project "Pepe" - multi purpose bug

[dirtkeeper]

I like all the work your u are doing to reinforce the stock bumpers and skid plate stuff. I may be copying some of your stuff.

Last time around I cut about 2 inches of the whole rear apron and fenders to match. This helps when trying to keep you muffler as high as possible. And still looks stock.

[joemama]

Thank you. Please feel free to copy anything that might help. And thank you for the idea of trimming the rear apron, I will consider it.

[joemama]

Spent the day doing a little body work on the rear apron, as well as touching up paint wherever needed. I had a little paint, about 3 ounces left over from when I painted the bug 10 years ago. I kept it in a small water bottle.

I didnt want to go thru the hassle of cleaning my turbine hvlp gun, and as this is an offroad car, and finish quality is not that important to me, I tried this

its available at Home Depot for about $5. I added hardener to the paint, and reduced it until it sprayed pretty good. I was pleased with the results. Once I wet sand it a little, and polish it, it should look pretty close to the rest of the car.

Now I can get back to bolting on the bumper, skid plate, etc.

[joemama]

Finished the skid plate. I added to the back of it, to provide coverage all the way to a crossbar in the rear skid plate mount. I was afraid that without it, it would be a place to hang up. I also bent the skid plate to better fit, and welded the "wings" for the cylinder heads, instead of bolting them to the main skid plate like it was originally designed.

Here is the skid plate bolted on, you can see how it follows the shape of things. There is about 1 1/2" between the skid plate and the engine case.

I also had to clearance the rear bumper to fit the skid plate mount tubes

I think this weakened the rear bumper, so I made a center support for it

I have spent a lot of time on the bumpers and skid plates, and honestly, its because I have some metal laying around, and its stuff I can do very cheap, with just an investment of time, and not much money. I still want to do something with the running boards, and have some ideas, but for now I am going to move on to more "car" related things, lights, wipers, switches, instruments. Also carburetor, distributor, etc.

[joemama]

Been working on tidying up things. Early on, I mounted the remote oil filter, but the hoses hung too low. I shortened the hoses, and modified the shield that protects the filter, to better protect the hoses.

I also decided to go with my stock muffler, since its in great shape, and fits, I added stainless steel flared exhaust tips. Hoping for a deeper sound than the pea shooters. You can also see the tow hitch mounted. I have a little over 9" of clearance at the hitch. Its easily unbolted, and then the clearance is about 10 1/2".

Also been collecting parts. I picked up a nice Zenith 32, but need to repair the manifold, as the heat risers are cut off, I bought some that I hope I can weld on. Also need to go thru an old Brazilian 009, I hope I can make work. And bought some stock serrated lock washers for my CV bolts.

[VWTECHEDITOR]

Good Afternoon,

Saw the pictures you posted and your work looks good. One picture caught my eye, however. Your intake manifold might not give you the best results for your chosen carb which looks like a Zenith 32 NDIX.

Several published sources from years gone by note that a plenum type manifold works much better than the isolated tube manifold showing in one of your pictures. My experience was mostly with Holley Bug Spray carbs, but in the "good old days", I did acquire a few bits of knowledge on the 32 NDIX.

If you're not sure of the manifold types, check out what I wrote years ago when I worked for Bentley Publishers.
http://tech.bentleypublishers.com/thread.jspa?messageID=342033&#342033
Also, Bill Fisher's book: "How to Hotrod Volkswagen Engines" http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/350450/how...0912656038 by HP Books has a lot of very good information despite being an older book.

Good luck with you project.
Art LeBrun
vwtecheditor

[joemama]

Hi Art. Thanks for the link. I just read thru it, and it brought back memories of running a Holley Bugspray on my 1914 in my buggy. It was a 300 cfm model. I found that Chirco still supplied new steel manifolds, this was about 10 years ago, dont know if they still do. That carb made great power, but had a huge flat spot off idle. I cured much of the flat spot by jetting rich, but eventually gave up on it because the throttle shaft was worn and it leaked. The distributor was a 009. I replaced it with a Zenith 32, mounted on a plenum type aluminum Speed Unlimited manifold, still using the 009, and love how that set up works. I have run a single 40 idf, as well as dual 40 idf's, but have gone back to the Zenith for trouble free reliability, and decent performance, although both the Holley, and the dual 40 idf made better power. I am keeping an eye out for an aluminum type plenum manifold for the Zenith, but may give this isolated manifold a try. I have read that the isolated manifold works for smaller engines, and may work for my mild 1776. Apparently, the isolated manifold gives up upper rpm power, but does well for lower rpm torque.

[joemama]

Here are pictures of the set up on the buggy.

[joemama]

Have not worked on the bug lately. I have been working on my buggy, trying to get that ready to take on the Big Bear Manx weekend, but will now get back to doing some work on the bug. I am proceeding with installing a Zenith 32 carburetor. I was going to try to fix a steel manifold that had the heat risers cut off, but just ran across a Bugpac aluminum intake (I think its probably the same as the Speed Unlimited, and others). It is of the plenum design, just like the one on my buggy, so I know it will work fine. Taking off the stock manifold was a pain:
Remove deck lid
deck lid hinge brackets
skid plate
thermostat
generator strap
rear breast plate
all plug wires, as well as wires going to generator, coil, and hanging off fan shroud
belt
gas lines
accel cable
raise fan shroud as high as possible, to sneak intake past generator

I almost just cut up the stock intake, except I had taken the time to decarbonize it, clean the heat risers, and I will save it for a future build.
I did learn from my vw mechanic friend, that many times you can just reach around to the back of the shroud, undo the nut holding the fan to the generator, and just remove the generator from the front with out any of the other steps I listed. I knew I should have talked to him before doing this.

[joemama]

I also experienced a breakdown without having driven the car. One of my rear wheel cylinders just started leaking, all over the shoes, too. So I will be replacing the never used, approximately 10 year old wheel cylinders and shoes, with new ones.

[Buggeee]

This is a very interesting read. Lots of ideas and very well documented.
_________________
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

[joemama]

Thank you for the kind words. I plan to get back to working on the car soon. I mostly work on it when my wife works weekends, which is tax season, a couple of weeks from now, and into may. Hope to be able to post pictures of the car in action by then.

[joemama]

When I last posted on this project, I had bought a Zenith 32, and an isolated runner manifold, but kept looking for a plenum type manifold. I found an old Bugpack. From what I have been told, pretty much all of them, Bugpack, Speed Unlimited, and others, were cast at the same place, just with different names. Well, the one I bought, had one tube that was kind of oval, and while trying to fix that, the tube came off the plenum. Thats when I saw how bad that area was cast.

you can see that the hole was not smooth, and when they pressed in the tubes, they collapsed to fit

I ended up using my Dremel to clean up the casting, and cut new tubes and pressed/JB welded them in. Should help with smoother flow, or at least, make me feel better.

[mr_bill]

Removable rear apron, makes engine removal a breeze...( but I do have 40+ years experience)

1776 with ZENITH 32NDIX & "custom" A-1 "Sidewinder" exhaust
_________________
see ya' on the trail........

"Mr Bill"
Dos Perros Motorsports
Orange, CA
1972 Class 11x/Stock Bug
'60's era "vintage" Tunnell-Buggy

"...no one here....get's out ALIVE...."

Motor = electric
Engine = internal combustion

www.facebook.com/groups/DosPerrosMotorsports
www.alrchapter132.org
www.DAV.org

[joemama]

I need to brace my manifold/carb like you have done.

[VWTECHEDITOR]

Good Morning, Guys,

Nice set-up!

But it brings to mind a question that I've had for a long time.
With no heater boxes and no air from the fan housing, what do you do for heat?

OK, so you live in Southern California; I get it. But surely you get fog and maybe even some rain (?). Do you have any provision for defrost with that set-up? Have you found an electric unit unit that works? Years ago, I saw a SouthWind unit used for heat and defrost.

I know, I'm ignoring the obvious; don't drive when the weather is questionable. But sometimes it can't be avoided.
The same question applies to Buggies.

I have Type 2 Diabetes and my feet get cold, so a ride in my '69 Sedan with original heater boxes warms them up fast. I guess these old bones would have a difficult time with these new styles!

Anyway, thanks for the updates.

Art LeBrun
vwtecheditor

[joemama]

In my bug, I am running heater boxes, and a stock muffler. I need to make itcomfortable so the wife and I will both enjoy it!

[joemama]

I had the day off today, so I worked on the bug. Got the motor running after a problem with a faulty Compufire module. It now has a Zenith 32, 009 Bosh dist running points, stock muffler, stainless steel flared tips. Actually sounds nice, and I wont have clearance problems on the trail.

[heywebonya]

Seeing your timing clamp at the distributor seems so obvious! I have melt marks on all my clamps from the muffler. What a great idea!

Great bug and love the color.
_________________
If I knew what I was doing; I wouldn't be building a buggy!

[joemama]

So, the accelerator felt kind of clunky, not smooth, also, not getting full throttle.
Traced it down to how the pedal and roller connected

Not sure if somehow I have mismatched parts, but you can see that the roller and pedal dont mesh right. I ended up drilling out the welds that held the "curved" part of the pedal, moving that down 5/8", re welding

Now everything works much smoother. I still need to work on the carb returning to idle, its kind of stiff