Interior restoration: finding the parts

I have been in touch with Wally at L&S here in Gainesville about getting the inside of the car redone. I had toyed with the idea of doing it myself, which would have been educational. I am trained as an artist, after all, so I should be able to restore the inside of a car to some extent. However, there is a lot to know about taking the car apart and back together again, and most of my attempts just to remove the dash have failed. And restoration is a skill set, and talent, which takes decades to develop. I think if I were able to do it at all, it would take me a very, very long time. In any case, L&S will do a great job.

I showed Wally the car and he had reservations about the dash, and many of the plastic parts. The plastic had been painted once before and it is very difficult to remove that paint. It has to be removed, not painted over, because the plastic actually gets more stained than painted, if I understand correctly. The dash also has cracks, which can't really be fixed. Plastic shrinks and expands daily and over the years, so any fix to the crack, will also move, but differently, and eventually show another crack. He did a test on one of the pieces and said he wouldn't be willing to go ahead with it as is, because it wouldn't be a good job in the long run, and his reputation is at stake.

Wally recommended finding again all the major parts, like the dash and the front pieces again, somewhere, with the original color on them.

This was a major blow, and I started imagining having this crummy, smelly interior to live with. Eventually I did find a seller on VWVortex.com who seemed to have all kinds of parts. His name is Scott and he is located south of Orlando. I contacted him via the site and instant messaging several times, but communication was slow.

After a lull in communication (and trips to New York and Europe, which put me out of touch), I asked which day of the week was good for picking up and we were able to agree on thursday. He was reluctant to ship, and I wanted to see what other stuff he had, so driving out seemed best, despite the long distance. In any case, I drove out there (3.45 minutes from Gainesville) with my son Bruno. Scott had all the interior parts, except the seatbelt and seatbelt components, in a very nice greyish blue, which was almost exactly the color I had imagined for the truck. This would mean that whichever stain went on top of the first color would work much better in terms of possible unevenness. He even had the window washer reservoir, which I had been looking for. He also had the AC vent knobs that I was in the middle of recreating. It was very exciting to assemble all these parts which had been hard to find for so long. Things sometimes become worth more than gold, because one has looked for them for so long. His backyard was like a priceless treasure in my eyes. Never before had I seen an assortment of car related objects that seemed so familiar to me — familiar because he, too, was dealing with the same model car. He had several VW caddies in various states of disrepair.

He was nice enough to accept my offer of $120 everything. At first I said $100, but I was so happy have completed so many of my searches, that I gave him a little more, for the great condition dash and all the interior parts, plus steering wheel, fluid reservoir and AC knobs. Individually I would have had to pay more for each, and he was glad not to have to list them all on ebay or elsewhere.

Building a new fuel tank

Mickey and I were unable to find a used fuel tank. I did find someone in town who claimed to be able to solder the tank back to functionality, but it was expensive and I wasn't sure it would really work, since Mickey was very skeptical about it. Mickey found a place that could actually build a tank, which was very tempting to me: not only will the tank be new and clean, but it could also be somewhat larger.

I was in Europe at the time when Mickey told me that the tank had been rebuilt and it has a capacity of 20 gallons (instead of 13 gallons). This made me very happy, because it means that not only can the car drive a long time due to efficiency, but also because of the large tank. It means that if I were to go at 50 mpg, which I doubt, I could get to NYC from Florida on about one tank. For about 40$, with (close to) minimal pollution. Reality of course is less optimal, but in terms of hypermiling, this is becoming quite a car. Add to this the  biodiesel non-volatile nature, which allows carrying containers of fuel inside the car, and I should in theory be able to drive extremely long distances without having to find a fueling station.

So, the tank obstruction, which seemed to be an insurmountable problem, has lead to a great improvement.

The fuel tank needs to be replaced

The obstruction in the tank requires a serious cleaning. Mickey had a place near the shop try to clean it, but the effort failed. In the meantime I have been researching fuel tanks for the VW pickup. It's apparently a real problem. There are quite a few people looking for a replacement tank for this model, without much luck. Although the pickup is identical in many ways to the regular model rabbit of its time, the fuel tank is different for the pickup. Not many of these pickups were made, so now there is a shortage of tanks. There are sites which claim to have the right tank, but the pipes in inlets are usually not in the right place.

It's interesting how the internet can give a very clear impression of "absence". All mentions of my holy grail are either missing or mentioned as impossible, or claimed without reputable backing. After a while, it seems that the object of search is hard to get. But, of course the internet is vast and the search can always continue. Maybe one hasn't searched enough. Is calling people directly a time-saver here?

This is really one of the low points in dealing with the pickup truck. There doesn't seem to be a solution here. 

Maybe this is what will kill the entire project ...

An obstruction in the tank

Mickey from Best Motor Works says the car has serious gas starvation issues, due to an obstruction in the gas tank. I was worried about something like that. To use a biological metaphor, this is the equivalent of having fainting spells and the doctor tells you it's not the arteries, it's the heart - meaning it's a major problem. Mickey suggests as the first step to try cleaning the tank out. A place next door to the shop can do the job.

Engine loses power

Today I showed my son Oscar how to drive stick. He did very well. In the process I noticed a lack of power on the gas pedal. Then the engine started stalling. I tried it again a bit later and the next day.

This is very disappointing because I had gotten used to the car being reliable. Now it intermittently fails to run, which means I can no longer trust it for trips.

This time I don't think its the fuel lines, or the alternator/battery. Here we go again.

Bubbles in the fuel lines

I called Smitty regarding the motor dying. He suggests changing the oil filter as a first step. Glad to have a reason to learn about that. He will have one ready for me today to pick up. I'm optimistic, but I think it could also be the fuel pump, although that has been replaced recently.

Over a period of several weeks I tried introducing cleaning fluids (Magical Mystery oil, based on Smitty's advice), and just learning about how fluids pass into the the engine. I learned that getting rid of the bubbles in the fuel line makes the engine run smoothly.  I built a custom funnel with interior air outlet to be able to pour fuel into the lines directly. Then I video'd the bubbly fuel lines, sent it to a friend and he said that's the problem (or a symptom). Another friend concurred that the bubbles are the sign of the problem. But what is the culprit? Fuel filter? Faulty fittings? Fuel injection pump. In the end I went to a mechanic, Mickey Figueroa from Best Motor Works,  which my friend Jack Stenner recommended. This mechanic was closer by than Smitty when I broke down, and I really wanted to try to drive the car there instead of relying on AAA. Maybe this mechanic will a different view of things, maybe even break the "curse of the rabbit."

Fixing the lack of acceleration, the alternator, the leaking hoses

I recently picked up the car again [4/23/09], after Smitty made some effective fixes. The main fix was the rebuild of the injection pump. The car really feels differently now and is able to accelerate fast enough to make it onto a highway. Also, the battery no longer drains [I've had no problems starting the car since then —3/14/10]. Here is an email I sent to Smitty, and below is his email after his fixes.

Hi Smitty and all,

[unrelated deleted]

Below a listing and report on the car issues.

Long story short:

Could we make this car reliable? It eats batteries, fuel lines spurt fuel, and it can't accelerate enough to avoid being honked at or get on the highway.

It's an extremely traumatic car to drive. No one in my family wants to go near it. 

Long story itemized:

1. Fuel lines spurt fuel. Several of the fuel lines have cracked open and spurted fuel, once to the point of emptying the tank in a few minutes. Are they the wrong lines, or were they put in wrong?

2. The batteries fail constantly. I always carry a second fully charged battery for this case, and need it often (like on the way to the shop yesterday). When I got the car originally it came with a dead battery. I don't think this problem has ever been solved. It's either something with the alternator or it's some kind of spike or short, I would guess. Somewhere in the system, energy is being drained. I checked them with a voltmeter while revving the engine, and there is power coming through, maybe too much, but you might want to test that again.

3. The engine is very weak. I know it's a weak engine to begin with, and I know it's better than how it was before, but there must be a way to get it to be within reason. Did they really sell consumer cars in the 80's that couldn't get on the highway? Is the turbo for real or not? If not, can it be replaced? Can the engine be replaced? Smitty, you mentioned moving the fuel injection closer up. Let's try that or whatever else you can suggest. What are the different options and costs?

4. One of the belts is very loose. It makes a rattling noise when starting the car and goes away when you rev the motor, or after second gear. It doesn't always do this, so you may not notice it immediately.

5. The AC vent used to at least blow air from the left vent. Now it makes a screeching noise. How much would it take/cost to get the vents or even the AC to work?

6. The clutch is "high" according to several people who've driven the car. Can that be adjusted?

7. When going in reverse the rear lights don't light up.

8. I looked under the car. It looks rusty. Is that safe? If so for how long? What can I do about it?

9. The window washer fluid mechanism isn't really working.

10. There is a disconnected wire near the front of the motor, possibly to relay the temperature? Could you resolve that?

Long story long:

I have been gradually adding biodiesel to the diesel mix. When it was running mostly biodiesel, I dared take a trip with the car to Orlando with my wife (using smaller roads). I charged the second battery as insurance against the inevitable battery failure. When I got to Ocala cars started honking at me. I'm used to that since the car doesn't accelerate normally. Then I noticed smoke coming from the front. I stopped and looked under the hood. The whole motor area was covered in biodiesel. I turned on the motor and noticed a fountain coming from one of the valves. A man came by who claimed to work on diesels and using a knife, took off the problem hose (one of the small ones), cut it short, and put it back on. I had called AAA already so they had recommended the local VW dealer. When the hose seemed to be fixed I went by the VW dealer just to have them check it out for safety. They were very excited to see this type of car, none of them had before. This amused me, but also worried me. In the end they turned one of the fuel input valves somewhat in order to avoid chafing and also replaced another hose because it was cracked (this was a different hose than the one that had broken).

Back on the road about a half and hour later, I checked the car just out of anxiety. One of the large hoses had split at the end and was leaking fuel in large amounts. It had emptied the tank, which had been half full. That hose had not been a problem before, so I still don't know if it broke later, or was involved earlier, or if the VW guys accidentally broke it. I was near an auto parts store, bought some clamps and reattached the hose with multiple clamps so it wouldn't bend. We drove to a gas station to fill up and from there managed to drive home. The next day the battery was dead again.

I tell the story because I don't know exactly what caused the (three) hoses to fail, and why they failed in such quick succession. I had been using biodiesel, but it's supposed to take months before they degrade, and these were supposed to be the Viton hoses, so they shouldn't degrade at all. When I do the hose check (pinching the hose into an L shape) they seem fine. Could it be the shaking of the motor; do they all need to be clamped to avoid bending?

I have ordered more of the 1/8 inch hose to replace the one (with the fiber sheathing) that the Ocala VW people put on. That one seems to be "sweating" already.

Anyway, have a look at the car. I can be reached by email or phone anytime. Please keep me informed of possible solutions and costs in advance.

thanks and good luck

Max Becher

Hi Max,

Well after reading your letter I realize that we've got a challenge on our hands, however after looking closely at the problems it came down to two things (1) get much more power and be able to get the car started whenever you want without any reserve power.

First lets get the car started and do so always, the wiring harness from the alternator was changed, secure the alternator belt by repairing/welding  the alternator bracket to maintain the correct belt tension and alignment. However with the belt in position and New harness to the alternator we are reading just over battery voltage as output, we have to replace the alternator after doing so re check output alternator now reads 66amps at 13.46 Volts {Perfect} with these numbers this car should always start unless someone leaves the lights on to drain the battery.

Now we look at the performance Problem, Repair all fuel leaks and try to check injection pump timing, with the Jig in place I am still not able to set the timing where it is suppose to be, Now this is a set up I have used for over 25 Years but after not being able to get the reading on my dial indicator I am now convinced that my dial indicator has died, so I ordered a new dial indicator after getting the new tool try again to set the Injection pump timing Still I cannot get the numbers that I want, remembering we had to install an electric Fuel pump earlier to try to fix a hard start problem, I came to the conclusion the injection pump is faulty, since this is an expensive part I was sure that I had exhausted all other possibilities that's when I called you to tell you we have to get the Injection pump Remanufactured, I called the diesel pump company and explained to them the problem I was having in trying to set the injection pump timing and of course he explained to me that the stator/shaft that the pin for the tool sits on in the pump is worn down and would have to be replaced, once you gave me the ok to proceed we removed the pump packaged it and sent it out, we received it three days later and installed it on the car, we were able to set the pump timing in less than forty minutes and at the settings the manufacturer recommends, since we had already secured all the fuel lines previously all we had to do was to road test this car. WOOOW We have a new car, we can now spin the front tires at will take third gear all the way to 50 miles per hour we have driven this car for the last couple of days since I knew you were not around here, You are now going to enjoy this car as you intended when you got it.

We also fixed the windshield washers.

[unrelated deleted]

Thanks

Smitty

The popping fuel lines

I have been gradually adding biodiesel to the diesel mix. When it was running mostly biodiesel, I dared take a trip with the car to Orlando with my wife, using smaller roads. I charged the second battery as insurance against the inevitable battery failure. When I got to Ocala cars started honking at me. I'm used to that since the car doesn't accelerate normally. Then I noticed smoke coming from the front. I stopped and looked under the hood. The whole motor area was covered in biodiesel. I turned on the motor and noticed a fountain coming from one of the valves. A man came by who claimed to work on diesels and using a knife, took off the problem hose (one of the small ones), cut it short, and put it back on. I had called AAA already so they had recommended the local VW dealer. When the hose seemed to be fixed I went by the VW dealer just to have them check it out for safety. They were very excited to see this type of car, none of them had before. This amused me, but also worried me. In the end they turned one of the fuel input valves somewhat in order to avoid chafing and also replaced another hose because it was cracked (this was a different hose than the one that had broken).

Back on the road about a half an hour later, I checked the car just because of anxiety. One of the large hoses had split at the end and was leaking fuel in large amounts. It had emptied the tank, which had been half full. That hose had not been a problem before, so I still don't know if it broke later, or was involved earlier, or if the VW guys accidentally broke it. I was near an auto parts store, bought some clamps and reattached the hose with multiple clamps so it wouldn't bend. We drove to a gas station to fill up and from there managed to drive home. The next day the battery was dead again.

I tell the story because I don't know exactly what caused the (three) hoses to fail, and why they failed in such quick succession. I had been using biodiesel, but it's supposed to take months before they degrade, and these were supposed to be the Viton hoses, so they shouldn't degrade at all. When I do the hose-check (pinching the hose into an L shape) they seem fine. Could it be the shaking of the motor; do they all need to be clamped to avoid bending?

I have ordered more of the 1/8 inch Viton hose to replace the one (with the fiber sheathing) that the Ocala VW people put on. That one seems to be "sweating" already.

Biodiesel in Florida

There exists a very convenient site, Biodiesel.org from the The National Biodiesel Board (NBB), which helps you find biodiesel stations. It gives you a very clear image of the extent to which biodiesel retail stations are available so far, and which states are more active in the field. On the map [below is an updated map with the Gainesville location taken out - 2/28/10], every purple square represents a biodiesel station. Forida doesn't look so bad on the map, but the reality is different. Many of these stations either don't sell full biodiesel (at B20 or above, meaning a 20% blend of biodiesel and regular diesel), don't sell ANY biodiesel, or don't even exist.

The biofuel situation around here is very interesting. My town, Gainesville, FL, prides itself on being very progressive environmentally. There are all kinds of projects going on at the University, it is the first US city to adopt the German solar power feed in tariff system, there are many housing developments which try to be as green as possible, the city has one of the most extensive bike lane systems, and so on. But when it comes to biodiesel there is really no support whatsoever, at least not for the consumer. The nearest biofuel station is about 50 minutes away, and they usually have only B20, maximum, a 20 percent blend with regular diesel. In short, there is no biodiesel anywhere near Gainesville. The closest reliable biodiesel station is three and half hours away, Glover Oil (number 12 on the map). Shame on Gainesville. Sure, occasionally something pops up on Craigslist, but then you have to buy bulk, etc, and don't know what you're getting. Considering the warmth (which is good for biodiesel because there's less "gelling") and the abundance of farming opportunities, as well as the very large number of trucks that roll through the state, this city and county should really be at the forefront of this opportunity to progress and contribute positively.

Dead battery again

The battery died. I used the old fashioned battery charger, a Schumacher, which I bought a version of after I borrowed Smitty's, charging the car battery on low amp for half an hour and then the 50 amp. That didn't work. Then I detached the battery from the car and put the charger on the battery on low for half an hour, then reattached, that worked. Some connecter in the car must be interfering.

The battery keeps losing power after its charged. I think the alternator is messed up. I'm thinking of getting a second battery and keeping it in the tool box, just for security, until the alternator is fixed.

Below is the charger I used. It has helped me out many times. Its only disadvantage is that it needs to be plugged into a wall outlet. It has three settings, 2amp, 10amp and 50amp. I hear that recharging batteries quickly is not good for the battery, for some reason. The longer and slower you do it the better. Using the 2amp setting, and letting it charge for more than a half hour sometimes does the trick. If it doesn't, then a higher, faster setting may work, but this degrades the battery a bit. I really don't know what I'm doing here, but learning by doing. The interface on this charger is really ridiculous - I still don't really get it. On the face, the amp numbers descend from left to right. In the little window however, the needle shows power ascending from left to right, and then the percentage-charged numbers descend left to right again. The device looks like something that has worked so reliably for so long that no one has ever criticized its insane labeling.