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!

After the Fall....

Well it happened.

Flashback to the Friday before last, wet ground, misapplied brake (I believe) and down I went.

As far as accidents go it was relatively minor and I am merely bruised, so I certainly count my blessings!

I was however reminded of just how vulnerable we as riders truly are.   I only fell and slid a couple feet but caused the following damage:


-My helmet is likely no good anymore (as my head hit the pavement), so I will need to find another Davida Jet ($$$).

-The clutch lever snapped,  luckily I found an OEM one for a good price on Ebay.

-The handlebars were twisted and bent and are now scrap. I was actually surprised how light and thin they turned out to be.  I think they had come from British Customs or New Bonneville.  I didn't want to wait for another pair so I modified an old set of 1966 TR6 bars that were gathering dust.  I cut two inches off of either end to get the right fit.

-The brake reservoir (which seemed to have succumbed to UV damage and was quite brittle) snapped at the base. Once again it was Ebay to the rescue.

-My foot lever was damaged, I ordered an aftermarket replacement that looked good but was unfortunately flimsy.   I ended up sanding out the damage to the lever, drilling out the broken pin and using an M8 40mm bolt and some copper pipe inside the salvaged rubber.

The tank has a dent from the bars on the top which I hope to rectify with a dent puller.  As you might have guessed, there will be a full product review of said dent puller in an upcoming post.

Lastly, my clutch cover is scratched so it will need replacement.  In the interim I will wet sand to smooth out, then paint.

While I spent several hours adjusting and fettling,  I decided that now would be a good opportunity to install the progressive fork springs purchased in 2010!

In my defense, these were in storage and I only uncovered them recently.

Between the bars and the springs, it almost feels like a different bike.  The riding position is quite comfortable, more akin to a cruiser.  The front forks soak up much more of the road, by comparison to the old it feels like an air mattress.  I have to say that after a day of adjustment I really love the new feel, however I seem to have sacrificed the nimble turning stance I had previously.

As I mentioned earlier, the replacement parts were ordered through Ebay and shipped to the US for pick up.  There are several reasons for this:

The biggest reason being that my local shop doesn't seem to stock any parts anymore.  Not even a nut, bolt or pin.  In the event that you do need a part, you are looking at a 2 week turnaround.

It seems the days of shops having inventory (sundries) is a bygone one. Sad.

The second reason is the postal service here in Canada.  Ours has had looming job action for some time over a pension dispute.  This has left residents unsure of when or if items sent would be delivered at all.   

Speed and cost.  Shipping within the US is cheap, fast and sometimes free!  Packages that would normally take 2 weeks to get to me from say, California arrive in Niagara Falls, NY within 3 days.  

I found an exceptional service near the border called US Address at 3909 Witmer Road in Lewiston.
They charge a flat fee of $5.00 for each package under 50 lbs.

US Address




All told, this post could have been worse or not been at all.  I am renewed with gratitude to be back on the road and in one piece.

Netflix and Chelate...

Rust.  The bane of every mechanic and restorer's existence.  How many times have we excitedly reached for that perfect part at a swap meet only to see that it is badly pitted or unusable?

Being in Southern Ontario this is a reality that is unavoidable;  I have seen some beautiful cars and bikes become scrap after falling victim to our good friend iron oxide.

Over the years I have relied heavily on white vinegar, usually the cleaning type with a higher acid concentration.  I have also used WD40 and steel wool, mainly for cleaning rims, evaporust, Rust remover concentrate (from Lee Valley) and naval jelly.

In past posts I have touched on some of my experiences with these various methods, some good, some less than satisfactory.   Evaporust for example, works well but is very expensive if you have a lot of parts.  Vinegar is fine in the summer if you don't mind the smell, however in colder temperatures it is useless as I recently discovered.

I am very pleased to say that I have found my all time, number one go-to solution from here on out.

Molasses.   Molasses and water.

Though I wish I could take credit for this discovery, I can't.  This has been around for many years, very popular in Australia in particular.   In my aforementioned lean months it was important to my budget to find something that was effective and dirt cheap.   I looked into setting up an electrolytic conversion tank, however I was concerned about leaving a power supply unattended as well as the potential fumes.   I figured it was as good a time as any to give this one a go.

There is no science to start the process,  reports vary on the ratios;  some people say 10:1 water to molasses, others 4:1, etc.   I met in the middle with 6:1.   Initially I just used some grocery store no name brand stuff, $2.99 a carton.  I poured the contents into a big bucket with hot water and dropped my parts inside.  I lost the before picture of my first lot, take my word for it this stuff was caked in rust.  It looked as though I had found it at the bottom of the ocean!  Thankfully I wasn't in a rush for these parts, it took two weeks for things to really clean up.

After, before couldn't make it.

The photos don't these parts justice!  The clutch basket in particular came out like new. (top left corner of the picture)  There was a black film that was scrubbed away with a nylon brush and dish soap; I then sprayed a coat of WD40 to protect from fresh rust.  I was very pleased with the results and decided to invest $30.00 in a gallon of feed grade (the preferred option for those who use this method) from TSC.

The results with this molasses was much more impressive than the grocery store variety.  I have a large garbage can now, filled to the brim with a variety of parts 'Chelating'.  It seems to be working far more quickly this time with results as soon as a few days in.  The added bonus is that this can be dumped onto your garden or safely down the drain when done.  It is actually good for plant growth and is 100% biodegradable.

I won't delve into a scientific explanation here, however I will provide the link below. 

Chelation

Here are some tips for anyone wanting to try this at home.

1.  It leaves a distinctive odor, not foul per say but not pleasant, outside is better than inside.

2.  Wear gloves when pulling things out of the mixture.  The odor will stay on your hands otherwise even if you wash them a few times.  

3.  Pull your parts out every few days and wipe them down or rinse them off.  This will give the mixture better access to the bare metal.  

4.   When you make your mix, start with hot or boiling water. This will help the viscosity of the molasses and stop it from sinking to the bottom.  Stir vigorously.  I also believe that the reaction to hot water also speeds up the fermentation process.  

Next post I will show some updated pictures and speak more on the Matchless project; 

Have a safe weekend!

Zen and the art of mental motorcycle maintenance

For a bike enthusiast, there is no better feeling in the world than firing up your machine and hitting the open road.  A beautiful blue sky above you, a smooth road below with the odd twist and turn;  The sun beating down and that refreshing breeze on your face....I could go on, but many of you know the pleasure I am referring to.  It's what we look forward to all winter and live for in the summer.

For a bike enthusiast, there is probably no worse fate then losing touch with that elation, or feeling that you are.

  Until recently that is exactly what I thought was happening to me.  I would go out for a ride on Katie (my Triumph Scrambler,  The origins of that name to be revealed later) and things just didn't feel right.  

Four years into our relationship, I found this strange.  I have always looked after her and she in turn, has always looked after me.  We are a team, we have a partnership that I pray will remain unbroken until I lack the physical skills to ride her.   When I would take a turn, it felt unnatural.  I chalked that up to fresh Tourance tires that were of a higher quality than the Trailwings I had grown accustomed to.

 I kept finding it hard to get comfortable when I rode, I shifted around and couldn't settle.  Even after various adjustments things weren't working.  I figured this must be due to weight I gained in the cooler months waiting for spring.  Going down hills felt uncomfortable and I tensed up far too much.  Perhaps I was soft from not commuting 60km daily to work and back anymore.  Nothing was coming together and I was growing quietly despondent.  

What was the cause of all of this?

To answer, I need to give a little background.  2012 was a banner year for me, for all the wrong reasons.  It started in January, when I was let go from my new job.  This new job was a mistake to start with and a move I should have never made.  Having been in my previous position for 4 years and in another role 3 years prior to that, I was sheltered from the reality of the economic climate.  These days, it is foolish to leave a steady gig unless you have something truly amazing being offered to you.  

After this setback I searched for work and came close to getting a few decent positions with established firms, but no offers. I had always been successful in interviews previously and been able to inspire confidence in potential employers.

  It was a harsh wake up call that affected many areas of my life and my outlook.  A variety of other negative events followed suit, including the cancellation of my wedding and  having to cash in my savings.  To make matters worse, as bills added up I took a couple of low paying jobs just to get by.  There is nothing wrong with hard work and doing what's needed to support your family; That is unless your Motorcycle is severely damaged in the parking lot of said crappy job.

Just after Labour day, a truly dreadful woman decided to back into my parked bike and cause $3500.00 worth of damage.  My last vestige of enjoyment was gone indefinitely.  My heart sank when they drove Katie away to the dealership not knowing when I would see her again.  Summer became fall, which became winter.  With 2013 around the corner I was hoping for the tide to turn back in my favour.

   Thankfully some of the seeds I planted at the end of 2012 were beginning to bear fruit, albeit slowly.  

I was happier, as was the family but it wasn't quite where it needed to be.  While frustrated, I focused on the present and used what was at hand to make things work.  

 In the last few weeks the missing parts of the puzzle finally presented themselves and have now been pieced together.   I realized this when I was riding Katie around running errands.  It wasn't a glamorous route, quite the contrary.....it was a journey we had made together many times before.  As I rode down the hill, I felt myself smile, I felt relaxed again, everything was familiar and right.  The old team was back together again, stronger, wiser and more versatile than before. 

It had nothing to do with Katie, she was never the problem;  it was all me.  The whole time. 

There is nothing that is more an extension of oneself as a motorcycle.  When tense, the bike handles accordingly.  In a relaxed state, the bike breezes along carelessly also.  Every movement, thought, action, mood is reflected in the way one rides.  

After this realization of my own behavior, I found myself wondering how many riders have been hurt or worse because they were in the wrong mental state.  The most experienced rider in the world could have a bad day at the office or be suffering from depression.  One missed reaction, one poor judgement is all it takes to close the curtain for the last time.  There are times when a ride can be the most therapeutic thing in the world and make everything seem better.  As riders, we are vulnerable on the best of days in the best of conditions.  We have no control of the actions that others take, only our own.    

My philosophy is simple.  Healthy mind, healthy spirit, healthy body =  Healthy riding.  

From now on, I plan on thinking about this state of mind before I embark on a journey.  I will ask myself if it feels right and not be ashamed to take a pass if need be.  Riding should always be freeing, pleasurable and never, ever forced. 

 With that thought, I hope all of you have an  amazing summer filled with epic adventure and untold beauty.

Look out for one another and always be safe and well.

Next post:  Internet Myths debunked!