
get gen / fan off, take intake out.
read lift dog house tricks, and give it a try
but I believe it won't work. with my 181 at least
when I lift dog house, hit upper firewall.. poor me.
anyway I will get the engine out other weekend. will be first time experience
can I use 2 ton jack?
best regards
Ruben |
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63ziggy Samba Member
Joined: June 19, 2005 Posts: 1100 Location: The Woodlands, Texas
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Posted: Sat Jun 21, 2008 7:18 pm Post subject: Thing Today |
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While she is away at body shop for paint work, I thought I better get busy on little pieces. Spent a couple hours with fine wire wheel cleaning upp door taches, mechanisms, polishing handles, headlight trim rings, cleaning grime and surface rust off bolts etc that I will need once I start putting her back together. Then I clear coated a few parts to stop discoloration etc.
Spent last weekend applying clear varnish to my duck boards.
A lot of little things need to be addressed and prepped before reassembly can occur once she comes home. |
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Thing2Be Samba Member
Joined: March 27, 2008 Posts: 50 Location: Elkridge, MD
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Posted: Fri Jun 20, 2008 12:34 pm Post subject: Glass Beading the rear fenders. |
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Well, I got to spend a few hours at Metric and spent it glass beading the two rear fenders. In addition I had to use a torch to heat up the undercoating to remove it.
The guys at Metric are still working on the front end damage, they are really taking their time to do it right, no bondo here!!! |
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Van-go108 Samba Member
Joined: November 23, 2006 Posts: 2995 Location: Southwestern, NM
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Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2008 12:30 pm Post subject: |
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I removed the bumbers to re-do them. The PO did a crappy job on them and then prowdly painted them gloss black. Now that they're off, I like it better already. I may need to do something else there. I was intending to paint them the same orange as the body color and add some off-road lights.
Meanwhile, I'm in a holding pattern until money is back in hand for the larger $ projects. I'm really wanting the merged header and muffler for all it's worth.
"Soon, my Precious"
Oh...rusticus5, That's pretty scary. Close call. _________________ "Okay, so there's 6 beers and 5 of us. You know what this means don't you? 4 of you are going to have to leave."
1973 Thing
1957 Continental Mark II Click to view image |
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rusticus5 Samba Member
Joined: March 07, 2007 Posts: 28 Location: San Diego
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Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2008 9:37 am Post subject: |
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Replaced a clicking CV. When I removed the last of the 6 bolts, the entire joint flopped off the end of the axle. There was no circlip holding it in place.
Reminded me of the time I removed an engine from a bug after driving it around a couple weeks, only to discover that one of the engine bolts was missing, and one had no nut, and one had small Craftsman vice-grips in lieu of a nut. I was driving with one of four bolts secure. |
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Ian Epperson Samba Member
Joined: January 12, 2005 Posts: 2262 Location: Alameda, CA
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Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2008 1:21 am Post subject: |
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Just finished installing rear disk brakes. I've had front disks on for years, the rear drums brakes needed replacing (both backing plates, both slave cyl's, etc.) and I wanted more stopping power to go with the bigger go'ing power.
Stops on a dime! No more adjusting those damned stars! All the pulling is gone!
I also thought I had a CV going bad (squeaking-rubbing noise when rolling forward, no change when applying brakes) but the brake swap made the noise go away! Bonus! Carefully checked the CV's, and they seem fine. _________________ VW-181 shirts and stickers.
http://ian.epperson.com/vw |
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Thingamabob Samba Member
Joined: March 04, 2008 Posts: 658 Location: None of your business...
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Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2008 4:52 pm Post subject: |
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Put in new points, plugs, adjusted the clutch. Have to go cruise V-DUBS on the Bay this Saturday in Miami... Did I mention that it is lowered with polished Centerlines. |
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mrafindley Samba Member
Joined: December 29, 2007 Posts: 642 Location: miami Florida
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Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2008 8:44 pm Post subject: |
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I got my thing running better than it has ever run for me since I bought it in the late 90's I am soooooo Happy.
Now I just need a new top for it as it is the middle of june and it is 55 degrees outside WTF. I wish I were home in Texas.
Drove it 40 miles to work and 40 miles home with no problems at all only used an 1/8 of a tank of gas and pulled the hills with ease I thought I would have a little trouble up the hills but the 1776 just kept going and going like the little gay bunny on TV _________________ 73 THING
67 Beetle
http://w2.wolfsburgii.com/downloads.htm |
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npconnor Samba Member
Joined: February 13, 2007 Posts: 194 Location: Central Texas
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Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2008 1:11 pm Post subject: |
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Yesterday I saw my Thing for the last time! I'm going off to college in a few weeks and won't see her until Thanksgiving/Christmas break. Breaks my heart!
Cleaned her up, disconnected the battery and covered her all up. _________________ '73 Thing
Austin Air-coolers Gang |
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Van-go108 Samba Member
Joined: November 23, 2006 Posts: 2995 Location: Southwestern, NM
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Posted: Sat Jun 14, 2008 9:21 am Post subject: |
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c.davis419 wrote: |
Hey Van-Go, where in Silver City do you live? My parents lived for years off Little Walnut Rd on Wagon Wheel Rd. They had a studio on W Yankee called Sunfire. |
We live damn near in the center of town now. We did live close to Pinos Altos for a year but we moved here from Mendocino County in California.
I have been trying to get here for a long time. My In-laws live here so I have been coming here a many years. Not much to do here but tinker with stuff and Things. _________________ "Okay, so there's 6 beers and 5 of us. You know what this means don't you? 4 of you are going to have to leave."
1973 Thing
1957 Continental Mark II Click to view image |
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63ziggy Samba Member
Joined: June 19, 2005 Posts: 1100 Location: The Woodlands, Texas
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Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2008 8:40 pm Post subject: Today's adventure with my Thing |
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She took a road trip to the local body shop. I decided I did not have time , energy nor enough knowledge to tackle the paint job.
action shot leaving the garage
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caribbeanlivin Samba Member
Joined: March 21, 2007 Posts: 77 Location: Mississippi
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Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 9:50 am Post subject: |
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Finally got her finished and running |
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