The Cal-look Lounge

I figure my GTV could use its own thread :)

In the last 4 weeks or so it went from sitting in the backyard to quite a well oiled machine. I wanted to get it to the Phoenix BOR this weekend, but I lacked the motivation to get started. So I took it to the VW shop 3 doors down from where I do automotive upholstery, Air Cooleds Only. Ive known the owner, Jay Moore for as long as Ive known about VWs, and I knew I could trust him to get the ball rolling for me. In a few hours time he installed a relay for the starter, fixed an accelerator pump problem, adjusted and bled the brakes, and countless other small fixes and adjustments to make the car operate just as it did new. Everything on the car works- even the original Sapphire AM/FM. He said that he really enjoyed working on it since he hasnt seen a VW that complete and unmolested in at least 20 years!! ;D

That day I was so excited that I had to drive it home, even with 1987 tags on the old Wyoming license plates, no insurance, and severely cracked bias ply tires ;)

In the last two weeks the car really started to come together. I cleaned up and paint detailed the two chrome 4.5" Sprint Stars I picked up and ordered a pair of Michelin 145 XZX's (which became 135s when they arrived  >:( sent them back and got the right tires). I mounted those up and immediately liked what I saw- the tires were now tucked in the fender an inch and a half on each side from where they were! No more wide track!! I took the old A78-15s  off of the front 5.5" Sprints, and then proceeded to paint detail those wheels to match the fronts. The original rear wheels were in great shape having been stored for the last 20 years and never being used in winter, so I have set them aside. A matching pair of used 165 XZX's were donated to me, and I bolted those up a week ago Saturday. I love the way the 145's fit the 4.5s and how the 165s fit the 5.5s. Its perfect! It was amazing the difference new tires made!

Meanwhile, I mentioned to my boss that I was looking for an old black on yellow 1969 Arizona license plate (correct through 1972), just like the one he had on his turbo Corvair back in the late '60s (that just happened to be hanging on the wall ;) ) Well, long story short, he graciously donated it to me, and without too much hassle the state of Arizona let me legally register the car with it ;D The next day I added it to my insurance, and my rates went down!

So a week ago Sunday morning, a good friend of mine joins me in the cars first shakedown run to a little town about an hour away, Yarnell, Arizona. The reason for this location were; great greasy breakfast at The Ranch House, and my boss lives there and my he and my friend are both Merkur XR4Ti fans. We accomplished both goals, and I also got the phone number from a very cute waitress, and I will be seeing her this weekend ;) The drive back home on the twistys went very well, the car handles surprisingly well and never went over 85 degrees celcius on the EMPI oil gauge.

This last week all I needed to accomplish was to rub the original paint back out to shine again, and install drop spindles with disc brakes to get rid of the 4" of front fender gap. Paint was rubbed Wednesday (looking good!), but the spindles didnt arrive until 4:30 Friday evening! Luckily, Jay Moore volunteered himself, and in less than an hour's time, the fender gap was reduced to match the rear :) I also installed my Koni steering dampner, a pair of caster shims, and replaced the clutch cable that was hanging on by three threads! We marveled at our work, had a couple beers, then retired home.

Saturday was a treat. Started out great- had an appointment to get the front suspension aligned at 8am and all went well. The car drove home like a dream. Tracks straight and true, and handles the bumps like a stocker. My buddys girlfriend decided to ride down to Phoenix with me, so we packed up and hit the road at 1pm. Almost immediately the car starts acting up  >:( cutting out intermittently, highly irritating. We make it about 35 miles when it dies completely, leaving us stranded on I-17. Since Im not the type to carry spare parts or tools, we call my friend (her boyfriend) to come rescue us with a towbar. While waiting for him to arrive, I diagnose the culprit. The original Bosch black coil checked out. Funny thing is, I remember thinking to myself earlier that morning, "Geez, I wonder how much longer the coil will last me?"   ::) It was the only part of the ignition system that I hadnt replaced! Since our destination that night was Frenchy's house, we decided to drive straight there and address the problem. Frenchy was great, he loaned me a blue coil and the necessary tools, and the old GTV fired right back up. He even let me park on his lawn with all the other nice cars :)

Inside... I recovered the seats, added pop outs, original EMPI wood window sills, NOS EMPI wood dash knobs...

Some motor shots. I added the Santana pulley, rebuilt and installed the 010, and added the EMPI air filter. Also a shot of the (previoulsy) greasy EMPI sending unit.

The wide track look! Yuck! The 4.5's before, and after.

Almost done, just waiting on spindles!!! Another reminder of how I found her, and the (almost) finished project.

Here is the state of my bedroom dresser ;) A few of the parts destined for the GTV...

great work Zach saving your GTV
when did you find this car ?
would that be an amazing find, under a pile of snow ?

Gunter

I found it just before Christmas 2005 in Laramie, Wyoming. Another shot of the dash/interior as I found it... And a couple modifications from the previous owner; ski racks and a sump plate heater (cord is wrapped around bumper)

hye
very very nice bug gtv zach

Looks really good Zach!

yummie yummie!

cool car zach  :o which other empi parts have you on the car (shock aborber , camber ????)

Zach, very impressive and very cool, enjoy.....

well cool zach,give us a run down on the empi bits! 8)

I took a few more shots this morning before work. First shot is the rear 3/4 view where you can see its newly aquired California rake, ;) and the 1969 Arizona plate with a yellow "Keep on Buggin" license plate frame. I found that plate frame at a Hot VWs Drag Day a few years ago, and I think it perfectly matches the car ;) And a side shot. I wish that I could stuff a slightly taller and wider tire on the back, but the Sprint Stars dont allow for it. As it sits now, even the 165s stick out of the fender ever so slightly!

And a couple updated interior pics. I found a NOS EMPI knob for the E-Z-R shifter, and a NOS EMPI wood parking brake handle and button- but I only have the button installed currently. What I really want is a EMPI wood rimmed big button sterring wheel! I hate the stock one!
In the rear you can see my re-upholstery job on the seats, and the original headliner- it is almost perfect except for one small tear about the size of a dime right above my head. Like I mentioned before, I added the pop out windows for a couple reasons; because its hot in Arizona, and you can hear the engine running better ;) I chose to use black welting around the window frames even though I know white is correct. I think it looks better black, it matches the rear window that way.
The trunk is 100% original. That is the original trunk liner, and the original Continental 5.60-15 spare tire that still has the fuzzys on it- it has NEVER been used!!! The window washer would still work... if the spare tire could hold air!

Its kind of a bastard- it doesnt fit into any of the GTV categories, but thats ok. Its my bastard :)

Off the top of my head here goes:
5.5" Chrome Sprint Stars
C-Stripe kit
Door edge guards
Door handle guards
Rear gravel gaurds
Cocoa floor mats
Gauges (with sending unit)
E-Z-R shifter

I added:
Air cleaner conversion (no longer oil bath)
Dash knobs
Parking brake button (handle not installed yet)
Window sills
4.5" Chrome Sprint Stars

Coming soon:
Oil pump filter
Ram Induction Kit (single Zenith 32 NDIX)
Valve covers
Bumper guards
Decklid vent trim
"Slick Shift" transmission additive




Another odd thing about the car- It is based on a Standard (not Deluxe) Beetle. It didnt have a rear window defrost, chrome trim on the windows or running boards, door pockets, pop out windows, passenger foot rest, day/night mirror, seat frame covers, locking glove box or decklid latch. Since some of these things are nice to have (and some I just like the way they look), I have started its transformation into a Deluxe model. Things like a day/night rear view mirror and pop outs make driving MUCH nicer, and things like the decklid lock helps protect my investment. I wont add a rear window defrost because the car isnt wired for it! I also like the look of the clear rear glass better. I will add trim around the windshield and rear window when I replace the windshield. I think that the window trim should match all the way around a car.

good luck with the parts who looking for

good stuff zach,i like the bastard!!!

i would also like ram induction kit (single zenith 32ndix) if anyone has one

there is a wood rimmed big button empi steering wheel on samba now

Did you notice that the stack has a MP logo on it? Thats Mohr Performance- the guy is buying Kadron stacks at $20 a pair and pawning them off on ebay as Porsche Zenith stacks for about $70 a pair. I have an identical pair that I bought from Joel Mohr a few years ago, with the same logo, $20. Its bullshit man.

Today was a good day! My roomate and I followed a lead on some VW performance parts about an hour away, and came up with some good parts for a very reasonable cash outlay. Most of the parts I got will end up on ebay, but I did find a VERY nice Zenith 32 NDIX carb and a whole box of Zenith jets to go with it! Now the "Ram Induction Kit" is complete! ;D Here is a pic of the street set up, and one for race!

nice one zach  :o

Hmmm, l

Looks Hard-Core with the Stack... ;) ;D ;D ;D

Frank

Well, I have a perfectly good running GTV, so what do I do? Tear it apart of course! ;D For starters, the original muffler was really blown/rusted out, sounding like shit, and I was tired of getting flack from my friends and my boss about it. So at last months Phoenix BOR I found an old header and S&S glasspack for $18. I know it ideally needs an EMPI 4 bolt header, but those arent really growing on trees these days, and the price was definitely right on this one. Someday Ill buck up and get the genuine article, but for now this will have to do. I chose to "restore" the header, and leave the glasspack how it is. It has that old S&S decal still, and it looks like its been on there since day one. Also, the "Ram Induction Power Kit" I assembled is going on. Here is how I started the day, in the midst of progress, and how I finished it. Tuesday Ill get it running and tuned in ;D

top ;D

It never ends does it Zach. Its looking good though.

--louis

Almost forgot to update!
I got it all buttoned up. That header I picked up on the cheap is a real piece of crap though. The collector isnt centered, and it pushed the breasplate tin forward a little bit so now my over-the-pulley-bolt tin doesnt fit  >:( The S&S glasspack wasnt designed for this header either- as you can see it sits a little funny. But I guess I cant bitch too much since they only costed my $18  ::) Im really jonesing for a genuine EMPI exhaust now, too bad I cant even afford to think about buying one!!
The Zenith 32NDIX bolted up easy, I splashed a little fuel down the throat, and it fired almost instantly. I installed some smaller 40 idle jets, and it runs VERY smoothly. The stock Solex hated the 010 on there, but now it drives just as buttery smooth as it did with the stock carb/distributor. A Zenith and a 010 are a match made in heaven! Power increase wasnt quite what I was hoping for, but it is defintely an improvement over stock. The car is MUCH more driveable now, and alot quieter since the blown/rusted out stock muffler is gone.
I forgot how much fun tuning a stock engine is ;) Here's some pics...

 nice work zach think to me for empi exhaust  ;D

Hey Zach, what model Zenith are you using, obviously 32ndix, is it an "L", "R" or single carb application? If it is a single carb version, how does the throttle cable hook up?

Si.

Well... Its not a left or right judging by the serial number. It is just stamped "PO". It has an extra arm on the throttle shaft for the stock barrel nut to slip through. So it was designed for a single carb set up from the get-go.

Looking good Zach!

That is looking pretty sweet.

--louis

very nice zach,and the pic answers a question i had on the carb + filter height

Got the rear disc brakes mounted up tonight after work. You can jab on the brakes with no hands on the wheel, and it stops straight, true, and fast like a dog on the end of its rope :) And Ill never have to adjust brake shoes again!!! ;D

GTV is all ready for the Classic!!! Trans and engine oil changed, valves adjusted, 356 gen pulley, new(ish) GR-2 shocks up front, new windsheild, new front and rear window rubbers (with chrome!), and a genuine EMPI GT wheel. We are leaving early Friday morning, no trailers!!! ;D

nice GTV I wish you a good trip to the classic  :)

Zach if you went to bugorama then your car is in August 2007 volksworld :)

Zach and the GTV made it to Orange County. Saw him last night at Nicks.

(http://www.dkpcarclub.com/dkp_images/cruise2007/IMG_0614.jpg)

(http://www.dkpcarclub.com/dkp_images/cruise2007/IMG_0615.jpg)

nice to see a pic of it in the new issue of volksworld (i think it the same car!)

Nothing like reading the thread :(

 ;D ;D
(http://img78.imageshack.us/img78/241/zachdb5.jpg)

THAT is cool!!!! I wonder if someone got a pic/video of my "burnout"! ;D

We had one hell of a trip. Almost 1100 miles total. Cruises all day at 70-75mph. No problems getting there, no problems getting back... but we fought fuel issues all day Saturday, and missed everything but the OCTO show  >:( Good thing I had lots of help, my co-driver Chris Predmore, Greg Lane, and his friend Dave (dont think I caught his last name!). Couldnt have done it without you guys!! We unfortunately had to leave the Classic very early to pick up Chris' girlfriend at the airport though... back in Phoenix!!! It got pretty warm through the desert, the 356 pulley and a quick prop to the bottom of the decklid saved me. Great to meet you Sarge, Jim Ratto, DKK Rick, Gary Justus, Bruce Tweddle, so so many more... I cant wait for next year!!

Sounds like you had a great time.

--louis

It was great to meet you too Zach... and I still owe you a beer!

what a great pic 8)

Well, it may be time to upgrade the old original motor. I think I may have over stressed it a bit on the drive back from the Classic though the desert in the middle of the day in June with a full load  ::) It still seems to run ok, its just the hot idle oil pressure isnt exactly where Id like to see it. Besides, it has 113k miles on it and has never been out of the car!! Im thinking a mild 88x69 motor would suit it nicely, reconditioning as many of the original parts as I can.
Last week I was scrounging through what I call "The Great Wall of Cams" at the local VW/Porsche machinist's, and found an old EMPI 831 cam and matching EMPI gear that happens to be date stamped a month before my car was built! The old guy is a good friend of mine, so he gave it to me :) I was planning on using a 821 cam to keep the motor more on the milder side, so if anyone out there has a 821 in good shape and wants to upgrade to an 831, let me know.
Until then, some pressure booster springs may be in order ;)

try a mechanical Oil press gauge first just get a small one that screws in to the case I have found most of the time its the Gauge sender thats Bad

Ive already verified the accuracy of the EMPI oil pressure gauge with a mechanical gauge, and unfortunately its dead on ;)

Good news Zach, looks like your GTV has made it into the pages of VW Ultra's coverage of the bugoramma.

Cool!!! What month is the issue??

#50 October 2007 page 45

Installed the rear Koni's today  ;D I assume that the shocks that were in there were the originals. They were Monroe's (made in Belgium), but they had a VW stamp, 113... part number, and some undercoat overspray. After 114k miles, they were pretty shot! I set the Koni's to full soft, and WOW what a difference! The car drives much more solidly now, feels very tight! As you can see, on the top its a GTV, underneath its just another 35 year old VW ;) That will change when I upgrade the engine/gearbox... someday :) Ill install the fronts next week when my shock mount kit comes in from Wolfsburg West.
I also installed the NOS EMPI locking wheel bolts Richard set me up with. Thanks again buddy!

mmm, orange shocks. Said in my best Homer Simpson voice.

I bet that rids better than the original shocks lol

--louis

Sweet ride, is that Texas Yellow?  I'm kind of biased though because my brother's super beetle (purchased new by Dad in '72) is Texas Yellow- oddly enough it even has the same "Keep on Buggin'" liscence plate frame.  Keep the pics coming.

Texas Yellow it is. 1972 only color. I am looking for an original paint hood, if you spot one please let me know!
I got the plate frame at a Drag Day a few years ago. I had to buy the whole '67 decklid it was on because I didnt have any tools to remove it!  :D

Your welcome !
 ;D

More greasy pics ;D

Just got back from a short drive, and Im really liking how these shocks feel. I temporarily put GR-2's up front a few months ago, then the Koni's out back last week. It felt better, but unbalanced with the stiff gas shocks in front. Now with Koni's all round it rides much much much better. Just the feel of the road now... I dont know how to describe it... worth ever penny. Im a Koni convert for life :)

It's about time ! LOL !
Is that one of the "Cal-look.com" Koni steering dampners also ?
And what's with the "non-period correct" disc brakes and lowered rear ?
 :D

Yeah, its the cal-look.com dampner. Its been on there for about 7 months. As for the disc brakes, I figure a guy back in the '70's could have put Ghia front and 914 rear discs on his GTV :) I mean, why wouldnt he?! Its a GTV!! ;D
The rear is stock height! Probably sagged a lil bit though. All I did was put the drop spindles on, and Im glad I did. It looks proper now, the fender gap matches front to rear.

any update on your car ?

Not much, just driving and enjoying it ;D I am very slowly gathering EMPI parts for an engine rebuild/upgrade. It will be a 88x?? Havent decided on stroke yet. I am also saving money for a ZF equipped Berg 5 speed- I will do the transmission before the engine upgrade. Within the month I plan to pull the engine and trans for a good cleaning, install a new front trans mount, new CV boots, and a 30mm oil pump to try and get a little more life out of the original engine ;)

just let me know if you find an empi exhaust  ;)

Ohh dont worry, the whole world will hear about that! ;D ;)

Those little things that bug the sh!t out of you....

5.5" Sprint Stars have a lot of offset... only 3.5" of backspace. When I had the stock drum brakes on my car, the little 165's just bearly peeked outside the fender- annoying, but tolerable. When I swapped to rear discs, they stuck out even further  >:( Even though CB claims that the brakes add zero track width... thats bullshit!!! I didnt measure before and after, but I imagine it was a solid 3/8" or so... Depending on where you measure, the tires stick out of the fender 1/2"- 3/4". This is unacceptable!
The solution? Narrowing the rear arms and using two left side type 3 automatic axles. It will tuck them back in 26mm on each side  ;D

Here is the timeline this past week...

Monday: Call local VW friend to see if he has any arms for sale. He does!! I get the arms, axles, stub axles, complete drums, bearings, CV's, spring plates, and torsion bars for the grand total of.......... $35 ;D And he shares some great stories from the Bug-In's "back in the day" ;)

Tuesday: Get started early by dragging the whole mess to the VW/Porsche shop a few doors from where I work. I strip them down, and give all of the other pieces (axles, ect) to the shop owner for letting me use his space and tools. I take them down to the quarter car wash, give them a good cleaning, and then drop them off to Slinger- he sandblasts them, and drops them off to the fabricator that night!

Wednesday: I get a call at 4pm from the fabricator.... trailing arms are done!!!  :o I guess he needed money!!  :D

Thursday: Fabricator's wife drops off the arms at my work just before 10am. ;D

Axles are on the way, too... and unfortunatly the arms need to go back to be clearanced for the brake rotors, but otherwise Id say that Im making good time ;)

Now Im wanting a pair of 185/70's.....

And the arms... a little clearancing and ready for paint...

Isn't that 1 left & 1 right?

Yes.... the arms just get the bearing housing moved in 26mm, a little clearancing, and some gussets for strength. The axles used are 2 left sides from a type 3 with a fully automatic transaxle... They are 26mm shorter than standard IRS axles.

Ok! nice work, love the car! ;)

nice find. how did you find in wyoming.cool idea on rear trailing arms. wow were did you find the koni shocks n o s?

Found it while checking out Christmas lights with my ex-girl just before Christmas 2005.... saw the C Stripe out of the corner of my eye and almost had a heart attack!!!

Koni shocks were on ebay a few months ago... got them for a scosh less than brand new ones sell for! And they drive GREAT!!

One axle came in... the other is supposedly on its way.  Check out the difference... The left side T3 auto axle measures about 15 3/8" end to end.

Here is a couple more shots of my "problem". It doesnt seem to look as bad in the pictures, but I swear its there! Maybe I'm too anal, but those little pizza cutter 165's are sticking way too far out  ::) Hopefully when the job is done, the rear tire will tuck in the fender the same way that the front tire does, and I will be happy :)

Don't worry, i think all of us are too anal ;)

If we weren't anal, we would be posting on the Hoodride Lounge.  :D

Yours stick out a little more than mine, but its probably the wheel offset. If it bothers you, fix it. Of course you will probably find you pushed them in too much and will need wider rear tires.  :P

--louis

Me likey the tires.  Ooohhh whhhyyyy do they have to be so 'spensive???

Are the Type 3 rear trailing arms differnt then a type 1?  seems if the axles are shorter you could change it all to type3??  ???

Single dual throats and 010/009's work perfectly together  ;) :)

Looking good dude  :)

And why cant they make them in a 185/70??  ::)


I dont know... but since its only the left side axle that's short, I suspect the output on the left side of the auto trans differs from that of the right. One trailing arm *might* work, but the other would not.


Indeed they do :)
Thanks!!

185/70VR15 Pirelli Cinturato CN36 Tyres anyone  ??? ;) :)

http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.longstonetyres.co.uk/image/LAMBO%2520350%2520borrani.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.longstonetyres.co.uk/Pirelli-Cinturato.php&h=324&w=302&sz=116&hl=en&start=3&um=1&tbnid=nkyIznSJ12K0aM:&tbnh=118&tbnw=110&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dpirelli%2Bcn36%26svnum%3D10%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26channel%3Ds%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26hs%3DldE%26sa%3DG

I have heard this before, but where  do you get hold of 2 such axles? Here in Norway the t3 autos were few and far between...

try coker tire zack

Yeah, Coker has Michelin 185/70 XWX's, close... kinda   :-\ But they are $384 EACH!!!

Tore it all apart today... pulled motor, trans, cleaned up the motor, trans, and body from the nasty mess of a torn CV boot. Stuck trans back in with new mounts. Fab guy is clearancing the trailing arms for the rotors, he said they will be at my shop Monday morning. Ive got one axle, and the other is supposedly on its way... finally (I paid the asshole 2 weeks ago and still havent seen shit! And its only about 250 miles away in Tucson!! >:() Tomorrow Ill finish up the trans install, "pop" in a new input shaft seal and main seal, plug the motor back in, and assemble my one short axle with new CV boots... I hope to have it done by Tuesday night, tops....

Ohh yeah.... the motor had been pulled before I got in there today- there was a sticker on the pressure plate that read "Remanufactured for VWOA", so it was probably a dealer job, and you can tell because everything was put back RIGHT! ;D

Wow! By the sound of it, you do all this work all by yourself.  ::) Your the MAN ! ;)

Slinger,
Thanks for picking up the beer and burrito's.
Love, Zach

And thanks for buying, :)

Guess I got all that CV Grease on my pants from the Burrito Shop. HHHMMMM  ;)

Isn't that what Filiberto's uses for frying?

Got it buttoned up yesterday around 4:30p... everything is working nicely thus far, but man that was alot of work!! It was snowing today so I didnt get any pictures :( but Ill be sure to post them soon.... It doesnt look narrowed, it just looks normal! That was alot of work for "normal", but in my mind it was well worth the effort. Now the tires sit just inside the fenders, much like the front :)

damm is it snowing where you two are at the mow ?

cool

Yes  >:( It was 70 degrees Saturday through Tuesday... then it started getting nasty again. Its snowing now as I type this!! Maybe Ill snap some shots at the Copperstate show in Phoenix this weekend :)

See?!

cool pic zach!
but it almost seems like the rear wheels tuck in more than the front ;)

but it's look good!! well worth the effort i suppose?

 :o That's just WRONG!

I assure you it isnt tucked more ;)

It was worth it for me, but only because I am anal!! I doubt anyone will ever notice  ::)

Don't you take care of that car ?
 ???

Dont you drive yours?
 ???

No offense meant Zach.
But remember, it is only original paint ( and decals) once !
And I can't drive mine until I finish it !
 :D

Just giving you a good ribbing Richard! All in good fun ;)

I snapped this right after filling up, and right before heading down to Phoenix for the Copperstate show Saturday afternoon. The rear tires tuck nicely under the fenders now, and I am very happy about that!! :) Only issue now is that the rear torsion bars must be re set, because the feder gap increased a whole bunch!!  ::)

Look at what I found when I got out of work last night! Good thing the GTV sports a good working heater, but the drive was still pretty hairy!  :o

 ;D there's NOTHING quite like driving a bug in the Snow  ;D ;D ;D

Installed my N.O.S. EMPI bumper guards and replaced the black bumper tape. Looking MUCH better :)

It's strange, they look upside down.. I know they are not, but yet, they look like they are. ;D

I was thinking the same thing

Haha! That's what everyone is saying!  :D
(http://www.webwrench.com/airaccess/empi1970/gtv/gtv6a.jpg)

Im really diggin how my car looks with the EMPI bumper guards :) The VWOA ones look like fence posts compared to these! And you can also see my newly aquired rear fender gap due to the narrowed trailing arms :-\ At least the tires are where they should be, I can't see them when I look in my side mirror anymore!! :)

And yes, the car is filthy dirty! Havent had a chance to clean it up since driving it in the snow a couple weeks ago ::)

looking good Zach...........  8)

Agreed - looking good dude :)

what tires are on the rear  ???

A new(er) pair of Michelin XZX 165's... Current plan is to have the rear wheels widened 1/2" toward the inside, and buck up for 185/70 XWX's... someday.

now that will look AWSOME - not that she doesn't look pretty cool already  ;) :)

Thanks! :)

Collecting parts for the engine rebuild... Specs will be:

88x82 (1995cc)
Porsche 912 rods
EMPI Birals & Slipper Skirts
EMPI 831 cam w/ EMPI 1.4:1 rockers (still need those)
Ported stock valve heads
8.8:1 CR, .040 deck
EMPI valve covers, deep sump, oil pump/filter
EMPI exhaust (still looking), with stock heater boxes
EMPI 40P11's (still looking)

And a few tricks up my sleeve :) Goal is 1hp and 1 ft/lb of torque per cubic inch- 122hp, 122 ft/lb.

collected some neat stuff for the motor.and the wheel's tuck just fine, keep up the good work! By for now

I'd really stay away from the Porsche rods, they're a ticking time bomb.

It takes a real man to drive an original paint GTV Bug in the snow. Kudos to you, sir!

Thanks!! Cars were meant to be driven and enjoyed, no matter how rare, valueable, whatever. I snapped this one a few minutes ago :)

I have some LRE 912 Porsche rods if your interested.

You really need to clean up that white flaky mess!  ;D ;D ;D

GOT A FRIEND WHO GOT A SOLEX P11 KIT CARB FOR PORSCHE 356 OR 912????
I VE GOT THEM AT MY GARAGE
SEE WITH HIM IF HEWANT SELL THEM IF YOU WANT ZACH

NICE PARTS FOR YOUR ENGINE DUDE

here you go

 :o
Where did you find that?! How can I get a copy!? Thanks for posting!!! ;D

Just when we thought no one noticed it at "The Classic"  ;D

its in street vw's #59, speak to gunter, he has some and i know he's going to bug-in next week.

Thanks!! :)

Doesnt make leaving at 10am worth it. >:(

My buddy Fruitcake just picked these up in San Diego for me. One pair will become 15x6's for the rear (1/2" more backspace compared to the 5.5"), and the other pair will become 15x7's for the back of my friend's car :)
(http://images.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/pix/medium/2017437.jpg)

Sprintstar hubcaps! Nice!! ;D


Where on earth do you find just the centres for sprintstars? Or did someone else have the re-rimming idea and get no further? :)

Exactly ;)

Not too much going on with this car lately, just a lot of driving :) I have been doing a little detail work here and there, just cheap and easy stuff. I replaced the antennea with a fully retractable unit, and installed a type 3 side mirror that I hawked off of one one my '68 Fastbacks. The old mirror had a long arm that put it right in the way of the divider bar, this one tucks in a couple inches and allows me to see the whole mirror much better. I think those 2 little mods really clean up that corner of the car, too :) The antennea really works better than the original, too! I also got another shoulder harness retractor, and got them both installed. The belts work much better with those in there, go figure! I won an NOS EMPI hood handle guard Monday off eBay, and installed it. Now it looks like my car has a nose ::)

I also paint detailed another 4.5" chrome Sprint Star, and put on a fresh Michelin 145 XZX for a spare. And since the washer resivoirs' home was behind (and attached to) the original spare wheel, I installed one (with integral pump) from a Mexican Beetle. Now my windshield washer works, too :) To install the LM-1 on my car, I needed a power outlet. So I picked up 3 generic power outlets and "hid" them under the rear seat, right next to the battery. Now I can charge my cell, run the LM-1, hook up a radar detector, power an Ipod, whatever ;)

Hej Zach,nice place to hide those power outlets.Good idea,never tought of that.
BTW,nice car,that GTV of yours.  ;)

Thanks :)

The 195/65's on the back were getting really thin... and there is no way I can afford the 185/70 XWX's right now (even though with the current exchange rate they are "only" $302, EACH!), so I pulled the good used 205/70's off the back of the Sloback. Waaayy too fat, waaayy too tall, waaayy too much rake, and the tires stick out of the fenders again like the old 165's did before I narrowed the trailing arms. But they will work for now, I guess...

It's come a long ways brotha, lookin' smooth  8)

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/TkNytpacjvA&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/TkNytpacjvA&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
At about 32 seconds, I believe the GTV shows up at nick's.

Got just about all my bits to rebuild the top end... Slip in 88's ::) a pair of dual port heads that I will make flow a little more, aluminium pressure plate (crank and flywheel will be 8 doweled), EMPI deep sump, EMPI filter/pump, and I believe Mr. Webb is taking care of the EMPI 1.4 rockers, right? ;) Solex 40P11's will have to wait until I find the proper manifolds and linkage, and at the same time I will upgrade the exhaust. For now the header I have and the single Zenith (back up to 28 vents) will do.

One problem... I need a breather of some sort. As far as I know EMPI never offered a breather box, so out of luck there. I thought about a 356c/912 box/filler as it has a nice OEM look, but it would foul EMPI crossbar linkage :/ I would hate to tack on a new "EMPI" breather box, but I'm fresh out of any other ideas. Possibly with a little wrinkle paint and polish it may look acceptable?? :P

(http://www.the-ovw.com/cat/images/00-8544-0.jpg)

Any opinions out there??

zach

here is a pic from the 69 catalog, you can see the breather they used on their GTV engines.  I Do not know what type it is.

same on inch pincher too , the raceshop 850 and 67  ;)

Interesting... Anyone know anything about those breathers? It probably would only work if I used my TALL Solex maniolds, I'm pretty sure the linkage would hit the breather if I use the short globe manifolds that I really want. :-\

(http://cal-look.no/lounge/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=1537.0;attach=28551;image)

It does have a nice OEM look to it... maybe I could take a stock oil filler/breather and stretch it??

the small globe manifold for the breather is a type3 breathermount. but you knew that allready i guess.

Indeed I did ;)

Those breathers were custom made for Darrell by a guy named Chas Morse back in the early 1970's.
They were never offered for sale in catalogs, etc..
I was able to buy a chrome one from an old friend years ago.

Of course you were ::) ;)

The more I think about stretching the stock breather, the more I like the idea. I hate tacking extra stuff on that doesn't look like it should be there. At the Phoenix BOR I picked up a stock breather/filler that doesn't have the lower draft tube, and the corresponding pulley tin without the provisions for it. It will clean up the motor some, and hopefully the breather will do the trick and look like it's meant to be there.

Thanks for posting those pics guys :)

Had a friend knock me off a few copies, and put one on today. Whew!

I've got a few extras if anyone is interested.

may be you already  seen this report , it seems that the yellow looked like a color very appreciated for gtv  ;D ;D

Thanks Speedwell, I've already seen it. :)

I've often thought, if my car was a Super (1302), I would have sold it :D ;)

There had to be more than one Texas Yellow GTV put together... if I could only find it's hood... :(

I LOVE that 1302  :o ;) :)

Very cool car! And I love that center console! Very tasteful ;D

I think its interesting, although Im not suprised, that of the GTVs I see, and the two cars Ive based my own build on... That never do I see the engine cover decals in the same place.  Aas is the case with this texas yellow 1302, and a car featured on 1302super.com

(http://1302super.com/72gtv_rear.jpg)
http://1302super.com/page24.html

(http://www.1302super.com/1302gtv2.JPG)

yours...
(http://cal-look.no/lounge/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=1537.0;attach=4773;image)

mine
(http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a295/rescuebeetle/frontstripes.jpg)

Im so confused! ???

Found out a trick to improve air flow in the mighty Zenith 32ndix. When I was jetting, I had to use larger main jets than I wanted to so it would transition smoothly, the downside was a slightly fat top end, hopefully this will lean it out. Plan is to race it March 28th at the Phoenix BOR, with any luck all this tuning will show some improvements over the last best run, a 19.68. Either that or it will show my motor is long overdue for a rebuild!

How are you going to stop the fuel over spill on off road cars the run a 2 inch long 1/8 tube screwed in to the part you cut off fuel travels across that casting you cut out as  far as your ET: 19.68 it is time for a rebuild  My 67 with a stock 1600 Dual port with 009,single Qp,ant kadrons ran 16.40's all day long and a Best of 16.24  Its Time Zack  your wasting time and Money on that Dead Dog Build something with all the parts you have and put a little bite back in that Dog ;D ;D

I don't anticipate fuel spillage being a problem in a street car, but if it is I'll fab something up. I've got an idea ;)

About the E.T... You're '67 was a lot lighter than my car! Mine ran a 20.32 when it was bone stock, which I think is right on par. I still need a few more parts ($$$) to rebuild it, and yes I will tear it all the way down and c/w the crank while I'm at it. Cam will either be stock, or an EMPI 821 if I can find one...

This is what I was thinking for venting the float bowl, if needed. This guy did some crazy work to this carb, flows almost as much as a 40P11 with better velocity.
(http://www.356registry.org/Tech/images/zenith_carb_flow/top.1.jpg)
(http://www.356registry.org/Tech/images/zenith_carb_flow/top.3.jpg)

Hey Zach,

I finally got around to reading this entire thread... nice car!

I've always had a soft spot for GTV's... Very cool chunk of VW history you have there ;)

~DR.

Thanks Dave! It's a fun daily driver ;)

I put the LM-1 back on and took some readings, swapped the carb top over and noticed that I was running much much leaner ;D So I upped the main jet to a 130, and it feels like it's driving better than ever. More air, more fuel... must be making more power, right?!

The pic's you posted of the highly modified Zenith are awesome! I've never seen anything quite like it...

I've run Zenith's for years... still do in fact. Only mod I've ever done is the simple float bowl extension plus I run the float in the lower setting on my off-road stuff.

Many-many years ago I did something stupid and laid my Burro on it's side... during all the commotion of trying to get out of my seat belt I realized it was still running! Only a Zenith could pull off something like that!

Keep up the good work ;D

~DR.

i've been watching this great thread,and i also like the GTV look,i have some of the parts needed, one question,is it ok to use a kamei airdam on a GTV?

Kamei parts were sold by EMPI, so that's a yes! ;)

I understand the vent stacks but what is going on with the two pieces of sheet metal? I would not imagine those jets need to be held in place and are those the accelerator squirters coming out of the other side?

cool!  :)  i'm about to do the same thing to my 1970 bug,i have some of the parts needed  i'm still looking for the stripes,all i have for now are the side scoops,bumper guards, and sprintstars,camber compensator,still looking for the other stuff to complete  my car :)

The sheet metal just cleans up some "dead" area in the carb. And yes, those are the pump squirters.

any updates on this build?

Not much, really. It's been my only car for the last couple months since my buddy (AssHull) is borrowing my truck. Soon as I get my truck back I'll pull the motor apart for the rebuild! Specs will be as follws:
C/W crank
12.5# flywheel
KEP Stage 1 aluminium PP
Stock cam (I think!)
EMPI filter/pump
EMPI magnesium deep sump
Slip-in forged 88's!
Ported stock valve heads (still need those), Berg single HD springs
EMPI 1.4 rockers
Solex 40p11 split shafts on EMPI globe manifolds, NOS EMPI linkage, velocity stacks
Type 4 cooler, fuel injection venturi ring
EMPI (non GT) valve covers

That's about it.... should be a lot more fun! ;D

any updates on this project?  :)

Nope! I've been so busy lately that this car is turning into one of the cobbler's children. I'll be getting my truck back from AssHull in about a month (hopefully) then I can take the GTV off the road for a bit and give it the attention it deserves...

Forgot to mention, it's also getting a 100mm clutch arm to make the 1700lb Kennedy easy on the left leg, and an EMPI 4 bolt header with glasspack :) Thinking about fabbing up an EMPI style traction bar, as well.

cool!

I pulled the engine out of the GTV last week and tore it down over the weekend. What a pleasure it was to take apart an unmolested, factory built engine! I learned many things that I often see over looked in engine builds today. Sunday morning I took the short block parts to Steve Hollingsworth in Phoenix. He is going to give the case a thorough once over, and rebuild/balance the original rods. He is also sending the original crank and flywheel to Jose at DPR for counterweighting, lightening, and 8 doweling. Steve Long of SLR will be providing a stock 3 bolt cam, and he is going to do his thing to my original lifters. Other than the worn parts (bearings, etc) and the upgraded original EMPI parts, I will be reusing as many pieces from the original engine as possible, it is very important to me that the car keep the parts it came from the factory with! Instead of the slip in 88's I was planning on using, Steve will machine down a set of bore type 88's to fit in the stock case. That way I can have the thick wall at the cylinder head end. Other than the counterweighted crank, I want to keep the bottom end "stock", and see just what performance I can get out of an engine strictly using "bolt-on" parts. I'm obviously not trying to set the world on fire, just build a mild, reliable, period correct engine that is more fun than what I've got now. And I'm curious to see what the RPM range of the engine will be with the stock cam, EMPI 1.4:1 rockers, good heads, and a free flowing intake/exhaust. I can't wait!!! ;D

Good to hear this thing is making progress.  8)

I just cleaned up the chambers on the original 133k mile heads and found no cracks! :o So I walked next door & asked Gary B what his thoughts were... No sense in buying new heads, reuse those! ;D

I'm borderline thrilled :)

Cool!! I'm looking forward to seeing this engine. :)
You won't be using an EMPI cam then after all?
Good call on using machined 88s instead of the slip-ins.

Keep up the good work!

I suppose if an EMPI 821 cam fell into my lap I would seriously consider using it... ;)

And I suppose having a cam ground to its specs ain't your cup of tea?

I haven't been able to find specs that are detailed enough :-\

I went through my stash and found the specs :) Problem is that I will have (mathematically) .463" lift with the EMPI 1.4's... I was really hoping to keep it simple and use single springs, but I think that will be pushing it :/

;)

I dissasembled the heads and had them hot tanked & bead blasted. Gary looked them over and said they are "cherry" :) Now I have to pick a head porter...

I'm going to stick with the stock cam, EMPI 1.4's, and single HD springs in the name of simplicity, and torque. This will still give me around .420" lift at the valve, and greatly alter the duration at .050" valve lift.

Looking good Zach.

--louis

Hmmmm interesting - thats almost exactly what I have (lift/duration) with the Engle 100 and stock 1.1:1 rockers  :)

Denham ;)

Yep, waiting to hear back from him ;)

Hey Lee, what CR are you running now? Looks like our motors will be fairly similar ;)

9.1:1 dude - I love my new set up  ;D

I'm going to stay a little more modest, no more than 8:1. The motor did have deck in the cylinder, a step in the chamber, and dished pistons. Can you say low compression?? ::)

Sounds like you could burn kerosene with that setup.  :o

If you have not checked out the heads UD did for my little buggy motor you should take a look.

--louis

I just checked them out again, Jeff does great work! I will be keeping the stock valve size though as I've decided to retain my stock heater boxes and I'll be using the EMPI 4 bolt header. I might go through Steve Tims, I just have to find the right balance of getting what I want, and paying what I can afford :P

Do them yourself! You won't bollocks up a pair of stock heads - they respond really well to even minor work. Just say conservative and concentrate on smoothing out, not hogging out! :D

I did consider it, but I also need new guides put in, and for that at least I need a professional. I haven't heard back from Jeff, so I'm thinking about dropping them off with Tims next Friday on my way to San Diego.

Cool car Zach - keep up the good work.

Thanks :)

This Friday I'll be heading to Steve Tims shop to drop off my heads, then to Steve Long's to pick up my new stock cam and reconditioned original lifters, down to see Jose at DPR to get my now counterweighted original crank & lightened flywheel. Maybe to the Bergs, too, if I have enough time. I'm very happy I'll be able to use so many of my original parts :) And I can't wait to get it back on the road with some more power!!!

Zach, you gonna be around for the weekend?  Lunch?  Drinks?  The Swallows Inn?  hah!

Now you're talking my language! Other than running my ass around Friday morning, I think I'll be in the San Diego area most of the weekend. Where's The Swallows??

go to the "swallows in"  it's a good place   ;D ;D ;D

Got my crank & fly back from DPR. Now counterweighted, lightened, 8 doweled, and balanced :)

Zach,

What size motor you building for the GTV?

Rick M

Rick,
It's just a super mild 88x69, built with as many original EMPI parts as I could find :)

Last weekend I commandeered AssHull into helping me assemble my crankshaft :) This is my original crank (now c/w by DPR), original gears, rods, everything. No core exchanges! Steve Hollingsworth rebuild my rods, and balanced them end for end, and total. The only parts that have changed is the four extra dowel pins, and the bearings which are German Kolbenschmidt. I had the entire rotating assembly (including gears) balanced as a unit at CE in Phoenix. It should be a very smooth running machine, with great throttle response :)

Great Start Zach!

Nice work !

nice one, zach!
keep up the good work ;)

 8) off to good start.....

Is it me or is #4 rod upside down?

Pretty sure it's on there right. I'm in Colorado now but I'll be sure to double check it when I get home.

Thanks guys! It's going to be a VERY mild build, longevity is the top priority. It's nice to finally be assembling parts rather than just spending money on them!

Zach, that's the 12lbs flywheel ?

It's my original flywheel that DPR lightened (either 12 or 12.5?), 8 doweled, and balanced :)

Ok thanks  ;)

Hi Zach,

I have seen you are selling your P11 parts. What is your plan now for carbs? Keep the NDIX?

Xavier

i think one of the ads said zach has more than one pair of Solex 40 PII carbs. and he's selling the extra pieces. so, i'm very certain he will use the Solex carbs ;)

Have you started building yet, Zach?

I still have 3 pairs of split shaft carbs ::) I'll be using one of those pairs, but it will be converted to solid shaft. I still have globe EMPI manifolds & linkage. I've de-burred the case, just need to swap out a few studs for longer ones & bottom end assembly may begin :)

I am glad you stick to the solex :) ...I know who to bother with questions when my turn will come on building a solex engine ;D

So 'simpler route' just meant you go a different route on filter/stack. Empi filters maybe? Have you seen the ones on ebay a few weeks ago?

Xavier

I'll just be using standard short chrome stacks. The filter/linkage bases have threaded holes for them. The tall stacks are a bit over the top for my liking, and if I happen to come across a pair of EMPI filters for a reasonable price, I can add them later.

(http://www.oldspeed.net/images_catalogue_empi_71/images/page46.jpg)

Right, it was a bit slow at work the last week so I managed to get a bit done on my engine case. First thing I did was prep for the EMPI oil pump/filter. I pulled out the original oil pump studs, and gave the threads a good cleaning. It was a good thing I did, because there was a bunch of muck behind the studs that didn't come out when the case was hot tanked. I did a little measuring, and found out that a 50mm stud would go all the way in the case, flush to the inside, and give me just enough stud to put a nut on the outside. I got the studs installed and found out that I also had to grind the mounting boss on the right side of the case to clear the filter adapter. Now it's all good :)
With that out of the way, I turned my attention to the deep sump... Previous to me, someone had stripped out 2 of the threads in the case, so they drilled out the case and installed 8x1.25 to 6x1.00 step studs ::) Also, the stud that holds the oil sucker on had about half of it's threads left. Not acceptable. So I had an idea, called Steve Hollingsworth to confirm my solution, and drilled out and tapped the rest of them to 8x1.25. I also drilled out my EMPI mag sump to accept the 8mm studs, and I will use the 11mm hex nuts usually used on exhausts to secure the deep sump :) Now I'm waiting on the nuts so I can figure out just how long the studs need to be.
Ohh, and I ground the casting marks and sharp edges inside the case, clearanced for the "5th rod", opened the windows between the cylinders, polished all of the grinding marks, and made a huge mess ::)

I got my NOS EMPI steering (Custom or Rallye?) wheel worked out :) There was a little spacer that was in the bottom of the box that I missed. It clears the wiper switch fine now, even the horn works again for the first time in 4 years (the old GT wheel had an early adapter that wouldn't coordinate with the horn contacts). I absolutely LOVE how this wheel looks in my 70's car!! You can also see the EMPI/VWOA parcel shelf that I found at OCTO last year (not secured yet), and the original EMPI pedal pads that I installed right before I took the car off the road last May. It's getting pretty EMPI-fied in there ::) 8)

Looking really nice.

--louis

look nice zach , my first choice, the day i've decided to go with a empi steering wheels  it was the "DELUXE" one ,the one with with black leather , but what a surprise the day i receive it , it was a "RALLY/CUSTOM" and i wasn't very happy ,  but after a short time i I started to appreciate it, and seen that I always liked the "DELUXE" I managed to have a empi steering cover a black one , like that i can change the color of my steering wheels  , and that doesn't shock because the black reminds the color of the seats and the dashboard  and when the cover is out , it reminds the wood of the instruments panel
 ;)

very nice steering wheel

I'm liking that interior!  :)

It will get better. That's next on the agenda after the engine is finished ;)

Yep yep that's sweet  8)

What are the plans? Good clean-up, new carpets, stuff like that or more?

I did the seats with a TMI kit when I first got the car. I wanted it original so that was the best option. I was also broke so I didn't get new pads for the seats, just re-padded it with what I had :-\ So new coco pads from WW will go on the cushions, and the backrests will get the new TMI "Sport Foam" with lateral support :) I will make new seat covers with yellow/black plaid and black vinyl, and do the door cards to match, with pockets this time, and NO speakers in the doors! The rear seat backrest will be from my old Fastback, complete with center arm rest :)
Carpet was simple purlon, but I will upgrade to German Square weave. I will also do the same 4 speaker setup that's in AssHull's car. Original Sapphire will receive a jack to play my ipod through :)

Zach, 8mm on the sump studs ?!? Couldn't you go M7 ? There's not much meat for M8. BRAVE MAN !

(I understand that the 1.25 thread makes it all much stronger).

Harry

I would have gone M7 but 2 of the 6 were already drilled and tapped to M8. So in the interest of keeping everything the same, M8 it was.

Damn, i was thinking M7 Timesert, Helicoil or some inch size that would keep enough meat on the case. Anyway, done is done.
BTW. Nice project. And Steve is my man. 8)

Looks good Zach!

Looks Good Zach!

This past Friday I drove down to Steve Hollingsworth's VW Performance and picked up my heads. Steve/Greg Tims did the port work, valve job and assembly, but I'm overly anal so I had Steve dial them in for me ::) He also set up my original EMPI 1.4:1 rockers, so now all I have to do is set the pushrod length and I'm good to go 8) With a LOT of arm twisting, I convinced him to make my EMPI oil pump/filter as good as it possibly can be. Hopefully I can pick that up soon so I can start bolting the case halves together!

Here's my heads. 48cc in the chambers with .040" deck will get me 8.7:1... too high for Shell 91?? ???

nice to have some help.
looks good

NICE ROCKERS!!!!

Case is ready to build!

A friend turned me on to this thread:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=451234&highlight=soda+blast+case

So I purchased the soda blaster, 18lbs of Arm & Hammer, and went to work on the case. It turned out very well, the case actually looked even better than this before I got it wet for the final wash. No more grungy magnesium... for now ::)

Hopefully I'll have a shortblock by the end of the week :)

very nice! just soak it with WD40 now and it should be fine for a long time!
now, get building ;)

I thought about WD-40, but I'm worried about it being on the sealing surfaces (case halves, pushrod tubes, etc) as I want to try and limit leaks as much as possible! Guess I could just clean it off before assembly...

So... when I installed the NOS GT Rallye wheel, I never really got used to the red-ish tint that it has. I learned that there was a real wood wheel, the GT Custom, and I happened to find one on the samba :) It was for an early column, so I had to have it machined to fit my '72, but luckily my Rallye wheel was the perfect guide :) I like this wheel MUCH better, it is a perfect match to the rest of the wood in the interior :)

Sweeeeet  :P  8) Makes me want to have my Flat4 GT wheel blasted to have a more "satin" finish like this, instead of bright polished finish.

Break out the steel wool, Nico ;)

So I'm working on the bottom end of my engine. How do I choose which cam gear (+/-) is correct? I have an original (date stamped 10/71, but has no +/- stamping unlike my earlier NOS EMPI gears which do) EMPI gear in there right now, and it turns over fine, the cam isn't being pushed out of the bearings, but to be honest I really don't know exactly what I'm to look for. It's been over ten years since I've built an engine without straight cuts in it ::)

Are all stock style gears sold today a standard size? Did they do away with the +/-?

Small update:
For a cam gear, I settled on a -2. Luckily, I had an NOS EMPI gear in my stash :) Yesterday I got off work a little early so I decided to make myself a shortblock 8) I got the case halves bolted together, installed my EMPI filter/pump, and realized I forgot to check the cam bolt to oil pump clearance. DOH! ::)

That will not happen to you again Zach! DOH ! (i mean getting off work early..).

I just did damn near the same thing.  I wrapped up my shortblock and remembered that I did not check my cam thrust bearing side play.  So  a quick tear down, sand the the thrust bearings down and I'm back in business.  What a bonehead move!!!

At least we remembered, right?

Ok, moving on. Having a hard time staying motivated on this project, not getting as much done as I'd wish. Anyway, finally got my deck height measured, I tried every p/c set in every hole to try and get the decks as close as possible. They are all between .046 and .049, so that should put me at about 8.5-8.6:1 with my 48cc chambers :) I was expecting more deck, and to have to have the cylinders machined down but it doesn't look like that is the case. Hopefully I will have a long block soon!

I've been working on this little beast a bit every day, quite diligently. Since I'm re-using nearly all of the original parts, I expected tin fitment to be very straight forward, send it off to powdercoat, and be done with it. But it has not! First of all, the head tins required a LOT of clearancing to get the EMPI manifolds in there. The EMPI manifolds are cast in with the 3rd center stud, so I had to push the opening further and further back, until the tin hit the center head studs, and this still wasn't enough. Mind you now, the engine is also a scosh narrower than it was before because the steps in the chambers are now gone. So I took a grinder to the studs, re fit tins, and then the spark plug deflector tin was jamming in to the head ::) Pulled them back off, took about 1/8" off of the tin, and finally it fit. But I had to move the openings back so far that it cracked my previously uncracked head tins! So I welded them up, and finally they fit and work like they should.

I'm upgrading to a type 4 oil cooler with a Berg conversion kit, I haven't messed with the shroud yet but I did extend the Hoover bit 5/8" to match the wider cooler.

The lower head tins, the "sleds" by 1&3, were all cracked and broken where the tabs mount to the case, so I welded them up. #4 screwed right on like I wanted it to, but I changed #3 to the pre '67 style since I will of course no longer be needing a pre-heat to a stock carburetor. I welded up the small oval pre heat hole in it, and the corresponding large hole in the breast plate tin.

I tried to fit my oil filler this morning, but I found out that it now fouls the lower cylinder tin by #3 that I changed ::) I have never liked the oil filler with the draft tube anyway (designed to leak = designed to fail), so I've found a fuel injection Beetle pulley tin that doesn't have the provision for the tube, and I'll fit a non draft tube filler that I have in stock.... But this means I will have to find a proper way to vent it to the outside so excess pressure doesn't build up. Going to fit the pulley tin up tonight, but I'm fully expecting to to modify it to work, as well.

Enough rambling, this is what I've got thus far :)

Almost there.  looking good

Thanks :) Once I sort this pulley tin/draft tube issue, all I'll have left is the type 4 cooler mod and the venturi ring on the back of the shroud... fingers crossed.

Progress is a slow process.  Take your time, it will be worth it

Try explaining that to my missus!  ;D

Ok, so I'm finally ready for powdercoat :)

Got the Berg T4 tin conversion on and to my liking. Welds ground down for a factory appearance ;) I ended up redesigning the area at the bottom where the air enters the cooler, made it much simpler and a little like a late model fuel injection shroud- I eliminated that U shaped piece and just made a straight shot to the cooler. This mod really is a lot of work if you want to do it correctly! I also had to modify my original exhaust ducting to fit (I didn't have the Berg piece). Venturi ring blasted and on. While I was there I decided to clean up the face a little, I removed the wire tabs and filled the breather tube at the top right, etc.
I also put a breather fitting on my 1-2 valve cover. I couldn't figure how I wanted to approach this until I had a flash of genius the other day :) I removed the factory breather tube on one of the late model fuel injection shrouds that I had already cut up, trimmed it to fit, drilled a hole in the cover and welded it on. Factory modified parts! And it was free! Little things like that make me very happy!
Anyway, got everything fitted up for the last time, (with EMPI header 8)) and snapped a pic before I tore it all back apart. The front tin is slightly askew, the engine stand doesn't let it sit all the way down...
While the tins are off at powdercoat I will figure out my pushrod length, install my distributor, fuel pump, and finish the carb rebuild...

Im still looking for an oil cap that fits the stock VW filler but allows the engine to breathe. I see ones for V8 cars everywhere... any ideas ???

Zach what is the purpose of the TIV tinware conversion?

Bigger oil cooler ;)

(http://images.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/710611.jpg)

(https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/292093_10150280787678718_516918717_7577637_7805959_n.jpg)

 8) Steady progress..... good job, keep after it!!

I have to keep after it... gotta move in 2 weeks :o

Looks great! The coil relocation brackets look like the ones on Dave Rhodes' car. Did you make them?

They came with the NOS EMPI linkage that's gong on the motor.

Awesome.

 ;)

I wish I had some air cleaners! But I'll just run wide open until I happen across a set for a reasonable price...

I still haven't figured out what I'm going to do about a breather :/

I love the blue fanshroud on the Empi engine.

is it the same blue that the one on the bosch 019 in the screamer kit ???

Don't know but indeed it would be even better with a Screamer 019!

very cool engine! it looks like metallic blue, pretty nice!
just not too sure if white is the proper colour for the header and heaterboxes ;)

and the air filters love them

I don't think the blue on the shroud is the same as an 019. The 019 uses a hammertone type blue, similar to the old Berg blue.

My heater boxes are going back to grey, just like factory. I'm not sure why that header is painted white, they came "flash chromed" from EMPI.

because its cool

I have a very early version of that exhaust / header that came painted the Empi light blue.
P.S. Why stock valve covers ?

I found and restored a pair of original non GT covers, but I'm lacking the correct hardware...

dos the t4 cooler work?  is it o good thing to do ??

Yes. I live in Arizona, so it's almost mandatory here ;) I also increase the fan speed at the same time with a 356/912 gen pulley.

bigger pulley at the generator side. that my  not be the best solution  for me at 7000 Rpm

Smaller gen pulley turns the fan faster... but yeah, not a good idea at 7 grand ;)

stupid me   ::)

Is that the elusive "8" Empi filterpump you were after ?

No... I've still never even seen one. I ended up using a new SLR stock grind cam (3 bolt) with an NOS EMPI gear to fit the "7" pump I already had.

Zach, have you tried the Bergs for the breather cap.  They used to sell one for their breather box when you didn't vent to the valve covers.  The stock oil filler cap fits their breather box.  I don't know if they still sell them but they used to.

Yeah Donny, I did. They make their boxes to take either a stock VW cap, or a domestic style breather cap. I'm going to try and morph the two...

Did the cap... it came out ok, no close ups ;) I've decided it will be temporary until I find the proper EMPI air cleaner assemblies, and I can vent the motor to them. Hopefully this does the trick until then. Header will be refinished next summer when it's too hot to drive. Making progress, fingers crossed this is the week...

cool!

The engine is just about ready. Waiting on parts to get the linkage set up, and a couple other little things. And ohh yeah, the MUFFLER ::)

The car finally received its EMPI front sway bar that I've had kicking around for a couple years and I took off that POS 3/4" bar. VERY happy about that as I HATED the 3/4" bar! Now I have front and rear EMPI 5/8" bars. Drilled and tapped the dropped spindles and installed Ghia disc brake backing plates. All new SS braided soft lines for the brakes, the car was still wearing its original ATE's from '71! :o New engine seals. New 165 XZX's for the back. And a TON of other little things. It should drive like a completely different car, and I can't fucking wait!!

Awesome!
Let us know your driving impressions with the Solex.
Xavier

SHOTGUN!  ;D

Looking good Zach!

I really dig your car Zach!! Great job on the work you've been doing too!

have fun

It lives! After chasing a few problems (operator errors ::)) yesterday evening, she finally came back to life. I must say, the throttle response is greatly improved over the original engine, you'd never guess I stuck with a stock cam :) I think the aluminium pressure plate has something to do with that. And the 8.6:1! Accelerates from 3-5k rpm in a hurry, feels like it's about done by 5,500 which was what I was expecting/hoping. Going to fix an oil leak (generator stand to case, out of all places to leak I didn't expect that), check the valves, then give it another run in today on the stand, dial in the carbs and check the timing at full advance. Probably do an oil change as well. I was nervous as fuck about all these old parts coming together, but so far they're doing their job! Gonna be a hoot to drive! ;D

Great Zach  8)

#3 idle mixture screw is not responding. I've narrowed it down to the carb, guess it's coming back apart ::)

Pulled apart, cleaned, etc. Now the problem has migrated to #4???

What aluminum flywheel are you using ?
 ???

I'm using the original flywheel, 8 doweled and lightened to 12.5lbs by DPR. Bolted to it is a stage 1 Kennedy pressure plate in aluminium.

This is sickening for me to talk about, but here goes...

Leaving the Classic yesterday, I got into an accident with the car. I was looking around for street signs indicating which way to get on to the freeway, and didn't notice the traffic light in front of me had switched to red. Got hit pretty hard on the passenger side by a Camry. My fault. Everyone is fine physically, but the car isn't. The front fender, front quarter panel, door, rear quarter, and rear fender are toast. Front wheel looks ok, but the trailing arms and the beam, possibly the pan head, is bent. Roof is ok.

Fixing the car is very possible, but it's far beyond my means right now (and will be for quite some time). Not to mention that it will never be the same to me after the work is done. It was an original car and I ruined that. So I am offering it up for sale here (and no where else), to a friend on The Lounge who has the means to put it back on the street and enjoy it. I would hate to see it parted out. This past weekend the car was by far in the best condition it has ever been in. The all EMPI 88x69 Solex 40P11 engine I built for it maybe 1500 miles ago was running seamlessly, making great power and still returning 27 mpg while beating on it all the way from Arizona to California. The suspension, with the NOS Koni shocks, original EMPI front and rear sway bars, CSP beam stiffeners etc, honestly makes the car handle like magic, and it rides like a stock VW. I had the original paint buffed and polished last week, the car was professionally detailed and looking better than it ever had. The car will come with all of the original parts that I removed from it that were replaced by either modified VW parts or original EMPI items. It will also come with NOS parts I haven't fitted yet, most notably EMPI 88mm biral cylinders and slipper skirt pistons and EMPI front and rear fiberglass air dams.

Before, and now after the accident, I had no honest idea of the cars value. There's nothing else around to compare it to. That being said, I'm taking offers on it. To me it's more important that the car goes to a good home, and isn't merely gutted for it's parts.

If you are seriously interested in the car, please PM me and I will return my phone number so we can talk about it. Car is located in Orange, CA.

Shit  :(

I always admired that car. Such a shame but it'll be back on the road no doubt.

Oh No....... :(  I'm glad that you and that no one got hurt in the accident.  You worked so hard and put so much effort in to that car.  Hope you find someone that will bring the car back and have it live once again.  Sorry that it happened!

Zach, please check your mail.

Oh Zach,  What a damn shame man. Glad you are ok mostly. Don't beat yourself up over this dude an absolute crying shame but stay positive.

Sorry to hear about your car zack, I know how bumped you must be! You had your heart and soul into it. Send me some picture before you get rid of it. Maybe a second look and it will be fixable.

Crap crap CRAP!!

I got a lump in my throat reading this... I'm so sorry for you Zach. It's one of my absolute favorite cars. I wish I had room to take it.

Please let me know if there's anything I can do to help.

Sorry to hear of this , I hope you find something to move onto and that it can go to someone that is able to restore it to its former glory

Thank you, everyone. Thank you so much Dave for the offer, I will let you know if it wears out it's welcome at it's current resting spot.

Fixing the car is possible, for someone else. Luckily, late model sheet metal is plentiful and relatively inexpensive. Even if it was within my means, I reckon the car will need a complete exterior paint job and new decals, which ruins much of the appeal for me. And honestly, moving on to a project that doesn't own me, that I'm not emotionally attached to, has been sounding pretty good for a while now.

Also, I can email or text pictures to interested parties. Sorry, but I'd rather not post the carnage here. Just how I feel :/

Unfortunate indeed Zach,  I'm really sorry to hear this and hope you decide to start anew.  Sorry again,  Taylor

A Sad Ending to a very cool weekend. :(

Seeing the carnage happen in front of me was very surreal.

The GTV has been in our VW family for years now, and it's hard to believe this happened.

Zach, you have givin new meaning to being a purist,  you built & corrected the car top notch. I will hate to see it go, and you know I'll help you out either direction you go.

Your twice removed bro,
Sling  ;)

To enjoy are some shots from our weekend.

I am so sorry to hear this Zach.  I know how much the car meant to you.  This obsession can overcome us if we aren't careful.  Just don't make any rash decisions.  I am sure you will find it a good home.

 :)

I forgot about those shots you took in front of Gary's. Too cool :) I've never had so much fun with the car, with all of our cars, as I did last weekend.

Man, I get choked up talking about it. This one is going to hurt for a while.

Keep in mind that I built this car to keep forever, to be the best a GTV could possibly be. It makes great power, runs VERY cool (oil temp wouldn't go past 180 while flogging it 85mph up a hill in the desert!), gets good mileage (which will improve with tuning which I hadn't gotten round to yet), handles VERY well, takes bumps like a stock VW, stops like a dog on the end of it's rope, the heater will burn you out of the car, the interior is presentable, everything from the horn to the dome light to the original Sapphire AM/FM radio and even the windshield squirter works. The gearbox is original and performs perfectly. It's an amazing all-around car, with history to boot. I'm going to miss it, but I think it should move on to someone with the passion and resources to make it whole again.

Dude.. don't make any snap decisions. That car is one of the coolest around. Don't do something you'll regret later.  ;)

To add to the above, cruising together on the highway in a pack was absolutely one of the highlights of the trip. The cars all did great and doing what they were meant to do, not just look pretty. Watching what happened that day felt like a dream sequence and I knew it was not real, unfortunately that was not the case.


Whatever you decide to do I will be happy to help. We all know building a car is a big portion of the fun, when one chapter ends a new one begins.

Jeremy

Damn dude. That sucks for sure. I`ve had the same thing happen to me so I know. At least you are ok. 

Hang in their Zack life is full of challenges.

Zach, I just wanted to add how sad I am to see what happened. I have been there, and it SUCKS! Hang tough kid. There is light, it is just that the tunnel is so damn dark now you may not be able to see it.

Patrick

Some additional pictures from the weekend. Getting to see and cruise all four of these cars together was one of my favorite moments of the weekend.

Wow, just found the news on this... man, that is a serious bummer, Zach.  The car saw lots of changes/improvements since I last saw it, which was the 2008 Bug-In (33, I think it was).  That's the hard part of being part of these cars, the personal attachment/investment is perhaps stronger than even the dollars that go into them.  I feel for you, bro.

That drive from Riverside to Fullerton with my 3 best buds was the most fun I've ever had. Glad you got pics of that! Shit eating grin for 40+ miles ;D

Thanks for the kind words everyone. It's a tough time, and a tough decision. Bottom line is that the car would have to be repaired to a very high standard, and that's just not financially feasible for me.

The parts are probably worth more than the car, but I will NOT part it out.

damn man, thats some bad news! but i know what your going through, i fixed my car and your right its not the same, and i sold it very shortly after that, i really hope someone steps up to help zach out! sorry man that sucks!

oh no its a very bad news dude
repair it please
its an empi historic car you couldn't leave it like that

Zach, put it away in a garage for a few months – take up Dave's offer if necessary – but don't rush into selling it. Sit on things for a while, go and get drunk, go and get laid, go and forget eveything for a period and then (and only then) take a fresh look at the car. You've already said it can be repaired and you're the best person to oversee the job. Even if it takes a few years, you owe it to yourself and to the car to see it through.
Uncle Keith has spoken. ;)

+1

Listen to your Uncle  ;)

When you put so much effort and time in a car because it is the only one you ever wanted, let it go will hurt even more than the crash itself.
Imagine how you will feel giving the key to somebody and see it go on a flatbed...
And how you will feel seeing it few times later up and running, or worst, slammed on crappy repro wheels...

Don't take quick decisions.

 ;)

I'm very sorry for you Zach! That really sucks, thats one of my favorite cars on here! I know that I would have given it a try to get it straightened out, but after seeing the pictures I understand how you think. That was a nasty hit!! Did the florpans survive okay? I still would advise you to hang on to it, and fix it down the road. The good thing is that no ones hurt!!

X2

Even that it may lost some of it's former appeal with new paintwork etc it's still the same car. I don't there is an overflow of restored GTVs neither. Keep the car and get it fixed when the timing is better.

+ 1
It is the best thing to do even if it's not easy to wait again to drive it
So do it (and don't drink too much lol)
Keep going
IP
PS : Dave is a real nice and professionnal guy. So think about his offer

Here Here Uncle Keith!

I had to sit on my '67 for several months before I could make a decision on it.

And we all know how long it has taken me to get moving on it.  ;D

Some cars are just cars, others are really special. The GTV is more than a car. It's always been one of my favorites. ;)

If you choose to fix it, I'm sure you will get a ton of help from sources you haven't even thought of.

PS... Read my signature and repeat!  ;D

Give it some time, but don't sell it just like uncle Keith said!

Everything is possible if you want it really hard!  :)

'bon courage'!

gr
Wout

Sage words, Rick... couldn't agree more.  Even if I didn't have a VW to work on, it's the people that make it so very worthwhile.  There's people I literally see once a year at Sacramento, and it's always a pleasure.  If I could ever make it back down for Bug-In in SoCal again, there would be an even bigger crowd for me to catch up with...lol. ;D

Zach, remember my daughters Ghia? It won't be the same, it will be better. That car is her baby and she couldn't, and still can't stop smiling since I finished it. That can be fixed, won't be easy, but think of all those rusty POS buses that people are putting back together. There are a lot of good sheet metal guys that can do that fairly easily. Once the guys got on that Ghia it only took a couple days to have it all pulled out, only replaced the apron and rear engine peice, and believe it or not, the decklid fits better now than when I did it the first time. I know how you feel right now,and nothing feels better than triumphing over adversity like this.

(http://static.skynetblogs.be/media/89673/348860501.2.JPG)
(http://static.skynetblogs.be/media/89673/699079141.3.JPG)
(http://static.skynetblogs.be/media/89673/2526783364.JPG)

Like I have emailed ya, Sorry about your car. Go have a shot or two of some jack, Hell kill a 1.75 or two and kickback! then climb under the bitch with a tape measure and start cross measuring and checking lengths and see if it bannana shaped the car. Then if its worth fixing start collecting parts and fix it! If nothing else ya might gain some new talents fixing it! Like I have said my whole life, Dont wreck anything ya cant fix!! anyway if ya have any questions Call !! This was not meant to be a smart ass reply in any way.

Takes Roland's 68 Cal look as example, the car was cut from everywhere!
It's now one of the finest late looker on the scene.

(http://cal-look.no/lounge/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=1300.0;attach=11968;image)
(http://cal-look.no/lounge/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=1300.0;attach=11969;image)
(http://cal-look.no/lounge/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=1300.0;attach=12046;image)

Metal can always be put back into shape.

I agree with Keith.

All that time and hard work.  If you can keep it someplace, store it for a day when your mind is clear.  It can be fixed another day, don't let your emotions force a decision you could regret.

Just my $0.2. 

I'm glad nobody was hurt.

Zach, glad you're ok, even though the car looks bad.

I had a similar smash in my '60, when I was at university about 14 years ago. It didn't take the A-post, but the rest of the body damage was similar. I didn't fix it (lost it to the insurance company) but a friend who worked in a body-shop prior to uni said that it was fixable, given time. You live in the driest part of the US so I'm sure a decent donor shell could be found - square up what you've got and then chop away the mangled bits. See this as another chapter in the cars history. Even if you sell the car and it gets repaired, it'll always be known as "Zach's GTV", so you may as well keep it! ;)

Ok fellas, here's where I'm at. It's been a tough week. I'm surprised my boss didn't fire my ass, my head has been spinning for days now.
Like I said before, there's no possible way I could afford a full restoration, money or time wise. I've got a lot of other important things in life coming up (no, not kids!) that are going to need my complete, undivided attention. I also have zero desire for a restored car. I love that the car was a bit scruffy around the edges. It had character. It had charm. And hanging on to it for years, when I could use the equity for something else my girlfriend would find more appropriate, has little appeal to me.
I've also had a love/hate relationship with this car the last few years. The reasons I love it I've stated and are obvious. Like I've said before, I don't own that car, it owns me. It goes further than that even. I'm that cars bitch! I can't do what I want to do with the car, I have to do what is correct for it. It leaves me little to no creative input, and as you can tell by AssHull's car, I've got a lot of ideas swimming around in my head. I do want a car I with too much power, too much noise, and no heat. Something impractical!  Something I can do burnouts in and not waste skinny 165's that are $200 each! It's insane to spend that money on tires, but that's what that car deserves. I want something that I can get creative with. I really feel like there is more of "me" in AssHull's car than there is my own.
But then I had an idea... What if I found a Texas Yellow donor car, pushed back the inner structure of my car, swapped the hood, fenders, door, and even the quarter panels over, touched up the paint where needed/welded, find decals and call it good? Of course I know there's a lot more to it than that, and it's still going to be expensive. But at least it's not full restoration expensive. And it retains much of its appeal to me. I know the guy for the job, he is fucking expensive but he does damn good work, and he's in my area. He's also a VW guy,  knows my car and the history that surrounds it.
So that's where I'm at. I'm going to drive back and get the car sometime soon. You all can help me out by finding that original paint 1972 Texas Yellow donor car!

!
Excellent plan. That's what I'd be doing if I owned it   :)

Thank you everyone for the PM's, text messages, emails and phone calls offering support and advise during this difficult time. Even if it wasn't what I wanted to hear at the time :) I'm lucky to have you all in my life, even if you're half a world away.

And Jeremy and Slinger for keeping me from slitting my wrists ;D

Don't know why I didn't think of it sooner! ::)

When the haze clears you can see better I suppose. I can't wait to see it progress.

Does it have to be from Texas? There are quite a few here in California and I run across a lot of vehicles in my work.

 :D A Texas Yellow fender fender from California will do just fine ;)

Hey Zach!

So sorry to here about your accident, but "the plan" is excellent. Thats what i would have done in the same situation.
I know all about "the car ownes me"  ;D, and you can´t do anything to it without thinking "is this right?"

Regards Patrik

Exactly. Every time there was a grey area I would just ask myself, WWED (What Would Empi Do).  ::)

Hehe!

I have a sunroof 66´ bone stock that i got for free last year beacuse the owner (that bought it new), just wanted it to stay untouched and gave me the commission to keep it like that. Can´t touche that car without thinking twice, what would the original owner do??? ::)
Even the dented fenders stay put to keep the cars history, for now.

Sorry for the stupid question, not being a late model guy I didn't realize that Texas yellow was a color. My bad! 8)

Sounds like an awesome plan!

Let me know if there's anything I can do... all ready searching for a Texas Yellow donor!

 ;D

   Zach

   Do you need anything from me on the motor free of charges let me know if you need my help.

 Frenchy

Very nice feature on this car in the October Volksworld... just saw it today at the local bookstore.

I need to get my hands on that issue.

Hey Zach, are ya still lookin' for a parts car?
https://sacramento.craigslist.org/cto/5866149885.html