HFS's car thread | Nearly-5000-miles update

[Slash]

Sorta gonna decide that when the engine is out. Might go for some dress-up parts but I'm not too bothered about extra performance.

For a couple of reasons. First, they do cost a little more and really I'd need to upgrade other things to cope.

And two, mine is actually one of the more powerful (relative term) Beetles they ever made anyway. As a 1303 with (when new) 44 bhp only the 1303S with its 1.6 engine had more power, at about 50 bhp. As Beetles go it isn't too slow It'll cruise nicely at 60-65 and hit 70 with a long enough straight.

My '74 brochure claims a top speed of 78 mph. Can't help feeling that's a little optimistic, but you never know. Might find it develops the full 44 ponies after a rebuild...



Mostly original, I think. 1303s tend to be butchered to make kit cars or other stuff as people don't like the shape of them as much as earlier Beetles, so it'd be quite nice to have a totally original one. I want to even keep the original paintwork which is Sahara Beige. It's all over the interior but the exterior has seen a couple of coats of different blues since 74. Should look like this:

...except I'll probably paint the wheels beige too, as the black on the car above looks naff. My other concession to non-originality will be on the inside, which in theory should look like this:

...but I'm considering more chocolate brown trim to go better with the beige, and because chocolate brown is a very 70s colour. Maybe just the carpet, because the dark grey looks a bit cheap.

Yeah 78 would be pushing it. You should race it against an ATV =P

 

[homeforsummer]

It's worth pointing out that 78 mph probably isn't aerodynamically limited - I suspect it's the top speed at maximum revs in 4th. When I picked the car up it did 70 with a suitably heavy right foot, at fairly high (for a Beetle) revs. I'd be inclined to travel faster in a newly-restored car though...

Might well be possible in a healthy engine. Given more power it'd just get there quicker and easier, but I expect higher-performance Beetles use a different final drive to get a higher top speed.

 

[Clark]

Try this?

 

[Beeblebrox237]

Do it! What have you to lose? (aside from your life)

 

[homeforsummer]

Try this?

I rather suspect that wouldn't fit...

 

[Punknoodle]

Pffft with enough money anything can fit!

 

[homeforsummer]

For the avoidance of doubt I'm not fitting a 944 engine to my Beetle

 

[Punknoodle]

A car like this is all about the character anyway, so good move

 

[Clark]

I rather suspect that wouldn't fit...

He doesn't need back seats really does he?

 

[homeforsummer]

The back seats wouldn't on their own be an issue. The location of the gearbox under them would be.

 

[homeforsummer]

Found out why they call it a breaker bar...

Something bigger and sturdier required, I think...

 

[TheBook]

What were you trying to take off, the nut that holds the halfshaft to the hub? That's the first time I've ever seen one of those break like that.

 

[homeforsummer]

Attempting to remove the axle shaft nut from the shaft so I can remove the drum. Was using a 18" bar and it's on pretty tight.

Going to attempt with this one instead tomorrow:

Much heavier-duty and the bar is 6" longer. Might use a bit of heat as well.

 

[opelgt1969]

If you can find a piece of pipe that is big enough to go over the threads and sit flat on the bolt place pipe on bolt and hit it with a hammer this will free the bolt up. You might want to wrap the threads with some electrical tape if you think you might damage them. If you use heat be careful of any WD40 or grease in area!

 

[Dennisch]

Maybe the thread is opposite? Like : lefty tighty righty loosy

 

[homeforsummer]

If you can find a piece of pipe that is big enough to go over the threads and sit flat on the bolt place pipe on bolt and hit it with a hammer this will free the bolt up. You might want to wrap the threads with some electrical tape if you think you might damage them.

How do you mean, exactly? My hub is like that on the left:

(Yes, I have removed the split pin...).

In other (related) news, I might have had my problem solved for me anyway. Using a sturdier breaker bar I was going at the nut this morning and while the nut itself hasn't budged in the slightest, the torque applied to the hub has had another effect - un-seizing the rear drum.

The whole reason I wanted to get into the drum in the first place is because it had seized. Now it isn't. The sled now rolls, which means I can do what I wanted to in the first place, which is separate it from the body so it can be taken off for welding.

I dread to think what the drum looks like inside so it'll still be coming apart anyway eventually, but for the time being my main aim has now changed from getting into the drum to lifting the body. Yay.

 

[Leonidae@MFT]

Drum brakes, oh how I love thee.. NOT.

 

[homeforsummer]

Meh, they do the job, albeit without much power. Durable brakes for a durable car.

 

[opelgt1969]

How do you mean, exactly? My hub is like that on the left:

(Yes, I have removed the split pin...).

In other (related) news, I might have had my problem solved for me anyway. Using a sturdier breaker bar I was going at the nut this morning and while the nut itself hasn't budged in the slightest, the torque applied to the hub has had another effect - un-seizing the rear drum.

The whole reason I wanted to get into the drum in the first place is because it had seized. Now it isn't. The sled now rolls, which means I can do what I wanted to in the first place, which is separate it from the body so it can be taken off for welding.

I dread to think what the drum looks like inside so it'll still be coming apart anyway eventually, but for the time being my main aim has now changed from getting into the drum to lifting the body. Yay.

Picture a pipe that is small enough to sit flush on the bolt and over threads kind of like the locknut in the second picture, then when you hit the pipe with a hammer what happens is you (jar, shake) the nut from the threads thus freeing the rust buildup on the threads.

 

[homeforsummer]

Picture a pipe that is small enough to sit flush on the bolt and over threads kind of like the locknut in the second picture, then when you hit the pipe with a hammer what happens is you (jar, shake) the nut from the threads thus freeing the rust buildup on the threads.

Ah thank you, that makes sense. Will have a look around the garage and see if I can find anything suitable. I could just use a socket, couldn't I?

 

[opelgt1969]

Ah thank you, that makes sense. Will have a look around the garage and see if I can find anything suitable. I could just use a socket, couldn't I?

Yes but if you hit a socket too hard it will mess up the square hole trust me same thing if you try putting an extension on the socket. So if you go that route you can place a small 2x4 over the socket (this will cause less effect). If you can hold a thick piece of metal over the socket you'll have less chance of damaging it just be careful of metal backlash or socket flying.

 

[cgg]

You should race it against an ATV =P

Trust you to say something like that. After what you've said about my Beetle, an ATV is bound to blow it away.

 

[Slash]

Trust you to say something like that. After what you've said about my Beetle, an ATV is bound to blow it away.

The just don't have the performance it should for that many CC's. I know it's old technology but still.

 

[cgg]

Mine may be a '70 but when you think, the technology for the engines is over 20 years older. Granted there were improvements, but nothing special to increase performance. It was a car for the people, not for the racer.

 

[Slash]

Mine may be a '70 but when you think, the technology for the engines is over 20 years older. Granted there were improvements, but nothing special to increase performance. It was a car for the people, not for the racer.

Touché.

 

[homeforsummer]

So.

May be reconsidering this project. Several factors at play, but above all I'm getting bored of having "a project" rather than "a car". Some people love fixing stuff up. I don't mind maintenance, but doing something from scratch isn't really my thing (as I've found out) - I prefer driving, doing road trips, basically using cars how they're designed to be used.

Anyone know anyone who might want it? Not expecting much money for it, but I know how much I could make selling bits of it individually so I'd like to get somewhere between that and its scrap value. Would much prefer to see it being restored by someone better than me than to be broken for parts.

 

[Cano]

Saaad ): I really wanted to see it come together

 

[homeforsummer]

Saaad ): I really wanted to see it come together

So did I! But unfortunately that would happen too far in the future and too many £££ for me

 

[Leonidae@MFT]

Will you be looking for another Miata?

 

[homeforsummer]

Will you be looking for another Miata?

Almost certainly. Unless I get attracted magpie-like to something else shiny.

Whatever I get, it'll be a car I can use, rather than a project. Well, maybe a bit of a tuning project, but not a "put a car back together from scratch" sort of a project.