fixing the little things

[Jim Ratto]

I've never driven a new Volkswagen, but I have driven some that were probably very close in quality and character. My Dad's old 1959 Type 1 was a good example. It was very quiet, doors shut solidly, no wind leaks, everything worked, rode nice. Yeah it only had the 36hp but that car was a real pleasure to drive. What it lacked in power it more than made up for in character. Driving a Volkswagen that operates like it is "new" can be really fun, no matter the motor.
For a few years now, I have been working off of a mental list of "little details" that need attention on my own car. I'm the third owner, and when I picked up car in '86 it wasn't 100% together. It had been in a T-bone accident on the LH side, so the running board wasn't back on yet. The 1967 door wasn't mechanically complete and was roped shut. And over the years, especially when I was younger, I ignored things like the horn not working (gave it to ex girlfriend), dome light disconnected (guy that painted car in '89 tore the harness from roof), rattles, squeaks, etc.
To me fixing the things that exist on my mental list mean the car drives better as a whole. Sure, it may not go faster, or stop better, or even look better, but having all the stuff working reliably really means a lot. Last fall I finally got the patience and energy to reroute the dome light harness back up into roof, and got the light operating. Spent a Saturday afternoon doing it, and took apart and cleaned door switches, but now, it is cool....open door (esp. @ night) and voila....there is light. I had the horn working with my Empi GT wheel but the wire in steering column somehow got chewed up. Reverse lights....unplugged all that stuff when I had close ratio box and T bars in my car, now they need to be re-wired and made to work. Left door needs new weatherstrip. Emergency flasher works, but lights aren't flashing when knob is pulled. Speedo needs to be rebuilt. Headliner needs replacement (not such a small detail). Windshield washer hose leaks. Turn signal switch doesn't self cancel.....    all stuff that Saturdays are made for and that once finished I will enjoy the car that much more. Seriously, getting these "bugs" worked out do a lot more for me than changing carbs, cams, headers....  fine, you can stomp the throttle every once in awhile and scare the crap out of yourself, but you use all these little things everyday.
How about you? Got a list of little stuff?

[javabug]

No list for me yet, but I would love to hear about some of the really nice-driving cars out there.  I find these sorts of threads energizing in doing stuff to my own car.

[louisb]

I am doing little things, well if you consider a complete suspension overhaul, new carpet and warming up the 1500 little, while I get everything ready for the ground up resto. Honestly, its those little things that tend to drive me nuts. Like the horn occasionally going off when the steering wheel is turned a certain way and you hit a bump. Or the carbs not being tuned just right. The hood latch that occasionally sticks. The bent up trim and hood handle. The incorrect hood trim on my car. It is the main reason I want to do a full resto on my car. I want it to all work right, sound right, look right and feel right for once. The doors not sagging, the interior lights working, the gas gauge reading correctly for a change, etc. Over the next year I plan to do an engine and tranny replacement. Get the electrical and mechanical stuff straight. Drive it so its all working the way I want. Then blow it apart for body work, paint & upholstery. Then I plan to drive the wheels off it.

--louis

[Jim Ratto]

I am doing little things, well if you consider a complete suspension overhaul, new carpet and warming up the 1500 little, while I get everything ready for the ground up resto. Honestly, its those little things that tend to drive me nuts. Like the horn occasionally going off when the steering wheel is turned a certain way and you hit a bump. Or the carbs not being tuned just right. The hood latch that occasionally sticks. The bent up trim and hood handle. The incorrect hood trim on my car. It is the main reason I want to do a full resto on my car. I want it to all work right, sound right, look right and feel right for once. The doors not sagging, the interior lights working, the gas gauge reading correctly for a change, etc. Over the next year I plan to do an engine and tranny replacement. Get the electrical and mechanical stuff straight. Drive it so its all working the way I want. Then blow it apart for body work, paint & upholstery. Then I plan to drive the wheels off it.

--louis

sounds cool. Quite a list!

[Diederick/DVK]

it's quite an inspiring post indeed!

i do have a list of my own, but it also includes things that still need to be done in general...

my dome light, fuel gauge, hood latch also don't operate properly yet.
then i need a new headliner, carpet (on the longer term) and i need to put my trim on, still not sure whether to put the chrome ones on or have them match painted.
easier stuff should be the wiring of my tachometer, oil temp and pressure gauges (still need bracket for those), and install a connector strip for the engine bay to undo all the wire in a second. and i want to install an engine bay seal and a firewall before the new engine goes in.

then there is my new engine, of course that doesn't count and i wanna redo my dash and get some bucket-ish seats.
come to think of it, there's the running boards as well. and i'm gonna run new wheels (i don't wanna wait too long for that)

yeah, i should get started on some of those tasks... 

[Sarge]

Hmmmm, I think I must need a new project car to work on...I haven't had to actually fix anything for several months now     Oops, take that back.  Forgot about fixing the mysterious water leak a few weeks ago.  Can't remember if I posted this or not (CRS Disease)...when driving my car lately, especially on very hot days, on hard acceleration, I had water dripping on my right foot.  At Nick's a few months back, Greg Brinton informed me that I had no brake lights and that he'd almost ran into the back of me!  I pulled the fuse cover to have a look and it was full of water.  Turns out the hose from the windshield washer was laying loose from the switch...Becker's Bug House filled the nozzle hole in 1989, the tank's still behind the spare wheel and after all those years, it still had water in it. 

[lawrence]

Yeah I have to do a couple things: Order new vent wing seals and install a nice set of original vent wings. Strip my rear seat, bead blast it and reupholster it. Install t-bars and traction bar. Rebuild wiper assembly and install. That is enough for now 

[louisb]

Hmmmm, I think I must need a new project car to work on...I haven't had to actually fix anything for several months now    Oops, take that back.  Forgot about fixing the mysterious water leak a few weeks ago.  Can't remember if I posted this or not (CRS Disease)...when driving my car lately, especially on very hot days, on hard acceleration, I had water dripping on my right foot.  At Nick's a few months back, Greg Brinton informed me that I had no brake lights and that he'd almost ran into the back of me!  I pulled the fuse cover to have a look and it was full of water.  Turns out the hose from the windshield washer was laying loose from the switch...Becker's Bug House filled the nozzle hole in 1989, the tank's still behind the spare wheel and after all those years, it still had water in it. 

I thought you were thinking about a new interior?

--louis

[Zach Gomulka]

I could write a book on this one!

My GTV is pretty damn complete and 99% of it works, but Im getting pretty anal about having everything working they way it did way back in '72. It seems like every day I find one or two or ten things that need attention. In no particular order...

Find 2 more 14mm chrome wheel bolts (flat top)
Tighten parking brake
Get the correct late model EMPI steering wheel adapter so my horn works again
CV boots. Just got some today
Gas smell
Get the correct header on there (4 bolt EMPI) so my breastplate tin fits like it should, and I can put back the little piece of tin that covers up the pulley bolt
Correct hose clamp to attach EMPI air cleaner to Zenith carb
Fix the starting problem that just arose this morning, and seems to have cured itself by 4pm
Disc brake parking brake cable rubs on CV boot

I could go on for days with the stuff that really isnt a priority...
Rebuild front suspension
Pull motor/trans and clean clean clean. New trans mounts.
Front and rear sway bars, preferably EMPI
EMPI/ Kamei center console
NOS door panels (hacked in speaker holes)
Deluxe German running boards
Front EMPI bumper gaurds
Have new coco floor mats made up
Grey square weave carpet (I want it a little more plush)
Re-do foam in seats
Have small dent in rear fender pulled out without disturbing the paint (and many other small ones)
Original paint hood, with new decals
I lost one of the pins that hold the washer bottle to the spare, and the hose too.
Another chrome 4.5" Sprint, Michelin 165 XZX, and late washer bottle to use as spare. Put OG stuff on the shelf.
New rear 165 XZX's.
Install Cig lighter so I can use the LM-1 to dial in the carb, and power an iPod using the original radio
Build 88x69 EMPI motor, and back it with a 5 speed!!!

Im sure there are many more, but Im starting to get sick of thinking about it.

[axam48ida]

yeh!
  when you have a daily driver as a comuter there's always something and when I fix that there's something else....change over to alt. then wiper motor....then this and that....The 63 is pretty good....the 67 needs new wiper shafts.....front hood catch.....and there's the 56 still waiting for the 5spd to be installed.
I just roll from one to the other......least it's not the same car all the time.....then there's the spare comuter motor, and .........
 If there wasn't these things to do......I might do something with the wife...oops!

[sheep]

Im not even going to touch this topic. There is not enough memory in my computer to list everything.,

[stealth67vw]

Im not even going to touch this topic. There is not enough memory in my computer to list everything.,

Did you put on your horn ring yet? 

[stealth67vw]

My list:

1) Figure out Empi wheel horn button -all parts there but horn stays on all the time.
2) Replace the dreaded 67 black box. Only right blinker works....when it wants to.
3) Rebuild wiper shafts
4) Replace rear brake lines with braided lines. I have them, just too lazy to put them in.
5) Install the Holley Red pump and regulator.
6) Completely replace interior which will include new red seat covers, seat belts, door panels, new headliner and carpet
7) Finish 2165. Just need little stuff like relief springs, dual port tin and 48 IDAs. 
8 ) 4 wheel alignment.
9) Dome light
10) Replace 40 year old stock transaxle after installing 2165 and blowing it up. 

[sheep]

I guess I should probably put getting brakes at the top of the list.
But maybe not they are just a drag and they just slow you down

[sheep]

Im not even going to touch this topic. There is not enough memory in my computer to list everything.,

Did you put on your horn ring yet? 

No way man that is too complicated Im hiring a mechanic for that one 

[stealth67vw]

I guess I should probably put getting brakes at the top of the list.
But maybe not they are just a drag and they just slow you down

I thought you were gonna run spindle mounts, like the hood riders? 

[Bewitched666]

My list:
Center lines
Finish my new engine
respray the car
lower the front some more
New dashlook
 

[Neil Davies]

I really should fix my brake lights - I won't drive the car without them but I've got to try to get some time in daylight to do it! Then I want to get one for the front tyres re-seated - it has an annoying habit of losing air when parked up for more than three days. I think it's protesting because I haven't done the brake lights yet...

Also the LHS headlight stops working intermittently. I fix it, and it works. Couple of days later it won't, but then it does when I come to fix it again. Same goes with the motor - usually no problems, but occasionally it just won't rev much over 2700rpm. I prefer it when something is either working or completely broken!

[62 Ragtop]

I'm working on my '62 ragtop, or at least I should be... 3 small kids ages 5, 3 and 1½ year and long hours at work is draggin' the project and at times i just feel like towing the car to the nearest pond, but someday I hope to get there, currently "someday" is next spring... gotta stay positive!  ...thank god for the long, cold, hard Nordic winter!!

list of "little" things:

completed
Rust repair
Repainted original colour L390 Gulf blue (picked-up from Painter, stored in garage)

to-do

Do interior (seats, carpets, headliner, sunroof canvas and bits 'n pieces)
mount rubber, chrome mouldings, fender beading, running boards etc (started!)
Change steering-wheel
Change indicator stick/arm/lever
Hang the doors
Hang the fenders
attach newly chromed front light housings (on garage floor)
attach rear lights, indicator lights
mount bumpers (for MOT, vehicle inspection)
service the old 1600cc engine
Get it runnin' and get it inspected! 

to-do-2

Install 2165cc engine (on garage floor, in one piece... )
Install complete MSD 6AL ignition (to be shipped any day from US)
Get that sucker runnin' and smoke some tires!!!! 

How's that for little things!!

This might very well be my demise... *lol*

Br,

[Luftkraft]

I got a list like that, too, and it keeps getting longer and longer... and I've just rebuilt my car this summer. 

to do
find a left side armrest (not an easy task with a type 34 ghia)
install the left and right side armrests (I got two for the right side, great start)
fix the left side window crank
clean the (new) carpet
replace the speedometer cable
fix the horn
replace one turn signal lens
bring the car to the body shop to get a large dent fixed (a lady parked her SUV into the left side of my car's butt)
rebuild the gearbox (4th gear causes trouble)
replace the driver's seat
replace the rear bench
some maintenance...

ouch, that's even more than I thought that I'd have to do... ok see you, I'm at the workshop 

[louisb]

Anyone else bad about starting off planning to fix one little thing, and the next thing you know, half the car is tore apart? I think the most dangerous words a car guy can say are, "as long as" and "so why don't".

I think I will replace the beat up headlight ring on the passenger side. Well as long as I am doing that, maybe I should align the headlights. And you know, that headlight ring doesn't really fit that repo fender on that side, so why don't  I should put on that original german fender. I am going to have the car painted in the next year or so anyway. I can put up with having a primered fender for a year. As long as I am doing that I could go ahead and fill the turn signal and horn grill holes and install those lucas turn signals. But then I would have two fenders in primer, plus there is the trim on the rest of the body. So why don't I go ahead and fill those as well....... and it keeps going and going 

--louis

[stealth67vw]

Anyone else bad about starting off planning to fix one little thing, and the next thing you know, half the car is tore apart? I think the most dangerous words a car guy can say are, "as long as" and "so why don't".

I think I will replace the beat up headlight ring on the passenger side. Well as long as I am doing that, maybe I should align the headlights. And you know, that headlight ring doesn't really fit that repo fender on that side, so why don't  I should put on that original german fender. I am going to have the car painted in the next year or so anyway. I can put up with having a primered fender for a year. As long as I am doing that I could go ahead and fill the turn signal and horn grill holes and install those lucas turn signals. But then I would have two fenders in primer, plus there is the trim on the rest of the body. So why don't I go ahead and fill those as well....... and it keeps going and going 

--louis

No kidding. That is how my 1776 rebuild ended up being a 2332 flanged crank, 48 x 38 C/E, fk-87 nitrous monster.

[cameron shorey]

Chips in the paint. Seems to be a constant problem. But minor compared to some of the work I'm reading about in this thread.

[62 Ragtop]

Install complete MSD 6AL ignition (to be shipped any day from US)

Install complete MSD 6AL ignition (to be shipped any day from US)  Checked!... well at least the parcel arrived at my doorstep today! togheter with a Holley Blue fuel pump and regulator and some other odd bits and pieces... 

Just had to... 

Br,

[Donny B.]

Got my new welded balanced fan from the Bergs yesterday and put it in today.  Should have been a simple job, but being the person I am I made it a lot more difficult.  Now I think I need a new alternator.  I had it apart and didn't like what I saw, but that's for another time.

[nicolas]

to do:

the transmission checked and a new diff, sideplates, new synchros
the engine, going from 1641 to 2006...
the brakes, a new mastercylinder
put the autometer tach in a different place. i cant see it now behind the steeringwheel
finish the glovebox with the stereo(still haven't found a fibreglass tray for a type3... hint hint  )
windowcrank is stripped on the passengers side, si i have to get a new regulator. joy,joy, considering onepiece windows.
install carpets in the trunk front and back
wash it and polish it completely
i want lucas indicators, but that means respraying the front fenders. it looks like a lot of work and money for a respray allready

so i have the list, now only need to do the work. better get started as i have a day off

 

[Neil Davies]

I really should fix my brake lights - I won't drive the car without them but I've got to try to get some time in daylight to do it! Then I want to get one for the front tyres re-seated - it has an annoying habit of losing air when parked up for more than three days. I think it's protesting because I haven't done the brake lights yet...

Also the LHS headlight stops working intermittently. I fix it, and it works. Couple of days later it won't, but then it does when I come to fix it again. Same goes with the motor - usually no problems, but occasionally it just won't rev much over 2700rpm. I prefer it when something is either working or completely broken!

Yeah! Brake lights done and points re-set (I know...)! Now the headlight and tyre...