Monday, December 15, 2003
This weekend had nothing to do with the bug. But, I feel it should be discussed anyway. I'll give the short version. I helped Steve install a short shift kit in his Mini. Now, this was a far more involved process than my short shift kit. New cars, bah! So complicated.
Anyway, you can read allllll about it at his Mini Blog. There you will see what we went through and why we didn't have time to install the sway bar.
Ah well.
Anyway, you can read allllll about it at his Mini Blog. There you will see what we went through and why we didn't have time to install the sway bar.
Ah well.
Monday, December 08, 2003
Today I install my Pomona acquisitions.
They're both so simple I'll just show the pics. The one of the shift knob is not so good, I'll get a better one soon.
They're both so simple I'll just show the pics. The one of the shift knob is not so good, I'll get a better one soon.
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Sunday, December 07, 2003
Getting up when it's dark sucks a lot. But, every so often a man has to get up and face the dark.
And that's what happened today. Steve picked me up at 5am and we cruised the empty freeways to a not-so-far-off land called Pomona. Oooo...
Every month or so this organization hosts the Pomona Auto Swap Meet. It's a crazy collection of vendors, hobbyists, and enthusiasts. We arrived around 5:30am in the dark, fog, and mist, parked the car and wandered toward the entrance as did hundreds of others, many pulling their radio-flyer wagons for parts haulin'. Fortunately they've set a section up strictly for VW and Porsche parts. In we went and around we wandered. It's something that I think has to be experienced. To convey the atmosphere, the people and the overall odd feeling to searching for car parts in the dark with hundreds of other VW owners is impossible with the written word. Let's just say it started out bizarre and ended up weird.
It was cool.
What did I end up with you ask? A new shift knob and new tailpipes! I didn't actually "need" either of these but it's what I got and I plan on going back with a serious list of more serious bits and pieces.
I'll install today's bounty tomorrow.
Update: I've been informed that I've made a horrible mistake. When I said "parked the car" I most definately should have said "parked the Mini." Who knows how many gods I've insulted? I do hope they turn a blind eye on my misfortunate error.
And that's what happened today. Steve picked me up at 5am and we cruised the empty freeways to a not-so-far-off land called Pomona. Oooo...
Every month or so this organization hosts the Pomona Auto Swap Meet. It's a crazy collection of vendors, hobbyists, and enthusiasts. We arrived around 5:30am in the dark, fog, and mist, parked the car and wandered toward the entrance as did hundreds of others, many pulling their radio-flyer wagons for parts haulin'. Fortunately they've set a section up strictly for VW and Porsche parts. In we went and around we wandered. It's something that I think has to be experienced. To convey the atmosphere, the people and the overall odd feeling to searching for car parts in the dark with hundreds of other VW owners is impossible with the written word. Let's just say it started out bizarre and ended up weird.
It was cool.
What did I end up with you ask? A new shift knob and new tailpipes! I didn't actually "need" either of these but it's what I got and I plan on going back with a serious list of more serious bits and pieces.
I'll install today's bounty tomorrow.
Update: I've been informed that I've made a horrible mistake. When I said "parked the car" I most definately should have said "parked the Mini." Who knows how many gods I've insulted? I do hope they turn a blind eye on my misfortunate error.
Saturday, December 06, 2003
And here's what went down.
The bolt, she doesn't come out. Turns out, the bolt is bent and thus the clamp is bent and thus I need a new clamp. Little did I know how ripped off I would be for this new clamp. I could order one from JBugs for $2.95 but no, I need one now so I, for the price of a coffee, get a ride down to the little shop in Culver City where they charge me $7!!!
Those bastards!
But, I was up a tree and my distributor was hanging in the engine compartment awaiting my return. Well, all is done, the new clamp is in and I'm now convinced that timing is a black art that takes decades to perfect. Check back in ten years.
And now, a pictorial representation of how it all happened:
The bolt, she doesn't come out. Turns out, the bolt is bent and thus the clamp is bent and thus I need a new clamp. Little did I know how ripped off I would be for this new clamp. I could order one from JBugs for $2.95 but no, I need one now so I, for the price of a coffee, get a ride down to the little shop in Culver City where they charge me $7!!!
Those bastards!
But, I was up a tree and my distributor was hanging in the engine compartment awaiting my return. Well, all is done, the new clamp is in and I'm now convinced that timing is a black art that takes decades to perfect. Check back in ten years.
And now, a pictorial representation of how it all happened:
Monday, December 01, 2003
Timing is everything.
Tis nearly winter now. The thermometer dips to a brisk 55 on most nights. It's getting hard to work on the car outdoors. Eh hem. This weekend I had an impromptu desire to fix the timing on my car. Did it need fixing? I think so. And it certainly does now. Before timing, points must be adjusted. The points, I've learned recently, are the two things that make contact in the distributor to deliver the spark from the coil to the rotor and thus to the appropriate spark plug. Well, I had to make sure the proper gap existed between the points. This I did with little issue. Once I figured out where exactly I was supposed to measure everything went swimmingly. I even got to use my new tach/dwell/volt meter (pic soon, it looks like something you build in shop class). So that was that.
Now the timing. My one book tells me I can check the timing with a static timining light which was constructed some months ago. It's a lighbulb with a wire and an alligator clip. Works great. So I hook that up to the coil, turn the engine with my wrench and, wah-la! It lights. Now, I'm supposed to loosen the nut that holds the distributor in place so I can turn the distributor and make sure the spark is firing in the correct spot. I do so and then, here's where it gets a little wierd, I go to tighten the nut and I think I do so. About an hour or so later I jump in the car to drive to Santa Monica.
Oh oh.
Something is definately wrong. The bug doesn't idle. It just stalls. So, the whole way there I have to keep my foot on the gas a bit to keep the car running, that sucked. I arrive and check the engine compartment realizng that the nut didn't tighten at all. The distributor rotates easily. Damn it. Long story short, the bolt is stripped. I do hope to get a new bolt tomorrow or else I'll have to get a new clamp. I'll let ya know what goes down.
Tis nearly winter now. The thermometer dips to a brisk 55 on most nights. It's getting hard to work on the car outdoors. Eh hem. This weekend I had an impromptu desire to fix the timing on my car. Did it need fixing? I think so. And it certainly does now. Before timing, points must be adjusted. The points, I've learned recently, are the two things that make contact in the distributor to deliver the spark from the coil to the rotor and thus to the appropriate spark plug. Well, I had to make sure the proper gap existed between the points. This I did with little issue. Once I figured out where exactly I was supposed to measure everything went swimmingly. I even got to use my new tach/dwell/volt meter (pic soon, it looks like something you build in shop class). So that was that.
Now the timing. My one book tells me I can check the timing with a static timining light which was constructed some months ago. It's a lighbulb with a wire and an alligator clip. Works great. So I hook that up to the coil, turn the engine with my wrench and, wah-la! It lights. Now, I'm supposed to loosen the nut that holds the distributor in place so I can turn the distributor and make sure the spark is firing in the correct spot. I do so and then, here's where it gets a little wierd, I go to tighten the nut and I think I do so. About an hour or so later I jump in the car to drive to Santa Monica.
Oh oh.
Something is definately wrong. The bug doesn't idle. It just stalls. So, the whole way there I have to keep my foot on the gas a bit to keep the car running, that sucked. I arrive and check the engine compartment realizng that the nut didn't tighten at all. The distributor rotates easily. Damn it. Long story short, the bolt is stripped. I do hope to get a new bolt tomorrow or else I'll have to get a new clamp. I'll let ya know what goes down.
