What front end beam do I have ?

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/fo...o-t--t-389163--.html

You need to check to see what tie rod ends your front end requires.  Use a 17mm and 19mm box end wrench. Put the wrench on each of the four nuts that hold the tie rod to the pitman arm and the tie rod to the spindle. If a 17mm wrench fits onto the nut, they are early model tie rod ends ('66-70). If a 19mm wrench fits onto the nut, they are late model tie rod ends ('71-77). It is important that you check all four tie rod ends because some vehicles have two early model and two late model ends.  I think the issue folks have is when converting the spindle for front disc brakes  - it often is that the later year spindles supplied require the later larger tie rod end.  It might be that drum and disc brake wheel bearings are also different sizes too.

WOLFGANG posted:

You need to check to see what tie rod ends your front end requires.  Use a 17mm and 19mm box end wrench. Put the wrench on each of the four nuts that hold the tie rod to the pitman arm and the tie rod to the spindle. If a 17mm wrench fits onto the nut, they are early model tie rod ends ('66-70). If a 19mm wrench fits onto the nut, they are late model tie rod ends ('71-77). It is important that you check all four tie rod ends because some vehicles have two early model and two late model ends.  I think the issue folks have is when converting the spindle for front disc brakes  - it often is that the later year spindles supplied require the later larger tie rod end.  It might be that drum and disc brake wheel bearings are also different sizes too.

Bingo Wolfgang and large thanks to you. Exactly the info I needed. Noted and filed, Amigo. And thank you, Gordon for the parts list. 

Yeah, Greg nailed that one! 

David, what other things are you doing on your new ride this winter..

Finally, we had a few warm days and I might start to believe were getting near to April. 

IaM-Ray posted:

David, what other things are you doing on your new ride this winter..

Finally, we had a few warm days and I might start to believe were getting near to April. 

Just a bunch of small things,  Ray. I'm changing out all the oil cooler and remote sump hoses to all SS with AN fittings. I just redid a broken horn bracket this morning and discovered my left horn doesn't work. Next week we check the valves for correct lash, new valve cover gaskets. Adjust front to correct toe in...now it's out way too much. Replace the rear deck lid gas strut. Installed the SOC rear grill badge this morning. Check oil level in tranny. Need to make a battery hold down bracket. I'm getting a new shift boot done which will be a bit lower on the tunnel on the right side to cover a flaw in the carpet. I bought leather cleaner and treatment so the interior will get a bit of work when the weather is warmer. Still need to finish my Meguiars work on the paint. 

One thing I noticed is that there seems to be a " flat spot " sometimes when accelerating in third gear if you get into it. I need to learn more about the Weber 48's and what's really going on in my distributor. I'll likely get some of the carb experts to take it for a rip at Carlisle and see what they think. I think I remember reading on the list that " a lot of carb problems lie in the distributor" ( hope I got that right ) so I'll be patient till then. Right now I have an 009 dizzy with the Pertronix spark system. Other than that, the car runs just fine. I sure like the heat and defrost. I've never driven the car with top down either so that is something to look forward too. I'll need to figure out how to get the roof rear window replaced . Too many scratches there. 

Got out to Merrickville for a short jaunt last weekend. We're planning to tour Nfld in late July / August depending on our Parents' health. My Mom's now turning 97 and Francine's Dad 98. 

Turns out I have 19mm nuts on my tie rod ends ( I'll desist on making a foul joke about that ) so I've got the later setup. Thanks again, Wolf. 

Before replacing your (assume) plastic rear window, see if you can find StarBrite Plastic Scratch Remover.  It will remove scrtches, hazing and even where clear plastic turns brown.  I may have gotten it in West Marine years ago.  It is a mildly abrasive polish - some say white tooth past works too.  Takes a little elbow grease but works great and leaves a smooth glossy finish. They also have a Plastiv Polish/Restorer too.

Well that is quite a list of upgrades and maintenance, one at a time and you'll get there.  Your jeans, should give you many more miles with a mom at 97 y.o .   It is harder as they get that older to be away a long time from them my mother is 93 y.o. as well and just got into a NHome she was fully independent till Jan of this year. 

BTW

If you need new horns hella twin trumpet is what I have on my car from IM.

Not expensive at all. 

WOLFGANG posted:

Before replacing your (assume) plastic rear window, see if you can find StarBrite Plastic Scratch Remover.  It will remove scrtches, hazing and even where clear plastic turns brown.  I may have gotten it in West Marine years ago.  It is a mildly abrasive polish - some say white tooth past works too.  Takes a little elbow grease but works great and leaves a smooth glossy finish. They also have a Plastiv Polish/Restorer too.

I like DIY and will give some of those products a go. Elbow grease is no prob...I' ve people that'll get that shyt done. ;-) 

@WOLFGANG wrote- "If a 17mm wrench fits onto the nut, they are early model tie rod ends ('66-70). If a 19mm wrench fits onto the nut, they are late model tie rod ends ('71-77). It is important that you check all four tie rod ends because some vehicles have two early model and two late model ends.  I think the issue folks have is when converting the spindle for front disc brakes  - it often is that the later year spindles supplied require the later larger tie rod end.  It might be that drum and disc brake wheel bearings are also different sizes too."

I always thought that the later tie rod ends came starting in 1968 with the 4x130 mm bolt pattern (and European '67' Beetles with front discs as well). When I put 4 bolt drums and spindles on the front of my first bug (a '66) we had to change the outer tie rod ends.

@David Stroud IM Roadster D- part of the problem could also be the venturis in those 48 IDF's being too big for your engine displacement and combo. Unless the engine goes to 6500 or 7,000 rpm with power, 44's are usually a better fit, even for a 2332. 

Hope this helps. Al

ALB posted:@David Stroud IM Roadster D- part of the problem could also be the venturis in those 48 IDF's being too big for your engine displacement and combo. Unless the engine goes to 6500 or 7,000 rpm with power, 44's are usually a better fit, even for a 2332. 

Hope this helps. Al

@ALB I understand and agree of that possible clause. However, this phenomenon pretty much occurs when accelerating in third gear. I'm wondering if the gearing and speed I may be doing it at is finding a " load zone " in the powerband that the distributor advance is not liking. The cure to this problem is simply to take the foot off the gas pedal a bit and let it get through that flat spot on it's own. I don't drive my cars hard though so it's not like I've got my foot on the floor to make it happen. It's a minor annoyance that I've learned to live with. I will have a better chance to evaluate the problem in warmer air this summer. All of my driving in this car is from Mid October to now so, colder weather. 

@David Stroud IM Roadster D   I wonder if the plastic window could be buffed out with your new McGuire random orb and some polish.  A boat supply might have some stuff to restore it. 

I had my first IM stitching come apart and I went and bought some matching thread from a local shoe maker we know and my mother and I handstitched it back together.

It lasted till I sold it.

To have it done by an upholstery shop required a complete removal of the top from the frame.   Just saying. 

This is always a pain if not identified and done correctly- safety first.

David, I've had great luck over the years with the Meguiar two-part plastic window cleaner and polish. Works better than their one-bottle product.

It won't do the impossible, but it is capable of minor miracles. If this doesn't work, probably nothing will:

Agree.

Griot's garage  you might find this interesting, but in my books all polishes have a small amount of pumice in it to act as an irritant.  Turtle wax the primary example.  IT has been around a long time and it has a very small around of rubbing compound essentially.   Someone I know has been using it for 40 years and his cars were so shiny that the paint on a 12 year old car was like new. 

I would guess the lightess polish for the body might do the same job... with a polisher

I have found that the polish for clear plastic acrylic is a LOT less aggressive than body/paint polish.  We used to polish a lot of snowmobile windshields (they get scratched a lot from tree branches in the woods) and body/paint polishes would turn the windshield slightly cloudy.  Using something specifically for whatever the windshield material is (there were several different materials used back then) made all the difference.  One kind for Evinrude machines, another for Artic Cats and a third for Skiroul.  Some "glasses" were softer and more flexible than others and we were often buffing them weekly or so.  You could revive a windshield clouded by too aggressive polish by using the right stuff and a lot of time with very gentle pressure.

We also had to be careful using orbital polishers and not get too aggressive either with force applied or buffer speed as it was semi-easy to overheat the material causing other problems (the stuff would surface melt and distort).  It took a while, but we finally got the hang of it.  For the novice, using a hand-applicator might be best until you see what effects it has and then decide on whether a power buffer would improve it.

Good advice Gordon, you qualify for the Plastic Clown sticker awarded to all good plastic advice.  

Check out the NOVUS line ( Marine and Motorcycle)  polishes