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Post by pushnfords on Jun 4, 2010 23:25:52 GMT -5
His expectations are huge. Does he know that he's probably looking a a very large bill? Yes, he went through catalogs to get an idea of parts prices before we started. He wants it to be mechanically excellent and reliable.
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Post by pushnfords on Jun 2, 2010 17:46:50 GMT -5
Your engine looks pretty much like what I had when I got my GTII - one rusted, ugly lump. About all you know you can keep is that chrome nut on the alternator. Yea I just keep going deeper and deeper into it. Mouse nest throughout the tin, intake seals split, no air cleaner and leaves in the intake, rust holes in the heat exchangers, muffler clogged with mud dauber nests, and I'm sure I'll find more wrong. If you've got a good compression stock 1600 dual port engine, keep the stock carb & add a set of 1.25 ratio rockers, SVDA distributor, 1 3/8" header & muffler system from CB Performance. Not sure about the compression yet...going to have to tear down, clean, and reassemble first! Could do the rockers easily. I've already ordered a Pertronix distributor. My understanding is the headers do away with the heat exchanger = no heat correct? The owner wants heat in the car...and he likes the Monza dual outlet type muffler that was on the car...so we may be working with those. Hot VW's magazine had an article some months ago about add-on power enhancing parts for a 1600 motor. The goal was to increase power without 'opening up' the engine. Yes - you can run dual carbs on the stock 1600 without heat-riser issues - chokes (or lack of) might be of concern in cold weather starts. I'd add a set of Weber 34ICT carbs, or you might go with Kadrons. I liked the Weber twim 34ICT setup that I ran on my mild 1776 motor... I'm thinking we might be better off going with a single carb. The owner wants to keep a heater in the car...he intends to drive it as much as possible. Just not sure which one! I'll probably end up getting all of the bolt on stuff done (distributor, carb, etc.) and putting the engine back in and seeing how it runs. We'd talked about making it a 1776 before going back together but this thing has only had 2500 miles since '78...if I go into the engine I'd like to go through the ENTIRE engine. We might be better off having a spare redone over winter and running the stock + bolt on setup this summer.
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Post by pushnfords on May 31, 2010 20:24:07 GMT -5
GT or GT II? I wrote earlier that I'm running dual Webers in a GT II and I can put the engine right in without any trouble, and there is room to spare BUT there are variations of GT II engine bays. What does your engine bay look like? (Measure it side to side). It is a GT II. Here's a pic of the engine/bay before I pulled it:
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Post by pushnfords on May 31, 2010 20:21:25 GMT -5
Duh....I guess I should have been more specific and suggested that a Karmann front beam with brakes attached might be found at a wrecking yard.... The owner wants the suspension and brakes to be new/rebuilt so if I did find some in a yard I'd have to go through them so I'd have to find the setup really cheap. Most of the junkyards around here are crushing everything older than '00 or mid '90s. The local yard just got in a '42 Plymouth coupe and I talked him into selling it to me for cash...I think I've found a buyer for it so just need to get it out of there before they crush it. I can't stand to see older stuff crushed. Anyway...point being...I've never seen a Karmann in person on the road OR in a junkyard...and I've been in most of the junkyards around with old iron looking for parts for my Torino.
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Post by pushnfords on May 30, 2010 22:52:32 GMT -5
I'm looking for a performance carb for this '78 GT2 with a '72 1600. Most performance setups I've seen are dual carb...but will a setup like that fit in a Bradley's engine compartment? It looks too wide to me. If I need to stay with a single carb, what type would you recommend? I've never messed with Webers or the other carbs I saw on samba...I've mostly dealt with domestic carbs. I'd like something with improved performance but reliability is very important.
I don't mean to overload the board with questions...it is just that you all have been very helpful and seem 200% friendlier than a certain other forum I joined.
Derek
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Post by pushnfords on May 30, 2010 22:48:59 GMT -5
Thanks, just sent him a pm.
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Post by pushnfords on May 30, 2010 12:45:37 GMT -5
I don't have Jeff Troy's CDROM handy, but I'm sure it shows the system. Thanks for the info. What is this CDROM and where does one purchase it?
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Post by pushnfords on May 30, 2010 12:41:30 GMT -5
Remember that the central panel of the II is beveled. It's a small detail, but makes a difference. Thanks...did not know that. Haven't gotten to the inside yet to even look close.
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Post by pushnfords on May 30, 2010 3:26:29 GMT -5
Have you had a GT2 with working A/C? Is it worth the expense of fixing the A/C and the trouble of working around it in the engine compartment? Looking at the thin fiberglass and all of the glass/plastic area it looks to me like the A/C would be fighting a losing battle against heat.
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Post by pushnfords on May 30, 2010 3:24:49 GMT -5
FYI the black stuff most glass shops use to set windshields is black urethane. It bonds much better and is much stronger than black RTV.
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Post by pushnfords on May 30, 2010 3:21:15 GMT -5
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Post by pushnfords on May 29, 2010 10:54:36 GMT -5
That really sucks! Did he have it insured? It is hard to do projects the second time...I had to build an identical '66 Fairlane after my bosses son flipped the first one. Not much enthusiasm for it....
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Post by pushnfords on May 28, 2010 19:26:13 GMT -5
Hi...If you are going to replace the front end, I would recommend a Karmann Ghia as it has disc brakes already installed and can save some money if you can find one... bobevans I've never seen any locally. By the time I bought some used ones out of the classifieds and refinished them I wouldn't be saving that much money for the owner. Quoting him: "Any part that is fair but not perfect, replace the bugger."
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Post by pushnfords on May 27, 2010 21:07:22 GMT -5
Wow, beautiful car! Any chance you have pics of the dash i could see?
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Post by pushnfords on May 27, 2010 16:43:53 GMT -5
The owner of the II I'm working on is tall like me...and we both like driving with our arm resting on the tops of doors. Has anyone removed the side windows on a II? Does the door flex too much without them? How is the interior ventilation with the windows?
Thanks,
Derek
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Post by pushnfords on May 27, 2010 16:39:53 GMT -5
Warning - with an alternator, the standard circuit requires that the generator warning light is good. You see, it 'energizes' the alternator so that it charges. If it burns out and you ignore it, you will be running on battery only. A work-around is to put a small resistor in the circuit. Military CUCV's (Blazers) are like that...took me most of an afternoon to figure out why it wasn't charging!
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Post by pushnfords on May 27, 2010 16:23:19 GMT -5
cip1 is always a reliable source. Thanks for the info...they should give you a commision! ;D I started looking up parts and they were quite a bit cheaper than Mid America so I ended up ordering almost everything I needed through them for the rear end and engine. Burnt through $1,100 pretty quick plus an order from Autozone and still need to order heat exchangers from JC Whitney. I just rebuilt my front suspension, I would have come out way ahead, dollar-wise to have bought a rebuilt front beam assy. Who sells the rebuilt assemblies? I've been buying a lot of stuff outright...since I'm being paid to do the work I can't refurbish a lot of these parts for the cost of a reman/new part. pushnfords, Are you going to use that A/c compressor and mounting hardware? If not, I would be interested it it. Great looking pics on your website. Take pictures of everything, example, one guy here needs to see the door hinges and latches. My pics are on www.carnutguys.comTentative plans are to remove the side door windows and remove/sell the A/C system. But...we probably need to hold off on selling it until we're sure the door & window setup is what we want to stick with. I can take pics of the latches...posted a reply on his thread...but I think I'm missing door latches and linkage myself. Nice website and projects you have there! Our cars are almost twins...except I'm missing stuff. I've been debating pulling the body so I can get a better look at wiring and see what has been done. How does the body attach front and rear? I saw the bolts along the floor pan. I haven't jacked up the front or crawled under it yet. I work 40 hours at one job, 10 hours of commuting, 10-15 hours at another job, plus this Bradley. Busy right now!
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Post by pushnfords on May 27, 2010 11:54:39 GMT -5
I'll be tearing into the trans & rear suspension asap on a '72 chassis. If I end up buying the special tool it would be for sale as soon as I'm done with it. I'll also have a lot of pictures uploaded to my Photobucket page. Check my signature for the link.
Derek
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Post by pushnfords on May 27, 2010 11:37:09 GMT -5
I'll soon be tearing apart the front end on the Bradley I'm redoing and will pull the gas tank for cleaning. Also have the driver's door off. PM me if you need pics or measurements.
Derek
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Post by pushnfords on May 26, 2010 18:34:30 GMT -5
The Bradley I'm working on has a '72 chassis with a generator. Is the generator a reliable piece or would I be better off converting to an alternator? Will a generator power a CD player, speakers, and lights?
Thanks,
Derek
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Post by pushnfords on May 26, 2010 18:29:00 GMT -5
I started working on the car last night. At first I was just going to bypass the fuel system & wiring and try to start it. Then I saw all of the stuff in the fins and fan from mice! So the engine is now on the ground and I'll strip it down and clean it up. I'm posting pics on my Photobucket page: s237.photobucket.com/albums/ff16/PushnFords/1978%20Bradley%20GTII/
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Post by pushnfords on May 23, 2010 1:15:15 GMT -5
If using one of those master cylinders along with a disc brake conversion do most people use an aftermarket adjustable proportioning valve?
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Post by pushnfords on May 22, 2010 15:24:30 GMT -5
Just thought I'd introduce myself...I'm sure I'll be doing lots of reading on here and I know I'll have some questions.
First question...what vendors do you recommend for parts?
My name is Derek and I used to work at restoration shops before I started turning wrenches for civilian contractors and now the state on Ft. Riley. A guy I've known for years contacted me asking if I could work on his '78 Bradley GTII. I'm heading to pick it up in a couple of minutes actually. The owner doesn't know much about it and I've never worked on a VW so I'll have to look it over when I get it in the garage. So far the owner wants a complete suspension rebuild front and rear, new drive axles, interior put back in (currently gutted), convert to disc brakes front and rear, and the engine will either get some performance bolt on parts or replaced with a new one.
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