A few more projects off the list

So today I got a few more things done; I got the rear spring plates installed. Now I want to lower the back about 2", so I found a nifty little chart on the Samba.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=237102

This chart tells me I need to change the angle of my spring plates to 7 1/2 Deg. less than stock to reach my 2" drop. My manual tells me my 67' with the rear anti sway should be set to 20 Deg. to be at the stock ride height. That means I need to set the arms at 12 1/2 Deg. to give me the drop I am looking for. To get to this angle, I leveled the pan using my 4' bubble level.

Next I used a digital level app for my Ipod touch to set the angle. I then bolted on the caps and it should be ready to go with a 2" drop. What that means is that I will only have to take it apart, adjust it, and put it back together about 5 times instead of 7.

I got the calipers painted and put back together also.

And I got the chrome lock nut set installed on the trans axle.

I was starting to put the tie rods on to the steering arm and I discovered they are all the wrong size. They are too big in diameter! I didn't know there were two sizes. I need to figure out which parts I ordered and what parts I need to order next. 

More beam work

Today found me in the garage with a few hours to work, a good day for sure. I started out by cutting the torsion springs to length. 1 1/2" off each end so I could keep the center dimple in the center!

Next I drilled a small pilot hole .35" from the end of the springs for the end dimples. One on the same side as the center dimple, and the other on the opposite side. After the pilot hole was drilled, I formed the dimple using a standard counter sink. I opened the dimple to match the originals. The trick it to go nice and slow and use a fair amount of TapMagic. The springs will drill easily. Note the bevel ground on the end of the springs. This is to ease the insertion through the center tube block.

After the springs were done, I assembled the beam and installed the swing arms. Lots more grease. I inserted the springs into one of the swing arms. I tightened the set screw to hold everything in place. On the end that I inserted into the beam, I wrapped the spring leaves with a zip tie about 1" from the end. This held the leaves in place while I slid the springs in. Once the spring passed through the center block, I continued to push and the zip tie just slid down the springs. Worked great.

On to the sway bar. I cut the sway bar in the middle and installed the two ends onto the swing arms. I then clamped them in the middle and marked my cut. I cut the ends and ground a pretty steep bevel onto the ends for the weld.

I welded the sway bar in the center and peened the weld joint many times to relieve any heat induced stresses. I mounted the bar in the vice and stuck a piece of pipe on the end of the sway bar and twisted the sway bar back and forth, I made sure I was swinging it past the farthest twist it would see in use. No problem, the weld was fine. I then cleaned the weld up, primed and painted the sway bar. Enough for one day. I am waiting for my drop spindles now. They should be here next week.

Old hole filled and a new one 1" outboard is complete.

I stopped by the local hardware store and picked up a pipe plug on the way home. I threaded it in as tight as I dare turn it. I then cut it off close to the beam and ground it pretty close to flush with the tube. I then peened the edges of the plug with a ball peen hammer to help make it flush and to lock it in the tube.

Next I drilled and taped the hole for the Zerk fitting.

Next I sanded the old paint, added a shot of etch primer, and painted the beam. I threaded the Zerk back in and it's ready to go, again!
 

Ahh, the joys of building a custom car!

Just when you think you have it ready, you have to take it back apart and make changes. I had the beam back on the pan (for the third time!) and I was all excited to mount the shinny new steering box and I discovered the steering box now sits right over the Zerk fitting on the top tube. Now I need to weld up the old hole and drill and tap a new one. I remember reading this on a thread on the Samba, but I couldn't figure out what it meant, I think I know now.

Shiney pan ready for re-assembly

After a bit of prep work, a little sanding, and putting up plastic all over the walls of the shop, I was ready to paint the pans. I used a single stage paint system from Sherwinn Williams called 2nd dimension. This is an enamel based system with a hardener. I have had good luck with this in the past and it works quite well. Seems to be shinny enough for something most folks will never get to see.

On with the pans and into the fire?

Steve stopped by again this weekend and we set to work welding in the floor pans.  I started out by drilling 3/16" (.187" Just less than 5mm) diameter holes every 2" (50mm) along the edge to be welded on top of the remaining flange.

 I debured the back sides of the holes to be sure the new pans would lay flat on the flange and then we puddle welded the pans in place. The tunnel flange metal is much thinker than the new pan metal, so I started by building a small pile of weld in the center of the hole with the arc striking on the tunnel flange only.  After a couple of seconds of this "build up", I let the molten puddle "spill" onto the edge of the new pan.  It worked great, the welds are very strong and look pretty good as well.

After welding, we wiped things up a bit and sealed the seams with calking gun style seam sealer purchased from Autozone for $9.00 ish.  Once applied, I smoothed the sealer bead out with my finger (inside a glove!) I almost think a small brush might have worked better in this case, but I was already committed to the finger method.  Overall it came out pretty well.  I need to shoot on a bit more etch primer, give the pan a quick sand and shoot on the paint.  Hopefuly this weekend.

 

After everything was primed, I noticed a small rust hole on the bottom of the tunnel, just behind the  front beam mount.  I made up a quick patch for this spot and welded it in place.  It formed very easily and welded up great.  I ground it down a bit and sprayed on a bit of etch primer, drilled in a drain hole and I think it's ready to paint.

More suspension work

My father-in-law stopped by last weekend and we got to working on the tie rod ends.  We replaced all of the old parts and even got a chance to install some "racing red" parts on the transmission mounts.  Lots of fun.

When we were about to install the new flex disk at the steering coupler, I noticed the steering box was turning a bit rough.  We took it apart for a look inside and this is what we found.  Not good news at all.

This kind of bearing deterioration is not uncommon on a Beetle, but it happens.  Usually it has to do with something not being setup correctly and a binding takes place.  If it binds and the steering is forced, especially over a long period of time, the bearings will eventually gall like this.  Adjustment is very critical with these.Looks like I am in the market for a replacement steering box I guess.
There are bound to be a few surprises.

Project overwhelm; I give up, someone come buy the whole pile and get it out of here.

I was discussing the progress of the Beetle project with my wife the other day, I was telling her that I needed to finish this up, add that part, rebuild these pieces, take all the little parts to the paint shop, order the hundreds of new parts I will need, and . . .  Anyone who has ever done a complete body off pan strip and cut up, complete project like this, knows exactly what I am feeling right now.  It's thousands of little things to keep your head around.  I quickly discovered I was going to need something other than my tiny little brain to keep track of all the details and finances that are required to do a project like this.  I have done seven project cars of my own over the years, from various stages of work required.  I have worked on hundreds of cars that were not my own, but I can tell you for certain that this is the most involved I have gotten into a restoration project, ever. 

I let my head spin for a couple of days and I realized I was in a funk about the whole thing.  There were no quick fixes here, just lots of effort and time.  It will literally be at least two years before I can be rolling down the road in my hot new Beetle.  In that flash of uneasiness, I could see just how so many projects got to a similar stage and just stopped.  The project manager just simply hit the "Project Overwhelm" point and locked up.  I have never hit that point in a project before.  As project cost go, this isn't a huge project, as far as complexity however, it's a pretty big deal. 

My solution was to start making lists.  I made a budget that projects the costs of completion with several options of restoration thoroughness.  You know, the wish list (full blown hot rod, all the way to doin' it on the cheap.) This took a couple of days and really helped me get my head around the tasks at hand.  Next I started making lists of things that needed to get done.  I broke the project down into four major sections, Pan (rolling chassis), Engine, Interior, and Body.  I listed all the things I needed to do to finish each of these sections and then worked out the order I will be tackling these four sections.  Again, more clarity.  Next I worked up parts lists and rough estimates of when I needed to order parts for each section. 

I stopped short of putting the project into a time-line.  That would have helped, but I really want to enjoy this project, not feel like I am always behind on some artificial time-line, imposed by some knuckle head that really has no idea about how much effort is required here (that would be me!).  I get enough of that crap at work.  Then a shocking revelation hit me, this was as bad as it gets!  The car is as stripped down, taken apart, and spread out as it ever will be for this project.  The very next thing I do will be putting things back together.  That was huge.  I have turned the corner.  Things are on the uphill side now.
The moral to this story?  Shake it off man!  Get your crap together and think it through, don't let yourself get down about all the work left to do, that’s why you started restoring cars in the first place, you enjoy the work, just think of all the fun left ahead of you.  Lots of evenings in the garage sipping on a cold (or hot this time of year) beverage tinkering with the project.  Make a list, build a budget, start a blog about your car, (We all like to read those, they keep us motivated and it gives us new ideas.)  But most of all, work on the project a bit every day, even if it's cleaning a few parts, or organizing nuts and bolts, get to it.  Progress will start to happen.  That’s when it gets fun.

Vehicle restoration; the rule of three

As I stand here surveying the Beetle project, I suddenly realized that it takes at least three times as much room to hold a stripped apart car project as it does to hold the assembled car.  My work shop is full, my spare garage stall is full (I am parking out in the snow this winter so I can work on the car) and the body is on a trailer, under a tarp, parked outside the workshop.  Even my tool shed has seats and door panels stored in there for the winter.  If you are thinking of diving into a project like this, plan for the room needed.  I didn't realize things would get this spread out.  Wow!  Don't forget, you need room to work as well.