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Post by centralvalleygter on Apr 24, 2013 14:02:23 GMT -5
63-67 Corvette coupe (not convertable) for a gt. gt II takes an almost nonexistent special made windshield .
The gasket was a once available universal type, but I do not think anyone has found a source for it recently. My understanding is that a glass shop can install the windshield in a bed of urethane like a lot of the newer cars utilize in lieu of the gasket, if necessary.
Warmest Regards...
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Post by centralvalleygter on Apr 10, 2013 10:36:13 GMT -5
Looks like a good readily available solution. Love the resourcefulness of Bradley owners like Skip! Warmest Regards,
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Post by centralvalleygter on Feb 27, 2013 15:47:34 GMT -5
Gary, You are right, I have 87's which result in 1641 and not 88's. My brain slipped a gear and I didn't check myself before I wrote the response.
Warmest Regards...
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Post by centralvalleygter on Feb 26, 2013 17:11:27 GMT -5
Generally speaking as long as you do not go more than a 90mm bore, you will not have problems with overheating due to thin cylinder walls, that means going up to a 1776 on the stock bore is the maximum. The 88mm cylinders uses for 1648 should not be any problem. I have been running a 1648 in mine since the mid 80's without any problems. I have dual Kadrons, Pertronixs ignition module and a mild cam (with high performance valve springs). This combination of parts makes a clearly discernable difference in terms of acceleration and top rpm available over stock .
Warmest Regards,
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Titles
Feb 1, 2013 12:01:19 GMT -5
Post by centralvalleygter on Feb 1, 2013 12:01:19 GMT -5
I feel your pain. I went through a similar thing here in California. Fortunately, here there was a Senate Bill passed that allows 500 kit cars a year to be reclassified as to their manufacture date by either chassis number, engine number or body number, owner's choice. If the owner's choice is the body number and the year cannot be ascertained from that (usually a frustration on Bradleys, but for me a blessing) it defaults to 1961 as the car's date of mfg (what I chose). It took two years for me to be one of the five hundred (usually all 500 are gone by about 10:00am on Jan 2), but I got it. Yeah! No smog requirements - whatever engine I want to use is legal.
You might Google +"kit car" +"laws" +"Colorado" and see if they have any similar special case laws.
Warmest Regards
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Gt 2
Jan 24, 2013 15:41:55 GMT -5
Post by centralvalleygter on Jan 24, 2013 15:41:55 GMT -5
You can find a lot on this board by using the search feature. Big issues on GT2 is providing body supports on the rear half to avoid the infamous "butt sagg" and protecting the windshield with your life as they are a specialty item that are getting very rare and expensive. Jeff Troy will sell you a CD that has a digital version of the original manual, etc. His CD on the GT2 is not as "rich" with information as the one for the original GT because he included pictures and other documentation of his building and rebuilding the GT, but it has at least all that the original purchasers of the GT2 kits had available to them. Warmest Regards...
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Post by centralvalleygter on Dec 28, 2012 13:06:02 GMT -5
I agree, nice site showing your fabrication. Tells the story well and should be a good reference for others who need to fabricate items.
Warmest Regards...
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Post by centralvalleygter on Dec 5, 2012 16:38:33 GMT -5
I Like it!
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Post by centralvalleygter on Nov 11, 2012 23:02:46 GMT -5
I'll try to post a schematic when I get a chance. You can catch a glimpse of the box and one of the blowers (and control panel) at the bottom of the following web page. www.swrnet.life/vw/index.htmlI actually had four fans on my system, two on the intake side and two on the exhaust side. The intake side were blade type, but I don't really think they were necessary. The exhaust side were the cage type, which have much more "persistence" with respect to pushing air through ducting. I obtained the fans and the vent control valves (actually exhaust cut-outs) from JC Whitney. Warmest Regards....
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Post by centralvalleygter on Nov 8, 2012 11:17:24 GMT -5
Progress Update! Got the gas tank reinstalled with the new filler location and venting system. Found oil leak on the engine, in the process of cleaning and painting components. I have a 3-day weekend coming up and will not be R/C plane flying, so I should get the engine ready to reinstall and finish the rear tire wheel-wells then. I have the body repairs substantially done, so I will begin the touchup painting soon.
Slowly, but surely making progress..... Warmest Regards Steven
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Post by centralvalleygter on Oct 30, 2012 15:05:04 GMT -5
I actually used the oil to heat the interior of my BaHa bug. I put a small radiator type (not tube multi-pass type) cooler in a box with baffle valves on the intake and exhuast sides which allow the intake to come from inside the cabin or outside and the exhaust to go to the heater/defroster plumbing inside or directly outside. When I wanted heat I set the baffles (via cable knobs) to inside, during the summer I set them to outside. I had the typical booster fans you can buy on the exhaust side right out of the box. Worked well here where the coldest we get is in the upper twenties. However, I am using the stock vw setup in my Bradley.
Warmest Regards, Steven
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Post by centralvalleygter on Oct 10, 2012 19:29:14 GMT -5
Eric, I had my Baha bug do exactly the same thing when I put a stock engine in it to sell (put the old built-up engine out of it in my Bradley). I finally solved the problem by replacing the carb. I had already tried kitting the old carb. Replaced it with a Brazilian 34. It solved the problem, it ran great then. I do not know if you have a stock carb or aftermarket, or if the problem is the same, but that was my experience. Warmest Regards.... Steven
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Post by centralvalleygter on Oct 9, 2012 16:23:29 GMT -5
Spyderdriver, I would enjoy showing it off and chatting about it too. I normally get over to the coast several times a year (usually the Cuyucos/Morro Bay area), but my wife's health (back issues) this last year or so has not allowed us to travel. As noted in another thread and above my Bradley is currently on stands so I can restore it a bit and fix some modification mis-adventures. One of these days I'll be able to make a trip and will look you up. Look forward to checking your GT out as well! Warmest Regards.... Steven
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Post by centralvalleygter on Oct 2, 2012 10:22:20 GMT -5
I have had my Bradley on stands for a bit over a month for misc repairs and upgrades. I am over half finished, but have run into a wall timewise. Since I was driving it every day, I am suffering withdrawal.
To make things worse, I pulled a valve seat out of the head on the #1 cylinder of the VW bus, making it also undrivable. It has special high-perfomance heads, so I do not know if I can get it repaired or will have to replace them (replacements will be with stock heads, cannot afford HP heads at present).
Have a three-day weekend coming up, so maybe I can least get the Bradley back on the road before the bad weather kicks in.
Oh well, enough venting!
Warmest Regards.....
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Post by centralvalleygter on Sept 29, 2012 16:55:05 GMT -5
You can go with one per the link, it lets you use your heater. Though they produce a nice sound, you will loose performance compared to the true extractor system you now have. www.pacificcustoms.com/TM310221BK.htmlWarmest Regards...
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Post by centralvalleygter on Sept 13, 2012 11:11:21 GMT -5
The only ways in my mind that it can run at a high RPM and not slow down is ... or there is a leak in the manifold, or an unconnected vacuum line is not plugged (or a connected vacuum line is leading somewhere open to the atmosphere) ... Do I win a prize? Just kidding. Warmest Regards
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Post by centralvalleygter on Sept 13, 2012 11:06:44 GMT -5
Dan, The board censor software does not like the word C O C K, it replaces it with thingy. Warmest...
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Post by centralvalleygter on Sept 11, 2012 10:31:14 GMT -5
Welcome to the Bradley Message Board, This message board is a bit different from Facebook, etc. in that you do not really post pictures to the site. You must have the picture stored somewhere accessible on the Internet (such as photobucket, etc.). You are then simply putting the address to the picture on the board and it will post it from the stored location each time someone accesses the page. Put "posting pictures" in the search feature on the board, but be sure to change the days something over a thousand because its default is like a week and I do not think anyone has talked about this in the last week.
Warmest Regards..... Steven
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Post by centralvalleygter on Sept 9, 2012 9:57:44 GMT -5
Good call on my miss Skip!
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Post by centralvalleygter on Sept 8, 2012 18:30:10 GMT -5
The only ways in my mind that it can run at a high RPM and not slow down is if the butterfly valve in the carb is not closing or there is a leak in the manifold, or an unconnected vacuum line is not plugged (or a connected vacuum line is leading somewhere open to the atmosphere) or the carb is missing some major components. If those can be eliminated, then I am also bewildered.
Warmest Regards.....
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Post by centralvalleygter on Sept 8, 2012 17:56:08 GMT -5
Yes, he probably does mean 2500 rpm. If you cannot get it to idle, then you have to set the timing with it fully advanced which takes place at that RPM and is 28-30 degrees before TDC as opposed to 7.5 degrees TDC before the advance kicks in. If you had a vacuum advance distributor then you could pull the vacuum line and know it is not advancing and therefore set it at the 7.5 to TDC at the lowest RPM you can obtain. However, with the centrifigal advance distributor and no idle available you must adjust it to the fully advanced setting. Warmest....
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Post by centralvalleygter on Sept 8, 2012 15:52:00 GMT -5
If it will start and run a short time, it is likely a carb issue. If the only way it will start is by first primming it (pouring gas or starter fluid down carb), then it could be either a carb issue or a fuel pump issue. If the generator was not working it would not keep it from starting, IF the battery is fully charged.
Warmest....
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Post by centralvalleygter on Sept 4, 2012 16:40:51 GMT -5
In the original Bradley, I do not think you can remove the tank without removing the engine first. It comes out pretty easy once the engine it out of the way.
Warmest....
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Post by centralvalleygter on Aug 22, 2012 17:08:33 GMT -5
Skip, I have been an ACVW guy for more than 30 years, with great satisfaction (more than 100,000 miles between rebuilds). Love their simplicity & versatility. Not going to change now.
Gary, I did not switch the plug wires. They were new wires when we built the engine 5000 miles ago, but I will try that. Thanks! Warmest...
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Post by centralvalleygter on Aug 22, 2012 16:27:17 GMT -5
Yes, I made sure the rotor was aligned with the #1 cylinder when the crank was at TDC and double checked the firing order. But it seems to me that even if the timing was off some, the #1 wire should fire every time it was sent the signal from the distributor.
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Post by centralvalleygter on Aug 22, 2012 15:21:53 GMT -5
This is really about my bus engine, but since it is the same type 1 ACVW engine most Bradleys have, I figured it was ok to put it in the main section.
My engine has been missing a bit at the low rpm range since we built it, which gets worse as it gets closer to the time to tune it up. We just recently tuned it up (replaced plugs, oil, cleaned air filter, adjusted valves, etc.) and found that when trying to use the induction timing light, it definitely was not firing consistently (strobe would not lock onto any degree reading on the pulley). The points were pretty bad, so we thought that might be the problem even though we cleaned and filed them, since we didn't have a replacement on hand.
HOWEVER, since my Bradley is sidelined while I restore some of the wear a bit, I pulled the Pertronix Electronic ignition system (distributor with module and coil) and put it on the bus, expecting it to fix the problem. Unfortunately, it is worse if anything. It will not run below about 1600 rpm (it dies if the gas pedal is not feathered, even after being warmed up), and I really do not think it is always firing on all the cylinders all the time above that rpm.
I have done the following: 1. Made sure the ground strap to the engine is well connected. 2. Disconnected the extra stuff to the ignition (tach wire, choke, shut down cut-off, etc.) 3. By-passed the wiring in the Bus, by running a hot (+) wire directly from the battery.
None of the above have had any impact on making the firing more consistent. Any ideas as to what my problem is would be appreciated?
Sincerely,
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Post by centralvalleygter on Aug 17, 2012 15:43:41 GMT -5
If you are talking about the orignal GT, not the GT2, yes it is a mid-sixties Corvette coupe (not convertable) windshield.
Warmest ....
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Post by centralvalleygter on Aug 15, 2012 19:03:59 GMT -5
With enough patience, money and skill, most anything can be adapted or created to work. But, unless your fabrication skills are very good (and you have the right tools) and/or your wallet very thick, trying to use anything other than a VW chassis will likely end in frustration and an aborted project. Just my 2 cents and observation from many years on this board, etc.
Warmest Regards.....
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Post by centralvalleygter on Aug 13, 2012 10:23:36 GMT -5
The VIN is the one that was put on by Volkswagon. Though the thread at the following link is talking about the GT2, the VIN number location applies to the GT1 and if you scroll down a bit you will see a picture of the VIN location near the transaxle nose cone access plate. bradleygt.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=ads&thread=1190&page=1Bradley assigned numbers to their bodies, but there does not seem be be any logic to how they were arrived at. It does not matter greatly though, since registration is tied to the original VW VIN. Hope this helps. Warmest Regards.....
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Post by centralvalleygter on Aug 10, 2012 11:49:40 GMT -5
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