Das Volks Vintage Volkswagen Gruppe

So I'll start my thread with a simple job. I picked up a set of driver quality 1967 only rear bumper overiders at Englishtown and after some prodding at the last meeting I decided it was time to install them.

Before with the 66/early 67-down overiders


After with the 67 1/2 only rear overiders


The iPhone photos don't do them justice. They look nicer in person. But for what I paid for them, Even though they're not as nice as the other set I have. I'm not complaining at all.

nice..... gotta love the 67 with all its OYO parts! Looking good bud.

Followed by a task of increased difficulty, adjusting the valves.
http://i1096.photobucket.com/albums/g32 ... 131CB4.mp4
Since I was by myself, I recorded video of the rockers while rocking the crank and noting what rockers remained stationary. That allowed me to verify what cylinder was ready to be adjusted. Then continuing in sucessive 180 deg counterclockwise rotations moving me down the line to the next cylinder.

Heard a clunk when I started the car and then.......no clutch. So I guess it's time to pull the engine. Got it out for the first time in less than an hour. I was impressed. Putting it back in was not as simple but I still impressed myself.

Turned out both the throw out bearing retainer clips broke. And to top it all off, I had an early throw out bearing with a 71 and up pressure plate. Oh well, new clutch pressure plate and throw out bearing. Back under its own power and the angry turtle continues to scooter along.

Nice work. What else you doing while she's out?

I replaced some of the engine compartment seal. Addressed some of the engine tin issues and did a general inspection. Still have to replace the main engine compartment seal and install the thermostat and cooling flaps but my thermostat connecting rod hasn't come yet. So, I'll just pull the engine again to do that and for more practice.

So I picked up a set of used Hella 500 amber tint fog lamps with wiring harness for $5 off Craigslist. The kicker, I got a free Sapphire XIX am/fm radio out of the deal...and it works! So I made some simple brackets out of 1/2" EMT and mounted them to the front bumper guard. Came out decent and I love reversible mods. I want to swap them with more "vintage" looking lamps in the future. But these lay the foundation. I do like them. They have that racey european look but i dont know if they look right in this car. Despite the pictures they don't block the headlights.

Sapphire XIX is AM/FM for a 74.



Sell it for $125 and buy a period radio for your 67.

looks great Jay! I too am looking for period correct fogs for the 63.

Any progress on the transition back to 67 brakes?

Glenn, I was thinking I that. I have a Sapphire IX AM only now. But I have toyed with the idea of hiding a modern radio somewhere but I stuck it in the car just for kicks.

Raj, I have seen some cool ones at swap meets. But very rarely are they in pairs. Only by themselves. An I know that's a period look, but I like two.

Think vintage.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/AUDIOVOX-FM-CON ... be&vxp=mtr

Raj, I pulled the spindles apart. Front drums look good, backing plates are toast. But I may be able to use the ones I have now. Rear, I still have to disassemble but are in much better shape even at first glance. It'll be soon. I may do one end at a time. Front or rear first and so on. Gotta get the drums cut first and order some new shoes.

VwJay wrote: and order some new shoes.

keep in mind, I have a set of new shoes for a 67 that I can let go cheap.

Raj wrote:

VwJay wrote: and order some new shoes.

keep in mind, I have a set of new shoes for a 67 that I can let go cheap.

He's got 4 bolt drums so they are most likely 68 brakes.

I thought he was running adapters for the 4 bolt rims...

Nope... the brakes were converted to 4 bolt.

Glenn wrote:

Raj wrote:

VwJay wrote: and order some new shoes.

keep in mind, I have a set of new shoes for a 67 that I can let go cheap.

He's got 4 bolt drums so they are most likely 68 brakes.

Yes... hes going back to 67

Glenn wrote:Think vintage.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/AUDIOVOX-FM-CON ... be&vxp=mtr

Wow, I haven't seen an FM converter since I had one !

Tom wrote:

Glenn wrote:Think vintage.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/AUDIOVOX-FM-CON ... be&vxp=mtr

Wow, I haven't seen an FM converter since I had one !

When you get old, you forget a lot.

I'm sure you also don't remember...... uh.... uh.... what were we talking about?

So I picked up this bamboo/rattan parcel tray off TS as I wanted to try one out. I really like the Bambus reproduction tray WW sells but I wasn't prepared to shell out $150 for something I may not like. It's a unknown make and cheaper design, with sheet metal screws and L brackets that screw into the firewall/kick panels. Whereas some of the older dealer accessory and aftermaket trays had integrated brackets and pressure fit set screws. Fortunately for me it fit snuggly enough that it doesn't even need the brackets to keep it in place. I like it so far. However I'm toying with the idea of using some stain or linseed oil to just darken it a little bit. We'll see

The other side

Nice touch. I have one in my 65, and it comes in very handy.

So I've been running some Super Beetle/sport rims for a week now and those who saw the car at Stop and Shop on Saturday saw that they were less than pretty. They were a set of 11/79 rims I picked up for spares when I bought my car and towed it home from Massachusetts. I threw them on to see if stock spec wheels and tires would work on my lowered car. Luck has it they work rather well. But they looked like death. So I set about this afternoon to give them a spray bomb makeover and here's the results.

They started off looking like this, most even worse.

Then after a quick cleaning with a 4 1/2" grinder with a wire wheel they looked like this.

Then finally after a quick coat of Wally World flat black and flat white paint they looked like this. I was originally thinking of simply painting them silver. But I wanted to see what I thought of the car with a more period correct painted wheel. Then I decided to flip the colors like the mid to late 50's scheme. I like them. They are far from show quality finish. But I simply wanted to clean them up and play with colors.

Not bad for an afternoon.

Jay looks a lot better.I would let you park in my driveway now.

So I spent the better part of today chasing a nasty exhaust leak. After initial investigation I found that the lower drivers side rear exhaust stud was broken/missing and that the gasket shifted causing my leak. Got the car up on the lift, pulled the breast plate and muffler off. I was surprised to find the stud was missing. I would soon find out why. So I pulled some studs off a bad 1600 DP head I had, cleaned the threads in the head in the car. Generously applied some Loctite to the stud, installed it and proceeded to put the muffler back on. When I went to put the nut on the replaced stud I discovered the muffler had an excessively large weld on the flange from the factory and wouldnt allow the nut to fit properly. Probably why the stud was left off. So I ground the weld down, made some other slight adjustments to the muffler and put it back together. I'm gonna need to replace the gaskets on the heater boxes as well but that can wait till next week when I pull the engine out again to install the new engine compartment seal, fan shroud flaps, thermostat, linkage and hover bit I picked up at englishtown. No pics this time, I was too dirty to touch my phone or camera.

So I've spent the last few days working in the garage to complete my wide five conversion. Or perhaps more appropriately considered, wide five correction. As most of you know. My car came with 68+ 4 lug brakes and wheels. Why? I can't say. But it's been nagging me since I bought it. I picked up a rotted 67 beam complete with brakes and spindles. And what I suspect was a 66- transaxle with 67 axles and brakes. Plus a set of 67 dated wide five rims and a 66 spare. I got a few 66-67 hubcaps with the deal but not enought to make a set. So I cruised the Samba and the swap meets and picked up a few more "driver" grade caps to complete the set and and a few for experimenting later. The conversion went pretty well except for chasing a hydraulic system problem at 1am only to find out there was no hydraulic system problem at all. I also took this time to attack some potential problem areas with some preventative maintainence.
So all in all the car now has

New brake shoes at all four corners
new wheel cylinders
new german rubber brake hoses
new brake light switches
all new rear wheel bearing/axle seals and gaskets
Reconditioned 67 rear backing plates
Reconditioned 68+ front backing plates
reconditioned 67 drums front and rear
Plus complete brakes system fluid flush.

Final product

Passenger side

Spare that actually fits

The wheels still need to be painted, and I'm probably gonna need at least 2 new tires soon. However all the hard work is done and I'm very pleased with the result.