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Post by jspbtown on Aug 2, 2011 13:59:58 GMT -5
"I guess the question I need to ask is, do any of you think its worth trying to fix "
Worth to who I guess is the question. Is it worth it to you to sink a bunch of time and money into it? Its highly doubtful you will make money on it. Its not amazingly rare. A full restoration will take a good amount of time, some decent money, and alot of work. You will have something relatively unique. Its not a great sports car. Its all looks.
For some people thats "worth it". For others they get bored real quickly and the money they dumped into it is gone forever. In those cases its clearly not "worth it".
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Post by brianboggs on Aug 2, 2011 14:29:58 GMT -5
Get the sawzall out! The whole body will fit into three or four contractor trash bags from the Depot!!
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Post by jspbtown on Aug 2, 2011 14:52:17 GMT -5
Sounds like a trashed and expensive project.
Engine is trashed. You could pick up a used one for a few hundred bucks...but its not a high mileage (ie: getting good gas miles...not alot of miles on the motor) style motor...its 40 year old technology..with a carb.
If the tunnel is rusted its trashed (yeah I now...anything is fixable). Usually when the pedal cluster is all rusted up the tunnel is gone as well.
You can't build a frame with your level of experience.
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Post by jspbtown on Aug 2, 2011 16:02:19 GMT -5
Certainly not trying to suggest you have not accomplished anything in your life. You certainly have done more than I. However, I have done some things that have given me the insight into how these old kits are re-built.
The fact is that most don't get finished. Another fact is many, many people have the biggest of aspirations and not the training, tools, money or time to fullfill them. Another fact is that people create ideas well before understanding the materials they will be dealing with.
Its nothing personal against them. Its just a fact that has been played out a 100 times just on this board.
You talk about parting some stuff like shocks, headlight covers and headlights. The total value of stuff like this is about $50. If you built a frame (which would be alot more expensive then getting a used pan) and restored this car yourself your looking at $4000-$5000 for a basic safe car. thats if you do all the work yourself. I have done several of these kits and I do it all (mechanicals, bodywork, paint, etc) and I haven't done one yet for under $4000.
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Post by smyrnaguy on Aug 2, 2011 16:45:43 GMT -5
The VW wide 5 isn't even close to the GM 5 on 4 3/4". Its possible that you have drilled drums and if that's the case they could be any pattern.
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Post by jspbtown on Aug 2, 2011 17:57:11 GMT -5
Or you could have adapters on the wheels. As Smyrnaguy said the stock VW 5 lug (often referred to as a wide 5 pattern) is no where near the Chevy pattern. Pics would help us tell you for sure. You said 67 chassis and I think that might be the 4 lug, but 67 was the year they were doing funky switches from link pin to ball joint and some had swing axle trannys and some had IRS.
If the engine was left outdoors and unprotected (or just protected) you probably are gonna have the pistons rusted to the barrels. If so you will need new pistons, rings, retainers, and barrels.
Stock carb can be rebuilt. Fuel pump diaphram is probably gone. Push rod tube seals probably rotted. Bearings on crank (including thrust bearing) are uncertain. You might be able to break it down to a short block if no water got in there. Generator possibly rusted up and voltage regulator probably gone. Fuel line inside tunnel will need to be inspected. Of all parts it will be the most protected unless underwater. Distributor might be OK depending on water but new points, condenser, cap & wires a must. Exhaust system is uncertain but if removed watch out for snapping the exhaust studs.
Your entire brake system is probably jelly so new lines (hard & soft), wheel cylinders, master cylinder, hardware, shoes and ebrake cables. The trannys are pretty tough so some new fluid and an input shaft seal will probably take care of that. Tranny mounts (x3) are probably shot. CV (or swing) boots probably cracked and should be replaced. CV joints (if equipped) can be cleaned and re-packed. Tie rod boots probably deteriorated and there by tie rods gone. Steering stabilizer might be OK. Steering box probably OK. Bearings in beam probably OK. Shift rod bushing probably gone. Tranny to rod coupler might be OK.
So if you can get it running with about the $500 or so in parts (assuming your bearings are OK...for a quick check grab the pully and pull it out and push it in...it should barely move. If it moves anything more then a mm then your bearings need replacing) to get the motor runnign you still have some decent money to spend to et it to shift and then stop. All this before the body gets put on.
Oh...and no. You don't seem ungrateful at all. In fact you come across as quite articulate and sincere. I appreciate your grammer (lacking by many people...young and old) and the way you pose your questions.
I in turn apologize if I come across as to blunt. I don't want to discourage you...but I would rather see you have alot of fun with your excess money then possibly dumping it into a money pit. I was 23 once....I remember how much fun I had.
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Post by Jeff Lande on Aug 3, 2011 6:17:33 GMT -5
I would go for it... It sounds like you have the necessary skills to pull it off. I never had any formal training in any mechanics, and at age 18 I was able to get my GT2 on the road with very little trouble. The VW engine has got to be one of the easiest things in the world to work on.
There's TONS of great information on this site (for example, had I seen it sooner, I wouldn't have bothered purchasing Brazilian stock floor pans and just welded my own dropped pans, which gives you many many more options when it comes to putting in seats). And lots of very helpful people.
Obviously, the motor's junk, you should be able to find an old one for very little money somewhere. A simple search of the "North Mississippi Craigslist turned up a guy that has a whole junk yard full...
When I originally built my GT2, I upgraded a stock 1600 single-port engine with larger pistons, 88mm slip-ins (which most will probably tell you is a no-no), and a 2bbl progressive carb. Net result was 50+mpg on the highway with big fat tires.
After about 10,000 miles, I got married and moved 2000 miles. The Bradley didn't make the trip as the focus went to raising a family. 22 years later, I'm a few months away from getting it back on the road. Hadn't even thought about VW mechanics in that time and I was able to very easily disassemble repair/replace what was needed and get the engine running in no time.
Like these other guys said, you're in for a lot of work (but its all relative). It's fun, its frustrating, its probably going to make you want to give up once or twice, but if you stick with it, you can drive down the road knowing you built the entire thing from the ground up, and they are really fun to drive (think back to that go-kart you built when you were a kid, only bigger).
Good luck with whatever you decide to do.
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Post by anthony on Aug 3, 2011 20:59:43 GMT -5
For anyone who reads this thread and wonders "what the hell is going on here", I have deleted the original post and all of my subsequent posts due to my own hatred of how I handled myself and the details of the car are no longer relevant(I have decided to do it). Thank you all.
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