On Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:15:07 -0500, Vic Smith
wrote:

On Mon, 19 Oct 2009 10:56:36 -0700, jps wrote:



Fond memories of greasing the dist cam.

I recall .004 and .006 but that could be wrong too. My first car was
a '61 VW with a pull-back sunroof and a blown engine ($125). $250 in
parts and the manual and I was in business. Think I rebuilt that
engine a couple of times. It ended up a baja bug. It's sale financed
my move to S. Cal.

When mine rusted beyond drivability in '74 - seat sinking, rocker
panels gone - a guy wanted to buy it just for the frame for a beach
buggy.
This was in Chicago. It was news to me. Didn't work because I had
lost the title, so I had a boneyard pick it up.
Had a '67 Squareback later, but it was just trouble.
Good memories with the bug though.
First car I got into working on, thanks in large part to that book -
can't remember the title - but it was probably the first real "for
dummies" book.
Went a little beyond that though - ground my valves with compound,
stem chucked into a reversing drill.
Worked fine. Who needs all them angles, eh?

--Vic

It was HOW TO KEEP YOUR VW ALIVE, aka IDIOT GUIDE.

That was the book I used on the first rebuild too. Great
introduction. In the five years forward, I'm sure I touched every
part of every version of that car. Squareback, Ghia, Bus.

The squareback was a bitch. Remember knashing my knuckes on the sheet
metal while pulling plugs on tuneups. Good thing it was S. Cal
because doing that in cold weather can make tools fly and customers
run for cover.

Snap on guy was always happy to see me, nearly as happy as the roach
coach folks on payday.