The Cal-look Lounge

Maybe some of you have seen my first post in the late looker topic. I have been reading this great forum for a couple of years now and thought why not post something about my beetle.

Bought in '11, started restoration in '15 and finished it in '22. ( if they ever can be finished...)

Some pictures about the process and how it is now:

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After it got painted I was done with it and pushed it in the garage and leave it there for a few months. The rebuild did go slowly until I had bought a differtent house with a garage in '21, so the car could move too.

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First ride was in spring this year and drove it until the wintersleep.

Still need to do the interior carpet and maybe short axles because of the sprintstars coming slightly out of the fneders.

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Started to change the engine this winter, using the original D-case to make it a 1600. Not to fancy because it is my first build.

Already have: 36IDF, W110, 85.5cyl, dual quiet pack and stock p/p 32 35,5 heads.

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I'll keep you updated

Very cool looking car ! What wheel/tire combo do you use ?

135/70 up front, 195/65 in the rear.

Nice bug !  8)

Long time ago, but here are some updates. Building up the engine and parts.

Crank, pulley and flywheel are balanced.
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This is the engine now. Waiting for clutch and p/p, and some smaller parts before the engine can go back in the car.

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Update, engine is in the car. Had to fix some oil leaks after the break in.
Now fiddling with the webers to get them properly tuned and then finaly drive it.
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Your car looks great! How is it to drive?

Thanks, the car drives OK. Still have some small issues:

There is some stumbling when the rpm is under 2000 ( sometimes a pop out one of the carb throat ), from 2000 until 5200 it starts to pull nice but then the power is falling down.
Specs: 85,5x69,cw crank, w110, stock heads ported by my self cr 9.01, 3/8 exhaust, 36idf carburetors.
Did some changes with jets but for now  this is the setup:

Main 120
idle 55
Airjet 200
F11 emulsion
28mm venturi.

Now the car is in the garage for the winter updates:

- Checking the carb that pops what is wrong with it. ( when i put my hand on top of the carb for cyl#1 the engine did not slow down in rpm, it does with the other ones. ) This is also the only one that does not react when adjusting the idle screw. Maybe an air leak?
- I see some fuel on the gasket, between the two emulsion tubes on both sides of the carbs. There is a hole in the carb cover between those tubes where you can look on top of the gasket. The gaskets are also wet when removing the cover. The outside of the carb is not leaking.
- Maybe 30mm vents will do the job higher in the rpm range.
- Place back the thermostat and coolingflaps. (oil temp was on the low side)
- Replace the distributor with an original Bosch 009 distributor.
- Have a small leak at the oilpump and one of the push rod tubes.

Update about the updates ;):

I dint plan to do more then the updates that i mentioned in my previous post but I ended up eventually with the engine out of the car.
Did an 3 angle valve job myself ( I know a skilled person would do this better but the heads were cheap so I thought after a lot of reading about it I could try this ) and a little bit porting on the inlet side, and match the manifolds.
The valves are replaced by s/s ones.

Bought an original 009 distributor and did a very good deal with an 181 fan shroud :D.
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One head is done for the moment, the other one will follow. The fan shroud needs new paint and I go on with the other things on the list.

I'll keep you updated.

Good looking late looker , keep up the good work

Looks great :)

Thanks for the kind words! ;D

Hopefully the tools for the heads will be delivered this week so I can finish them and put it back on the engine. In the meantime I cleaned the 009, sanded the fan shroud, and painted the engine tin. 

Christmas came a bit early; bought a Scat pulley and a VDO Jet Cockpit temperature gauge. I really like the black/yellow theme of the gauge so for the future I'm looking for the oilpressure gauge and tachometer.

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Cool looking car! Could you tell me what colour you have there?
Thanks!

Glauco

Thanks, I do not know the code anymore. I thought it came from vw colorcharts but not quite sure.

Maybe marino yellow  L20A?
Would fit to the model year.
Anyway, great car!

Thanks, maybe it is, but when i see marino yellow cars it is a darker shade of yellow.

Finally finished the work on the heads, only need to put the valves and springs in. Had time for test fit the fanshroud and painted the manifolds. Need to mount the carbs to see where they hit the shroud before the paint work.
Also painted the intake manifolds but I think they need head resistant paint instead of the normal.

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The engine is ready to put in he car. Painted the fan shroud, placed the older style gearbox bracket with csp hd mounts.
Planning to put it in the car this week and give the webers a refresh.

Trying to get it running end of the month.

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Got the engine running today and made the first kilometers. ;D It runs nice and smooth and the stumbling under 2000 rpm that i mentioned before is gone. Must do some fine tuning still and eventually I will make a appointment for a dynorun.
i first made the fuel pressure OK for the Webers and had a little problem with the ignition but then it fired immediately.

36IDF specs at the moment:  32 vents, 130 mains, 200 air and 55 idles. Set the 009 at 30 degrees.

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Well, it is not always going as planned. Again it is leaking oil between the head and cylinderbarrel at the 1/2 side of the engine. :( 3/4 side is dry.
The first kilometers looked everything ok and there were no leaks and engine runs good, but after some driving the engine didn't run properly.

Thinking what might be wrong:
- The seating of the head or barrel that is not flat. But it is leaking oil after say 100 kilometers so if it was this it should be leaking from the first start of engine.
- Could it be the headstuds that came loose? Case has new M10 CSP studs but no casesavers. Torqued the nuts to spec.


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Going to check the 4 bottom studs if they are still at the right torque. For the upper ones the engine has to be out, can it blindfolded now ;D

Took the engine out and started to check what caused the leaking oil.
Took off the rocker arm from the 1-2 side so the valves are shut and turned the engine by hand. You could hear the air blow out of the cylinders at the point where the leakage is.
So I took off the head and that showed some black residue at the side where the leak is. Also the piston #1 is cleaner then #2.

Time to took off the cylinders to see the rings and piston, rings where not at the point were I put them because the gaps where a bit on the middle of the piston, and not at the top.
Then I measured the depth of the cuts in the heads and I that's were the problem is.
Measured the depth of the cuts at the both sides of the head at #1 and #2. 11.64

#1:  15.56mm and 15.61mm
#2:  14.85mm and 14.83mm

When torqued to spec the head is properly seated at #2 but #1 is not seated, these differences are way to much. Did not check this when putting all the parts togged so that's a lesson

Going to check the head at #3 and #4 and ask a machineshop to make them all 4 at the same depth.

Also saw that my crankseal is leaking so I can fix that to. ;)

Some pics:
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