Thursday, August 31, 2017

Back to School!

We are never too old to learn and never too old to deal with what has been put off.

I have decided to tackle both by signing up for a welding course at the local community college. 


 My friend did an exceptional job installing my floors and heater channels;  I found myself envious at times as he made it look so easy.  He is entirely self taught, honing his skills over the last 27 years on British cars and other projects.   

I am ashamed to admit that I was intimidated by welding and always avoided it.  Relying on others is fine on occasion, but not something to make a habit of.  

My friend has a young family and a demanding work schedule these days.  In conversation he has told me he feels badly about not getting the Beetle finished;  I always make sure to show appreciation for all the hard work he has already put in.  Without him, the project would have never gotten off the ground. 

It is definitely up to me to take things over the finish line.  

With formal instruction I hope to gain the confidence to do my own work.   The course runs from Mid-September until the end of October, every Saturday morning for four hours. 

I am very excited to take on this new challenge! 




Not me.....yet.  (soon though!)

Friday, August 25, 2017

Ask and ye shall receive....

I asked the universe if I should do a ragtop conversion on the Beetle.  The universe in turn, put one right in my lap.  My lap and the rest of me will be making a two hour drive to collect in the next couple weeks, but so it goes.

It happened that quickly;  As a curiosity, I scanned the classifieds on the Samba and found this for a very reasonable price.




This roof clip from a '63 isn't perfect or complete but it is a great start!  The general consensus within the VW community is that aftermarket ragtops are subpar to a donor clip.  Well, I now have a donor clip and can gradually buy all the bits as I go.  This will make it easier to budget things over the winter.

It's funny how little signs pop up now and again.

Yesterday I wrote about my old friend Victor;  A few hours later, I spied a faded red Beetle (post '67) in the Dofasco parking lot.  What are the odds?

I believe in listening to the universe and it seems the universe occasionally listens to me.

Until next time....

P.S.

I am still working on the Matchless engine rebuild.  Progress is being held up by a $1.38 sludge trap screw that will arrive in a few weeks.

Thursday, August 24, 2017

Was I always this sentimental?

Yes, apparently I was.


It's funny how a memory or feeling can be triggered quite randomly;  for a moment you may even find yourself reliving it.

I live near a somewhat busy country highway, with homes staggered throughout.  On my drive to work this morning I spotted a house with a side lot being used for new Volkswagen storage. I imagine this is rented space for unsold stock from the dealer down the road.  While VW sales have been up on the whole (despite a series of scandals) they are certainly dwindling here in Canada. I was seriously interested in the Golf Diesel wagon until I read about all the fuel pump issues.

I am however, getting off track.

For some reason, as I drove by all those (probably unwanted) cars,  my mind drifted back to 1982.

I have spoken about Victor, our family car at the time in previous posts.  He was a cheerful 1969 red Beetle that my dad bought new, chosen by a narrow margin over an Austin 1100. Considering my father's level of patriotism and belief in the home product, it was a bit of a surprising purchase.

Even at a young age,  I always felt that Victor was a friend;  It was through his small rear windows that I first experienced the world outside of our home.  Being in the backseat almost exclusively, I was also the closest to his mechanical heart, beating reliably on every trip we took.  My favourite being the hour long drives to my grandparent's house in the country.

Victor was a very tough and determined little car;  I vividly remember the brutal winter storm of 1977 during which my sister was born.  The hospital was at the top of a tall escarpment, a 330ft climb from where we lived.  All that could be seen was the blinding white of blowing snow; the high winds repeatedly struck Victor's body as he held true to course.  As larger, more powerful vehicles laid helplessly by the way side, he carved his path and by God, nothing would get in his way!

We had many more memories and many, many good times over the next few years.  The most amusing incident being my father's absolute refusal to allow a bushel of Sauerkraut (the exact expletive laden slur directed at the Germans escapes me) in his car.  My mother was forced to pack it in the front with the spare tire.

Fast forward to the fall of 1982, sometime before Halloween.  It was a Tuesday and my father announced that he would be picking me up from Cubs.  I was strangely uneasy about this as he had never picked me up and we only lived a block away. (Unlike today's bubble wrap children, we actually walked everywhere, something I am quite proud of!)

I would point out that I didn't distrust my father in any way, however I couldn't escape an awful feeling that had grown in the pit of my stomach.  In retrospect this was an early example of instinct and to a lesser degree premonition that has been with me since.

It was rather cool that night as I stood outside the church alone.  I felt comforted when I heard Victor's distinct exhaust note coming around the corner.  My dad was somewhat ambiguous about where we were going, only that it was a surprise.  Was I being sent to military school?  were we moving? I really had no idea.  The drive to our destination seemed painfully slow, but we had arrived.

 It was a car dealership in the east end of the city.  I looked up and saw a strange word on the sign.  N-I S-S-A-N. I sounded this out to myself, unsure of what a Nissan was (Datsun were transitioning the brand at this point; some cars actually had both badges on them).

We got out of  Victor and walked over to a rather boring looking blue station wagon in a row of other boring station wagons.  Dad informed me that it was ours and he would be picking it up the next day.  'What about Victor?' I asked.  Dad explained that while our family had grown, Victor had not.  It was time for him to find a new home.

  Suddenly that awful feeling I had was justified, knowing that I would have to say goodbye to a good friend.  To my father's credit he was excited to have something new and wanted to include me in a traditional father-son experience.  To my credit, I asked lots of questions and attempted to bury my disappointment.  At least that's how I remember things.

Now that the Sentra had come home, Victor was relegated to the parking spot behind our backyard fence.  I would visit with him everyday, sometimes sitting inside and pretending to drive him away.  I worried that someone in the alley would steal him or smash a window.  Fortunately I could still see him from my bedroom.  When he was put up for sale, nobody wanted him.  On the one hand I felt badly for him and on the other,  I hoped we could keep him.

Beetles were garden variety in those days and plentiful.  Victor had one distinct advantage in that he was completely rust free due to a Ziebart treatment when new.  Eventually he was sold to the neighbour's son who bought it for his wife.  With fresh paint and a tune up, Victor was resplendent. That was my last memory of him and I cherish it.  Through a VIN search a few years ago  I discovered that he was sold again in 1985, the last time he was registered.  I'd like to think he is still being looked after by a caring owner.

My one remaining piece of Victor, as displayed on my garage cabinet. 



Is it wrong to love a car or motorcycle?  Not as far as I'm concerned. To choose to love anything or anyone is the noblest pursuit.  With the knowledge that all things must end, it is the bravest thing to be capable of.

As for the memories?  Hopefully the good ones live on forever.



Not the actual Victor, but identical.








Wednesday, August 23, 2017

To Ragtop or not to Ragtop, that is the question!

At least that is the question on my mind today.

Yes,  I am finally getting back to the poor old Volkswagen project.  This August marks the 10th year anniversary of my sister's passing and I want to get her tribute back on track.

Over the next two days I am doing a list of all the jobs required to get this car running and back on the road.

One of the items I have been seriously considering is the addition of a sunroof kit.  It would be a shame to decide to do this after body work and paint were applied.  This is supposed to be a fun vehicle for weekend or the odd drive to work, probably seeing the most use in the spring/summer/fall.

Many VW enthusiasts source an original Golde sunroof with the surrounding metal from a donor car. While I am enthusiastic about this car, I can hardly say it is original anymore so that might be a touch extreme.

There are a few kits available and this one currently has my attention.

Ragtop Kit

At $720 U.S. (including shipping) the kit is just works out to $1000.00 Canadian.

If you haven't seen it already,  Max Wilson has a wonderful Youtube video of his father's Beetle restoration.  In the video, he installs a kit (making it look much easier than it probably is).

The video can be found here and is worth every minute of viewing time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNv0fI-qzP8

I hope to have a decision made within the month.


I think this looks pretty sharp!




Saturday, August 19, 2017

How much is that single in the window?

The motorcycle as 'art'.  Paintings belong in galleries.  Bikes belong on the street.
I've said my peace.

Monday, August 14, 2017

Matchless G9 Engine strip down...

At long last!  Now that some family commitments have been attended to, I am able to get back on track with my many (read: many, many, many) projects.  I have been waiting a year and a half to tear into the bottom end of the G9 engine;  This should keep me busy until my friend can finish welding up the Beetle.

The Verdict?  So far things look very good!  The con rods are very clean and straight, with no nicks or scratches.  The crank bearings are very good as well and can likely be reused.  I was pleased that the oil pump turns freely and the bottom end was coated in a film of oil.  The engine was certainly rebuilt at some point as the 'sludge trap'  bolt has been removed and replaced several times.

 Matchless Twins lack a true Sludge trap, instead having passages that can be easily cleaned out periodically.  Despite having +80 over sized pistons, this engine was very carefully looked after.   A shame really that the rest of the bike didn't receive the same treatment and survive in the same fashion.  I am sure that some of it is in that big pile of parts, as for which ones?  That is a secret lost to time.

More to come!






Any time spent with King Dick is quality time.

As a side note, 'Krave' is probably not fit for human consumption.  I, However have no issue using the box to catch decades old oil drops.