'Other' restorations/projects

[towjoe]

Nice car!!
Regards
towjoe 77.gif

[MiniDave]

I had a small "other" project today, the wife's 2004 Audi Allroad 2.7 V-6 twin turbo wouldn't start, it's been too cold to do anything with it so I did some research. I got a DTC for the coolant temp sensor mounted on the back of the cylinder head. I asked the dealer, they weren't sure that would keep it from starting, another shop owner said no way Jose, it must be something else......I asked a couple of the other instructors - guys who teach diagnostics and engine performance and they said it absolutely would keep it from starting, finally I asked another instructor who works on a lot of VW products, she said she'd seen a lot of VWs not start because of it.

The part was less than $10 so I decided it was worth a try, but it was still too cold and nasty to work on it in the driveway...finally it warmed up a bit today so I went after it. It wasn't too hard to reach but I do not understand why manufacturers insist on using these magic puzzle connectors for all the electrical fittings, no two of them come apart the same way and you always have to puzzle out the secret handshake before the damn things will let go!

End game - I changed the sensor and the car started right up and ran perfectly!

20 min of work and a half pint of blood from scratching my arm as I tried to get one of those damn electrical connectors undone and the car is back on the road. Happy wife, happy life.

[jeff10049]

Yea whats with those connectors I hate em.

So the dealer and shop owner hadn't a clue, yet all the Instrutors know what's up.
Sounds like some folks need to go back to school.
I can't stand the ignorant shop owners or techs that give repair shops a bad name. Imagine if you had taken the Audi to that guy after way to much time money and parts it would still not be running because "no way Jose" that could cause it.

I have seen 100's of no starts due to coolant temp sensors. VW/Audi all the way back to the jetronic  injection systems of the 70's

[MiniDave]

I was surprised when it popped right off, but pleased!

I like the fact that our instructors were on top of this 100%......but the female instructor works full time at an import shop, she'd seen it many times just like you.

[jeff10049]

Our painter sprayed the 64 today.  Should be back on the frame next week.

[John Gervais]

WOW!

Now that's a sexy car...   77.gif

[gr8kornholio]

WOW!

Now that's a sexy car...   77.gif

My thoughts exactly.   71.gif 20.gif

[Jims5543]

Our painter sprayed the 64 today.  Should be back on the frame next week.

Familyguysploogepic.jpg


Damn.... just damn...

That is sex on wheels.

*right click save*

Please post more pics when done.

[jeff10049]

started the sand and buff process car gets sanded in 1500 grit to remove any dirt orange peel then 3000 grit then buffed with coarse cutting compound then polished.
Some pics of the door after sand and buff the polish will happen after final assembly.

[John Gervais]

 :-\

WOW!  I thought it looked great before, but that door is AWESOME!!!  You're going to need some really good sunglasses, just for assembly!

[94touring]

Buffing is a lot of work but sure is rewarding.

[gr8kornholio]

I'm really amazed and appreciate what paint and body guys can do.  :-\  I've never been into that end of it, I'm more the chassis and drive train guy. 

[jeff10049]

For those following the 64 Corvette.

It is back on the frame, dash/gauges has been restored, fuel unit gone through, it is running and running very well, the clock and radio were sent out and repaired.

What's left is interior, glass, final polish, bumpers, hood and emblems.

We will be about 6 months ahead of schedule the owner would like us to hang on to it for a bit and put some miles on it. We will also take it to a show this September. Then it's home to New York.

[SoCalMiniFan]

A while back I posted about an '81 Air-Cooled Volkswagen Westfalia we were in the midst of purchasing (lusting over stupid vehicles).  Since it's been in our driveway I've been lusting over how to make it better with the only obstacle being in California and the SMOG laws and other things. So I've done my research and came up with a plan.  I will install a FrankenMotor.  It's got all the ancillaries of a CARB/SMOG legal approved 2.2 Subaru Engine with a 2.5 shortblock topped off with the 2.2heads.  This will give the extremely aerodynamic VW some major oomph in the power department. I have a guy in Southern Ca. that will do the build and is highly recommended amongst the FrankenMotor crowd.  I was going to keep the 2.2 engine stock and just do a full refresh on it but I want our VW to be killer.  I will do everything else myself, installing cooling/heating this means making a location for the radiator, all new suspension, 15 or16" wheels with a Big Disc Brake conversion all around.

I'm up in the air over doing a 5spd transmission or having the current 4spd fully gone through and refreshed since you know as soon as I hook up the engine the trans will blow to shreds even though it's in good working order right now.

So my first major milestone in the work was to obtain an engine, wiring harness, and matching ECU.  I fetched this beaut off Craigslist for a mere $100.00, I convinced AAA it was my daily driver and we "broke" down and had it towed out to a friends Mechanic shop so I could strip it of all the needed parts and have my friend scrap it for me.

So task #1 done. 

[MiniDave]

Why not start with a 2.5 motor? or even a 2.5 turbo motor? They've been out long enough it seems like there should be some around......

What's the budget for the mechanicals?

I'd do the 5 speed......."do it right, do it once"

[SoCalMiniFan]

Why not start with a 2.5 motor? or even a 2.5 turbo motor? They've been out long enough it seems like there should be some around......

What's the budget for the mechanicals?

I'd do the 5 speed.......

To get through the CARB/SMOG for California the 2.2 has had all the legal paperwork done and on file via Kennedy Engineering and if I use their conversion kit I'm provided all the legal work and barcode I need to basically just roll into a SMOG station and be on my way. 

To get a little more low-end/torque I can do the Frankenmotor without having to present to the CARB/SMOG or deal with any of that plus the 2.5 heads notoriously leak and fail so the 2.2/2.5 combo kind of makes this perfect combination engine. It should be rock solid and totally California compliant.

In my real dreams I had visions of the 3.3 SVX or the 3.6H6 engine but with that much HP I'd have to do a LOT of suspension work and fetch hard to find trailing arms from the Synchro Vans and it somewhat opened a can of worms.  Also from what I've read CA BAR has NEVER passed or approved a 3.3/3.6 conversion no matter how hard people have tried. 

The 2.2 minus the 2.5 add-on is pretty plug and play. 

As far as budget.... well that's debatable. My biggest expense will be on the engine build.

I paid $100 for the car and then scrapped if for $400.00 and sold the wheels/tires off it for another $100 so I'm still in the green! Check back in a few months!!!

[MiniDave]

Yep, Ca. can be a royal PITA for old car owners.......I understand England is just as bad, not only are there MOT issues, but you have to report any mods from stock to the insurance co too, if you have a claim and the car was insured as stock and it isn't - they can/will deny the claim.

Out here in the great flyover, you can do whatever you want......they really don't care. Not only do we not require a concealed carry permit, we don't have state inspections or emissions testing.....surprisingly, I find the cars from Missouri (where they do have annual inspections) to be in far worse shape that what I see on the roads with Ks plates.

I've put $20K max on my project, but hope to come in under $15K.

[BruceK]

It's a damn shame and very ironic that California, arguably the most car-crazy state in the nation, is also the state that makes it most difficult to be an automobile enthusiast.   Seems like there should be some sort of smog exemption for older, collector cars or other cars of interest.  Like a rolling 25 years   

Even the UK is removing the need for cars to get an MOT once they are past a certain age.

[SoCalMiniFan]

I've put $20K max on my project, but hope to come in under $15K.

I'm trying to roll in under $10K for everything I want to do including suspension and modifying the interior of the camper a bit.  I'm confident I will bring this project in way under. Companies that specialize in the Engine conversions on these Vanagon/Westfalia's are starting at $12k and that's without the engine! Another company starts the conversions at $20K.  I've priced out to have my engine done for about $3k.

I've met people that have done this conversion comfortably under $5k, including the cost of the donor car. They've skipped the engine rebuild and just did a solid refresh on it but my engine is rolling on 200K miles and once it's in I don't want to have to pull it for a while. 

It's a damn shame and very ironic that California, arguably the most car-crazy state in the nation, is also the state that makes it most difficult to be an automobile enthusiast.   Seems like there should be some sort of smog exemption for older, collector cars or other cars of interest.  Like a rolling 25 years   

I wish there was a rolling 25yrs.  There was talk about changing the SMOG cut off from 1975 to 1980 but I'd miss it by a year with our Westy.  Diesel engines can be as new as 1997 without requiring SMOG.  I wish I had really researched that a bit before getting our Westy because I would have most definitely found one and then done whatever engine conversion I damn well pleased!  Sadly any remaining Diesel Westy's are hard to come by in decent shape as they were the worst of the worst!  Our '81 is in MINT condition and I'm grateful that I will have to do ZERO body work, even the undercarriage is in mint condition.

[jeff10049]

 how's the westfalia coming along?

The 64 Corvette will be shipping home soon I'll post some more pictures later and a few now these fuel injected corvettes are unlike any other driving experience the throttle response is insane. while a lot of modern cars are faster there is just something about these mechanically injected cars that's bad ass.