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EVfun
Samba Member
Joined: April 01, 2012
Posts: 5475
Location: Seattle
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 Posted: Fri May 29, 2020 9:35 am Post subject: Re: Bad Bug |
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| tcmia wrote: |
Thanks. Originally It had a neon tube in the back windows that was also the pink color, but it was broken when I picked up the car a year ago. It probably broke when they had removed the top at some point due to the thick wires hooked up to the tube. I considered another neon tube, but opted for the led silicon tube because it makes the wires easier to connect and the ability to use it for a third brake light.
the top on the trailer is part of the trailer. They had it made to haul all the stuff to set up for a show in it. It still has some of those items in it.
I think i need to loosen the window frame and hood bolts a little to shift it so that the holes align again.
The sides are actually brushed stainless steel panels an there is one on the underside too. The spinners used to be chrome, but it was terribly rusted and pitted. So i sanded them and painted them gloss black and added the Wolfsburg center cap from a current VW. I am considering getting black lugs.
I do like the idea of a long shifter. It would go with the theme. Now it has one of those empi reverse lock out things. It had a blue neon tube shifter know on it, but it was so bad I could not get it back to work. I leave the long shifter idea for a future upgrade. |
Cool trailer! I think you're right, LEDs are likely a better choice in the top, plus a lot of the solid state neon "transformers" that came with the car neon kits where cheaply made and prone to failure. I was using a proper solid state transformer purchased from a sign shop, mounted under the dash to the right of the ignition switch. From there the GTO wiring was routed all around under the body so all the neon was a single circuit. Here is something I got for that buggy but never did install.
I had to open the package to get a picture because garage dust seems to have merged with packaging over the years. It's a blue neon shift knob, perhaps the same one the Bad Bug had? The VW logo above it will be going on the faux radiator cap flat spot on the Mini-T body. Pictures uploaded to theSamba without a VW or VW part on them are usually deleted. 
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| Wildthings wrote: |
| As a general rule, cheap parts are the most expensive parts you can buy. |
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tcmia
Samba Member
Joined: April 30, 2019
Posts: 212
Location: Cleveland TN
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| Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2020 9:47 am Post subject: Re: Bad Bug |
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That Is what it looked like. It would have been OK with a stock shifter but was weird with the lock out kind.
Went for a short test drive around the block. Front has some side shaking. I checked if something was loose and it seems my driver side bottom and passenger upper ball joints are bad. I greased them and it made it somewhat worse. I ordered 4 new ones. I have done ball joints before but not on a bug. As I was reading up on this, it seems that the bug kind are possibly going to be a pain to do. Will see how that goes next weekend. |
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tcmia
Samba Member
Joined: April 30, 2019
Posts: 212
Location: Cleveland TN
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| Posted: Sat Jun 06, 2020 12:37 pm Post subject: Re: Bad Bug |
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Working on ball joints. What a pain those are. Marked the location of the notches before taking them out. Hopefully they go in nicely. Any suggestions or something i am missing?
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Ulu
Samba Member
Joined: April 21, 2020
Posts: 711
Location: CenCal
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| Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2020 1:35 pm Post subject: Re: Bad Bug |
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| Did you use a heat gun or a propane torch or something to get the rings hot? |
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tcmia
Samba Member
Joined: April 30, 2019
Posts: 212
Location: Cleveland TN
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| Posted: Tue Jun 09, 2020 5:52 am Post subject: Re: Bad Bug |
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| I used one of those c clamp type tools to get them out. No heat. The bottom one came out fairly easy, the upper was more of a chore.I have not put the new ones back in. The new ones seem a tad bigger than the old ones. I am not sure I can manage to get these in without a press. Went to get one yesterday, but the 20 ton ones were sold out. |
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tcmia
Samba Member
Joined: April 30, 2019
Posts: 212
Location: Cleveland TN
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| Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2020 4:17 pm Post subject: Re: Bad Bug |
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| Okidoki. I have my trailing arms back with new ball joints pressed in. Met a very nice guy that builds hotrods and also VW’s and he did did the joints for me for a reasonable fee. Now i am waiting for the beam seals To come in, and then i can put it all back together. |
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Ulu
Samba Member
Joined: April 21, 2020
Posts: 711
Location: CenCal
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| Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2020 6:46 am Post subject: Re: Bad Bug |
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| tcmia wrote: |
| . . .The new ones seem a tad bigger than the old ones. . . . |
They get smaller when pressed in because the knurling gets flattened, and the thin cups literally compress a few thousandths, when forced into that forged steel ring.
When you heat the ring, the ring and cup both expand, but the ring is bigger.
Since they are both steel and expand at the same rate, the bigger diameter ring expands more for any given heat, and because of C=D*Pi the differential expansion is more than you'd think by intuition.
I won't bore you with that math, but the heat gun works great.
Thermal expansion forces are mighty. When fitting hubs, gears, bearings and shafts, they help a lot, and save much wear on the tools and parts. |
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tcmia
Samba Member
Joined: April 30, 2019
Posts: 212
Location: Cleveland TN
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| Posted: Mon Jun 22, 2020 9:46 am Post subject: Re: Bad Bug |
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| Thanks for the tip. I normally use heat and cold when I install bearings. It seems the joints I had received were not the right kind. I dont feel so bad that I could not get them in. My seals came in and when I cleaned out the old grease I fount the driver side lower needle bearing was in bad shape. So now I have the lower ones on order. Maybe this weekend I can work on it again. Also have some front drums on the way. |
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Ulu
Samba Member
Joined: April 21, 2020
Posts: 711
Location: CenCal
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| Posted: Mon Jun 22, 2020 10:56 am Post subject: Re: Bad Bug |
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| Will you need to change the swingarm? |
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tcmia
Samba Member
Joined: April 30, 2019
Posts: 212
Location: Cleveland TN
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| Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2020 6:14 am Post subject: Re: Bad Bug |
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| Some of the parts have still not arrived. This weekend I picked up a complete beam in much better shape than the one that is in the car. It is rust free and was stored indoors for 2 decades. I am considering changing the whole thing out and using the best of the swing arms. I wonder if I have to remove the steering column to get it out. The replacement also comes with a much tighter steering box. I am going to think this over for a couple of days until the parts have arrived. |
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Ulu
Samba Member
Joined: April 21, 2020
Posts: 711
Location: CenCal
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| Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2020 6:41 am Post subject: Re: Bad Bug |
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This is what happens to me after a lot of work..
Only I tend to find a whole better car, and sell/neglect the old one. |
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tcmia
Samba Member
Joined: April 30, 2019
Posts: 212
Location: Cleveland TN
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| Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2020 6:43 am Post subject: Re: Bad Bug |
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| That thought has crossed my mind in the beginning, but I have already come so far. Parts are still not here. So saturday I was able to remove the old beam without taking the the roof, windshield and hood off. What a chore. I tired to get the steering box off to make removal easier and all the bolts snapped even after having them soaked. Could not remove the steering arm, but I managed to get the beam out by rotating turning and twisting. I asked a friend and he may help me one day this week to try to massage the "new" beam in. |
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tcmia
Samba Member
Joined: April 30, 2019
Posts: 212
Location: Cleveland TN
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| Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2020 6:23 pm Post subject: Re: Bad Bug |
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Old beam is out.
Regreased the steering box in the replacement beam and made some press fit plugs with a recess to pop them out with a flat screw driver in case i need to.
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tcmia
Samba Member
Joined: April 30, 2019
Posts: 212
Location: Cleveland TN
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| Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2020 5:41 am Post subject: Re: Bad Bug |
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| Last night I got the beam in. It was hard to do it by yourself. Hopefully today I can get the other stuff attached back and see how it sits. Now that the old one is on the ground i am glad I replaced it. I found a lot of rust on the shock towers, the lower section, Lower tube had 4 broken leaves in the pack. ! big one and 3 little ones. Driver side bearing rollers crumbled and the bolt that holds the steering arm gone. |
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MrGoodtunes
Samba Member
Joined: May 14, 2012
Posts: 851
Location: South Florida
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| Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2020 8:45 am Post subject: Re: Bad Bug |
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| tcmia wrote: |
| ... glad I replaced it ... found ... the bolt that holds the steering arm gone. |
With this find (and fix), you may very well have just saved your life. |
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tcmia
Samba Member
Joined: April 30, 2019
Posts: 212
Location: Cleveland TN
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| Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2020 8:53 am Post subject: Re: Bad Bug |
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You are right. This is bad. The head of it was gone, but the bolt part is still in there. Either way its bad and solved. Always something new to fix. I will try to get the rest off and keep the steering box as a spare. It turns really smooth with almost no slack.
I wished I had found one before I put the body on. That would have made the whole job so much easier. |
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tcmia
Samba Member
Joined: April 30, 2019
Posts: 212
Location: Cleveland TN
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| Posted: Mon Jul 20, 2020 10:36 am Post subject: Re: Bad Bug |
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| Not much progress. I scored some German front drums that are in very good shape to replace my very much corroded aftermarket drums. Just need to get he bearing races in and mount install the. One more step in the right direction. |
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tcmia
Samba Member
Joined: April 30, 2019
Posts: 212
Location: Cleveland TN
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| Posted: Mon Jul 20, 2020 7:31 pm Post subject: Re: Bad Bug |
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One down one to go.
Old vs replacement drum.
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tcmia
Samba Member
Joined: April 30, 2019
Posts: 212
Location: Cleveland TN
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| Posted: Fri Jul 31, 2020 9:05 am Post subject: Re: Bad Bug |
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This week I have been working on the replacement surfboard. The one it came with it in note really savable. I am not totally copying it but making it look to fit with it. I am adding a top panel with the see ya logo and a Bag Bug logo from the rear window on the bottom.
So far I painted the board in purple flake, added a painted stainless look panel and painted the See Ya script. Made a paint mask for the Bad bug logo. Still have to work on the pin striping and other details.
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tcmia
Samba Member
Joined: April 30, 2019
Posts: 212
Location: Cleveland TN
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| Posted: Sun Aug 09, 2020 7:19 am Post subject: Re: Bad Bug |
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There are some dings and dents in the board i chose to keep. Battle scars. 
Applied the design to the board. Hand painted the letters and cleared it to protect it. Next the lines.
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