We are back...

So much has been done, took a break from blogging in order to finish.  But - made huge strides in the van, from paint, to electrical, to body, to mechanical.  Incredible!

Photos coming soon...

Too much to do!

Work has been crazy but I've still been working on the van.  Right now I am ankle deep in electrical, rewiring the dashboard and auxiliary battery connections.  Also converted the dashboard to LEDs where applicable and all in all just cleaning up the mess.  It's all in great shape, just needed some TLC to bring it back up to snuff.

Been hot here too and that hasn't helped either, so it's early morning work only.

Oh, also fixed a slight hole in the coolant sensor cap, wired it up for warning light, added the engine warning light, alternator warning light and more. Once the electrical is done I will be back at the body, cleaning it up a bit before some spot painting before putting the interior back in.

More soon!

Junkyard trip

My buddy and I went to the local VW junkyard and I bought a ton of parts.  Lots of little interior things, but hey.  Sliding door handle, under steering wheel cover, foam pads for the front doors, a couple of relays, and more.  I'll post photos when I take them.

So many updates!

I've clearly been behind in my updates.  Lots has been going on and it makes it difficult sometimes.

So - it's plated and tagged and we went on a day trip to a local park.  Very fun, even tho it was not far away.  The funny thing is that my buddy backed into it and dented the same part of the front bumper that was bent before!  So I went through that and straightened it.

I also tackled cleaning the sliding door track.  It's actually much worse than I had feared.  No rust holes but definitely something I need to take a look at.  I cleaned it, wiped the old sticky grease from it and then used car wax to lube the run.

I also used some hose clamps to silence a slightly rattly muffler shield.  It works but I need to tighten it a bit more.

Another big deal for me was I realized the side vents didn't work.  On 1984's (and probably earlier too), the side vents both permit outside air in to the cabin.  You can't heat or cool it, it's just outside air whatever the temperature.  Thats fine with me as I like to have a breeze in my face.  However, neither sides worked and I found that both hoses in the dash were disconnected.  I wrestled with that for a bit and got them back on.  Works great!

I also straightened the back bumper.  I don't have the "after" pics so will post later.  But it looks much better than this.

Tagged, Plated! ON THE ROAD!!

Huge step this weekend - got it inspected, new plates the whole enchilada!  This is a huge deal and meant we were able to motor around in it this weekend!  I also added the resister to the fuel pump which worked well I believe but may also contribute to a slightly more difficult start - we will see.

I also took a few minutes to straighten the front bumper.  About 8 hex bolts and it was free, I saw that the bracket was bent slightly and so bent it back.  After reinstallation it's MUCH better but I still need to bend it down a bit more.

A good effort this weekend!

Not out of the woods yet but was able to get a lot done this weekend:

• New radius rod bushings (HUGE DIFFERENCE, the old ones were in really bad shape)

• Adjusted the radius arm, I found the drivers side was 1 cm shorter than the passenger
• Replaced the heater control for the front - the old wire was bent and so you couldn't control the on/off heat.  Works now!  I lubed it with tri-flow first to keep it working well.

• New fuel filter - trying to track down loud fuel pump.  I will try to backflush the pump this week.  This is the old filter.  I also replaced a small section of hose that had a small crack in it (thought I changed them all already).  I still don't like that crappy metal strap.

• Speedometer works now.
• Tachometer works.  I finally tracked down the issue.  If I disconnect the battery the signal drops to the tach.  The only way to fix is to take a voltage across the alternator.  I need to focus on the alternator harness, I think that the ECU is simply not getting a signal that it's running.
• Horn works
• Scuffed front disks with 40 grit, and will inspect the rears soon.  Brakes are SO much better (but not perfect yet).
• Labeled wiring in the dashboard.  This should help the next owner some day.
• Headlight high beam and turn signal dash lights work.  So do the night time dash lights!

 Took to the local park to throw the ball for the dog.  She is still getting used to it!

Goal: Inspection + plates this weekend

If I can get the dashboard back together, it *should* be ready for inspection on Saturday.  Fingers crossed!