My buddy's not an internet guy, so...

[Big_kid]

... I've been doing the online stuff for him.

I guess I'm a bad influence or something. I took my buddy Johnnie for a buggy ride a few weeks ago, he then told me he wanted one. I started keeping my eyes open for one, he kept asking, and lo and behold: I found one in New Jersey. Another Tuff Tub on a 60something chassis. We worked out the logistics of the trip, and went up there Saturday to tow it home. We got there about 45 minutes after it started snowing, checked it over, hitched it up, and headed home in the snow. The snow turned to rain after 30 minutes or so, thankfully. The ride home was fairly uneventful, aside from losing the towing lights twice, almost being denied crossing at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel (due to no lights, they thought we knew), and the Astro bogging and developing a backfire at the bottom of of the first tunnel.

I've still not seen it in daylight and the sun hasn't been out since he bought it, but it's at home in North Carolina now all rehomed and registered. It's his and his wife's first buggy, I'm sure they'll make changes here and there to make it theirs. First up is a roll bar of some sort, then a top (I believe).

Anybody know of a good place to order a tow bar (or plans to build)? No VW owner should be without one.

[Big_kid]

Well, he wasted no time getting to it. His wife ordered a tow bar online, he tore into it and made it their own.



In the parade last Sunday:
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At the end of the parade he noticed a bang/clunk from the right rear wheel. He towed it home and put it on the lift and found the RR axle nut HAND TIGHT with a cotter pin! That explains the gear lube leak, and brings up the next question- is the leak likely to stop with proper torque, or should we tear into it with a seal kit on hand? I've never been past the backing plate on a VW before.

[Raj]

Id tighten it and see what happens. Im hoping for the best, but A loose drum ( depending on miles) can really mess up the splines on the axle.

[Big_kid]

That's what I was thinking. We towed it from NJ to NC, he really didn't drive it before getting it painted, towed it 45 minutes to the parade, drove 2 miles in the parade (plus 5-10 around town), towed it 45 minutes home, that's when he found it. Who knows how much the PO drove it though. I'll tell him to tighten it up and see what happens. If it still leaks I'll be googling parts and diagrams. Absolute worst case, I have a drum to drum swingaxle in the shed, I'll measure and see if it's the same.

(his is a 63, one in the shed I'm told is a 66. Both short axles IIRC?)

[Big_kid]

Long time, no update...

My buddy tightened up the drum, I THINK that took care of the leak- it did stop the noise. Shortly thereafter we replaced the nosecone mount, all was well. Unfortunately, he passed away a few days afterward. The buggy has been in limbo since, as there was an issue with the title. His wife is working that out, not sure if she's keeping or selling it after it's settled.

[Raj]

Wow... sorry to read.

[Big_kid]

Thanks. Hopefully she'll get the title issue straight and keep it, or at least keep it in the family. It's only got a 1200, but it ran strong and smooth. I hope to see it in the dunes one day.