It Never Sleeps

This weekend was supposed to mark, according to my overly ambitious schedule of a month ago, Ludwig's return to the roads and campgrounds of the Pacific Northwest. But there is still just too much to be done, too many more discontinued parts to round up, and too much cold rain. Progress on dressing the engine came to a halt after I admitted to myself after half an hour of trying that it's probably just plain impossible to bolt the heat exchangers on when the engine is rightside up. So we're in the market for a proper engine stand. In the meantime, I decided to make myself useful and attack Ludwig's rustiest area, under the battery.

¡Dios mio! We're lucky it never fell out.

This ugliness makes a strong case for buying a dry cell battery. My pawn shop angle grinder in hand (knocked down to $12 from $15 because it's missing the handle and makes so damn much noise), I commenced a-cutting.

There's no turning back now. I suppose if worse comes to worse, I can just put a board over it, right?

Partial soundtrack

Divide

You wouldn't know it by looking at the town of Divide that it's home to a major ACVW parts operation. (Just by looking, you wouldn't know it was a town at all.) But it is. About 40 miles from us, just off I-15 at its junction with MT 43 is Brax Euro Parts. 


We went there the other day to get some stuff for Ludwig. Maybe I'll post some pictures of it later, or not. Does anyone really want to see the dashpot assembly from the left carburetor of a '74 bus? I didn't think so.

Apparently, when they deliver parts to Arizona they bring back these flagstones and sell them up here on the side.

Brax pointed out this Notchback he'd acquired up by Havre (I think), not long before it was to be crushed. It's a '62, and its VIN is 0 009 xxx meaning it was one of the first 9,000 or so Type IIIs ever made. It's already been sold, so don't get your hopes up.


I talked to him at length about all things ACVW. About how in the late '80s and 1990s he was shipping a lot of stuff to Japan, but now it's the Brits that want everything, especially Westies. About how in the 1980s he would just go to small towns across the West, driving through alleys looking for VWs and picking up things for next to nothing or, often, nothing. About how merciless everyone used to be about crushing old Volkswagens. About how a major Type III retailer is coming up in the near future to buy off all his Type III parts (I made him promise to save me a pair of nice heater channels). It was a good conversation.


They've got quite a compound down there. As the car talk was wrapping up Melissa mentioned her admiration for one of their greenhouses, which then led to a long discussion about gardening in our climate; even at 5,500 feet, they grow most of their own food. His wife even gave us nine heirloom tomato plants she wasn't going to plant. 


All in all, it was a great visit for two of the three of us--Esmé didn't have as good a time; too many big dogs wandering around. Actually, Esmé did have a good time. The only part Mitch saw was when we were chasing him down (while the giant dogs tried to lick her) to give him the rest of his parts list. While I knit in the car (a rental--a 2009 Malibu this time; I feel so dirty), she enjoyed sitting in the drivers seat, buckling and unbuckling the seat belt, pretending to steer, and sometimes trying to get a foot near a pedal. Don't worry, the keys weren't in the ignition. She enjoyed the driver's seat so much that she even refused an invitation to look at their lambs.

SoCal VWs

More and more and more VWs, mostly from Santa Barbara County. There may be some repeats (repeats of cars, not of pictures) as I dole these out over the coming weeks.



Anyone with late bay bumper overriders taking up space in their garage, I'll relieve you of them, no charge.

Date stamp?

Guest Photographer

Tater Tot was a big helper this weekend.

A little later she donned shoes and was set loose in the garage with the camera.

While carrying the camera and framing her shots, Tater Tot was often heard saying, "Back up Mommy! Back up!", reminding me to get my legs out of the pictures. She ONLY wanted to get photos of the engine and her daddy because, as she keeps reminding me, "Daddy is my favorite guy."

Melissa fitting the dipstick boot, yet another piece that had frustrated my attempts.

some of this weekend's soundtrack

(I wasn't very impressed with the Sufjan Stevens.)

SoCal VWs

We may never run out of these. More SoCal ACVWs from our brief time in the Golden State.

Yungas Road

Displaying a degree of moxie I can only hope to emulate, world-famous VW travellers Team Rehm today traversed Bolivia's infamous North Yugas Road, aka La Ruta de Muerte, the Death Road.

Plenty of testimony indicates that this is one of the (if not The) most dangerous roads on the planet. My hat is enthusiastically off to them.

Weekend Two

More taking out, some putting in.
The passenger-side heater cable came out like greased lightning. The driver's-side less so.

I pulled out a million feet of it as it unwound from the core. On the million and first foot, it snapped right at the tube. This project will have to wait.

My disappointment at Ludwig's alternator boot being wrecked was followed by joy when I found I'd stashed another. The joy was short-lived, as the spare was quickly wrecked upon installation. Thirty-eight year old rubber just isn't particularly pliable, even after you soak it in boiling water for a few minutes like I did.

Melissa helped me install the fuel filler neck. I held it in place from the inside.

Melissa's handiwork, on the outside.

Once the gas tank itself was in place Melissa crawled inside and attached the filler neck to the tank. 

 Bye bye gas tank, I love you, but I hope to never have to see you again....

Partial Soundtrack

Queen City, Garden City

Helena Montana, near the library

Missoula Montana, near nothing in particular

Behind the Firewall

I've begun working on Ludwig for his big reveal. The first task was cleaning up the gas tank compartment, hopefully for the last time. That is some beautiful paint! I suppose because the sun has never shined directly upon it. Also, I didn't take any pictures of VW's sloppy work where coverage is spotty. 
I stopped short of waxing it, though I may still. 

Two hacks are visible in this picture, neither mine; one acceptable, one wtf?. 


Soundtrack for this work (not exhaustive):

Drumstick, Lincoln

I found these shots of the Lincoln band 13 Nightmares (ca. 1986-1991) on facebook.