Freshening Up

I needed to address a few items on Paloma before she was 100% road worthy and more importantly; safe. One of the items which needed attention was the engine compartment wiring. To say that it was in poor condition, would be generous statement. The wiring was old, brittle, cracked, and consisted of barely crimped on terminals purchased from your local hardware store. I went ahead and built a new harness from scratch using OEM quality electrical terminals sourced from Bobby on The Samba. The terminals along with new wires and shrink tubes, definitely add the finishing touch to the new harness. In addition I also added the wire and fuse holder to power the reverse lights.

As you can see, the old harness was less than perfect.

Here are some close up of the end terminals:


And now, the new harness:


The new OEM wire terminal, shrink tubes, and wires.

I am very pleased with the results. The OEM Quality Terminals look great, were easy to install, and match the originals. Not only does the harness look good, it also puts my fears of emergency repairs on the side of the road (at least in this area) to rest.

Addiction

School tends to absorb the majority of one's time as you get older. Needless to say, I will be updating this blog on a weekly basis moving forward. Many events have occurred since my last posting, including numerous projects related to Puddy and Doloris as well as further proof that, the love of cars tends to be a hopeless addiction. I'm proud to introduce everyone to Paloma; a 1968 Karmann Ghia coupe.

She's a pretty solid car with a zero accident history, a nice straight body, and a solid stock 1500cc motor. As you can imagine, plans for this one are already in the works and stock is not part of the plan!

You will be visited by three ghosts.

Did you ever get the feeling something was destined to occur? Perhaps it’s just a feeling of being watched, or something in the air, or perhaps a subtle little hint from the Petrol Gods themselves? Obviously we don’t want to throw out silly terms like omens, sings, or warnings. Sometimes there are larger forces out there that just want us to be aware. Aware of their wrath!

Like any good road trip, one has to prepare. Whether it be Lawrence prepping his camels and supplying his army, or a couple of college kids from Seattle prepping their Super Beetle for the long journey ahead. Well, I had to prepare my equipment too, as well as acquainting my fellow travelers on how to properly handle the equipment. You see my friend Tu-Uyen was unfamiliar with the delicate and exact coordination involved between the clutch pedal, gas pedal, and shift lever when mastering a manual transmission. He was one of those “automatic guys”. Not to divert but, I have a bone to pick with the automotive world. Lately there’s been all this chatter about tiptronics and steptronic this, sequential that, rubbish! I don’t care, if it doesn’t have a clutch pedal, it is not a manual in my book! Back to the story: So the day prior to our departure I spent a few hours with Tu-Uyen bestowing him with the art of driving a stick. For never having driving a stick, he did pretty well, however I felt it be best to have him pilot our vessel on the highway only, where gear changes were seldom required.

That evening all the gear was loaded onto our chariot: the bikes, biking gear, tools, jack, extra oil (remember this, it’s foreshadowing) and a healthy stock of sugar and caffeine. Jay and I drove to the neighborhood where we would pick up the rest of our party. As we exit off the highway I take a quick glance at the gas gauge.”We’re pretty low on gas. It’s o.k. it’s not to the line yet. We’ll stop by the gas station after we pick up the boys”. So we pick up the boys, load the gear and head out. The level of excitement was intoxicating. We all sat there with big white grins plastered to our faces. It’s 5:00 am! We didn’t sleep much, but hey who cares! All we can think about is the open road, fast food, and all those lovely coeds from California! We could smell that San Francisco breeze! I could have sworn that if I squinted my eyes the road up ahead bore a slight resemblance to the Golden Gate Bridge! Was I…hey! What’s that noise… chug..chug. Silence.

Ghost number 1.

So, I’m sitting in the driver’s seat as Jay, Steve, and Tu-Uyen push the car for the next 8 blocks till we find the nearest gas station. I guess that gas gauge was pretty accurate after all.

Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus

It’s amazing the amount of parts you tend to collect for your current or future project. And by parts, I mean those nice expensive no longer available New Old Stock items. Not spark plugs, pistons, cylinders, heads, or engine gaskets; those guys are still out there and believe it or not, tend to pop up often enough. I mean those unobtanium parts such as clips, brackets, wires, senders, fuel valves, vacuums, boots, hoses, and the rarest of them all, the 1958 one year only one of a kind experimental Volkswagen radiator! Yes Virginia, it does exist.

Over the years, I’ve purchased numerous NOS items ranging from mechanical parts, accessories, rubber gaskets, trim pieces, electrical items, body panels, and many more. While everyday it becomes more and more challenging to find parts, the truth is they’re out there. You have to remember that VW built over 26 million beetles throughout its production run which were manufactured, assembled, and sold in countries all over the globe. They also built a good amount of buses and other models as well. Now granted older parts are harder to find, but they’re out there. And Porsche parts may be a little harder to find since they tended to have lower production runs, but various vintage NOS items are still available through the dealer. Keep in mind you’ll need an automatic and a crutch since you’ll be short an arm and a leg, but hey at least you’ll have that NOS 356 Carrera dual distributor housing… and the bragging rights? We’ll….what can I say but here’s a toast to you.

So how does one find these parts? Well, there are the obvious sources on line such as our favorite online auction retailer, The Samba, as well as numerous vendors and retailers. Yes, many vendors and retailers occasionally carry NOS parts. Like you and me, they come across these items every once in a while. Of course, it takes some effort. A few phone calls, some e-mails, and a lot of patience. I’ve even found a few NOS items at my local FLAPS (Friendly Local Area Parts Store). A few years ago, I walked into my local Shucks store and ordered an NOS Porsche 356 small diameter 12 Volt Generator. Not rebuilt, but an NOS Bosch unit for under 150 clams. Not bad huh? In a nut shell, think outside the box. Check auction sites all over the world, call dealers in different countries, contact parts vendors in Canada, France, the UK, Germany, and many other countries. Don’t just look for NOS VW, look for SWF, Knecht, Knuf, Bosch, Hella; you get the picture. You’d be surprised what’s been sitting on someone’s shelf for all this time.

Don’t forget to contact your local and non-local club members. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve found some not so easy to get items from my fellow club members, or from someone they knew outside of the immediate circle. Chances are they have two or three of something which they would gladly sell to you in order to keep your car on the road. I can’t continue to stress how many great people are actively involved in our hobby.

My personal favorite is the swap meet. A gathering ground filled with fellow addicts who have scrounged, pillaged, and horded over years and years to bring (in many cases over hundreds and hundreds of miles) their stockpile of memorabilia, parts, pieces, and the occasional story, for you and you alone to discover. Let’s be honest, we all enjoy the occasional rare polished and waxed carriage which is displayed in all its glory in front of the masses for their viewing pleasure. I mean who doesn’t love to see a rare coachbuilt, split window, barndoor, 550 spyder, or even a mean Germanlook Super every once in a while? But the truth is we’re really there for the swap meet! Because you really need that 1964 Beetle color chart, or NOS rear hatch seal for your square, or even just to browse that one guy’s stand who always has something you need and always remembers your name. A place among your people where you can be one step further in your quest for that “one part”.

I shall be at Aqaba. That, IS written!

My dear old friend Paul whom I had known since my Jr. High School days, worked his ass off in school and earned himself a one way ticket to Stanford University. We were all proud of him and agreed that we would all embark on a pilgrimage to visit him in the rolling hills of Palo Alto located a stone throw’s away from my own little happiest place on earth; San Francisco.

The initial plan of attack was to pile Jay, Steve, and Tu-Uyen into my Super Beetle along with four mountain bikes and all of our gear. Due to the limited storage capacity of the car, the rules were one backpack per person, one jacket, plus any mountain bike gear (helmet, shoes, tools, etc.). In addition, I packed my toolbox and hydraulic jack in the event of any roadside repairs; after all, what could possibly go wrong? Famous last words, as they say. Anyone felt the need to bring additional gear; you had to carry it on your lap. Being as we were young college boys with a healthy appetite, one had to account for the numerous bags of cookies, chips, and cans of soda which also took up valuable space. All of these items fit perfectly tucked away in the rear luggage space, front trunk, underneath the rear seat opposite the battery tray, and on Tu-Uyen’s lap (he brought an extra bag). It is amazing what you can fit in a Super Beetle, the extra space allowed by the McPherson front end really does help.

Four bikes, two bike racks…..well, not exactly. One bike rack, one free ski rack with a myriad orchestra of bungee cords that even Santiago Calatrava would find amazing.

Like I said, what could possibly go wrong.......