I enjoy the email lists more than the forums also. I'm also on the Karmann Ghia list, which is quite a bit busier than this list.
I drive my '65 convertible several days per week in the summer and will have my wife's '67 ghia on the road this summer. I hope to get the '73 SB on the road also. Has anyone on the list replaced the support rails on a convertible? ----- Original Message ----- From: "No Quarter" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Air-Cooled Volkswagen Discussion List" <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, January 19, 2008 5:29 PM Subject: Re: [vintagvw] 1998-2008 VW Bug > Hey there Brian. Thanks for replying. Life has been busy and wraught with > ups and downs for me but I'm still around. I remember the glory days of the > list and I'm surprised that as dead as it is, that it's still up! > > I look back and can't believe that it's been 12 years since the New Beetle > came out. I remember the Concept 1 as it was named was the 'in' > collectible. It's neat to see too that you got ahold of a new beetle and > put that kind of mileage on it. I kind of like the idea of getting a good > used diesel one and doing the bio-diesel conversion. Seems to me like it > would be a lot of fun to travel all over and do it for cents on the dollar > while everyone else is lamenting fuel prices. :) > > Concerning the jets for the 34-pict-3. I know for a fact that jets wear > over time. I don't know if this is something that can be adjusted out with > the mixture screws or not but I thought when I get Li'l Red into the shop > I'm so desperately trying to finish up, I want to rebuild the carb and do it > right. I'm sure that will take care of some of my runability issues. > > Glad to hear that you're going to be getting the 73 out and about after 8 > years. I'm still driving and using Li'l Red and it shows somewhat. The > engine is still the same one I had in when I was more active on the list and > the engine has only been out twice during that time. I'm even on the same > clutch disc and when I inspected it back in May of 2004, it still looked > great. The engine is a little tired too and it struggles to maintain 65 > sometimes but I think a tune-up will help that. I'm also going to install a > good used intake manifold as my heat riser is completely plugged and I get > carb icing on cooler days. I figure while I'm doing that, I'll put on a > fresh set of dual port heads and get these old ones rebuilt and keep them > for a spare. I remember someone saying the service life on these heads was > about 30,000 miles and I'm sure I'm waaaaaay over that. I'm going to try > and get this all done before Enid gets here (my Bribane girl) and what I > don't get done, she'll help me with because right now, the bug is all I got > running. I haven't run my bus in a long time. I parked it primarily > because the Weber carbs I had on it had a barrel that wouldn't tune up > properly and made #3 run lean which it runs hot anyway. I've since gotten > dual kads with chokes and need to get them on so I'll be pulling the engine > and redoing a ton of stuff on it one of these days. First things first. :) > But yeah, while the bus was running, I had it up to 82mph downhill and with > the wind at my back. Normally I'd cruise 65 but hit 70 quite a bit. I'm a > ripe old 36 now and I'm finding that the stock package is sounding better > all the time. I actually have a set of stock rims and tires and I still > have the original 67 trans and redux boxes so if I wanted to put it together > as a stocker, I'd be able to maintain my 65mph all day long. :) The engine > package I'd really love to run would be a large displacement Type 1 with a > single carburetor and enlarged dual port center section. I know I'd loose > some power but I'd gain that low-end torque. I'd like a choke too. I > remember trying to start my bus on a 50 degree day - it wouldn't happen and > winters were a joke. Dual webers are NOT the carb to use on a midwest > vehicle that is driven in the winter and cooler days. I love the sound of > those webers but they're coming off and I'll never run them again as long as > I live here. >> >> I'd be interested in the Disc Brake conversion for my '73 SB. I hope you >> keep the list informed of your progress. > > I sure will Brian.....'m trying to think where I got them. I have the box > here but I never opened it. I think I got everything from John Connolly at > aircooled.net - yep indeed I did. I'm putting front discs on and since John > said rear discs on a beetle are a joke on a stock setup, I'm putting the > super stopper pads and WCs on the back. > > I noticed after 9/11, things went downhill pretty quick. Internet was new > and the newfound forums and communication medium was all the rage. It was > new and exciting, there were still quite a few VWs out there and people > willing to get online and read up all about them. There weren't any > webforums to speak of and you still had to be technically savvy to get > signed up on the list. (you still do!) The web forums just don't do it for > me - it's slow, clunky, and is made too easy for the masses to get on. A > listserv kind of weeds out the insincere people and so that is why I always > like the format - you could be that someone who went to the trouble to get > on here really wanted to join in and learn all they could. I don't hate the > web forums - they have their place but they just don't do it for me. > > Alas, it seems when 9/11 hit, it shattered the essence of my very being. I > signed off all the lists I was on and my life went to hell. I've noticed a > lot of the listservs are dead. I don't know if people are dying off, they > got tired of it, or what. I miss it and hope that a few of the old timers > would like to come back and at least say a little bit occasionally. Of > course, that goes both ways and I need to do my share as well. > > In retrospect of 9/11, I think I had a major case of PTSD and am still > reeling from it. Slowly I'm healing and getting back to my old self and > Enid has been a wonderful help. I'm thrilled she likes the VWs and so I look > forward to the best May I've ever had. If anyone would like to see pictures > of my trip as well as some RHD VWs (not the best pictures), just check out > www.nqvw.com/australia and enjoy! > > Thanks for your message Brian. Hope to see some more listees poke their > head out. Keep them old air-cooleds running too. That's all I own cuz > that's all I care to drive. I even ride a Whizzer motorbike in the > summertime and yep, it's air-cooled too! :) > > TTYL > > Erin > > _______________________________________________ > vintagvw site list > [email protected] > http://lists.sjsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/vintagvw _______________________________________________ vintagvw site list [email protected] http://lists.sjsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/vintagvw
