Jackwagen

Dual Core Volkswagen

2008-09-20T20:18:00.000-07:00

For three days, I had a Volkswagen with two power plants, one in back and one in front. Of course, all good things must come to an end as they say...

Some time ago (in March), I had come across a store of Volkswagen cores. See Treasure!. Whether I had mentioned it or not, I had sent both cores into a local VW shop, Air-Cooled Engineering, to have them prepared for rebuilding. I ended up selling one to the shop and the other I was able to finally pick up on Thursday.

The shop gave me everything I need for a 1776cc motor including rebuilt heads, new pistons and cylinders, a cleaned and milled block, bearings, a ground crankshaft, a camshaft, and the other miscellaneous parts.

In the coming days, you'll be seeing some more pictures of my progress. It'll be fun!

As It Stands

2008-09-19T20:35:00.000-07:00

As a general update, I'll give you a report on how the Jackwagen is at this very moment.

The car is running, inspected, registered, and licensed. I did take the insurance off of it, however, after I got a newer car that Grandma could go shopping in.

The transmission is in it and seems to be working well. Not fully tested, however.

I haven't yet gotten it over 30MPH as one of the brake lines needs to be replaced. I did end up picking one up when I received my motor, but it's not in yet.

By the photograph, you'll see that I let the fender rust a great deal. I didn't get it painted before we took the carport down and it was necessary for inspection.

I am still trying to track down the individual of whom the specialty it is to repair heater channels. They are in really bad shape and I can't just ignore them. I have to get them done before the car is painted.

That brings me to the car being painted. The whole car needs to be painted at this point and I really should have it done before snow falls.

The glass is not in perfectly, either, but we'll see to that when the painting is done.

The electrical is still in chaos, but it works. Someday I'll get a stock-style fuse box. I hear they're quite handy and I can't really find anything else that really turns me on.

The back seat I can live without.

If you see anything else that needs obvious attention, feel free to make a note of it. I am finally giving it some attention after I spent my life savings keeping the city off my back.

Seats Installed

2008-08-01T19:59:00.000-07:00

Of course, it's been a while since I've posted. The seats have been done for quite a while now. I have not done much writing as Google has changed their photo storage website or my work has made changes to their firewall in such a way that I can no longer upload or even view my photos. Either way, included are the photos of my new seats in this post. Yay!

Seat Brackets

2008-07-16T23:00:00.000-07:00

Since the first time I drove a Beetle, I hated the seat brackets. There were a nightmare to adjust and (in my case) they were easily broken. It also doesn't help that I stand at 185cm/73", which makes for lots of stooping and leg cramps. I was determined since the beginning of this restoration to replace the seat brackets with something new and improved, even if it meant being creative at the local hardware store.

My first idea was to use the square tubing with the perforated sides as one side of the bracket with a piece of angle iron with similar perforations on the complementing side. The two would join together with a bolt or similar. It may not be lever operated, but it would pass inspections, wouldn't break, and would be versatile.

I had some trouble finding the square tubing I wanted, however, that wasn't attached to a street sign at the time. As a result, I consulted the welder that put my floor pan back together. He didn't have any, but he suggested a few places where I might find some. As a kind of after thought, he showed me what he had in stock.

After perusing his inventory, we found a combination of materials that would save a few dollars and a trip to the steel works. The upper bracket would be a steel pipe, measuring 13" in length and 1.75" in diameter. The lower bracket would be made of a type of steel channel which I was unfamiliar with, but I can describe it as being a square tube with the fourth side cut and rolled inward as to prevent our seat-side bracket from escaping through the top. This would allow the seat to move freely horizontally and there was enough clearance for carriage bolts to fasten the bracket to the body. The two pieces would be easily joined by a bolt going through both perpendicular to their length.

The first attempt (the passenger seat) is being made as I write this. We cut the steel to proper length and I retrieved one of the unfinished seats from the upholsterer. We also removed the original seat bracket completely. Tomorrow, I anticipate the installation of the seat and the beginning of work on the second seat. If I anticipate driving the car in the near future with passengers, I'll have to get a third seat in order to be able to juggle them all between the welder, myself, and the upholsterer.

Emergency Take-Off!

2008-07-09T12:13:00.000-07:00

This last weekend was an exciting one, but not by any means pleasant in the nature of excitement.

I had always thought (inaccurately) that the greatest threat was to my Uncle, being the owner of the Chevrolet and the Model-A that have occasionally found their way into the pictures on this site. Those two vehicles have been on the property for a great while and had gotten the attention of the city before.

Nevertheless, we had resolved to assemble the Volkswagen completely by the end of the weekend as pressure from the city had been increasing. It was a pay-day weekend and we got a great deal accomplished. The body was back on, the motor was working, and the suspension was nearly complete. However, the glass had not been installed yet, the wiring was not completed, and the doors, bonnet, and engine cover were still off. Still, we were in no panic.

When Monday came, I went early to the DMV to get a temporary registration, which is required to operate the vehicle without an inspection certificate, license, or registration. All went smoothly and I made great time for having gone to the DMV in Salt Lake (There are only two offices in the entire area).

I came home to start work again, only to be interrupted at midday by a gentleman with a very large clipboard and an official looking truck. He proceeded to write on his clipboard, at which point he informed us that we had failed to comply with city ordinance and we were looking at a criminal record adjoined by a fine up to $1800 and/or short-term imprisonment. This was not pleasing.

It was quite unnerving the conversation which took place. There was some discussion about warnings and specificity of the violation, culpability, leniency, and so forth. However, the only lead way was made when I made reference to the registration that I had obtained that very morning. I informed the gentleman, quite boldly and without the slightest doubt in my own words, that I planned on having the car inspected this very day.

He looked keenly at the disorder of my motorized transport and responded, with equal confidence, and perhaps a bit of disdain as well, that he would gladly forget the ticket had ever been written if I, in fact, did have an inspected, running vehicle by 7:00 AM the next day, at which time he arrived at his office.

He left. Then the realization occurred to me that no inspection team would be working before 7:00 AM the next morning nor would they be working after 7:00 PM that very day. This is not among my favorite of dramatic conclusions reached by myself.

Working as fast as possible, the wiring was completed, the glass was installed, the doors, bonnet, and engine cover were placed, and the gasoline tank was filled. What we did not have were one horn and working brakes -- the 6V horn had been fried and I had pulled the brake line from the master cylinder, causing the entire system to suddenly have the need to have excess air removed from its innards.

It was 7:00 PM. I had found, with a great deal of luck, that Jiffy Lube was open until 7:30 and that they welcomed anyone for inspections as long as they were still open. With the help of a nearby neighbor (who is presently working on a Ghia), the car was completely and I rolled into Jiffy Lube at 7:29 PM.

The following morning, Tuesday, I informed the man with the clipboard by telephone of the miracle which had occurred. I then proudly went to the nearest Department of Motor Vehicles to obtain one shiny new license plate, one certificate of registration, and two colorful stickers to decorate said plate.

The moral of the story is, 'It is wise only for a fool to bluff the executor of the law.'

Floor Pan Takes Flight

2008-07-01T23:13:00.001-07:00

Since we no longer have the comfortable surroundings of the particle board enclosure, we have been scrambling to get the Beetle fit for inspections, registry, and licensing. This process has taken the following coarse:

First, it was necessary to get the floor pan welded up. We had cut out the large sections of rust earlier, during the sanding down. This was our first priority since the floor pan needed to be relatively mobile for the welding. We had some difficulty with the arc welder, and, instead of taking the time to learn, we enlisted the services of a welder that lives near our home. However, he wanted the floor pan brought over to his place. As a result, we assembled the floor plan completely so that it would move on its own.

To assemble the floor pan, we installed the new transmission, assembled the brakes, attached the suspension components, and replaced the tires. We also replaced the brake lines and bled the brakes. All of the control cables (clutch, accelerator, etc.) were installed likewise. This took most of last week.

To move the floor pan over to the neighbors, a distance of about three blocks, we strategically placed a lawn chair on the pan and attached the steering wheel. While I pulled, my grandmother took the privilege of steering the pan. This took placed on Monday.

While the welding took place, the engine was moved from the basement into the carport.

On Tuesday, we retrieved the pan and one of the seats that I had sent to have upholstered. It hadn't been completed yet, but it would be necessary for registration. This time Steve rode the pan while I pulled.

Before coming to work, Tuesday night, I started installing the wiring into the body. We had some problems with the fluff that accumulates in the channel from the headliner, which inhibited us for some time, but we were able to clear it out. We found the best solution for removing the fluff came in the form of a 1/2" PVC pipe. It was strong enough to push the compacted fluff out, but flexible enough to navigate the channel.

Tomorrow, we plan on finishing the wiring and connecting the electronics while the body is still elevated on saw horses.

Frozen in Time

2008-06-23T11:43:00.000-07:00

It seems appropriate that I should at least provide some minor details into our progress. Very little has occurred that is important to the restoration of a Volkswagen, but much has occurred that is important to its delay.

After we got the carport enclosed, we did get some sandblasting done, only to realize how limited the compressor was. The motor itself was sufficient to provide the air, but the mechanical abilities of the compression stage were extremely limited. We had to replace two pistons, at which point we stopped using the compressor.

Additionally, we received a notice from the city, informing us that we were in violation of city construction norms. A temporary enclosure is permissible only when it doesn't look, touch, smell, sound, taste, or bear any resemblance whatsoever to a permanent structure. We removed the enclosure. :( As a result, we are assembling the Volkswagen as soon as possible to avoid any more hostility from the city.

We are in the process of welding in the most important panels that had been rusted through. Pictures will be posted when they are available. We are using a 30A, 120V Craftsman arc welder for the project. The raw material comes from a number of computer case panels that I got from work.

Carport

2008-05-03T21:15:00.000-07:00

Per our previous posts, you know that we were looking to enclose the carport in order to keep the VW from the weather and to also keep the neighbors from the sand/paint. We enlisted the help of a neighbor and local contractor, Bob, for advice and a truck. With his help, it went up in just one afternoon. There isn't much to tell, but I've included a few pictures to illustrate what a nice job Bob did and how nice it is to have.

Turning Back Time

2008-04-23T22:38:00.001-07:00

Due to a recent conversation with a fellow VW enthusiast and transmission mechanic, I concluded that I should put the 6V flywheel back on.

[18:59] friend: i need to tell you the easy way to get the gland nut loose on the flywheel
[19:03] friend: by the way, late 12v O-ring flywheels won't go all the way on early pre "F" cranks
[19:05] friend: not hard to modify the flywheel, just need to enlarge the hole in the thrust face where the o ring is,
[19:05] friend: or turn down the step in the crank if the motor is torn down
[21:15] kd7nyq: how does that work?
[21:15] kd7nyq: I just can't bolt it on?
[21:23] friend: if it bolted on right you have no problem
[21:24] friend: there is a step on the crankshaft, the snout that sticks into the flywheel is smaller in diameter than the mainbearing diameter
[21:25] friend: the length of the reduced diameter is shorter on cranks made before 1966 (pre "F"), than cranks 66 and later
[21:27] friend: 1200's made after 1966 (though not sold in the US) have the longer reduced area.
[21:27] kd7nyq: so aside from having an excessive gap, is it a problem?
[21:28] friend: if the crank doesn't pull all the way down there will be too much end play, like 1/8"
[21:28] friend: grab the pulley and see how much end play there is
[21:29] friend: the early 6v flywheels didn't have an "O"-ring
[21:30] friend: and the hole in the flywheel is larger, it's the lip for the flywheel that causes the interference
[21:31] friend: some aftermarket flywheels had this area bored a little large to avoid that problem
[21:31] friend: flywheel shimming is another touchy spot
[21:32] friend: under the flywheel seal are 3 shims of varying thickness
[21:34] friend: these should give .004" to .006" end play, on a used motor dont try to get this exact, because if the #1 mainbearing is loose in the block it will give a false reading and if you shim too tight it will spin the main bearing
[21:35] friend: when changing flywheels on old running motors i check the spigot depth on the 2 flywheels with a depth mike and shim accordingly
[21:36] friend: if lucky they are both within a couple thousandths and the shims will not need to be changed

After considering the necesity to change the flywheel back, I found this post on an awesome VW blog: 12v Starter on 6v flywheel. So, when I get tired of running the 6V starter on 12V, I'll mimic this great hack and get on with life.

It's ALIVE!!!

2008-04-23T16:35:00.000-07:00

After all the mess we made exchanging the flywheels, we set ourselves on finishing what we had started. When I arrived home early in the morning, I did a basic test to make sure we had spark. The starter was hooked up and the cylinders were oiled. I simply could not get it to start, however. Before I went to bed, I decided to check on the carburetor. I saw something quite peculiar -- the main jet was flooding, creating a pool of gasoline on top of the throttle plate.

When we regrouped the next morning, we disassembled the carburetor and found that the stop valve in the float bowl was not functioning properly. Luckily, this was an easy fix as we had an extra hanging around. We put the whole thing together, swapped out the starter we were using for one in better condition, and the engine came alive. It was a great feeling, similar to the feeling that occurs after all the windows are opened to let out the smoke from the house after an engine is started for the first time.

Just for reference, I have found that the following usually needs to be checked before an engine will work after a long time in storage:

Fuel Pump -- Often the diaphragm breaks and a new pump is needed.
Coil and Points -- Just make sure you have spark.
Carburetor -- I have had problems with both the stop valve and the accelerator pump on various occasions. The channels on the smaller carbs can be easily blocked up as well.
Voltage Regulator -- My generator has always worked fine, but the regulator has almost always needed to be polarized.

I also put an ounce or so of oil into each cylinder as directed by the Idiot Guide, especially as I'm usually unprepared to turn the engine around sufficiently to prime it.

Flywheel

2008-04-22T16:32:00.000-07:00

Due to the high winds (see last post), we were forced to go indoors. One of the great mysteries that have stayed in the back of our minds was the nature of the 40HP beast that has found a corner in the basement. Should we dare disturb it? We decided that fate was in our favor.

When I left the car originally, I had removed the distributor, hoping to fix it in the near future. It was an easy fix, it just never got done. We found amongst our treasures enough bits to make a working distributor to replace its broken counterpart. Additionally, we had in the same troves a couple 12V starters, plug wires, plugs, and a 12V flywheel. The bell housing that we were to use was generously donated by a friend when he shipped us the transmission.

I should explain that during our planning stage, we agreed that since we were going to dedicate ourselves to a complete 12V system, we should scrap the 6V starter that had so faithfully served us. The only problem with this idea is that the 12V starters have a different gear than the 6V equivalent. Thus, the 40HP flywheel would not fit the 12V starter. It would have to come off.

We adjusted the valves, set the timing, and got everything ready, saving the flywheel for last. We spent the rest of the available time trying to get the flywheel off. It didn't come off. I left Steve with this sacred assignment.

I cheerfully went about my weekday, only to hear the fated news. I received this photograph before I went home that day. Luckily, Sears has a no-questions-asked return policy. Either a 3/4" socket or a 1/2" breaker bar would be in order, whichever came first.

The next day, we continued. By the time we had gotten the flywheel nut off, we had two buckets of grain, Steve, and parts of the engine stand holding the engine to the floor. To hold the flywheel in place, we bolted a monkey wrench against the heater boxes. More of the engine stand was used as a cheater bar.

To end the ordeal, we used a pry bar to pry the flywheel off the dowels while we rotated it. A warning for future travelers of this strange path: the 6V flywheel is a lot heavier than the 12V counterpart!

High Winds

2008-04-19T15:39:00.000-07:00

This is just a brief post to explain our apparent lack of enthusiasm for the VW in recent days. According to normal spring weather, the winds started to come up and our tarps started to come down. As a result, we took them down. Thus, in addition to the fact that we cannot sand or paint without a compressor, we have not tarps to protect the body and the fresh paint. We are currently plotting our counter-attack in the form of a press-board enclosure, which will be a bit more useful against the wind.

Compressor

2008-04-18T15:19:00.000-07:00

Through various experimentations with my uncle's small air compressor, we were able to achieve some sand blasting action, but by no means was it impressive (you'll notice there are not pictures to illustrate). We did decide, however, that it would be worth our while to get ourselves a large enough compressor to not only sand, but also paint and use the very convenient air tools that are available. After much searching, we came across an ad for a very large compressor with a few mechanical failures, but nothing serious. We paid $60 for it.

The first of the two main problems we found were that there was a connecting rod missing from one of the cylinders. This comes in a kit from Sears and didn't cost us much -- about $45. It is a bolt on job, only requiring that the head be removed and the new piston put into place. The second issue was that the outlet tube from the compressor that feeds the tank had been removed. This was less an issue, but the parts were not readily available. We are still waiting for them to come in the mail. The tube and the hardware come to about $15. Of course, you can also see that we have no air filters which are very nice considering the amount of air this thing will be pushing around. We are going to grab some lawn mower filters ($3/each) to stick on the intake manifolds, which are conveniently the correct size.

Sand!

2008-04-11T20:09:00.000-07:00

There is not much to report today. We took the pleasure of getting a few needed items, including primer, undercoating, body hammers, and sand. There should be no reason to not get some real painting done tomorrow.

Extreme Sanding: The Prequel, Continued

2008-04-10T20:48:00.000-07:00

As we've been waiting for the big day when we would be able to break out the sand-blasting equipment, we've started to make the major cuts and removal the remaining accessories from the body and the pan. Two major issues were found, both apparently being due to the incompetence of the previous owner(s).

First, we found that instead of cutting out the rust and welding a new sheet of metal where it occurred in the floor pan, it was seen somehow prudent to simply screw in a new sheet to the floor pan via 2" machine screws. When we removed the sheet that had been screwed in, we found another one, done in the exact same manner, underneath the first. Luckily, the repairs necessary aren't that extensive despite the previous neglect.

The other thing that we found was a similar condition on various parts of the body. Steve took it upon himself to take off the Bondo with the abrasive discs while we were waiting for the sand-blaster. The first patch was only what we expected, a large amount of dents that hadn't been taken out properly over the left-front wheel well. The second patch exposed a large crack in the sheet metal on the rear skirt. The third patch exposed a mesh of fibre-glass covering buried treasures of rust in the right wall. We're still pondering how to treat it all.

Transmission: The Arrival

2008-04-09T12:00:00.000-07:00

The transmission finally arrived after much tribulation and hardship. Our comrades of the Western shores were reluctant to help us in our time of need, but alas! There was UPS. What can Brown do for you?

It was a real pleasure to finally receive the transmission that had been prepared since the beginning of the Beetle's restoration. It arrived around noon on 9 April 2008. As you will note in the pictures, it was packed extremely well.

One added bonus was the extra bell housing which will be used to bench-start our various projects. As you may know by following my entries, we now have three motors in various stages of repair. This item will be of great value in the attempts to build them back up into running order.

Extreme Sanding: The Prequel

2008-04-07T19:31:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend we didn't get much done that constitutes work. I participated in the LDS General Conference which required a sum total of ten hours over the course of the weekend. What we did do, however, convinced us of the need to invest in some sand-blasting gear. While the paint-stripping wheels work well for getting the plain surfaces of large body panels, it is impossible to get into the narrow bits and make a complete go of it.

The result of our recent interest in sandblasting set us on a quest to make something of a clean environment large enough to contain the Beetle body. We got permission to move my uncle's Chevrolet that you might have seen in my photos and has been sitting under the carport for the longest time. To aide in this endeavor, my uncle also provided an air compressor to air up the tires on the said Chevy. Hopefully this compressor will be available for more use later.

After cleaning up the space and switching the locations of the Volkswagen and the Chevrolet, we installed a wall of tarpaulin to insulate the car from the outside world and to keep the blasting particulate and later paint from escaping into the neighborhood. I managed to do the first half while Steve followed up after I went to work.

By this weekend, we should have all of the gear necessary to start particle blasting the body of the beetle and make the

Oh, The Pretty Colors!

2008-04-06T20:16:00.000-07:00

This may seem like a small affair, but it seems like the color of a car should be chosen carefully. My companion, Steve, has come up with some mock-ups of the Beetle with colors of my choice. I would like to make a request that the readers of this blog vote for their favorite color amid those presented. To vote, just write a comment and tell me which is your favorite color. Feel free to include links to pictures of other Beetles with the color of your preference if you don't like mine!

Transmission

2008-04-03T16:24:00.000-07:00

The weather has been bad recently to the point that we had to buy tarps and cover everything up. Thus, we haven't done any real body work. Out of boredom, however, I started the disassembly of the transmission despite the weather.

Seeing as how I'll probably end up with a transmission through the mail, it will not be shipped with a number of the internals or the axles or axle tubes. As a result, we have to salvage these parts from my current transmission. Mind you, I have no objection. I don't want to pay the foot and fingers that it would take to get the tranny here.

The suspension and brakes came apart without problem. The brakes appeared to be in good condition despite their lack of replacement. The shocks made an impression on the both of us as we closed and opened each shock with ease.

It didn't take any time to get the right axle assembly apart and out of the transmission. Piece of cake. We learned, however, that not all wheel bearings are the same. While the right assembly took minutes with the proper tools, all sliding apart quickly and easily, it took two days for us to get the left axle tube off of the axle. The cause of this? The wheel bearing made an exceptional attachment to the axle. Our reaction? We had to finally break down and buy the gear puller and just get it done.

Tools required for the job:
13mm, 15mm, and 17mm Wrenches
13mm, 15mm, and 17mm Sockets
Ratchet
Crescent Wrench
Pliers
Snap-Ring Pliers
Gear Puller

With a special thanks to PB, the miraculous penetrating oil.
We couldn't have done it without you, PB!

Treasure!

2008-03-31T15:53:00.000-07:00

On friday night, I was diligently performing me duties at work, browsing the web and updating my blog. Amidst this toil, I came across the miracles of KSL and craigslist. On these, were a number of classified advertisements for VW parts. Between Steve and I, we followed up on a number of them. Two of them agreed to having us come out and we planned our Saturday to reflect the various invitations and personal ambitions that we had received during the week. After going to the flea markets of SLC (a big disappointment) and checking out VW shops, we made it out to Magna. In Magna, we found a man by the name of Bill who showed us a shed full of 1500 and 1600 engines with all the fixings. We spent at least three hours, getting together two complete engines. Luckily, Steve consented to us using his trunk and part of his back seat to store the treasure we had found. Bill, giving us all we could eat in Volkswagen hardware, made us very happy as we pulled away with a sluggish back end.

After all the excitement, we finished our weekend by finishing the pegboard we put up and putting a sawhorse workbench together, making a pleasant home for the loot.

Body Off!

2008-03-27T18:44:00.000-07:00

The body is off!

Steve managed to get all of the bolts off with a little persistence. We were thinking that we would need at least four guys to get the body off as most sites and books mentioned things like ceiling mounted lifts and staged lifting. Steve, however, to make sure he had all of the bolts out, lifted the entire back end by himself. We put two and two together and just did it ourselves. It looks like we're ready to start body restoration!

In the end, we moved the body back onto our own driveway as we made room.

Tomorrow, we'll be going to get some tools and prepare ourselves for rust removal.

Body [Nearly] Off!

2008-03-26T21:22:00.000-07:00

I helped a little, but Steve managed to pull off the back (original) fenders and all the bolts along the bottom of the car.

The glass was all taken out as well, sacrificing the rubber and the windshield. I don't have a picture of the windshield's current condition, but it suffered a crack on the passenger side.

Steve, by some miracle, also managed to pull the remaining strip of carpet out.

You'll also notice that it's a LOT cleaner. Tomorrow we'll be able to pull the body off!

Jackwagen Blog Begins

2008-03-26T01:17:00.000-07:00

While we've already started on the car, I have just created the blog. I hope to get you up to date. The purpose of this blog is to document the restoration of my car, my first car, the car that I bought and built when I was seventeen, a Volkswagen Beetle.

Helping me is my good friend of the ages and roommate, Esteban Sagrero, who is a graphic design specialist. I have no idea what I am or what my career is supposed to be, but I enjoy it anyway! The car is a 1964 Volkswagen Beetle that is stock except for the front fenders, the motor, the lights, and the fusebox.

The motor was sold to me at the same time as the car, with the car, in semi-running condition. It was produced in 1965 and has pretty much stayed the same. It appears to have not ever been rebuilt. In order to make it a 12V car, I put on a 12V generator on the engine a couple months after not being able to use the ham radio on the 6V system.

As a side note, the starter and the coil remain 6V parts.

The front fenders and most of the lights came from a (as I recall) 1965 parts car that I bought also with my car that did not have a title. The other headlight was donated by the Kenney family in Klamath Falls, Oregon, where I did the first round of improvements after the car's initial construction.

The fuse box must have been put in when one of the previous owners was drunk. It's right in the middle of the luggage compartment, right above the gas tank. Sure, it's a nice upgrade, but the location could only have been worse in very few places.

There is rust in all of the standard places, the floor pan, spare tire compartment, wheel wells, bumper brackets, and door posts.

The plan for restoration follows a few basic stages, outlined as follows.

--Disassembly
--Rust Removal and Body Repair
--Mechanical Upgrades and Repairs
--Reassembly

Currently, we are in the first half of disassembly. The fenders, bumpers, seats, upholstery, gas tank, doors, steering wheel, and motor have all been removed. We are currently working on getting the body separated from the floor pan -- what a pain!

The greatest work we face is the preservation of the body. We'll definitely invest in some POR-15 and some serious undercoating. Paint and/or topcoat is still being discussed.

In anticipation of the mechanical stage, a custom transmission has already been ordered from a friend in Klamath Falls and awaits shipment. This particular fellow is a fantastic transaxle mechanic. The quality and reliability of his work is superb.

The suspension will most likely need to be completely reworked, with replacements where available. The motor we will keep in it's present condition unless major flaws are found before the reassembly stage.

I hope you enjoy watching my progress and I'll be sure to keep it posted!