Hey guys---I wish I was reporting success in firing up my 1776 engine for the first time, but instead I have a problem. Today I bypassed the voltage regulator and hooked up the alternator. Then I hooked up the brand new battery and turned the key. Nothing from the starter. I wanted to cry. The oil and generator lights came on. The headlights come on nice and bright. We never touched the starter or it's wiring during the install. I have a voltage tester but I've never used it. I could use some advice on how to proceed.
Hiya kbug,
Nuetral safety switch disengaged (car in nuetral)?
Hey Bookwus. Yes, car is in neutral. I do hear a click from under the car when I turn the key. Just one click. Starter was working before we pulled the engine, but I did have a dead battery.
Hiya kbug,
Well, the single click sounds like a starter solenoid malfunction..
Have you cleaned all the contacts to the starter/solenoid? Made sure the tranny ground strap is hooked up in place and cleaned?
I'll slide under the bug in the morning and start cleaning things up. Is the grounding strap easy to locate?
grounding strap is easy to locate it looks just like the battery ground, its the braided wire flat silver strap about a foot long right at the tranny
GL on getting the 1776 running
Joe
just curious did you need to modify the bigger carb for the AS vacuum line?
I tried using a screwdriver to connect the 2 terminals on the starter solonoid, as suggested by the Idiot's guide. But all I got was a big spark that startled me. The starter didn't turn. I'm not sure what that means. I'm going out to get a terminal cleaner.
Sounds like a stuck starter? Try jumping the battery directly to it and see if it spins. You will get a BIG spark, Easier if you remove it from the engine. Be brave! :)
Hello, I would make sure that you can still turn the engine by hand (or by the crank nut with a wrench). Is it possible that something got in a bind during the install?
I'm going to clean all the terminals 1st. I'll try turning the engine too, but we had to turn it to install the TC bolts. Thanks for your suggestions. ;D
I earlier reported that there was a click when I turned the key. That click is when I turned the key to the 1st position. When I turn it beyond that to turn the motor nothing happens. Maybe that changes things. I cleaned the terminals and solenoid connections including the grounding strap. No change.
I made some progress. Using jumper cables, I attached one end to the positive battery terminal and then touched the other end to the terminal for the starter motor on the solenoid. The starter motor whirred to life. Then I pulled the wire from the ignition and touched the clamp to that terminal and the engine started to crank. I have to build shelves now, but I would appreciate a link or advice on where to go next.
It really sounds like you have isolated the problem to the starter switch. If you applied power to the wire disconnected from the switch and it worked then there you have it. It may well be related to the dead battery. If your battery is weak and you start the engine you get a voltage drop and that causes the current requirements to turn the starter to go way up. More current equals more heat on the contact points of the starter and that could have been what fried the switch if indeed the switch is bad. I am reading your post as pulled one wire from the ignition SWITCH. Is that correct?
Correct, I pulled the wire from the ignition to the solenoid and hot wired that terminal on the solenoid. I hate to sound like a total knucklehead but this is my 1st foray into electrical systems and not one I anticipated. So, do I need to test the switch or should I just replace it? I'll search for some related links here and on the Samba. Thanks Greenghia.
I called Wolfsburg West about picking up an ignition switch. The guy told me they stopped carrying them because the switches on the market were crap and were frying people's starters. They are going to manufacture their own, but don't have specs yet. Has anybody else heard this? If that's the case, what are my other options? ??? They are available from other suppliers.
Hiya kbug,
Thought about doing the boneyard search for an OEM ignition switch? It's been my experience that (aside from the electrical portion of the switch) the originals are pretty tough stuff. Matter of fact, now that I've typed this in, I'm wondering if your switch might be OK but it's just the electrical portion that's gone crappers.
Hey Bookwus. It was the electrical part that I was asking about at Wolfburg. I read one of your earlier posts about the 3 parts of the ignition and the electrical being the weak link. I decided to start with that. A guy on the Samba bypassed the electrical part and put a toggle under his dash. He just flipped it and turned the key. Does that sound like a viable option?
I'm going to run a wire from the battery, to a blip switch under the dash, then to the starter solenoid. What gauge wire should I use?
Kbug,
Run a relay. That way you run normal gauge wire to/from your blip (MOM - Momentary ON) switch which activates the relay to feed the heavier guage at the starter solenoid. The relay can be close to the starter to shorten the heavy wire run from the battery to the realy and relay to the solenoid.
Normal 10 Amp wire & say 50 Amp wire for the heavy lead. Comparing the generator battery feed on a VW to a modern wire, the modern 50Amp is very multistranded and thinner that the stock VW 30Amp wire.
That sort of connection will disable your Neutral Safety Switch somewhat.
www.shoptalkforums.com electrical section is a good place to hang out re electrics. Speedy Jim (and others) is on there and his website you should bookmark for electrical stuff.
Regards
Volkenstein
Hey Volkenstein. How does the neutral safety switch fit into the circuit? Is it between the ignition and the solenoid and now I'm bypassing it? I've looked at shoptalkforums, but there's so much info to absorb I feel like I need a degree to understand it. I'm just curious what the advanatge is of the relay vs running a 10 amp wire all the way or a 50 amp wire all the way? Changeing oil cooler seals seems easy compared to electrical issues.
Thanks---Michael
Hiya kbug,
Maybe this will help you visualize the AS circuit with the Nuetral Safety Switch.....................
(http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa85/Bookwus1/Bug/Type_1-1600_USA_from_august_1969_ad.jpg)
Sorry I couldn't get it any larger. The NSS is E17 almost in the center of the picture.
I'm with Sean on doing the relay thing. Basically, a relay functions like a long distance switch. It can control a heavier load while drawing very little electricity itself. That means you can string out a smaller guage wire rather than having to run the bug heavy stuff. Definitely the way to go. And I'm also with Sean on his recommendation of Speedy Jim. I have not run into anybody who knows VW electricity like SJ. To top it off, he's a wonderful guy who will spend time with you to get your problem resolved.
Thanks Bookwus. Are the electrical supplies available at any autoparts store or do I need to find a supplier?
Hiya Michael,
I would think that any reasonably well stocked auto parts store would have what you'd need.
Here's a shot of a hard start relay wiring which is what you can rig up :
(http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e210/ctefeh/diagram.jpg)
Bugpack make this kit, but you can make it yourself. The only difference (this is from a normal ign switch) is that the Red/Black on the diagram would be from your MOM/Toggle switch.
X2 on Mike's suggestion. Wires, relays etc etc...auto parts houses.
HTH
SEan
Thanks guys. I'll hit Pep Boys then get started on this Sat. morning. I think I'll pick up a book on auto wiring. I'm sure problems will arise in the future. One last question. Most of the ATF fluid drained from the system when we pulled the engine and TC. Now that it's back together, what's the best procedure to follow to get it juiced back up again?
Thanks----Michael
Hiya Michael,
About the ATF: The system takes just less than 4 quarts of ATF. When I've had my engine out and the ATF system more or less drained, I've refilled with 2 quarts and checked the dipstick. If there is any showing on the dipstick I'll start her up and let it warm up before I add any more. That way you have enough ATF in the system to do a static run and you'll be warming the ATF up which will make for an accurate reading later. If it does not show on the dipstick at first, I'll add until it does.
About the hard-start relay recommeded by Sean: I'm a Bus owner too. This hard start business is primarily a Bus problem because of the long wire runs (remember a relay prevents these long runs of heavy duty wiring) and the consequent heat build up and corrosion in these runs. It does also happen in Bugs but to a lesser extent. A couple of words to the wise...........make sure all your connections in any ignition run are bright and shiny. You want everything as clean as you can get it - no corrosion anywhere. Dialectric grease is also good to coat these connections. Bosch makes (or used to make) a hard start relay specifically for VW. Think they called it a WR-1 relay kit. Used to cost less than $20, biut that was a few years ago.
Hey Mike. I found this locally.http://www.vwparts.net/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=VWP&Product_Code=BOSWR1 I'm going to call them when they open to see if that's what I need. Also, looking at the diagram volkenstein sent me, what does the yellow wire go to?
Hiya Michael,
That link is, indeed, the Bosch Hard Start Relay I was referring to before.
The yellow lead (86) in the diagram looks to be a ground.
All,
That it is...yellow = ground.
Note that the wire colour's don't matter much, it is the connections to/from the relay that are important. IE wire X goes to terminal 86 from location Y etc etc. 2 terminals carry the heavier current, the other 2 provide a means of "switching on" or activating the relay to allow the heavy current circuit to function.
These 4 prong automotive relays (Bosch standard!!!) wire up the same according to the terminal numbers.
Regards
Sean
Hey Sean. I picked up the relay on my way home. They gave me the exact same diagram that you posted. All the wires from the relay seem to be the same gauge. 14 gauge looked like the closest match so I bought 20ft of that. Please let me know if I should replace it with something else. The push button will fit nicely on the drivers side of the ashtray. The biggest challenge will be running the wire to the back. I'm actually looking forward to hooking this up Sat. morning.
Michael:
FWIW I also have a 68 that had the same problem. The PO had rigged up a remote swithch to the starter terminals which I removed. I am good with electronics. The scheme you are going to undertake should work well also.
Have you considered replacing the electronic poirtion of the starter switch? That was the problem with mine. The switch carried 12 volts on the meter but was not passing any current/amps to the starter. I got the replacement portion of the switch from Mid America (not expensive) and installed it with no problems. It works great. The stock system is not ideal but works well.
Like anything else on these cars you can fix the problem or bypass the symptom. The beauty is, either way you can still get it running...
Tom
Hey tmea. Thanks for the vote of confidence. Replacing the electronic portion was my original plan. Then Wolfsburg told me they wouldn't carry any of the ones currently on the market and were going to produce their own. Maybe I wouldn't have any problems with one bought from another source, but why take the chance when a bypass looked like a good option. I can always re-do it in the future.
Absolutely. I think mine was made in India... It works great though. I replaced it a couple of years ago. Good luck with your 68. I love mine. Only major thing left to do is paint. I've been having a hard time finding a place that will do it.
Tom
Hiya Tom,
Glad to see you back on the board.
Definitely agree with you on the electrics. The electrical portion of the keyswitch would very likely (almost a sure bet) do the job for Michael. But I gotta respect his desire to wait for a quality product and his plan in the interim is a good one.
Speaking of painters, too bad you don't live in my area. I've got a guy who is fantastic and, since he works out of his garage, is very reasonable on price. Matter of fact my car is getting a new coat of color right now. Here it is in primer.......
(http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj16/4nicx/MikesBug7/DSC05179.jpg)
Morning Mike. Your picture raises a few questions. Does the primer reflect the final color, was any body work involved, and how much were you quoted if you don't mind? Painting will be my next goal once the car is running.
Michael
Hiya Michael,
Uh-oh.............paint questions! If there is one area of the car I leave to pros it's painting. I know very little about the process or the equipment. But I am on the ball enough to ask questions, so I'll pass some of that information along.
I was kinda shocked when I first saw the car in primer. I was expecting the usual primer gray color. Turns out that the pros now tend to match their primer color with the final finish coat. This can help them use less primer and less color coat (as in the case in which a final color does not cover well) to achieve better looking results. Actually, the more I looked at that yellow primer the more I liked it. But the car is going back to its original Savanna Beige.
There was quite a bit of body work on the car. Uncovering the old paint revealed that it had been in a couple of accidents. One rear ender and one small impact just behind the gas flap door. On top of that the car was a mass of dings, dents, and scrapes. To give you a "before" and "during" picture take a look at these...........
Before:
(http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa85/Bookwus1/Bug/IMG_0749.jpg)
During:
(http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa85/Bookwus1/DSC05162.jpg)
When Willy, my painter, estimated the job at the end of last summer he quoted me $1200. Due to rising expenses the job this summer will cost a bit more but I'd be surprised if it goes over $1500. He's an honest guy and works hard for a dollar. If you go looking for a paint job at a professional shop be prepared to pay a lot more. Probably twice what I'm paying if not more. The single best way to cut costs is to do as much as the prep work as you can. That's where a good shop will spend most of its time.
Mike:
Your car looks fantastic! Infact, it looks like mine. Mine is a Savannah Beige 68. When getting estimates I even offer to bring the car with no glass or trim and I still get rediculous estimeates. The car has zero rust. Frusterating. I'm still looking. I'm in the Kansas City area. Where is this guy?
Agree with you on the electrics. It is how VW should have done it in the first place. In mine, the guy had rigged a remote starter switch to the starter terminals with alligator clips and just ran the wires through the door and laid it on the floor. Glad I got the car before he could have implemented his ideas for converting to manual tranny and adding A/C.... I'm lucky with this one. No mods, just 100% stock.
Tom
Hiya Tom,
Gotta love those Savanna Beige cars. My Bus (also a 1970) is Savanna Beige too.
Willy, my painter, is in Mollala, Oregon. It's about a half hour south of Portland.
This guy is so good that if I had a car that needed to be painted and I was anywhere in the Pacific Northwest, I'd bring it to him. I've seen him repair and redo jobs that were done by body and paint shops. The guy is just a wizard with paint and body work. One reason that he works for a lot less is that he uses his garage to do his painting. Very little overhead means less of a final bill. And, while he took the car apart for painting, I'll be doing the reassembly with him.
Yep, paint just costs an arm and a leg. I was really lucky to find Willy.
I'll post up an "after" picture when we get it all done.
Mine cost about $50 BUCKS
I rolled white primer rustolium and flat black paint every bit of pitted crusty chrome is now flat black.
I will soon do a off pan restore till thin I could not take driving around in a primer gray and rust car it had the rat look that may be hip but to me screamed white trash.
Surprizingly enough it was very exhausting work over a two day period after weeks of scraping pealing sanding and stripping I gave in and primed it with 3 coats of oil based rustolium white primer then rolled about 5 coats of oil based rustolium flat black and aside from one roll mark on the roof it came out very well considering each can of rustolium cost bout 9 bucks and the rest of the equipment stripper included cost total of $50 bucks The guys on youtube were right you can roll even a bug my advice is to use the sponge type brush for around the headlights and other tight curves and less paint is better thinning it to the consistancy of milk is about the rule I did 50/50 I am currently getting a fixed income (very limited) so elbow grease I have, fat bank roll, I do not.
Hiya 68,
Yep, I've seen the roller approach to painting a car. The results can be surprisingly good. I think the idea behind this technique is borrowed from Europe (Great Britain mostly) where the tradition of hand painting (I believe they use laquer) coaches still holds out against the more popular spraying.
Take a look at this guy's $50 paint job. Pretty darn impressive!
http://www.rickwrench.com/index79master.htm?http://www.rickwrench.com/50dollarpaint.html
Hey guys----Picked up my friend Ray to help install the starter switch this morning. He got to checking around with a volt meter and discovered that the ignition switch wasn't bad at all. He traced the problem down to the section of wire between the solenoid and the connectors under the rear seat. We just replaced a 2 foot section of wire and fired her up. That was cool except I had already drilled a hole in the dash for the starter button. I'll just stick the button in there and leave it. I may need it in the future.
The carb needs some fine tuning. The engine lopes in idle and dies when you put it in gear. If the builder had it running smooth before he delivered it (big if), then maybe I have a vacuum leak somewhere. Ray's going to look into fine tuning the H30/31 PICT carb. We didn't have a lot of time to play around with it this morning, but I'm off next Friday and we're going to dive into it and finish the job. At least nothing is leaking out so I must have installed the TC seal correctly. I think things are going well and I should be cruising next weekend.
Thanks for your help everybody. I may be starting a new thread for the carb.
Michael
Hiya Michael,
With your 30/31 you definitely want to check this out..........
http://www.vw-resource.com/30PICT2.html
Hiya All,
Since I interloped in this thread with the painting of my car, I'll just continue along with it here.
Here's a shot of Willy sanding down the primer. Getting ready for the color coat.
(http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj16/4nicx/MikesBug7/DSC05198.jpg)
Hey Bookwus. Were you tempted to change the color? Maybe beige with white sides. A carb question. This 30/31 has been a PITA ever since I got it. I'm not ruling out replacing it if it comes to that. Aircooled.net has a 34-3 for dual port, would that be a good mate?
Michael
Hiya Michael,
Change the color? Nah, I'm too much of a stock Nazi to do something like that.
About your carburetor.........you definitely do not want a 30/31 sitting on top of a 1776. The 30/31 is an aftermarket carburetor designed to replace any of the original 30 series (30PICT1, 30PICT2, and 30PICT3) that sat on top of 1500 and 1600 single port engines. The 30/31 is way too small to the job on a 1776. Matter of fact, the 34PICT3 in its stock form is probably going to underwhelm the 1776 also. You'll need to rejet that 34PICT3 in order to make that 1776 reasonably happy.
My engine builder told me the 30/31 would work fine, but look how he turned out. I'll find out soon if he built me a decent engine. I'll order the 34PICT3 and the bigger jet. I have a stock distributer. Will that work or should I change that too?
Hey bookwus. I just read your post about Keifernet. I'll try him 1st for a carb.
Hiya Michael,
Keith is absolutely the best for carb work. Be sure to tell him that you need a 34PICT3 specifically for an AutoStick and a 1776. He'll get you set up. He runs all his carbs before he sends them out so it will arrive very close to being in tune. Just a bolt-it-on and go kinda proposition.
On the other hand, if you do the rejetting yourself you might want to heed the words of Rob & Dave.........
"Regarding the 1776cc engine: the stock 34PICT/3 carburetor with a fractionally larger main jet and a fractionally smaller air correction jet to suit the higher air flow being asked of the carburetor should suit nicely. The 34PICT normally has a X127.5 main and a 140Z or 170 air correction jet. So with a vacuum distributor, using a 55 idle, X130 or X132.5 main and about a 100 - 120Z air correction jet should provide good mixture for a 1776, without affecting fuel economy to badly (fuel consumption WILL be a little higher with the larger capacity though).
For a 1776cc engine with 009 distributor, 55 idle, X132.5 or X135 main, and air correct around 80Z should be close to the mark.
Change the main first and do a plug read as above. This will tell you if it's running rich or lean at speed and then you can set the air correction jet accordingly (smaller air correction means richer mixture - is delivers air so it works the opposite to a main jet. The air correction jet affects mostly the high rpm -- not much effect on low-middle rpm).
Try to use the leanest main jet you can -- too rich will only result in the cylinder oil film being diluted more, and this means higher cylinder wear."
I PM'd Keith. The Builder didn't put in a 009 dist. He stuck with the stock one. Wish I could get in touch with the guy, but his website is down and he doesn't return messages. His feedback on the Samba went south too(after I gave him my old engine). I liked Andy and I hope he gets his crap together. I'm not sure if my warranty is worth anything now.
Hiya Michael,
Quote from: kbug on 31 May 2009, 16:04
Wish I could get in touch with the guy, but his website is down and he doesn't return messages. His feedback on the Samba went south too(after I gave him my old engine).
Ouch! Not good signs.
Hiya All,
Painting update............
(http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj16/4nicx/MikesBug7/DSC05229.jpg)
Color coat went on today.
Wow, what a looker!
Mike I hate to point out the obvious, but it looks like that guy stole your bumper and tail lights. ;D
Looks great!!
Dave
Hiya dave,
Quote from: hercdriver on 03 June 2009, 20:29
Mike I hate to point out the obvious, but it looks like that guy stole your bumper and tail lights. ;D
Ya' think that's why he gave me a break on the price?
Mike:
Looks awesome! Driving me crazy to see it. I look at mine in the garage and see what it should look like. Still shopping around for a good paint job that does not cost as much as a new car...
Tom
Hey all......this is mike's friend Ray.....I'm helping Mike tune in his little '68 here :)
As I'm a little more experienced with this stuff, had a pumped up '71 Super 25yrs ago, so I've been drawing on what I remember from those days long ago..LOL.
Today we seem to be having good luck with her as she's running and driving fairly reliably....could be better though and that's where I am having some issues.
IDLING and idling in gear........we can't get it to run smoothly RELIABLY in gear, and the idling speed fluctuates from stoplight to stoplight. I am having to raise the out-of-gear idle speed up enough to keep it from dying, that I am running into the mechanical advance in the dist coming in....causing the idle speed to raise even further. Drop'r into gear and the idle speed drops waaaayyyyyyy down...almost to the point of stall. Then after a few seconds, it'll climb back up to a fairly reasonable rpm and seems to stay OK.
I did an extensive air-leak-recon and came up aces, went back and adjusted the carb per spec found here and set the timimg so it runs up and down the hills around Mike's place without pinging on Premium fuel.....done. (I always powertime my older cars, I have early 70's Datsuns as well so I am of the vintage car mind "))
OK.....I'm really not sure where to go from here on his car......he will be driving it to work soon so I'd like to leave him knowing I can trust the tune to be good.
So what's causing this weird idle drop-then-recover deal????
thanks, Ray
KBUG!
Ray,
What carb is on it? H30/31 or the 34 Pict - 3 that was going to be bought? Anecdotally...I would carb cleaner and compressed air ANY "new" carb (Keith's ones would be an exception) blowing in all directions possible. I'd also check how much throttle shaft slop there is "out of the box". Again anecdotal evidence says "new" carbs sometimes suffer pitiful quality.
Maybe whip the top off the carb and check for scunge or corrosion, check the twin screws' O-rings as well?
Also as an afterthought...check your distributor can and make sure the points plate rotates smoothly without hanging up anywhere. Ditto for twisting on the rotor to check your mechanical advance isn't hanging up.
HTH
Volkenstein
Big surprise, Andy, my builder, actually returned my call. He said he put a 110 cam in the engine. He suggested it might be a air leak around the booster on the trans. that's causing my idle problems. I didn't have time to check that today. I did drive her around and after she warmed up, she ran pretty well. Idling low but did not die at lights when in gear. Anyone have any experience with 110 cams?
Hiya Michael,
Quote from: kbug on 08 June 2009, 01:42
Big surprise, Andy, my builder, actually returned my call. He said he put a 110 cam in the engine.
And that could, at least in part, explain the idling problems. Engines with performance cams usually do not have a smooth idle. I was considering building a 1776 and had determined that, if I did so, I'd use a stock camshaft to avoid that problem.
Quote.....He suggested it might be a air leak around the booster on the trans.
Eh? What's that? The clutch servo possibly?
Yeah Bookwus, when I looked up the spec on that cam Andy put in there I was bummed at the tighter 108 deg lobe sep angle. Knowing that, I don't think it was ever meant for an auto trans car..... >:(
The "new" Brosol 30/31 is also creating it's own trouble in that along with the idling in gear situation, we are ALSO dealing with an overly rich condition upon restart after 10-15min. Likely that raw fuel is getting past the needle/seat and loading up the motor when stopped. We've been here before with an older, orig carb that had been doing the same thing, but we thought our troubles would be solved with the new carb......hehe, right. :-\ ;D
Mike was told the 34PICT-3 would be a good carb for his motor, sound fair? The Brazilian wonder is not the answer!
thnks,
--Ray....KBug's bud ;D
Hiya Wrench,
You are so right about that 30/31.
That guy was made as generic replacement for any 30PICT series carbs. All of those carbs sat on top of single port engines and two of them were on top of 1500s. Not 1776 material by a long shot.
As to the 34PICT3. A much better choice for a 1776. But it too needs to be rejetted for this application. Take a look above in this thread and you'll find a post by me with some more specifics about rejetting the 34PICT3 for use on a 1776, courtesy of Rob & Dave.
Hey guys. I got an email from Keith. He gave me his # and asked me to call him tomorrow about a new carb. I'll let you know what he says.
Talked to Keith. He has a 34PICT3 for an autostick that he's going to set-up for me. Only $185, sweet deal. Said he'll put me on the short list. He also said my wet starts may be due to too much pressure from the fuel pump. I'll check that out. The fraulein's actually running pretty good once she gets warmed up. The 1776 gives me some real power to work with. On a daily driver level that is. ;D
Hiya Michael,
Woo-hoo!
As coincidence would have it, I am just on my way out the door to the Post Office. Going to send another carb down to Keith.
How do you send them?
Hiya Michael,
I make sure all the gas is out of the carb and it's dry. I then wrap it with shop type paper towels. That then goes inside a Ziploc bag. Then into a suitable box along with packing peanuts. Usually I Priority Mail via USPS and Keith returns in kind.
Thanks Mike. I'll need to send him the old one.
Hiya All,
Painting update...............All done!
(http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa85/Bookwus1/Bug/IMG_1644.jpg)
Very nice job Mike! And it looks like you got those bumpers back also ;D
Mike:
Your car looks outstanding! I'm still in the hunt for someone who will paint mine.
Tom
Hmmmm I'm beginning to see a trend with the paint color ;)
Hiya green,
Quote from: greenghia on 16 June 2009, 23:42
Hmmmm I'm beginning to see a trend with the paint color ;)
Yeah. Kinda creeps up on ya' doesn't it?
Truth be told, L620 is the original color for both Bug and Bus.
I'm buying a used, louvered deck lid for my bug tomorrow. I found a guy on the Samba who has 20 of them for sale at $20 each. Is there any difference in size on later models? He said they're all 1968 and older.
Hiya Michael,
Lots of differences. It is definitely not a one-size-fits-all...........IF............you want it stock. Otherwise you are pretty much safe withany rear decklid that is post 1967.
The differences occur in the number of cooling slots for each year and model of car. Take a look.............
1968: Sedans No vents Convertibles 10 (2 rows of 5)
1969: Sedans No vents Convertibles 10 (2 rows of 5)
1970: Sedans 10 (2 rows of 5) Convertibles 28 (4 rows of 7)
1971: Sedans 10 (2 rows of 5) Convertibles 28 (4 rows of 7)
1972: Sedans 26 (7-6-6-7) Convertibles 26 (7-6-6-7)
1973 and on: as in 1972 (from what I can tell as of the moment)
I am pretty sure my Original deck lid had had no vents and 3 holes approx. 3 inches apart in a diag. line to hold the three posts that held the
AUTOMATIC
StickShift
logo made of Aluminum
Good Luck on your 68.
Thanks guys. I want vents to give my 1776 a little more cooling. I think you suggested that a few months back Mike. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't spending $20 on one that didn't fit.
I can see this is a little late! I bought my starter switch from 2nd. Street foreign car service in Coos Bay OR. 541-267-6701. Owner Marty Slechta is a VW owner & very helpful.