Getting the ball rolling '73 Standard - It's Alive!!

[PatterBon]

Took the bug for a cruise in the country here in Central Texas today. Probably only 30 miles in total, but the oil pressure light was flickering when I slowed to an idle. The dipstick was also too hot to touch, but the oil level was fine and the timing is spot on too.

It got up into the low 90°s today so it's expected that with such a high ambient air temperature that this would happen. However, being that my engine is "getting older" and I've put countless miles on it over the past 6+ years, I did decide to offset the decklid with a tennis ball. It's supposed to be hor again tomorrow and I have 20 mile commute to work so we will see how much of a difference the tennis ball has.

Once my new ignition components are in, I may remove the ball again and check the difference. It's also getting time to drop the engine and clean some stuff up and I think it would be a good oppertunity to make sure the cooling fins aren't clogged. Maybe I'm just too over the top, but it keeps me into it!

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PNW Dub Folk & Kitsap dub Folk (KdF)
Austin Aircoolers VW Gang
2020 Ford F-150
1973 Standard Beetle
1969 Cessna 172K Airplane
1959 Karmann Ghia
US Army CH-47 Chinook Helicopter Repairer

[PatterBon]

Hey guys, long update this evening.
Quick back story, all of the parts I had ordered from Morris Race Engines came in yesterday and I had time today to tackle some of the issues that I haven't had the proper time to address.

One of the bigger nuances I've had over the past could of years was the fan occasionally rubbing against the alternator's backing plate periodically due to a lack of shims. I could pull on the fan shroud to get rid of the grinding for a bit, but it would always come back. I ordered two shims to fix it and I am pleased to say that they worked out perfectly and the ugly rubbing is now a thing of the past.

As luck would have it, and with any good saga, I discovered after having removed the breast plate that the two nuts that hold the muffler to the cylinder head were MIA. After fixing that issue, the car is much quieter and has a lot more power (who knew )

Along side those two issues being fixed, as I was putting everything back together and reattaching the battery, my positive battery cable broke at the terminal. So a quick run back to the FLAPS and it was back on again.

But it doesn't stop there. After getting everything buttoned back up, I fired him up and there was a bit of an issue getting it to time to 7.5 degrees BTDC. It would jump around a bit, however I was eager to get it on a test drive. So after a quick trip around the block and extremely pleased with it's performance, I hooked up the timing light again and found the timing at idle was erratic.

I found that the rear (to the car) carburetor stud hardware was loose and wouldn't tighten. I took the stud out and figured it just needed a bit of Loctite to make everything right again. Wrong. After waiting the prescribed time to start messing with thing again, the whole stud fell out. After running a tap through it's mounting hole, I liberally coated the rear stud's threads with JB Weld and am letting it sit over night before tightening everything back down again and giving the timing a go again tomorrow morning.

Last but not least, my L54D aerosol paint arrived today and I tagged a small area on the fender with it and am delighted to say it matches perfectly (I don't have any picture of it and it's dark now) but if everything works out well in the morning, I will go ahead and yank the fender and hood off and start making the car one color again just for the time being to prevent further rusting.

Link

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PNW Dub Folk & Kitsap dub Folk (KdF)
Austin Aircoolers VW Gang
2020 Ford F-150
1973 Standard Beetle
1969 Cessna 172K Airplane
1959 Karmann Ghia
US Army CH-47 Chinook Helicopter Repairer

[PatterBon]

And a little bit of ambition later- the final result. Car runs as it should and I started to get a bit over the top with the paint. Sunday the fender will come off and I'll paint it as it was meant to be.

[/youtube]
_________________
PNW Dub Folk & Kitsap dub Folk (KdF)
Austin Aircoolers VW Gang
2020 Ford F-150
1973 Standard Beetle
1969 Cessna 172K Airplane
1959 Karmann Ghia
US Army CH-47 Chinook Helicopter Repairer

[PatterBon]

Ran out of paint at while doing the hood. Even though it's temporary, I am very happy with how it turned out. I also took it for it's first long drive today after the tune up and it drove like a charm. I'm hoping there might still be some life in the old paint and I can get it to shine up a bit again but it's really oxidized and I don't have a whole lot of hope for it. I also called and got a quote on the floor pan replacement. After getting everything from Wolfsburg West and getting a quote from the restoration shop, it's looking like it'll be right around $2,000-$2,500 depending on how bad the heater channels are (they honestly don't look all that bad. But once it's on a solid platform again, I can really start to focus on doing the body work well and then have a car that's a looker.

_________________
PNW Dub Folk & Kitsap dub Folk (KdF)
Austin Aircoolers VW Gang
2020 Ford F-150
1973 Standard Beetle
1969 Cessna 172K Airplane
1959 Karmann Ghia
US Army CH-47 Chinook Helicopter Repairer

[PatterBon]

The other can of Marina Blue came in last Friday so I went ahead and finished up the front end last night and even touched up then passenger side fender. It looks terrible up close but decent from a distance. It is exciting to image the day when all of this is permanent and a restoration is complete. But for the time being, a quick rattle can job after rust removal will do. Enjoy!

_________________
PNW Dub Folk & Kitsap dub Folk (KdF)
Austin Aircoolers VW Gang
2020 Ford F-150
1973 Standard Beetle
1969 Cessna 172K Airplane
1959 Karmann Ghia
US Army CH-47 Chinook Helicopter Repairer

[PatterBon]

Hey guys! Another long stretch between posts, however this time I'm a bit stumped. Long story short, my speedometer took a dump and I was fortunate enough to come across someone who had a spare late model speedometer that they simply gave me. After about a week of running the new one, it froze up too. So I decided to take matters into my own hands and make a franken-speedo by taking the usable parts from the two and make one good working one. That being said, it went off without a hitch and I've never had a smoother needle, however it displays exactly 5 mph over the speed I'm actually traveling at. The speedo that I'd been using for the last 10ish years was out of a 75 standard and the the one gifted to me was out of a 75 standard. There were subtle differences such as a weighted needle in the '76 and a non weighted needle in the '75. And the internal magnet looked to be a bit different. I have since made all of the formerly unservicable parts serviceable and free moving again so I can swap parts if need be. I also removed the needle if it makes any difference and needle from the '76 shattered even with caful handling. Thanks for the input guys!

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PNW Dub Folk & Kitsap dub Folk (KdF)
Austin Aircoolers VW Gang
2020 Ford F-150
1973 Standard Beetle
1969 Cessna 172K Airplane
1959 Karmann Ghia
US Army CH-47 Chinook Helicopter Repairer

[PatterBon]

Hey guys,
This weekend was full of productivity. After work on Friday, I took a good look at the front tires and found them unservicable. I figured I'd take the time yesterday to go ahead and address some other issues along with the wheels.
Yesterday's fun consisted of:

An oil change, valve adjustment/valve cover gasket replacement, points adjustment, timing and carburetor tuning, parking brake cable replacement and a long awaited carburetor repair, brake adjustment and the wheels being pulled for new tires.
To go along with all of it, mentioned in an earlier post, my rear carburetor mounting stud had started working itself loose and I couldn't get the nut to securely tighten down. A close friend of mine and I pulled the carb and did a helicoil repair and it worked out wonderfully. After the repair, a nd a little bit of red loctite, it's safe to say the repaired stud won't be working itself loose any time soon.
Today I got the new set of tires mounted and balanced and the beetle again has a clean bill of health, hope you guys are still enjoying the updates despite the threads long windedness and infrequent updates!

[img]https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/2104061.jpg[/img

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PNW Dub Folk & Kitsap dub Folk (KdF)
Austin Aircoolers VW Gang
2020 Ford F-150
1973 Standard Beetle
1969 Cessna 172K Airplane
1959 Karmann Ghia
US Army CH-47 Chinook Helicopter Repairer

[PatterBon]

Not an update about any recent work. But tomorrow marks 11 years ince the engine was rebuilt and it's been my daily driver since! Paying homage to the old beetle by going out with friends and taking a few pictures with their bikes. It's fun running through this time capsule, from reading my own ignorance to the bug breakthroughs I've been able to share with this community. 48 years since it's manufacture, 23 years in the family, 11 years of me driving it and from Seattle, WA to Killeen, TX. Couldn't ask for more fun of a daily driver.

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PNW Dub Folk & Kitsap dub Folk (KdF)
Austin Aircoolers VW Gang
2020 Ford F-150
1973 Standard Beetle
1969 Cessna 172K Airplane
1959 Karmann Ghia
US Army CH-47 Chinook Helicopter Repairer

[calvinater]

Way kind killer on your ride.

Thankyou for your service.
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"Albatross"!

[Bambergvr6]

I agree, your thread is very cool documented story, I enjoy reading your updates. One day we will meet up, I am over in the 1CD G6.
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## ROG ##
(aka 007)
Moore VeeDub Garage

[PatterBon]

Thank you guys! It's been been fun and flown by quickly. I hope to run into you too! I'm up in 1ACB but if times and dates work, I'd always be happy to meet a fellow VW enthusiast! Tomorrow will mark the 11tj anniversary of that engine going in and it's still chugging along!
_________________
PNW Dub Folk & Kitsap dub Folk (KdF)
Austin Aircoolers VW Gang
2020 Ford F-150
1973 Standard Beetle
1969 Cessna 172K Airplane
1959 Karmann Ghia
US Army CH-47 Chinook Helicopter Repairer

[PatterBon]

Hey guys! So today I went out to Bug Acres while they're doing their liquidation. I found all the parts I have been searching for and at an awesome price today. I think the biggest treasure I came upon was the NOS late model air filter that has been a task to find. It was wonderful being able to cruise there and findnth parts I needed.

It truly brought the engine together and I'm hoping to go back in a week or two and find a few more parts to bring my beetle back to 100% 11 years post-rebuild and it's still an absolute joy to drive and I really love How this thread has captured all of it, cringy, ignorant, victories and all. I still love this beetle the same way I did in 2009 when I started this thread.
_________________
PNW Dub Folk & Kitsap dub Folk (KdF)
Austin Aircoolers VW Gang
2020 Ford F-150
1973 Standard Beetle
1969 Cessna 172K Airplane
1959 Karmann Ghia
US Army CH-47 Chinook Helicopter Repairer

[vamram]

[PatterBon]

A lot of the pictures don't show anymore but it's a neat time capsule to look back on. 23 years ago, this car took me to pre school and was a very short distance commuter. It's since been spruced up a bit, given new life and has gone halfway across the country. I drive it daily and prefer it over my truck. It's had its ups and downs and therre have been times where I just wanted to get rid of it but I'm glad I never did.
_________________
PNW Dub Folk & Kitsap dub Folk (KdF)
Austin Aircoolers VW Gang
2020 Ford F-150
1973 Standard Beetle
1969 Cessna 172K Airplane
1959 Karmann Ghia
US Army CH-47 Chinook Helicopter Repairer

[PatterBon]

Ladies and gentlemen
Yesterday evening I was given the offer of a life time. 11 years ago I worked on a 1959 Karmann Ghia that had been sitting for 40+ years and yesterday I was offered it free of charge. Of course I said yes and next month I will be going to go pick it up and taking it back to my parents house in Washington. I will now have two VW's and two threads to maintain!

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PNW Dub Folk & Kitsap dub Folk (KdF)
Austin Aircoolers VW Gang
2020 Ford F-150
1973 Standard Beetle
1969 Cessna 172K Airplane
1959 Karmann Ghia
US Army CH-47 Chinook Helicopter Repairer

[Buggeee]

Congratulations! Beautiful color.
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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

[calvinater]

Good Karm (nghia) !
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"Albatross"!

[PatterBon]

Hey guys! Needing a little insight today.
Right before I'd left to go get the Ghia, my beetle started to spit reverse. It didn't start doing it until about a two months ago and I've been away from it for for the past month so I haven't really been able to address it. It has occasionally had a hard time getting into 2nd and would grind for a second and then after a quick in and out on the shifter, it would go in smoothly.

I have adjusted the shifter, it hits all 5 gears just fine and smoothly but the second you let off the clutch while it's in reverse, it spits it. I've now adjusted the shifter multiple times and it's still doing it. So my question being, does this sound like a worn shifter bushing? I have never replaced it before and can saybots close to being 25 years old. Or does this sound like my reverse gear is starting to go?
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PNW Dub Folk & Kitsap dub Folk (KdF)
Austin Aircoolers VW Gang
2020 Ford F-150
1973 Standard Beetle
1969 Cessna 172K Airplane
1959 Karmann Ghia
US Army CH-47 Chinook Helicopter Repairer

[Paul Windisch]

I haven't been on in awhile, but glad to see you're still at it with the Marina Blue Bug!

Regarding your shifter, I would start by looking at the bushing in the tunnel first. Unless you are abusing reverse, I doubt the problem inside the transmission.
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*ASE Recertified Master Automotive Tech*

1984 Mexican Beetle
-1914cc
-L3 Heads 35x32 valves 52cc chambers
-0.040" deck for about 9.1:1 Compression
-Engle W110 cam
-CB Super Stock 1.1:1 Rockers
-Stock Heat Exchangers w/ Tri-Mil Muffler
-Dual Weber IDF 40s w/ 26mm venturis
-034 SVDA Distributor

2013 Chevrolet Volt DD
2005 Pontiac Montana SV6

MAHLE Service Solutions
Applications Engineer

[PatterBon]

Thank you! Wild to think it's approaching 24 years in the family and 12 years of legally driving it! Being the proud owner of two VW's was always a pipe dream but I'm lucky enough now to say I do!

Regarding the transmission, putting the car into reverse, it's safe to assume the gear is a least 1/4 missing based on how often it "pops" while in reverse and trying to keep it in gear while going backwards. It spits the gear if I let the clutch out more than an inch and grinds terribly. I've tried adjusting the shifter multiple times but it occurred to me that I've never replaced the bushing or coupler so that very well could have led to the demise of the transmission unfortunately. Saturday I'm going to see if I can source a "new" transmission but we'll see if the effort is fruitful.
_________________
PNW Dub Folk & Kitsap dub Folk (KdF)
Austin Aircoolers VW Gang
2020 Ford F-150
1973 Standard Beetle
1969 Cessna 172K Airplane
1959 Karmann Ghia
US Army CH-47 Chinook Helicopter Repairer