Mondshine, how is the new Thing coming along?

[mondshine]

[74 Thing]

Is there a seal on the tranny nosecone?

Yep, the photo made it appear different. Looks good as is. Damn Things, lol.

[KAmes]

That makes me think about looking for parts before the internet. Who knows for years that grommet may have been effectively unobtainable so the owner made do. I remember finally locating a door hinge for a karmann ghia many years ago, and that was from getting an out of state phone number off a paper catalog someone gave me.

[mondshine]

Kevin-
That boot is a standard Beetle part.
It's hard to believe that somebody would do that hack just to avoid buying a $5 part that's easy to get. I wonder if maybe the clutch cable tube came loose, and that's how it was fixed. Actually, this is the most I have thought about this in over a month. Maybe tomorrow, I will look inside the tunnel with my borescope camera (or, maybe ignorance is bliss and I'll just stop thinking about this).

74-
Yes on the nose cone seal. That seal is in good condition; no reason to pull the transmission.

The more I look at those tubes, the more I think that it's not a hack job, but I just cannot explain what is there. Oh well, another unsolved mystery.

My next goal is to work on the electrics in the trunk. I have new German turn signal rubbers, rubber conduits and drains for the headlight buckets. I will install the Hella H4 headlights from the old car. The old car had LED "H4 replacement bulbs" which I might use. The cut-off pattern is not as sharp as with the halogens, but they are BRIGHT! I will think about that one for a while.

Today, it has gone above freezing here in Detroit, so I am getting ants in my pants to finish this project, knowing that a Thing project is never really "finished", and that it will still be months until it's above 70º here.

Although I have been driving Things for over 40 years, still nothing beats the first top-down drive of the Spring.

[KAmes]

Ha! I didn't think about it being a beetle part, I've never replaced one. I wouldn't want the job of welding around those tubes in situ. It looks good though.

[74 Thing]

It appears it was manufactured that way.

[mondshine]

[Dougster43]

Every "Thing" is different...

[mondshine]

Bumpers on today; small steps.
I was happy to see a nice matchup between the VS tailpipes and the bumper holes.

Just 22 days until Spring!

[77kafer]

Very nice. Beautiful line up with those tailpipes. Are those tails wired up in conjunction with each other?
_________________
Supposed to be 77käfer, but there are no umlauts on an american keyboard

Overheard on 27 June 07, one lady to another when they saw my Harli in a parking lot at West Point, "maybe he found it on the clearance aisle at the Volkswagen dealer"

[mondshine]

I am slightly embarrassed about those lights. I bought this car that way.

The extra lights are sort of goofy, but not a deal breaker for me, since the car this one replaces was wrecked in a rear end collision.

Those are real 181 part numbered lights. The red portions light with the brake lights. The yellow portions have red (5 Watt equivalent) LED bulbs in them, and function as rear fogs.

The standard (upper) brake lights are wired through a "Webelectric BLP-1" pulsing module which pulses the bulbs 4 times upon braking, then they just act like normal brake lights. The module resets after 20 seconds, to avoid nuisance pulsing in heavy traffic.

With luck, no more rear-enders.

[74 Thing]

Looking clean and yes, no more rear ending!

[77kafer]

[mondshine]

77-
I am not set up to host videos, but...
With luck, you can see them in person at Kubel Treffen East, or Things Northeast this Summer.
I am itching for a 181 road trip once the weather turns warm (no trailer queens here) !

[77kafer]

I doubt that I will be at either of those this year. Altho' I did meet you at Dover a few years back, and also Flanders after that.
_________________
Supposed to be 77käfer, but there are no umlauts on an american keyboard

Overheard on 27 June 07, one lady to another when they saw my Harli in a parking lot at West Point, "maybe he found it on the clearance aisle at the Volkswagen dealer"

[mondshine]

[mondshine]

A productive day in the GarageMahal.
The sleeping critter actually moved under its own power today.

It's a sunny day here in Detroit, but only 38º now.

Still lots of work to do, but time enough to be ready for warm weather.

[KAmes]

Lovin' the gas burners!

[mondshine]

Thanks Kevin-
They are actually 5.5x15 EMPI knock-offs; the real Mahle ones are big bucks, especially 4 lug.
I have a 5.5x15 steel wheel for the spare.

Tight fit, but no contact with the lid.

[mondshine]

YIPPEE!
First top-down drive of 2021.
So far, everything works.
Now, I just need it to be about 20º warmer outside.