# April Fool? More like Fox Wagon Fool...



## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

My Buddy Mark happened by an auto wrecker and saw this car and immediately thought of me...pulled a U-turn and went inside and bought the car for me, then gave me a call....

I went by the next day, and this is what I found...








...at a glance, a lot less VISIBLE rust than my current ride...








...(just playin about with the editing toys)...








This is a common corrosion spot....








....of all Foxes than I have seen!








This looks clean...








Everything seems to be in place...








WOW! Look at the condition of that rain shield!








Hmmm...not the original motor, the alternator is new-ish...








The radiator surround is intact....NICE!








Looks like a shallow sump...








...wonder if it rolls...








...THAT'll need replacing...








...this coupling seems to be holding....for now...








...no drips are GOOD drips...








...could be worse, just needs some LOVE...!








New brake line not so long ago...








Fuel pump looks sorta new...brake lines okay...








No perforations in the fuel tank, that's VERY GOOD!








It has been sprayed; SOMEbody LOVED this car at one time...








This will require some SPECIAL care...








....as will this be in need of some CREATIVE welding!








Underside looks decent...seams could use some TLC!








And the fuel filter appears to be recent...not bad for a "sight unseen" purchase!








As this Fox has become a project purchase, there will be much more to follow...
Stay tuned for the trip to Wahid's Windshield Emporium, 
The results from the Welding Shop,
and FibreFest 2011...my introduction to fibreglass hole
patching, and rust-arresting and encapsulation...!

My THANKS to myboxyfox for sharing his posting expertise...THANKS JOHN!


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## redone17 (Aug 17, 2011)

So great to see some pics of your car! Thoroughly documented too. 

I look forward to your progress. Seems we are tackling a bit of the same issues. My only real problem area is under the windshield. Gonna have to get that rebuilt. 

Don't wait too long to show us the self taught body work skills! I need some inspiration. I'll be teaching myself a lot in this department during the years to come. 

:thumbup:
Chris


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## myboxyfox (Nov 27, 2011)

YYeeeah, good pics man! I heard this car run, motor sounds great! Look forward to seeing it on the road.
Oh and by the way, my Fox had the same rust around the windshield wiper mounts, and windshield. We took everything apart, took the windshield out, cut all the rust away, and my buddy solder repaired the whole thing. 
Looks great now, took about 20 hrs of work :screwy: but glad we did it :thumbup: another Fox saved!


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*Windshield work*

I have a reasonably good approach to fixing that perforated base of the windshield. Through trial and error, I came up with this approach...

After removing any 'dead skin' and flaky metal (be careful not to get too zealous in the removal of material in this area...you need SOMETHING left to work with and to bond to!) but provided it isn't too bad, this method works pretty well.

Using some Bondo-Glas, the green goop with the red hardening creme, mix up a 3" diameter blob about 1/2" thick with a 3" strip from the creme hardener tube; I know this is what they suggest, but it takes a few mixing procedures to get the knack for how much of the two to make the optimal blend...too much hardener, the mixture is kind of reddish-brown; not enough red creme, the mixture is more green than brown; an olive drab>khaki brown is best....you'll be able to see evidence of different mixing ratios in the pics to follow...

It is BEST of course, to decide what you want to fix/patch first, choose a small, inconspicuous area of the car for your first attempt. I HIGHLY recommend using a RESPIRATOR or some sort of NIOSH approved breathing device....those drywall dustmasks are NOT going to help with the fumes which WILL give you a tremendous headache later on that night....nothing but time makes it go away!
Dual Particulate filter respirator is a good thing to have when working with the putty; it is an ABSOLUTE MUST when working with the more volatile, fibreglass resin....fumes from THAT stuff will send you into the next postal zone within the minute! Protect yourself even further by wearing two pair of rubber gloves, the expenditure is worth the clean-up hassle.
THAT'S SCARY!









Also make yourself a surface upon which to mix the putty; this stuff sticks to everything and anything....except FOIL...! Find a small piece of wood (1' x 1' x 1/8 or 1/4" would do), cover it and secure the wrapped backside edge with masking tape (it will move around A LOT when you are mixing the putty!)

After you have your mixture, you MUST work quickly because this putty will start to set in about 5-6 minutes, depending upon the ratio of the mixture, and also the outside temperature...cool outer temps will retard setting, but it will harden eventually because of the chemicals...when its hot out, the stuff sets so fast you might be tempted to try using a smaller mixture, but DON"T...the ratios are difficult enough to achieve with the suggested amount....varying from that just wastes material, and makes a mess....trust me...!

So, working quickly, filling in the areas largest to small, use the squeege or spreader to apply in small amounts to the edges, eventually filling in the affected area...KEEP IN MIND...this stuff dries to a rock hard solid finish, to make less work for yourself later while sanding, try for the smoothest possible finish on your last pass with the spreader...a word of caution also: overworking the putty will make it harder to lay flat....once you do a few applications with it you'll know what I mean.

You may not get it to be the way you want in one approach. Allowing it to set (workable in 45 minutes) may be necessary to see where you'd like to put a second application to make it look the way you would like. Once you are happy with the way it looks, after sanding it down to desired finish (start with 80 grade sandpaper to remove the lumpy stuff, then 140 grit, 220, 400, 800, 1000, etc), then, if you have some resin handy, mix up 2 ounces of fibreglass resin, and just paint it on over top over your sanded putty work, tape off any areas that you do not want to get resin on, remove the masking tape while the resin is still wet. Otherwise it will be IN THERE! Let me see if I can find a PIC of an example...

This post is going to be out of chronological sequence with respect to how it happened to the car, but what the heck, if you need to know, you need to know! n I would only be too Happy if this helps anyone in anyway...
Grind/Sand away any "loose skin", but be careful....








...Not to take...








...TOO MUCH!!








A view of the hole from below...I have a camera about the size of a deck of cards...
So IT can go places that I can't actually see with my eyes...!








You can see where the leak just rusted away from the hole...








Too much. too much...I took too much (Fear & Loathing ref.), but, if you have everything
apart, and you're already dirty, yer here now, might as well git 'er DONE..!








This what is looks like with the resin on after the putty has set...








...Not gonna leak here anymore...this was all done after the windshield had been replaced...another segment to come...








I hope this helps Chris, oh yeah, almost forgot, if you can find a bottle of rust remover/reformer, very helpful in arresting the corrosion...!








The 8oz bottle circled in yellow, has phosphoric acid in it, accelerates the rust process, burns it off, seal it and say goodbye to rust...for awhile anyway...but if its encapsulated in putty and resin, no water will ever touch it, so I can't see how it will rust any further.....








Looks like this when you put it on...they suggested a Q-tip, I ended up using a small paint brush.








I think that's all for now, will try to get back to the chronological order of this restoration thread next post....unless another request surfaces!


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## alaincopter (Oct 2, 2007)

Great sequence of pics!! Nice looking wagon, too! Can't wait to see that in person soon, seems like you're taking care of it well. Always good to take care of rust as soon as you can, and as well as you can. Treat your wagon right and it will serve another 20-something years for sure! It's GREAT to see a Wagon saved from rust!

All the rust I have removed on my Fox so far has been in areas that are not that apparent (engine bay, underside, inner fender areas, etc, so no need for it to be looking perfectly straight, but your pics will help for when I tackle the outside body. I also have a respirator kind of like yours (but the one from 3M that you can buy the refill packs) and the thing does wonders!! It's good even for paintwork, inside a small garage I couldn't smell any fumes!

Here's my procedure for non-apparent areas:

- Go at it with a grinder and wire-wheel and remove as much rust as that will do
- Spray compressed air to get rid of dust
- Clean it with a rag and wax/grease remover (like mineral spirits/paint thinner and the like)
- Generously spray RUST CONVERTER on it (kind of the same you showed above, KRAMMIT, but in a spray can - so good! I have also tried that bottle you showed and it works well too)
- After drying, I go very lightly at it with the grinder/wire wheel again, or use sandpaper, to get the top parts of it back to metal so the fiberglass resin will stick to it well (in other words, the rust converter will remain in the low, "pit" areas)
- Put on fiberglass cloth after dipping it in activated resin, sometimes two layers, then covering it with more resin using a small paintbrush. Fiberglass resin is better than rb-bondo in those cases because it's harder and moisture can't get through it.
- After drying, lightly sand it, clean it, prime it
- After drying, spray rubberized rocker guard on it
- After drying, spray glossy black paint over the rocker guard
- After drying, spray FLUID FILM on top

Of course when I did this I went ahead and did each step over a number of places at once before moving to the next step, which helps a lot time wise. And whatever rust you don't get to for the time being, make sure to spray with FLUID FILM and it will stop until you have the time to get to it! Just make sure that you remove all the fluid film with wax/grease remover at that time :thumbup:


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## Banned wagon (Mar 3, 2004)

oh yes, all too familiar with this rust around the windscreen


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## redone17 (Aug 17, 2011)

two HUGE :thumbup::thumbup:

this is going to be a productive summer...glad it already looks like spring is around the corner here in NY!

cp


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## mike in SC (Apr 29, 2004)

My wagon had the same rust holes, and still does. I pop-riveted some sheet metal and used JB weld to fill the hole. All of this was done with the windshield and dash out of the car.

Good save with the wagon! My wagon WAS the same color, but was cheaply painted with black enamel.


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## ChevyAndVW (Feb 7, 2011)

:thumbup::thumbup: very nice. invest in por-15 its a great thing! i used it on everything


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*results from the welding shop*

I have so many pics from everything that happened last summer, its tough to put it all in a cohesive presentation without back tracking too often to include important details....but here goes....

Found THIS steering wheel....and cluster...








...from THIS! Damn! I had an '82 up until '98!








I plan to put them HERE!









But FIRST, the results from the welding shop...I'll see if I can match up the before and after shots, might make it easier to see the transformation...
The front LEFT before pic...








...and NOW it looks like this!








Here's a better angle...








A look at the RIGHT front before pic...








....And NOW the right side looks like this!









A shot of my two working rides...








A RARE SIGHT! TWO FOXES MATING!








...My Buddy Mark hiding behind the patient.









The there was a visit to ZORO's (Muffler Shop)...where I took the pics of the welding job...









...some custom bending...


















Next stop....Wahid's Windshield Emporium...!


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*Wahids' Windshield Emporium...*

Here are a few pics from before I did any work around the windshield, it looks as though the P/O tried to address the leak, without replacing the front glass...








Well, in for a penny, in for a pound! If I'm going to do this right, that windscreen needs replacing!








You can see where it was cracked, right over the V.I.N., when the seal came off from around the edge....what a mess...!

















At this point, he told me if he has to do ANY grinding, it will cost extra...








YUP! IT COST EXTRA...!








So with most of the area de-grunged...








Wahid began to mask the area to be worked on...








There were so many HOLES from rust, that he had to build a channel for the adhesive to sit in...
this was created from Duct Tape, then primed with a urethane primer, to give the adhesive 
something to stick to...








...as you can see, most of the bottom is DUCT TAPE....! 








...Drivers' side corner, ready for adhesive...








...applying the Urethane Adhesive...








...then it has to be spread out to create more surface area for the adhesive to tack...



































...he was working so fast, his hands were a BLUR...

















...the rusty-ass p.o's. old one...

















...some more along the top...








....a little more spreading....after it is spread out, the adhesive has to sit for 45 minutes to tack up before the new windshield can be installed...








...and there it is...!








....I think he was signing his work...!








Alright now....hopefully no more leaks! There was a ridiculous amount of water that was coming into the drivers' compartment and pooling on the floor....the carpets were SOAKED and the underpads were just a NASTY, SMELLY, STINKING MESS!! The inside of the car smelled like a WET DOG! Which is okay, if you like that sort of thing, I do NOT!
So....next stop, Home Depot for some carpet underpadding...!


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*....new underpadding...*

Went to Home Depot and bought some regular home carpet underpadding to replace the smelly mess that was under the carpet.








I laid the section out on the driveway, placed the old shapes over top...








...took a marker and traced the shapes...








...then cut them out with some decent scissors...








Repeat procedure until all pieces are cut...








....also NOT A BAD IDEA to LABEL the pieces as you cut them...








...and there you have it! Perfect fit not paramount since it will be covered with carpet...








...and of course, don't forget to dispose of the STANK!

Next up; the steering wheel and cluster from that Red Scirocco will be installed...stay tuned!


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...cluster swap & newer steering wheel...*

The speedometer cable in my white '87 Wagon had been broken for the last FOUR years; the cluster in my silver '88 Wagon, I realised was WAY OUTTA WHACK when I was on the highway....my speedo was reading 160km/h and other cars were pulling away from me! I think I was really only doing about 120km/h...which led me to thinking that the cluster was out of calibration; therefore, a portion of the 351,00 k's on the clock may not be accurate....time to swap it all out...!








My white Wagon needed a new cable, couldn't find a NEW one anywhere, opted for one that I pulled from another wagon at a wrecker, put the old cable from the silver Wagon into the white, and the cable from the wrecker into the silver car...
...this is what was left of the cable in the white car...








Replacing the cable is a bit of a nuisance, especially if you don't like confined working areas...
Just follow the cable back to the transmission, feel the plastic collar at the end of the cable, unscrew the cable from the transmission, be careful not to damage the square drive at the end of the cable (that is what broke on mine in the first place...), now there should be adequate slack on the cable to not challenge you at the cluster end, while fiddling about behind the dash.








...feed the cluster clip end of the cable through the sill wall, pulling the grommets out makes this easier...








...then feed it through the firewall into the passenger compartment...








....then it should stick out here ready for the cluster...








This photo presentation is kind of straddling two vehicles which are having a similar operation performed on both cars...
This is the silver Wagon, going to get rid of that damn clock...gonna put the cluster from the abandoned Scirocco in its place...








What I found out though, was that the Scirocco cluster has a single mounting bracket in the centre of the top; the Fox cluster however, has two side brackets on either side of the cluster to hold it in place within the dash...(look at the top edge of the photo, you can just make out the bracket)








...'Rocco on the left, Fox on the right...








...how to get the brackets on the new cluster...hmmmm...
I opted for the Dremel tool to remove a couple of brackets from a donor cluster...








...then chose 5-minute epoxy to fasten the brackets to the new cluster...








...wasn't quite sure how much to take, so, I decided to take the whole bracket to ensure the cluster would be displayed at the correct HEIGHT and ANGLE, also wanted to make sure it was going to be SOLID and not jiggle around with any road vibration...



































...a spray bottle of rubbin hooch keeps dust away...

















...the epoxy made a nice solid bond...SWEET!








...THAT'S better than Krazy glue would have done...!

















...had to widen the hole a bit with the Dremel...








...much better, that should fit nicely...








...and the Scirocco steering wheel...the centre piece was missing...








...so I cut one out of rubber to fit...not too shabby...!









My netbook is running low on power, need to finish this post quickly...still have a few pics of an exploded cluster to post; I reset the odometer to something suitable, then put it back in the car.


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*Whew...just escaped from the PUNCH CLOCK!*

Hey there fellow Foxers...! My apologies for having disappeared for a spell (almost TWO months...!) into the Punch Clock at work...need to finance Two Projects now...but, managed to get an internet hook up in the garage...so this should enable me to be on-line more often...!

During my time away, I managed to see John (myboxyfox) and meet Alain (alaincopter) at the beginning of April: fun times! ...but I'll post my pics in the appropriate thread....

I think I was replacing a speedometer cable on the white wagon (or was about to) when my story got interrupted by spring fever in the auto industry....the cable broke (or I cut it after the fact) and I drove without indication of speed for about four years; the tach still worked (when it wasn't TOO hot behind the dash) so I could get a close approximation by engine speed and gear choice [only got one speeding ticket for 15 km/h over in a 50 km/h zone @ 5am...!! the cop just wanted to see if it was insured I think!] which was okay for me at the time...(NOT the TICKET!! I was okay with no speedo!)...anyway...

Standard Cluster procedure removal: pry out the switches at the corners; remove the steering wheel (my wheel has been off so many times it is already notched N,S,E,W with the wheels pointed straight), remove the screws holding the cowling in place, slide the wiring and switches thru their holes, disconnect the speedo cable (mine was all ready!), then remove the two screws holding the cluster in place, and finagle it away from the dash...

I like to keep the screws that come out in the same positions, so that they go back into the same holes, sounds silly I know, but 25 year old cars get particular about where you put their parts back...keep things as they were...









Next; carefully...AND I DO MEAN CAREFULLY...remove the circuit film/paper...gentle and even prying on both sides of the peg, keep pinched thumb and forefinger over the end of the pin so you can feel any possible tearing about to begin...









I've found a bodyworking tool to be handy for that application...









Also BE EXTRA careful around the bulb receptacle outlets IF you enjoy LIGHTS on your dash while you drive at night....!

With a little patience, you will separate the casing from the instruments...my particular reason for doing this is to replace some of the k's that DIDN'T get accumulated over four years...(most people would mess with an odo to set it back! I just want it to be closer to what it should be!)









...seems harmless enough...









...but the BEAST is in the BACK...









...after prying off the caps to a few more pops...(around 3am!)...I found the serenity and steadiness of hand to mess around with the gears on the back..









...by sliding the number wheels individually out of the way of the gears, I could rotate them to a desired position,,,this became progressively MORE difficult moving towards the 'ones' wheel....I only managed to be brave enough to move to first two wheels moving from the left...









...all ready to put back in the dash...









...just have to hook up the new cable...okay, NEWish cable....NEW to the CAR cable...









...and get ready to start accumulating KMs again...!









ABRACADABRA....!! I mean...installation is reversal of removal....(I HATE when they say that! Do you know what I WENT THROUGH TO GET THAT OUT?!?).... maybe Ali-KAZAM! ...or just....VOILA...!









The procedure is a success and the odometer now reads 388,219 and COUNTING!! 
Next up will be my inaugural encounter with the messy, sticky, toxic, loveable, paper-maché-like-stuff-that-turns-rock-hard-bullet-proof-in-90-miniutes.....known as....FIBREGLASS...!!

:beer:.....STAY TUNED...!! I KNOW I DO...!! :beer:


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## doppelfaust (Aug 15, 2007)

This is a great thread to follow and I love your commentary. Keep up the good work and I look forward to following your thread. How does the Scirocco cluster swap seem to be working? What symptoms in the Fox cluster were you alleviating?

Cheers!:beer:


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## lilgreydentwagen (Sep 13, 2005)

I miss my mk1 'rocco wheel.  nice writeups. I've fixed a bit of rust on my wagon, the windshield surround will be next, as soon as i can afford a new windshield, but i'll probably be using steel or lead for that.


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...Here We Go...!*

So, to get to this point, (I thank you for reading and following along this far!), you have to be CURIOUS as to what is going to happen next...considering this took place LAST summer, and I'm JUST getting around to posting now, there are over 500 pics to sort through and coalesce into a cohesive storyboard, AND I may have TENSE issues (past, future, present), so, thank you in advance for your patience.... disclaimer aside, on with the show....

To be totally honest, I had no idea what WAS going to happen next. When I bought this car last year, I thought, OK, COOL! I'll fix it up a little....kinda like Charlie Brown's Christmas tree...(see: childhood memory) a little TLC, and it will be good! Sure! I have driven a Fox Wagon since 1998...am I familiar with a few of the characteristic problems that befell these adorably unique road warriors...? ...ABSOLUTELY! The list is open ended and ever growing (Thanks to YOU guys!) ....have I created a few NON-characteristic problems through neglect, ignorance, and stupidity? OF COURSE! Though they are not actually mistakes....they ARE OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN...!! (...how to fix what I perhaps shouldn't have been messing with...!) At any rate, I can change brakes, replace a fuel tank, do shocks....what I know about doing BODYWORK and refinishing, patching holes....you could write on the BACK OF A POSTAGE STAMP WITH A SHARPIE! Let's just say...I don't even KNOW enough to KNOW that I don't KNOW a THING about body repair!

I had to slice the carpet up near the pedal mounts over to the passenger side just below the glovebox to free it up enough to roll back (with the seats removed) into the rear passenger footwells (still fastened to the metal beneath the rear seat) to get it out of the way enough to work...

This is what I found...









This is the area of the floor near your left foot when not operating the clutch...









I thought, okay, LETS GRIND! EAYRRRRNNNT! Wrong answer Bob!









There was NO way was gonna get a grinder into this area with any precise level of success....
(Reminds me of an 80 year old hardwood floor I refinished in one of my Dads' houses...used a 5" palm sander, did each individual strip of wood...took me THREE MONTHS! But LOOKED like you could SKATE on it after 4 coats of urethane! [...hadn't done THAT before either...]) ...I digress...

DREMEL TOOL TO THE RESCUE...!!! ...patience NOT included....









When very patiently grinding away the rusted areas with a stone bit in the Dremel (never done it, but would imagine it to be a lot like scrubbing the grout for an enormous 1" mosaic tile floor with a toothbrush!), I was wondering how far to go when exposing the metal....I stopped near the rubber sound insulating material (turns out the fibreglass LOVES to stick to that stuff!) so as to not create more work for myself...








I had enough already cut out FOR me....(just made a you tube acct so you can see this!) 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tbywl5JIwKs
...after the laughter subsided....I realized I had a LOT of work to do...
...got a little MORE meticulous with the Dremel....just short of removing more than what needs to be removed......again.....PATIENCE SOLD SEPARATELY....!








Time to get the gooey goodies out...








THERE IT IS....and it really ISN'T going anywhere, part of my approach involved considering that metal will eventually rust again, this is plastic--can't rust!








....I know it looks like somebody SPOOGED on the floor of my car...but apparently they make boat hulls out of THAT SPOOGE...so if it will keep a boat afloat, it should be good to keep water from getting into the Fox!








I suppose I should fill in the blank between the two pics....kind of a big jump between gooey stuff and spooge on the floor....reason being, the spooge is STICKY....(didn't want to get any on my camera!) and wearing TWO layers of glove (one WILL rip) can't take pics...so; BEFORE you get into the process, make sure that you cut enough pieces of mat to complete the desired area, in the shapes that you require; another tip that I wish someone had let me in on....only mix TWO OUNCES of resin at a time...pick a small area and DO IT one small step at a time...trying to mix and apply resin to large areas will be frustrating; unless you are using an industrial mixture especially formulated to large applications (such as custom stereo pods), what I used was picked up at crappy tire, but still got the job done! A little too well...it HOLDS water....[but MORE about that later]...

The dollar store is great for disposable materials like brushes, tinfoil mixing vessels, and measuring cups, etc.....put the gloves on, mix the resin and the hardener in the appropriate ratios, dab it on the area with the brush, (make the receiving area STICKY), then take your material be it mat or cloth, soaked in resin mixture, and apply it to the area you want to seal.....keep in mind that gravity has NO off switch and this $hit is HEAVY!...if you have to patch some thing large AND vertical....better to build your project in several small increments....once this stuff sets.......unreal.......I didn't like one piece I set, it had hardened,


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*....server meltdown...*

...once it had set, and I realized I wasn't happy with it...I wailed on it with a 5 pound ball-peen hammer for 70+ hits....each one progressively more emphatic than the previous....after threatening to shake the vehicle off of its axle stands, I stopped, only to realize that I did nothing to change the position of the piece I didn't want.....I ended up covering it over...

In answer to doppelfausts question about the scirocco cluster; it works very well, except that I compromised the speedometer light on "ABRACADABRA"; and am EXTREMELY GRATEFUL for j-boogie253s' FANTASTIC Frankencluster post! For I will have to remove mine again and connect a couple circuits with the rear defogger 'paint': GENIUS!! Thank YOU sir! While it is out, the parking brake light indicator is out, will have to look at that...I have a similar issue with the white wagon, but more often than not, it is the SWITCH BUTTON in the floor beneath the handbrake lever that doesn't quite depress all the way to make the light on the dashboard go out....and also I think MARS has to be in alignment with at least 7 of the 150 orbiting satelites, providing it is tuesday.....wait whut? 

And also regarding lilgreydentwagens' need for METAL by the windshield...ask myboxyfox (John) for some pics of his ride...an absolutely astounding job by his friend Rob! Truly IMPRESSIVE...I'll see if I can post my pics that I took at the meet...there might be a couple there that would showcase the workmanship! And I love my MkI steering wheel! I have had this wheel from My very first VW: an '81 scirocco; that I painted RED; after I TOOK OUT A HYDRANT with it; to remind me NOT to hit any more hydrants...it worked...haven't hit one since! The centre horn button has long since ceased to work, hence the addition of the 3 o'clock button plus wires...

...nice....I see that the people at the imgur site have seen fit to delete some pics...squeezin me fer ca$h...ah well.... the price of communication...kinda leaves gaps in the story....

The saga will continue....need some zzzzzzs first.....

Brought to you by .....LOTSA:beer::beer::beer:


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*Passenger Floor Patch...*

When I got the car back from the welding shop, there was this piece of white tin covering the join of the floor to the door sill...








I guess it wasn't pretty beneath the patch, not being curious enough to pull it up to find out, the plan was to seal the floor...








Don the safety goggles and get the Dremel up to speed again for some tedious preparation work...when considering cutting a corner or two...that voice inside my head keeps saying....








...the best preparation will provide the best result....








....so...I KEEP ON GRINDING...!! Bear in mind, at the time of the photos, still hadn't a clue about automotive patching/bodywork....just kinda seeing what happens next...








...just exposed the metal NEXT to the rubber sound insulating material (the mixture sticks very well to this!) and a couple inches past any breach in the hull...








With the area looking pretty AND ugly simultaneously....it was time to get gooey again...!








There are no pics of the actual fibreglassing procedure due to lack of interest in sniffing toxic fumes with any of my friends...(I'll see if I can recruit a 'shooter' this summer to help with pics during messy procedures) While covering the tin with mat and resin, I discovered a preference for spreading the mixture through the mat/cloth while it was resting on a flat, smooth surface....this way you can get just enough mixture to be on the material for suitable application to the affected areas......too much resin, the pieces won't lie flat, not enough resin, it doesn't stay where you put it and would rather stick to your brush or hands....it tales a couple tries with it to develop a preference for working....due to the QUICK SETTING nature of this stuff, I like to cut ALL OF MY PIECES TO SIZE first, then know EXACTLY WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO PLACE THEM ahead of time, because once that hardener hits the resin...ITS ON! There is a bout a 10 minute window before the stuff sets, temps and conditions permitting...so you really do need to work quickly....

...ABRACA-POCUS....!








...If you zoom in on the pic, you can see the random pattern of the fibres in the mat...the mat makes a STRONGER PATCH but will also be more BULKY and require more sanding.....the CLOTH (to be seen later on) makes a more finished presentation when dry, the cloth will stretch and curve to almost ANY surface contour....

Since these areas will be beneath the carpet, I thought to myself what BETTER PLACE to do some LEARNING...? Not gonna see it...! Don't have to SAND it...! A good place to start...from the inside out...!








...shouldn't be anymore water getting in here...!









Next up: drivers' side door sill...


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...Drivers' Side Door Sill...*

Upon opening the drivers' door, this is what would greet you...








...doesn't look so bad...if you don't look too closely....but, I DID...!








...Maybe a little TOO close...!








...NICE...!








...ah well...to be expected of a 24 year old Canadian car...
...Looks as though the Prev.Owner had it oil-sprayed...
...THAT probably helped it get THIS FAR...!








...the above close up is of the breach to the right...








...To all of you SHOWCAR fanatics who are wondering how this isn't so bad...








....THIS IS what I get to see whenever I open the door of my White wagon...








....Yeah, I know....how has MTO NOT yanked the plates on this as yet....but, MORE about this later TOO!

Alright, enough of the BEFORE pics....on to the finishing fotos...!
Again...my apologies for there NOT being any "during the procedure" pics...the resin sets too quickly to stop n take shots...I'll see what I can do about recruiting an interested party to photo-document a FUTURE fibreglass resin application procedure as this summer WILL provide numerous opportunities....
.....First, got the goggles on and took the Dremel tool to the rust, when I had enough rusty dust on my tastebuds...I put the ACID test into effect...(that bottle of RUST REMOVER circled in YELLOW in pic above)....








...this prepped the area for application of the resin mixture...
...after washing the acid off with water...(let the acid sit for 10 minutes!)








...put paper down if you don't want a teal tinge to your driveway...!








...NOTE the STYLISH colour coded (color coded for My American friends) seat covers, which also, in a pinch, double as recycling bags...








...the powder from the sanding of the fibreglass ALSO doubles as ITCHING POWDER which can be QUITE IRRITATING to the operator of a motor vehicle....(especially in bumper-to-bumper traffic with an itchy left leg!)....however; applied to ingeniously thought of surfaces...(underwear, socks, toilets seats to name a few!) ...to annoy those who deserve an anonymous slap in the face; can be a GREAT source of amusement also....OR you can just sweep it up and discard it...(what a shame! Joke shops charge good money for that stuff!)....anyway...








....if you find that there is a gap which might be TOO big to support a piece of resin-soaked fibreglass mat before it sets (it could all ooze through the hole and create a stalactite of resin within the hull, and leave a depression at the site the hole), I found that fibreglass mesh DRYWALL TAPE is a great help in forming missing areas that need support, where BEFORE there was none...NOTE:  THE RESIN IS HEAVIER, THAN THE ADHESIVE TACK OF THE DRYWALL TAPE BY ITSELF; SO, I recommend applying the tape where you want it to be, then, mix up a batch of resin/hardener and PAINT it over the areas of the tape that you want to STAY PUT...and let it harden, now you will have a mesh that the resin mixture WON'T PULL AWAY from your work (and make you utter words that you thought you had forgotten coinciding with your first taste of Dial, Lava, Irish Spring, Dove, Zest, etc.!)








This area is reasonably LEVEL, so I didn't use any tape here...but, in the wheel arches....you will see that there is tape used extensively to anchor the resin mixture and used also to reconstruct missing areas of, well, whatever was missing! 
IF YOU MAGNIFY the area on the sill where the door closes, you can see the weave of the CLOTH that conforms nicely to all contours when wet with resin mixture...I ended up putting about three layers on this area, then whenever I had some excess resin left from another spot on the car, rather than waste it, I painted it on the sill and let it harden into a nice, smooth finish....








...Ya gotta admit....it looks WAY better than the perforated images above....! More layers of resin have been painted on this area since the pic was taken...while working in this area, I noticed some EXTENSIVE ROT beneath the door extending to the rear left wheel arch, however, that will have to wait until my NEXT post...I've almost maxxed out my FREE allotment of pics for one site...gotta find another...THANKS ADAM (VW FOX)
....HERE is a worms' eye view of the operation....








....Next up: WHEEL ARCHES and affected areas....CANADIAN DRIVERS: you will WANT to see THIS...!


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## lilgreydentwagen (Sep 13, 2005)

Krammit, i noticed a few posts above, a tin pan. Assuming you are using it to mix your resin, you should try plastic. Metals have seriously adverse effects on that particular mixture of chemicals. I've seen catalyst catch fire in a pie plate. Anyways, It may slow your cure time a bit. Also try using less catalyst. I used to work with fiberglass for a living and have a little experience. Also, any glass work you can do out of the sun will give you a little extra work time. It's very u.v sensetive.


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...Rear Wheel Arches...*

Here are some BEFORE images of what I bought "sight unseen" last April...:
This is the FRONT portion of the rear LEFT wheel well...









This is the REAR section of the rear LEFT wheel well...









This would be the leading part of the REAR RIGHT wheel well...









And this is the REAR RIGHT REAR wheel well area....









KEEP IN MIND--THESE ARE PRE-GRINDING PICS...!!
I think, instead of the goggles, this time, I opted for the FULL FACE SHIELD to protect from flying debris; of which, there was a GREAT DEAL..!! The Dremel Tool, still the weapon of choice at this point, again, because I would rather not disturb a large area all at once, this allowed me to choose HOW MUCH to take away without having to say....WHOOPS...too many times that were coupled with severe regret!
This is the rear section of the left well AFTER a little TICKLE with 15,000 rpm...









Here is the REAR RIGHT REAR section...again, after a VERY SLIGHT GRAZING at 15,000 rpm...I WANT there to be something LEFT to work with...!









THIS is what can happen...even though you are trying to BE careful....!








(EVEN OUT OF FOCUS [in the distance, beyond the sidewalk] you can SEE the RUST on the white wagon ARCHES...! THAT IS EXTENSIVE...!)

....NOT EXACTLY SURE what this ORANGE GOOP is that you see here...this is the underside of the leading right rear wheel arch....seems another previous attempt at restoration is evident....nice try....









To be honest with you...I can't tell what this pic is of, other than it's an impressive SHOTo'ROT...! I think it was on the right side of the car, beneath, just in front of the right rear wheel....









Some Progressive ROT Pics...


















I read about you guys and your rolled fenders....
Well, these are OLD fenders...! I mean REALLY OLD...!


















Put a BAT to THAT....and THAT will be THAT....!!








The Fuel Filler Door is INTACT....so I have THAT goin for me....which is NICE...! (caddyshack ref. Thank YOU Bill Murray!)

I think this is the bottom of the left side inner fender wall....I see a muffler hanger in the BG...









...and this would be a FRACTION of the rusty debris that fell out from under the car while I was serenading the neighbourhood with high pitched sounds of mock dentistry....









....However, while grinding away at the rear right wheel well, stepped it up to 30,000 rpm to get some results...then it ALL GROUND TO A HALT...!! Courtesy of a DISH RAG that had been LOVINGLY PRESERVED in the rear right fender of the wagon, carefully releasing moisture into the hull of my ride to be...!! HOW ON EARTH, DOES ONE LOSE A DISH RAG TO THE INSIDE OF ONES' CAR...??? (AND FORGET ABOUT IT ?!?)








I claim that it is a dish rag because my first job was as a DISHWASHER at a HoJos that helped me pay for my first Scirocco....these details stick in my mind...not easily forgettable...if ever..!

So, after overcoming my bewildered amusement, I decided that the REAR BUMPER COVER had to come off, and, seeing as I had never actually DONE that, (removed the cover intentionally), I felt a challenge coming on....but more about that in the NEXT post...!


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## alaincopter (Oct 2, 2007)

Kevin I greatly enjoy reading your thread, keep it coming! What a heap of trouble we're into trying to save these Foxes.


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...REAR LEFT Wheel arch...*

Starting at the rear left wheel arch, again, because I really had NO IDEA what I was doing, I began applying drywall tape the the arch, in an effort to give the resin something to stick to....I had roughly sanded away all loose debris from the inside of the arch, using an 80 grit sanding sponge, a quick spray and wipe with rubbing alcohol to take away any finite dust particles (you never get ALL of it, but, satisfy yourself!), and began applying tape to try to reconstruct the missing lip if the wheel arch...









(WOW! nice big pic! Using a different image host now, so bear with me 'til I get the hang of it!) I must say, from a n00b standpoint, imgur is EASY to use, but they limit yopu to 225 FREE pics (then they want $$$); gonna try photobucket now, (which lets you upload video as well!), we'll see how many FREE pics they allow...! [I have only had a computer for the LAST 18 months!, before that.....??? Kinda like a microwave, you wonder HOW you got along before WITHOUT one...!!]

You'll note the frequent use of FLASH LIGHTS in my photos...a few excuses....(AHEM! er, explanations...!) ...a) I'm LAZY and it takes me 'til sundown to get my fecal matter collected enough to get going; ...b) I was born @ 5:30 in the morning, and find myself being VERY NOCTURNAL if I had the choice; the REST of the world is leaving me ALONE long enough so that I can get stuff done; ....c) My estimation of allotted time to complete the task is SEVERELY FLAWED, or seems so, due to unforseen COMPLICATIONS that inevitably run into EXTRA INNINGS with respect to working on a 25 year old RELIC...! ...d) My penchant for enjoying my time away from THE GRIND, and TINKERING....how to you place a time limit on THAT...? 









By the way, IF you are considering buying one of THESE Stanley work lights....DON'T...!! The cheap-ass, INEFFECTUAL MAGNET cannot even support the weight of the light; and, as a result, falls into your work; lets go of its mount and FLASHES YOU so you are BLIND for about ten seconds....really.....NICE JOB STANLEY....! not worth the effort!









....MORE drywall tape to seal up the GAPING HOLES that are there...this is the REAR of the LEFT wheel arch...









...this is the FRONT of the rear left wheel arch....kind of like applying a bandage...PRETTY MUCH...!









...I figured OVERLAPPING strips couldn't be BAD...









...This is with the RESIN MIXTURE applied over the tape...I just kept brushing it on until it was saturated and began dripping off...it looks as though I used SEVERAL SMALL strips of fibreglass cloth in this area too...! My MAIN OBJECTIVE was to put enough RESIN on the TAPE to ANCHOR it to the car; as I have written before, the adhesive tack of the drywall tape, is NOT SUFFICIENT ENOUGH TO SUPPORT THE WEIGHT OF THE RESIN MIXTURE...Please DON'T waste your time finding this out the HARD way, as I HAVE...!! I must say though, the tape is GREAT for reconstructing areas that have deteriorated to the point of non-existence...!









...a closer view of the rear of the arch...








While tending to this area, I was getting FRUSTRATED at NOT being able to get behind the Rear Bumper Cover....there IS something DARK and OMINOUS HIDING beneath the cover....so I decided that the cover HAD to come off...!!

Taking this cover off, was no easy feat...there are 8, 10mm bolts that hold it on...depending on how RUSTIC the vehicle, extraction of these bolts can be TEDIOUS at BEST...!! I managed to SUCCESSFULLY STRIP THREE of the bolts on the bottom of the cover, (the EASY to GET TO ones...!) and actually broke TWO of them off in the bumper....WELL DONE...! One thing at a time, the mission here, is to get the cover OFF; worry about putting it back on...LATER...! 

I had a couple buddies over with me the day I was intent on removing this cover; ONE friend was anxious to help, the other, NOT so much......the helpful friend, was holding pieces of trim away so that I could gain access; the NON helpful friend kept muttering, "...VISE-GRIPS...!", out loud while pacing back and forth, up and down the driveway....anyway, after about 45 SERIOUS MINUTES of intense GRUNTING and SWEARING...I managed to get the bolts out of the inner most part of the cover, WITHOUT BREAKING THEM OFF IN THE BUMPER, which was GREAT, considering the level of success I had in this department with the bolts that were EASY to get to....I was trying to be EXTRA CAREFUL NOT to snap these bolts, because drilling and tapping NEW threads in this location would BE IMPOSSIBLE without removing the bumper entirely...wasn't down with that...

When I FINALLY got the bolts out to get the cover off, THE (...by this time...!) OBNOXIOUS friend asked, "So, what did you end up using to get the bolts out...?!?" (with a RIDICULOUSLY SMUG GRIN HIS FACE...!). I replied; while examining the tool for the manufacturer, "MASTERCRAFT LOCKING PLIERS"!, with an EQUALLY sarcastic tone in my voice! Just so as NOT to give him the satisfaction of having possibly been correct about the weapon of choice for this particular operation....(I'm laughing about the incident as I write this!)









The Cover HAD to come off...so that I could get to THIS...!!! Almost fills one with the urge to shout, "HEL-LO...!" into the opening to see if there is an ECHO..!!









...as easily seen...there are MANY RUSTY REASONS to have removed the bumper cover...!









...rear left area below hatch...hate those "speednuts" that are supposed to go on these studs...can't GET to them to put them on...! Looks like THESE particular examples are all but GONE...!









...looks like A LOT of RUN OFF has passed over THIS AREA over time...









...looks like those STUDS are the epicentre of the rusting scene...!









...more of the rear hatch lip...









...right rear tail light area...minus the bumper cover...









....a close up of THE GAPING WOUND...!









....LOOK, A NEW BREAKFAST CEREAL: RUST FLAKES...!!! JUST ADD MILK...!! EEEEIIIIWWWW....!!! (didn`t try it here, WOULDN`T recommend it at home...!)









Must take a break here...I see that the SUN is out...filling ME with the URGE to go and SUN MYSELF LIKE A SNAKE ON A ROCK...(don`t we all...?) It does NOT happen very often in this country, so, you have to get yer radiation naturally while you can..!

PLUS...JUST DISCOVERED A FLYING ANT INFESTATION IN MY GARAGE...JOY! 

.TO BE CONTINUED...!!


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## Banned wagon (Mar 3, 2004)

Wow you are going to a lot of work to band-aid this car. 

I hope you are using a good rust killer/ converter, and metal etch primer on all the rust before covering it in resen? 

I say this in a helpful and nicest way possable.
You really need to put some of this effort and time in to learning how to weld. As the return for your effort will be grater (I.e. work for the rest of this cars life)


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...WOW...! You Guys are FAST...!*

I just took a break for a couple hours....and a reply ALREADY...! Which IS GOOD..! I WELCOME ANY REPLIES OR RESPONSES THAT ANYONE HAS...because, I wonder very often if ANYONE is EVEN READING any of the nonsense that I have been posting here....

WHAT I HAVE LEARNED is that ONLY ONE in EIGHTY or so people who view this thread take the time, or feel compelled enough (through personal experience or empathy) to make a reply...to those of YOU that HAVE REPLIED...I VERY MUCH THANK YOU AND HOPE YOU WILL CONTINUE TO FOLLOW MY RAMBLINGS...! I kind of find this WHOLE exercise very therapeutic and IT allows me to relate some of the ridiculous things I encountered to anyone who cares to read about my exploits...(to be TOTALLY HONEST with you, I had been reading a NUMBER of the posts and seeing all the pics; so, when I was doing this last summer, these were taken in the hope that they would be appreciated by some of YOU GUYS...!) 

In all my years of being on this rock, which isn't really that many, I have YET to meet anyone who can READ MINDS...! So, unless you TELL someone what you are thinking....HOW are they gonna know..? What are we doing on this planet if we can't COMMUNICATE with each other and share knowledge to make our lives easier and more comfortable...? JUST saying...anyway...having said that, please do NOT HESITATE to make a reply to this thread....if you have something to share, PLEASE DO...! GOOD, BAD, ENCOURAGING, disCOURAGING...whatever....part of the problem with this world is INDIFFERENCE...where one could care less one way or the other...HAVE an OPINION, STICK TO IT, SHARE IT, let others KNOW how you feel.......wow.....kinda getting off on a tangent here....MUST be all those '70s chemicals I sprayed in the garage to get rid of the FLYING ANT INFESTATION... I see a few of them around still, but, they LOOK LIKE they are mostly just HUGGING one another.....NOT FLYING ABOUT being a nuisance....!

Alright, enough HUFFING the NASTY TOXINS....back to the HORROR SHOW...!
This is a shot of the GAPING WOUND after some wire brush action 









Now, with RESPECT to Banned wagons' reply; I don't know if I have used a GOOD rust remover/converter, I used the ONLY ONE I could find...! I tried to apply it as LIBERALLY as I could without having it drip all over the driveway...[ALSO: WOULD VERY MUCH LIKE TO LEARN HOW TO WELD...!] ...my Dad welded for a living (steamfitter!), but he's too old (and FAT) to get off his ass and teach me anything...!

Here is the AFTER pic...this photo is slightly OUT of focus for some reason...looked okay before....









...the rear left bumper rail...









This is the rear bumper rail with the acid on it...already did the stud in the BG...









...the rear right rail....leave it sit for 10 minutes or so...









...the fuel filler door...









...rear right tail lens area...









...rear right bumper rail...









...The gaping wound AFTER marinating in the ACID for ten minutes...and a quick rinse with water...









...the rear left rail after a bath...









... more of the bumper rail to the right...









...th rear right portion of the bumper rail after the treatment...









...the rear tail lens area...









...CLOSE UP....!









...AND the fuel filler door...!








All is ready for re-coating of some sort...the sooner the better...! What happens is, ANY kind of moisture (...EVEN DEW...!) hits this area, the RUST BEGINS AGAIN, so be SURE to get some kind of coating on it as soon as possible...! I didn't....that is HOW I know this is what happens...!

...The ECHO chamber ready for surgery...









...the rear left part of the hatch closure...ready to be refinished...









The middle section ready to go...









...the rear rail ready for re-coating...









...the tail lens area...









....the fuel door...









....and, a video to describe the progress of this thread....and ALSO, the WORLDS' ONLY SNAIL WITH A BACK-UP WARNING ALARM (Have the volume turned UP and BE QUIET to hear it...!) [Just CLICK on the snail picture and you will be taken to a link of the video...!]


...AND also, as a TREAT for following along this FAR...a pic of my garage door...maybe you have seen it in a video (WOODYS' LAST MOMENTS...) ...or pieces of it in pics in this thread....I painted it when I was 15 years old..!! That was over three decades ago and it is STILL PRETTY COOL..!! ...anyway, I hope you like it...I see it every day, not everybody does...it isn't something that YOU SEE EVERYDAY...! ...for most people...








...there are numerous dents in the garage door from "taking shots" as a kid, shooting tennis balls at the door....and also a few from my friends who had motorbikes, who would take runs at my garage door (while they were HIGH) from the apartment driveway across the street from my house, reach 100 km\h, then do a front WHEELIE STOP RIGHT AT THE DOOR, TIMING IT SO THAT THE MOMENTUM SUBSIDES JUST ENOUGH TO TOUCH THE VISOR TO THE FOCAL POINT OF THE PAINTING....!!! (...they know who they are...! and YEAH, I KNOW it was YOU...!)

It is VICTORIA DAY here in Toronto and all of Canada, which means, a PAID day off of work, and the opportunity to revisit the childhood tendencies of being a PYROMANIAC...! The WONDERFUL time BEFORE we all (sorta) grew up and learned to play nicely with the other children..., a time when setting things ablaze and watching them go, BOOM! was a tremendous thrill (...STILL IS SOMETIMES...!) NEED TO GO GET ME SOME OF THAT...! (I have some unauthorized firecrackers that NEED lighting) not infringing on any ones liberties though...safety first!

I think the rear right wheel arch is next...gotta find my pics...that will be for next time...til then.....HAPPY V D ! ...wait, THAT didn't sound right....!


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...REAR RIGHT Wheel Arch...*

Okay, found my pics, gotta keep plugging away at this to "Git 'er DONE!", yeah right, will there EVER BE a FINISH LINE...?

A few BEFORE pics to show what there was left to work with...
This is the inner lip of the arch, looking from the hub to about 11 o'clock...(right profile)...









...the rear right area, about 8" of the arch is MISSING...









...I think there was about 3" left at the top of the arch to work with....the rest is GONE...!









....Pretty Slim Pickens left after "tickling" away the flimsy parts....









....Made myself a little gadget to help me see what I'm doing...AGAIN with the TAPE...!









...the inside of the rear of the well...keep in mind, this is STILL WINGIN IT..! (beginning to have a clue...minor...!)









...wrap it up...in FIBREGAUZE...!









....the inner edge that wasn't really there before...









...the front section of the wheel well...bit of resin there too...!









...Not REALLY sure what my plan IS at this point....but, I'M STICKING TO IT...!









...apply some of the resin mixture to ANCHOR all this TAPE to the car...









....only have ONE CHANCE to MAKE IT STICK...!









...One thing I did find was it was difficult to get all the air bubbles out during fibreglass application due to ALL the layers of tape...I think just enough to cover the area would be sufficient...I was trying to create a skeleton upon which to rebuild...









This is the rear of the wheel well after the mixture has been applied...(note that it is DARK in the BG...!) (....slow is smooth...!)









...and behind the rear right wheel...









There is still more to be done to these arches, I just hadn't figured out what at this point...

I have shied away from using putty because I heard people say that it doesn't stay put very long; vibrates loose over time; is porous, so it will absorb water eventually, get heavy, then fall away...well, i decided to find out for myself....why go on someone else' say-so...?!?

You will have seen the use of putty earlier in this thread; but, that was in an effort to answer Chris' (redone17) request for a bodywork how-to post (the segment about the windshield...!); I think I declared that the pics were out of sequence as far as how they actually happened...anyway...

So I went and bought a tin of Bondo-Glas (the GREEN cake frosting with the RED icing/hardener!) and played about with it on the rear end of the Wagon, patching up all those spots that were rusted....but, that will be for the NEXT post..!


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## vwfanatic69 (May 8, 2010)

patiently waiting for the next installmentopcorn:


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*....Putty in the REAR...that sounds KINKY...!*

The First place that I decided to try the putty was on the rear left lens area....









...then just kept going around the car looking for spots...









....the rear hatch sill...









...the right tail lens area...









....around the fuel filler cap...









...and the door itself...









...after some sanding...









....more sanding...









...also decided it was time to patch the Gaping Wound...it was getting me down, making me feel discouraged whenever I looked at it, like I was NEVER gonna get this thing finished...









Well, there it is, not pretty, but sealed...









....view from below...









....oh look, night has fallen upon me again....









...a view from beneath the Wound...you can see there is STILL MORE work to do...! (THAT'S where that piece of GLOVE got to...!)









...a shot of the INSIDE of the quarter panel....the resin sagged and made an uneven finish...I should have had a 6'6'' friend stick his arm down there to hold it while it set...!!! Ah well, hindsight is 20/20, right...? At least it is sealed now...I can get on with it...one area at a time....!









Keep following...I was going to wrap the arches like a cast...but, then I had an IDEA....!


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## doppelfaust (Aug 15, 2007)

I have to say, the biggest thing I have taken from your thread is... thank god I don't live where you do. I don't think I could handle watching my car rust away.

Thanks for the updates. It's like watching something saved from the literal age of death.


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## novws (Dec 17, 2005)

Always look forward to the updates on your thread. I like the commentary and am glad you saved this car from being scrapped.


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## Banned wagon (Mar 3, 2004)

doppelfaust said:


> I have to say, the biggest thing I have taken from your thread is... thank god I don't live where you do. I don't think I could handle watching my car rust away.
> 
> Thanks for the updates. It's like watching something saved from the literal age of death.


yea rust sucks ! we have issues with it out my way but it only attacks the top side of the car


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...Here is MY IDEA...!*

Well, in ALL HONESTY...it wasn't EXACTLY my idea...My IDEA was to get a JIG made so that I could SUPPORT the freshly applied resin mixture with the fibreglass mats and cloths in place....so that the whole mess wouldn't OOZE and SAG all over the place.....I thought I was on the RIGHT track...

I went my good friends at ULTRA AUTO SOUND (...shameless plug...!) and asked Said [Sa-eed] if he could make me a jig, he said, "Sure, for the front or rear arch...?", I said, "I want it for the rear; but you can use the front arch, I think they are the same." AAAAEEEYYYEEERNNNT!! Wrong again BOB! They do differ slightly (realized this fact AFTER the jig was UP!) 

Anyway, I was DETERMINED to make THIS WORK...! SAID made the jig for me out of an off cut of MDF board and doubled the thickness (at my request!) for a case of BEER! (ANOTHER GREAT GUY I have met along the way on this journey!)

SO, now armed with my (approx.) 30" x 15" x 1 1/14" jig made from MDF (Medium Density Fibre) , basically sawdust and glue COMPRESSED under MASSIVE AMOUNTS of HEAT and PRESSURE, no knots, imperfections, BUT ALSO HEAVY AS GRANITE...!! 

I had to devise some kind of STAND that was capable of supporting this MONSTROSITY long enough to allow the resin to set.......THEN IT HAPPENED...! Another GREAT FRIEND of mine, DAVE, and I were in the garage drinking beer cuz it was STORMING (thunder, lightning, etc.) outside; can't WORK on the car, time to PLAN the work TO BE DONE on the car.....Dave is GREAT to bounce IDEAS off of, because they NEVER come back in the direction that you were anticipating....he has a history of thinking outside the box, sometimes WAAAYYY outside...at any rate...we were halfway through the two-four when he muttered something like, "...it's TOO BAD you couldn't build the arch OFF of the car....NAH...! That wouldn't work..." "WAIT...! WHAT?!?....THAT'S IT...!!!" (...see it WASN'T actually MY idea...but) ...Make The Arch First! Then, Fasten IT To The Car....! Thanks Dave...!!! [MAYBE IF I wasn't LOADED, I WOULD have THOUGHT of it myself...]

...okay, I KNOW you guys LOVE PICTURES...!! Who am I to disappoint...?
THIS became the STAR of the SHOW...!









It looks kind of FLASHY due to it being dressed in ALCAN...! I put the foil on it so the moulded arch would come away from the jig easily, and THAT actually worked, what I soon discovered, was that the foil does NOT like to come away from the moulded piece very easily...well certainly NOT in ONE PIECE anyway...several, lots, & many pieces would be more accurate....
....Those wrinkles on the foil (I later found out!) will manifest themselves in the mould in a negative fashion (NO pun intended.....really?) , do you know how hard it is to make a square sheet of something LAY FLAT on something ROUND without any WRINKLES...?!? Again, patience NOT included...at least not THAT day...









What better way to FIND OUT what this stuff is all about, than just PLAY with it...? Find out what is smells like, didn't TASTE it due its' TOXICITY level; the SMELL can make your HEAD SPIN, initially, VERY slight euphoria....but, prolonged UNprotected exposure WILL give you a headache to remember....(HOW do you think I found out...?) so PROTECT yourself; and this stuff is ACTUALLY QUITE FUN to mess around with...!

THIS pathetic looking STAIN on the foil is my FIRST effort at FABRICATION...









I used only a SINGLE layer of cloth (with the grid-like weave) and thought I would be FANCY and use a WIDE sheet and FOLD it to create the lip of the arch...THAT DAMN BUZZER went off again....telling me that I had effed up once more.....

The procedure was to coat the foil with the mixture, have your pre-cut-to-size piece ready to go, thoroughly wet it, and apply to the desired area...LOOKS LIKE AN AERO BAR...(...there are NOT supposed to be ANY BUBBLES AT ALL...!)









...You can see the TREMENDOUS AIR POCKET trapped in here...note to self...DON'T TRY TO BE FANCY...!! For the NEXT effort, I decided, NO FOLDING, and to go with a layer of resin on the foil, a layer of cloth, resin, a layer of mat, resin, & a layer of cloth, then LEAVE IT to set...I have a tendency to OVERWORK things, gets me in trouble sometimes.....but how else do you LEARN ABOUT FIRE, IF YOU DON'T PLAY WITH MATCHES...?









HERE is the FIRST PROTOTYPE....! Was I happy with it...? Would YOU BE..? Could I do BETTER...? ...pretty sure....









...Not a bad fit though...









...you can SEE how this HAS MERIT.......[ahhh, I KNEW a girl named Merritt...but NOT like THAT.....we were seven...!]......









....would you look at THAT....OVER A DOZEN PIECES OF FOIL STILL STUCK TO IT...!...oh yeah, and....it's DARK OUT AGAIN....! The street lights are ON...! 









Time for me to end this segment...keep following to see MORE OF: REALLY FLIMSY STUFF + GOOEY STUFF = WHEEL ARCHES THAT CANNOT RUST....! (at least until I'M done with the car I HOPE!)


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...Many things on the GO....*

At some point last summer....I became OVERWHELMED by the amount of work I was facing before the weather was going to get uncooperative...I learned the value of picking one project or area to do at a time, complete it, then move onto the next...since I had just patched the 'gaping wound', I thought I should plug up the area that GAVE BIRTH to the DISH RAG...this approach to the quarter panel involved going at it from the inside, via the right tail lens....









I just filled any areas that had LIGHT shining through, with the mixture and mat until it oozed through the bottom and set...









Still not knowing exactly WHAT I was doing....I was trying different approaches to applying, different ratios of resin to hardener, trying to work OUT of the SUN, at some point I recall putting the tin of resin in my BEER fridge to keep it cool, perhaps extending the workability time a couple precious minutes...(seconds count!)

I needed to make some more arches before tackling the wheel wells....and also consider a method for fastening them to the car....
Wrapped the form in foil again, trying to keep the wrinkles down to a minimum on the lip...got out the goop...went for round two...









Now was a good time to clean up a loose end....I needed to drill and tap those two studs I snapped off in the rear bumper rail...the pic on the right side was brutally blurry...you get the idea...









While I was waiting for round (partially round?) two to set, I had some time to mix up some resin mixture, and paint it over the areas that were just puttied...just to see what it would look like...









....Turns out....I LIKED IT...!









...so I painted it EVERYWHERE...!



























I wanted to make the drivers door sill nice...only because I will SEE it every time I get into the car...THIS needed some more work...









....this looked okay....AT NIGHT, AFTER INHALING FUMES (and beers!) ALL DAY...!









....But, a light sanding, and CLOSE inspection revealed many depressions and imperfections, a couple tiny holes as well...









...I ended up covering the wee cleats that hold on that bottom trim rail...I don't think I'm going to worry about it too much....I would rather effectively SEAL the holes that are in the door sill...









Back to the garage for MORE FIBREGLASS FUN....covered the form again...cut my pieces ahead of time, planned out where they were going to go...









...resin mixture onto the foil, a coated layer of cloth, MORE resin on top of the cloth, then a soaked layer of MAT in the mixture, another coating of resin, then a final top layer of the cloth with its own coating of mixture.....the result...









You can SEE it...not the ABORTION that the first effort was....! 









...strip the mould and cover it again for round four...









....Same approach....









...Similar result....!









After stripping away all the bitty foil pieces..........................(I don't think my netbook has enough dots in it...!) I now had THREE decent arches...AND the first one...!.....so, I got a Sharpie, a mini hacksaw, a drill, and a box of outdoor construction screws...and had A FITTING SESSION...LEFT SIDE...









...here you can see the shadow of the original behind what I am intending....









....I think this will just get drizzled with resin; like syrup on pancakes...









...RIGHT SIDE...









...NOT many places to screw INTO...this lip was all but gone....









....Note there are NO SCREWS on the inside lip for about 7-8"; there was nothing THERE to fasten to...









I used the Sharpie to LABEL all my segments, cut pieces of MAT for each segment, put LOCATING MARKS on the fender and the arches, laid out my materials so they were easy to locate when needed, ALSO, (very important!) covered my SCREWDRIVER with paper towel and masking tape, leaving only the BIT EXPOSED....didn't want to goop up my screwdriver...!

I was going to do the TOP arch first; then, in second and third batch mixings; fasten the smaller pieces....that was my approach...









...the smaller segments...









....and my "Heavy as Granite" mixing/applying board, with assorted requirements...*TIP* That clear vinyl tube is the hardener; USE A SEWING NEEDLE TO PIERCE the opening, that will make the drops smaller, and EASIER to measure....(I used the end of a pair of scissors the first time...! The drops were HUGE...! ...bad results...!)









I REALLY HATE to DO THIS....but, it's getting LATE again....I've been out here 'til 2am the last couple nights trying to get this CLOSER to being....uh...well.....let's say....UP TO DATE....with respect to the CURRENT timeline...Yeah, that's it....up...to....date....CLOSER! Closer up to date. (Damn! JUST when it was getting to actually ACCOMPLISHING something....!)

I look forward to your comments, Gentlemen, if anyone is watching...!?!


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*....I guess no one is watching...*

Oh well...the work goes on....this was probably the MOST challenging application of the project so far...wadding up the resin soaked mat between the mould and the arch, while trying to locate the holes for the screws....SEVERAL times in 10 minutes... (it was HOT out...!) .....Anyway....









...the front of the arch...zoom in to see the ooze at the joins...









...the rear section...









...then it was over to the other side to plan IT out...the rear of the right well...









....locating marks on the car...









...And while I was working on the front part of the arch, my LUCKY DAY...can you IMAGINE WHAT I FOUND....? ANOTHER PROJECT...!








....Not sure...but, I think that ORANGE MARSHMALLOW is remnants of some other previous patchwork....looks as though the metal it was attached to....ISN'T...!....no matter...that's WHY I'm doing this....!

...the front part of the car wasn't the ONLY area that NEEDED patching at the welding shop...das ist Haesslich...........gotta get MORE FROSTING......!









....The corresponding area on the other side....ALSO in NEED of some...well, ...okay, LOTS...of TLC....!









...Applied some resin and mat to plug this side......(in the distance....you can see the apartment driveway that my MANIAC friends used to RUSH my garage door on their RICE ROCKETS........100km/h; then touch the visor to the focal point on a wheelie stop...! SAFE !! )









...no hole any more...









Then...one Saturday at about 7 in the morning...the front yard was being torn up......there were interlocking bricks and (rotted!) rail road ties......NO MORE...!








(....YUP...!!! WE ARE THAT HOUSE...!!!!)

What were they going to do with all the bricks...? ....I wondered....then I made a SUGGESTION......
...what used to LOOK LIKE THIS....









...now looks....LIKE THIS...! SWEET...! Another place to PARK...!!








The guy who put the bricks down did a FANTASTIC JOB...! Just a little bit too CONVEX as far as being level goes....but the driveway is FAR from being LEVEL anyway...

...As a small project to do while the LANDSCRAPING was going on......BEFORE...









.....AFTER...!








...Just some putty with a coating of resin afterwards.......

......some PUTTY spread on the INSIDE of the well, just along the NEW ARCH....hmmmm....looks like the TAPE was a GOOD IDEA after all...!









...the left side body/chassis seam.....









......slight pan out...








Looks better than it did....!

....the NEXT DAY....AFTER A LOT OF PUTTY.......









...then after A LOT OF SANDING....!









...the PROBLEM AREA after some putty and resin treatment....









....did I mention that I liked to paint that resin mixture EVERYWHERE.....?









...why not here...?









....and ALL AROUND here....









....here...









....ALL ALONG HERE....









....and here...









....the NEWEST project area...(the ORANGE MARSHMALLOW...!)









...and the FLOOR PAN beneath the passenger seat...AFTER A COAT OF FROSTING....!









NEXT UP: a visit from an ALIEN...!









(....been at it for a couple hours now, need a break...!)
Nachste Zeit..! Aufwiederschreiben...!


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## Banned wagon (Mar 3, 2004)

the "orange marshmallow" is a the factory seam sealer. it tends to get pretty thick in the rear corners.












(opinion)
from what i can see in the pictures you are not stripping all the paint and rust off and treating the rust and priming the metal, before slathering any fiberglass resin or filler. I fear you will make a entire now car out of glass and all the rust will be happily rusting away unseen under it all.


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...so THAT'S what THAT is...*

I was VERY CURIOUS as to what that actually was....THANK YOU, Banned wagon, for letting me know....I thought it might have been leftovers from a previous patching job...it kind of resembles the appearance of GREAT STUFF insulating foam after a couple years of exposure to the elements...I only say this because I have USED that stuff on my White '87 Wagon to fill gaps (...BIG ONES...!) and after a couple years, it LOOKS SIMILAR to the factory sealant....! 

With RESPECT to the rusted areas NOT being treated BEFORE covering them with resin mixture; I must admit that my pictorial presentation DOES have many GAPS in it...! I'm VERY PARTICULAR about how I treat my STUFF...I TRY to WORK CLEANLY so as to minimize the amount of CLEAN UP work at the END of the JOB...I LIKE to keep my TOOLS CLEAN and ESPECIALLY my electronic gadgetry...so, I may NOT have captured digitally, an image of the GREEN rust remover on some areas....but I DID go through TWO bottles of the stuff last summer... 








...applying it to EVERYTHING ORANGE (except the marshmallow) that I could find....areas that I may have MISSED, I hope would have been addressed by my having had the car OILSPRAYED (Rust-Proofed IS SOOOOOO INACCURATE...!) after I had finished work on it for the summer...a buddy of mine works at a Krown facility, I removed the rear tail lens', and rear interior panels to make access easier...he let me watch and instruct where to NOT drill to get inside; (I didn't want them to drill through my fresh handiwork...!) I also hadn't put the carpet down as yet, (still haven't!) so, they were able to get to a lot of places within the frame.... 

So, I'm hoping that what Banned wagon has described DOESN'T happen, WHO KNOWS what this ABSURD Canadian climate will dish out next (Last winter was the MILDEST I have EVER experienced!)....? 

But, IF some RUST does appear; I guess I will, in a few years, be making a post saying, "YOU TOLD ME SO...!" I hope I never have to make THAT post....! 

May I take this opportunity to say, THANK YOU, to Banned wagon....! I have made but LESS than 50 posts in this particular corner of cyberspace....AND for someone like Banned wagon, who has posted MORE THAN 100 TIMES my input...(MOST CERTAINLY A UBIQUITOUS ICON TO THIS FORUM....!)..I AM TRULY HONOURED that you would take an INTEREST in my INAUGURAL THREAD....MUCH LESS, POST A REPLY....! I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE YOUR INPUT as I am relatively NEW to THIS FORUM...! 

I also have to say that it is DIFFICULT to be a sidewalk /driveway mechanic....it is EVEN MORE DIFFICULT to be a sidewalk/driveway BODYWORK amateur....not having the LUXURY of a covered, climate controlled environment; forces one to deal with the ELEMENTS (and also a SLOPED work area!) which ISN'T a BIG deal when it is nice and calm out; but, when the WIND PICKS UP, or the increased HEAT due to exposure to the sun, or the inverse, sudden sun showers...etc...not excuses, just declarations of fluctuating conditions...but, certainly factors that are prevalent and to be considered and dealt with accordingly......to work INDOORS...WOW...! That WOULD be nice....there is ACTUALLY a 2 car garage attached to this house...but it is currently being used as a MASS STORAGE DEVICE...! (And also MY HANGOUT to get away from.......THEM....!) 

Once again, THANK YOU to ALL who take the time to reply to this thread (I DID go and get some PLASTIC MIXING CONTAINERS [THANX "lilgreydentwagen" !] and am anxious to see how they affect curing times...!) and I hope that you will continue to follow... 

So far, I think my pics are up to mid-September....so, there isn't much more to show... 

That ALIEN was ACTUALLY ME in my double-layered TYVEC sanding get-up with respirator...I used a RIDGID 5" oscillating palm sander with a 100 grit disc with a variable speed control; at half speed, it spits out a considerable cloud of dust; at FULL SPEED....YOU WEAR IT...!! I had a FAN set up to feed fresh air to my working area; but I have YET to FIND a FAN that can SUPPRESS the effects of the WIND...so, not wishing to ITCH for the NEXT WEEK....this was my approach...(yes, I wore goggles as well...!) 









Before i begin with the onslaught of pics again, as a testament to the WATER REPELLING abilities of this resin mixture with the cloth...for the last TWO DECADES the eavestrough at the corners of my house have LEAKED MISERABLY...!; with MUCH LESS care than I was taking on my car; I did this EIGHT MONTHS AGO... 








...AND NOT A SINGLE DROP SINCE...! Any moisture is due to OVERFLOW from the downpipes being clogged....(which I just yesterday cleaned out; the corners [3] LOOK GOOD after that duration of exposure.) It was refreshing to NOT have the habitual skating rink to the front door this past winter... 
Again, I am NEW to working with this stuff, had a curiosity to satisfy, thought you might like to see too....thanks for your patience.... 

Now, back to FIBREFEST 2011....! 

After getting my fabricated mouldings fastened...I felt there was something else needed...in accordance with my putty/resin glaze approach...why not here too? 









....the right side... 









....the left underside seam...(haven't had the front up in the air as yet...let me get to it....!) 









...the left side AFTER GLAZING with the mixture.....(you can see the reflection of my finger in the gloss...! ) 









...the other side... 









...the floor pan on the right side... 









....early morning dew on one of the PROBLEM AREAS.... 









....after a MAD amount of SANDING with the palm sander...the left side... 









...the area of the GAPING WOUND (to the bottom right of the pic) ... 









...the right side...(kinda looks dark out again, don't you think...?) 









...note the FLINTSTONESQUE FINISH to the arch....it doesn't get much better than THAT!.......no, I MEAN IT...! This stuff is QUITE SOLID...and THAT'S about as GOOD as I can GET IT...!!! (...for now...) 









It was FAST approaching October...and my days of WORKABLE WEATHER were quickly drawing to a close....TIME to get some PRIMER and PAINT on THIS FOX...! (Perhaps you disagree; but, I was THERE; IT WAS TIME...!) 









...rear left corner.... 









...the right side... 









Though I DO have a compressor...it has ONLY a 7.5 Gallon reservoir....NOT SUITABLE for painting a car because I would use all the stored air in a few seconds...then have to WAIT for the tank to refill...so, I went with a few spray cans of automotive primer that I had laying around the garage; apparently being saved for JUST THIS PURPOSE...(cuz I ran out just as I finished...!) Having a LARGE capacity reservoir would have been nice, but, wouldn't have done me any good at the time due to me NOT having a spray gun....I DO have an AIRBRUSH; but, that would have taken WAY TOO LONG (7ml reservoir!) 

...just unclip my handy dandy spray can trigger (I LOVE THIS THING...!) to change to paint...(I let the primer dry a couple hours....)...and PRESTO..! (do magicians EVEN SAY THAT ANY MORE...? Does anyone EVEN KNOW what a MAGICIAN IS any more....? Ahh, the LOST ARTS....) Some Silver paint....though I think the car might be GREY....looking at it now....maybe just faded versus new... 









...from a different angle... 









....the right side with paint... 









...another view... 









...the rear sill and bumper rail... 









...a better shot of the bumper rail...(...not much...!) 









....a view from the right rear of the car... 









...with lens and bumper cover back in place... 









...and the right side...lens is missing due to it being CRACKED...(I am currently trying to FIX IT...can't seem to find a replacement anywhere....if I'm LUCKY ENOUGH to EVEN FIND a Wagon....THAT LENS is either MISSING or MESSED UP worse than the one that I have...!) 








Whaddaya know...Its DARK AGAIN....(in the photos)...! After a summer of spending MORE TIME BENEATH this car than ACTUALLY IN IT....I feel a SHRED of what ALAIN must be going thru (HIS BUILD has been an on going project for FIVE YEARS) with respect to doing work, and NOT being able to enjoy your efforts...I MUST ALSO SAY that my car ISN'T A FRACTION OF THE MACHINE THAT ALAIN IS PUTTING TOGETHER.....!! 
...we might have the same emblem on the grille...but that is where the similarities stop... 

But, for me, for now, this is what I have accomplished....to this point....the CALENDAR IS TICKING...there is still MORE to follow......(plus I'm hungry....think I 'll go get a pepperoni pizza in the Silver wagon....the White one won't start...I think Eric (efritsch) is RIGHT; there MUST be a bad GROUND somewhere....there's a GHOST IN MY MACHINE...!) 

Next up: ...gonna drop the rear end and see what FUN there IS to be HAD on the FRONT END of the car....


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## alaincopter (Oct 2, 2007)

Definitely looks better in paint! Turned out better than it seemed it was going to when you first started. Fiberglass resin really is tough to sand. After you had sanded as much as you could though, it would have been nice to fill in the low spots with body filler, which is much much easier to sand afterwards to make the whole thing smooth. 

Either way though, whenever you fiberglass over the original body sheet metal, it is never going to look stock again unless you grind everything down. Definitely looks solid and stronger than it was though! Would like to see that one in person sometime :thumbup:


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*Thanks Alain...!*

Thanks for the reply ALAIN...! I know what you are saying about the addition of resin the body sheet metal NOT going to look like STOCK without a TREMENDOUS AMOUNT of grinding /sanding.....I realized at some point last summer that this was NOT going to look PRETTY after I was finished....and at the SAME time reminded myself that it IS a GREAT DEAL more structurally SOUND than it was BEFORE I started...which was what I set out to do....aesthetics be damned....function first...! But, QUITE RIGHT; not very visually appealing...it does look better with some primer & paint....the ONE thing that I am confident of...is that these arches are SOLID...! (The New CARS that I see every day look pretty, but, when you press on ANY metal panel...it "oilcans" because the gauge of the metal in the panel is SO THIN!) SHOPPING CARTS BEWARE...!!


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## ChevyAndVW (Feb 7, 2011)

clipper kits fit perfect of Foxes =) i just got 1 for mine and putting it on after the new metal rockers r replaced.


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

That would be cool...! I would be INTERESTED in seeing pics of THAT...! Feel free to post some pics of the "CLIPPED" FOX on this thread...! For one, to break up the monotony of my presentation; and, for two, to show what more SENSIBLE FOX OWNERS would do....[I JUST REALIZED what I have WRITTEN.......A SENSIBLE FOX OWNER.....!!! .......still laughing...!!!]...rather than take on a NEW hobby...! (...BUT, then what would I have DONE all last summer...?)

Please DO post some pics of your updated ride...! I have thought about trying my hand at making a front air dam to bolt onto the bottom of the existing Fox bumper cover....maybe extending, perhaps another 2 1/2 - 3 inches lower, and wrapping around the sides to deflect around the front tires.........maybe I should STUFF MY PIPE AGAIN
and see if the DREAM comes into focus......!


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*....It's now October....*

Looking at the time stamp on the pic (October 9th, '11, 1:25pm), this must've been a weekend that I had some time to play.....dropped the rear end down, put the front end up RIDICULOUSLY HIGH in the air (for being on a sloped driveway....!) with these axle stands that my Dad made (back in HIS day!) [apparently he COULD WELD!] in his younger years.....he used to RALLY RACE back in the SIXTIES when the rules were VERY SLACK....!! Not GROUP B or anything ABSURD like that.....BUT, he WAS APPROACHED to go PRO; but, DECLINED; wanting to START a family and so forth....which I suppose I should be THANKFUL for....otherwise I wouldn't be writing this...

But, I DIGRESS....!!! the front left wing, behind the front wheel, in front of the door pillar....








Yeah...I know.....there is supposed to SOMETHING there...isn't there...?

From a step back...









A shot of the upper left wheel well, by the shock tower....









....In front of the shock...(you can SEE, the LEAVES are TURNING....!)_









...The front Right wheel well, to the rear......(You can see where there was some CREATIVE WELDING done by my friend ED, at VANGRO WELDING....shameless PLUG....GREAT GUY THOUGH! ...I DID treat this area with the ACID.....!)









...upper edge of what is LEFT of the original edge of the fender lip; right front....









....right front arch...panned out.....(that's optimistic!) [Still got the SNOWS on WOODY!! *note* White Wagon was known as WOODY, due to the wood panelling that was applied all around; hence, 2nd White Wagon = Woody II .....Woody I: DONATE PROSPEROUSLY !!!! I MUST remember to STRIP the vinyl that I applied....to expose the wood-grain vinyl that someone applied; BEFORE they drove the car to Toronto from CALGARY some years ago.......(I SAW IT ADVERTISED AS A 5-SPEED....!!!! S - U - C - K - E - R !!!!!!!!) [....IF...YOU CAN POSSIBLY IMAGINE THE LEVEL OF DISAPPOINTMENT AFTER DRIVING A 5-SPEED SINCE 1984 TO REALIZE THE ABSENCE OF A FIFTH GEAR.......devastating........! HOWEVER!!!!!! I HAVE GROWN TO LOVE THE 4-SPEED TRANSMISSION......!!!!

I know what you're thinking.....pack another pipe dream....! But, in all honesty; a first gear that goes to 70 km/h...? and I have YET to TOP out my fourth.....maybe cuz I haven't found enough road......or horses......!
....in THIS CITY...FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR TOO MANY IDIOTS in THIS CITY who DON'T KNOW HOW TO DRIVE.........!!!!!! {my Scirocco of 13 years had been SMOKED by some KNOB coming out of LA TRATTORIA with ONE TOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MANY VINOS in HIM...mashed the right front signal back to where the alternator should be....!!!!!} this was back in '98....given my VERY UNSTABLE NATURE with having things ripped out from underneath me....in my early thirties...my life had ALREADY BEEN TURNED UP-SIDE****ING DOWN by a number of occurrences that were NOT in my favour..... YOU HAVE NNNNNNOOOOOOO IIIIIIDEEEEEEAAAAAAAA HOW HARRRRDDDD I BIT MY TONGUE; NOT TO HARBOUR ANY ILL-WILL TOWARDS THIS INDIVIDUAL..IN THE PRESENCE OF POLICE OFFICERS..!!!!!!!!!!!! I STILL HAVE THE SCAR...!!!!!!.......









...What a luvly bit o'rust, whot?









Perhaps the MORE MORBID viewers were anticipating some scarred tongue shots......in all HONESTY....I took some pics ......NOT SUITABLE FOR ANY VIEWERS...! I DELETED THEM.....that didn`t make my tongue feel any better though....it did bleed for a day or so....didn`t wan to go for STITCHES.....can you imagine...? *NOTE TO SELF*...OUCH!


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...ALWAYS better to FIGURATIVELY bite your tongue than ACTUALLY....(...unless yer INTO THAT!)*

I WILL say that I developed a WICKED RAINBOW SORBET DEPENDENCY for a period of about 6 weeks afterwards.....anyone who gets their tongue pierced, and pays money for that kind of pain....? I don't quite understand the 'why' completely....or AT ALL! for that matter.....at any rate.....back to my buffoonery.........

So, since I have been on this site, I have learned so much more than I thought I knew about older VWs, Foxes in particular....I HAVE to LIKEN this revelation to the game of GOLF; in that, just when you think you have figured something out, that will LEAD WAY to THE REALISATION that you REALLY DON'T KNOW VERY MUCH AT ALL in the GRAND scheme of things...(at least where I AM CONCERNED)...!! So having written that, understand what I really MEAN, when I say, "I don't even KNOW, enough to KNOW, that I DON'T KNOW!" (...after a few pics, this MIGHT make sense....)

This is a shot of the rear section of the front right wheel house after the welding, and my putty/glazing job on the underside of the passenger floor up to the welds....(I had the rear end of the car up in the air; that was as far as I went, because I knew I was going to drop the rear and get the front end up in the air as high as I could...)









Here is the LEFT side...(nice GLARE! The Old Man would SKIN me [old school photography buff!] for taking a shot like THAT!) ....THANKS KODAK...!! For TAKING ONE FOR THE WORLD...!!! {they helped create digital imaging which eventually LED TO THEIR DEMISE...!} 









...a better view of the decayed ROT that is my ride....









THIS is what was left after I took the Dremel to the spot previously viewed as, 'upper left wheel well, by the shock tower'....(from the top, hood raised, left side, near antenna)









Well, I thought I KNEW (which can BE A DANGEROUS THING...!!!) wtf I was doing by this point....I was just ANXIOUS to get this thing SEALED before winter fell; in the event that it HAD to come into the GAME due to a Malfunction on Woodys' (my 2nd Wagon; just in case you haven't REALLY been paying attention....someday, I will peel the white vinyl from Woody I, to show you what the ORIGINAL WOODY looked like back in the day...) part.....THAT NEVER HAPPENED...! Woody II (not actually decorated with the HIDEOUS vinyl, but WOODY STILL! IF ONLY IN SPIRIT: due the fact that HIS EXISTENCE is LARGELY been made POSSIBLE by the donation of several components......I remember one day in particular, that I took off of work, to switch the brakes and surfaces from vehicle to vehicle.....QUITE A SIGHT actually.....kind of wish I had the means to record what I did in a stop-frame photography-type-manner! (a la FuzzyBunnys' 'Check THIS out!' Post) If you haven't SEEN it.....DO CHECK IT OUT...! He hand his pals; over a 7-9 min (can't remember exactly) segment; make a CONVERTIBLE (permanent!) out of a COUPE one day...! TOO KOOL...! ....anyway...where was I ...? Oh yeah, also took the exhaust, the gas tank, the fuel pump, alternator, starter, mirrors, rear hatch, drums, discs, water pump, radiator....the list DOES ACTUALLY go on...but those were some of the things that came from Woody I over to WOODY II; that makes him the "boite de merdre" that HE IS TODAY...!!! (P.S. I NEED TWO SETS of rear shocks for WAGONS BIGTIME...!!! HENRY at FRISCO AUTO PARTS LAUGHED AT ME WHEN I SAID "FOX" .....prick....I have been LINING HIS POCKET$ FOR YEAR$....!!!!) oh how SOON THEY FORGET....!!! I miss NASSAR @ N & D Parts...!!!! He WAS THE MAN....!!!! ...ANY FOX PART; FRONT N CENTRE; REASONABLE PRICE; PLUS ADVICE...!!!!!!!!!! how do you put a price on that.....?!? {I'm just sayin'.....IF I had a DOLLAR; (inflation, cost of living, etc.); for EVERY TIME I HEARD: "THIS WILL OUTLAST YOUR VEHICLE!" , when SOME JAGMO was putting on another part to my relic.....I'd be driving a MUCH FANCIER FOX than I am currently....!!!!} [why is there a RED LINE under JAGMO...?] .....ahhhh.....days long gone by.......[JAGMO=ABSOLUTE MORON; DRIVING A JAG/LIMO!] (THIS GUY MADE ME WANT TO BURY MY FIST INTO HIS FACE UP TO MY ELBOW....!!!)..... did I mention that I find this thread very therapeutic.......?!? I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE your patience/tolerance/empathy/condolences/sympathy for my NOT being LITERATE ENOUGH to KNOW where to BEGIN a NEW paragraph.....!

But I DIGRESS...(I almost feel that there is a ventriloquists' dummy sitting on my shoulder; HECKLING ME....!!!) ...here's a shot of the underside of that same spot; after the application (it was MORE of a marination) of the rust inhibiting acid; yup, yer right! I didn't grind away the crappy parts before spraying any self etching primer....before covering the affected areas.....so, we'll SEE what happens over time.....the pic...








...Kinda looks like a PING-PONG ( I KNOW THOSE GUYS...!) NET; doesn't it?
PLEASE-- DO NOTICE the TEAL TINGE around the edges of the (VERY UNEXPECTED!) gap in the wheelhouse opening....(marination)...Sure....Ultimately, you would like to ELIMINATE ALL RUST......but, I don't live in THAT kind of climate......nor do I have access to that kind of equipment....

So, I put some more mesh around the opening to give the putty something to stick to....









Looking directly down from the opening...I applied some tape to the flapping metal in an effort to try to re-create what was once there....









....What the hell do you do with this if you have NO IDEA how to weld...?









....I started in daylight...finished in the dark....putty fest....








I sorta treated it as a grade 9 art project....just started putting putty here n there to
see what would happen....whadayaknow...? It STUCK...!!

JUST realising....I'm quite tuned.....and it's going on 3AM.....! ON A SCHOOL NIGHT NO LESS.....! had a 10.5 hr day.....gonna be FACE-DOWN in the Toyotas later on today......(I work at a dealership!) ....'til next time....


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## Chris-88Fox (Mar 23, 2012)

Awesome job dude! those pictures of the rear after its been painted look sweet.
Keep up the good work!


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

Thank You for the reply Chris-88Fox...NICE TO HEAR from a fellow CANADIAN FOXER...!! Thanks for the regards...!! It has come a LONG way from what it was when I found it....however, it has a LONGER journey STILL...before I will be remotely complacent with its ongoing mending...!! In no way does it look like a SHOWROOM PIECE; but, I ONLY DRIVE CARS IN THE SHOWROOM IF YOU PAY ME....and THIS CAR....I drive for FUN...but, THAT hasn't HAPPENED YET.....80% of the components I wanted to replace BEFORE driving it, are NOT so readily available.......(DAMN GREEDY-ASS PROGRESS!!!).....getting SICK of hearing, discontinued, no longer available, obsolete.....YEAH..? Well, IF it IS obsolete....HOW IS THIS THING STILL RUNNING...? Wait a minute, I was making a post....back on topic here... 

Currently, I am experiencing a TREMENDOUS EXHAUST MANIFOLD LEAK which is SO LOUD; (how loud IS IT...?) ....it is sooooooo loud.....that I can't even tell if the VALVES ARE CLACKING...!! When it gets dark....I can SEE DETONATION in the third and fourth cylinders.....!!! As I tick along the road, enjoying ABSOLUTELY HORRID fuel economy...I almost feel like dude in THE GODS MUST BE CRAZY PT.I with the ticking of that old Range Rover..........(I WISH THAT WAS A JOKE...!!!) Finances will dictate how this gets resolved....right now, I'm so broke, I can't even PAY ATTENTION.....currently trying to locate a 4-2-1 exhaust manifold....oh yeah, my grade nine art project...... 

Looking back at my work...I should have been given an "F" for the work on THIS particular part of the car...looking closely, I realised that I have pretty much BUGGERED any chance of getting this wing off of the vehicle in the future....by


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...My FAT FINGERS hit a button...my APOLOGIES...*

....By gooping all kinds of putty over the SEAMS of the Panels...oh well, maybe a HOT KNIFE and a BIG bag of PATIENTS...! ...IF that time comes... 









This is the right side...there would be a little LESS grief if I had to remove this wing...but not much... 









The above application, I, for some reason, decided NOT to use the respirator....this is the evening when I discovered the never ending headache.....if I were to do it again without a mask (which I WON'T....EVER!) I would have a fan set up feeding me fresh air; my head was stuck in the wheel house, which effectively contained the vapours to simulate an environment about a STEP and and HALF below, "....deliberately concentrating and inhaling vapours...." you can see the different mixtures of putty, some reddish...some greenish... 
The right side would've earned a "B-".... 

The LEFT side...[I'm not BIG on failure...(WHO IS?)...but, you gotta give credit where credit is DUE....!]....I GIVE ME A BIG PHAT "EFF"....(as in 'I effed up!') 








HOW SO..? Well, a NUMBER OF WAYS ACTUALLY....: 
1) I neglected to tell the welder that the rotted drainage holes that he cut out and replaced (with SOLID metal).......are NECESSARY...! 
2) I FAILED to MAKE THIS REALISATION until about 9 MONTHS after the FACT...!! (YUP! Through the winter, such as it was, spring run off, April showers, etc.) it was very odd, I thought, that there should be a trail of WATER behind me for THREE HOUSES worth of road......when I took it for a spin.....made me begin to consider: WHAT HAD I DONE....?!? 
3) I DRAGGED MY HEELS on getting the PROBLEM RECTIFIED....I didn't relish the thought of LYING on my BACK; CAPTIVE beneath the Fox on stands; in my driveway; getting SHOWERED with HOT METAL SHARDS while drilling for AGUA in the BELLY; okay, LEFT NIPPLE; of my twenty-four year old, near-vintage VW.....(I used a hoist at work; MORE on THAT later...!) 
4) I ABSENTMINDEDLY didn't use HARDENER:banghead:in my LAST TWO APPLICATIONS of the summer...(went thru 7 litres of resin; yielding 15[!] 2 oz applications per tin!)...why is it still tacky after THIRTY-SIX HOURS...?!?...HOW-DY.? HARD-DEN-NER...! {The Party}....can you guess where...?!? (...I seem to be writing this AS THOUGH I have already posted a couple dozen pics that are CLEARLY not on this thread as yet........DOES ANYONE ELSE EXPERIENCE CONTINUITY ISSUES WITHIN THEIR LIFE...?!? ....perhaps its just ME....) 
More on the DRAINAGE ISSUE to follow... 

A shot of the left side from a step back...looks atrocious, I know... 









This is what it looked like, after the putty had hardened; and, I did a little sanding/contouring... 









The black plug near the bottom is one of the receptacles for the screws to fasten the fender liner...had to drill it out anyway... 









On this side, I wasn't trying to reconstruct anything, merely trying to cover over and waterproof the welds.... 









...that surprise hole that was in the left wing/fender from above...(had lots of mesh to support the weight of the putty) 









The left side again, with resin applied over top over the putty to seal... 









...a SCHPRITZ of paint.... 









....from a step back.... 









....from a FEW steps back... 








GOOD FROM AFAR....but, FAR FROM GOOD....!! 

The right side...after the same resin-over-dried-putty application, after a schpritz of paint... 









From a step back..... 









From a FEW MORE steps back...(gonna drip some 20W-50 on those bricks as SOON as I can...!)









It is getting late (....or early...), this will make some sense.....someday..... soon....I....uh...ANTICIPATE....YEAH! THAT'S THE WOIRD....anticipate.....I have learned NOT to make promises..... 

Ciao fer now....


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## Banned wagon (Mar 3, 2004)

haha the car reminds me of the Adobe


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...I don't quite get the reference...*

For some reason, I think it has to do with International Video Streaming Rights, The above mentioned HuLu video (which I haven't seen) cannot be viewed outside of the United States... 

My only understanding of Adobe, traditionally...huts that were made of MUD and FECAL MATTER....and I can`t really disagree...it does look like its had a LOT of mud n CRAP slapped on it...(or a program, but, doubt THAT was the implication...) 

At any rate....it was far too late in the year to concerned with aesthetics....at this point....I was interested in finally getting the ownership in my name and getting it plated....a safety inspection certificate was issued with out incident....that was GOOD..! The emission test was not such an initial success....having been UNDER the car MORE than IN the car....I really didn`t know much about the vehicle mechanically, other than that it has a CRAPPY exhaust system, and that I was able to DRIVE it home...... 

I am wondering about something: It failed the emission test in the oxides of nitrogen category.....miserably...(almost FOUR times the allowable limit)...I was told it was due to the motor running HOT.......there is a TREMENDOUS exhaust manifold leak...this is my WONDER....: because the exhaust manifold is leaking; immediately combusted gases are escaping between the BLOCK and the MANIFOLD, instead of being channelled away beneath the car and expelled through the tailpipe......would this escaped, freshly combusted gas; SUPER HEAT the engine compartment, to the point of the motor running in a constant state of NEAR OVER HEATING (the needle is ALWAYS above the red light!); thus, making the oxides of nitrogen reading higher than it WOULD be WITHOUT the manifold leak...? wouldn't the mani leak throw off the readings...? they tested the car as a 1.5L Yaris motor [which I personally felt insulting!], which right off the bat yields an unfair expectation limit...... 
I put a cat on it, (there isn't supposed to BE ONE ON IT!!! Early IGLOO ISSUE...!!!)[CDN'87-'88], even though there isn't supposed to be one present...! It reduced the hydrocarbons and the carbon monoxide to negligible amounts.....but the oxides of nitrogen were STILL above acceptable parameters....(by Ontario standards)....I hear d somewhere that the people who administer the TEST


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*....well that's ANNOYING...!*

....I heard that the people who administer the tests aren't supposed to do so; IF THERE IS AN EXHAUST LEAK....!! Which underlines my theory that this is an ENORMOUS CA$H GRAB by the government.......EVER SEE A DUMP TRUCK START UP AT A STOP LIGHT...? As IF my tiny little car emits as much SMOG in a YEAR!!!! as a DUMP TRUCK emits in a day of driving.... 

(my wireless router burped! ...before I could proof read!) 

So would the leak account for the outrageously hot reading...? 

I managed to get the car to pass...took it to an OLD SCHOOL friend of mine that said he, "turned back the timing, as though it was barely alive; and messed with the CO (3mm hex) adjustment a bit!" I think he was being sarcastic... 

Here's the diagram of the oxygen sensor and its location... 








....from the book we all know and love.... 

...and HERE is what I actually see when I look in the appropriate area under my hood... 








....anyone see an O2 sensor...? 

How about from THIS angle...? ...don't see a CO tube either.... 









....no wires going to a fuel management system.... 

Have I got the ONLY TWO early IGLOO ISSUE Foxes with NON-CATALYST LABELS UNDER THE HOOD; still alive....? 









I am planning a manifold upgrade....even as this is being written....for BOTH Wagons..... 

But that will be ANOTHER time.....


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## Shagin'Wagen (May 10, 2010)

KRAMMIT said:


> Have I got the ONLY TWO early IGLOO ISSUE Foxes with NON-CATALYST LABELS UNDER THE HOOD; still alive....?


 I know my Fox is non-catalyst.:thumbup:


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

NICE!! That makes three that I know of that are still surviving...!! Thank you for your reply Shaggin'Wagen...! I used to work for a sign company that made the signage for the Canadian Tire in Sherwood Park (I'm sure there is more than one by now)...my first Wagon died when I was working there...I managed to get a few pics of the Fox that started it all for me (the car that I had a week to find; after my Scirocco of 13 years got HAMMERED out from beneath me; and my insurance company hung me out to dry...!)








...WOODY...I made a post of his last moments...I can't seem to find it anywhere...perhaps it got moved or deleted...the title was, "Woodys' last moments...", involved a minutes worth of shuddering agony of video...one reply was that it wasn't death; just an excuse for a 16 valve and 5 speed swap...!!

Note the STYLISH WOOD PANELLING that someone in Calgary did to this car before driving it here to Toronto, back in '98, when I got it....








I covered it over with white vinyl about two years after owning it...!

It was a GREAT CAR...had AIR that probably still works, If there were a working motor in it...








The body is pretty rotted...it has been sitting for almost a decade...who knows though......

My second Wagon, the '87 was looking pretty ragged towards the end of last year....was kind of concerned about MTO (Ministry of Transportaion of Ontario), officers in white cars with green markings; they have MORE power than Provincial Police, as far as regulating vehicles on the roads goes....anyway...I didn't want to GIVE them any reason to pull me over and give the car a (WAY TOO) thorough inspection....the rear wheel arches were falling apart...(sound familiar...?!?) so, rather than try to do something elaborate, I found a way to provide the "ILLUSION" of a healthy wheel arch...via some Jetta wheel arch mouldings...!!

The Left side...









...and the Right...








...a little BLACK SHARPIE MARKER HERE...









...AND HERE...takes the 'sting' out.....








I trimmed the flares some time ago, didn't do a very good job...hence the touch-up...

I DO apologize for the lack of any "in process photos"...right at the beginning of the procedure, while drilling locating holes...I remember saying to myself, "MOVE your finger BEFORE the drill bit PASSES THROUGH THE METAL....", my right hand apparently wasn't in on the conversation....decided to pull the trigger without letting the rest of my body know about it.....the WAFER THIN metal proved no match for the JAGGED, BROKEN drill bit; which punched through only to encounter SERIOUS RESISTANCE from the FINGER that I was supposed to get out of the way......(insert what you imagine my exclamation might have been HERE!)...I had to look at my right hand and yell, "STOP!".....then had to PUT THE DRILL IN REVERSE to get the bit OUT OF MY FINGER....!!!!

After a quick first aid session, I drilled the rest of the holes, then fastened the arches with 11 screws each....not easy with a throbbing finger and a reluctance to repeat the folly...!!! So, that is why there are no in process photos, not an excuse....just an explanation...

I would say mission accomplished...! Too bad I didn't take any BEFORE pics...it was HIDEOUS...maybe when they come off to fix the arches properly...there will be plenty of pics...

More to follow....


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## Shagin'Wagen (May 10, 2010)

KRAMMIT said:


> NICE!! That makes three that I know of that are still surviving...!! Thank you for your reply Shaggin'Wagen...! I used to work for a sign company that made the signage for the Canadian Tire in Sherwood Park (I'm sure there is more than one by now)


Nope, still only 1 Crappy Tire here in the Park. 

Good luck with the project!


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## Henrique-RS (Oct 17, 2011)

Nice to see your restoration over this Fox wagon, it seems to have a lot of work to be done there.

I have never seen a VW fox with so much rust like yours, do you live somewhere close to the sea, or did the car lived? I guess "sea air" is what you call it, I can't figure another reason for so much rust in some hidden parts.

Sorry for my bad english, I'm brazillian.


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## Shagin'Wagen (May 10, 2010)

Henrique-RS said:


> Nice to see your restoration over this Fox wagon, it seems to have a lot of work to be done there.
> 
> I have never seen a VW fox with so much rust like yours, do you live somewhere close to the sea, or did the car lived? I guess "sea air" is what you call it, I can't figure another reason for so much rust in some hidden parts.
> 
> Sorry for my bad english, I'm brazillian.


Ontario uses a lot of salt on the roads in the winter... unfortunately, it likes to make cars melt.


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## turbinepowered (Mar 19, 2007)

Looking at the pickly fresh condition of this Fox makes me realize that living in the Southeast means I have NEVER dealt with rust before. :laugh:

Looking good. :thumbup:


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*Yup! RUST is to CARS; like CANCER is to HUMANS....*

Some are more susceptible to it than others...some are in DENIAL and refuse treatment....some live an entire lifetime with it; but eventually succumb....but, SOME get a form of treatment that GIVES THEM A SECOND CHANCE AT LIFE...!!

Still only ONE CRAPPY TIRE in the Park, eh? Then I DEFINITELY made the signs that were up in your store between '03-'07....!! (haven't you noticed the abundance of wrinkles in them lately...?) I find it HILARIOUS that CRAPPY TIRE is referred to as such nationwide....!! Thanks for the reply Shagin'Wagen....!! 

Quite right about the SALT usage on the roads in TORONTO ESPECIALLY.....(mainly because the Ministry has allowed such an ABUNDANCE of unqualified motorists to have licenses; much LESS have those SAME motorists on the road during the winter!)....that the roads are actually sprayed with a BRINE (serious salt content) solution the evening PRIOR to a blizzard/heavy snowfall; then, after any accumulation of snow, out come the salt trucks to turn the roads into about 4-6" of a salty/slushy/paste that sticks to wheels, wheel wells, rocker sills especially (I LOVE MUDGUARDS!!), body panels, and anywhere else you might think this SLUDGE would get into a car when it is bombarded with CORROSIVE CRUD for a minimum of 4 months of the year...(LAST YEAR WAS AWESOME!)...I think it only snowed twice; of any amounts worth noting...

This car is getting a second chance at life; my other Wagon, Woody, is in DENIAL...I found a pic of the BEFORE state of the wheel arch....PRE-JETTA FLARE facade.....:









I think you will agree, worth the effort (minus the drill bit in the finger part..!), to NOT draw any attention from the MTO boys....the left side is a little better, but not by much......

Henrique-RS...Thank You so much for your reply...NICE to hear from Brazil...!! Your English is WAAAAYYY BETTER than MY PORTUGUESE...!! Trust me on THAT...!! It hasn't snowed here like this for a couple years...but here is a pic from February '08 (YOUR SUMMER..!) 









That Fox in the forming ICEBERG is the ORIGINAL WOODY....I regret NOT taking the motor from the white Wagon that is STILL GOING; and just putting it into Woody I, he had A/C..! Should have got a computer sooner......! Oh well, hindsight is 20/20.......if we knew THEN, what we know NOW.....

turbinepowered--Thanks for your reply..! --The above photo is NOT an indication of what the ROADS look like; this was in my driveway...the snow is a nice, fluffy, white, easy to shovel...(but, maybe you GET snow, don't know HOW SOUTHeast)...on the roads, the snow isn't snow any more....it becomes this slushy, black slime, that WON'T FREEZE, so it can seep into EVERY NOOK and CRANNY with its CORROSIVE NASTINESS just the same as rain...[maybe like ACID RAIN from the ground UP..?]!! (a shovel full of slush is about 15 times heavier than the same shovel of what you see on my driveway....) Metal will keep rusting if left untreated; the fibreglass that is all over the underside and rear wells/arches SHOULD help this car last LONGER than it would have, had I decided to do nothing.....

Got a NEW problem to contend with now...the Main fuel pump is BUZZING LIKE A NYMPHOS' VIBRATOR....which actually makes me laugh every time I hear it (when I picture it in THAT context..!)...though I shouldn't; I had a look at the transfer pump last weekend.....

But that will have to wait for next time....


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*I Found the Video...*

I found the video of Woody One, the LAST moments of life...(I think I called him a 'Poor Ba$tard'; if that offends you.....please don't watch the clip...)...it was actually his last minute...


The final reading 474,652 (.9) ....The tragedy is...everything had just been fixed, replaced, renewed....brakes, alternator, water pump, gas tank, muffler, rear hatch, to name a few....all those components are keeping Woody II alive as they found their way to continued use....though now even the brakes, muffler and gas tank (again!) have been replaced since.....!


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*It has been a couple TRYING weeks...*

On the thirteenth of July (A FRIDAY), it was about 38C in Toronto (hometown!); NOT that I'm TRISKAIDEKAPHOBIC or anything; but....maybe I should be....

It was about twenty to six (just before closing!); I got a chance to go for lunch; as stated, it was SUPER HOT for the time of day....I had been experiencing intermittent FUEL DELIVERY for a week now...While on the way back from picking up my lunch....IT HAPPENS...!! The fuel pump decides to take a REST...!! I waited for about five minutes to let it cool down....it starts....gets me up to the intersection to make a left.....then dies again.....then the light turns GREEN...!! Fortunately, no one is behind me....I get out, and, in SWELTERING HEAT, push my wounded Wagon through the intersection making a left (1300 kgs is A LOT TO PUSH by yourself [40c temps aside!]...!) and again, VERY fortunate; another left in front of SYMPATHETIC TRAFFIC, into a gas station.....I was experiencing "OUT OF FUEL" symptoms; might as well put some FUEL in it...the gauge was reading 3/8 fuel....I thought perhaps something not right with the sending unit...3/8 of a tank; AND I'M OUT OF FUEL....?!? I put in $25 and the gauge went up to 7/8 full...!! That struck me as odd...I haven't had a NEAR FULL tank of fuel for $25 since the MID-NINETIES...!! Whatever the case...after the rest and the pushing and the fuel...IT STARTED again....enough to get me down the street to the dealership to close up shop...!

Too stressed from the days' events (I ALSO LOST A MOLAR...!! But, that's ANOTHER story....!), I decided to leave the investigation until Saturday....Decided to clean up a bit before surgery, I like to work CLEANLY....makes it easy to finish up...!! Did some pre-op vacuuming....








TRUST ME...!!! WAY BETTER THAN IT WAS...!!

A shot of the fuel gauge (on the Scirocco cluster!) after the $25 worth of fuel...








If the car was "out" at 3/8....hmmm...something is not quite right....{OH, BUT, IT IS...!}

A view of what is under the carpet in the cargo area....









WOW...!!! In all honesty; I haven't seen this part of the car before.....!!! QUITE Familiar with the UNDERSIDE though....this looks pretty clean....for the bucket that I'M FINDING IT OUT TO BE....!!









Alright; let's get to it....the transfer pump access plate....sooooo much easier to get to than in a coupe or sedan...just sayin....









When I removed the plate; I unplugged the electrical connection......this is what I saw....:









Kinda looks like SOMETHING IS MISSING.....DOESN'T IT...?!? I decided I HAD to DEAL with this little SIDE project FIRST....I wiggled the protective boot away from the connector; I was concerned that the tab on the left HAD BROKEN or CORRODED AWAY TO NOTHING....








NOPE...!!! WHEW...!!! NOT THE CASE..!!! It had just been pushed back into the boot far enough away from the connector to NOT WORK...{LITTLE DID I KNOW...!}

The little TAB on the electrical connection needed to be bent a bit; so that it would STAY in the appropriate POSITION within the plastic connector...









Not sure if anyone NOTICED the colour of the wire going to the lead; Black/Violet....according to the "Bentley Bible"...V/B = power to transfer pump....I had found my fault...! {...NOT...!!!} (who IS that...?) {HINDSIGHT...!!!}

So, with the tab bent slightly out to STAY within the connector....I will get some POWER to the TRANSFER PUMP in an effort to keep the MAIN pump form failing...









So, feeling pretty confident that I had FOUND the reason why I have been HAVING TO PUSH so much lately...I decided to have a LOOK at the in-tank pump anyway...

Before removing the cap; must secure the fuel lines...









I loosened the clamps to the lines...









....then slid the clamps down about 3", then snugged them up again; just so they didn't slide down under the car to a spot that would be a REAL PITA to retrieve them from...kinda OBVIOUS where they have been fastened forever...








I gently pushed all around the leading edge of the hose with a medium, flathead screwdriver to get it to come off of the pipette unscathed...

When the fuel delivery lines come away from the connections...I like to plug them with Golf 
Tees, a gradual taper is BEST....








I snugged the clamps to the tees...NOT TOO TIGHT or you will force the tee out....a coat hanger to keep the lines "up"..

Holy Schmolly....better clean THAT up a little...DON'T reallly want ANY of THAT in my tank...:









A little wiping and scraping...









A little bit MORE wiping and scraping...









WOW...!!! LOOK AT THE EDGES OF THE CAP.....!!!









I mean; the edges are STILL THERE....!!









This is TREMENDOUSLY USEFUL when trying to remove the cap/transfer pump from the tank....:









Get TWO of your BIGGEST SCREWEDRIVERS....and place them against the edges of the cap like this....ONE HERE....:









....And the OTHER one here....:









Then, from the shoulders, NOT the wrists, rotate left through 90 degrees; and the cap/transfer pump assembly will come away from the tank...

MY APOLOGIES for the LACK of photos of what happened when the transfer pump came out of the tank.....It WAS ACTUALLY 7/8 FULL...nothing WRONG with the sending unit at all...the assembly never made its way out of the tank this day.....there was TOO MUCH FUEL in the tank to mess around....didn't want to spill anything on the driveway...the level was WAY TOO CLOSE to the opening to chance spillage....I just put the assembly back in the tank....{BIG MISTAKE....!!!!} (there's THAT VOICE AGAIN...!)

I was concerned that I chiseled away the rust proofing that was there; so I smothered the area in axle grease....









...and put the access plate back in place......









Only to THROW CAUTION TO THE WIND for Friday the 20th of July......but; I'm afraid.....THAT will have to wait until next time....!


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## Shagin'Wagen (May 10, 2010)

KRAMMIT said:


> Still only ONE CRAPPY TIRE in the Park, eh? Then I DEFINITELY made the signs that were up in your store between '03-'07....!! (haven't you noticed the abundance of wrinkles in them lately...?) I find it HILARIOUS that CRAPPY TIRE is referred to as such nationwide....!! Thanks for the reply Shagin'Wagen....!!


Yup. Just one. As for naming it, my brother in law calls it "Newfie Speed n Sport" :laugh:


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*....the next friday...*

"Newfie Speed n Sport", eh? I've only heard CT referred to ONCE by that name....by a friend named Keith; only, he just called it "SPEED n SPORT!".....cuz, well..........Keith IS a NEWFIE...!!! Thanks for your reply Shagin'Wagen...!! 

The following Friday was not one of my best in a long time....I was eager to get to the Post Office and retrieve the Second of these...(THANKS CP!!) 









OOOHHH YYEEEEAAAAHHHHH....!! It's BEEEEYYYOOOOTTIFULLLLL....!! 








The Lovely Dual Downpipe Manifold.... 

Still waiting for parts to arrive for the replacement procedure to begin....(stay TUNED for THAT one...!) 
The BOSS was eager to close up shop right at SIX; so he and his wife could get downtown to catch the Jays game....I leave work; get to the PO; get my parcel; then had ONE IMPORTANT ERRAND to run....had to meet a buddy to repay some borrowed coin; he needed it back, I appreciated the loan...I was to meet him at the bottom of York St. and Queen's Quay (pronounced 'KEY'); probably one of the BUSIEST tourist traps in Toronto during the summer months (HarbourFront); I get on the highway; make a few good lane choices along the way, to find myself sitting in bumper to bumper traffic, (pedestrians are making better time!), with about 1.5 km (just under a mile) to my destination....IT STARTS...!! 

My FUEL PUMP starts BUZZZZZZZING AGAIN...!! OH NO...!!! Not NOW...!!! For the remainder of the CRAWL along Queen's Quay...I was nursing the car, trying to conserve, well, who KNOWS what the hell I was trying to do...? Just HOPING that it wasn't going to leave me stranded; AND BLOCKING a single lane of MILE LONG TRAFFIC....!!!! 

I make it up to the intersection where I was about to make an allowed U-turn; the car in front of me goes...the light turns YELLOW.......and THEN IT HAPPENS...Woodrow the THIRD, CUTS OUT AND DIES...!!! Oh yeah; I forgot to mention at the beginning of the story, that it is 38C outside (37C=98.6F) and Very HUMID...! Having said that....it was way TOO HOT to get out and PUSH...!!! I did enough of that in the LAST POST...! "REALLY...?!? HERE...?!? THIS IS WHERE YOU WANT TO REST...?!? FRIDAY NIGHT; EIGHT O'@!*^%$#~CLOCK...?!? SERIOUSLY...?!?" There had to be THREE THOUSAND people at that intersection at that point....cars, trucks, buses, sidewalks are PACKED with pedestrians....it felt as though ALL EYES were FIXED on the tiny little stalled out VW in the middle of the intersection....!! 

Like I said, TOO DAMN HOTTTT to push...!! I was already quite warm from BASKING in HOT AIR from the fresh air fan (NO A/C!!) for the last half hour.....not to mention the ANXIETY FACTOR experiencing a SUDDEN SPIKE...!!! DEEP BREATH (...of DIESEL EXHAUST from the BUS; passing on the right...!) Don't LOSE IT on the CAR.....that will ONLY COMPOUND the already OVER-ABUNDANT attention.....HOW ABOUT A BRIEF GAME......of......START THE CAR--RIDE THE CLUTCH; START THE CAR--RIDE THE CLUTCH; START THE CAR--RIDE THE CLUTCH for about a HALF DOZEN rounds; THAT, in conjunction with a STACCATO-STYLE U-turn, and I was able to get to the curb, out of the way of MOVING traffic, facing the way I wanted, and decided to just wait it out...(...like I HAD a CHOICE...?)...I figured the MAIN pump was doing the buzzing; likely OVERHEATED from having NO COOL AIR flowing under he car for the last twenty minutes....after about ten minutes, I tried the ignition...IT STAYED LIT...even though I knew it needed more time to cool, I just wanted to get away from the main intersection, and made my way a bit further down the street.... 

I sent my buddy a text, apprised him of my situation....he made his way to me....I settled up my debt, said, "Thank You", he said, "No, Thank YOU!", then gave me a look that said, '...get this thing home in one piece...!', and got out....after four stops along the way; at the final rest stop, (because I was next to the curb, stopped where a right turn lane was about to begin) I was HECKLED by CABBIES...!!! ...shouting, "WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM ?!?"....can you imagine...? To one I replied, "...As IF YOU'VE NEVER EFFED UP TRAFFIC BEFORE....!!!!" Got started, stayed lit, got some room to SKATE....got home in 90 minutes; from what is usually a 20 minute drive....When I got home; I had a MINOR heart attack because I had convinced myself that some CRACKHEAD had jacked my cooler bag from my front seat while I was in the Post Office (bad area); turned out I had LEFT it at work in the HASTE to get out so the boss could see the game...Wonderfully SURPRISED to be reunited with my STUFF....!!! Never done HEROIN or anything like that; but, the WARM FUZZY feeling I had for a half hour or so that morning was INDESCRIBABLE...such a relief...!!! 

BUT, that was Monday....the ENTIRE WEEKEND, I was FREAKING OUT because I thought someone else had my stuff, some paystubs, a M/C bill, my address...not a good feeling...I was half-expecting a break-in.....In an effort to keep my mind from wandering....I decided to clean out the car a little bit on the Saturday; I saw the pencils there before, but, thought, "Cool! The Previous Owner PLAYS GOLF..." ....mmmyyyeeeaaahhh....NOT ACTUALLY the case.... 









...maybe I'm reading too much into it, but, I think the previous owner LIKED to PLAY THE PONIES...!!! Which might explain why the car was eventually abandoned; left in the state of DISREPAIR; in which it was found (...but it DID DRIVE....) 








FLAMBORO DOWNS used to be a venue for CHARIOT RACING or also called the 'TROTS', (NOT the DRINKING variety), I'm not sure if the "Downs" are still open or not....if he DID play the ponies...that would pretty much ensure that this CAR RARELY had a FULL tank of gas...more likely, it would be running on FUMES most of the time....which could explain why the transfer pump is COOKED...!! 









The pump on the rag, in the middle, is the CULPRIT...!!! I tried to spin it using mini jumper cables and the battery; the other two worked, my fly zapping racket makes more of a spark than the pump did....it's DONE...! Hopefully I haven't BAKED my MAIN PUMP in the year and a half I have been driving this car without a functioning transfer pump...!!! Lucky for me, WOODY I has BOTH a MAIN, AND a TRANSFER pump to donate to the cause; the transfer that I tested from WOODY gave a STRONG SPIN and has a good TORQUE when briefly activated.....HIRED...!!! 
this is the screen of the NON-FUNCTIONING pump... 








EVEN IF it was working; it would be hard-pressed to perform properly with this screen... 

The screen of the NEWER pump..... 








I cleaned out the debris with some compressed air.... 

I must say, the grease was a good idea...IF....I never intended to get into the tank again....but, since I'm wanting back inside a WEEK LATER....it made the removal of the transfer pump cap MUCH more difficult, even when wiped away....but, eventually got the cap/pump assembly out....it takes a bit of manipulation (BEST DONE WHEN THE TANK ISN'T FULL, like it was LAST week...!) but will come free of the tank....got my tees in... 









Just undid the electrical connector and the hose clamp; swapped units, tightened the hose and connected the power...maneuvered the assembly back into the tank opening; used the CROSSED SCREWDRIVER method to tighten the cap; fastened the fuel lines and the connector {(that now has a WORKING transfer pump to deliver POWER to...)} {...remember the voice of HINDSIGHT...?} for the power...closed the access panel (no grease this time, going to wait for a spell...to see...) and have been driving FUEL DELIVERY ISSUE FREE EVER SINCE...!!! So, I have THAT going for me....which is N-I-C-E !!! 

I think I will keep the spare MAIN fuel pump in the car with me as a back up....Woody II is reliable enough to NOT need to carry tools and spare parts.....Woodrow the Third.....NOT SO MUCH....!!! 









I have had PLENTY of opportunity to drive in HOT, HUMID, EXHAUST LADEN, B-T-B TRAFFIC...and not a peep out of either of the PUMPS...!!! ...which is N-I-C-E....!!!! 

Then; on Monday morning....on the way to work....all excited about having fixed my fuel issues.....at about the 2k mark on my 8k trek to work...one of the SHIFTER BUSHINGS decides to CALL IT QUITS and BUGGERS OFF leaving me with 1st, 3rd, & 4th....making 2nd and Reverse........ WISHFUL THINKING......!!!! 








NOTE the FUNKY ANGLE of the GEAR SELECTOR SHAFT COUPLING in relation to the SHIFT LINKAGE on the RIGHT....the coupling shaft NOT being in the CENTRE of the linkage; does NOT allow selection of 2nd or Reverse from the cabin..... 

For $7.50 CDN, and some company HOIST time....I put one of THESE back into the equation.... 








I bought TWO; as the left and right BUSHINGS are IDENTICAL on the LOWER part of the linkage...I installed the one as quickly as I could; just so that I could drive NORMALLY again ("CAN'T YOU &%$#@z TELL I DON'T HAVE A SECOND GEAR...?!?") but, while I was under there....realized, THEY ALL need to be REPLACED...!!! They are all ordered...just waiting for the oblong, upper left bushing, and its dust boot........but THAT will have to WAIT until NEXT TIME...!!!


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## alaincopter (Oct 2, 2007)

Really enjoying reading your episodes! I don't mean to laugh at other people's disgrace but I gotta say I was rolling reading and picturing the scene at queens quay :laugh: 

It's a a real gem to have the Woody adventures documented here and I really like your writing style - good work you're doing to it too :thumbup:


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*Thanks Alain...!*

Thank you very much for your reply Alain...!! BY ALL MEANS....LAUGH AWAY...!!! Comparatively, THIS THREAD doesn't have a lot of fancy modification going on in it; SO, I am trying to compensate for the MUNDANE PROJECT TOPICS by at least making this an ENTERTAINING READ...!! I am a FIRM believer of being able to LAUGH at YOURSELF...!! Until you learn to DO SO....you shouldn't really consider the option of laughing at others' misfortune....that certainly DOESN'T mean to say that I take relish in finding amusement in OTHERS' MISGIVINGS whenever I can, just because I've learned to LAUGH at my OWN periodic ineptness....however, I DO seem to have a knack for seeing things from a slightly different perspective than most...usually with a CLASS CLOWN type of spin on it...initially viewed as moronic and unnecessary; but, when reviewed, "...well, that IS kinda FUNNY...!" 

But MY social STIGMAS aside....I'm GLAD that you ENJOY my episodes and hurdles....I don't imagine that very many people would consider divulging their screw ups to the world...but MISTAKES are merely opportunities lo LEARN....! I recall my grade ten German teacher saying, "VE GIT TOO SOON AULT; UND TOO LATE SCHMART...!!" Which means to say that we DON'T LIVE so long to make ENOUGH MISTAKES of our own....so we SHOULD definitely TRY to learn from the MISTAKES OF OTHERS....!! 

For me; that's what this Forum is all about....not so much the mistakes part; but, the learning from OTHERS...!! So, IF you are NOT KEEN on the inevitable HUMILIATION that results from being stalled out in the middle of a VERY BUSY INTERSECTION during PEAK TOURIST SEASON....a little preventive maintenance goes a LOOOONNNGGGG way...!! I KNEW there was something up with the pumps...just wasn't thorough enough in my INITIAL investigation....eventually the problem WILL be resolved; the IDEA being to MINIMIZE the TURMOIL along the way....! Anybody can sign their life away for THIRTY GRAND for the next FIVE YEARS and buy a NEW car and enjoy an, effortless, overpriced, service-fee-laden, motoring experience....Dealerships do NOT make much money on the SALE of a vehicle; they make money on the SERVICING of that vehicle....TRUST me on THAT...!! IT TAKES a person of STRONG CHARACTER to sign up for FOX OWNERSHIP and ALL of the associated EXPERIENCES...such a commitment requiring DEDICATION; and the WILL to do things RIGHT..,..or at LEAST WHATEVER WAY you can MANAGE or AFFORD....: the ALLURE OF THE FOX....!!! 

Having said that; I MANAGED to AFFORD some dealer ordered shifter bushings.... 
This is the UPPER RIGHT "top hat" bushing... 









The LOWER BUSHINGS; there are TWO of them, identical, to fit on the gear selector shaft coupling... 









Then the 'oblong' bushing; fits into the UPPER LEFT position within the shift linkage assembly... 









.....and its' DUSTBOOT...... 









Now that I have the set....time to take it apart AGAIN...I put this wrench on the nut only for the photo op...I actually used a 13mm socket/ratchet; while holding the head of the bolt with this wrench... 








If you notice...there is NO BUSHING on the RIGHT side of the gear selector shaft coupling.... 

When the nut is removed; the LEFT side of the assembly pretty much falls into your hand...the RIGHT side will do the same once you pry the ball loose from the support rod... 









With the two halves of the shift linkage assembly apart and away from the vehicle; the area looks like this...the two shafts are NOT EXACTLY parallel... 








This photo ACTUALLY has the gear selector in the REVERSE position from the cabin; but the transmission is actually in FIRST GEAR...! 

So, GRAB hold of the selector shaft and... 








Move it about until you find reverse...it will be easier to engage the forward gears....there is a SMALL area where NO gears are engaged (N); find neutral, think about how the shifter has to move to get reverse, move the selector shaft in the appropriate direction, and you will eventually hear the telltale "CLICK"; that we all know to be reverse... 









Gotta continue this later...just noticed the time...


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...I've got the DISTINCT feeling of deja vu....*

On that morning when I was on my way to work; confident that I resolved my FUEL delivery issues, and the shifter bushing CHECKED OUT....I had a DEJA VU just after it happened...well, maybe MORE of a FLASHBACK to two summers ago; I was on my way to see SANTANA at the Molson Amphitheatere with a Hottie from the local "BALLET" (which is ACTUALLY DOUBLY FUNNY; BECAUSE HER STAGE NAME WAS "DEJA" !!!)...no issues all the way down to the venue (on the waterfront), JUST as I was searching for reverse to PARK...SAME SYMPTOMS....!!! When reverse is selected from the cabin; the car actually GOES FORWARD...dude who pulled into the spot beside me said my CLUTCH was gone...I didn't agree because I COULD actually find and engage gears...just NOT the ones that I wanted at the time....with little time to spare to get to the show; I just said, "I'll worry about it AFTER the show...!" 

The show was FANTASTIC...!!! We even got in there early enough to catch the last three Steve Windwood tunes...!!! After the show; had to get my BALLERINA friend out to her house on the OTHER side of the city...I learned VERY QUICKLY how to drive the car without 2nd or reverse, so as to NOT look like a PUTZ in front of my date...got her home, then made my own way back across the city along the highway with no problems other than the obvious lack of access to all gears... 

The next day...dropped into a couple places that specialize in older VWs (keep in mind this was during a time BEFORE I owned a computer; had NO IDEA THIS FORUM EXISTED...!)...described my problem to them....and heard assorted evaluations from, "You need a new clutch", to "Your transmission is SHOT", then the last guy looked at my car and said, "WOW...! A FOX WAGON....!! Where'd you FIND THIS THING...?!? I used to HAVE ONE OF THESE...!! Nah man, no big deal....check your shifter bushings...!!! Less than TEN BUCKS from the dealership...!" I chose DOOR NUMBER THREE and decided to go with the last guys' diagnosis... 

Sure enough...! I asked a tech at work if he had some time if he could look at it...got the car on the hoist...it was the upper right "top hat" bushing that had split, allowing the selector shaft coupling to poke through the bushing...losing the ability to find 2nd or reverse from the cabin...acquired the necessary bushing from the dealer...I (at the time....knowing SFA about ANY of this, thought it was COMPLICATED...!) sat in the drivers seat with the car on the hoist while the tech messed about with the linkage....sorta like being at the DENTIST...your sitting there...you can FEEL stuff being DONE to you...but you can't really picture what's going on......it seemed to be taking a while....I wondered what was taking so long.... 

NOW that I have PERFORMED the operation MYSELF....I realized the time was used trying to fit the NEW bushing into the bracket.... 








In order for me to get the bushing into the bracket; I had to compress the open end and fit it into the bracket....the "capped" end won't compress...a bit of silicone lube and some help from a small screwdriver, a table vise, and VOILA... 

The above pic is of the LOWER right bushing....My FLASHBACK experience made me think that the "top hat" bushing was gone, as that was the bushing that failed before (on Woody II; this is 'the THIRD' !)....so I bought the wrong bushing... 








Since they aren't (on their own) PERISHABLE, it will SOON be installed... 

So, just wanting to have all my gears back again; I set the shifter into reverse; moved the selector shaft coupling so that reverse is engaged within the gearbox....then began to assemble the linkage.... 








AND YES...!! The down pipe IS TOO SHORT making the exhaust rattle against the LINKAGE....MOST ANNOYING....but soon to be remedied when MARK gets back from GREECE....around the middle of August... 

Merely content with having access to all gears....I put it back together, having replaced ONLY the lower right bushing.... 









I drove around as such for about 600 km; noticing it was EASIER to engage SOME gears than OTHERS....likely a result of the NEW bushing in only ONE of FOUR spots.....then got the complete set of replacement bushings; except for the dust boot for the upper right bushing; which is still in decent shape...the UPPER LEFT DUSTBOOT though....needs to go... 









The 'oblong' UPPER LEFT bushing didn't look too bad; but, if I have it all apart anyway, and HAVE all the APPROPRIATE pieces....might as well be THOROUGH.... 









With my trusty 13mm socket/ratchet; dissemble the linkage once more...and this is the LEFT half of the assembly... 








This bushing was still in decent shape....but, like I said, It's all apart and I'm already dirty...so might as well RENEW EVERYTHING while I'm in the mood to mess around with it... 

Trying to remove the old bushing, which upon closer inspection, was worn on the inside of the business end of things; being QUITE comfortable in its' home; PROVED to be a DIFFICULT REMOVAL just using a screwdriver....until I WISED UP and just CUT THE OLD PIECE out with a knife....Having done this the previous week to the right side of the linkage...I went to the vise with a can of silicone lube and a small screwdriver....had the lower left bushing in the bracket in a few minutes... 

The UPPER LEFT 'oblong' bushing was looking pretty USED on the inside of the business end... 









Of course the BOOT IS MASHED beyond usability; at least for MY LIKING......happen to have another one right here... 









This is the LOWER RIGHT bushing that had been previously replaced ASAP; I WANTED MY SECOND GEAR BACK....!!!! [I see posts of complaints about the (PRETTY DAMN BULLET PROOF!) stock 4-speed gearbox.....TRY DRIVING A 3-SPEED FOX...!!! I'm pretty good at it now...but, NOT without a good deal of PRACTICE...!!] 









This is the UPPER RIGHT 'top hat' bushing...easily removed with a knife.... 









Now when I was trying to get the New 'TOP HAT' bushing in place; I was using the PREVIOUS method of compressing the OPEN end of the bushing and trying to STUFF it through the opening in the bracket....after almost HALF AN HOUR of SCREWING AROUND with this method with ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to show for my efforts; except for a couple of NEW PUNCTURES on my left thumb; right near the first knuckle, next to the "web" connecting to my index finger......I looked MORE CLOSELY at the bushing itself; and realized that the BARBS on the cap could be PERSUADED to compress enough to fit through the opening in the bracket.... 

The lower bushings had enough of an opening; that when compressed, would fit through the opening in the bracket; the UPPER bushings have to go in to the brackets the OPPOSITE WAY...!!! Once I REALIZED THIS....I had all the bushings in the brackets within FIFTEEN MINUTES....!! (I used the silicone lube and a vise...just line up the top of the bushing with the opening in the bracket, squirt some lube on it, turn the crank on the vise making sure that it is going in squarely...then use some pliers to seat the bushing the REST of the way.....the vise will only get the bushing into the bracket so far; but, ENOUGH to make it EZ to finish the job..!) 








The LEFT side with NEW bushings...the dust boot just fits easily over the installed bushing...you can see the EJECTED bushing to the right of the bracket.... 

This is the RIGHT SIDE BRACKET with the bushings fitted...plus the re-used dustboot that was still in decent condition... 









The LEFT SIDE; back in place... 









The assembly; back together.....new bushings installed... 








[*note* the slightly darker colour of the UPPER RIGHT, "top hat" bushing; a sign that I was having a (*&^%$#@ of a time trying to fit a SQUARE-ISH BUSHING into a ROUND HOLE....! ] 

NOW....YOU WOULD THINK that this car would be EASY to SHIFT at this point....with all new bushings and so forth.......that's NOT actually the case....the interference caused by the exhaust pipe makes selection difficult on extended drives.....(ie; when the exhaust is HOT) I remember Mack @ Amarz Exhaust telling me that the exhaust moves around under different loads...makes me wonder if my MOTOR MOUNTS are in need of inspection.....if the motor moves....the exhaust is going to move even MORE.....hmmmm....ALL IN DUE TIME.....don't take on too many things at once...pick your battles on your OWN TERMS.....WHERE POSSIBLE....PLUS....on a NOT TOO OPTIMISTIC NOTE....I suspect the CLUTCH may ACTUALLY BE on ITS LAST ROUNDS....maybe a cable adjustment can buy me some time until NEXT SUMMER if need be....but; for now, I am going to own up the shifting difficulty to exhaust interference.... 

Hmmmm.....seems I have NO MORE PICS to upload......well, as was previously suggested, "NO PICS.....DIDN'T HAPPEN".....!!! Maybe I have a few more.....just to get things up to date.... 

At some point this summer; I have to turn my attentions to Woody II....he is in DIRE NEED of rear suspension......So I placed an order to German Auto Parts....got some F & S original equipment rear shock absorbers.... 








TWO THINGS ABOUT GAP: 1) if you live n Canada; the quoted shipping cost will only get your parts to the BORDER.....what they don't tell you is that you will be responsible for a BROKERAGE FEE, DUTY, and HST.....!!! The amount will vary upon your order...just saying...be advised....if the parts are NOT AVAILABLE in your locale; then you need the parts, just be PREPARED if you have a Canadian address for the ADDITIONAL shipping charges....!!! I was happy to get the rear shocks; HOWEVER, they sent me an EMPTY BAG, which should have contained a LOCK NUT for the top of the piston.... 








2) The warehouse personnel (ORDER PICKERS!) do not inspect prepackaged items for completeness (...like say for instance.....ummm....I dunno....SHOCK ABSORBERS...?!?) 
What the hell good does it do to go through the entire procedure of re and re-ing the rear shocks if you don't have the FINAL PIECE OF THE PUZZLE to secure the TOP of the SHOCK....?!? Needless to say I was LESS than IMPRESSED; to have PAID OUT THE YANG for shipping, only o have my order incomplete....but, in all fairness to GAP (who are usually great to deal with!), Justin added a $5 credit to my account for a $1.70 nut to account for the discrepancy...which I STILL had to go to the dealership to acquire.... 

But that will have to wait for NEXT TIME....as I have read some one say, "I must go and custom fabricate a sandwich for myself"....roast beef I think....yes....also a mountain of laundry needing to be scaled before the next installation....


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*Mount Ever Rinse got scaled...*

The laundry got done; the sandwich was good; but, THAT was OVER TWO WEEKS AGO....!!! I have been VERY LETHARGIC this summer in comparison to LAST....mostly because Woody II didn't have something different to DEAL WITH every week...unlike Woodrow the THIRD...!!! 

The SHIFTING on "the THIRD" is still LESS THAN ACCEPTABLE....it may have to do with the exhaust pipe interference....but I think that the linkage needs to be DISSEMBLED once more; I want to try another approach that I read that QuantumSyncro posted in the 'Shifter Linkage Alignment' thread, where, the selector lever is left in N; he said he used a LARGE SOCKET over the shaft and taped it to the tower in the cabin to KEEP IT HELD IN PLACE....the reason why I want to try this approach is that I am having difficulty engaging second sometimes....which may be due to the linkage being locked in place with R engaged...it may not allow smooth access to second due to the offset....until I try it for myself and compare....I won't have an opinion for certain.......another suspicion I have for the ABUNDANCE of PLAY in my shifter is that perhaps the bushing in the linkage between the shift lever and the shift rod; in the Bentleys there is a cylinder shown, haven't had it apart to be able to tell whether it is a nylon bushing or a metal sleeve.....the bushing in the SUPPORT ROD on the transaxle is quite sloppy as well....so, MANY PLACES..... to check for unnecessary PLAY....!!! 

As I may have alluded to before....Woody II was an UTTER BOITE DE MERDRE when I bought him...but, wanting to STAY in a VW, I had been driving a Fox Wagon for the past 6 years....I had made ONE GOOD Scirocco from TWO BAD ONES before my HASTENED INTRODUCTION to the FOX.....I could do it AGAIN...!!! (Just in case any body was wondering, "Well, if it was such a POS...why did you BUY IT...?!?") 

The place I bought it from; owned by a retired racer named Horst Kroll...(I refer to him as HORST KRAPPPP...but you'll see/read why...) at Kingston Rd. and Kingston Road....(Yeah, I KNOW....'shoulda been SUSPICIOUS RIGHT THERE...!!!)...sold me this car, not only with a big hole in the floor where the spare goes...but CERTIFIED it with the DRIVERS FLOOR not connected to the rocker panel...I was YOUNG and UNAWARE of the whole USED CAR GAME....this SAC O $HINOLA SHOULD NOT BE A LICENSED VENDOR OF MOTOR VEHICLES...!!! 

After the FACT...I WAS PISSED...!!! Not only for being Naive and a Schtupp...but felt compelled to toss a MOLOTOV thru the front window of his office.....good thing I RARELY act upon my URGES....his SHOP OF HORRORS is on the OTHER side of the city from me...the BULL$HINE that I went through to be DISSATISFIED was OVERWHELMING...!!! I decided to cut my losses and just DEAL with it....IF I KNEW THEN WHAT I KNOW NOW.....aw, why bother...?!? He is probably already WORM-FOOD-PUSHIN-UP-DAISIES by now anyway...what goes around; COMES AROUND....

The silver lining of this story is that I had to replace he rear shocks about two weeks after taking ownership of the vehicle...and through this process; LEARNED A LOT about MANY THINGS; (...like how REAR suspension affects how he FRONT handles; how the tail of the vehicle is ALWAYS A STEP-N-A-HALF BEHIND the rest of the car when the rear shocks are DONE; and how the ASS END of the car, WANTS to get on the highway before YOU DO when its slippery out...!!!) ...but the SLIPPERY SNAKE on the other end of the line HUNG UP ON ME AFTER I CALLED HE AND HIS, EQUALLY-CROOKED, SQUARE-HEADED MECHANIC: BUTCHERS...!!!
The Ministry of Transportation NEEDS to pay him a visit.....AND REVOKE HIS LICENSE TO VEND...!!! I digress...the BUTCHERS did THIS to the plate in the rear shock absorber assembly...









The above is a pic of the underside of the plate (washer) that sits beneath the UPPER SPRING SEAT in the rear suspension....look what he did to the top of the piston on the shock....









This 3" washer is supposed to be TRANSFERABLE...!!! NOT BRAZED TO THE PISTON OF THE SHOCK...!!! I was definitely NOT AMUSED...!!! I remember CUTTING THROUGH the piston with a hacksaw; with the intention of TRAVERSING the CITY; to INSERT IT FORCIBLY...INTO SOME BODILY ORIFICE OF THIS SCHMUCK....!!! Good thing it took me TOOO long to cut through the piston....I MIGHT ACTUALLY HAVE DONE IT...!!!









Once again; wonderfully WAY OFF-TOPIC....I get back to the thread....through this ORDEAL at KROLLS AUTO (if you get a chance to buy a car form there....DON'T; ...if you get a chance to TAKE OUT the Porsche in the front with a TOILETBUSTER in the gas tank, lemme know....I MIGHT HAVE ONE...!!) I learned the value of the RING...!!! (NO...NOT THAT RING...! ["...preshyous..."]) 

There is supposed to be a ring that fits over the circlip on the piston....









I have heard RUMOURS that, in Southern climates, these rings are REUSEABLE...let me ASSURE YOU....in the land of TOXIC SLUSHIES....these are one-time use only....

THIS....is the RING....








...without the RING....I have found that the PISTON is allowed to TRAVEL up into the CABIN or TRUNK...

It just clears the threads nicely...









....until it gets to here...where the circlip prevents it from sliding further....









There it sits....ready for another 4-5 years of service....








(But ONLY IF I get off my butt in the next 4-5 WEEKS...!!)

I had been getting them from Henry (Frisco) for $6 ea...they are only $3 from the dealer when ordered prepaid...(how else would you get them?) Henry better have me over for dinner someday....I am FURNISHING his RETIREMENT...this is the VW part number in the event that anyone is interested...









These two particular rings are going into Woody II; I am still waiting for a couple more parts (bump stops) before going into surgery...only makes sense to do it once...properly...

In the bag where I discovered the Kroll Orifice Accessory; I found a bolt for the bottom of the shock...








...Kinda makes me want to look for something .....STRONGER...!! Wish I had an AFTER pic...

It is definitely the right size for the job...'at least I have something to go shopping WITH!'









But, that will have to wait until next time...its past my bedtime...AGAIN.....and on a SCHOOL night no less...!!


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*On August 12th...*

During the two weeks that I didn't make a post...I DID manage to take in the second day of HEAVY T.O.....there was a GREAT DEAL of rain on the first day of the show (Marilyn Manson; Slipknot) that I DIDN'T have tickets for....a link to some pics....click on "view as slideshow" for best result:

http://s1106.photobucket.com/user/KRAMMITT/slideshow/MUDFEST 2012

There is also a one-minute video (camera restrictions!) after the pics...
I have a couple more videos as well...still yet to extract them from my iPod...

Just to make this a vehicle related post; Woodrow the Third, performed well, in that he got us to the show and back; while also guarding the cooler for after the show...also made the journey across the city to drop Dan near the DVP by his place; I live near the airport, about a 60 km (37.5 mi) difference round trip....no issues....that I was paying attention to anyway; it was a GREAT DAY that ended for me about 6am the following morning....outdoor shows are a BLAST...!!! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THEM...!!!


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*CRAPPY to the CORE...!!*

So, as I was sitting here in my hangout (...my garage...kinda looks like a scene from one of those Popcap Hidden Object games...."The Case Of The Lost Cause".....!!); 









I was enjoying the seventh episode of season five of Breaking Bad...(GREAT SHOW!)....I, for whatever reason, just decided OUT OF THE BLUE....TO HIT PAUSE....it was as though something within me said, "Go start Woody II and drive him around the block...!" I have been starting the car every couple of days; to keep the engine seals moist, throughout the summer...haven't really been driving him much because of the lack of decent shock absorbing ability in the rear, and also the lack of adequate road coverages....probably the WORST thing for a car....just sitting....like a kiss of death....my mind is REELING with all sorts of CLICHES and EXISTENTIAL COMPARISONS....but I will SPARE YOU the SCATTERED THOUGHT PATHS that seem to HAUNT my HEAD....suffice it to say that the LACK of feeling NEEDED; DECREASES the WILL TO LIVE......USE IT OR LOSE IT....(stop that!)....YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU HAVE; UNTIL IT'S GONE....(quit it!)....at any rate; I took Woody II for a spin....

I was busy MARVELING at how well and EASILY he shifts...the other day; Woodrow the Third was giving me hassles finding 2nd gear...I got PISSED and forcibly TOOK 2nd gear with the shifter; and heard/felt something snap/crack/ no pop (unless you FIND 2nd gear and LET GO of the shifter), then it feels as though the shifter POPS out of gear; but the transmission is still in 2nd, just the SHIFTER POPS out of place....a MOST UNUSUAL feeling; but, actually makes the car MORE DRIVEABLE somehow....I scooped the shifter housing from Woody I last week...(that post will be soon to follow)

Smooth shifting aside...about three quarters through my test route; I decided to put the heat on and check that every thing circulates properly...I turned the fan on, had the temp set at cool and all I could smell was something that reminded me of the smell of the INSIDE OF A BICYCLE INNERTUBE...!!! AWWW...THIS ISN'T GOOD...!!!! Of course, being curious to see what would happen with some heat, I slid the lever to hot, turned the fan to high....there is supposed to be HEAT.....WHERE'S THE HEAT...?!? Oh....I SEE THE HEAT IS STILL IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT (the temp gauge is 15/16 full...no flashing light...!!) UH-OH...THIS IS NEW...something oily/greasy is blowing out of the vents....AND ALL UP MY ARM...what the...? COOLANT...!!! OF COURSE...why not.....
It got all over everything...driving home trying not to touch the greasy shifter was a challenge....got home; parked it....what a mess...









...It dripped into the storage area...









...pooled in the vents...









...what's that BEIGE thing in there...?









It looks to be a PRESTONE FLAVOURED MAPLE KEY....!!!









Well, at least there isn't any collection on the DRIVERS' SIDE footwell...








Woody I, as I recall, back in early May of '01.....IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING SURGERY....he had a HEART TRANSPLANT....and upon being cleared for release from Dr. Jons' place.....not 400 yards down the road....decided to BARF UP his COOLING SYSTEM CONTENTS ALL OVER MY SHINS AND ANKLES....I WAS LIVID...!!!!! Not to mention; quite LITERALLY......STEAMED...!!! I remember making quite the scene at the foot of someones' driveway...."I give you a NEW ENGINE and THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY ME...?!?" After my rant; I decided to GO FOR BROKE and poured all the water I had on board into the reservoir....hit the highway...and was home in fifteen minutes...got into the driveway....and shut him down...! I think I made it home safely; there were no leaks...other than the one assaulting the driver...the motor was strong...TOO STRONG for the cooling system apparently....this would have ALL BEEN FINE at the time; but, I had been ASSIGNED as the TRANSPORTATION to a TOOL SHOW at the HAMMERSTEIN BALLROOM in NEW YORK CITY for three other FANS......in a WEEK....to make a WICKED WEEKEND SAGA short (if you manage to meet me IN PERSON; I'll tell you the FULL LENGTH version!!), I was OVERJOYED to learn of the OPEN-END RECALL on heater cores for Foxes; once I found an AVAILABLE dealership, had the operation performed GRATIS (BEST KIND!); made the 15 hr trip to NYC (its much shorter, but there were MANY STOPS along the way! {Full Length Version!}); WITNESSED THE MOST LIFE-ALTERING PERFORMANCE I had experienced, of a BAND that I had NEVER SEEN....then returned to my ordinary, mundane, existence.....(wow...how did I get here...?)....oh YEAH....NO COOLANT on the feet...

However, in the passengers' footwell....different story....








....the telltale signs of needing a HEATER CORE.....BUT, THAT WILL HAVE TO WAIT...
....until next time...it's late...!


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...been draggin my butt...!!*

So I haven't made a post for a couple of weeks; mainly due to an ANNOYING rear brake problem....a while ago I noticed a WUB-WUB-WUB coming from the rear right wheel...I suspected wheel bearings....sure enough, when inspected, they were showing signs of wear...scoring on the races...and the grease was all broken down...

So I bought NEW drums....









....and had a couple wheel bearing kits in stock....









First I had to go FORAGING in my Dads' tool chest for this...









...THEN had to brush upon my German....









Some UNSUCCESSFUL recollection forced me to flip the page to find the English version...


















"....tempered for hard use and long life." I'll say....I wasn't EVEN A THOUGHT in 1959...









Here is what is in the set....









Now to choose the correct size to seat the race...figures; the largest one for 200mm drums (Wagon)









Seems to fit....maybe a little TOO well...! As I recall, I think it'll get stuck if inserted to far...









I use an old race from a worn out bearing....


















...flipped up side down to help seat the new race in the new drum....









...lining it up EVENLY is a MUST...









...it'll swim around a bit initially...









....but when you feel it grab instead of swim...









...a couple gentle TAPS from your favourite persuader....









...and the drifting tool...









...and the race should be seated properly....make sure to check from the other side of the drum that it is SEATED FULLY...









...keep the bearing seal handy...









...it'll go here after the grease-packed bearing is in place....









The outer bearing race is inserted the same way...using the appropriate seating tool...









...this side is easier due to more selection of sizes of seating tools...









Now, you would think, with new drums, new bearings that this would be a simple swap and re-grease.....so did I.....not the case....

But that will have to wait until next time....(hopefully it will be resolved by then...!!!
....yeah....this has been going on for a couple of weeks now...)


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*Finally....!!!!*

I JUST finished putting it all back together for about the fifth time....I must say I am getting pretty GOOD at it...."Ubungen macht den Meister...!" ...as Herr Erdmann (R.I.P.)would say...."Practice makes the master" is the literal translation...

After TWO WEEKS (and 500 km)of dragging my ass end around town...I have managed to get the rear braking system to work properly...I just did a couple laps around the block WITHOUT any binding; the drums are COOL to the touch, (the right one would STEAM if I spit water on it...!!!), and the wheels now LOCK with TWO clicks (AND ALSO RELEASE FULLY) of the parking brake lever....and NOT;....STILL SLIDING.....!! ...while pulling the lever OUT OF THE FLOOR....as it used to be.....

I only had the presence of mind to take a couple pics....but they will likely be included in my upcoming, 'HOW NOT TO DO REAR BRAKES: FYITA' segment...........(still laughing...!)

It was only a MONDAY...but a productive one.............too tired too type.....time to drift off to some nice, relaxing, soothing......MuDvAyNe.......bye for now....


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*WOW...! BUMPED to Page THREE...!!*

Well, it has been nearly a MONTH to the DAY since I made the ABOVE, PREMATURE POST about having made the rear braking system WORK PROPERLY; the system may have worked properly for my lap or two around the block....but the test lap didn't include driving instances such as: FORTY DEGREE SLOPES with a STOP SIGN at the bottom of the hill; or JACKASS DRIVERS who CUT YOU OFF then SLAM ON THEIR BRAKES...; or Construction Zone Traffic Knobs with STOP signs in their hands that VAULT out into traffic and decide YOU must stop...; or a half dozen OTHER things that happened to me on my way to work the next morning that caused me to have to hit the brakes harder than I would have liked (a TWO TIRED SQUIRREL was NOT ONE of them...!)....needless to say....by the time I got to work (only 8.5 km away), my rear right drum was STEAMING HOT...!!

A pic of the OLD DRUM....









TIME TO GET TO IT...!!! Chock the front wheels at the end of my driveway...


















I like to lay down a piece of FLEX (banner material: two layers of 4mil vinyl, with a fibreglass scrim or screen sandwiched between) beneath my operation so as not to SOIL the sidewalk with the ABUNDANCE of CRAP that I manage to knock loose from under my cars...









I have never jacked up a SEDAN; but, I would surmise that the same approach is needed to get the car up in the air.....I don't have a SUPER LONG JACK HANDLE (...that's a bit PERSONAL; don't you think...?!?), so I find it MUCH EASIER to get to the axle beam from the right side of the car...









I suppose....depending upon one's own particular exhaust configuration...if you had a left side exit, there would be better access from the rear....anyway, my exhaust configuration basically follows the STOCK (/LAME!) set up...also depending on the size of your jack; gotta be VERY CAREFUL of the fuel system components while gaining access from the right side...especially if the floor of your Fox isn't at the stock HEIGHT anymore...for whatever reason.....mine happens to be DETERIORATION; but I hear people LOWER their cars INTENTIONALLY......as the Bentleys points out; ALWAYS USE AXLE STANDS...!!! One on the right...









And another for the left...








...an elderly couple strolling from the apartments across the street reminded me to BE CAREFUL and NOT, "...end up like THAT YOUNG MAN over on Princess Margaret Blvd who got CRUSHED by his Honda...!", ...I assured them that I was taking every precaution to NOT let that happen... a few years ago; in an adjacent neighbourhood, a young dude in his twenties was using only the jack to support the car.......TRAGIC ANYWHERE....but more of an IMPACT when it happens LOCALLY........the lesson to be LEARNED HERE: never trust JACK by himself...!!! ...and also GOOD to have a BUDDY present while you're working....just saying...

So with Woodrow the THIRD up in the air....









I took off the rear left wheel (...to SIT ON, as I do...) and the drum to find....








....that the shoes are practically UNUSED...now, keep in mind that these pics are from the INITIAL TIME that I took the rear brakes apart (...I have made a separate post asking advice since...) and it had been about SIX YEARS since I had considered doing a brake service on my Wagon, so, when I saw the cylinder NOT LEAKING; I was content that it was functioning properly because it wasn't SOAKED with brake fluid....and left it alone at this point....BIG MISTAKE...!!!

Damn! It's almost TWO AM....!!! Trust me when I say that I don't want to INTERRUPT my pictorial presentation here....but, again.....it's a SCHOOL NIGHT....!! I want to get back up to date; there is SO MUCH MORE TO FOLLOW....I mean a LOT....and that's just what I can see I have parts for......'zum nachste zeit...! Bis spater...!!


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...Simple Brake Job...?*

So, as I begin this segment, to set the timeline, this took place on the first weekend in September....Nice, Sunny afternoon...got the rear left drum off to reveal the BARELY WORN shoes....this is also the FIRST time I have had the rear brakes apart (since I have OWNED the car) to see what state the rear brakes are in...









The axle doesn't show any signs of HEAVY SCORING, though there are some discolourations...it was still SMOOTH to the touch...









The drum looks as though it hasn't seen any FRICTION for quite some time.....again, BARELY USED...!!









This needs replacing....I usually get about two or three uses out of one, or until it looks as such...









The wheel cylinder LOOKS good; however I am only basing that on the NO VISIBLE LEAKS approach...









At any rate; it's about time these parts were REPLACED...keep them on hand for future consideration....









I set up my NEW assembly (minus the adjusting bar and wedge) with springs, etc...









....got the new wheel bearings ready to go....









...the new drum with the races already seated....both inner and outer......









.....ah, what the hell....here's the new drum as well....









Time to get these rusty things off...









I can't tell the difference...can YOU tell the DIFFERENCE...?










I did have a bunch of pics getting the shoes off...but after having the assemblies apart over a half dozen times inside of three weeks....I deemed the pics quite useless....the EASIEST way to get the shoes away from the backing plate; after the retaining springs are removed; that I FOUND, was to use a medium sized, flat head screwdriver....and insert it upwards between the LEADING shoe and its' support, at the bottom of the assembly; find a decent bite, and firmly pry TOWARDS the FRONT of the car.....TAKING CARE NOT TO HURT the rubber BOOTS on the WHEEL CYLINDER with the top edges of the shoes in the process....to unseat the bottom of the brake shoe assembly.... 








...If the parking brake cable has been disengaged from the lever, (like it describes in step three of the Bentley), the assembly pretty much falls into your hand.....

Of course, I didn't peruse the Bentley prior to having at it...."I know how to do these rear brakes....I did them SIX YEARS AGO".....and that served me right....but was only a small part of the equation...the first time this was apart, the shoes got replaced; the second time it came apart was to replace the parking brake cable that I thought was the reason for the brakes binding the first time around...but, I don't want to get ahead of myself here...

The old shoes to come off...









Because I neglected to disconnect the Parking brake lever; there is a great deal MORE tension on the cables' return spring...being careful not to damage that little plastic washer...I suspect it keeps the spring from melding itself to the lever....









So with the shoes on the ground; just had to transfer the adjusting bar and the wedge to the new shoes....









I just left the needle nose vise grips on the cable until ready to put the new assembly back on...









Unseat the end of this spring and the two shoes will separate....









Then detach the lever from the arm...


















...to get THIS piece in your hand....









THIS SPRING; and the BOTTOM SPRING seem to have the most tension...I like to wear gloves and ALWAYS WEAR EYE PROTECTION when messing around with my cars....(had to go to the hospital when I was in my twenties to get a piece of RUST OUT OF MY EYE...!!! As MUCH FUN as that was; NEVER AGAIN will I go under the car WITHOUT EYE PROTECTION...!!!)

A squeeze with the "WILDE"s....









...to get the spring to this point....









....where it can be unseated relatively easily with a flat blade screwdriver....









.....aw nutz....it's after 1:30 in ze morgen.....I must become UNSEATED FROM IN FRONT OF MY COMPUTER....that's it for now....time for some EYELID THEATRE......!!! I wonder what's playing.....


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...trying to keep from DRAGGIN MY BUTT...part II*

So, for the month of September, this was a RITUAL on the weekends....or ANY time that it wasn't raining....the scene at the end of my SLOPED driveway; I actually have it resting on the stands on the sidewalk.....I cover the walkway, so as to NOT leave telltale signs of the SIDEWALK MECHANIC having been there...









Right after I had the assembly off; I took the wire brush with the scraper....(I think I bought it originally to scrape PAINT off the siding of a skylight on the roof of my Uncles' shop)...to the backing plate; again, being careful not to hurt the rubber seals around the wheel cylinder....it isn't LEAKING at this point, don't want that to change...!!









Some dusting with a brush; then I applied some anti-seize compound to the friction points on the backing plate....








I became a lot more LIBERAL with the compound as I had the drums off more and MORE...

I got this spring on okay...









....not exactly sure WHAT I was trying to accomplish here...









....in fact; IF you see anything like this when reconstructing the shoe assembly....









....GO HIT THE "PIPE" AGAIN...!!! Because it turns out like THIS...!!!









Completely unaware that I had gone out of my way to put the UPPER RETURN SPRING in the WRONG HOLE...I proceeded to assemble the shoes...put the trailer arm back on the P-brake cable...









Then I noticed that the arm wasn't travelling back all the way to where it should be....take the tension off the spring with the needle nose vise grips again...









NOTE the clearance of the arm on the OLD shoe versus the NEW shoe....quite a difference.....









The arm on the OLD shoe has a bend BELOW where the lever comes into play....









...While the lever on the NEW shoes has the bend ABOVE where the lever touches the arm...









With a little persuading from a couple TRUSTED FRIENDS...









...and there is now a SUITABLE gap between the arm and the shoe support...!









I must NOW leave a gap between here and the NEXT entry....!! Until next time...


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...trying to keep from DRAGGIN MY BUTT...part III*

Even though my recounting of this episode is taking more than one post to document; keep in mind that this is STILL a continuation of the FIRST ATTEMPT that took place in early September...I HADN'T performed a rear brake job on the Fox for SIX YEARS...(...ummm, negligence...?), so I was more than a little rusty...but it all came back to me over the next few weeks...anyway....on with it...

With the shoe assembly back together, I put the bottom of the shoes on first....this spring has a LOT of TENSION on it...CARE REQUIRED...









The top of the shoes are FLOATING at this point; only anchored by the big spring on the bottom...you can see in this pic, that the ANGLE of the UPPER RETURN SPRING (nearer) is INCORRECT....it SHOULD be coming UP from BENEATH the adjusting bar, and hooking up and over the anchor point on the bar for the spring....but, MORE about this later...









THIS part can be a bit TRICKY...!! Perhaps this isn't the way it is supposed to be done...but this is how I have been doing it...to get the upper parts of the shoes to rest on the notches on the ends of the pistons of the wheel cylinder; I squeeze in the pistons carefully and slowly, trying to get them to compress to their most compact position...then, taking GREAT CARE not to compromise the rubber boots, get the top of the shoes to sit in the notch...









Do the same for the left side of the wheel cylinder...









Then, with GENTLE and ALTERNATE TAPS from the hammer to the bottom of the shoes.....









....tap them into place until you are satisfied with their position....









...the REAR shoe in place...(...upper return spring STILL OUT OF PLACE...!)









....the LEADING shoe in place...









...attach the spring for the wedge....(more on THAT later TOO...!!)









Replace the HOLD DOWN springs with their pins and seats....these are probably the EASIEST part of messing with the DRUM BRAKE set up....simply line up the hole in the backing plate with the corresponding hole in the shoe; push the pin through, while holding the pin in place with one hand, using a set of needle-nose vise grips on the seat, line up the hole on the seat with the barb on the pin, compress the spring enough to get the barb to protrude from the seat; then, holding the pin STILL, rotate the seat 90 degrees and release the spring...that sounds like a mouthful, but anyone can do it....









The yellow scribble indicates where the upper return spring SHOULD go...









During that day, at this point, I felt like I needed a BREAK from the BRAKES....I wandered down to the Metro...leaving it all up in the air...returned with my potato wedges...(NOT the self-adjusting type...!)...and took a pic as I returned to the scene of the GRIME...









The rest is pretty much straight forward....grease the axle...









...drop in the INNER BEARING once it is packed with grease; put the SEAL in place.....









...fit the DRUM on...this is where you might notice that the shoes will have a PREFERRED spot that they like to rest in...I have found that the leading shoe will sit SLIGHTLY higher on the wheel cylinder piston than the trailing shoe...you might also have to TAP the WEDGE to its' uppermost point to retract the shoes in order to get the drum on....









...in that wad of grease is the OUTER BEARING...I smeared another fingerful around it after it was inserted...









...next goes the THRUST WASHER....









....then the NUT, which shouldn't be more than SLIGHTLY more than HAND TIGHT.....









...then the NUT LOCK....(...sounds MORE like a PAINFUL WRESTLING HOLD...!!!)...









...a NEW cotter pin...









.....put the ROSALIE GYPSUM SPLITS (...VERY OLD FLINTSTONES reference) on the pin...









....and CAP IT...!!! 









I think this is where I am going to CAP this installment for now....it is October 29th, and there's a HURRICANE (Sandy) looming off the Atlantic Coast; threatening to slam into New Jersey, Atlantic City, and New York....I HOPE redone17 and ziddey and ANYONE ELSE residing in that area; ARE SAFE & OUT OF HARMS' WAY...!!!! BATTEN DOWN THE HATCHES...!!! It's GUSTING like CRAZY outside now.....I hope NO FOXES GET HURT during this storm....!!! Aufwiederschreiben..!!!


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## ziddey (Apr 16, 2006)

Thanks for the kind words! Everyone is okay where I am fortunately. I am absolutely loving the colorful storytelling of your buildlog/restoration. So you tried the wedge again for this current drum? :laugh: Hope it works out this time


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*Great to hear...!!!*

AH ZIDDEY...!!! Great to hear that all is well...!!! I saw the coverage and the pics...!!! CRAZINESS...!!! I can't even imagine...!! Childhood memories SWEPT AWAY in a single night...!!! ......................

Thank you so much for your reply ...!!! I'm GLAD that you are enjoying my ONLY attempt at writing...umm.....well......ANYTHING.....!!! One of my Professors at Sheridan College tried to steer me into writing; me being in my early twenties at the time, attending an ANIMATION school, took OFFENSE to him pretty much telling me that I should concentrate on WRITING rather than DRAWING....perhaps Ol' Man Wheeler knew MORE about ME than I did...but I am VERY appreciative that YOU, and OTHERS, are following my PHOTO DOCUMENTARY, of my apparent LOVE, for tinkering around with my Vintage Foxes...well, I guess only the '87 is considered Vintage at this point...details...details....

Have you heard from redone17 as yet...? I haven't heard from him...hope EVERYONE that is ON the eastern seaboard (on THIS Forum; don't KNOW the others; but, hope THEY'RE OKAY TOO...!!) endured the storm without any setbacks...!!! 

My update got a little bit sidetracked this evening by an impromptu GARAGE (BIRTHDAY) PARTY that employed some SOLID DRINKING til THREE IN THE MORNING...!!!...of course, I am the ONLY one that has to be at work IN the morning...........it's gonna hurt....!!! LARGE...!!!!

GLAD everyone is OKAY...!!! Time to count a few SHEEP instead of Foxes....!!!


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...trying to keep from DRAGGIN MY BUTT...part IV*

With the sun QUICKLY setting, on September 2nd; I still had the RIGHT SIDE of the car to do...there aren't NEARLY so many pics, as I was trying to "git 'er done" because I needed to get to work in the morning....after the USUAL drum removing procedure; this is what I found....









THIS WAS THE CAUSE of the WUB-WUB-WUB-WUB that I was hearing from the right rear of the car that prompted this segment....the INNER BEARING was pretty much FRIED from LACK OF SUFFICIENT LUBRICATION.....the BEARING SEAL is difficult to DISCERN from the DRUM; due to the LEVEL OF PULVERIZATION that it seems to have undergone....I didn't get any closer, more revealing shots; but, I still have the drum, and will probably show the WEAR later....I just wanted to get the car back on the ground quickly....

The assembly, off from the backing plate; some anti-seize compound applied to the friction points on the plate...









Some lubrication to the wedge...









Some lubrication to the trailer arm for the Parking Brake...









....hooked the lever up to the brake cable....








....put the assembly back together and fastened the shoes with the hold down pins.....packed the bearings with grease and set them in the drum....

....then put on the drum......then the wheel....









....probably the LAST TIME it looks like THIS.....!!!









THEN...just as I was putting my tools and jack stands away......THIS ROLLS UP in front of my house....(since I'm a bit SHY on pics for this entry); though this isn't a FOX, it IS sort of Fox related; in that, it was being driven by my Buddy Mark....(who used to have a Fox Coupe; that's HOW we BECAME Budz...!!!)









He is the one who BOUGHT the Silver Wagon for me (I have since paid him back...!!), and kind of set this WHOLE THING into motion....









I don't know WHERE he finds these cars....but THIS ONE is a BEAUTY...!!!









I think he said it is from 1974....!!!









Molded Vinyl Roof and Side Trim....ahhh....wish you could've heard this thing PURRRRR....









So....just to recap....the first four BUTT DRAGGING segments have all taken place on a Sunday afternoon, that led WELL into the EVENING.....on the Monday morning; on the way to work.....the NIGHTMARE BEGINS.....!!!! 

But, that will have to wait until NEXT TIME.....


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...trying to keep from DRAGGIN MY BUTT...part V*

So, Monday morning arrives, a little bit TOO SOON for my liking; I start the car, put it in first, let down the Parking Brake Lever, give it some gas........and the REAR RIGHT WHEEL WON'T ROLL...!!! OH MAN WAS I PISSED...!!! I had to pop out a wheel bolt; roll the car until the open hole was around "1:30" (right side); take a small flathead screwdriver and stick it through the hole in the drum to PRY UP THE WEDGE, to release the brakes....once I heard the wedge pop up, put the bolt back in, tighten it, tools in the car....GO...!! All the way to work.....couldn't TOUCH the BRAKES......the wedge would fall back into place and apply the brakes to about half....the wheel would roll ONLY WHEN DRIVEN.....it would be like applying the handbrake three notches (when the wheels are to lock at TWO), then try to PUSH THE CAR....imagine how much effort required just to make the wheels spin....needless to say, I was driving very carefully....only using the hand brake and down shifting to slow down...

Because I had taken so many pics during the brake swap.....I had some reference to reflect upon while considering WHY the rear right brake was BINDING.....this was when I realized that I had put the upper return springs in the WRONG HOLES.....I noticed the pics on my camera during the day at work; and decided THAT was the REASON WHY my right side was dragging......so right after work...I drove it home to correct the problem....unfortunately for me....the beautiful 20C (70F) overnight temperatures were about to come to and end....it was still reasonably WARM out....but it STARTED TO RAIN......perfect.......I had an IDEA.....









To get an INDICATION of how hard it was raining, zoom in on the umbrella....some good puddles goin on where my feet were (I was sitting on the wheel to work)....I only took three pics that night.....the other two are of Each side with the CORRECTIONS performed....

The left side....









.....and the right....









I put the drums back on; wheels, let it down; went for a lap around the block.....it was raining pretty hard, so it was difficult to sense any excessive heat coming from the drums....that night; I THOUGHT I had FIXED the problem by putting the upper return springs in their proper positions.......the next day.....and pretty much for the next 11 DAYS....I had to keep the breaker bar with 17 mm deep socket, and the wee flathead screwdriver HANDY...!!! So that I could take out a bolt and pop the brake FREE when ever it LOCKED......which was SEVERAL TIMES over the next week and a half......it became VERY TIRESOME after the first day....trust me on THAT...!!!

I tried to NOT drive the car wherever possible; and basically became a SHUT IN for the next while until more funds became available.....the right side drum would get so HOT that it would STEAM when I spit a mouthful of WATER ON IT...!!! I was concerned about WARPING the drum or putting it OUT OF ROUND by SUPER HEATING the friction surfaces and everything connected......at some point, the RIM was HOT to the touch......my imagination then entertained the thought of the TIRE BEAD melting away from the rim, breaking the seal and losing air.....(good thing THAT was all in MY HEAD...!!!)

It took me until the middle of the month to get some more parts for the rear brakes....I couldn't GET to Frisco (VW Parts Vendor) during the week.....so I would have to make the trip on Saturday.....thought I would call just to check on parts availability......turns out HENRY is in GERMANY on a trade show adventure; so they AREN'T GOING TO BE OPEN ON SATURDAY...!!! I sorta LOST IT....!! I ducked out from work early to try to make it to Dufferin and Finch; from the edge of Mississauga; in 25 minutes; on a Friday afternoon; during rush hour traffic; in a car that I can't touch the brake pedal or the rear right wheel will lock.....it is about a 25 km (15 mi) by highway; which was COMPLETELY JAMMED....!!! So I ended up going by city streets which made the distance about 6 km (3.75 mi) LONGER....it took me about a half hour to get there, but I called dude and he stayed open until I got there...!!!

With parts in hand; I made my way back home; hoping to correct the BINDING ISSUE before having to go back to work on Monday........I bought another set of shoes, a parking brake cable, a couple of wheel cylinders, and 4 rivets that hold the trailer arms to the rear shoe....oh yeah, and two new drums and wheel bearing kits for Woody II....

But I have had a tiring week at work; there was ANOTHER Management change (5th one since I've been there...!), which has left me somewhat WEARY by weeks end....

It is supposed to RAIN all day tomorrow, so that will give me an opportunity to continue.......'til NEXT time....


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## woodardman (Sep 13, 2012)

KRAMMIT said:


> So, Monday morning arrives, a little bit TOO SOON for my liking; I start the car, put it in first, let down the Parking Brake Lever, give it some gas........and the REAR RIGHT WHEEL WON'T ROLL...!!! OH MAN WAS I PISSED...!!! I had to pop out a wheel bolt; roll the car until the open hole was around "1:30" (right side); take a small flathead screwdriver and stick it through the hole in the drum to PRY UP THE WEDGE, to release the brakes....once I heard the wedge pop up, put the bolt back in, tighten it, tools in the car....GO...!! All the way to work.....couldn't TOUCH the BRAKES......the wedge would fall back into place and apply the brakes to about half....the wheel would roll ONLY WHEN DRIVEN.....it would be like applying the handbrake three notches (when the wheels are to lock at TWO), then try to PUSH THE CAR....imagine how much effort required just to make the wheels spin....needless to say, I was driving very carefully....only using the hand brake and down shifting to slow down...
> 
> Because I had taken so many pics during the brake swap.....I had some reference to reflect upon while considering WHY the rear right brake was BINDING.....this was when I realized that I had put the upper return springs in the WRONG HOLES.....I noticed the pics on my camera during the day at work; and decided THAT was the REASON WHY my right side was dragging......so right after work...I drove it home to correct the problem....unfortunately for me....the beautiful 20C (70F) overnight temperatures were about to come to and end....it was still reasonably WARM out....but it STARTED TO RAIN......perfect.......I had an IDEA.....
> 
> ...



wow krammit sounds like your having a rough time with your brakes sorry to hear that  
heres a picture of my drum on my 93 Fox GL heres a question why is there such a differance minus mine is dirty as hell lol but the spring closer to the spline looks differnt i thought the wagon an sedans drums were the same setup?:sly:


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## novws (Dec 17, 2005)

Good luck with getting your rear brake issues resolved soon, KRAMMIT. This thread is a powerful reminder of why I hate working on drum brakes!


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*Thanks for your Replies Guys...!!!*

Thank you for taking the time to post a reply Guys...!! Quite right novws...!! Drum brakes ARE a PITA to work on....ESPECIALLY if left un-maintained for extended periods...!!! It ends up becoming a COSTLY venture; due to EVERYTHING needing to be replaced....

Woodardman....THANKS SO MUCH for posting your pic of your drum; built up brake dust and so forth aside; what you have SHOWN ME is that there IS something SERIOUSLY WRONG with the way that my ASSEMBLY is CONFIGURED....it doesn't have so much to do with the springs; but, rather the ADJUSTING BAR...!!! But MORE ABOUT THAT later......

Right now...it is Remembrance Day in Canada....I will, at ELEVEN O'CLOCK, be observing a minute of silence to HONOUR THOSE WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES.......so that WE could have the CHOICE to drive OLD GERMAN CARS....!! (I am NOT trying to make light of the situation...!!! A TOUGHER STRAIN of people went to fight for DEMOCRACY; and PAID the ULTIMATE PRICE....!!!).....November 11th is ALSO the day that Woody II became MY car back in 2004...he is in URGENT NEED of a HEATER CORE....the part that I bought for Woody III when first acquired....Woody III is ALSO pissing coolant all over the passenger side floor.....(it STARTED YESTERDAY as I was driving around trying to collect parts for the OPERATION.......!!!)..but he is coming off the road soon for the winter....PROVIDING, I can replace the HC in Woody II successfully, TODAY...!! I have NEVER taken the DASH off before; I have removed the cluster and assorted consoles....but NEVER the DASH.....SO....I am about to LEARN the way anyone CAN.....just DO IT...!!! I figure I have about 7 hours of daylight.....then the 500 watt NIGHT LIGHT...........into the ABYSS........GERONIMO.....!!!!

I will try to take some pics of the job....though the pics will be MORE for proof, rather than instruction.....I am going to use DubbinChris' ELABORATE DIY as my GUIDE....there is NO WAY I could TOP that BEAUTIFUL, step by step, presentation......Thanks AGAIN to DubbinChris for taking the PAINSTAKING EFFORT to post that thread...!!! It REALLY DOES ADD to the completion time of a project; when you are stopping every 30 seconds to capture an image....then building the SCRIPT around the PICS for a COHESIVE, EASILY DIGESTIBLE, account......it takes only a few MINUTES to view a thread that likely took a few HOURS to compile.........keep that in mind when viewing a thread that keeps your attention....just consider what went into the shooting, editing, posting; not to mention the WORK ITSELF....!!!

Thanks again for taking the time to reply GUYS...!!! gotta get this DONE....or at least VERY MUCH UNDER WAY.....'til NEXT TIME...!!


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## woodardman (Sep 13, 2012)

KRAMMIT said:


> Thank you for taking the time to post a reply Guys...!! Quite right novws...!! Drum brakes ARE a PITA to work on....ESPECIALLY if left un-maintained for extended periods...!!! It ends up becoming a COSTLY venture; due to EVERYTHING needing to be replaced....
> 
> Woodardman....THANKS SO MUCH for posting your pic of your drum; built up brake dust and so forth aside; what you have SHOWN ME is that there IS something SERIOUSLY WRONG with the way that my ASSEMBLY is CONFIGURED....it doesn't have so much to do with the springs; but, rather the ADJUSTING BAR...!!! But MORE ABOUT THAT later......
> 
> ...


no problem KRAMMIT  and for doing your heater core you DONT have to take the whole dash off all you need to do take the cluuster off then center consol and knee bar but i dnt think wagons have them then to have to take the clips off the plastic box to get at it heres some pics

well heres my new heater core compliments of my mother who works for VW 









old leaking heater core and i found out to easily get the new core in cut this black lip that cover the core a little 









now heres my dash with everything off to swap out the heater core









and heres my back seat full of everything from the front


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## QuantumSyncro (Apr 28, 2000)

Ditto on the 'I hate drum brakes' mantra. Sorry to hear about your brake job not cooperating.

I have never been fond of drum brakes, always prefer to deal with discs. All those springs and hook tools you need just never did that much for me. It really is kind of an art to be able to work with them well. The only reason I've gone to leaving brakes the way they are (no more disc conversions) is because of the MC changes / pressure regulation issues associated with rear discs.

I replaced the rear shoes on the last of my 86 Golf D's a year ago and had absolutely no problem with them afterward...which sort of amazed me. I had to replace wheel cylinders in that case too but the drums were salvagable.

Hope you're able to get this resolved, the weather here in IA has turned to crap....yesterday high 76F outside and nice, today so far 35F and rainy / windy with possible snow in the forecast. I'm not looking forward to this winter....

steve


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## rjz5400 (Nov 10, 2012)

*Thanks and waiting*

So i have been following both this thread and the "do you really need the self adjusting wedge" thread. 

It weighed heavily in my decision to buy a wagon fox with known brake and wheel cylinder problems. I started my own thread about that car. I know you have figured out a solution from the other thread, just wanting to see the pics and also hear how it has been holding up after a few days/weeks of driving without the adjustor. I am thinking about leaving mine, and the spring of course out when i put my drums back together. 


Keep up the good work!!


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## mike in SC (Apr 29, 2004)

K,
I PM'd you about the part we've been talking about. I feel your pain about the brakes. Mine are acceptable AT BEST, but they will stop the car now. 

Now I want to go to 10 in. brake rotors. I'm sure after I do this I'll have more brake issues afterwards.


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## ziddey (Apr 16, 2006)

I've always wanted to go with a disc setup in the rear, but I need to figure out how to make the ebrake work. I changed the shoes, cylinders, and hardware, but they still don't seem to work right. Never had a Fox with satisfactory rear brakes. A little tougher for me now since there's no junkyards near me. Will probably have to get my swap parts off the vortex.. Guess I need to re-read how to go about the ebrake setup.

I think I have the opposite problem with the wedge. With my last Fox, I'd be visiting my mechanic every other week to have him readjust the ebrake tension. Otherwise, the pedal would drop to the ground. In the end, I ended up driving with the ebrake up a few clicks until the pedal firmed up. That usually got me a bit of time between needing to tighten the ebrake cable. Of course, this meant the ebrake didn't work at all. After a "drifting" session in the snow, I'd have to drive with the lever all the way up.

I haven't had much snow time with the current Fox and intend to keep it that way (terrified of salt). But had the same issue of needing to drive with the ebrake up. Seems the wedge isn't able to keep the shoes at proper distance, and I have to compensate by using the ebrake.


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*....it's done....!!!*

WHEW...!!! WHAT AN ORDEAL...!!! I just finished changing the HEATER CORE on Woody II...!!! I took today off work to get it completed...!! The HC in Woodrow the THIRD is KAPUTT...!!! Green puddle on the drivers' side....GREEN LAKE on the passengers' side...!!! So, I just finished replacing a CORE; but I have to drive to work in a Prestone FILTERING DISPENSER.......I devised a tub to catch the overflow form the trap....but it's TOUGH to keep it in PLACE while driving...!!! The coolant I DO catch....I just pour back into the reservoir....!!! 

I must call my broker to get the road coverages flipped over....it was FUN to drive Woodrow the THIRD all summer....but I think I had MORE FUN trying to KEEP HIM DRIVEABLE....!!! Anyone who has been following this thread has read about me NEARLY getting STRANDED downtown during July....which led to an in-tank pump replacement.....which was IMMEDIATELY followed by a shifter bushing segment....which led me to a simple wheel bearing swap that turned into a rear brake NIGHTMARE that lasted THREE WEEKS......the rear shocks are bouncing all over the place....they NEED to be done.....and NOW; the heater core is SPEWING COOLANT FASTER than I can put it in the RESERVOIR...!!! I think that is JUST ABOUT ENOUGH FUN.....for this summer.....I need to get back to Woody II before he starts holding a grudge........he has been getting a little TLC lately TOO...!! He got some NEW BRAKES in the rear; NEW SHOCKS in the rear; a NEW HEATER CORE for his birthday (got him November 11th, '04..!!)...might even get him OIL SPRAYED for the winter.......pics of ALL of this to follow...as soon as I sort through them.....

Thanks for your replies GUYS.....GLAD you have been following along rjz5400....I hope you have found some of my ramblings HELPFUL and/or AMUSING...!! The WEDGELESS brakes are working WONDERFULLY...!!! About 3000 km and NO ISSUES to speak of....other than my rear brakes ACTUALLY HELP SLOW THE CAR DOWN.....!!! Keep reading; there is A LOT MORE to follow...!!!
Thanks Again for the part mike in SC...!!! I'll put the Fund$ in your PayPal account...!!! I was considering the REAR DISC SWAP after all the nonsense.....might STILL eventually......I was thinking that IF I DID; ziddey, I would consider drilling a couple holes in the 'yoke' that the rod from the brake lever is connected to, and run the separate cables through each of the new holes....maybe an additional bar to ensure a good tension....I have found that a sloppy cable falls off the bar; it has happened to me a couple times...the last time, I wound a couple zip ties around both, so the cable wouldn't fall away.......the THIRD step, and I think the LAST step; according to the Bentley, requires the disconnecting; and connecting of the cable to the actuator bar....adjusting this their way IS TEDIOUS....but IT WILL YIELD the proper results....two notches on the lever, and the rear wheels LOCK, enough to HOLD the WEIGHT of the car....any more than FOUR notches on the lever; there are likely signs of either SHOE/DRUM wear, or the cable is either STRETCHED and or out of adjustment....such a FUN THING TO HAVE in the SNOW.....a PROPERLY ADJUSTED and FUNCTIONING PARKING BRAKE....!!!

I'd better catch at least the SHORT SHOW of EYELID THEATRE......I had better NOT be late for work....I already missed a day this week....AND IT'S ONLY TUESDAY.....!!!


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## woodardman (Sep 13, 2012)

hey krammit just wondering why there is a difference between my drums 

Left









Right









ok now the right side at the time the brake cylinder was leaking (thats why i had it off) but if you notice the bar across the drum below the cylinder on the right drum is more like your drum setup but the left drum bar across the drum is different??? why is this so...you think a previous owner swapped it out maybe? idk any ideas..... they work perfectly no doubt just a little dirty from brake dust :laugh:


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...Brake Assembly Discrepancy...*

It DOES look like the Previous Owner messed with things a bit....!!! When you showed me the pic of your left drum; the adjusting bar looked DIFFERENT than mine....I QUESTIONED MYSELF as to whether or not I have had this BAR flipped around for the last SIX YEARS....the Bentleys shows the bar has a bend right at the end for, a spring to hook onto...but you have a SEDAN/COUPE; and I have a WAGON....they have DIFFERENT SIZE DRUMS....the Sedans' shoes are 180 mm wide; while the Wagons'shoes are 200 mm wide....the spring kit/retaining hardware would differ as well......but, then , a TECH friend of mine looked at both pics and pointed out that the FLANGE side of the bar is CLOSER to the backing plate; he determined that BOTH are set up correctly, just DIFFERENT VERSIONS.......I am OKAY with his explanation....maybe the DIFFERING bar is from a different VW.....or flipped 180 degrees....tough to tell with the GOOPEY BUILD UP.....take a shot of the CLEANED set up....the answer MAY become OBVIOUS.....!!

On a SLIGHT INTERLUDE from BRAKES....I have been seeing signs of IMPENDING HEATER CORE FAILURE in Woody III for the last couple weeks....getting PROGRESSIVELY WORSE in the last couple days....I mentioned that I put together a catch tub for the passenger side floor.....I made if from a coolant jug and a rim cleaner spray bottle....








I was going for, "funnel into reservoir", turned out OKAY....

It can move around when you corner though....taking it away from its IDEAL position shown HERE....









....allowing THIS...









Now, LUCKY FOR ME...I have taken up the carpet (it has been up since I had it WELDED a year ago LAST MAY) about 18 months ago; and just haven't put it back down...so the pooling coolant isn't causing any damage to it.....those three pics were taken this MORNING......this evening I offered a ride home to a friend; I warned her that there is a COOLANT LEAK, and she was okay with that....its about a 27 km (17 mi) trip one way; ALL THE WAY OUT THERE, temperature steady and NO LEAKS into the cabin.....!!! OH YEAH;  the reason why I didn't take Woody II is that he ISN'T INSURED until MIDNIGHT TONIGHT (it was only 8:30 pm at the time...!!); I DID manage to get a hold of my Insurance Broker and get the road coverages flipped back to Woody II, but not effective UNTIL midnight tonight.....anyway....I had three beers and a couple mints at Emmas' place, then left around 11:30 pm to get home BEFORE I TURNED INTO A PUMPKIN at midnight.......Fortunately, she lives CLOSE to the DVP so I could catch the Gardner Expressway/427 and get home FAST...!!! WOODROW the THIRD must LIKE Emma; because when she wasn't there...SERIOUS COOLANT FLOW....!!! 

It started with the needle in the temp gauge climbing to an UNCOMFORTABLE LEVEL, about 2mm shy of the MAX LIMIT......"Okay,.....just so long as you STAY there; DON'T CLIMB ANY HIGHER...!!" It was as though the car HEARD ME...!!! Just passing the CN TOWER; the needle is EVEN with the MAX line....."Alright....I'll give ya that; YOU'RE HOT..!! Just don't start that RED LIGHT FLASHING....!!!" And as if it were written in the script for him to start flashing the red light upon hearing the cue, "...DON'T..."........he did......

So, by this time, the RIGHT side of my brain is making all these calculations...: should I get off at Spadina, stop, add coolant and get back on...? NO...!! Adding cold coolant to a HOT RESERVOIR is a BAD IDEA...!!! I tried it once just before the HC was to be replaced by the dealer on the RECALL (I had to GET IT THERE...!); just off the highway on Markham Rd., pulled into a station, popped the hood, took off the cap CAREFULLY with a rag; ADDED the cold water to the reservoir....and what I heard resembled a GEYSER (at least, the Hollywood portrayal....!) just before it is about to ERUPT.....a LOT of rumbling, gurgling, and cavitating....thought Woody I was going to EXPLODE...!!! I opted to KEEP the MOMENTUM and just get it HOME....passing Jamieson Avenue, the HISSING STARTED....I had a mini FLASHLIGHT in my pocket and was using to monitor the leak as I was doin about a BUCK TWENTY (90 zone...!!) just coming up to Parklawn Rd.....the steam was getting PRETTY INTENSE now and was fogging up the inside of the windshield in a SERIOUS FASHION...!!! with the fan on high; BLOWING FREEZING COLD AIR on the windshield (and Me..!!); the LEFT SIDE of my brain was URGING and ENCOURAGING the car to make it HOME...!!! "Just a little bit further....Almost there......a few more Ks...." Coming North on the 427 was the WORST though....NOW I had BOTH windows rolled down halfway; the windshield was fogged up to about 50% visibility; and there was STEAM BILLOWING out the windows.....quite the SIGHT...!!! My collection apparatus was working okay, but I COULDN'T AFFORD THE ATTENTION OR THE REACH needed to catch it ALL......at THIS POINT I was thinking.......AIR COOLED VOLKSWAGEN......!! (it was COLD OUT!) Managed to get off at my exit and make ALL THREE LIGHTS in my favour to my destination....pulled up out front; moved Woody II out of the SPOT, backed in Woody III; and shut him DOWN...! Here are some pics that I took just before writing this...

...sitting in the driveway....the light IS flashing.....just can't see it due to the flash being brighter...


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## ziddey (Apr 16, 2006)

Jesus! I hope the head/gasket are okay.

The leak sounds bad enough that Bars stopleak pellets (pulverized ginger pulp) probably wouldn't do a thing at all. But maybe it'd buy you a little bit of time, slowing the leak down. The consensus seems to be that the ginger stopleak (not marketed as such..) is the only one considered generally safe, and is used by GM in some motors as preventative maintenance.

That and having the coolant pressure cap only on a turn or two so no pressure can build in the system may buy you some time. The HC in my Volvo is leaking too, sometimes real bad. With the cap loose, I'm able to put it off until hopefully forever.. Figure it's winter and you're not at extreme elevation, so it should be fine.

Hope Woody III survives!!


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*........*

Thanks ziddey...!!! ME TOO...!!! I think he should be alright...but I had better order another Heater Core from the dealership....(just put one in Woody II last weekend...)

Damn you're FAST on the replies...!!! I mess up n hit the wrong tab at FOUR IN THE MORNING....and THERE YOU ARE...!!! ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE...!!!!!

But I had MORE pics....
....the passenger side floor....








My contraption worked OKAY....!!

.....did I mention.....STEAMY.....?!?!?









....SERIOUSLY GLAD most of the coolant leaked over there......!!









....My AMP seems mostly DRY....









....is the jug ....HALF FULL....or HALF EMPTY.....?









...the floor got some too....









....some SERIOUS PRESSURE managed to soak up here....









....with it switched off...STILL HOT...!!!









Earlier I mentioned that this car was only insured until midnight.....just made it in the nick of time......which is about the SAME WAY I will be punching in to WORK later on today.......!!!
....until NEXT TIME...


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## bluetoes591 (Apr 3, 2009)

It does seem like replacing the heater core is the only likely option here, but if it weren't so bad I'd suggest visiting your local Subaru dealer. They sell something they call "headgasket conditioner". It's actually rebadged Holts Radweld from England. Fixed my slight heater core leak and somehow or other has been holding my headgasket together for almost three years.


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## woodardman (Sep 13, 2012)

Hey krammit thanks for your reply and yes i have the sedan and yeah i know they need to be cleaned really bad lol ill get on that i need to take them back off cus im not satisfied with the amount of grease thats on there currently and ill take better pics now that the right drum is no longer leaking due to me changing the brake cylinder but i just thought that was weird that the bars were differnt an replying to your woodys near death expirence....... OMG it was hot  my temp gauge for some reason likes to go out when it wants? Idk why this is so i made sure all the connections were solid but idk


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## mike in SC (Apr 29, 2004)

Krammit, 

Your new taillight is in the mail. The tracking number is in you inbox.

I hope you finally have heat after your ordeal with the HC!


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...I've got MAIL...!!*

Thanks Michael....it just arrived TODAY...!!! Check your PayPal Account and let me know that the funds arrived okay too!!! The HEAT in Woody II is FANTASTIC...the DEFROST works WELL NOW ALSO....it used to take FOREVER to defrost the windshield....NOT quite as well as a car with A/C though....but a NOTICEABLE improvement...!!

My cooling temp gauge sending unit is FINICKY TOO....woodardman; just make sure there is no corrosion on the contacts; then, with the car idling, wiggle the connector on the tab (looks like a mini thumbtack), then check to see if it is sending a signal to the gauge....if no reading, wiggle the tab to a different spot on the connector, check again...etc....repeat until your gauge is showing a reading; THEN DON'T TOUCH THE WIRE CONNECTOR...!!! Leave it where its happy....

That 'Head gasket Conditioner' sounds like a GREAT preventive maintenance product...!!! Any idea how much for a bottle....? Thanks for the TIP bluetoes591...next time I pass by a Subaru dealership, I will inquire........sadly though...the CORE in Woody III is COMPLETELY SHOT...I was LUCKY it leaked mostly on the passenger side....when the CORE in Woody I went; the coolant was leaking OVER THE PEDALS...!!! I had to wear rubber boots to take him to the ONLY DEALERSHIP that would honour the recall....on the OTHER SIDE OF THE CITY....!!! But that is another story that I only have MENTAL pictures of........I am NOT TOTALLY FREAKING OUT because the heater core is COOKED.....MAINLY, because I JUST changed the CORE in Woody II last week.....there is some sense of, "I can fix that now"; giving me a confidence that I haven't felt for a LONG time....I just ordered a replacement HC from GAP (for Woody III); along with a transfer pump (for Woody II)....I am hearing that TELLTALE BUZZING that indicates the transfer pump is FRIED....LAST TIME I heard that sound; I was in the middle of an EXTREMELY BUSY INTERSECTION way back in July down at Harbourfront....about to stall out due to FUEL STARVATION....:facepalm:

With all the EXCITEMENT in the last couple weeks; I seem to have fallen a couple MONTHS behind in my posts......in August; when I took Woody II for a spin around the block and discovered that his HC was SHOT (it would SPRAY COOLANT out of the middle vents); I had NO IDEA what I was going to do....the dealer said they wanted about $700 to do the job....I laughed....then studied DubbinChris' DIY and decided that I was going to do the job myself.....before doing it; had to get him mobile: the rear shocks were KAPUT, and needed rear brakes too...!! Before ANY of that could happen; I had to reconnect a corroded starter wire AND also charge up the battery......so these Projects were on my list of things to do; BEFORE Woodrow the THIRD came off the road for the winter.

The BRAKES and SHOCKS were not weighing on my mind so much, as I had replaced those components before with out any problems.....the Heater Core...?!?!? Not so much confidence in THAT area....I KNEW that I wanted to replace it by removing the dash....I did NOT want to cut a hole in my HEATER BOX....I see now; how the dealerships were doing the operation in a few hours....one of the pieces that I ordered (without actually knowing what I was ordering; but, it was on the receipt from the recall, so I ordered it), was a square, black, plastic cap, with TWO HOLES in opposing corners (looked like #2 on a die), AFTER they CUT a HOLE in the side of your HEATER BOX; they EXTRACT the GOOEY MESS that IS the old heater core.....MAYBE they might wipe out SOME of the SLUDGE that has accumulated at the bottom of the box.....then they simply insert the new core into the nice, square hole they cut (right around where the two hoses go into the box) in the side of the heater box; then they GLUE on this PLASTIC CAP, connect the hoses, top up the system, and you're on your way.......my way took about SEVEN TIMES longer; but, I got to seal some holes, replace some sponge seals, see how EASY it ACTUALLY IS to remove the dash; I believe I made a couple of alternate approaches to DubbinChris' method; it is by NO MEANS A QUICK procedure; don't plan on using the car for at least TWO days, and that is IF you are working on the car for BOTH of those days....but it isn't REALLY THAT complicated....it helps if you have had experience in changing a speedo cable and/or cluster....that is where the most of the wires are....but, they are all wired to reach a certain part on the dash, the connectors ONLY fit ONE WAY.....there are a LOT of CLIPS that CANNOT be lost; ROB, the "Professor", called them JESUS CLIPS.....because when you undo them, they go FLYING OFF in some direction...and invariably you end up saying, "Jesus..!! Where did THAT GO..?!?" The CLIPS and SCREWS are best PUT BACK WHERE THEY CAME FROM, right after you unfasten what it was holding...that way they are WHERE they are SUPPOSED TO BE when it comes time to reassemble....TRUST ME when I say that you will be GLAD YOU DID...!!! I found myself operating in ZOMBIE MODE to get everything back together....and also TAKE PICTURES of the mess that gets EXPOSED IMMEDIATELY after removing the DASH.....These are a few tips that I can offer to ANYONE considering undertaking this operation....

But, BEFORE I get to the 150 plus pics I took (I will edit them down to relevant shots) of all of my efforts over the last couple months.......I must finish my BUTT DRAGGIN BRAKE segment......however; this being a Monday; I don't want to PEAK TO SOON......so that will have to wait (...sigh...!), until NEXT TIME....


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## bluetoes591 (Apr 3, 2009)

My last bottle of Subaru Headgasket Conditioner cost $8.62 after taxes here in western Canuckistan. There are three models of Subaru that are required to have a bottle of this stuff in the cooling system at all times or they'll void the warranty! 2000-2002 Subaru Legacy and Outback with 2.5L engine, 1999-2002 Impreza with 2.5L engine, 1999-2002 Forester with 2.5L engine. Needless to say, those are the twin cam ones with the infamous headgasket woes. 

Note that the bottle has the name Holt's moulded right into it.



















Gee, looks the same to me.


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...trying to keep from DRAGGIN MY BUTT...part VI*

Yup...!! That SURE DOES look like the SAME bottle with a Subaru Label stuck on it...I wonder if the Holt's version is PRICED LOWER...?!! If it is PRESCRIBED by the manufacturer; it MUST be GOOD (for them to be satisfied that it will fix the problem THEY created...!!!), and it certainly looks like they didn't do ANYTHING to disguise the EMBOSSED LOGO at the bottom of the bottle....

Okay then....so after having the car up in the air for the SECOND time in two days; in the POURING RAIN to correct the UPPER RETURN SPRING misplacement....that DID NOT ALLEVIATE the BINDING DRUM problem....

I drove around for the NEXT ELEVEN DAYS with the rear right brake (the left side was fine...!) BINDING whenever I touched the pedal....so I tried to NOT TOUCH THE PEDAL...!!! Not so many of the drivers behind me were appreciative of the fact that: I HAD BRAKE LIGHTS....JUST WASN'T USING THEM; because I was using the Parking Brake and Downshifting to slow myself down.....I was stretching the LIFE out of the cable; but, by this time, had already DECIDED to REPLACE IT....So I was pulling it OUT of the FLOOR (...or so it seemed...!) to slow down on a couple of occasions.....

During this time....I considered that the trailer arm for the brake cable may NOT be being ALLOWED to return to its full resting position...I picked up 4 'pins'; for fastening the trailer arm to the shoe; at the dealership....they were 70 cents each...but NECESSARY as far as I was concerned....

On the 15th of September; I finally got all of my parts together (or so I THOUGHT...!) and found some time to replace the Parking Brake Cable....got this from Henry @ Frisco Auto Parts....$22.00......SOLD...!!!









I had an idea to try to centre the cable....









I was going to lay the cable out, as straight as I could....next to the tape measure....









.....and try to MARK the MID-POINT of the cable....









.....(the cable DID NOT want to co-operate and just lie flat).....my best estimated measurement of the cable: 103"









Time to get the ass-end of the car HIGH UP in the air; I am NOT into working with my NOSE touching the bottom of the car; I have two sets of jack stands, and three jacks....two of the jacks are cheap, crappy tire products; but, the OTHER JACK is a MONSTER and it takes ALL of my strength to HOIST it to hip level, and walk out to the sidewalk with it.....which REALLY takes the WIND out of your SAILS at the BEGINNING of a task.......up we GO.....








YEAH...THAT'S THE ONE....(just in case you guys thought I got to use the HOIST @ WORK for my servicing; THAT was a TREAT to work under the car with...this is my USUAL set up...on the SIDEWALK...)

This is the ONLY heat shield LEFT on any of my Wagons.....ANYBODY GOT A SPARE....? Just use an 8 mm socket to remove the screws at the corners....









...number two....









....third one.....looks like this has been 'tacked' once already.....nice fix with a washer....









....and the fourth....a GOOD IDEA to leave the FIRST screw still holding by a couple threads, just so it doesn't drop on your face/head....









Once the HEAT SHIELD (if it is THERE) is off; you can get a 10 mm DEEP SOCKET on this GOOEY LUVLINESS...









...once the 10 mm nut is removed; the cable will come free of the actuator bar.....









...now THIS rusty mess can be removed...









....need to BIZZ off the wheel lug bolts with the BEST XMAS GIFT EVER...!!!









.....then the DRUM comes off.....you guys know how THAT goes....(look at the build up on the retaining pin on the right)









.....AND the BARE Backing Plate; after 500 km of EXCESSIVE BINDING.....I had scrubbed that CLEAN not even TWO WEEKS PRIOR....









Look along the edge of the shoe on the left; the ADHESIVE began to BUBBLE out from between the friction material and the shoe support from the ABSURD AMOUNT OF HEAT...!!!









This is what is LEFT of the shoes....and the PILE of brake dust that came from them....








You can't tell from the pic; but that PILE is between 1/2" & 3/4" high.....!!!

Here you can see that what hasn't CRUMBLED AWAY from the heat; has GLAZED from excessive friction and heat...









....THAT'S A LOT of DUST for less than two weeks of driving....









At this point; I was convinced that the trailer arm was the CAUSE for the binding....so, I drilled out the pin on the rear left shoe, drilled out the pin from the rear RIGHT shoe; took the arm from the right shoe and fastened it to the newer LEFT shoe to make a slightly WORN left shoe that might not BIND so much....








I remember this was STANDARD PROCEDURE to do the rear brakes on my Scirocco; they didn't include the arm, but DID give you a new PIN/RIVET the fasten the arm to the new shoe....so, you HAD to drill it off the old shoe to put it on the new one....

...I used some EMERY CLOTH to rough up the inside of the drum again....it was getting DARK out too...









....I seem to be getting used to working by "candle light".....









...got it back together with USED SHOES; but a NEW Parking Brake CABLE....









...ended up having to REUSE the CrUmBLiNg LEADING SHOE again; because the left side ISN'T interchangeable...









...also used the OLD trailer arm; I thought the BEND being in a different spot could HELP it CLEAR the REAR SHOE SUPPORT when released....









The PREVIOUS DAY (14th of September) was when THIS took place:

"It took me until the middle of the month to get some more parts for the rear brakes....I couldn't GET to Frisco (VW Parts Vendor) during the week.....so I would have to make the trip on Saturday.....thought I would call just to check on parts availability......turns out HENRY is in GERMANY on a trade show adventure; so they AREN'T GOING TO BE OPEN ON SATURDAY...!!! I sorta LOST IT....!! I ducked out from work early to try to make it to Dufferin and Finch; from the edge of Mississauga; in 25 minutes; on a Friday afternoon; during rush hour traffic; in a car that I can't touch the brake pedal or the rear right wheel will lock.....it is about a 25 km (15 mi) by highway; which was COMPLETELY JAMMED....!!! So I ended up going by city streets which made the distance about 6 km (3.75 mi) LONGER....it took me about a half hour to get there, but I called dude and he stayed open until I got there...!!!" [excerpt from post #76]

After ALL THAT....JUNIOR on the Parts Counter GAVE ME THE WRONG SHOES...!!! NOT IMPRESSED...!!! To find that my NEW SHOES are for a SEDAN...!!! THIS was the reason WHY I did NOT have a new set of shoes to put on the right side again......the following Monday; a BUDDY of mine EXCHANGED the shoes for the PROPER ones (I was at work)....and OVERHEARD HENRY TEARING A NEW ONE for Junior....I WAS AMUSED...

While I was at work on that Monday; THIS was when I was thinking about that DAMN WEDGE.....I noticed that mine was all worn and SHINY on the edges.....

But, that will have to WAIT......until NEXT TIME.....


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...trying to keep from DRAGGIN MY BUTT...part VII*

While I was at work on the Monday; I was going over in my mind what the hell could be making the BRAKES BIND still....the ONLY things I hadn't changed as yet were the wheel cylinder; and the STUB AXLE.....which doesn't really EVER need to be changed unless it has been PERSUADED to become OUT of alignment via IMPACT with something substantial; collision, curb at HIGH SPEED, car falls off jack without wheel, etc....at least I have NEVER had to....though I DO have a spare, just in case....but, YES, the rear right drum was STILL dragging along; the REDUCED friction surface GARNERED NO BENEFIT, using the worn shoes......

My Buddy (who was working mid-nights!) was able to exchange the SEDAN shoes for WAGON shoes and left them on the front seat of Woody II for me.....When I got home from work; for about the fourth or fifth time in as many days....up in the air AGAIN....








Keep in mind; each time I have been putting the rear end up, I have HAD to use the BIG BLACK JACK because the CABLE needs to be undone BEFORE you do anything to the set-up....it DOES make it easier to manage the cable; VISE GRIPS are NOT NEEDED, because there is NO TENSION on the cable.....the ONE nuisance, is that there is TOO MUCH SLACK on the cable at times when reconnecting....

While I had it all apart, I had a close look at the wedge.....concise corners were a thing of the PAST...









The ridges that are SUPPOSED to be there...are to mesh up with the ridges on THIS....








.....which are ALSO verging upon NON-EXISTENT...!!!

I put the assembly back together, WITH the wedge (because, at this point, I was STILL under the impression that it was necessary), NEW SHOES on the right side.....AGAIN.....









The next day, while at work on Tuesday, I had called Queensway VW to ask if they had access to the wedge and adjusting bar still.....NLA.....figures....time to pay a visit to my First Fox: Woody I ....they say OBSOLETE......I say, TREASURE HUNT.....









It was POURING RAIN when I went to EXUME the required parts from my DONOR...but I had to HACK MY WAY IN....had to remove all of THIS.....









.....from here...









....and here....









...and here....ever wonder what happened to those WHEELS YOU GAVE ME ALAIN...?








The TWO you GAVE me PLUS another two that I managed to acquire from elsewhere are SUPPORTING my EXCLUSIVE PARTS SOURCE......this car is about to GIVE MORE than HE KNOWS in the upcoming months.....I have a PLAN for him to KEEP ON GIVING.....!!! [more on that LATER]

Here is the wedge that I took from Woody I....









.....wish I had a NEW one to compare BOTH of these to.....









The ridges on the wedge are SUPPOSED to mesh up with the ridges on the ADJUSTING BAR....if there were ANY present....









Since, there are NO ridges on EITHER surface.....instead of the intended GRADUAL, INCREMENTAL, SUBTLE, BARELY NOTICEABLE extension of the adjusting bar--via the RIDGES....there was a FULL ON LOCKING of the shoes in their FULLY EXTENDED POSITION with every touch of the pedal; due to the WEDGE falling to its lowest position with help from the SPRING.....I had a friend lightly depress the brake while I had the drum off.....the wedge fell EVERY TIME....!!!! So I took it out; had my friend lightly depress the pedal again....the shoes extended....AND RETRACTED....!!! "I'm taking THAT (-------) THING OUT...!!!" ....and so I did....then made a Post Sep. 22nd about the wedge; some of you may recognize some of the pics, as I posted a few in that thread....

I have changed the wheel cylinder on the right side, but not the left; and have taken the wedge out of the right side, but NOT the left (it works)....there is even braking, it doesn't pull to one side or the other......I drove for the REMAINDER of the 'summer', and had NO PROBLEMS as a result of the wedge NOT being there.....I probably put 3000 km on the car since the omission.......BEFORE the HEATER CORE ERUPTED the night it was to come off the road anyway......I started Woodrow the Third up the other day.....he ROARED TO LIFE on the first start.....doesn't sound as though there was ANY DAMAGE as a result of running him in FULL BLOWN OVERHEATED MODE for 15 minutes on the highway at 130 km/h......ANOTHER PIONEERED BENCHMARK....!!!!! YOUR FOX WILL RUN FOR 15 MINUTES FULLY OVERHEATED AT SPEED.....but I wouldn't want to find out what happens at the HALF HOUR MARK......I think I PUSHED THE ENVELOPE.....and WATCHED IT BEND.....!!!

NEXT UP: Woody II gets rear brakes ALSO......but that will have to wait until NEXT TIME....


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## ziddey (Apr 16, 2006)

nice pictures! Have you considered filing new ridges into the wedge and bar?


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*I DID try...*

I used a wire brush on the wedges to get them to THAT point....but, I THINK the grooves on the bar are important....there isn't a lot of room to get a TOOL in there....I TRIED to scribe about five ridges on the adjusting bar.....but they weren't very convincing....more like I just scratched five lines in the rust...


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...finally...!!!*

What began THREE WEEKS ago (thread-time) as a seemingly ROUTINE wheel bearing swap; has EVOLVED into my WORST-EVER experience tinkering about with drum brakes on OLDER VWs in almost 30 years....!!! My ultimate and ONLY resolution to the problem was to REMOVE THE WEDGE...and after having done so; am FINALLY able to ENJOY driving my Fox AGAIN...!!! 

By this time; it was around September 25th, I had received a text from 'myboxyfox' saying there was to be a wee gathering down at "DisGraceLand", around the Ossington/Bloor area....I had been going at it pretty HARD lately; having had the ass end of the Wagon up in the air an average of ONCE every THREE DAYS for the past three weeks; and now, that there was a resolution...that meant I could have A SOCIAL LIFE AGAIN...!!! Oh, to be ABLE to interact with traffic WITHOUT having to think and WATCH about FIVE cars ahead....and to be ABLE TO USE THE FOOT BRAKE AGAIN without having to get out and UN-JAM the shoes via the bolt-hole-screwdriver method at the NEXT light...........................................L-U-X-U-R-Y....!!!

So I made my way down to DisGraceLand, VERY MUCH ENJOYING the ride.....met up with a guy named Paul; whom I met while at work out in Mississauga at a licensing office parking lot, he was driving an old Peugeot Wagon, so I parked close by to chat for a bit....not KNOWING he was a friend of myboxyfox....we pieced it together at the bar; that we had MET previously in Mississauga...."nah, it couldn't have been you man; this guy had a White Fox Wagon....", "I have a White one too...!!" It was quite the coincidence...!! A pic from the evening...









It was NICE to get out and circulate after having basically been a SHUT-IN for the better part of a month...see some friends...talk Fox...Rob (a friend of 'myboxyfox') was there also....hadn't seen him since April at the get together out in Guelph at Alaincopters' place.....I mentioned that the HEATER CORE in Woody II had just ruptured and was SPRAYING COOLANT out the middle set of vents (AND ALL UP MY ARM...!!!) when the heater is turned on....I wasn't quite sure WHAT to do about it; I asked if he would be available to field any questions I might have about the operation....he said SURE...!!! I felt more confident already......

But the heater core operation was a long way off yet; there are a couple other things that need to be done to Woody II before that happens...replace the rear shocks (they are BRUTAL), and the rear brakes (would have to work VERY HARD to BECOME BRUTAL)....since I had just replaced the rear brakes on Woody III; I thought that should be the place where I start....while everything is STILL fresh in my mind....if there was ONE THING that I DID take take away from the Brake (My B----) Experience; it was that the WHEEL CYLINDER is the best place to start when doing the drums....if that cylinder ISN'T working properly, new shoes, hardware, drums and cable won't MATTER MUCH...the cylinders in Woody III were dry, showed NO signs of leaking; BUT, were NOT working properly....they should have been the FIRST components that got swapped...

On September 30th; yet AGAIN, I am playing around in the driveway on a Sunday night....THIS TIME with Woody II....sure can STUFF A LOT in a Wagon....









I KNEW the rear right cylinder was/has been UBERSCHMUTZ for the last 5 years or so....the procedure was more EXPLORATORY than anything; as I hadn't done MUCH in the way of servicing or maintenance in the SAME amount of time.....I was pretty much TRYING to run Woody II into the ground through SHEER NEGLECT.....then I got a COMPUTER and MET YOU GUYS...!!! Probably just in the nick of time too...!!! My intention on this sunday was to replace the Parking Brake cable and the rear right cylinder; had to use the Big Black Jack to get at the cable properly.....









....the cable....and shoes for later consideration...









....and the NEW Wheel Cylinder....









I didn't take any more pics of this part of the job....mostly because when the drum came off; there was fluid and brake dust PASTE everywhere, the bottom THIRD of the leading shoe fell off while I still had the drum in my hands.....the brake fluid had not only CONTAMINATED the LININGS, but DISSOLVED the BOND between the friction material and the SHOE...!!! I ended up using some suitable used shoes (from 'the Third') just for the sake of putting it back together (wasn't gonna drive it...!) and decided to call it a night; I got the parking brake cable in, and things back together; ONLY having replaced what I set out to.....and having had the OPPORTUNITY to have a CLOSER LOOK at what REMAINS of the rear suspension.....I set Woody II back down (GENTLY!) and put him back in his spot, where he would sit......until NEXT TIME....


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...Rear Brakes for Woody II, take II...*

The first couple weeks of October were hectic at work.....there were some MANAGERIAL changes afoot...and a couple personnel changes as well.....fortunately, I am STILL required apparently....so I STILL have a clock to punch.....the weather was beginning to become less friendly also....I think the twelfth of October was the first day I didn't wear SHORTS to work since LATE APRIL...!!! It was getting colder, with each day dropping a couple degrees....then on the 14th, it WARMED and DRIED UP enough to get some work done on Woody II........ASSUME THE POSITION.......









Because I had already changed the cylinder on the right side; AND replaced the Parking brake cable....it didn't take me very long to get the assembly back together.....I TRIED the wedge....hoping it would NOT cause the SAME NONSENSE that I had just gone through with Woody III....









....under the WATCHFUL EYE of the Stella Swiggin' Supervisor.......








.....WHO HATES HEARING ABOUT MY FOXES.....but doesn't mind getting RIDES in them.......!!

The right side.....with the wedge........though I have NEW DRUMS to put on, they HAVEN'T had the RACES seated in them; the old drums looked fine and the bearings were good....so I just put the old drums back on when it was time.....









The LEFT side was going to be a little bit MORE involved......but, it was relatively CLEAN compared to the other side.....I wanted to change the cylinder on this side too.....before my BRAKE BLEEDING HELP had to split....









....once I had the assembly dangling from the cable...it was EASY to SEE the cylinder is POOCHED...!!









....the cylinder on the OTHER side was a real PITA to get FREE from the brake line....I was hoping that THIS side was going to cooperate....









I think because of the excess brake fluid everywhere, the 5 mm Allen head bolts, holding the cylinder to the backing plate, became unfastened EASILY....the brake line TOO, was easily undone.....prior to cracking the seal on the CYLINDER; I used my needle nose vise-grips to clamp the FLEX-LINE near the rear left wheel, so that I didn't LOSE a whole LOT of brake fluid.....with the NEW CYLINDER in place, I tightened the line somewhat, secured the cylinder to the backing plate with the Allen bolts, then tightened the brake line the rest of the way, then RELEASED the VISE GRIPS from the FLEX-LINE...

Because there was so much of a leak, the cylinder WASN'T exerting MUCH pressure on the shoes towards the drums....these are the OLD shoes from the LEFT side....hardly even USED......









Here's the other shoe....you can tell it's STILL the old one from the gunged up trailer arm pin...but the surfaces are like NEW.....









...I put the OLD shoe assembly (with the wedge!) back together in time to still have the Supervisor hit the pedal for me to bleed the brakes successfully....the Supervisor caught the bus home, while I hooked the parking brake cable back up...while adjusting the cable........what do YOU SUPPOSE HAPPENED...?!?!? OH YEAH...!!! PRECISELY...!!!! I should NOT have bothered to include the wedges...!!!! Just after having put them back together....I had to take the WHOLE BUSINESS APART; from P-brake disconnection to removing the arm from the cable at the drum.....there IS no other way to remove the wedge.....so THIS WORDY SECTION serves as my WEDGE removing segment, which added about another HOUR to finally wrapping things up....after having to take the wedges out; I WASN'T in much of a PICTURE TAKING MOOD.....on the UPSIDE; THIS TIME.....I KNEW EXACTLY WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS....INSTEAD of playing DRUM BRAKE ROULETTE for THREE WEEKS.....!!! I took him for the OBLIGATORY test drive, with the WEDGES OUT.....all was GOOD....as far as the brakes went anyway...the REAR SHOCKS were letting the ass end BOUNCE all over the place on the brief trip around the block....ESPECIALLY with all that CRAP in the back....satisfied with the job; I parked the car, topped up the brake fluid reservoir.....and started thinking about the rear shocks.....but, that will have to wait until NEXT TIME.....


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## 90quattrocoupe (Feb 7, 2002)

If you buy the rear brake kit from the dealer, it comes all assembled. Brake pads, springs, wedges, etc. Easier than playing with all those springs and wedges.

Greg W.


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## ziddey (Apr 16, 2006)

90quattrocoupe said:


> If you buy the rear brake kit from the dealer, it comes all assembled. Brake pads, springs, wedges, etc. Easier than playing with all those springs and wedges.
> 
> Greg W.


What?? It comes with new wedges?!

Do you remember how much this kit was? Considering my stubbornness and refusal to get proper tools, if I have to work with drums again, I'll probably end up in the hospital.


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*....seriously...?*



90quattrocoupe said:


> If you buy the rear brake kit from the dealer, it comes all assembled. Brake pads, springs, wedges, etc. Easier than playing with all those springs and wedges.
> 
> Greg W.


 Really...? Such a kit exists...? Please pardon my SKEPTICISM but; when I asked at the parts desk at Queensway VW, Ryan at their parts counter, SHOWED me that the adjusting bar and the wedge are NO LONGER AVAILABLE, on their computer screen.....wouldn't you suppose, IF there were a Rear Brake Kit available for the FOX, that it would have been SUGGESTED to me...? Pretty much all serviceable components; filters, pads, shoes, discs, drums, plugs, wires, etc., they will sell you; but it is less expensive to get them from Henry @ Frisco Auto Parts....I can't IMAGINE what they would charge for a KIT.... 

You wouldn't happen to have a VW Part Number for THAT kit would you...? That would make it MUCH easier to locate....I would just be satisfied to find a NEW WEDGE and ADJUSTING BAR....but, have been told that they are OBSOLETE part numbers as far as VW Canada is concerned.... 

I need to order a couple of obscure (dealer only!) gaskets; when I'm there I will inquire SPECIFICALLY about such a kit...and the cost of such........Thanks for your reply Greg, and the TIP...! 

AW C'mon ziddey....from what I understand; and have seen on redone17s' thread....YOU can swap out a 5-SPEED; "BROOKLYN STYLE".....on the STREET....with a BIG BRICK......I can't imagine that DRUM BRAKES would be so difficult for you to NOT breeze through them.....but thanks for the CHORTLE...!!! 

P.S. It's starting to SNOW OUTSIDE.....well, BETTER than in HERE, I guess......geez....not even WINTER yet, technically, for another THREE WEEKS or so.....


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## mike in SC (Apr 29, 2004)

Hopefully your saga with the rear brakes stops soon. I pulled the backing plate, complete with springs and pads off of an Audi coupe GT. Super easy to do. 
I hate HATE changing brake shoes.


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## 90quattrocoupe (Feb 7, 2002)

I was surprised too. I have been dealing with the same VW dealer for the last 35 years. When I went in to the parts guy I know, he ordered them. When I got them it had the shoes, lever are, and springs all attached. All I did was install them on the brake shoe holders spread the shoes apart on the top and bottom to fit in the adjuster and the cylinder. Of course, the dealer wants premium price. But it was easy. 

Part number was 367-698-520X. There was a core charge, to make sure they got the old shoes back. Most places on lines using this part number only show the shoes. This was for my beater sedan. 

Greg W.


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...Excellent...!!!*

That's FANTASTIC GREG...!!! I just entered the part number into my phone so that it will be HANDY when I inquire....!!! Thank you so much for the INFO...!!! It might be WORTH IT to PAY the PREMIUM PRICE ONCE....JUST to get the NEW ADJUSTING BAR and a NEW WEDGE......!!!! I know I can buy the shoes ($25), springs ($10) from Henry....but I am CURIOUS to know WHAT the STEALership wants for this KIT.....plus, I have two Wagons....perhaps N/A for the Wagon....or more $$$.......but STILL, Thanks Again for the INFO...!!!


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...whoa....I got a PAGE 4...?!?!?*

That's COOL...!!! Are they 200 mm drums/shoes...? Compatible with the Wagon set up...? Did you just unbolt the stub axle and take the WHOLE 'SCHPIEL' ...? NICE...!!! Let me know how they fit on, straight bolt on n go would be GREAT.....!! THANKS MIKE....!!! 

After I did the rear brakes on Woody II; took out the WEDGES, put it back together again....everything is BEAUTIFUL....!!! If anything, the Parking Brake could use some slight adjusting....the lever mechanism has NEVER been right, always LOOSE at rest and RATTLES around....a couple weeks ago, I scavenged the lever from Woody I, HOPING to get it installed BEFORE it got cold and started snowing.....no luck so far....so it sits in the rear hatch, next to the tools for now...until the next WARM spell......gotta have HOPE....!! 

IF there IS another WARM SPELL; it MIGHT be taken up by ANOTHER HEATER CORE SWAP, (GLUTTON for PUNISHMENT...aren't I...?) providing it arrives from GAP in time.....AND I am also expecting a new TRANSFER PUMP in the same shipment....Woody II needs one.....I can hear the MAIN PUMP -- BUZZING like that NYMPHOS' TOY AGAIN...!!! I haven't pulled the current transfer pump out to inspect it.....but, I have my SUSPICIONS that it has ALREADY CHECKED OUT......when I start the car, I have to CRANK the starter for LONGER than usual....which tells me the MAIN has to work THAT MUCH HARDER to pressurize the system and get fuel to the motor..... 

After doing the rear brakes on Woody II, my thoughts turned to the rear shocks.....while I was thinking about replacing rear shocks on HIM.....HE was thinking HE would RATHER have HIS STARTER MOTOR REWIRED......HE didn't come right out and SAY IT.....but, ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER than words....and when I wanted ACTION (by turning the key to start)......HE DIDN'T SPEAK......then I muttered some WORDS......which I will leave to your imagination.....CLUE: they had FOUR letters......some were HYPHENATED........!!!! 

With the hood raised; looking down upon the starter motor......I removed the red/black wires from the terminals to look for corrosion.... 









Had to get out the small set of stands and the MANAGEABLE jack; chock the rear wheels....and get a CLOSER look at what's REALLY going on......or rather NOT GOING ON...... 









While the RED wire was hanging there......(trailing off the pic @ 6 o'clock).... 








.....the CONNECTOR JUST FELL OFF ONTO THE BRICKS.....!!!! "OH...! I guess THAT'S the PROBLEM....." ....of course I HADN'T noticed this until AFTER I had removed the starter.... 

....at least the TABS were INTACT......I had visions of the TAB being BROKEN OFF and STUCK IN THE CONNECTOR.... 









I'm NOT very handy with a soldering gun/iron/implement.....so I just removed all the cracked, brittle casing, and exposed enough of the wire to see where the copper strands were actually COPPER AGAIN....managed to PRY up the wee tabs that hold the wire to the female connector....placed enough of the wire between the wee tabs to wrap around the neck of the connector a couple times, then crimped the wee tabs over the wire to hold it in place....then a tape wrap.... 









This connector has an extended housing on the one side.....my supposition as to WHY; is so that the connector can ONLY fit on ONE of the TERMINALS.....(I tried to fit it on the other blade; didn't go...!) 









I put the starter back in...it is quite EASY to do....I think you need a 13 mm socket with a medium extension....just put the car up in the air a little...then with your left hand, work BLIND, just FEEL where the bolts are.... it is pretty simple to undo the three bolts that hold the starter to the motor....and OF COURSE refitting-is-reversal-of-removal.... 









Here is a CLOSE UP of the EXTENSION on that connector that PREVENTS you from makin a WHOOPS...!!! 









With the starter REWIRED, I got in the drivers' seat, turned the key.............aaaaannnnnnnddd............................BUPKISSSSS...!!!! 
.......damn battery had gone flat.........got out the cables and gave him a BOOST from his YOUNGER BROTHER.......started on the first attempt......so the starter is GOOD now....just have to take the battery to work and put it on the CHARGER....PERK of working at a TOYOTA Dealership....lots of NIFTY automotive care APPLIANCES about....... 

This took place on November 2nd...so at least I am in the same month......for a couple days anyway......I took the battery in to work the next day and charged it up; brought it home and put it back in Woody II; tightened the terminals.....started on the FIRST turn of the key....SWEET....!!! 

Now that the starter wiring is back in order.....I can move the car about on the driveway to do the rear shocks.........but that will have to wait....until NEXT TIME......


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*....Rear Shocks; Woody II, take I...*

On the Saturday, I fixed the wiring to the starter.....on the Sunday, I wanted to change the rear shocks.....the battery was still FLAT at this point, I had to BOOST Woody to get him into the OPERATING position....and also had to EMPTY the contents in the hatch..... 









I did a little vacuuming to clean up some of the lint/dust/schmutz.....though it doesn't look like it 









I usually jack up the car using the rear BEAM on the jack, then support the car with the stands under the beam....when changing the shocks; I had to choose an alternate support point, (the axle beam NEEDS to be able to PIVOT down FAR enough to remove the shock; it WON'T if your supports are using the axle beam).....I was VERY RELUCTANT to rest the car HERE.....but I was pleasantly surprised when it HELD....with only a slight bit of protest from Woodrow.... 








I believe I MENTIONED that Woody II needs a MAKE-UNDER....you should see some of the pics that I took last week while he was up on the hoist getting a new resonator.....SERIOUS deterioration....but.....I have a PLAN to REBUILD the floor...I should say REPLACE....that would be more accurate.....that'll be NEXT summers' project.....if things go according to plan..... 

With the top securing nut off; and the bottom bolt removed....I could get a CLOSE LOOK at what REMAINS of my suspension..... 









I was surprised that the UPPER SPRING SEAT was still in DECENT condition....WHERE it sits....NOT SO MUCH..... 








I will have to clean that up NEXT SUMMER as well....it is TOO COLD now for any thing to SET properly in my DRIVEWAY OPERATING THEATER......(4 apartment buildings across the street....!!) 

...the GUIDE/SPACER looks to be in ACCEPTABLE condition.....as does the COIL SPRING..... 









....the "protective" DUST BOOT, LOWER BUSHING, and JOUNCE BUMPER (also BUFFER?).......seen better days...... 









GET A LOAD OF THIS...!!!! The WASHER that sits on top of the RING and has the LOWER BUSHING sitting upon it.......HAMMERED into USELESSNESS....!!!! 








It is pictured next to the piece that I kept from the FIRST time I changed the rear shocks on this car.......about 6 years ago....! I think it's time...... 

So.....at this point; I had already resigned myself to the FACT that the job WASN'T going to get COMPLETED this evening; due to LACK OF SUPPORTING COMPONENTS.....!!!! I had both of the shocks, jounce bumpers, protective dust boots, lower bolts, the rings, and the securing nuts.....but was MISSING the WASHERS, GUIDE SLEEVES, and BUSHINGS.....disappointing; but, I had a feeling this WASN'T going to be STRAIGHTFORWARD..... 









Now.......how to get this back together WITHOUT a few pieces....AND WITHOUT the aid of another set of hands.....I was okay with just nutting things up, MINUS a few pieces (wasn't gonna drive it ANYwhere...!).....but, had to THINK about how I was going to feed the top part of the piston of the shock, through the hole in the body.........by myself..........hmmmm...parts or NO parts.......refitting is STILL reversal of removal.....since the TOP NUT came off FIRST; it goes on LAST......and THIS step is in between.... 









I used the deep socket to support the BOTTOM of the SHOCK ABSORBER; let the BEAM hang where it wants to, TOO DAMN HEAVY to mess with solo; and line up the holes enough to put the LOWER BOLT in place.....put the nut on and fasten..... 

I just left the jack and socket setup in place to raise the unit and try to guide the top end through.......gotta get THIS..... 









.....to come UP THROUGH HERE..... 









A difficult enough task with TWO people....how was I going to do this on my own...? I DID manage to figure out a way; that ALLOWED me to sit on the wheel on the ground; be able to REACH the jack, to incrementally RAISE the shock; AND look through the window (Sorry; Wagons ONLY...!) to see that the top of the piston of the shock MAKES IT THROUGH the HOLE in the BODY of the car, so that the TOP SECURING NUT can be threaded on..........but, that will have to wait....................until NEXT TIME.......


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*WooHoo...!!! It's Finally On ITS WAY....!!!*

I ordered a Stainless Steel Dual Down Pipe from Flipside Customs......a L O N G time ago.....and I FINALLY have a shipping/tracking number....I will be posting some pics when it arrives in a week or so....!!! S W E E T.....!!! 

Here is a Pic that Rob sent me a couple of days ago....


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*....Rear Shocks, Woody II, take II...*

A NUMBER of Rainy days had passed (ELEVEN to be exact...!!) SINCE I had acquired all the NECESSARY parts to make ANOTHER attempt at replacing the rear shocks on Woody II....the rear shocks in Woody III are deteriorating also; but that will have to wait until NEXT YEAR.....however, when I ordered the parts (which, to my SURPRISE, were available; though one part was superseded), I thought I might as well order FOUR of everything, then I will have it IN STOCK so that I can fix the other Wagon too....when the time comes...!! 

First step: move a couple things....my passenger seat has been OMITTED.....("Whey-AH TOooo, Sah...?") 









...and of course.....ALWAYS a GOOD IDEA to consult my FAVOURITE BOOK.......!! 









The GUIDE BUSHING is the part that has been SUPERSEDED.....it appears that they made the LOWER RUBBER BEARING with a SMALLER HOLE; to firmly support the spacer tube......the LOWER RUBBER BEARING... 









.....the SPACER TUBE.... 









...the LOWER RUBBER BEARING....AND.....the SPACER TUBE..... 









I only got TWO of these....they were about $10 each....by FAR the MOST expensive items on my receipt.... 









....and remember the WASHER that sits on the RING supported by the CIRCLIP....? THIS is what a NEW ONE looks like...... 









.....a GRIM REMINDER of what the OLD ONE LOOKS LIKE......"I can't tell the difference; can YOU tell the difference...?" 









......somewhat THINNER too....!! 









Since I had it apart a couple weeks prior...the top nut was easy to undo..... 









.....with the fastening hardware removed.... 









....the FASTENING HARDWARE....what REMAINS of the guide bushing.....is on the left.... 









...with the top end LOOSE; the cordless Impact, and a 17 mm box wrench to get the bottom bolt out.... 









While taking a breather; I was typing to a buddy on-line; telling him that NOBODY wanted to COME OUT AND PLAY in the driveway with me....even though it was NOT raining; it was still only about 8C (~45F) temperature wise, but SUNNY; and NOT WINDY, which makes a HUGE difference in the life of a sidewalk mechanic/Fox owner like me........then.....not FIVE MINUTES later......my phone rings......it's my buddy DAVE (who lives 20 minutes away by car), "Whatchoosayin'...? Ahh, workin' on yer car, eh?", ".....wait, WHAT?!?...how the...? Where A-R-E YOU...?!?" Turns out he was walking up the street from a MUTUAL Friends' house; they were out at an after hours place 'til 4am......."Want a HAND...?", "Only IF, YOU want a BEER....!!", ".....DONE....!!!" Just like that; I had a HELPER.....EXCELLENT...!! 

I lined up the OLD shock next to the NEW shock and components......I had to get the SPRING..... 









....kinda looks like this JOUNCE BUMPER/BUFFER has seen better days...... 









....and the "protective" (?) sleeve is MASHED into one SOLID piece.....I tried to pull it apart....NO DICE.... 









....after comparing the two units...I realized there was another piece I was missing........IF I was careful in removing it; I could REUSE it on the NEW shock....I also needed to transfer the SPRING to the NEW shock.....the PROBLEM was: the SPACER TUBE had MELDED itself to the PISTON of the OLD shock; the guide/spacer combination piece that I needed, would NOT clear the FUSED tube (at the top of the piston) to come off.....what to do, what to do, hmmmm........I KNOW......30,000 rpm and a reinforced CUT-OFF DISC....!!! I LOVE THIS SHOT...!! (NICE WORK DAVE!!) 









Would YOU......let THIS GUY.........work on YOUR CAR...?!? 








....I HAVE TO.....HE'S ME....!! 

...it didn't take as long as I thought it would to get through the piston.... 









....I just spun the rod as I cut into the convex edge....then SNAPPED it when it was thin enough....the plastic piece below was the guide/spacer I needed.... 









I think I am going to have to interrupt this segment here...; I was up until 3 am last night messing about with the REAR WIPER MOTOR on Woody II; I decided that LAST NIGHT I had to fix the rear wiper...it was warm out compared to tonight....I only took a few pics...but I may have messed up by putting the spindle gear back in, OUT BY ONE TOOTH....if I have to take it apart again...I will take some better pics....the wiper works now....which it GREAT....haven't had the use of it for the last THREE YEARS....!!! I hear something during its operation that leads me to believe that I made an error during reassembly....but that; AND the completion of the REAR SHOCKS segment.....will have to wait...until NEXT TIME........


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*....Rear Shocks, Woody II, take II, part II...*

Now that the piston was in two pieces; the GUIDE SPACER and the SPRING slid easily off the cut end, and could now be installed on the new shock....but first, my buddy Dave decided that he wanted to clean the debris out of the GUIDE.... 









...He was being QUITE THOROUGH.......(...could have been the beer...) 









....while he was being thorough, I MARVELED at the DETERIORATION..... 









.....and also SCHPRITZED a little rubberized rust reformer around the underside of the upper spring seat area.... 









....once Dave had decided his "etching" work was DONE; we had the right side assembly ready to put back in the car.... 









If you RECALL; I mentioned at the END of Post #108 that I figured out a way to raise the top of the piston through the hole in the body without ANY assistance....except, from a piece of PLASTIC TUBING.....while raising the shock into position with the jack/socket set up.... 









....by hand, I pressed a piece of plastic tubing over the end of the threaded top of the NEW Shock Piston.....the tubing was about 9'' in length, enough to stick up through the hole... 









.....then I just raised the jack SLOWLY until the top of the threads were visible..... 









....took off the tubing.... 









......and just put the UPPER SPRING SEAT (dished washer) and the OLD securing nut on a half dozen turns for now..... 









...the Piston hadn't come up enough to put the NEW UPPER RUBBER BEARING in as yet; so my plan was to change the OTHER side, then let the weight of the car help to get more threads though the hole.....READ THE BENTLEYs; DO ONE SIDE AT A TIME....letting the axle hang without at least ONE side being secured WILL compromise your brake lines.......the right side in; TEMPORARILY secured at the top..... 









Now that we had done the one side; the second side came away much easier as we had a method now....I was about to BIZZ through the piston on the second shock when I heard, "GIMME...that looked like FUN...!!", so Dave cut the second one.... 









....he got a BETTER SHOT when I was grinding.... 









......NOW the LEFT side is ready to go back in place.... 









...used the tubing again to get the top through the hole and used the washer and the OLD nut (it was THERE a MINUTE ago...) to secure the top for now.... 









....I set the car down; and TRIED to get the nuts to take but COULDN'T CATCH a thread to start.....between the two of us, we don't weigh 400 lbs...so we couldn't get the Wagon to sit low enough to get the SECURING NUTS started.....I ended up using the OLD RUBBER BEARINGS on the tops....not too HAPPY about it....but, FOR NOW.....this is how it is....RIGHT side.... 









....and the LEFT side..... 









I intend to UNDO the top nut and insert the NEW RUBBER BEARINGS that I have; but, I will likely have to take a KNIFE to them and SHAVE a couple millimeters off of them to get the threads EXPOSED enough to start the nut....I will feel better knowing the NEWER RUBBER is in place.... 

....A shot of the RIGHT side from below..... 









....AND the LEFT from below.... 









The DIFFERENCE in the ride quality is RIDICULOUS...!!! BEFORE; the ass end of the car was about A STEP AND A HALF BEHIND the rest of the wagon....NOW; when driving down a BUMPY road.....it STILL FEELS like a bunch of ROCKS IN A WICKER WAGON WITH TRAINING WHEELS......but it's WAY BETTER than it was.........I am likely the ONLY ONE who will NOTICE....!!! 
I must say though....the HEAT IS WONDERFUL to have, now that 3C (38F) seems to be the norm....AND I UNseized my rear wiper.....so, I ALSO have THAT going for me....which is NICE...!! (Bill Murray; Caddyshack, Dhali Lama ref.) 

One PECULIAR THING that IS going on with Woody II: with the key switched on, but not cranking....the RED LIGHT beneath the BATTERY symbol DOES NOT ILLUMINATE solidly as it should; though the OIL PRESSURE warning light FLASHES normally, as IT should......when I CRANK the starter, motor turns over fine, but REVS around 2000 RPM....AND my dash LIGHT ( *sigh* Yes, ONLY One--over Tach) is VERY DIM....my wipers work SLOWLY....and the FAN on 3rd speed could barely blow out a candle, headlights are DIM.......THEN.....when I rev the motor to 4000 rpm.........everything in the cabin COMES TO LIFE AGAIN; the wipers, fan, lights, dashlight ALL begin operating properly, and the tach drops to about 1400 rpm.......What I know about Electronics/electrical.....you could write on the back of a POSTAGE STAMP with a SHARPIE.....I'm suspecting my ALTERNATOR and/or VOLTAGE REGULATOR......Anyone have a DIAGNOSIS from my DESCRIPTION...? 

Well, I'm STILL behind organizing my pics to post....about a MONTH now.....I changed the rear shocks November 4th....it's now December 7th....I MIGHT get caught up IF I STOPPED taking pictures, and FINDING THINGS TO FIX......yeah, like THAT will happen......looks like the next BARRAGE of pics are from my HEATER CORE operation.....but that will have to wait....until NEXT TIME....


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## bluetoes591 (Apr 3, 2009)

The rubber hose on the top of the strut is brilliant. 

As for your electrical issue, that's a weird one. It sounds like your alternator is not charging until you rev it, but usually that is indicated by the battery LED illuminating until you rev it. In that case I'd say it might be a rectifier problem, but in this case I think it is an exciter wire problem (the little blue wire that goes to your alternator). I'm no expert on the mysterious blue wire, but the way I understand it is that it runs from the battery to the alternator through the charge indicator LED on the dash. If it doesn't illuminate it's not a complete circuit and your alternator will not begin generating electricity until it is spun fast enough. The blue wire supplies the initial voltage needed to charge the magnetic coils in the alternator so that spinning it generates electricity. If you rev it high enough it will self start. I'd be looking for a break or a bad connection in the blue wire somewhere.


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*....thanks for the suggestion...*

THANKS for your comment, bluetoes591, on the TUBING on the top of the shock piston; it is ACTUALLY closer to a FOOT in length, and made of a flexible, but rigid, plastic...it worked VERY WELL and I am putting it in my tool box SPECIFICALLY to use for the rear shocks...


I DID have a look at the blue wire, as You had suggested; I found SOME CORROSION built up on the connector....









But, it doesn't look as though that amount of corrosion would be responsible for the interruption of the circuit; but I cleaned it off with a wire brush and reconnected the wire....STILL NO CHANGE in the dash wrt the BATTERY light operating properly...I found another FOX alternator in my collection...it SPINS but I have no idea if it functions properly....I DID have an alternator rebuilt; turns out the connections are NOT Fox compatible.....D'OH...!!!

I guess, for now, I will just have to make sure that I take the first couple gear changes to 4000 rpm to make sure the alternator begins generating....shouldn't be too hard...!!


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...the DREADED HEATER CORE...!!!*

WOW...!!! Short of helping swap out a motor; THIS was the MOST INVOLVED operation I have EVER done to ANY of the VWs I have had over the years (3 Sciroccos, 3 Fox Wagons; I have been a licensed driver for 28 years), mind you when I was YOUNG...I just TORTURED my Sciroccos....and DIDN'T maintain them very well....until the last one that I had for 13 yrs, that got ROCKED out from underneath me...which led me to the DURABILITY of the FOX....I had NO IDEA that when I purchased a Wagon with 230,000 km on it....that I would be able to DOUBLE that with some TLC...(which HAPPENED; Woody 1 had over 470,000 when perished...!), and DOUBLING the km on the ODOMETER at purchase has HAPPENED AGAIN with Woody 2; had 179,000 km in '04--now has just cleared 390,000 km....it has ONLY been within the LAST COUPLE YEARS that I have taken an ACTIVE INTEREST in keeping these cars going...PRIOR to ACQUIRING Woody 3; I was just going on the premise of DRIVING Woody 2 INTO THE GROUND...!!! Then WORRY about finding another ride AFTER the fact....thing was; after FOUR YEARS of just NEGLIGENT MAINTENANCE PRACTICES (didn't change oil for 30 MONTHS...!!), the car would JUST KEEP GOING...!!! So....working around cars all day for the last half decade...it DAWNS ON ME...THEY DON'T MAKE THEM LIKE THEY USED TO...!!!! TAKE CARE OF WHAT YOU HAVE...!!! 

FOX:heart:....and I HAVE TO SAY....there is NO WAY I WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO THIS WITHOUT YOU GUYS...!!!!! So THANK YOU for being OUT THERE....and also THANK YOU for dropping in on this thread from time to time to see what I have been up to....FOX:heart:

I had already decided to perform this HEATER CORE DEAL in my driveway (the car wasn't insured; and couldn't be driven for longer than 15 minutes before overheating)...and being in TORONTO during NOVEMBER....it is USUALLY COLD during this time of the year....I had checked the weather forecast for the weekend of the 11th; REMEMBRANCE DAY....how FITTING...(I remember that I bought this car Nov. 11th of '04...HAPPY BIRTHDAY WOODY..!!!), was to be 15 C and SUNNY...!!


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## woodardman (Sep 13, 2012)

So i cant really relate here. Cus im only 17 an have been driving my fox for about 4 months now. Even though my father has owned the fox for 2 years before giving it to me. As a Christmas present! An just to let you know when he gave it to me it was broke down buried in snow in the drivie way :laugh: . My father said if you want the fox you have to fix it an thats what i did and am doing . Also when i first got the fox she had 149,000 an now idk due to a cluster replacement an ill have to add the mileage, but back to krammits thread... I absolutly love seeing all your updates an pictures you dont know how much you've helped me with my fox. even though i have a 93 sedan an you have a wagon you've still helped me! Just want to say thanks an please CONTINUE!!


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...I am MOVED....!!!*

Thanks for taking the time to have made THAT reply Z...!!! VERY OFTEN...I wonder IF anyone has found ANYTHING that I have posted, to be USEFUL in any way....I can see that there are so many views...to know how many times the thread has been LOOKED at; but, I am always CURIOUS as to whether I have done SOME GOOD by posting the NUMEROUS silly things that happen to me...and HOW I ATTEMPT to overcome them....I wonder IF anyone ENJOYS a MINOR ADVANTAGE in tackling a SIMILAR OBSTACLE by seeing my APPROACHES and possible SOLUTIONS...

PLEASE ALLOW me to SAY, woodardman; REGARDLESS of HOW YOU may feel about HIM from time to time.....YOUR DAD IS AWESOME....!!!!! When I was SIXTEEN....I WISHED MY BAG OFF FOR A CAR as a CHRISTMAS PRESENT...!!! You know what I got...?!? A VCR....!! (because it was BREAKING TECHNOLOGY AT THE TIME..!!! [...yeah, I know... I'm OLD...]), it wasn't even mine...it was for the WHOLE FAMILY...!!!! I didn't get my first car until I was EIGHTEEN....but, it WAS a VW....an '81 Scirrocco, Gun Metal Grey with red trim....WISH I had a pic....only in my mind....aahhhh...IF I KNEW THEN.....WHAT I THINK I KNOW NOW...!!!! In all fairness to MY DAD....he did say to me, " I am NOT going to BUY YOU A CAR....IF you want your OWN car...YOU BUY IT....YOU MAINTAIN IT....YOU PUT GAS IN IT....I MIGHT HELP YOU INSURE IT...!".....the BEST thing he could have ever done..., "This way you will APPRECIATE IT...!!!" ...and I DID...!! I put my BUTT in HOCK for a couple years and took out a LOAN, bought the car; had just under $200 a month payments; and paid it OFF EARLY...had THREE jobs when I was TWENTY: I washed dishes; delivered pizzas; and worked at an ANTIQUE MARKET.....(DAMN I had a lot of AMBITION back then...!!!) Daily routine was; 11am-5pm Slingin' PIES; 6pm - 2:30am Scrubbin' Plates...then on the weekends: Pies form 11am - 8pm on Saturdays; 6am -11am & 6pm - 9pm on Sundays at the Antique Market at Harboufront....FOR A COUPLE SUMMERS....!!! 

Until it was paid off...then I MET UP with a CURB at the end of a SCREAMING-LONG OFF-RAMP...!!! (..came off the HIGHWAY at about 130 km/h [78mph]; PASSENGER thought we were doing 110 km/h [66mph].....ADVISED POSTED SPEED.....20 km/h [12mph]) .....uh-oh......... I managed to BEND THE AXLES....after a BONE-JARRING IMPACT with a WEDGE SHAPED CURB at the end of the ramp.... in FOUR DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS....!!! The ONLY wheel that was left UNTOUCHED was the FRONT RIGHT....QUITE LUCKY to be ALIVE.....my buddy (who was just as FRIED as I was) got out and LOOKED at the wheels, "Your car is *&^%$!!!" ....it WAS.....not ONE of the wheels was pointing in the SAME direction...."GET IN...!!! LET'S GET OUTTA HERE...!!!" I dropped him off at HIS place...managed to PILOT the DISHEVELED VW home....got it into the driveway; after THREE ATTEMPTS to get it to be (what I deemed; all LOADED UP, at the time) straight in the driveway; so that the OLD MAN wouldn't notice......he noticed.......what a SET BACK...!!! AGAIN...IF I KNEW THEN....what I THINK I KNOW NOW......jeez, I haven't thought about ANY of this for YEARS...but, since I'm on the thought...HOPE you got a CHUCKLE....the IMAGES are most VIVID in MY minds' eye....TOO BAD they haven't come up with a technology that would allow MEMORIES to be DIGITALLY DEPICTED.......(the military probably ALREADY HAS; but not SUITABLE for civilian release as yet...!!) ...how did I get HERE....?

Alright...enough of the inside of MY HEAD....BACK to the REAL WORLD.......a couple of posts ago, I mentioned that it was REALLY WARM on NOVEMBRANCE DAY (use THAT if you like...!) and I had ALREADY decided to perform the HEATER CORE SWAP in my driveway....not really having ANY IDEA what I was about to EMBARK upon....I started with some BEFORE pics...the AREA about to be worked upon....the paper towel in the centre vent was to soak up coolant...









...the BACK SEAT area...FRONT SEAT lives in my GARAGE because I DIG the ROOM....and every ONE of my SINGLE passengers feels as though; they are being CHAUFFEUR DRIVEN around town...









....had to make some ROOM in here too...









So, from what I have READ here on the Forum, and from what I KNOW from experience.....I started to REMOVE EVERYTHING that I knew how to remove....and just put it in a box to the side for now, until it was time to put it back in place again....BY FAR the Most Difficult part was the Cluster; but, from having done a cluster a couple times before, I made it EASIER to maneuver the cluster by disconnecting the speedometer cable from the transmission end....removed the switches around the cluster, the signal/wiper stalks, and the steering wheel, center console, and a vent to get to HERE......









I began to remove parts of the middle vent area to reveal....









....some COOLANT residue....









...When I switched the heater fan on, in the middle of August, on a neighbourhood spin; COOLANT SPRAYED all up my arm to almost the ELBOW.....!!! ....good FAN....!!!!

Now, since I had removed EVERYTHING necessary to make the RIVETS the NEXT ORDER of business...I had to STOP and THINK....EVERYTHING that I have read on this Forum REQUIRES you to have an ANGLE DRILL to remove the RIVETS that hold the dash in place on the sides...I do not OWN an angle drill....but I DO have a DREMEL TOOL.....and a BRAIN....where there's a WILL....THERE'S A WAY....!!!!









I had been advised to SPRAY WATER on the rivet from the outside as I drilled it out, so as not to warp the fibreglass molding of the dash as the rivet was being drilled....IF you BIZZ off the butt of the rivet from the INSIDE; using the bracket as a HEAT SINK from the grinding....there is no need to spray water for cooling....the bracket works beautifully as a shield....

Just as I was getting rid of the FIRST RIVET; ROB passed by, as he said he would TRY to, I had put out a PLEA for HELP on the Saturday previous.....he said that he was previously committed until noon...but would make an effort to help me out....and HELP ME OUT HE DID...









...He had DONE this operation BEFORE; and remarked on my alternate approach....HE LIKED IT...!!!









You can just make out a couple of errant SPARKS in the pic...after the rivet was free....we just took one end of the dash each....lifted it UP and OUT......and that was it...oh yeah; I should mention; WHILE I was grinding away the FIRST RIVET...ROB undid the TWO 10 mm nuts under the hood, that hold the dash in from the engine compartment side....it IS actually VERY EASY to remove the dash....just the two rivets....two nuts in the engine compartment....and four in the cabin by the HEATER BOX.....LLLLLLOTSA WIRES THOUGH....NOT to be overwhelming....the wires are ALL of a CERTAIN LENGTH....and can ONLY REACH so far...and the CONNECTORS will only fit a CERTAIN WAY.....so everything will only FIT...where it will FIT....

HERE is the location of the TRANSISTORIZED IGNITION MODULE (Fox version of the HALL SENDER UNIT...?), just to the right of the glovebox...









HOLY SCHMOLLIE....it's almost TWO-THIRTY IN THE MORNING......ever lose track of time...? Apparently I just DID....gonna have to say I will continue...but, that will have to wait...until NEXT TIME......


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## bluetoes591 (Apr 3, 2009)

Krammit, I'm one of those people that always reads your posts. I appreciate the effort you put in to document your work. At some point somebody has probably gotten something from every single one of your posts simply because you post pictures. And as they say, a picture is worth 1000 words.  Up to this point you haven't saved my ass yet, but I'll let you know when you do.


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...Heater Core Swap, Part II...*

Thank YOU, 'M', for your reply...!!! GLAD to know YOU are following along TOO...!! You are QUITE RIGHT....a few pics can say VOLUMES....especially if the pic has decent DETAIL....!!! Thanks again for TUNING IN...!!!

Back to the 'ACTION'....... as soon as we removed the DASH.....Rob recommended taking SEVERAL pics of what lay BENEATH the dash; so that there was a VISUAL RECORD of where things were from the start....wires, vacuum lines, fastening points, cable routes for heater controls....a VERY GOOD SUGGESTION I thought.......the HEATER BOX and CONTROL HEAD....









...a MASS of "PSGHETTI" near the ignition cylinder.......which would be EASY to change NOW, wouldn't it...?









....the other side of the steering column....









....RIGHT side of the Heater Box.....









...a clamp placement for the defrost vent (I think)....these clamps SHOULD be put BACK IN PLACE after the cable is freed up.....when you go to put everything back together; you'll be GLAD that you did....I WAS....!!!









....the mechanism for the vents; and the how the cable sits in the control lever....









....the hoses that come through the firewall from the engine compartment; these CONNECT to the outlets on the HEATER CORE.....I think I used an 8mm socket to get the hose clamps backed off....depending on the LOSS of coolant; there MAY or MAY NOT be a whole lot of coolant that spills out when the hoses are disconnected.....have some rags or disposable shop towels handy to soak up any spillage....








...PAY CLOSE ATTENTION to where those RED and WHITE lines fasten to the two small outlets on the heater control head.....I didn't see when Rob disconnected them....I had a 50-50 chance of getting it RIGHT when reassembling.....I CHOSE WISELY....!!

Rob decided to remove the FAN MOTOR from its' resting place; to allow the Heater Box to be removed from the car, from inside the cabin...









...to GET to it...there are SIX JESUS CLIPS....they EXUDE ADVENTUROUS TENDENCIES when released....."Jesus....Where did THAT go...?" ...a good idea to CUP your HAND over them just before it TAKES OFF...!!! ...TWO of them have been removed in this shot; one remains.....









....with the outer cover off....the fresh air fan motor switch can be disconnected....









....then the assembly can be lowered to the floor of the cabin....









...where remaining disconnections can be made...









...like those red & white lines; they go to the underside of the control box...









....the vent tube above the steering column....









....this MAY look confusing....but there really is ONLY ONE spot to connect each of these......you would have to work REALLY HARD to MIS-CONNECT anything.....it all goes together ONLY ONE WAY....









....there were still some lines.....









....and cables that needed to be disconnected from the heater box...









....some cable connections on the LEFT side of the Box also...









.....and IT IS READY TO COME OUT....just grab the vent holes.....and make sure ALL connections....AREN'T....









....some POOLED COOLANT....(try and say THAT five times FAST...!)...









...now, in order to GET to the Heater Core; the Heater Box has to come APART....in DubbinChris' DIY....he removed ALL FOUR of the rivets....you REALLY only need to remove TWO of the rivets on ONE SIDE, and the two halves of the housing will separate QUITE EASILY...









....WHAT A GOOEY, SLIMY, SLUDGY MESS.....!!!









...the other half of the assembly was NASTY TOO....!!









....BEFORE putting the NEW HC into the Box; I took the two pieces downstairs to the LAUNDRY SINK, and ran FRESH water over the SPONGED DOOR FLAP at LOW FLOW; so as not to tear any of the sponge away from the door...I cleaned out the rest of the housing with some rags, then gave the inside a WIPE with some ISOPROPYL alcohol (99%) and shop towels, to get the SLIMY RESIDUE completely out of there......

...where did the SLIME come from you may ask...? .....THIS.....!!!









...when I was at the STEALership last...I made an Inquiry about the RECALL; and whether or not it had been done....BOTH vehicles had the campaign performed; one in '95, the other in '96....and the components died within THREE months of each other...so THIS has been in my dash for the past 15 or 16 YEARS....!!! (It's ALMOST as old as WOODARDMAN...!!! [HaHaa!] Sorry, Z, couldn't RESIST...!!) If you look CLOSELY; you can see one of the OUTLETS either melted or broke off...!!









...the NEW HEATER CORE that I picked up from the STEALership...









...a shot of the area for the BLOWER MOTOR....you can see ONE of the connections for the Heater Core through the hole on the LEFT....









...the Blower Motor out of position....









...the Heater Box with the NEW core in place within it...









...the Heater Box in place....we DIDN'T have a RIVET GUN handy; so, the LEFT SIDE of the WHITE BRACKET is NOT fastened to the Box.....the plan was for Rob to pass by HIS place and pick up a riveter from his toolbox (which he DID)...then rivet the brace in place later....









....there were STILL A LOT of connections to be hooked up again...









....I'm going to have to pause for SEDATION IDENTIFICATION....and maybe COUNT how many BEER BOTTLES I have EMPTIED while making this entry.....then.....when my VISION......is NO LONGER ENHANCED........by CLOSING ONE EYE......I will resume the CORE CHORE.....but....that will have to wait.....until NEXT TIME....


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## woodardman (Sep 13, 2012)

:laugh: nice one krammit!! It basically is as old as me and thats crazy to think of.. Its really funny to think how i pulled my heater with only removing my center consol an the botton of the heater box . Oh an the A/C condenser! Very nice work an HD photos im loving it


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## QuantumSyncro (Apr 28, 2000)

Nice work! VW has a horrible reputation for heater core reliability. There was a campaign for the Fox, for a huge swath of Mk2 cars and the same Mk2 problem persisted into the Mk3 range but VW failed to address it for Mk3. The only time I know that they did fix a Mk3 heater core gratis was when scalding coolant was blown out through the dash vents, otherwise nothing.

If you really want a horrible repair try replacing the evaporator in a mercedes W140, the whole car appears to have been built around that one part...which means you dismantle everything in the dash to get to it. And there's a lot more junk behind that dash than in a Fox.

:thumbup::thumbup:

steve


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## novws (Dec 17, 2005)

You should have no shame about posting those under carriage pics. It's simply a reminder of the adversity you face due to extreme road salt.


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## bluetoes591 (Apr 3, 2009)

What he said. Makes me respect your insanity more, knowing how much time and love you give a car that I wouldn't bother to save.


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*....funny you should say that...*

Looking back...I think that was what Mark (my buddy who bought me the Silver Wagon) had in mind....he has watched Woody II deteriorate over the years...and intended Woodrow the Third to be a REPLACEMENT for Woody II.....even in the March prior to acquiring the Third.....I was driving by old VWs for sale; eyeing them up on a drive by....wondering, "What if I put a couple bucks into that one...?" 

But then when he told me what he had done (bought the car); and after I spent a summer learning how to patch holes with fibreglass....I thought....if I can fix up this car; why not fix up the other one too...? I already own it....I am QUITE familiar with the cars' history.....and Woody II is an '87...!!! Which makes him ALL the more valuable.....because he is EXEMPT from any emissions test...!! I am NOT scrapping this car....why would I...? "We can rebuild him....better....Stronger....FASTER...!" (...and I Don't have Six Million dollars...man) One thing at a time....start with fixing the Swiss heritage....!! 

The "birth" dates of my two wagons differ by only one month....but it figures...the month was August....traditionally the month when the production of NEXT years' models will begin.......Woody II born in 07/87.......Woody III born in 08/87 (because of this technicality; one is '87, the other '88)....both are non-catalyst, CIS, and would burn LEADED FUEL if I could find it any where.....in January of '09; Woody II had a fuel tank replaced (by my buddy Mark), I got a call...."I have good news and bad news......the good news is; your new tank is in, and you have a full tank of gas.......the BAD news is........three quarters of the tank......IS DIESEL FUEL...." "Really..?!? Swell...." One of the not-so-astute technicians, had drained a corolla that some wingnut FILLED with diesel fuel (had to get towed in!); then the tech neglected to drain the machine....Mark only removed a few litres from my car, so he just hit the fill button, knowing the machine would stop when it ran out of fuel to pump....only, Mark had no idea there was a hefty helping of diesel fuel in the Gas Guzzler....he said there was fuel spraying everywhere in the bay....bathed my car in stinky fuel....but....Woody II STARTED...!!! Ran a little rough in the cold temperatures...until it warmed up some.....likely due to octane starvation....BUT IT RAN....I burned through the tank as quickly as I could...topping up with premium fuel when there was some room in the tank........still running strong...!! I just found it hilarious that the brand new corolla gets gutted and flushed.....but the near vintage Volkswagen just wants something to WASH IT DOWN WITH...!!! 

My apologies for the recollective tangent....but, that is one of countless stories that I have that endear me to this car......maybe this is ALL a complex manifestation of having seen "Herbie the Love Bug" (yeah, the ORIGINAL version...Dean Jones, Michelle Lee, and Buddy Hackett) one too many times when I was a kid....a blast from the past if you don't mind finely aged CHEESE.... 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6S1EvWcub4 
I was a highly impressionable 3 year old (1969, when this movie was released), who LOVED the Drive-Ins....!!! 

Thanks again for the words of recognition, understanding, and acknowledgement bluetoes591 and novws....it will be a LONG road to RUSToration as myboxyfox put it a few posts back....too many components have been replaced as of late to give up on it now..."in for a penny....in for a pound"...!! 

Good to hear from you Martin...!! I will have to look into that next time I am wandering through the tool section in CT....how are things in 'the Park'...? I hope Old Man Winter is treating you and your Fox well...! 

Thank you so much for saying Steve...!! You are quite right...!! The masses would rather PAY someone else (and PAY they do; working at a dealership, I hear ABSURD bottom lines...!!) to fix it for them (so they can break it again, maybe?), and not learn about the underlying causes of what they did to their car....to cause it to require automotive surgery.....LEARN....so you don't do it again.......I KNOW how I buggered the head gasket....but I am eager and willing to Learn how to FIX IT....perhaps when it gets warmer...I will go visit Woody I...and have a dry run....get familiar with the dismantling procedure on a car that has been sitting for almost ten years....then when it comes to removing fasteners on cars that have been in service....it should be easier.....not to mention if I mess something up....it won't matter, he's not going anywhere....... 
Would you know off hand, Steve, what size tri-square bit is needed to remove the head bolts...? I know the 12 point bit for the drive axle flanges is 8 mm.....would the head bolts possibly be 10 mm tri-square...? If I can just get the bit that I need to use...I would rather not buy the whole set if I didn't have to....are these bolts widely used within the engine.....? Maybe the set would be a good idea in that case... There is a certain amount of 'calm' that you experience from knowing how to fix it; and be self-sufficient with respect to motoring....the world could use more calm.... Thanks again for the commendations on my efforts Steve, (I appreciate that...!!), it's NICE to be acknowledged....the more I do...the easier the work becomes..... 

Warming up sounds necessary right now.....the wind is gusting to about 40 km/h (25 mph), and the outside temp has stalled around the -10 C (14F) mark....it's just below the freezing point in my garage (where I hang out to make all my posts), I have to put the beer in the fridge to KEEP it from freezing......I had intended to post some more pics tonight...but it's too cold to hang out here any longer.....until NEXT TIME.....


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## bluetoes591 (Apr 3, 2009)

Just to be clear (looks like you took it the right way, but one never knows), I mean insanity in the best possible way.  I really appreciate the time you spend on your cars and especially the time you take to document all of your projects. It can be really helpful to see pictures sometimes. And lets face it, we're all a little nuts to still be running these old cars. :laugh:


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...I'm not Rich enough...*

Quite right Milo...!!! We all must be a little touched to be running these cars...!! I am not Rich enough to be referred to as "eccentric", so insane will have to do...speaking of RICH enough....one of the Service Advisors at work, returned a Lotto Max ticket to find out he is an Instant Millionaire...!!!

http://www.citynews.ca/2013/01/25/toronto-man-wins-20m-lotto-max-jackpot/#related-content-preview

Couldn't happen to a Nicer Guy...!! (...except ME maybe...!!) He and his wife just had a child (8 month old girl), and he also just purchased a brand new Scion tC....BEFORE he won....must BE N I C E....!!! I bought a ticket for last Saturday just in case lightning wants to strike close, but not in the same spot....

Until that time arrives for me (if ever...!!), I have to keep repairing what I have, just to stay mobile....sometime around the beginning of December, (the second, I think), I wanted to swap out the handbrake lever from Woody II; and replace it with the lever from Woody I....(it was about 4 C; 38 F)









The lever that is in there doesn't retract all the way....sits up some times on its own....making the brake light on the dash come on intermittently....annoying..... I had retrieved the lever from Woody I on a previous treasure hunt...I think I also took the shifter box....(some time last summer, I remember breaking the something in the inside of the box in Woody III)....









Then I took a blade and extended the slices in the carpet a little more to allow easier access to the bolts on the base of the lever...









...here too...









...I think it was a 13 mm socket that I used to remove the bolts...









....this one plus two more...









...Now that the bolts were loose....time to jack it up in the air.....









...and cut the nylon ties that I put around the union to keep it from separating...the rod would fall away from the brake cable whenever it would like...(also annoying)...









...with the ties cut; and the nut removed...the assembly can now be withdrawn from the floor...









...a shot with out the flash....you can see through the hole to ground beneath...









...the one that I am removing looks to be in better condition on the outside....but; the one that I am installing just WORKS better...









...had to chase the threads on the bent rod a bit for ease of adjusting purposes later on...








...will have to do some thing about those worn threaded spots later...

...the older "new" brake lever to be installed...









....now it was just a matter of putting the bolts back...









...one here...









...one here...









....and the last one here...









.....I tightened them down gradually, diagonally opposing, the same way you would tighten road wheel lug bolts...then raised the lever to put he base plate back in place...









....it just makes it a little easier to put things back in place...









....put the screw back in....









....and the easy part is done....









....I still had to get back under the car and connect the actuator rod to the cable...then the adjusting process begins....two notches on the lever....then tighten the nut until BOTH wheels lock evenly....the EVENLY part is the nuisance, I have found....I always end up having one wheel lock more convincingly than the other....you just have to play around to get it to your liking.....

Next up...another transfer pump install...but that will have to wait...until NEXT TIME....


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...Transfer of the Transfer...*

Hey there Guys....! It's been a while....things have been rather trying at work....new management....trying to BUY my respect....(not with wages either)...trying to micro-manage me out the door I think...needless to say I have been rather unsettled for the last couple weeks....

During this time...I have been losing coolant somewhere....I thought it might be going out the tailpipe with some oil (perhaps a head gasket leak), but the oil level is good....about a week ago...I finally noticed a puddle under the front end.....AHA...!!! Without getting down on the ground to actually inspect where the coolant was coming from; I assumed it was coming form the water pump....last weekend, after having to add another couple of litres of mixture to the coolant reservoir....I decided to actually have a good look this time....to see where the leak is.....the water pump and connecting hoses were BONE DRY....Woo Hoo....but then, my gaze shifted to the bottom of the radiator....to see a Dozen Green Drops....taking turns...as if it were a contest....to see who could make the biggest splash on the driveway below........but more on that later....

According to my pics (date stamp), I had some ambition on Dec. 2nd; after adjusting the parking brake....I decided to have a look at the transfer pump, which I have had suspicions of it having died already...I had received a package from GAP in the mail...









....excuse the blur...had the flash turned off...









There was the task of getting to the access plate....much easier in a Wagon....regardless of what is in the hatch....









I needed to visit my golf bag....









....for a couple of PLUGS....








....I use these to plug the hoses that go to and from the tank...

With the hatch emptied, the carpet rolled back, and the plate removed....I could get to the clamps...









....look at this corroded crap...









....the hoses were QUITE comfortable being stuck to the pipettes in the cap of the tank....when I tried to remove them.....apparently there was still a great deal of PRESSURE in the system.....there was less than half a tank of fuel, but when I tried to pry away the hose....all I got was a spurt of fuel instead of progress...I decided to tighten the clamps back up.....take a few more pics of the patient....and drive some more fuel out of the tank before attempting this again...

....how am I going to get that cap out of the tank...? Without it disintegrating, AND with there being enough of the cap to put back IN to the tank...









....my "X"ed screwdriver method will ONLY work if there is enough of a lip left to work WITH...









.....hmmmm.....what to do....what to do....









...can't even use the other two sets of pry points....too many delicate things in the way...









....this kind of resembles a coral reef if you zoom in on the pic...(probably just as fragile)....









...sad but true...all I could do....









...was tighten the clamps and put things back.....until NEXT TIME....


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## QuantumSyncro (Apr 28, 2000)

The system will always have some pressure in it, it's designed to be that way. The pressure from the in tank pump shouldn't be that much though. The return line should not be pressurized though, and if the tank vent is working properly there shouldn't be any significant pressure inside the tank.

That sender looks like it's completely shot and so it really shouldn't fight you to come out, but it won't be usable to put back in...you'll need to find a replacement before you attempt to install a new pump...unfortunately.

I've had projects like this where I go to do something and then figure out that it's not gonna happen the way I want and I just have to walk away from it for now...

steve


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...it's been a while...*

Work has been very taxing as of late...the GTA has been getting some weekend snowfalls that have found the roads littered with STUCK vehicles....NOT the FOX though...!!! On the eighth of February, I shoveled snow for ten hours; seven at work before they sent us home, then three at my house...just to dig my way IN...it must have snowed for about 27 consecutive hours....leaving about 20"...!! JOY...!!!

Quite Right Steve...! Walking away is sometimes necessary for progress....I am finding now, that as I LEARN more form you guys, I am having to make two attempts at fixing things; the first is more of a reconnaissance mission to see what I'm up against....see what's broken/missing....begin the parts availability/acquirability process....and hope I was thorough enough during mission one to make mission two a success....

While I was mulling over, the problem of removing the sending unit from the tank; I decided that I absolutely wanted to have a rear wiper this winter....it hadn't been working for the last few years....I wanted to find out why, and fix it...I had removed the wiper arm (since it wasn't working anyway), and just replaced the nut to protect the threads on the spindle some time ago.....it appears that I was also a bit sloppy with the fibre glass resin that I was playing around with....









....after a bit of scoring with a blade, and a little chiseling with a screwdriver, I was able to make not too much of a mess, and get the retaining nut and the support bushing removed from the outside......the rear hatch panel with some after market fasteners twisted into open spots....I had also previously double taped some magnetic strips around the edges to help if the fasteners failed...









....with the panel off, the motor is exposed, and easily removed by undoing a few fasteners...








(like the maroon hatch on my white wagon...?)

...only four slotted screws to remove the backing plate from the motor...









....easy to see where the travel occurs.....









...I think the reason why the wiper wasn't working properly, was because the spindle had seized within the housing of the motor....I removed a couple parts within the mechanism to allow the shaft to be pushed through the housing in an effort to free up the spindle...









...some force was required to persuade the shaft to come free, a few taps from the mallet allowed some 3-in-1 oil to be able to seep in here to marinate for a while....









...at this point....I still wasn't completely sure that the problem wasn't electrical...but at least I knew the mechanical end of things was ready to go...









...before replacing the four screws to hold the business back together....I redistributed the gooey grease on the gear and screwshaft within the motor before putting the plate back on....there was a pic...but it was horribly out of focus and not worth posting...with my regreased motor in hand....back out to the hatch....putting it in was easy to do....next I had to satisfy my curiosity about the electrical connections...I am pretty sure the connections for the wiper motor run through the cable coming from the left hinge....









...the shabby tape job of years ago got a refreshing after I confirmed that the electrical connections were intact....I zip tied the new wrap to the hinge to keep it from chafing...the right side connections looked to be undisturbed, so I left them as they were...









...after testing the wiper motor....it worked...!!! SWEET...!!! I put the arm back on and now enjoy using it whenever possible..!!! I also figured out a way to reinforce the edges of the sender unit cap...but...that will have to wait until.....NEXT TIME....


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...Transfer of the Transfer, Take II...*

I am enjoying the use of my rear wiper again...!! I seem to utter a Tim Allen-like, "...Aurr-Aurr-Aurr...!!!" every time I use it...we have had a worthy amount of snow this season to make it extremely useful...of course, I pick fantastic weather opportunities to make my repairs....it was early December, and starting to snow....(...and yes, I have since repositioned the arm...)









....my Fox grew an orange tail....









...had to clear out the backseat enough to fold it forward; relocate a couple of items, and pull the carpet back, to get to the access plate...









...looks like I already unplugged the sender in the above photo...but before I was able to take the next pic in the process.....there was a good FORTY MINUTE period of tapping/hammering/chiseling....and of course...the uttering of some "magic words" which inevitably seem to release the component in question......I managed to get the rusty mess free...









....disconnect the old....unpack the new...









...this is what remains (I'm guessing) of some, nearly twenty-six year old paint...









...if you zoom in on the lower right quadrant of the opening of the tank...you can see evidence of my struggle to remove it....(also, probably the third gas tank in this wagon too...!)









....the edges of the opening look to be in good condition....that's good news....









...and the inside of the tank also looks to be in good shape....pretty damn low on fuel...a couple of sediments....but no leaks....ALSO GOOD NEWS.....









...during my extraction effort...I kinda bent the lip on the edge of the cap....









...perhaps THIS is provides a better visual explanation....you can see that it looks ready to peel off like a pencil shaving....more sturdy than that; but, repeated chiseling would be a bad idea...









...so that's why I thought THIS STUFF would be a good idea....I have used it before...several, highly ODD ways to use it....why not here too...?!?









But first, I had to clean up the site of its intended use...I used my Dremel and a few brushes...it doesn't look fantastic, but, better than it was...and clean enough to put the putty on...









...you may be wondering why I didn't remove any of the paint on the pipettes....two reasons....first, the Dremel provided limited access in that confined a space....and second, I didn't want to create any more work for myself by finding/creating a hole on either of the pipes....the putty could patch the hole, but, again, that would be more work...









...this stuff is like Plumbers' Epoxy...you just cut off how ever much you need...then start kneading it in your hands for a minute or so...the two different coloured putties will blend into a different hue between the two....that's when you have a few minutes to put it in place before it hardens....my application didn't require much putty, but, I needed four pieces for what I had in mind...









....while the putty was still malleable...I pressed a screwdriver into each of the faces where the edge of the cap would be, making sure to keep the blade of the screwdriver perpendicular to the cap edge....I also pressed the putty enough that I could feel the edge of the cap coming into contact with the back of the blade of the screwdriver...









...and the same for the reinforcements on the other side...









...a schpritz of some rubberized rust reformer/inhibitor....









....also quite fast drying...









...having this extra support where needed will make it easier to remove the sending unit in the future....whereas in the past, up until now...it was always something that I dreaded; due to its' extremely, delicate/fragile nature....a slip of the screwdriver could mean a massive set back....now, the screwdriver is less likely to slip...









....the other side...









....connect the new transfer pump assembly....









....and of course, better not forget to plug in the electrical connector....'cuz that would SUCK to put everything back in the tank...to realize that the electrical connection...isn't....









....with a little spray of some silicone lube on the o-ring and the surrounding area...the assembly locked into place beautifully AND easily....there was no slipping of screwdrivers during the installation....hoses and wiring plug back in place.....









....it was nice to work on the inside of the car for a change....









....instead of being "on the outside looking in"....









...while putting the access plate back in place...I noticed that the bracket/rivet gig was kinda sloppy....it was too late to mess about any further.....I was DONE...so, I decided to stick a fork in it....to make it official....









.....on the 23rd of December, I mashed a big pile of TURD.....and a also a tail lens....while doing some last minute Xmas shopping....but, that will have to wait...until NEXT TIME....


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## myboxyfox (Nov 27, 2011)

Cool! So, fuel problem solved? 

And you really did put a fork in it~ nice touch!


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...more of a preventative measure...*

Yes myboxyfox...more of a preventative measure though...I remember there being a LOT of pushing last time this went in the Silver Wagon....pushing in snow is not so.....possible....so I decided to take it out before it became a problem....the old pump had a very low hum to it, when bench tested....perhaps not even as convincing as an aquarium pump....certainly not the WHIRR that it is supposed to be.....given the amount of RALLYING that I have been doing when it snows heavily...I know it was a good idea......


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...Mashed Turd & Tail Lens.....to go...*

.....wow.....it's been a while guys....after reading this one....perhaps you might see my reluctance to put this out there......:facepalm:......and I took pics......:facepalm:......so it happened......:facepalm:...

In an attempt to keep things in a chronological sequence of events.....I find myself having to go back to pics that I took LAST YEAR....granted...nobody wants to be reminded of Xmas in the month of April....but, that's when this 'fecaliasco' took place.......December 23rd.....during some last minute shopping shenanigans......while rounding third, on my self-imposed list of things to do.....suddenly, draining my bladder, ROCKETS to the top of the list.....

Being the festive season, OF COURSE, I had been drinking to excess.....(for those of you who haven't met me, I don't really do much of that...UNLESS...it's to excess).....so finding a suitable venue (Quickly!) became of paramount importance.....I was close to Wacky Wings; who have a wonderfully appointed dumpster area; on the surrounding, grassy boulevard of the rear parking lot.....in my HASTE to keep from imitating an over-pressured sprinkler head; I was NOT taking very close notice of where I was placing my feet on the way to relief.....

THREE STEPS BEFORE BLADDER BLEEDING BLISS..........it happens.......(NO!!! I didn't piss myself...!!!).....I stepped in a pile (not small) of TURD.........soooooper........my right foot....so, the potential to soil TWO pedals........

I spent a number of minutes with some blue nitrile gloves & a stick, cleaning the bulk of what I could, out of the treads of my Kodiaks......after what I deemed enough to be good to touch the pedals; I got in, and started heading home along Dundas St.; I quickly remembered the coin-op car wash that is on the way home......sure....I'll pay three bucks to blast this KRAP off my Kodiaks.....

Trust me.....it SMELLED a lot worse than it looks....


....my $3 saviour....(or so I thought)


.....but....as things go in my life.....it wasn't going to be that straight forward........a previous patron had left a can of engine de-greaser.....I hadn't checked....was it empty...? Nope....half full...!! Nice....!! 


Why not...? Let's use it....popped the hood....shook and sprayed to my desire....

...done.......still some left for next patron......perhaps things are looking up......







Ha- HAAA....!!! (Phil Ken Sebben ; Harvey Birdman Atty. at Law ref.) .....FOAM ON FOAM......!!! When I squeezed the trigger.....SUDS started gushing out of the nozzle when I had it set to RINSE......regardless of what setting.....FOAM.....are you *&^%$#@! kidding me......SERIOUSLY...?!?!?.......fine.......

I proceeded to 'rinse' my engine; and entire car with the gushing foam....after all.....the damn thing already had my three bucks.......so, after the cycle had ended.....my hood is raised; with the motor covered in engine de-greaser and foam; the windows, mirrors, etc. covered in foam.....I decided to move the car to a bay that has an actual WORKING RINSE CYCLE......(...here's where the fun begins...)

The foam didn't do much to alleviate the reason for being here in the first place...

....that's IN THERE...!!!

....simple....just move it to the next bay....only my windows and mirrors are rather foamed up....
....then this concrete island jumped out in my way while backing out...


...hit it pretty good too...! ....you can see some Tail Lens remnants in the concrete....


....and it wasn't as though there were any pieces to pick up......it turned to dust....

...I guess I am in the market for another rear right lens...

....that chunk of bumper had already been compromised by the previous owner; glued in by the scheister, Horst Kroll; and correctly displaced by a solid, stand up stanchion....


.....but at least I got trap KRAP outta the treads.....


.....and another project is created....( merry !*&^%$#@ Xmas)....getting the rear bumper cover from Woody One to put on to Woody Two.....but that will have to wait until NEXT TIME....


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...VW Pulsar...???*

A couple days after the 25th of Dec......there was a good amount of snow.....and a Great Deal of Wind.....I came outside to find the elements had added another few pounds to my rear hatch.....it sort of reminded me of a Nissan (Re) Pulsar, from the mid to late '80s...


...after the weather had mellowed out....I decided to go return a couple of things....I went to start the car.....it turned over....then rolled over....and played DEAD.....I tried again....same result....for six tries....the starter would turn the motor....the motor would run for a cycle or two....then die....

It sounded as though there wasn't enough AIR getting in, to mix with the fuel....I unclipped the element housing to find a collection of greasy, gravel laden, sludge....


I am supposing it has been MORE than a few years since I have changed this.....likely part of the, "Run Woody into the Ground", campaign that I undertook five or six years ago...before I got a computer......and wised up......with help from you gents....

....it was rather LADEN with heavy, greasy, residue......okay, downright SOGGY......!!!

....had a new one ready to go into action....


...took the boot off and cleaned the inside of the metering cup with isopropyl alcohol...


....there was quite a lot of GOOP that I managed to clean from the surfaces....


....wiped the goop from the boot going to the throttle body.....


....and also the boot coming off the metering plate....


....also cleaned out the filter box.......yes, this is the BEFORE shot....


....a shot of the element from above....I should have tried WRINGING it out, like a chamois......it was pretty saturated....which got me to wondering, what caused this...apart from my negligence regarding routine maintenance.....I had been running 87 octane in it for the last couple years....with a blast of 94 every now and then.....now, I have been putting 91 in it since December....and have been just rippin' it around town......5,000 rpm, 2nd to 3rd shifts while getting on the highways....funny to notice the gaping maws on people as they fade in the rear view.....then, when they realize they have been left behind by a RELIC.....seeing them pass me by.....only to watch their brake lights illuminate; because they are going too fast for traffic conditions...I most definitely notice more response with the premium fuel.....better mileage too....when I'm not being a menace to the newer, computer controlled, cars........'til NEXT TIME.....


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*....I have some catching up to do....*

It is already the beginning of May, and I am still trying to get through my order of pics from the past January........these pics are from January 12th.....I was starting Woody III, to keep the motor accustomed to being run.....even though the heater core is cooked....I still start him up and run the motor for five minutes or so....until the temperature rises enough (needle covering red light) to make me shut it down......I was sitting in the drivers' seat, and noticed the catching funnel I made, on the floor on the passenger side....


....looks a wee bit deformed from the excessive heat....


...I sopped up the coolant that was in the foot wells...drivers' side...


....and the passenger side...


....I used a mock shamwow from the dollar store....got the job done.......'coffee' anyone...?


....the real problem that I discovered....is that the motor did not escape the overheating episode unscathed.....there appears to be a head gasket leak; on the intake/exhaust side of the block, just behind the timing belt cover and the first cylinder.....


...Just have to add that to the LIST of things that need to be done to this car.......there is STILL the matter of replacing the heater core in this car; along with tracing/repairing a leak that exists behind the dash....which will be addressed when the dash is removed for the core job....and the exhaust manifold leaks.........when I thought about the heater core.....I realized that I didn't have any foam to cover the core with.....the replacement unit that I got from GAP came "naked", and needs some foam to keep it from rattling around inside the heater box....

This was when I experienced a BLOW OUT on my rear left tire; on the way home from getting the foam....in an effort to keep my thread chronologically accurate....I am going to copy the post that I made for "Saturday Night Shimmy"; and paste it in here......this is where it fits....so, if it looks like you may have seen this story before.....you may have already been familiarized with this part of my saga.....my apologies in advance for the redundancy....

"The past weekend of the 12th/13th of January brought unseasonably warm temperatures to the Toronto area....I had jostled around the idea of getting the second heater core job done; seeing as there were going to be two days of warm(ish) weather....

The Core that I got from GAP doesn't have any foam around it; so I thought I would go get some foam....found something suitable at the Home Depot on North Queen....got on the 427 N to come home....and just as I was getting ready to catch fourth gear at the crest of the hill near Dundas.....KA-BOOM...!!! was all I heard.....there was some rattling of stones/debris from under the rear of the car....then a few moments later.... another KA-POW...!! Equally unsettling...but not as severe as the initial audio delight...only this time....there was a SEVERE VIBRATION coming from the rear left of the car....and doing 130 km/h at the time...I thought it prudent to gradually ease off on the throttle; while STILL maintaining the power to the front wheels.....

This, I think, was the INITIAL...KA-BOOM....









Then, after immediate air loss...the remaining rubber QUICKLY deformed at the highway speed...









The SEVERE VIBRATION was due to the tread having FLIPPED itself inside out (possibly the 2nd KA-POW..?) for a part of the circumference.....this was what I drove on for three highway exits....(all the while chanting, "Please stay on the wheel...Please stay on the wheel....Please stay on the wheel...!!")....and from the highway to my driveway....(had to stop at a red light too..!!)...about 5 km (3 mi) in total...... the culprit...as seen in the driveway, before jacking....









This'll hurt the fuel economy.....









I think....









....this tire......









....was made by....









.....NABISCO..........'cuz they make......









....................SHREDDIES...!!!









Believe it or not...I just bought a couple new snows to replace the shredded tire and its (soon to be?) mate....and put them on the SAME STEELIES...!!! The wheel bead is intact....no flat spots...!!









"Oh what fun....it is to drive....when-the-Fox be-gins-to-sway....HEY...!!!""

I am kind of glad that I had the tire blowout when it did....it made me purchase a couple of new snows for the front: a couple of HANKOOK winters, you can see the tread pattern in the background of this pic that I took to show the flange of the SS Dual Dp from Flipside Custom to show mes0cycl0ne....


....(plus, I now know what a date code is, thanks to bluetoes591!)....which looking back.....was a blessing (or signal) in disguise....the amount of snow that fell this past winter warranted having good snow tires.....

That one particular Friday, I think it was February 8th; it snowed for about 27 hours straight....there was a good twenty inches on the roads for the drive home.....I literally was laughing at people and their brand new cars (with new all season tires)......STUCK.....in the middle of the road....I had to change routes four times to get home; due to people either being stuck, or having abandoned their vehicles in the middle of the street/snowbank....

Having NEW snow tires was the difference between making it home that day.....and not.........it doesn't matter WHAT you are driving.....your tires are the ONLY thing connecting you to the road.....but the next day....after the flakes had settled....I went out to the car to get something, noticed that the mat had some accumulated water in it (from melting snow I presumed), so I took up the rubber floormat to dump the water from it.....to discover that there was a PILE OF SNOW about the size of a small, squashed, grapefruit......."What the F---?!?!?", then, in a flash I remembered a moment of the previous nights' ride home where I bottomed out in the massive amount of snow that was on the road; at the precise moment I bottomed out....I felt something under my FEET......that wasn't floor........looking back...I have realized that the jagged, rusty, gaping, mess of disintegrating metal.....that IS my floor.....had PLANED OFF a layer of snow; while I was rallying through the streets of my neighbourhood, in an effort to get home.........I didn't recall anyone pegging me with a large snowball on the way home......'cuz that would've been a helluva shot.....to make it end up underneath my floor mat.......I have to tend to THAT issue some time in the spring.....noticing cracks in the windshield.....but, that will have to wait....until NEXT TIME....


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...nine days later...*

I had been experiencing some coolant loss.....the level kept dropping....a couple of litres every two weeks or so.....only I couldn't find any evidence of a leak anywhere......none in the cabin around the heater core hoses......couldn't see a puddle on the ground where I parked........then, one day, after a bit of a thaw, I found a puddle...!!! It was under the front of the car....I assumed it was the water pump....the next day....I actually had a look under the car....to see that the water pump and connecting hoses were bone dry.......then my gaze shifted to the bottom of the rad....

....this pic doesn't do the LEAK justice.....

One of the techs at work suggested, "....How about a bottle of Stop Leak for the time being......that is, unless, ...you WANTED to lie down in the snow to mess about with it.....!" He had a valid point there.......so off I went to Crappy Tire to get some Rislone....


I had tried this stuff before....on one of my Sciroccos....another lifetime ago....without too much success....I decided, this time, to follow the directions thoroughly....the directions recommended running the car for half an hour after application...the application requires you to pour half of the liquid; and half of the pellets....EVER TRY THIS...?!? I used a plastic spoon, to get a decent amount of pellets out of the bottle; while still leaving some liquid in the bottle too...

....kinda looks like a large reptile...breaching the water....

Anyway, with the Rislone in the rad......I idled for about twenty minutes....then drove the car for another forty....just to make sure that optimal temperature would be reached; to make the pellets melt; and find the gaps, like I need them to......while I was driving around to let the stuff do its' thing.....I decided to pay Woody I a visit to see what he had to offer.....he looks so LONELY.....(and cold....this skating rink thaws into a small LAKE....about 6" deep).....[the yard is behind a body shop; the owner lets me keep Woody there....awesome...!]


....I knew there were a couple of radiators in there.....just wasn't sure of their condition.....


....I couldn't decide on the spot......so I took them both......one still had the fan and shroud attached.....the other one was separate.....

...the Rads are now in my garage....awaiting warmer weather, and waiting for the Rislone to fail....(still no leaks in May, from Feb.)....it has worked very well so far....

It snowed for another week or so....


.....fortunately....I didn't have a great number of issues to tend to with Woody II over the winter.....I drove the hell out of him and had awesome HEAT as a result of the heater core swap-eration......also fortunate for me....my friend Jackie wanted to help shovel the snow.....she's standing by the Old Mans' Buick....


....this brings me up to the middle of February with respect to my pics.....something happened on the way home from work on St. Patrick's Day.....but that will have to wait until NEXT TIME....


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...some Odd Neighbours...*

Slightly off topic....but, seeing as there is snow in the above pic......about eight houses down from my place....on the other side of the street.....somebody 'erected' a different version of a snowman....

....on my way home one night; as I turned the corner....this is the first thing I saw; as I laughed the word, "...Really...?!?"


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*....More Highway Mishaps...*

This actually happened a few days before St. Patrick's Day, the 12th to be more accurate....I had just finished work and was on my way home.....about 20 yards before the on ramp to the highway.....and SNAP.....something gives way.....and now it is DRAGGING; as I make my way up the 270 degree turn to get on the 427.....what the hell was it...? I was listening carefully (above the highway sounds and traffic...yeah, right...!!) to try to place the noise.....couldn't be suspension....did that last summer....not the muffler.....would surely hear that elsewhere......what else is back there...? By the time I got to Rathburn, (2nd of 3 exits), I had decided it was a gas tank strap that had let go.....and was being dragged along behind the car.....turns out, I was sorta right.....the strap had let go at the hook end, the front of the tank; and was being PUSHED along the highway.......I got it home....put it up on the stands (the snow had melted), and had a closer look......the strap hanging down....as seen from the rear of the car.....


....this was where it broke away from....


....this was what was being pushed up the 427....


....where am I going to get a gas tank strap for an '87 VW Fox at this time of night.....?


....it was also quite COLD out too....maybe 3 C (37 F).....I think I remember uttering the words, "Say FREEZE...!!"....


.....my replacement strap was sitting right next to me....just had to jack up Woody III and take which ever one looked good....

....this one will do....I think it's a 15 mm deep socket that does the trick....

....took the broken strap from off of Woody II...


....measured the distance from hook to hole.....


....approximately 32"....


....not quite a visual match.....


....but holding......for now....


...time to let it down; and get some sleep....


....2:30 am.....past my bedtime again....until NEXT TIME....


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...annoying rubbing sound....*

Around the middle of March....the backing plate on my left front wheel decided to let go completely....and began rubbing on the inside of the wheel, as the plate was no longer attached to anything....it was just making a lot of aggravating noise...on St. Paddys' day, (one of TWO amateur nights in the year; the other being New Year's...!!), I decided I had had enough of the rubbing sound....it was getting warmer out; with the window rolled down more often, I didn't need the audio portion....adding to the already OBVIOUS visual of the rustbucket.....rattling down the road.....so I popped off the front wheel and removed the culprit....


Having done that on the Sunday....thinking I have alleviated the heat on my poor car for another, uncertain, amount of time......(the local authorities ALWAYS give me a second look)....on the following Wednesday...on my way to work....I am traversing my usual, non-descript, casual route through the neighbourhoods, as I do.....and upon surfacing to a main street, having to make left.....there was a mini-van....followed by a gap of about four car lengths....and then...A COP.....!!! So, naturally, not a good move to make an ABRUPT traffic maneuver in front of a cop....I just sit tight, waiting for him to pass; and then I can make my left hand turn.....and get my ass to work....and go on about my day.....but, NOOOOooooOOOOOOOooooo.....mister, "I have nuthin' better to do, than to EFF people like YOU over", decides to slow down to a quick crawl, and start EYEBALLIN' my license plate over.......(I didn't know that, that was what he was looking at, at the time...).....and of course...this is ordinarily NO BIG DEAL, for your ordinary, law-abiding motorist.....[....which I don't believe myself to BE, for the most part...]...however, I was enjoying my morning ritual, as I do, on my way to work......some people drink coffee....one of the last LEGAL drugs.....(caffeine)...I am NOT a coffee drinker....as I was SCALDED by an urn that had been percolating for over three hours; FALL ON ME when I was nine years old....{mental SCAR}....at any rate, my morning ritual is not, dissimilar, to a pass time enjoyed by NUMEROUS concert goers.....but nonetheless frowned upon by physicians, law enforcement, and ESTABLISHMENT TYPES in general......

Suffice it to say....I had no desire to be BOARDED at this time....on my way to work in the morning........the moment he passed.....I accelerated briskly, to make my left turn, to get the hell going in a different direction than he was.......I made a quick right and booted it....looking in my rear view for my pursuer.....he wasn't there....so I made another left to get out of sight from the corner.....but that didn't phase him.....the street I turned onto was very long....and he found me easily.....though I did see him overshoot the turn, in my rear view mirror.....about three eighths of the way down the street, he pulls me over....making me late(r) for work......

He takes his sweet ass time getting out of his car to come and tell me why he has pulled me over....which gives me plenty of time to call my work and advise them of my situation......work tells me, no problem, see you when you get here.........then the cop gets out of his car, and makes his way towards me....leans in, I hand him my three ACES....License, Insurance, & Ownership.....he asks me, "I guess you're wondering why I pulled you over...?" ...and the smart-ass in my head says, '....actually....you had to CHASE me to pull me over...!' but, fortunately, those words never made it to my mouth.....instead....what came out was something more like, "Well, Yeah, I was kinda wondering...."

Then he proceeded to explain to me that my license plate is becoming illegible.....and that he doesn't like to issue tickets that people cannot DO anything about.....[forgot to mention.....as my gaze travelled his uniform; I noticed the letters 'S N I C K E R Z' in the place of where his name plate should be.....my inner smart-ass took a QUICK glance around to see if there was a hidden camera].....FOR REAL...!!! Dudes' name was SNICKERZ...!!!! can you imagine how hard I had to fight back a giggle or two...?!?!?!? THREE...?!?!?!? I really thought this was a HOAX....but, then it all became VERY real when he handed me a ticket for $110.00 for an illegible license plate....is it really my fault that they made the plates out of such inferior material.....that they RUST after 20 years....?!?!?!? So, this was on the front of the vehicle....what made him slow down and decided to UP his quota near the end of the month (27th!)...


That plate used to be on the back....but I thought it would be better to have the better of the two on the rear....in the event of a 'scanning'....being a signwriter....I had considered touching it up....but, later learned that would be a provincial offence.....altering government issue plates....this plate was on the hatch...the important plate....the one with the validation sticker on it....


These plates are totally OLD SCHOOL...and still made of STEEL; not TIN..!!! ...now our province issues 4 letter-3 number plates...it used to be 3 number-3 letter....and before that.....3 letter-3 number.....; which would be going back to the '70's....I remember my dad had BHK-989......my FIRST license plate was YDO-301....which got stolen off the back of one of my Sciroccos in the late '80s....then came 625-HZH.....which was only my second plate in over 25 years of driving....now 625-HZH has been superseded by a plate that I was forced to BUY; BECAUSE my plates were illegible....so, I get given a ticket for $110.00.....then I have to BUY another set of plates, FOR $22.00 MORE....because the old ones are no good anymore.....then, I have to take TIME off work to go to court to get the $110.00 ticket rescinded (May 23rd!).....are you FLIPPIN' KIDDDING ME...?!?!?!? WHY DON'T COPS GO OUT AND CATCH FLIPPING CRIMINALS ANYMORE...?!?!?!?!?!!?!??!!?!?!? INSTEAD OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN PAAAAAYYYYYYING THEIR [email protected]#$%^&*()_ SALARIES FOR THE LAST TWENTY YEARS....?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!?!? GODDAMN INFURIATING...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

...nothing more than a HUGE CASH GRAB....!!!!!

...this was where the rear plate used to be....


....the front plate was on here long enough that you can still make out the letters for "ONTARIO", and the 625HZH in silt, on the plastic bumper...


I can't tell the difference.....can you tell the difference...? 


I suppose the good thing to come from all of this....is that...NOW, I have a legal, legible set of plates....better to have been pulled over at 9:30 in the morning...than 2:30 in the morning....on the way home from SOMEWHERE....in who knows WHAT condition.....this way....it's just ONE LESS reason they have to PULL ME OVER in the future.....


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...getting there...*

About halfway through April....I began noticing a strong fuel smell, coming from the car somewhere....there were no visible leaks, drips, or puddles to speak of...I seemed to notice the smell more when travelling on the highway at speed, with a lot of fuel being fed to the engine......or perhaps it's just when I back off the throttle; when fuel is being returned to the tank.....I think I just re-used the old O-ring when I changed the transfer pump....maybe this is the source of my phantom fuel smell.....

I thought, perhaps, that I am running rich....my problem is...I am not sure how to adjust the CO content; AND measure it accurately.....my Wagon is an '87, has CIS fuel delivery system....no electronics anywhere....no provision to hook up a DPR harness....


...there is no little black box next to the air filter...I am not sure...because I haven't seen one live.....but, the Bentleys tells of a black box next to the air filter housing, that has connections within, to hook up a DPR harness, and get an accurate reading.....I don't have such a box here....


I am aware of the 3 mm Allan key hole....looks as though some one has removed the plug....I don't ever recall messing about with this.....I have always regarded this as one of those things that is set from the factory and is best left alone.....


I was having an on-line chat with redone17 one Sunday afternoon....he sent me a link of the harness in question....I thought, "COOL, I can check it", then, had difficulty seeing where the harness would connect to my car....the cold start injector is the only area where I see any wires /connections; that would allow for the insertion of a metering harness......


....I am puzzled....anyone have any suggestions...? .....Anyone.......?


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## ziddey (Apr 16, 2006)

Ahh, a Canadian 1987 model. CIS basic. No lambda feedback. I think these models didn't have a catalytic converter either?

Yeah, there's no good way of adjusting the mixture without say an exhaust gas analyzer. And if it doesn't have a cat, this would be as simple as shoving the analyzer into the tailpipe and going from there. Otherwise, there should be a test tube that runs from the exhaust manifold for this purpose.

You could always add a cheap narrowband o2 sensor for the purpose of setting/monitoring the mixture. Check your exhaust manifold. There may be a spot for an oxygen sensor if you decide to go this route (maybe a bolt in its place). Of course, there wouldn't be any way to use it for feedback unless you swapped out the cis system (with say cis lambda or cis-e).

edit: Your parts Fox is an 88 and should have cis-e then. I don't know if it'd be worth your while to swap all the necessary bits over, but that's always a possibility.

I figure you've probably got some connections to just get the tailpipe sniffed, but if not, that may be a pricey diagnostic/labor cost nowadays.


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*....Quite Right...!!*

Right You Are Ziddey...!! No catalytic converter.....no CO tube either....my two running Wagons are the early Canadian models....Woody I; also an early CDN model with no cat, but he has a CO tube for some reason....though there are no electronics either.....my first Fox was an early '88 model.....also just CIS...............this is Woody III....no CO tube either...


I did actually think of considering taking the fuel management system from my donor car.....if it was CIS-E....but, it has the same CIS system as my other Wagons; this one also had A/C....which I have thought about harvesting....but, realized that procedure is WAY beyond my abilities.....

Currently, I am unable to get Woody III licensed (sticker); due to a failed Heater Core, a bad Head Gasket, and an Exhaust Manifold leak.......three items which need to be addressed before I can even GO for an emission test........and now; our useless government, has implemented a NEW test....where the machine is plugged into the cars' computer....the new system SUCKS...in that it even fails brand new cars......very unreliable.....and there are ONLY A FEW places left that still have the facility to do a tail pipe probe test.........AND, on top of that, the Ministry requires a photo of the vehicle during testing, AND of the Technician performing the test, with the vehicle in the background.....so, I am pretty much buggered, as far as getting the Silver Wagon on the road this year.....maybe ever again.....a buddy suggested that I enter it into that show, "Last Car Standing", a new show on the Discovery channel......http://www.discovery.ca/Showpage.aspx?sid=50590

The Ministry has clamped down on testing....probably because they make so much money from it....I heard that the Conservatives (if elected), want to do away with the test........I wonder what the trade off would be...?!?!? They changed the test at midnight, last new years'.....without very much publicity about it, at all......!!!

The test is COMPLETELY unfair to these cars....the parameters are set for cars with cats....mine have neither cats, nor O2 sensors, nor electronics to use the feedback....so, even putting on a cat, just for the test.....will drop the Hydro Carbons and the CO to negligible levels.....but, the Oxides of Nitrogen will be through the roof....no sensor....will have to do the work anyway.....maybe I should get it tested, as is; let it fail......then provide bills for the repair efforts (upgrades!) made to change the results of the test.......I think there might be an option for a $450 conditional pass.....

It's getting late.....Thanks for the reply ziddey...!! Gotta get some zzzzzzzzs myself.... until next time.....


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## DubbinChris (Dec 15, 2005)

Great thead man. I just sold my Fox wagon a few months ago. As much as I loved it, I just had too many cars. I did quite a few DIY threads back in the day with it.

http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?2969381-Giant-heater-core-DIY....56k-don-t-even-click-here.

http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?3344188-Started-some-front-suspension-work-today.

http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?3479864-Fox-Wagon-gets-a-brake-upgrade.

http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?3513557-Fox-Wagon-get-a-new-exhaust.

http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?4086459-Fox-Wagon-gets-some-new-tunes.


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...Winter Tire Shopping In April...*

In the first week of April.....one of my bosses at work, had said that he had a set of 4 x 100, 15" rims sitting in storage, that he had forgotten about....I think he said that they came from an '00 Acura RSX; and that he had them on a Honda, then a Golf.....he asked if I would be interested in having a look at them.....I said SURE.....why not...? He brought them in; and placed them in the backseat of a car that had been traded in for a new one, at the dealership where I work.....

The car that he put the rims in the backseat of; had brand new blizzaks on the wheels.....and a new set of all season radials in the trunk.....it was an '03 Mazda; that choked some chewy, thick blueish-white smoke out the tail pipe from the moment you turned the ignition key, until you switched it off.....this car was going to the wrecker...!!! But...not with my new snow tires on it...!!! My boss said to me, "If you want the tires from it....help yourself...you just have to pay to have them switched." 

Not intending to go winter tire shopping in April.....the prospect of getting four new Blizzaks for just over $50 was TOO GOOD to pass up...!!! All I had to do was pay the technician to switch the tires from the trunk, to the rims, and then I would be free to take the dismounted tires home with me....so, I DID...!!! Why not...?!? A set of new snow tires for fifty bucks...?!? DONE...!!! This was what I brought home,,,


.....they are 185/65 14's.....I have a set of steelies that these will fit....


....a shot of the thread....no flash....sorry for the blur....


...the tread is deep enough that I can't even get my finger to touch the bottom....in the big lugs...


....but in the back seat were the rims that my boss put there....they have an offset...


....I made a post in the "What did you do to your Fox today?" thread; and 90quattrocoupe replied that these rims will accommodate 195/R15s.....Thanks Greg...!!


...someone painted them with flat black paint.....again...(or still)....not quite sure about how I feel about that yet...


...at any rate....I picked up the rims for a hundred bucks......got the snows for another fifty...all in all.....a good day.....managed to find a place to put them for now....until I can find them useful.......but that will have to wait....until NEXT TIME....


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...Time To Get The Snows Off...*

Thanks for saying DubbinChris...!!! I wouldn't have been able to do my heater core swap without your FANTASTIC D.I.Y. thread to guide me...!! I am currently in the process of trying to get an exhaust upgrade done....but, I want to duplicate the SS Dual Downpipe that I have, before installing the both of them on my Wagons.....Thank You Very Much for the links to your upgrade projects....I look forward to making use of them soon...!!! :beer: CHEERS :beer:


Towards the end of April....it was beginning to get warmer out....on the 21st; it was time to get the snow tires off......before they MELT....I just took the first set that was easily accessible in my garage....they were quite dirty from last season; as I didn't clean them up very well, when I put them away for the winter......so I took a tin of acetone to them....with some paper towels and a few pair of rubber gloves.....the acetone will eat through the gloves after about five minutes (or less) of being in contact......the wheels cleaned up not too badly though....


These are 14" rims....from what; I'm not sure....but I had to get a set of hubcentric rings, to make them sit properly on my Foxs' hubs.... 








....without the rings....it was a TREMENDOUS PITA to try and balance the rim, while trying to line up the holes properly, and feed a bolt in....$20 well spent; to save time and aggravation.....(the ring on the rear right wheel cracked; from the extreme heat build up during last summers' agonizing brake episode...the wedge locked the shoes against the drum, etc....)

I tried to get the filth from the inside of the rims....without leaving shreds of paper towel everywhere...


I should have taken a before pic of how dirty the rims were to start.....the back of the spokes; and the recessed pocket on each spoke, didn't get a lot of attention...and are still at the original level of filth, before the acetone....around the balancing weight too...


I changed the oil on the 27th of April....it was time....I used my usual 20W50/Duralube regimen....I know additives are gimmicks etc....but I have found that this stuff really works well, to keep the top end lubed; when your oil is sitting in the pan....it takes about ten minutes longer to get heat in the car during the winter, after putting in a litre of it.....

....what a difference a set of wheels can make to a cars' appearance....in my case....it's like puttin' lipstick on a pig...!!! (pucker up!) ...until next time...


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...Another Puzzle Piece....From Flipside...*

I wrote that I bit the billfold; and bought a Stainless Steel Dual Down Pipe from Flipside Custom Fabrications.....I haven't actually posted any pics of what I received in the mail...I ordered it last summer (June 17), and had to wait an inordinately LONG time, to receive what I had paid for in advance....there were all sorts of production delays....according to Rob....but, without going into too much detail.....the pipe managed to get built, and shipped....to my house.....Rob covers shipping anywhere in the continental U.S......but, because of the delay on his end.....he covered the cost to send it to me here in Toronto...which was nice...

On the tenth of December of last year....it finally arrived...!!! Since it was about to become quite winter-like...I really couldn't do much with it until warmer weather returned...it has just become June again....and I find myself having to address other issues, before being able to turn my attentions to getting this component installed....but, here are some pics of Robs' work....


I considered quite a few things before justifying the expenditure to myself...I consulted my logbook to see how many entries were exhaust related over the years...and after that....decided that stainless would be a worthwhile investment....


I thought about perhaps having a local muffler shop TRY to put something together for me.....but, then, considered how much they would charge me to "learn" how to fabricate a Fox Dual Down Pipe set up....after visiting the Flipside site; learned that Rob has made over Fifty of these gems....PERSONALLY.....I thought that this would be the proper way to go.....relying upon Robs' previously proven, expertise.....


I recall Rob stating that part of the delay was due to the guy who cuts the flanges for him....apparently there were some health issues on that front....and the water-cut flanges were delayed in their scheduled delivery deadline....


Of course, I have yet to install this component on either one of my Wagons....so, I cannot report on any fitment updates as yet....


...looks like there is a small pinhole, just to the left of the weld on the upper pipe......hmmmmm....I am not too concerned for the moment.....I have an idea.....


I think I took these pics near the end of April....mes0cycl0ne was considering an exhaust upgrade....and was looking for a source for Dual Downpipes....I sent him a link....

....looks as though Rob MISSED a weld....on the right pipe, inside the flange...!!! Again...I have an idea....

....as you can see, I was trying to balance the dual port manifold, on the downpipe, to get a pic....the pipe is quite light.....the manifold.....not so much....


.....a slightly different angle....tried to line up the flanges a little better...


....before I install this....I would like to get it duplicated.....


...my friend ED, at Vangro Welding, says he knows a guy who specializes in stainless (perhaps HE can fix the pinhole and finish the weld on the dual port flange)....I will have to let some more money accumulate in my bank account, before I can make this happen...


....the single pipe end...


....and a shot of the welds around the dual pipe flange.....


.....the other side of the flange...


The pouring rain has subsided for now....I have to go and clean out the guck from the eavestrough before it rains again....otherwise my garage will flood...which has already begun.......at the beginning of May....I pulled up the carpet in my white '87 Wagon, in preparation for some welding....what was beneath the carpet.....wasn't very much at all....but that will have to wait....until NEXT TIME....


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*....Swiss Heritage....?!?*

Cleaning the decomposing sludge from the eavestrough was more fun than I could possibly put in to words; but, the wonderful aroma; reminiscent of a grade seven science project (closed ECO system), garners honourable mention......I really must apologize with respect to getting my events posted in a timely fashion....as of late, I have had to become re-acquainted, with the related time constraints, of being fortunate enough to enjoy: female company....a couple of my young lady friends (in their 30s) have been frequenting my garage....a VERY welcome distraction to be SURE....but, it has been kind of hindering my progress....with regards to my Foxes (hmmm) anyway.... 

On May fifth, a Sunday which I took my time getting off my butt to pull the carpet in my '87 Wagon....(I was distracted by the above mentioned phenomena on the Saturday)....at least there was some light out when I started....here we go....*CAUTION*....some of you may think me even MORE of a lunatic...(as if!)...after seeing these pics, and reading this post... 

A shot of the rear floor, behind the drivers' seat....the bright light seen through the carpet is just a glimpse of what is to follow... 
 
...the yellow stuff is just foam crumbs from my '82 Scirocco seat..... 

...there was a SERIOUS contour going on behind the drivers' seat....looked like it wasn't supposed to BE like that... 
 

....then...zoom out to the passenger side door; for a shot of the task at hand.... 
 

...I should declare that my passenger seat has been sitting in the garage for over a year now...probably closer to 18 months.....I was just diggin' the loads of room up front...but, what I later realized....was that the floor....would NOT have been able to support the weight of the seat...PLUS the mass of a passenger....thank goodness for GUT FEELINGS.....!!! 

....this is the underside of the drivers' side door sill.....I recall having ED weld that rail in there about SIX years ago; just to keep my seat from BOUNCING when I went over any rough pavement....the drivers' seat was about an inch and a half LOWER than the passenger seat......!!! 
 

...the rail ends just by the drivers' left knee...the ROT and DETERIORATION however.....does not..... 
 

....the other end of the rail...towards the rear of the car.....kinda looks as though the floor is pretty much being held in by the brake lines.... 
 
....WISH THAT WAS A JOKE...!!! 

....right next to the parking brake cable.....between the rusted edges....that IS the fibrous insulating material between the floor and the carpet..... 
 

...a shot of the underside of the drivers' floor pan...or of what remains of it anyway.... 
 
....the marshmallowy stuff is Great Stuff insulating foam...good for filling gaps....also good for retaining moisture....unless properly sealed....which as you can plainly see....I did NOT....what a mess.....!!! (in my defense; a GREAT DEAL of this decay had manifested itself before I actually owned the car....it has taken me until NOW......with a lot of inspiration from YOU gents;.....to actually become aware; that this thing is disintegrating beneath me; and to muster the will to confront it; and do something about it......this car is EMISSION EXEMPT....IT MUST SURVIVE....!!!) 

.....I......REALLY....NEED.....TO....LEARN ...TO....WELD.....!!! I think this has made my need very real.........(more to follow on that).... 

....time to start removing things..... like those vents that direct heat, to the floor of the rear passenger foot well.... 
 

....the jagged loveliness awaits me..... 
 

....NO...WAIT....without the flash....that's a conduit to another level of existence.......nope....just another perforation..... 
 

...17 mm socket...off with the seat belt anchor....I put the bolt back in, and the cap back on, after I took up the carpet....just so I know where they are... 
 

....Alright....it's time...!! ....pulled off the door seal....enough to let the carpet free up....exposing some stereo cables.....(if you get a chance to pick up one of those ABSORBER items in the pic; I highly recommend it...BEST Chamois you can buy!! I use them at work, not on my cars; mine never get washed....the DIRT is what's holding them together...!!) 
 

...removing the seal towards the front of the door...freeing the carpet further....up to the dash... 
 

...removing the middle console........(smoke much?) 
 

...my naked shifter....with a plate made from sintra.....(extruded foam, sign making media)... 
 

....its' mate; the cover plate....my answer to the deteriorated accordion/bellows shifter boot modification.....actually works quite well...fits perfectly (cuz I cut it that way) into the plastic clip that anchors the bottom portion of the bellows; the other plate moves beneath it to conceal any gaps....I took measurements to be able to duplicate the plates; in case anyone might be interested....I had an idea of using an inverted, modified, cigar tube to cover the spring....just never got that far....before something.....MORE PRESSING.....revealed itself.........the prototype works well....so well, that I haven't removed it to make copies..... 
 
....anyway; that was supposed to be a post for another thread.... 

....took out the bolt that keeps the seat from sliding all the way back out of the tracks...and removed the seat... 
 

...removed the drivers' seat belt anchor rail... 
 

....and that plastic stopper that is beneath the accelerator pedal... 
 

...had to get creative with the knife....didn't feel up to removing the dash to find the top edge of the carpet...I did the same thing to my other Wagon; when I removed the carpet for a similar purpose....I guess I will find out where I cut it; when I remove the dash, to do the Heater Core on it very SOON...!! 
 

....got the leading edge of the carpet up; all across the front... 
 

...got it past the shifter... 
 

...and the parking brake....just gotta pull it all the way out of the car now.... 
 

...and there it is....out of the car....as you can barely see...it is DARK out again....by this time...I could barely see....I was heavily into the beers...and determined to get the floor ready to be welded...getting the carpet out was only a SMALL step... 
 

....awww; maaaaaannn....?!? Damn....!!! As much as I HATE to do this to you, Dear Reader; it is fast approaching 3 am....I hafta say....I must interrupt this segment....gotta end it here.....more to follow....until NEXT TIME....


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...Under Rug Rot...!!!*

I can't remember exactly what time I got the rug out (maybe 10:30 pm)....but, once I did.....I realized I wasn't going to get very much sleep that night...so....I cracked another beer....and got my camera out.....and took some time to reflect upon how long I have been driving around with my TRAP DOOR FLOOR...!!! 

This growth of insulating foam was the first thing that caught my eye with the carpet out.... 
 

....I think that there might be a tiny sliver of metal (maybe 4 mm wide), that is still actually connected...the cable is obscuring the spot.... 
 

....a shot of the area; after I removed the foam....it was stuck on there quite well...but, came away easily with a scraper..... 
 

....flashlight through the floor.... 
 

....that's some SERIOUS ROT...!!! The gap is ~1 1/2" to 2".....and yes....that IS my exhaust pipe to the far right of the pic....thanks for noticing...!! 
 

...a candid, worms'-eye-view shot.......very appropriate.....as I was PRETTY BLURRY during this whole procedure anyway.......!!! 
 

....well....at least all the IMPORTANT stuff is still connected...... 
 

...this is the gap behind the drivers' seat....also substantial....~1 1/2" to 2 3/4" in the corner to the right of the shot... 
 

....the opposing corner on the right side....the entire rear seam.....seemingly disintegrated.....(except for that 4 mm wide sliver of metal; still connected at the hump) 
 

....this is behind the drivers' seat; next to the hump.......a shot in the previous post; referred to the underside, noting, ...the ability to see the, "...fibrous insulating material...".....this is the same area from inside the cabin.... 
 

...the debris......I saved the pieces of insulation......I think I'm just going to cut new pieces from carpet under padding that I got from Home Depot; leftover from when I did the same to my other Wagon... 
 

....alright....enough of the seemingly deteriorated rear seam....get a load of THIS...!!! 
 

.....how many FINGERS...?!?!? 
 

....I started to sweep up the crap inside of the car....then I thought to myself, "....what the hell am I doing...?" then just swept the remnants through one of SEVERAL gaps in the floor... 
 
...it was easier to just sweep it all up after I was finished making a mess... 

....a shot from under the car; the 500 W work light is in the cabin....no flash... 
 

....the drivers' side floor...after I got to it with a wire brush...I became progressively more selective with what I took away....I still had to PILOT this thing once more...to get it to the welding shop in a few hours....!! 
 

....the rear passenger floor area....after some sweeping.... 
 

....now to the front passenger section....or what remains........this is the RANDOM passenger eject system....... 
 
....probably SHOULDN'T be able to see the right front mudguard.....................^! 

...who needs A/C with this Free Flow Air venting...?!? (not ministry sanctioned!) ...no foot tapping...!! 
 

.....and increased weight reduction.... 
 

...by a factor of......RUST....!!! 
 

...one of the last shots I took that night/morning......of the drivers' side floor pan, seat removed... 
 

...one of the entire floor pan.... 
 

...but, I thought it might be interesting to see the "negative" aspect of the floor....with NO FLASH.....and some back lighting....or sub-lighting perhaps.... 
 

...one last shot of the mess that dropped behind the front left wheel.... 
 

I managed to close my eyes for a VERY short period of time; before having to greet the day....I got the patient to the doctor...in one of the most interesting rides I have ever had in any of my Foxes....but, that will have to wait...until NEXT TIME....


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## germanpettingzoo (Jun 3, 2013)

Jesus H... that's a good amount of rust you got goin' on. Makes me afraid to pull up my carpet lol. It's like a TV series - waiting for the next episode to see how it turns out


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

Thanks for saying Justin...!! There IS a great deal of rust to contend with....a lot of it was there when I got the car....but, I certainly haven't helped things, by taking nine years to pull up the carpet; and see what's going on under there......I did have the drivers' side carpet up about six years ago....to have the floor shored up...but, didn't protect it well...it deteriorated.....I knew nothing about tending to rust back then, (I didn't even HAVE a computer); almost 4 years ago, I bought my first laptop...have a couple of them now....joined the Vortex.....met all YOU GUYS.....have learned a great deal more than I knew.....and now I get a second chance....still sooooo much to learn....just when I think I have figured something out....I realize how LITTLE I actually know.....(kinda like golf!)....GLAD that you have tuned in...!!!

I think the time stamp on the last pic that I took was 5:45 am...after putting my toys away...and cleaning up the serious mess that I made.....it was closer to 6:30 in the morning....I am supposed to be at the welders' shop at 8:30.....one of my rituals includes having a wind down beer; after the tools are away, mess dealt with.....can't break tradition, just because of the early hour.....besides...I was thinking I would be needing a little liquid courage; to pilot this bottomless Fox, to the Surgeon, in a couple hours.....

I set a crazy-ass barrage of alarms on my phone...five different ringtones....each in the successive minute....it made quite a racket....plus, I set it on the other side of my room....so I had to get out of bed to silence the disturbance.....it worked though....my brain felt as though I merely blinked....my eyes felt as though they had been staring at the sun....and my tears were made of vinegar.....a pleasant sensation....to say the least....but it mattered not....for I was AWAKE...!!

I stumbled through my morning routine as best I could.....collected my fecal matter; and got out to the driveway...put my lunch cooler on the backseat.....not the floor....WOW....seeing the GAPS in the floor, in the DAYLIGHT, made me realize how very close to the wire this operation is going to be....I had to put my rubber floor mats over the gaping holes in the floor....one on the drivers' side foot well....too keep my heels from getting stuck in the jagged metal....and the other one on the floor of the rear right passengers' foot well...curled halfway up the vertical part....just to keep the peripheral distraction to a minimum....

Started Woody II up....and off we went.....I'm glad I didn't have any loose change kicking around.....I would certainly have LOST IT to the road......for a couple of weeks prior to doing this...I had noticed a strong FUEL smell coming form the car....but, I couldn't figure the source....I quickly realized that the carpet isn't much of a vapour barrier.....without the carpet in place.....which was, quite literally, behaving like a HAMMOCK....I could see, hear, and smell things that I probably shouldn't be able to....it kind of felt, I suppose, what taking a Fox to the track, would be like....no insulating material on the floor....bare bones....but, at least those cars would be track worthy.....this thing is barely TREK worthy.....

The ride was so much more animated; than any other time I had driven it....NO WONDER I could hear the splash of the tires going through puddles so easily.....the road noise, of tires on wet pavement....so very VIVID....now, I know why....the carpet was the only thing keeping ME from getting splashed....!!

I really do apologize for not having a video of a portion of this escapade....I was probably impaired; by legal definition, in that I had not enjoyed the proper amount of sleep, to operate a vehicle safely....this thought made its' way into my head.....underlining the importance of avoiding all law enforcement vehicles....(I just don't think they would understand)....it took pretty much all of my concentration to get my perforated , pre-preserved, piece of self-propelled, perseverance; to the shop on time.....I mean....driving it was basically the same....but, the DISTRACTIONS......the visual of moving pavement beneath me.....in not just ONE spot....but, pretty much TWO THIRDS of the floor pan...! This.....was something that I wasn't quite accustomed to.....I missed the opportunity to capture some unique footage....oh well....hopefully I DON'T get that opportunity ever again....but who knows....? I live in the land of caustic slushies....acid rain aside....

Once I managed to brave the ride....I had to say good-bye to Woody for a week...I left my Wagon, in good hands, with Ed....who was going to put the floor back in.....piece by piece....I was actually very curious; of how he was going to go about doing so...

The following day....I didn't get a chance to go visit, until after I finished work....I don't know what I was expecting to see...just some progress I suppose....when I got to the welding shop....Ed was gone for the day...I knew he finished about 4:30....I got to his place around 6:45.....the gate to the yard was closed....I left my loaner at the gate and walked in.....Woody was backed up onto a ramp (that Ed made) that allowed the underside of a vehicle to be accessed....sort of like an "on deck circle"....he only has one hoist....it was being used....since I have a spare key....I opened the door to take a couple pics of what he had done so far...

...this is the rear passenger floor seam, right side...looks like he just tacked in an angle bracket to keep the floor at a constant height.....

....on the hump....he did the same....


...when I got home....I still had some cleaning up to do....left over from the hasty departure that morning....there was the mess of under padding and insulating material that had been marinating in a wonderful road salt/brine solution; courtesy of the gaping holes in my floor pan, and the Ministry of Transportation....they dried out a little bit....


...a shot of my loaner Elantra; courtesy of one of the MANY Chiefs at my work.....(I AM the ONLY Indian)...the ride was mundane....the AM radio....fitting....I did enjoy getting to and from work for the week; even though it cost me $20 to go 78 km....(I didn't even notice the birds had done some decorating...)


It got really busy at work for the next couple of days....I drove by the welding shop on the Wednesday....but, didn't see Woody backed up on the ramp.....it must be TIME....I figured ED did the couple of angle iron welds....then a whole bunch of measuring, and cutting of pieces to fit....but, that will have to wait....until NEXT time....


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...been away for awhile...*

I have been getting caught up in life again.....it happens from time to time....I enjoyed a CRAZY weekend on the Canada Day weekend, in Port Credit....rented a room on the waterfront....and consumed MASS quantities, as it were.....had a nice view....


...pan right...


...and right further still...


...a picturesque sunset....


...and some carnival-type night life.....


In an effort to keep this post somewhat Fox related....at the lower part of the image; second car in....sits Woody II....I forced him to come out and make the journey with a very leaky radiator....and a propensity for overheating in traffic....apart from that....he was happy to cart everything needed for a RIDICULOUS weekend of complete debauchery....which apparently I was in great need of....

Since we had already signed up for a pretty penny for the room....we brought along as much food as we needed for the weekend....I resigned myself to being the cook/host/cleaner, and never had so much fun doing so...the requirements were pretty slack though...

....surprisingly tasty....and suitable for the inebriated palette...

...the means for eluding sobriety included a forty of Bacardi's (for Mojitos), a few cases of beer, and a mickey of Tequila (which never got touched)......I ended up throwing a half dozen raspberries into one of my concoctions....it looked like an ecosystem...but I couldn't taste any of the 2 ozs. of hooch within....treacherous....!!!


On the holiday Monday....there was a parade at 10:30 in the morning....didn't have much choice but to check it out....there were a bunch of old cars....here is a link...
http://s1106.photobucket.com/user/KRAMMITT/library/Canada Day?sort=2&page=1

I didn't want to leave this surreal respite from reality....so we stayed another day...went to work from there on the following day...spent the rest of the week getting a grip on my world after a weekend of binge drinking.....then, on Monday July 8th....as I was going for my lunch break at 5:45 pm.....it happens....an incredible storm.......I tried to get a quick shot of the covering darkness...but, my flash went off, distorting the visual....there is only a slight line of sunshine on the horizon....at 6 pm....in the middle of summer....in Toronto...

The darkness is attributed to the MASSIVE cloud cover that haunted T.O. for a good five hours....dropping over 130 mm of rain in that time....about FOUR FEET of water....the power was out just about everywhere....power lines were down.....road ways flooded out....quite a mess...

There was a TREMENDOUS amount of flooding in the rear lot of my dealership.......basically cutting our inventory in HALF.......this FR-S got written off, due to water damage....the water level reached the top of the doors....

....maybe I should have kept the car with the wooden paneling....called it the Ark.....

...I didn't get to fix my radiator that night either.....and the next day....I was playing radiator Russian roulette....wondering if THIS turn of the key is the beginning of an overheated, coolant-purging commute.....or the next one...or the next one.... I was in the store for five minutes....and I came out to see this.....wonderful sight....


I took a couple of pics in rapid succession...to see if I could catch a drip falling...........I did....


....it's dripping at a pretty steady rate too....


There are more pics on the flood at work; the work on my floor, and some more pics of my radiator re & re....but...that will have to wait....until NEXT time....


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## myboxyfox (Nov 27, 2011)

So you have a rad, right? I have a couple extra if you need, PM me. 
If you have one already.....then what are you waiting for, a cooked motor? :sly:


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...a lot has gone down....*

Wow....it has been almost two months since my last post.....a lot has transpired in the interim....I have been dealing with severe changes at work....and a couple other places, etc.....won't bore you guys with the gory details.....but, suffice it to say that I am still alive and formulating my next approach to keeping Woody II alive.....he is currently going strong...developed a bit of an oil leak from the head gasket, just behind the first cylinder...but, closing in on the 400,000 km mark....I need to change the fuel filter, and perhaps the related fuel lines....I gouged my SKULL on the hoist, while cleaning up the fallen rust from my inspection procedure......just a flesh wound really....just over 10 days into healing....probably should have gone for stitches....but, I had way too much work to do; to just sit, and wait for medical attention....(too bad our previous receptionist [Me'ron] wasn't there....she was studying to be a nurse; and, she has patched me up a couple of times...!! I MISS HER DEARLY; as I have a propensity for messing myself up, in the line of duty, at work!!)

Thank You very kindly for the offer on the radiators Jon....!! I had a couple spares sitting in Woody I, for future consideration (post #155)....I had the both of them to choose from...I used the one that still had the fan and shroud still attached....I retrieved them in January I think....I did the swap around July 10th....there's a whack of pix to that procedure....but, my photobucket account is full....had to create another account to keep on Foxin......but that will have to wait....until NEXT TIME....


INSERTION: Somewhere around the end of June.....I noticed that my right front side marker lens was half full of water....I just used a small drill bit; and spun it between my fingers, long enough to make a small drain hole in the brittle lens......



....an added bonus....now there are fewer electrical shenanigans; without the bulb marinating in water while it is lit.....go figure....


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*Wow...where to get back on track...*

Wow...it is very surprising....how little the brain works....when it has been starved for the appropriate amount.....of necessary blood flow.....due to other parts of the body....hoarding the hemoglobin........THIS must be how females, are able to influence males, to do their bidding...!!! .....now that I have some circulation again.......perhaps I can get back on track with respect to becoming up to date on my thread....my internet connection has been down for the last ten days....but my attentions have been diverted for a lot longer than that.... 

A lot has happened since I last made a post in my thread....about 10 days ago...I made a post on the, "What did you do to your Fox today?" thread; with a couple images of rear wheels....then a horribly cancer-ridden, rear left shock tower....perhaps some of you saw the pic.....I am still in disbelief....here is a slightly different angle....just to demostrate the severity of the deterioration....

....ever rip the top off of an empty beer can...? Looks quite similar....don't you think...?!?  :what: 

I have a number of pics to add to this segment of my saga....but, I don't want to get ahead of myself......sorry for the tease....I have several shots of the rot and the repair to follow....I promise to post them...i just have to get the floor segment and the radiator replacement section posted first.........

It has recently occurred to me....that the last number of posts that I have made.....have had NOTHING to do with restoration....or upgrading.....more like an itemized account of the things that have fallen off...or rotted away from my '87 Wagon.....!!! Well....I guess it has to get worse....(to gain my attention!)....before it can get better.....as you guys saw....the floor was almost completely disintegrated.....here are the pics of the floor....as reconstructed by my friend ED, at Vangro Welding....(shameless plug!)

This is the hump.....it started with the original piece that he tacked in, just to get the floor to be a consistent height.....


....the area just to the rear passengers' side of the hump....


....further towards the passenger side of the floor, in the rear....that black goop is roof tar...courtesy of EDs' son....he did some painting too...(I snuck in post-visiting hours to get these pics; the floor was more completely sealed and painted when I picked it up!)


....this shot is from the rear passenger seat; looking toward the front of the car....hey, whaddaya know....can't see the front right mudguard through the floor anymore....SWEET...!! I might even put the passenger seat back in.....nah....not for a while yet....


....the drivers' side floor....complete with a glimpse of the makeshift Sealtest Sport Seat.....


....closer shot of the drivers' side floor....near the dead foot...


...a close up of the area just beneath the pedals....


...the area behind the drivers' seat...the edge of the hump is to the left of the image...


....the area behind the drivers' seat.....closest to the door...still looking pretty cheesy....


.....floor area next to passenger seat rail, next to door....


...and this would be the drivers' side, seat anchoring rail......it has threatened to check out a couple of times on me previously....making sure this time....it is VERY disconcerting to oscillate MORE than your suspension in a corner...


These are all the pics I have of the floor for now...I have been meaning to get to further sealing the floor...it hasn't happened as yet....procrastination seems to be one of my STRONG suits......the calendar is rapidly flipping.....as it does.....especially NOW...when I don't want it to....when will I learn...?!? Late September is NOT the time to begin involved, outdoor automotive restoring, projects in the city of Toronto....I have some pics of the radiator re and re....bit of a story to that....but that will have to wait....until NEXT time....


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...Changing Of The Sludge...*

I made a post a few days ago on the , "What did you do to your Fox today?" thread....I figured it belongs here in my thread as well....upon closer inspection....the "sparkly" oil appears to be laden with metal shavings....another reason to change the differential oil again in a week or so.....best to flush all of that crap out of there....

I am pretty sure it has been at least 7 years since I have changed the hypoid gear oil in the transmission....as I have mentioned...before becoming aware of the Vortex...I had pretty much embarked on a, "Drive it til it Dies" campaign with Woody II.......as neglectful as I was....He wouldn't DIE....so....the last year has brought many operations his way....many I could not perform myself....but, this procedure, I can do after shop hours, at work...(the sales dept. stays 'til 9 pm, the shop closes at 6)......today was the day, the gearbox got new oil.....

The drain plug....looks rather undisturbed, and rusty.....


....the filler hole plug....also looks as though it hasn't been undone for a number of years....


....always a good idea to make sure you can get the filler hole plug removed First....


...then set about loosening the drain plug......I couldn't get the drain plug to budge; with just the 17 mm Allan key....I had to put the handle from a floor jack (the tool in the pic didn't work!) over the end of the key, to get it to move......looking back...there would have been NO WAY that I would have been able to exert enough force to remove the plug; while lying on my back in my driveway, with the car on axle stands...I had to give it a sturdy push, while standing, to get the plug to loosen....but it did come loose...


....I was doing this on the lube rack at work....so there was one of these close by....to catch the VERY STANKY SLUDGE, that was about to bleed out....


....READY....?!?...


.....what colour would you say that is....?


....is "Utterly Disgusting" a colour....?!? (...though it IS kinda 'sparklie'....)


...want a straw...? ....mmmmmmmmm....perhaps Olive flavoured.....? ...the world may never know...


....waited a bit for the gearbox to drain....


....when it was just trickling out...I squeezed some new oil....probably about 300 ml worth....through the transmission....until I could see the fresh oil draining out....until it was dripping clear oil into the catcher.....it was getting close to lock up time....I spent the remainder getting the new oil into the gearbox...I used a suction gun....but the tube on the end of it was not maintaining a good seal....I ended up using a small zip tie, to keep the tube fastened to the plunger...it took about four applications to squirt enough oil in, so that it was oozing out the filler hole....the gun will hold 500 ml; but, working against gravity....I couldn't get a full 500 ml to go in.......so I went with 4 x 400 ml...... worked just fine...also added some Z-max (slippery stuff!)....


I couldn't take any more pics...had to get outta Dodge, or spend the night....no thanks.....I also took a can of rubberized stone guard; and sprayed every rusted spot I could find, under the car, while I had it up on the hoist.....I was pretty happy with the results......though I ran out of spray before covering all the afflicted areas....

The ride home seemed a wee bit quieter, as far as tranny noise goes.....there is a distinct difference....though I was unable to tell a whole lot, in the brief ride home....but the short highway blast was VERY FUN....backed off at a buck thirty....(km, of course)!!!

I still have a few more pics of the floor....and also a bunch of shots from the radiator re and re....and a bit of a write up on the rear shock tower reconstructions.....but that will have to wait....until NEXT time....


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...Finished Floor Fotos...*

Last weekend; we had some decent weather here in Toronto, so I decided to try and get the floor in the cabin back in order somewhat...it has been a mess all summer....ever since I pulled the carpet up to have the floor welded back in to the car; at the beginning of May....since I had the carpet out already.....I thought I might as well give it a bit of a cleansing....got out the power washer and a short bristled push broom with a little Palmolive dish soap....


...I put down enough soap to make a bit of a lather....


....took the brush to it, and scrubbed what I could, to get the years of accumulated silt out of the carpet.....


....then blasted all the sludge out with the Karcher....dirt soup comes to mind.....then let I let the carpet bask in the sun on the hood of Woodrow the Third....


While the carpet was drying, my attention turned to the floor....I swept all the debris out from the floor of the cabin....took a spray bottle of isopropyl alcohol and some paper towels and went around the whole floor, removing any lingering dust, grease, dirt, etc., that would inhibit paint adhesion...the corner where I have previously stated that it still looked a little "cheesy" after the floor reconstruction (corner behind drivers' seat)....looks a little better now....


....the opposing corner on the rear passenger side foot well....


...the passenger side floor...


....and an overall shot of the floor....


...Though it certainly isn't 'factory'......it's still WAAAAAAY better than it was....I won't have to rely on my carpet; to be the last line of defense against the elements anymore.....so I have THAT going for me.....which is NICE......I am still not 'Out Of The Woods' as yet.....though the floor has been made "Frisch und Fest".....the underside of the hull is still a bit of a horror show....while I was under the car; changing the oil in the transmission....I took a couple pics of the decaying rot that IS Woody II.....this pic is of the underside of the hull; just behind the front left wheel....though it is ALL the same rusty colour....the newer, smoother metal....easily visible through the lovely, crusty, rusty, jagged metal; is actually the new floor pieces that Ed welded back in there....

I intentionally did not coat this area with the rubberized stone guard spray; because I have One more appointment with the Surgeon to shore up the underside of Woody II....I recall this one particular area was a problem on Woodrow the Third; hopefully Woody II is not too far gone for reconstruction...Ed has been doing a pretty good job so far...

...this is the area behind the front right wheel...also not coated for the same reason....

....the newer red metal....clearly visible through the jagged remnants....

...the passenger side of the car....from about midway, looking forward.....

...clearly obvious what is NEW.....and what is DUE....to be brought into THIS century....

....and the drivers' side....same vantage point....

...again, the red metal above the rusty spots; indicating the bottom of the newly installed floor pieces...last February 8th; there was a sizeable snowstorm....dropped 20" on the GTA.....on my way home from work that night; I felt something hit my foot as I plowed though an exceptionally deep part of the gulag.....the next day I found a squashed grapefruit sized snow cone under my floor mat...!!! It appears that the gaping wound in the underside of my hull; PLANED off a layer of snow to bring into the cabin; to perhaps offset the wonderfully arid heat, being billowed out of my newly installed heater core; by bringing into the cabin some moisture, in the form of SNOW...?!? Okay, that's a bit of a s t r e t c h !! 

But, suffice it to say, that I have at least found the problem......and hopefully, seeing as this IS my winter car.....I can find the resources to get the hull shored up before snowfall....!!! I still have a bunch of pics to post from the July 10th rad job; but, that will have to wait...until NEXT time.....


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...July 10th Rad Job...*

I figure I had better get on this before something ELSE happens that will require my immediate attention....after the ridiculous amount of water that fell on Toronto back on July 8th (some dude abandoned his $325,000 Ferrari !!), the power was out at my place until about 11:30 am....I had no alarms, clocks, phones....came to about eleven o'clock and scrambled to get to work, late as I was....that picture of the puddle beneath the front of my car, due to the leaking rad...was taken this day...so, on top of the climate at work being Very Unsettled....I wasn't happy cuz my Fox was sick......

I resolved that I was going to replace the rad in my car that night...NO MATTER WHAT....because this was the last chance, before frying the motor...the head gasket is already leaking oil....so when I finished work...I picked up some beer for the procedure, on my way home.....I had the two rads to choose from; that I retrieved from Woody I, the previous January...


I ended up using the unit that has the shroud still attached to it....


Fortunately, this procedure didn't involve raising the vehicle....not having to move that Jack, leaves me extra energy for drinking....removal wasn't going to be that much of a problem....the rad wasn't being held in there by very much at all...more zip ties than mounts....like the two holding in the new, coroplast, shroud I put in a couple of weeks prior...


...undo the bottom rad hose and drain the severely diluted coolant....probably only has a green tinge to it due to the colour of the inside of the corroded rad....


....how do you get these off again..?


...CUT...CUT...CUT...


...here too...


....disconnect the return line to the reservoir...


...disconnect the upper rad hose...


....unplug the rad fan...


....unplug the Thermo-time switch...


....try to undo the bottom rad mount...lots of penetrating oil/fluid....the rubber mount was reluctant to let the nut loosen from the stud, by absorbing any torque applied to the nut....I needed to re-use this mount; as I planned poorly, and didn't have a replacement handy....


...free the cables from the shroud...


....now for the fun part....trying to get this to undo...


...there wasn't a lot of room to get a wrench in there, if you did, no motion....


...I ended up uttering a few magic words; without the wrench.....both mitts on the rad.....it came out....


....this is supposed to be attached, isn't it...?


....guess I have found where my coolant has been escaping...there is a good 4"-5" that isn't connected...


...the newer replacement rad...


...and where it needs to be installed...


...now, by this time...I have had a few beers...it was about 29 C over night temps....and I was doing my best to stay hydrated...and I needed....


....to get...


...this OFF; without hurting the mount....


....it was a struggle...but, eventually...


.....I won out....

...I did end up mashing the mount though....so maybe the mount won...

....time to line things up again for installation....


.....bet you're wondering how the hell I took THIS shot.....


.....and this one....


....and THIS one....


.....AND this one....


....and this ONE...


.....I had a helper....she decided to stay up and help me take pics, get beer, fetch tools...quite a nice thing really...I highly recommend getting one...


...she did however....


...get; somewhat trigger happy....


....with my camera....!!


Time to (zip?) tie things up...


....had to get creative around the side mount.....


....and the final, installed shot....


I have since, re-installed my makeshift rad shroud and all is well....the time that I finished however, with all the carryings-on that transpired that evening...was fast approaching 5:30 in the morning...after getting cleaned up...there were MORE carryings-on...and now the hour was about 7 am...I sat on the end of my bed and passed out until around ONE-THIRTY in the afternoon....I am supposed to be at work at 9:30 am......WHOOPS...!!! Surprisingly....I still have a job there....my friend ended up going to work and endured the whole day on empty....I neglected to go into work on time due to extreme exhaustion....would I do it again?...the same way....?!? You Betcha!!!

The Rad is performing well...the fan comes on for about 12 seconds, in intervals, when the temp gets about 7/8 ths the way up the gauge....usually in standing traffic, after running for a while....the heat in the cabin is still quite nice....I was distressed when I wasn't getting heat inside; due to lack of coolant in the system...because I had a serious leak....I am glad that I have fixed the problem....and can enjoy some more years of motoring without a leaking rad....

Gotta check my pics to see what's next up.....I have a feeling that it has something to do with the rear shock towers....but that will have to wait...until NEXT time......


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## germanpettingzoo (Jun 3, 2013)

> ....now for the fun part....trying to get this to undo...


Hm, when I pulled my rad I didn't even touch that. I look at it, wiggled the rad and realised it's not attached, therefore it doesn't matter. But on mine a lot of things aren't attached. I thought maybe it was just a vibration related cushion of sorts? Either way, I took everything else out and mine slid right out (except the part where I had to use a drill to hold it halfway out of the car to answer the phone but that's ok).

As always, a fun read. Moar! :thumbup:


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...Last Day Of Week Off...*

BWHAHAHahahaha Justin...!! You are Hilarious...!! Thank you so much for the Jefferey the Snail bit!! I laughed out loud for a couple minutes...!!! Thanks for keeping an eye on my thread...!! I hope you have as much amusement for doing so...!! ...And as far as girlfriends go....I have found that it takes a VERY certain type of woman that can understand a mans' LOVE for a Fox....and realize that she may always be Second best in his mind....!!! Don't search for them....they will seek you....!!! Franz Kafka: "Women are traps, which lie in wait for men everywhere, in order to drag them down into the Finite." ...I believe the quote to have some bearing.... 

During the first week of September....I took a week off from work, to try and get some things done on my Wagons.......that was my PLAN.....but, of course, as life unfolds....things DO actually go according to Plan.....just NOT the one that you had in MIND......the weather was good all week...and I found myself getting distracted from my goal (which was to get some $hiite done!); ....but instead found myself cleaning up my garage....there has been about 6-7 years worth of accumulation of crap...and it was time to sort through it all....or most of it anyway....after the Third consecutive day of wallowing in the mire...I had decided that this was as good as it was gonna get, for now; and turned my attention to Woody II....he has a tremendous amount of cancer around the rear wheel arches....a couple of weeks previously....I had noticed one of the many contributors to the reason.... 

...while I was on a lunch break one day, I had a close look at the front edge of the rear left wheel well....this was one of the last nice days of weather left, to tend to the problem....so on my LAST day of vacation from work....put the ass end up in the air; took the wheels off, got my camera and saw THIS....

...about a 3" wide strip of loose metal, almost a foot long....loose...just hanging there....

....one of the drywall screws that I used to keep the Plastic Jetta Wheel Arch Mouldings fastened; seems to be keeping that loose piece in place....


....this was when I looked UP....and saw the deteriorated rear left shock tower....at the time...I didn't realize that the black segment between the rusty edges, was the back of the carpet in the rear cargo area....


...note how it is ONLY 3/4" - 1" wide of a gap at this point....


....at the time....I FAILED to recognize the severity of the rot....I knew it wasn't good....but, didn't realize it was that BAD....the other end of the rip....


....stopped here....for the moment....


....a whole lotta crap fell away from the underside....as I was just prodding and scraping....


...then I just got in there with a wire brush, safety glasses, and an attitude....tried to get anything loose to come off....


....more scraping....


....scraped the area of the rot....not even really sure (at this point), what I was going to do about that....


....though I still scraped the area, in anticipation of whatever was going to happen to it....


....might as well do the right side too....while I have it up in the air...I'm already dirty...


....the rear area of the right side well...doesn't seem to be as bad as the left side....


....the right side shock area....you can see, near the lowest coil....the area that is rotting....a stress fracture that is just waiting to evolve into the state that the left side has already achieved....


....the front area of the rear right wheel well....is quite in line with the deterioration that has befallen the left side....you can see the need for my implementation of the Jetta Wheel Arch Mouldings...without them....this car would SURELY catch the attention of the MTO boys (Gov't Vehicles with Green Markings; Have MORE POWER than the O.P.P.; wrt removing unsafe vehicles from the road!).....the use of the mouldings has alleviated me from having to rebuild the arch; as I did for Woody III....it was a quick fix...that still seems to be working...


....a lovely pile of debris from the left side prep....


...this was from the right side...


....I very liberally applied healthy brushfulls of that rust reformer; the green acid that accelerates the rusting process, then halts it to leave bare metal....


...to all the areas....


....that I scraped with the wire brush...


.....the rear right well...


....behind the shock...


.....and the rotted area towards the front of the right rear wheel well...


....remembering what I had taught myself a couple of summers ago...I got out the fibreglass drywall tape; and began to reconstruct the inside of the wheel well....also recalling that the adhesive of the tape is quite weak.....it does not have the aggressive tack required to support the weight of the fibreglass mat or cloth, when it has been soaked in resin....


....so I applied the drywall tape to my liking.....here....


....and here....


....and here...


I mixed up about four batches of resin, two ounces each (I have found that IF I try to work with more than this amount at a time; it will set before I get to put it to where it needs to go): to coat the drywall tape, and adhere it to the car...while it was properly setting....which takes about ninety minutes for it to be tack free....if mixing ratios were correct....it was clouding over and beginning a light drizzle.....sooooooooper....that's what I get for putting things off 'til the last minute......!!!

I wasn't that concerned that it was raining....my work was in no danger of getting wet; as it was shielded by the body of the car....but the added humidity in the air, could retard drying time.....my Helper showed up in the nick of time....she offered to hold the umbrella over me while I applied the strips of fibreglass to the taped areas...which was NICE...(again, highly recommend getting one!)...I surprised myself with my method and execution....it was quite efficient and effective....I was unable to take any more pics that day....it was raining too hard...I didn't feel like getting my camera wet.....though the resin did set....

The next day had me getting back into the swing of things by being back at work....but, I used that to my advantage, to scoop a loaner car to use while Woody II went to go see the Surgeon again....but, that will have to wait...until NEXT time....


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...the next day...*

Before I went to work the next day; I took Woody II to the welding shop...in the hopes that Ed would be able to save my car, and make it somewhat road worthy again......

I wasn't daring or brave enough to take the highway this time....I stuck to the back streets to get to Dundas St.....much to my dismay....I had to take Shaver Street...!!! A north-south street connecting Burnhamthorpe Rd. to Dundas St.....Shaver is littered with speed bumps...not little ones either....the large kind that allow the Fox to sit on the bump entirely, before letting the front wheels touch down again....this street is VERY aptly named; in that, repeated traversal, will SHAVE YEARS off of the life of your car...!!! Because I hadn't taken up the carpet in the rear cargo area as yet; I had no idea how true that moniker turns out to be...

....when I got there....the left side was sitting pretty low....


....the right side looks like this....


....I was in a hurry to get to work....so I pulled up the carpet to get the towers exposed so that they could be heated without the carpet catching fire....when I got the carpet up.....kinda had the wind knocked outta my sails by what I saw....


.....a close up of the part that really had me worried....


....this gap was only 3/4" to an inch wide last night....!!


...I tried to get shots from a couple of different angles.....


....this one shows the wheel well tearing away from the inner body of the car...


...I brought along my cordless impact gun, just in case he needed the shock removed; turns out he said, "NO...I need it connected....".....


..."....the right side intact...?" "For Now...." "I'll just take measurements from the right side....and make the left side the same...." This was the right side....(I had him patch that up too)...


....good thing I changed the shocks last summer...mind you...that probably hastened the deterioration of the rotting well....


....I was worried about alignment issues...this looks pretty outta whack....


....I left my Wagon with Ed for about a week...I was starting to experience separation anxiety....I was hoping there were to be no complications during surgery...I ended up touring around in a '98 Corolla for the week...I was happy to finally get my Wagon back....but that will have to wait...until NEXT time.....


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...Woody II Survives...*

It was pretty much seven days later; that I got the call from Diane (Eds' Wife), to come and pick my car up...I was anxious to get my car back; so, I cleared it with one of my bosses, to duck out for twenty minutes or so...Vangro is only 5 km west of my work...so I wasn't gone long...(sometimes it's handy to have more than one boss; you can ask the one that will give the favourable response..!!).....

However....when I drove off of Eds' lot...I noticed a big difference....something was RUBBING....well.....this will not do....but, I didn't have time to mess about with it now....had to get back to work...I didn't get a chance to take any pics.........that is until I got home of course......I had a feeling that I would have to undo the rear left shock anyway....it didn't look like it was sitting correctly in those pics with the torn tower....the spring wasn't seated properly; due to all the twisting, I am guessing....

...here are some shots that I took when I got it home and up on the tall blue axle stands that I have; they hold the car up high enough in the air to let the rear suspension drop.....this looks to be a WEE bit too close....


....I tried to get a shot of where the lower spring seat was rubbing....but, instead, got a terrifically detailed shot of the jagged metal that USED to be my rear shock tower....


...another approach I tried was a blind shot from below; just point n shoot....again, the macro feature decided to focus on the foreground (as it does); but, towards the top left of the pic....you can see that there is some interference between the lower spring seat, and the inside of the wheel well/shock tower....


....driving with it like this; made it sound like I had LEAF SPRING suspension, with all the squeaking and rubbing....


...a hole in my spare tire well got patched...


...this is what it looks like now....looks like hell; but, probably the strongest part of the car...!!


...closer shot of the upper area....


....the lower area....


...towards the front of the tower....


....this is what the right side looks like now...I asked him to have a look at it....and do what is necessary....he said that when he started to remove the rotten metal...the hole grew about 15 times its' size....!!


....he put three large straps over the affected area....pretty solid now...!!


....I had also asked him to have a look at the front....my instructions were quite vague....he said that he wasn't sure what I was referring to; so he thought I meant the area beneath the drivers' seat; as this was an area in need of attention some years back....so he tacked another plate to keep the drivers' seat in...never a bad idea....already tried the Flintstone Fox Version....didn't like it......too airy....though, I suppose that would be less of an issue in more southern climates.....


....so, with the ass end up high; wheel off...left rear shock removed....I took a pic of the area that was causing the rubbing....seems a little shiny......

...kinda looks like a "V" too.....hmmmm...."V" for Victory..? "V" fir Vendetta...? (Great movie btw!) ...how about....."V" for VOLKS...?!? Yeah that's it....!!! "V" for Volks....

....zoom out a little bit.....


....and a little bit further....to reveal, that it isn't that large a piece of jagged metal that is rubbing against the seat...but, a piece of jagged metal nonetheless...


....wow....what a mess...might just have to spray some sealant over this area for now...


...but, before that happens...I have to get this to stop interfering with the travel of the shock....


....it was rubbing on the spring as well as the spring seat...note the shiny dissonance (not like the rest) on the two lowest coils....this is the result of less than 20 km (12 mi) of driving with it rubbing...


....a closer look at the spring seat...not a LOT of abrasion; but enough to be VERY annoying while driving...!!!


...looks like the upper bearing took a pounding too...!!! ...seems to be mashed into the top of the tower...

...it looks worse than it was...I just removed it...brushed away the schmutz...then put it back in place...

.....it was time to get one of my favourite tools to play with; the five pound ball peen....!!! ...even though it had already become dark....it was still only around 9 pm.....that's LOTS of time to hammer out an echoing lullaby; for the four apartment buildings (aka the wind tunnel!), fortunate enough to be erected across from my house....I was here first..!!(I remember when they were being built......I was FIVE...!!)...anyway...my buddy Martin (comes to the Dealership to do touch-ups!) grew up in a body shop; he advised "spoon" the metal away from the area of travel for the shock....that is to say....exact a glancing blow at an angle; to gradually mash the metal out of the way........this is what was to be seen, when I was done about a half an hour later....


...I hoped that I had pushed the metal back far enough to leave the shock alone....a closer view.....


As it turns out...I DID manage to create enough clearance for the shock to operate without any interference....whew....I did also call Diane; just to let her know that I had to do some adjusting afterwards...maybe I'll get a few bucks off the next operation....the rear spring had become unseated with the twisting and random oscillation of the unstable shock tower; when I re-installed the shock, I made sure that it was seated properly...I drove around for the next couple of weeks with the carpet up in the cargo area, and things rattling about everywhere within the car...towards the end of September...I took some time to put things back together in the rear end of the car interior wise....but, that will have to wait...until NEXT time....


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## bluetoes591 (Apr 3, 2009)

Shock and awe. Shock that it's so rusty, awe that you're still sticking it back together somehow and driving it! This car may also be proof that fibreglass can be used structurally in the construction of automobiles. This thread really does fascinate me. And reminds me how lucky I am to be on the west coast.


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

Hey there bluetoes591...!! Thanks for tuning in...!! If I could weld...I would probably be doing a lot of that....since I can't (yet)...applying fibreglass is my next best idea...the wheel arches on Woody III that I reconstructed a couple of summers ago; look a little cheesy, but are very solid...(Corvette Stingrays were sporting a fibreglass body in the '70s; boat hulls are made of it too!)...the same areas on Woody II....not so much....I have been asked a few times in the past week, "When am I gonna give up on this car?"....I suppose the REAL answer would be....when it TRULY gives up on me....!!! ....and even then....I will STILL look at it and say, "Yer not done, yet....there's a long ways to go...."

Thanks for the kind words M...!! I strive to make this thread an entertaining read, as I realize there is very little ground-breaking work being done here....plus, I also seemed to have developed an affinity for digital trigger-happiness....which, at least gives the viewer something to peruse....when my thousand words, just don't add up....!! It must be nice to not have your vehicle disintegrate from beneath you; without having to take preventative measures....!!

This car (Woody II) seems to have dodged a couple of bullets; in that, I have been able to catch the serious issues in the nick of time; and get them remedied just under the wire.....perhaps, in some Bizarre, VW Vehicular Spiritual realm...because I took ownership on November 11th of 2004....this car is a Veteran of the road....it was built...NOT to sit and rot in someones' yard....but, rather to serve his time....and die a warriors death....as did his predecessor.....Woody I......................(my apologies; I had to pause for a moment of silence....AND shed a tear......or two!).....[...there is a VERY remote, extremely distant, completely outside chance.......that Woody I......may get resurrected.......that MIGHT happen.....on say, perhaps, the 27th page of this thread.....but I'm not making any promises....]....I do, however, have eight Poppies in my drivers' visor....one for each year I have owned him....I plan to cover it; like Flanders' Fields......but one never knows for sure how long one has here.......Drive like there is NO Tomorrow...!!

......alright...enough of my sentimentality....lets see some pics.....!!! My Dad welded tubes within boilers for major residential management firms for most of his life; the "SHOP" always had a certain stink of burnt metal and filth, that can ONLY be indigenous to welding shops......Ed's place is no different.....the smell eventually gets out of your sinuses....but the filth remains.....


....seeing as my handy Vacuum checked out during the last carpet cleaning stint.......that SUCKS......(or rather, doesn't anymore....!!), I ended up using a small wisk broom to clean up the filth in the cargo area....


....here is a pic of the rear right wheel well; from the inside of the cargo area, with the rear panel removed......looks like there is a hole waiting for me to patch when I remove the rear bumper.....JOY...!!


...the front portion of the right rear wheel well, from the inside, with the panel removed....


....a slight aside....What are these for...?!? There are threaded holes, in the centre of a mounting recess....


...to put it in context....


....and its' mate on the left side.....these are behind the trim panels....


....zoomed out a bit on the left shock tower.....are these mounting point for a roll cage or something...? ...what purpose were they intended for...? ....anyone...?


....I collected a couple mini dustpans full of debris...


....after stirring up all that filth....I turned to the large coaster that I keep in my driveway....


....he holds my beer for me...


....after cleaning up the loose stuff...I gave the area a wipe down....then hit it with some Tremclad....


...these triggers are so useful and comfortable to use.....fully endorsed vote here....


....while I had the rear interior all apart...I couldn't help but notice that the inside of my rear windows have seen better days....


....this is the left side.....looks like I will have to do some body work while the windows are out next summer; to put in those rear window seals from Brazil....


.....ever see an Asian Long-Horned Tree Beetle up close...? These things are quite prehistoric looking....I see them flutter out from under the hoods of Toyotas that are built in Japan.....I try to end them when ever I get the chance....they like to kill Maple trees....THIS WILL NOT DO...!!! ....so, I lightly THWACKED him with a body working tool....he became Blue Jay food....I tried to get my camera focused....but, it all happened so fast......I was messing about in the hatch...the beetle was on the roof by the passenger side.....I heard something land on the roof, and looked through the raised hatch, just in time to see the Jay gulp it down.....eeeeiiiuuuuww....crunchy stick legs...!!


....trying to get the carpet back under the cleats on the strut mount was a bit of a pain...


....it only wants to fit a certain way....


....after getting it to sit down as best I could....over the newly welded, very uneven surface....I used a prybar....


...and a screwdriver to tuck the carpet under the cleat.....


....but the post that the rear seat catch clamps onto....was bent all outta whack from the unsupported weight of the car...


....a few taps with my favourite tool, helped to put it back in the proper location...


....fits without a problem now...


....lining up the fasteners with the holes on the rear left panel in the cargo area...


...and the top tabs....here...


....and here....


....didn't even break any of the fragile plastic thumbtack type dealios.....


...now to put the carpet on the floor of the cargo area back...


....the access panel for the fuel tank cap; is under this mat....the plastic fork that I had previously put there to keep the plate down; has since migrated to the rear left wheel well, under the rear seat....


...now I am content to just let the weight of the carpet and what ever is in the 'trunk', keep pressure on the access plate....


....got the carpet down....just missing the spare....


....got that in there too....this car originally came with one of those ridiculous "space-saving" spares....no thanks....I like full size replacement spares....it's enough of a sleight to have to drive around with one wheel that doesn't match....let alone having mis-matched tire sizes to contend with...then of course, that speed restriction on the temporary.....again, no thanks....


...got the rear seat catch to line up with the post after some persuading....the catch on the back of the seat had been mangled somewhat also.....just un-mangled it, made it fit....


...these pics were taken on the 29th of September....I am getting close to becoming almost up to date...I still have a few pics of what I found under the rear seat last weekend.....but, that will have to wait...until NEXT time....


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...a song that I listen to in My Fox...*

Last Saturday....I was supposed to meet up with a buddy at around noon....I sent him a text around 11:30 am, to see if he was awake as yet...I messaged him that I was having a breakfast beer....well....I sent about three unanswered messages...while I continued to have ''breakfast''....I am pretty sure I was making a post to this thread while I waited....more time passed....so did the beer....I was just considering sending him a message saying that I am too trashed to come see him.....then he calls....."Sorry Dude; got shanghaied last night...got home at 4 am".....which was great....but, we had agreed to figure something out by around noon....it was now 3 pm....I was SEVEN beers deep and FIVE mints into my day....!!! I had intended to do something about the heater core in Woody III; but this had to take place before I got into that....this was actually more of a cannonball run than anything (redone17 knows)....it was a beautiful Saturday afternoon....I was heading back along the Gardner.....into the beaming sunshine....blue sky...warm temps....light traffic.........some part of my brain shouted, "...the guys on the Vortex should see this...!!"....just then, another voice in my head said, "I can get the camera out..."....then, this OTHER guy.....who must have auditioned to be the cameraman for the "Trailer Park Boys"; but, didn't make the cut......presses record.....while trying to keep the camera focused on the ride.....while keeping an eye out for the boys (handheld devices, etc.), and other nosy drivers who cannot mind their own business......(I am the only person in the car; failing miserably at multi-tasking....but having a great time nonetheless....!!)....the footage....it happened....


.....oh yeah.....forgot to mention....it's a 90 km/h zone........  ".......some say she's from Mars....or one of the sev-en stars; that shineth there, three thir-ty in the morn-ing........" 
--B52s, Planet Claire

....had a look under my backseat later that weekend......found four in the floor....but, that will have to wait...until NEXT time....


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## myboxyfox (Nov 27, 2011)

It lives! And there's video proof!!


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## mike in SC (Apr 29, 2004)

Those threaded holes are for three-point seat belts. Great to see your wagon back on the road!


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...Thanks for the Replies Guys...*

YES myboxyfox....Woody II is alive and dripping....!! ...seems to have developed an oil leak just behind the first cylinder....but still going strong...!!

Thanks for the explanation on those threaded holes Mike; seat belt mounts would never have occurred to me.....thanks for saying, it IS great to have him back on the road.....about a week is as much as I can stand of driving a substitute car......I am going to have to send Woody II to the surgeon ONCE more before the winter comes.....then I will be in a better position to Face the Flakes....!!!

I took a few shots of the wheel wells; after my very rushed, fibreglass hole patching efforts had dried....I had done the patching; sent the car to the shop for a week; then, when I had to remove and re-seat the rear left shock/spring assembly....these were taken after I put it back together........looks kinda dark and ominous....


....just bad lighting....and a 2 1/2" drywall screw....


....wasn't going for esthetics....just wanted to keep road wheel spray from entering the cabin.....


...towards the rear of the well....


....the rear of the right rear wheel well....


....behind the shock....doesn't seem to be as much attrition here....as on the other side.....


....the front of the right well....still wasn't pretty.....but, WAY BETTER than it was....


...today was quite windy and cold out...I am feeling too crappy to continue this tonight....gonna turn in earlier than usual...need to get some rest..........until NEXT time.....


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

I was almost within a week of getting chronologically caught up to the pics in my camera....much like the slippery bar of soap.....within sight, but always just out of reach.......I have been, "...not feelin' too Olympic, Coach....!!"; but as of late, have been getting the upper hand on my ailment....breathing is nice.....and not a moment too soon, either...!! 

It was the 14th of October....a Canadian Thanksgiving Holiday Monday.....the previous Saturday was when I went for a jiggly, video drive on the Gardner Expressway....I was considering, Finally getting around to changing the Heater Core in Woody III...but of course....that didn't happen as yet.....for some reason, I felt the urge to have a look under the rear seat.....just for peace of mind, I suppose...I have been mending holes here and there...this happened to be one of the places that I haven't looked at yet.....


....you can see one of the wounds by the yellow label....this wasn't really how I had anticipated spending my holiday Monday....but, since I noticed it....and there is still some daylight left...might as well have at it....


...I think it was about 12-14 C out....barely on the lowest margin for allowing fibreglass to set....these are fairly sizeable holes....3-4" or so.......the two on the right side were larger.....

...the round circle...is the top of one of the the studs that hangs down beneath the car; to allow the bracket that protects the fuel component cluster (pump, accumulator, filter), to be fastened to the underside of the vehicle.....probably best that this doesn't deteriorate any further.....

...the two holes towards the left side of the rear seat.....

....exhaust pipe visible through hole number two...

....got out the acid and the drywall tape....


...brushed on the acid....let it sit for ten minutes....then rinsed off with water as directed.....


...now what I SHOULD have done next; was rough up a couple of inches around each of the holes, with some sandpaper, to allow the resin to stick....for several liquid reasons...I neglected to DO that....but, I realized after that fact....when the resin was turning milky, as it tried to set up with the drywall tape, it was lifting the UNSANDED PAINT through the chemical reaction...since gravity won't be playing a big part in this application....I might get away with my error....


...this is just the resin on the drywall tape....I think I had the resin to hardener ratio slightly off (35 ml resin to 12 drops hardener; the ratio is supposed to be 30 ml to 12 drops); PLUS it was barely warm enough for the mixture to set in the first place....so needless to say....this part was taking WAY too long....


....close up of hole one...


....close up of number two...


....and close up of holes three and four....


....while I was waiting for the resin to set....I wondered how these holes came to be....I surmised that the lack of sealed wheel wells....allowed a great deal of road debris and such into the cabin...and any moisture allowed in, would have sought the lowest place to sit....and erode.....


.....what a difference the flash makes....without the flash...you can see the beige colouring of the massive patch that I pasted on the inside of the rear left wheel well.....which for the previous 8 years, has been an OPEN DOOR.....gravel anyone...?!?!?


...as the sun went down...so too did the temperature....I decided to put the 500 W work lamp into play...


...within the confined space of the rear seat...the lamp raised the interior temperature to well above 15 C; which helped a great deal with drying and curing times....this is the area to the right side of the car, with fibreglass mat applied to the wounds...


...the area to the left side of the car....same treatment....


....it took almost two hours to finally set...even with the lamp beaming down on it....I used a couple more drops of hardener in the second mixture, which helped things set (more readily) in less than ideal conditions....


I am pleased with the result....less noise; and certainly less fumes, in the cabin....so I have that going for me....which is nice.........on October 30th, I changed the oil in the gearbox again; after 800 km or so of driving around on the NEW mixture that I squeezed in; after the olive drab pudding oozed out, when I changed the gear oil a couple of weeks ago........but, that will have to wait....until NEXT time......


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...Gearbox Gush...Take II....*

On October 30th; I booked some more hoist time at work; and changed the oil in the transmission again....the first change yielded some thick, olive-drab sludge...I have driven the car, perhaps, just over 800 km...I had my suction gun and a couple litres of Gear Oil...


...READY?!?...

(...same pic from before...)

.....Still Nasty...!!!


..LOTS of metal shavings around the drain hole....and in the flow...

...this time around.....the colour was quite similar....but the viscosity was much different....not much odour either...

....the oil was runny enough that it actually flowed through the screen on the catcher.....it was difficult to tell the bubbles from the metal shavings; before the oil seeped through the screen....


...it didn't take Nearly as long to drain as it did last time.....just a few minutes....


....I squeezed a few hundred millilitres of clean oil through, before plugging it up again.....looks like I am getting my moneys' worth out of my engine oil....I seem to be enjoying a free undercoating of 20W50 via my head gasket leak......silver lining?

...I could probably keep changing the oil every 1000 km or so and STILL get this green crud flowing out.......ah well, at least there are fewer metal shavings in my gearbox now....!!

....about a week ago; Woody II was giving me some attitude...he didn't feel like starting on cue....of course..!! ...right around the time of the year, when the mercury tries to hibernate in the bulb at its' base....this will be a "cold starter" issue.....but, that will have to wait...until NEXT time....


P.S. Pinned Woody II with a Ninth Birthday Poppy.....bought him on Remembrance Day of 2004....

....sent him down to Vangro Welding Spa for a bit of a Make Under....Happy Day Woody...!! MANY Happy Returns...!!!!!


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

Towards the end of October; the starter in Woody II was showing signs of checkout time....with the turn of the key, dash lights would come on...then dim with the draw....no action.....so, I just bump started him for a few days until I could find time on the weekend to deal with it...on the Saturday night.....it was decreed that I had to go to Wendy's to get food for the 'massives'....here is where the Fun begins.....after bump starting out of my driveway, which is sloped, I realize that I can't shut the car off, unless I feel like pushing again (which I did not)...about a third of the way to my destination....there is now NO HEAT coming out of the vents.....well, I knew it wasn't the heater core....and when the heater is blowing cold air....it usually means a drastic drop in the coolant level....I could check levels in the parking lot at Wendy's/Tim's....

Of course, when I get there, the lot is packed, and there is no where to park.....so I just pull up along side the curb in the lot, out of the way, a row of parking away from the door to the outlet....I pop the hood, check the level in the reservoir, to see that it is almost empty.....I grabbed an empty 1.5 L water bottle from the back seat and went inside to get some water.....of course, the washroom had a shallow sink, and would not allow a tall bottle to be filled....I folded the bottle in half to fit in the sink, filled it up halfway; unfolded the plastic bottle to let the water into the bottom half, folded the bottle again to fill up whatever water would fit.....out to the car....which is still running, overheating, with the doors locked and the hood up....put my allotment of water into the reservoir....to realize this procedure needs to be repeated at least FOUR more times before the level will be acceptable.....by the fourth time I came out....there was water/coolant pouring out of a union coming off the block; going to/through the upper return rad hose....some had pooled just below the leak....


....there was also a considerable amount of steam in my engine compartment.....tough to get a pic of steam with a flash too!...


....I wasn't going to attempt any fixes in the parking lot of a Wendy's.....I got my order and made my way home; leaking coolant on the block all the way home....parked the car and planned my Sunday....which was at the beginning of November, with decent weather....since I couldn't easily START the car; I decided to just jack it up on my sloped driveway....there are a couple of depressions...where the rear wheels sit...from repeated parking...I chocked the wheels for additional peace of mind....


...seems as though my leaky head gasket/oil dispenser is working well to keep the undercarriage moist with 20W50....always support with stands....don't trust Jack by himself....he will let you down...


...with the front end up in the air....and supported...it makes it a lot easier to lie on your back on a crawler....


....reaching over your head.....you can get a glimpse of the starter........but you will be hard pressed to see your work with your eyes....just use your hands to feel what you are doing....


...here is a shot of two of the three bolts that need to be undone to remove the starter....


....there will be a lot of jiggling and jostling of the starter, to completely free the unit.... as the bolts are quite long, and are in a difficult area that doesn't allow for a lot of wrench rotation....but in about ten minutes or less....you should be able to place the motor, here...


....Now I just have to do this procedure once more....on Woody III...since he hasn't a valid sticker for this year; he was GLAD to donate his starter for a week or two...but, I was feeling a little hungry...needed a pizza........I had a look up at the sky, and realized what a nice day for a walk.....down to the Metro....to get a pizza......


...on the way back...I also realized....that THIS is about as close as I will ever come....to having two youngsters await my arrival home...........SAD but TRUE.......


....I ate some of my pizza, then decided that I should make use of the existing daylight....I took the starter from Woody III, put it in Woody II....now....when Woody II starts....he SOUNDS like Woody III...!!! ....though they are the same....they are also quite different....

....on the following Monday....I took the starter to a Specialty Shop; known as Dundas Starter & Alternator.......that is ALL they do....rebuild/reman starters and alternators....this is a VERY old school shop.....Ernie doesn't even have a computer......HE is the computer......I described to him my problem......when I turned the key, I would hear a sound quite similar to having a vacuum cleaner switched on, then plug it in to the socket for a split second, so that the motor would only cycle once, and very weakly.........he had it back to me in a couple days....he said that it worked fine, except that there was a main wire between the solenoid and the motor that had corroded badly....it was $105.00 CDN for the repair, but I couldn't find a better replacement for less...plus, Ernie stands behind his work...he even advised me to make absolutely sure to line up the starter and the bushing when installing....which counts for a LOT in my book, in this day and age....someone who KNOWS his trade....AND takes pride in his work....he even put the sticker on squarely....!!


...there were quite a few cold, windy and rainy days, just after I got my starter back from Ernie at Dundas Starter & Alt.....so, I opted to wait for more suitable conditions; as I do my tinkering in the driveway.....last Saturday was BEAUTIFUL weather wise....sunny and about 15 C....of course, the sun disappears around 4:30 pm now....I made use of the existing daylight; then finished up under the light of the work lamp....which also doubles as a nice heater, when positioned properly....

...I think I greeted the day just after 11 am...had to have a bit of a lie-in on the weekend.....but, it was time to make use of the day, and put this....


.....back in here....looks like that bushing that Ernie was telling me about is pretty worn....how are you supposed to remove that...?


...if you have performed this procedure...you can attest that it isn't that difficult to do....a 13 mm socket and an articulated ratchet are all that is required....perhaps might also appreciate wielding a camera.....my Helper has moved on.......she bounced at the beginning of October....she said I wasn't paying her enough attention....that I was spending too much time with my cars....!! Ha-Haaa..!!! ...that sounds familiar.....where have I heard that before...?!? ...anyway....I think I ended up having to get that bolt tightened last....the lower two are easier to access....


.....just a matter of tightening the bolts until they won't turn anymore....here...


....and here.....


....and of course....fastening all the electrical connections....


.....now that the starter was back in Woody III....I had to test it....with the front wheels up on stands....I started the car....very gently got in, and engaged first gear, shifted into second......let the clutch out....then got out of the car....to video this....

WHAT THE HELL....?!? Shouldn't my left wheel be spinning along at the same pace as my right wheel...?!? the car was slightly tilted to the left...not level....should this make a difference....I don't think so....there was no power getting to the wheel.....yet, when I let it down on all fours....and drove it across the street into the apartment driveway....it seemed to drive fine.....maybe not as fine as it SHOULD BE...?!? ...if anyone has a suggestion, I'd love to hear it....

....oh yeah....I remember beginning this post with an overheating issue at Wendy's.......it was dark by the time I finished messing about with the starter motors....I removed the block end of the upper return hose to the rad....from what I recall of the night before....it was leaking from this plug....


....but how could it be leaking from this plug.....if there is still coolant pooled on top of the opening....and it isn't leaking....


....what is this plug for anyway...? ....a sensor...? ...for cars with A/C? ...it seems to be fine.....after I replaced the plug....I went to refit the rad hose....and found THIS....


....looks like it just burst......the weave within the hose looks as though it has been challenged......


...fortunately, I have a collection of decent, used hoses to choose from....(RAD hoses..!! ...sigh...!!), so finding a suitable replacement was quick and easy....it was nice to be able to fix the current issues with out too much grief....and being able to find parts on hand in my garage....and the rebuilt starter was the only real expenditure.......

Last Sunday was also reasonable with respect to temperatures in the GTA....I ended up doing some last minute fibreglassing on the drivers' door sill to Woody II.....quite an abomination.....but that will have to wait......until NEXT time.....


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## bluetoes591 (Apr 3, 2009)

Volkswagen Fox has what is called an open differential. What you observed is normal, power only goes to the wheel with less resistance. This is why when you get stuck with one wheel in a snow drift and one on the road, only the one on the snow spins when you give it gas. It is also what makes a limited slip differential desirable, it limits the amount of slip between the two wheels. Some slip is necessary, especially with a front wheel drive car as the two sides go different distances, following different arcs when you corner.


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

Thanks bluetoes591....I am almost sure that I have seen both wheels on Woody II spin at the same time when elevated....and if it is in gear when shut off....I spin one wheel...and the other one turns in the opposite direction....were there ANY limited slip differentials installed in Foxes at the factory...? Or is the LSD (oouu...anyone LEARY [Timothy!] of those letters...?!?!) something that is only an after market installation....?


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...Last Chance Before The Deep Freeze...*

On the last warm Sunday here in Toronto; about the middle of November...I decided I should do something about the crack in my two year old makeshift patching job on the drivers' door sill.....with another Makeshift Patching Job...!! A couple of summers ago...I goofed....and let some Great Stuff foam incubate unattended....of course, I used too much....and the result was a severely deformed door sill....which I merely coated with a few layers of brushed on fibreglass resin....then forgot about it for a several months.....then noticed this wee, nasty breach....in a crucial drainage path....


...I suppose I shouldn't be worried about drainage so much.....there are MANY opportunities for water to escape the hull......I stuffed some drywall tape into the many gaps....I know it looks really unsafe...but, there has been so much metal put back into the hull of this car; that, this area just didn't get any attention....the outer rot just has to get through this winter....then perhaps I get around to doing something about it after the thaw....until then...this is it....


....I put down a strip of tape, then brushed some resin over it to make it adhere better...I later trimmed the excess.....


....applied some resin soaked mat and a couple pieces of cloth too....


....instead of being concerned with IF it was going to set (in the less than ideal conditions that I chose to work in); I should have paid more attention to HOW it was going to set....my LAPSE in judgement will prove to be a thorn all winter....this area set up very well....just not in the way that I wanted it to.....the deformation prevents the door from closing properly......:facepalm:


....during the drying process...the mercury started falling.....I had to get the lamp close enough to make use of the heat....


....then the RAIN started falling too....I had to get creative with one of my golf umbrellas....


....I had a bungee cord around the head rest, then hooked to another one to keep the door closer to being shut.....(looking back; I should have just closed the door when it was drying, to shape the work to fit)...trying to keep the area dry...


....it looked a bit ridiculous....but, worked well.....until the wind showed up....


.....all I could do was let it set.....and be disappointed....when I had trouble closing the door completely.....seems to shut on the THIRD slam....a couple of days later...I burned out my (over 5 yrs old; no warranty) Dremel tool trying to even out the door sill....but, that will have to wait....until NEXT time....


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...Door Won't Shut Properly...*

After the wet weather left the area....it wasn't unbearably cold out at night (if you dressed for it).....I needed to get this door to shut a little better...otherwise it will be a breezy winter in Woody II....with my hideous patching job keeping the door from closing properly....I tried to see where it was interfering with the bottom of the door....

.....you can see some abrasions at the points of contact....the door never really closed very well; even when I got the car.....there was so much hidden underlying rust; the door post wasn't in perfect alignment....over the years; things have been made sturdy again....but the door never really shut as well as the passenger side door...


...I found a suitably sized stone that would fit into my Dremel....and began to remove what can't be there....I went at it pretty aggressively....no dust mask.....just wanted to get the door to shut the way that it should.....made quite a mess.....ended up breaking through and creating a couple more holes....but, at least the area is considerably stronger than it was.....


...I kinda got resin happy when I was painting it on.....put too much on the seam, where the door seal is supposed to cover the edge of the carpet, as well as go over the welded seam....I had to bizz; the thickness of the protruding edge; down enough to allow the seal to fit; with my Dremel tool....it took a lot of trial and error....


....the seal doesn't quite fit as well as it should....but, for now this is what it looks like....


...on usually the third slam....the door closes....or, I have since found out, close it to one click; then a brief palm thrust will secure it....that's from the outside of course....from the inside.....rather than pull the door handle off eventually....I have resorted to rolling the window all the way down....and reaching out and back with the top edge of my left forearm to pull the door shut rapidly, from the first click....when it's shut....


...to put the hideous deformity into context....

...the only reason I stopped; is that my Dremel tool died on me....I suppose it doesn't owe me anything....I have had it for over a decade; and done many things you are probably not supposed to do to it...to it...!! I have since bought myself an early Xmas present as a replacement....but haven't had time to check it out as yet.....

...I am ALMOST caught up to myself, (I shouldn't say that!), with respect to pics taken and pics posted regarding current things done to the car....I have actually been spending a lot of time making posts on the, "What did you do to your Fox today?" thread; I will likely cheat a little bit....and copy those posts to my thread as they fit in to the timeline.....I made a couple posts about Woodys' make under.....around the 217,720 view mark...(now it's at 220,070!)...I have kinda been all over that thread with my pics and doings....I should stick to keeping my comments here in this thread.....I feel like I have hogged the conversation on the public thread; and haven't given others much opportunity to make their 'Fox-daily' posts.......:facepalm: .....I also have some final pics of the underside of the car; as it stands now....to face the winter....but, that will have to wait...until NEXT time.....


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## germanpettingzoo (Jun 3, 2013)

Hey! Sorry to hear about your helper! We should get matching t-shirts... Just a picture of a Fox with "my helper left" on it. Perfect.

Anyways, I've been too much of a whimp to work on the car in the cold, but I got a nice garage heater from my incredibly thoughtful parents, along with some other tools (pretty much my whole christmas was stuff for my garage! couldn't be happier!) so I'll be back out there soon enough. Still though, it's good that you've got the cojones to be outside working!!! As ever, you continue to entertain. Loved the "wait for it" bit with the drain plug. Classic lol. 

How did you fare with all the ice last week?! Hope all is well!


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## mes0cycl0ne (Sep 17, 2011)

Keep on keepin' on with your posts, Krammit, whatever thread they might be posted in. My Fox is effectively in mechanical limbo, so it's nice to see what you and other folks are doing with yours. I find myself coming back to these pages regularly even though I'm now officially the pilot of a '95 Honda Civic. Under the right circumstances, however and with enough motivation, the Fox may rise again! I definitely understand the enthusiasm and love we all have for these little #@%@%@$% cars!


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...Frozen Fridays...*

As I approach the half-century mark.....(I know....jeez...I'm almost FIFTY and have NOTHING to show for it!)...I used to go out and severely misbehave on Friday nights; but, now, I prefer to sit in my garage and misbehave while talking to You Guys.....as you get older; you develop your Druthers....(I'd druther do This; 'druther do That...)...I am suddenly confronted with a number of Issues on the home front....IT; is about to hit the fan, in a big way.......and, I hope I can adapt enough to survive the transition.....I am, by no way, in a position to move, at the moment.....hopefully things will pan out favourably for me....[*INSERTION* I started writing this about three weeks ago; many things have transpired since then; parental ailments and all related adjustments....]

I thought I was getting TURFED from my current residence (home)....when I am actually needed to keep this ship afloat (the docs at the hospital took away my Dads' License; which makes me the ONLY licensed driver in the household!!)....like I said before; my life has gone topsy-turvy in the last month....so there is a better than decent chance that my way of thinking/train of thought, may become a wee bit more distorted than usual (I know!)...my parents became hospitalized about three weeks ago (the result of dysfunctional, enabling existence, for WAY too long!!); a SERIOUSLY mad scramble (took three days off of work) to gut their bedroom and make it habitable again; my Dad got released about a week ago, but my Mom is still there, and probably will be for a while longer.....the Sunday after my Dad came home; massive winter ice storm, knocked out a transformer in the 'hood....no power for 66 hours....the lowest temperature in the house was 6 C (45 F); I could see my breath in my bedroom (I drank myself to sleep by candle light one night!), it was like camping indoors...!! The power finally came on at 8:15 pm on Xmas eve....and not a moment too soon either...!!! I was about to have an episode...!!! No light, no entertainment, no cooking, no laundry, and above all...NO HEAT...!!! My brother and I were discussing plans to move Dad to a Hotel for the duration of the power outage....then the lights et al came back on.........so All I got for Christmas was to..."...have-some-heat..." (...my two front teeth...) [If yer older, you might get that]....which was really good with me....'cuz I was tired of sleeping in layers of clothing and seeing my breath in my room.....

...and germanpettingzoo; my helper was just here....but, alas; my unwillingness to tolerate her snoring (I know, right?) is a deal breaker...and I don't think she will be back...she just lives across the street; but... I NEED my sleeeeeeep....!!! I am GLAD that you enjoyed the way I presented my gearbox flush pics....I try to write in such a way that you feel that you are there with me; seeing what I see, WHEN I see it.....I had a GREAT opportunity to take a few pics of Woody III being chiseled out of the ice....but, I was so pissed at my helper; for snorin' up a storm and robbing me of any sleep that I could have had.....that I failed to capture the excavation with images.....(for ME not to take pics; you KNOW I must've been PISSED...!!!!!) ...I have to replace the battery that I took from him to keep Woody II going; I have since purchased a new battery for Woody II...it has just been too frigid out as of late, to put the new one into Woody II; and the one that is currently in Woody II, back in its' original place, in Woody III....the battery that I scrapped, was in Woody II since Nov 2006; it was time....probably the nuttiest thing that I have done in EXTREME temperatures; is changing a clutch cable, by myself, at the side of the road at the end of my driveway....in a foot of slush and snow....in -25 C temps....plus wind chill....wasn't pleasant....but, I can say I did it; because I can recall many little snippets of the procedure....I used a shovel handle, to wedge underneath the shift fork lever on the gearbox; I had the wheels turned all the way to the left to gain access....this way, I could use both hands to get the other end of the clutch cable to hook on the fork, when I pressed down on the shovel handle, with my right foot, while balancing on my left; pry the shift fork up enough that I could get the end of the cable to fit into place on the fork.....use your minds' eye and your imagination....you will get it......oh yeah, all of this took place after I laid on my back on the floor of the car, to reach up under the dash to hook the pedal end of the cable up......keep in mind, wind chill to -45 C....!!! It was already -25 C on its' own (the two scales: Celsius & Fahrenheit; are equal at -40 C/F) {5 C degrees = 9 F degrees} [close to the old "double it and add thirty-two" formula]....wasn't fun, but got it done....when you have no choice but to get your wheels rolling....you do what you have to do to get the job done....!!! Here are a couple of ICE PICS...always happy to entertain...!!!

















...things are GOOD....Woody II has been a pillar....starts and goes without any woes.....

...mes0cycl0ne....sorry to hear your Fox is in mechanical LIMBO; and you had to resort to a Honda for daily transport; but, ya gotta do what ya gotta do, to get thru...I have had a Passat; that came in on a trade at work, in my sights....I am by no means bailing on the Fox scene.....but, I have to consider a way to get my parents to and from places....and I don't think Woody II, with no front passenger seat.....can foot the bill.....here are a few pics of my quarry...


....has snows in the back....maybe two seasons worth of tread left...




...sure...the mileage is high....but; well maintained, made in Germany......and high mileage = low price as far as my boss is concerned....


....fuzzy pic of the five speed interior set-up...

...I actually chiseled off an inch of ice and about six inches of snow from my prospective Passat today, just before I left from work....started it and idled for a good 20 minutes, just to let it know it is still wanted....!!! Thank you so much for keeping pace and following along with my exploits.....things have hit a bit of a snag here in the winter months of course; but, also I have had to divert my attentions to caring for my aging parents as of late.....so, please bear with me....I haven't had to deal with this before.....almost as encompassing as caring for an aging VW........I shouldn't muse......try to find parts for a 1930s issue human.....even less availability.....I am not being callous; humour, in whatever form, has become more of a coping mechanism than anything at this point.....and also mes0cycl0ne; thank you for following along with my saga.....who knows what the hell is going to happen next....?!? I certainly don't....but, when it does......rest assured that I will do my best to recreate and relate my experience, to the best of my ability, here on the Vortex.....


In an effort to distract myself from my current reality....gotta dive back into my Fox Fixin Fetish...and try to kill a couple of hours re-living my efforts of endearment....I am wondering how to go about presenting the work that ED of Vangro Welding; did to reconstruct the hull of Woody II....I have posted pics of the floor project....the rear shock tower reconstruction.....but, the underside of the hull has yet to be documented.....here in this thread anyway...I did make a few posts in the, "What did you do to your Fox today?" thread; but I should post the rest of the story here, in its' entirety.......perhaps I should start with some BEFORE pics.....behind the front left wheel; inwards....


....from the rear, looking towards the front of the car, on the left side....


...some welding got done to the same area....


....which looked like this from a different angle...


...a bit closer...


....trigger happy...


....more...I took the time to drill a small drainage hole in each side this time around.....Woody III held water for a month before I figured it out....and drilled a couple holes in the same spots....


...and another....


.....after some sealant...


....I put it on the new oil change hoist for these pics...


....took these pics before getting my gloves on and emptying the can to cover the areas where the lift was supporting the car....PRIOR to this welding job.....this car could not be lifted with a conventional hoist.....the body/hull would just cave in....


....und jetzt die rechtes seite....how many 'j's in HIDJEOUS? (say it with a Scottish accent; THEN it will make sense)


...a shot of the rotted right side from the rear....the reddish metal you see in the recesses...is the new floor that ED put in last May....this procedure is to preserve that work.....


....just prior to surgery....(See? the lift would just crush the hull....nothing left...!)...I snuck in to check on things....ED was trying to find his brother in law; to come and fix the hoist.....whose control box started to smoulder; when Woody got half way up to workable height....


....gave me an opportunity to get a couple of pre-surgery pics....I think the left side is worse than the right...


........"We can rebuild him.....better.....stronger.....faster...".....yeah, about that third part......that remains to be seen....


....closer look....


...the inside of the right front wheel well...I think this was taken when I got in there while the hoist had pooched...


...from the centre of the car, looking towards the outside of the front right wheel well....


...spot welds on the plates that Ed cut to size...


....from the centre of the car, looking towards the front left wheel....


....a little further back (perhaps beneath the rear floor), looking towards the front right wheel....


.....WOW....just noticed the time......just past three am.....gotta cut this short, and continue......NEXT time.......


----------



## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...WoW...Haven't Been Here Since Last Year....*

Greetings ALL....Hoping your 2014 is going along as planned.....I have been overwhelmed with this whole taking care of my parents thing....I am DEAD tired, and starting to become ill....hopefully some rest will help that matter.....I see that I am about to enter 'Page 3 land' and figured that I should at least get back on track....I really should stop jinxing myself, by stating, that I am almost caught up to my pics in the camera, and projects on the go....each time I seem to suffer an extended absence from the Vortex....and have to seriously jog my memory to continue the saga.....TO that end; I WILL be extracting a number of posts from the, "What did you do to your Fox today?" thread, and posting them here as a chronological account...there was a period of time, just before the winter hit, that I was making several posts on the public thread, instead of putting them here....

Just to update; Mom is still in the hospital...and has been since Dec. 5th...she is supposed to be released soon; but will likely have to go into a nursing home...my Dad has been home since Dec. 21st; and seems to be getting bigger.....ever see "The Meaning Of Life"...? I imagine I will be scraping parts of my Dad off the walls and ceiling; after he EXPLODES.....

I decided to patch up a couple of holes that have been in my drivers' side door sill for a couple of months now...it is pretty much an horrible abomination....as I used some of that Great Stuff spray foam insulation a couple of years ago...I kind of 'over' used it, in that I sprayed way too much in there...then left it unattended to go pick up a buddy at the subway...this stuff has the ability to expand with enough conviction....that it will split/crack concrete.....I have tried this myself because I didn't believe it...it did expand WAY beyond the concretes' ability to contain the foam; in my experiment....having known that....I can't possibly provide an explanation; as to why I left it unattended, during its' incubation period...(minutes!)....negligence is my best answer....!! So now, as a result....I have this severely deformed door sill, that sticks out like a....like a.....like....well, something that doesn't look right....deformed doesn't quite do it justice....


...sad...I know....but, it's what I have to work with....photobucket is being selective as to what I can upload for some reason....I think this is a shot of just drywall tape and resin...


...it started to pour before the resin had set....I tried to keep it dry; while I had the lamp on it, to speed the process....nice try....



....sounds like the rain has stopped for now...hope this stuff sets...still have the lamp on the area, trying to dry it...better go move the lamp to a different position....my seat got SOAKED...!!!

WHOOPS...!!! In my haste to get the resin to dry on a rainy humid night.....I neglected to consider fitment issues....!!! I have had to SLAM the hell out of my door for the last couple days.....the fibreglass set quite solid....but, not in a way that fits well with the bottom of the door.....looking back......what I SHOULD have done.....was close the door while everything was still gooey...that way, the door would have at least closed properly........I had to go to town on the sill with a very coarse grinding stone on the Dremel....which, btw, I think has decided to pass......(I think I pooched it)....I did manage to remove enough of the hardened resin, to allow the door to close a little easier; before the Dremel died........no pics....sorry.....WAAAAAAY too much dust.....probably going to have to grind it all down; and put my gooey-door-slamming theory into practice......on the upside....at least there is something there to work with now......

While I was posting in the public thread....doppelfaust asked me a question...."KRAMMIT, please don't take this the wrong way but when do you actually call a car "dead?" I would think the patching would only work for so long until there is no structural integrity left." I replied with a short story entitled, "Since You Put It That Way"....:

Many have asked when I am gonna give up on Woody II....but, you are the FIRST to phrase it THAT way....I actually had to stop and consider your question for at Least a beer....and a Mint.....I had to recall the moments when I have actually said "Good-Bye" to the cars that I have owned....which include: an '81 Scirocco, an '82 Scirocco, another '81 Scirocco, an '88 Fox Wagon (Woody I), an '87 Fox Wagon (Woody II), and another '88 Fox Wagon (Woody III)......

My VERY FIRST CAR was a MK I Scirocco that I bought when I was eighteen; put my butt in hock for a few grand, and worked three jobs to pay it off early...then, about five months after paying it off....about 90 seconds from home; after working 17 hours at a mall, taking down an Antique Show.....hit a patch of ice on a sweeping left.....LEFT the road and took a HYDRANT CLEAN OFF its' moorings....(I was expecting a geyser of water to send the ass end of the car skyward; didn't happen)...took out the two right head lights and the right signal lens....the car wouldn't start....ignition coil was disconnected I found out later...my buddy, who was right behind me on the ice in a mustang; helped me carry the hydrant away from the road, to place it behind two ends of brick walls that overlapped, built in to the slope of the hill....NOT visible from the road....then we pushed my wounded car home....thru the lights, around the bend; make the left onto my street...about seven houses from my driveway......we spy a cop car "just happening" to drive down the street we just pushed the car to make a left from.....

My buddy looks at me and says, "One story is better than two! Lemme know what happens....", then buggers off down between a couple of houses; while am standing there, in the middle of the street, with my limp car in hand, as the cruiser pulls up behind me moments later......the two cops give me the third degree; ask me who I hit; how much have I had to drink, etc.....I tell them I hit a patch of ice on Widdicome Hill, and lost control; the road turned left, and I couldn't.....skipped the curb and took out a hydrant......they both look at each other as though they have already made up their mind what happened....drive with me in the back of the cruiser over to where the accident took place.....they let me out of the back; asking where the hell the hydrant is,.....I told them it was between the two ends of the overlapped brick walls built into the landscape of the hill to the front lawn of the building....again, they look at each other as though I am trying to pull their legs....they got their flashlights out, scanning the area between the road and the area where I claimed I placed the hydrant...we traverse the thirty-five yards or so that lies between the curb and the walls in question.....then the lead cop exclaims, "Are you kidding me?!?"....he found the hydrant....it was where I said it would be....they looked at each other in disbelief.....wondering how a scrawny little runt like me could muscle this 300 lb fire hydrant such a distance without any drag marks on the grass....(my buddy was 6'4", 260 lbs.).....at any rate; I got charged with careless driving, and failure to report an accident; BOTH quite serious charges.....I had to pay a lawyer; AND a privater investigator (about $850) to get the charge reduced to failure to report an accident.......that car took out the hydrant; got repaired through insurance to live long enough to hit an off ramp at 110 km/h....said off ramp was rated for 20 km/h.....(401 E to Renforth Rd. S; for anyone reading in the GTA)....I had been playing darts and drinking with my buddy Pete; at Rollie Scagnetti's, and I think we had consumed somewhere around 40 8 oz drafts.....kinda like beer shots....felt FINE leaving the bar....as one DOES.......then...somewhere during the ten minute highway ride....the extra ounces of alcohol take effect...(keep in mind this saga is circa 1987; I was 21 years of age at the time......my Inner Zombie has since become seasoned!)...and I COMPLETELY misjudge the off ramp, its' extreme ninety degree turn, and my current rate of travel.....we HIT the curb AT SPEED.....the front left wheel takes the Brunt of the impact and is subsidized by the rear left wheels' efforts to help out, by slamming into the curb as well....BOTH wheels are bent at an absurd angle as my Scirocco becomes AIRBORNE briefly......just a split second perhaps, to allow the rear right wheel to catch the trailing edge, of the wedge shaped curb, denoting the absolute left most edge of the driving surface....it deformed the rear right suspension camber, to something resembling the inner edge of the rim being a mere couple of inches from the pavement; the wheel, when viewed from the rear; was 45 degrees away from being perpendicular....!!! I have no reason to fabricate this saga........Right as the accident finished happening....My (now MILLIONAIRE {self-made} Friend Pete); gets out of the car, and says, "Awww Dude!! Your car is EFFED!!"....."I know!", I replied, "Get IN! Let's get outta here!!"....I drop him off at his place....manage to pilot this wreck of a car another five or six kilometers to my house via backstreets.....please do keep in mind.....that at this point: NONE OF THE WHEELS ARE POINTING IN THE SAME DIRECTION...!!!!! It took me THREE tries to get this thing positioned in the driveway; to be straight, from from I was able to deem at the time..........somewhere in my ramble lies the answer to your question doppelfaust......I got rid of my first car; after I MANGLED it to the point, where NONE of the wheels even pointed in the SAME direction......I ended up selling it to some kid in the neighbourhood, for $200.....I STILL feel like I got ripped off....!!! I know...I know....I know....just let it go.....but, still.....ya can't help feeling.....!!

My second and third Sciroccos became one out of necessity; one had a compression of 80-55-65-72; the other had no fifth gear anymore...mein Mekaniker at the time, suggested a meld.....we put the good motor and the good 5-speed into the '82....and we discarded what wasn't required: meaning, I sent a Scirocco to the wrecker.....SHAME on me!!.....I drove my '82 around until one Friday night....a night which placed a thousand dollar cheque in my pocket (from working); I was gonna go off to Hamilton and PARTY on a Friday night....then, some FATE intervened; and decided that I should spend that Friday in a collision reporting centre....saying goodbye to my third and final Scirooco....my insurance company buggered me.....they only gave me a thousand bucks for my wreck; and a week to find another ride....I couldn't even FIND another Scirocco to buy....I saw a FOX WAGON in an Auto Trader; it was advertised as a 5-speed (WRONG!!!), and had this wonderful mock vinyl wood applique around its' mid-section.....

I remembered immediately; the disdain that I; for some reason, held against Foxes.....perhaps, because I was an arrogant Scirocco owner...I thought of the Fox as being something that Hyundai copied (High Un Dri)....the Fox kinda looked like a Volkswagen Pony.....I KNOW....I KNOW.....but, I was an arrogant Scirocco owner at the time.....what did I know...?!?

(Yeah, that 's my shadow...!)

HAA-HAAAA-AAAA...!!! (Phil Ken-Sebben; Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law ref) The Joke's on me....!!! Little did I know....when I was on my high-n-mighty Scirocco horse...........that I would be the eventual owner of THREE FOX WAGONS.....which, truth be told.....have been FAR MORE of a car than the Scirocco EVER was for me.....those things are BRITTLE.....the Fox may not reach a peak performance out of the box, like a Scirocco....but, these Foxes have INCREDIBLE LONGEVITY.....!!! ( As an aside...that doesn't make me any LESS pissed off with VW; because they won't release the new Scirocco to North America...'cuz it MIGHT interfere with their Jetta n Golf sales...!!)

But, I digress......Thanks for the thought, DragonMike......that's a GREAT idea.....I am thinking that I might be able to make do with some wax paper and a schpritz of WD-40, in a similar application....I will implement your idea in my next attempt.....THANK YOU for your consideration in my projects.....very helpful to have an outside, objective approach.....sometimes we get too close...

...AND....in keeping with the title of the thread.....I did actually DO something to my FOX this evening....as I may have mentioned, we got a new oil changing hoist at work.....slow, but powerful.....anyway, the rails are very wide.....so I needed to use a regular lift to raise Woody II enough to get some undercoating applied.....just gonna post a pic of the left side....


....and the right....after I sprayed some sealant....

...it seems that I have reinstated some structural integrity....at some expense....thank you very much, gents, for your responses......again, my apologies for rambling.....hope you enjoyed......we don't live long enough to make mistakes enough of our own; so we should try to learn from others...!!!

Awww Jeeez....I feel I have overstayed my welcome here in this public thread......my sincerest apologies, for having rambled on....with pics n such....BUT, you did ask when I "call a car dead".....

...and doppelfaust....so much additional metal has been added to the cars' hull; I don't think that structural integrity will be a factor anymore......there is perhaps another 200 additional lbs of metal (guessing!), been put back into the car....NEVER SAY DIE....!!!

I do miss the outrageous times that I had in my Sciroccos....but, I suspect they were outrageous times....because I was in my twenties.....and I was MORE than a little bit outrageous back then......I really wish I knew what I know now (which still isn't much!), about VWs....I was a tad maniacal....I had to go to school out in Oakville....I live in Etobicoke....bit of a hike......no way was I taking the bus....so I picked a car that caught my eye at the time....bought a Mk I Scirocco S with 170,000 km on it....and BEAT that car into the ground.....I delivered pizzas in it for a few years....did courier work with another Scirocco, a couple of years after that....I went through 4 CV joint/drive shaft operations....did shocks a couple of times...alternators and water pumps were a nuisance......

But, right you are DragonMike.....when they weren't having to be fixed...they were a howl to drive....I had my '82 Scirocco doing just over 200 km/h going up hwy 400....couldn't get away with that nowadays.......but, then again, back in '98....about two weeks after buying Woody I....I had to go out to Kingston, Ontario....about a three and a half hour drive......somewhere along the way....I decided to see what he could do....and, with out having the pedal on the floor....Woody I got up to 197 km/h on the 401.....again....not something that would be tolerated by the "high-tech boys in blue" of today....but back then, the odds were in the speeders' favour....gotta say though....the Scirocco attracted the Ladies.....or....maybe just that I had hair back then....

One of my Sciroccos had a clip in sunroof; never leaked; and was awesome to remove, so she didn't keep hittin' her head on it....!!! Now THAT's FUN.....heheh....I have considered putting in a sunroof to one of my Wagons....but, that slight jut in the roof line near the door ends complicates things....best left alone I think...........there used to be a Fox Tale thread that I began a while ago...perhaps that would be a better location for stories....

DragonMike replied..."Thus far all my "good" stories involved the "Rockets". Haven't really misbehaved in the Fox (yet). At 50 years old, I'm not sure I should be "getting up to such hi-jinx" anymore. ..... maybe I have become too wary of the "boys in blue" or maybe I have had visions of my own mortality. Either way, I have not had so much as a speeding ticket in the past 12 or 13 years. Much cheaper. Lol!
"

The last speeding ticket I got was last March, at 5:30 in the morning....buddy was fishing for insurance slips...seemed disappointed that he caught mine...and had to release it.....and let it swim away...........I agree on the much cheaper take.....best to see it coming...and go a different way.........ever watch oldtimers hockey...? they don't skate very fast....but, they don't have to.....because, they have the wisdom of knowing where to BE at the right time........and also where not to be......

....here comes the winter....I took a pic of my Wagons....just a very gentle snowfall...but, it is cold enough, and has been as of late....that it will likely stay......I am thinking I should still go and have the chassis oil sprayed.....I haven't done it for the last couple of years; and I do notice a difference.....mind you I was advised, that IF I was going to have some welding done....NOT to get it sprayed.....now that the welding has been done....I SHOULD get it sprayed....to preserve what has been reconstructed.......honestly....this Wagon LOVES the winter....it runs without issue in the freezing temps.....


....when I was nine years old...I was fortunate enough to go on a trip to Europe....in 1976.....to Switzerland specifically....when it was night time...I noticed that many of the car owners had flipped their wipers up.....I wondered why.......later I realized it was to keep the wiper blades from freezing to the windshield....and possibly becoming damaged during the HASTENED, morning, de-icing process.....and at $12 for a 17" winter wiper blade....I can flip the wipers up....not to mention (but, I will anyway) it makes it much easier to remove ice, should it freeze....without exerting some undue stress on the wiper arms, and spindles.....(ever have a spindle strip on you...? I have witnessed my wipers wiping the hood....while driving)....

I hope everyone who should have them installed...has their snows on.....which reminds me....I still have to put down some insulation and carpeting in Woody II; now that the floor has been.....ummmm.....updated.....the carpet has been wadded up 
and sitting in Woody III since last May....and my pre-cut insulation pieces have been acting as padding between hard surfaces in the cargo area of Woody III...lots to do in the next couple of days....wow.....will it EVER end....? I never considered that this hobby would be so......captivating............little did I know....that while I was jumping hurdles; while being a young, arrogant, Scirocco owner, ('cuz I was!); I was merely being prepped for future Fox ownership...!!!

Then, on the public thread; reddfoxx noted some possible vandalism to his Fox..."Noticed the 2-door's driver's side window was broken, probably with a pellet gun. I haven't been driving it much so I had parked it in the street; had intended to move it to the in-laws', mainly to avoid someone clipping the mirror. Looking around for a window..."

Followed by myboxyfoxs' entry...:
"Went on the second date with a girl, showed her my Fox 

Whoever says you can't pick up chicks with a Fox is not trying. She went on for 10 minutes on how awesome my Fox is, and I had no problem with that 

I find women in general love my car, and I don't get it.....I never dreamed this car would get any attention from anybody, let alone the ladies. 

Last year when I briefly had the Orlando's on, I was waiting at a red light, and this hot hot girl at the bus stop gave me the roll down your window sign. I did and she was like " Oh my god, I LOVE your car!" I was floored... 

True story..."

Which invoked my response...: 
I DO actually recall one evening; where, I offered a ride home to a young lady....she accepted.....as we walked to the parking lot....she asked, "Which one of these cars is yours...?", I said, "Pick the Oldest car that you see in the parking lot....that will be the one we get into..."

When I opened the door for her, (chivalry is not dead....nor should proper manners be), she got into the car....I went around and got in my side....when I got in and closed the door.....she announced, "My Dad used to have one of these....!!" ......all I could hear inside my head was...."WHO'S YER DADDY...?!"; laughed for quite a while on the inside....then gave her a swift, safe ride home....(as her Daddy would?).....also a true story....

I suppose, the Fox can be applauded, for screening out...those who cannot recognize and appreciate....a simpler car....from simpler times....those that DO appreciate...seem to be the people that are worth getting to know....

In keeping with the thread; I noticed last week, during a bit of a cold snap.....that I wasn't getting much heat in the cabin....I only drive for about 15 minutes to work, which is just barely enough time to get the car up to temp.....I cut a piece of coroplast (like plastic cardboard) to fit in front of the rad, and block most of the freezing air coming into the rad....I cut a few slits in the cover to let some cool air in......

.....that shroud that I made out of coroplast seems to work very well.....no engine heat was getting into the radiator.....which is good....but way too much freezing cold air was also getting into the rad....and on the highway...no matter how fast I go....the engine heat cannot overcome the deep freeze that it is rushing into...the needle in the coolant temperature gauge barely enters into the white zone at the lowest end, by the time I get to work....hopefully, this will help to build up a little extra heat during the minus ten Celsius temps....I will report back with efficacy updates...

P.S. myboxyfox....don't be so modest.....yeah, they like the car.....but, YOU are the one in their sights............you chick magnet you....!! Just DON'T let 'er drive it.....!!! ....heheh.....

P.P.S. reddfoxx That DOES Suck.....I don't even KNOW what I would do if I caught some one causing ill will to ANY of my Foxes..............I hope you are able to locate a suitable replacement window reddfoxx.....CHEERS!

Reddfoxx replied..."Thanks Krammit. I'm poking around online and in town. I'm not sure it was done on purpose; all I know is it happened late Thanksgiving day/early the next, and looks like a small hole dead center in the window, shattering the rest. I guess it could be a random rock...

And I have my cardboard shield from last year ready to go, once it looks like it'll stay cold. Yours is fancier."

Followed by....Thanks for saying reddfoxx....it was easy to make....the coroplast slices remarkably easy along the flutes....just have to be mindful of over cuts...I used the remnants of a Toyota sign, doubled it up, and eyeballed the cuts to fit....it has been in there for a few days now....even though it hasn't been too cold; I HAVE noticed a great difference in the amount of heat available for the cabin...even on the highway there is no trouble generating heat for the inside of the car......and in traffic, the needle stays about the 5/8 ths mark....just above the red light....not enough to make the cooling fan turn on.........which is just about right for my liking....because I only pulled back my shroud enough to drop in the 'warming shield'; it isn't fastened to anything....just sort of sitting there.....blocking breeze.....you can see a small corner of the rad is exposed on the bottom end....


....at the upper end...there is a little more exposure for cool air flow....this way the rad opening isn't completely blocked....but about 65% of it is shielded from the direct air rush....


....even on the way to work...the needle gets almost out of the white zone now.......whereas before...the needle wouldn't even ENTER the white zone before I got to work........BRRRRRRR....!!! I am pleased with my perfectly priced modification........

I also stuck around work for a little bit...to have a go at putting the carpet back into Woody II....the rug was taken up; to reveal an absolute horror show, back in late April....there have been some serious welding jobs done to his belly and floor pan....now that the MAKEUNDER that he was in such desperate need of; has been completed.....time to put the rug back....I recall cutting some pieces of regular carpet under padding about a year ago....for Woody III...though I did label the pieces....I should have also created a map/legend showing where they go....it was not as straightforward as I thought it would be.......

....while I had the drivers' seat out...and a shopvac handy...I gave it the once over....this seat is one of the few remaining items from my '82 Scirocco....it's kinda beaten down in a couple of spots; but still, VERY comfortable....(I think I still have the foam spoiler from the hatch of that car....I wonder how absurd that would look on the back of the Wagon...?!?)


.....I also gave the carpet a bit pf a final going over before putting it in the car......


.....before I set about doing any of this....I grabbed the battery charging machine that I use all the time at work (the sales personnel love to kill batteries in showroom cars), and hooked Woody II up.......the last few weeks...the starter went; now I think the battery is on it last legs....not sure if the numbers on the screen are visible after posting.....but, the volts read 14.45; the amps read 0.3; amp hours 0.6; ...not terribly impressive; in fact, just about dead.......I charged it for an hour....that might help me get through until next paycheque....so I can buy another battery before the seriously COLD weather is upon us.....


...I checked my maintenance logbook to see when was the last time I bought a battery for this car.......survey says......November of 2006.....not too shabby.......anything more than five years on a battery in this climate is pretty damn good....but, you know me and my frugality.....I feel the need to get every last little drop of life/use out of something; before having to go to pocket to replace it........some may deem that to be 'cheap'.....I find 'resourceful' to be more accurate....

....after some puzzle-piecing together...trying to see what fits.....this is what I ended up with....


....my apologies for the fuzzy pics...that is not usually my style.....I was finding myself running short of time (they close up at nine pm), and spent too much of it vacuuming.....though the vacuuming was necessary, it cut into the carpet laying segment....which went down kinda lumpy....I did take a pic with the flash which makes for a clearer image, but not as well lit...


....after getting what I could of the carpet back in....I suspect that I might have to loosen the dash slightly (that doesn't impress me!) to get the carpet tucked all the way up....otherwise...there will be lumpiness underfoot....I have yet to tuck all the edges in...but for now...it is back in place....and I have to say....with the carpet and under padding back in place there is noticeably less road noise in the cabin.......progress is good...no matter how small.....Cheers:beer:

Then I tucked some edges....Since I am pretty much the only one that rides in this thing; I have let several things stray from original....so long as it still goes...I am not too concerned with aesthetics (obviously)....having stated that....I think I have a few too many pieces of insulation under the carpeting....not having the carpet lay down well, made it a challenge to fit the door seals back in place.....on the upside....I did NOT have to loosen the dash to get the carpet to sit down up near the front (whew!)....however, I did have to remove the fuse box....


....and the hood release lever....took these when I was putting it back together....


.....the passenger side was less than co-operative.....I just curled the excess carpet up against the bottom of the glovebox....I won't see it very often....


....as you can see....not a very good fit at all.......again, a silver lining though......the centre console just had to be wedged under the dash to stay put....no screw...no road vibration, from what I could tell on the way home from work (the on-ramp to the highway was closed)....


....but, for now....the carpet is back in....and the interior road noise has been noticeably decreased....perhaps 25-30%......so I have that going for me......which is NICE.....Cheers:beer:

I was kind of getting used to the no-carpet look; didn't have much choice with all the welding that had to be done to this poor Fox....but now that he is solid.....(perhaps more solid than he has EVER been.....since I have owned him)....and the winter winds are howling.....I thought it would be nice to have some insulation form the elements once more....(I used to hear my tires splashing through puddles; and the carpet would get wet!)....I am inclined to ride out the winter with my current preparations....maybe an undercarriage oil spray could complete my regimen.....but, it will be nice to have heat....and a floor....and dry carpet...and not feel snowbanks underfoot as I plow through them.....!!! Kinda stoked actually....this thing LOVES the winter....and this is possibly the First one that it is actually intact for.....!! I recall saying; after I had just replaced the rear shocks in Woody II....that he still handled...."...like a picnic basket full of rocks on training wheels...!!" ...or something very close to that....now....a thing of the past....it has been a long haul....but, more than a few steps closer now...........

Amazing how much stuff you can amass in the back of a Wagon.....and just forget about...(DragonMike had lots!)....but, 297 lbs..?!? Really?!? WOW that IS a lot of additional weight.....I wonder how much weight Woody II lost to cancer.....then gained back through 'LINCOLN' therapy....there are probably about 200 lbs of added weight through welding on Woody....for the better I dare say....

I have also a couple of rattling panels....drives me nuts over bumpy roads....cuz the panels never rock in time with the music...! ...I am going to drill a few small pilot holes, in a few key spots, and secure the panels with self-tapping metal screws and washers; to keep the panels from interfering with my listening pleasure........of course there will be pics...!! Cheers DragonMike...!!:beer:


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...continued...*

A post from December 17th, 2013....There was a staff Christmas party last Friday......I had to go visit BOTH my parents in the hospital, before going to the party.....(my life has been turned upside down in the past couple weeks!)....dropped my brother off at home, (we are finally speaking again....following a four year silent period; while living under the same roof!!)....I knew I was getting low on fuel, but decided I could make it to the station....going up the on ramp to the highway; the engine started to sputter, while the transfer pump searched for fuel at the bottom of the tank....I had to draft a Cadillac SUV to make it three exits to Dundas Street....caught a green light luckily....made it to the station....the engine cut out just as I glided in to the filling area just in front of the pump......WHEW....I MADE IT....!! 

I dropped in $40 of premium; but it took about six tries to get the car started, and for it to stay lit.....got it started....went to the party.....Saturday night found me picking up my friend from a party she was at; that finished up at about 2 am....I picked her up in semi-blizzard conditions, with about six inches of snow on the ground.....during the ride home, I must've collected some snow on the undercarriage; right around the fuel components.....Sunday night.....Woody wouldn't start.....I thought it was my battery (which is just over 7 years old)....stole the battery from Woody III.....still no go.....no fuel getting through....I looked underneath the car to find the fuel component cluster covered with snow.....I suspect that some debris is clogging a line some where; or I have a fuel line freeze up.....I put a bottle of gas line anti-freeze in....but, too little....too late......still haven't been able to get him to fire up.....gonna pick up a new battery today....it would be nice to get Woody II started again.....I don't like driving the old mans' '02 Buick Regal....auto....no snows as yet, no sticker....and the power windows are haunted...and I have to wear nitrile gloves just to touch the steering wheel..NASTY!!

I hope it gets warmer out soon.....it has been around -15 C (~ 5 F) for the last week or so.....there is a warm front moving in for Thursday....might get to see plus temperatures for a spell.....that would be nice........I spent so much time and money getting the hull rebuilt; I should have replaced my main fuel pump, in the summer; when it was warm, and I had the chance....I need to find a main fuel pump in my parts collection somewhere in my garage......preferably sooner than later......stay warm everyone...!!!

Woody II Fired up today...!!! It was only about minus five Celsius (23 F); and snowing quite heavily in the morning as I was about to leave for work...I started the Old Mans' Buick.....in the event that I couldn't get my Fox going...backed the Buick into the street a bit, just to line it up with Woody for a boost.....HE FIRED UP on the first try....Sweet..!!! I was looking forward to having my Fox back....!! I drove to work without incident (no stalling); but, as I was going to drop off the licensing; in the morning, at work.....he wouldn't start--and stay lit again....just kept stalling out after turning over......my buddy Oliver was outside having a smoke, watching me go through the motions......I looked at him and said, "Sounds like he is suffocating.....doesn't it...?" I popped the hood; got out a screwdriver, and turned the air inlet screw on the intake manifold about 3/4 of a turn (eventually; in 1/8 th increments), to bring the idle up to just over 1,000 rpm.....I can't believe that I forgot to adjust for winter running.....I have been getting retarded fuel economy as of late......I suspect THIS might have something to do with it.....beyond the warming up, and frequent prolonged winter idling.....I am STILL going to search for that fuel pump (in the depths of my garage); then change it too....pretty sure the current pump is getting rather tired....I would rather swap it out sooner than later....this time of year is not a good one to be playing fuel pump roulette.......(GOOD NEWS also....my Dad is scheduled to come home from the hospital the day after tomorrow....I hope my Mom is soon to follow....they are in their late 70s....hospital visits are unpleasant experiences for them)......just after I dropped off the licensing; I darted over to a Canadian Tire that is nearby and picked up a new battery for Woody II....the guy behind the counter was so appreciative that I found the battery that I wanted; told him I did not want to make a warranty claim....just a purchase...he asked what kind of vehicle the battery was for....when I told him a n '87 VW Fox Wagon....I was expecting him to laugh or something...but he didn't seem surprised....after filling in all the particulars for my purchase, he says to me, "I wish MORE people would come in here knowing exactly what they want....!! It would make my day so much easier to get through...!!" ...then he took $15 off the purchase price....SWEET...!! I'll take it...!! ...and it's not as though it came directly out of HIS pocket...!! ...but it COULD very well go directly into my gas tank.....I am okay with that.....a good day.....small victories....Cheers...!!!

Bluetoes591 mentioned that he had a postcard and a note placed under his wiper....I replied with a picture of a note that was left under my wiper....
I had just about forgotten about this until now...sometime late September/early October.....somebody named Ray left this on my windshield....out back of Wacky Wings.....


...I still can't believe SOMEBODY wanted to buy my car.....this is Woody II btw...[NOT in Nice Shape]......needless to say...I didn't call........toooooo funny...!!!

Then around December 22nd; a massive ice storm hit the GTA and knocked out the power in my neighbourhood for 66 HOURS....(which was just about more than I could take!!!)

Woo Hoo...!!! FINALLY...!!! It is now 10:40 pm on Tuesday, December 24 th.....I and my Brother have been muddling through these last few, trying, days.....we have been victims of the Ice Storm Blackout that hit Toronto last weekend....only as of 8:15 pm tonight; have we had power back in the neighbourhood...the lights went out at 2am last Sunday....it has been a Frosty 66 hours of roughin' it....I have been spending a LOT of time in Woody II lately....he has HEAT.....and I had to stick another piece of coroplast in the front of the radiator to keep it that way....



.....the second piece that I put in has but one thin, vertical slot cut in it....perhaps allowing only about one square inch of actual directly flowing air into the rad......it works perfectly for -15 C temperatures so far......no over heating in standing traffic....the fan comes on for about twelve seconds.....maybe....if I have let the car sit and idle for about fifteen minutes.....

Thank You So Much for the kind words and support Gentlemen....!!! Reddfoxx; alaincopter; myboxyfox; vw90fox; DragonMike; I had (and continue to have) no idea what I would do when the time came to take care of my parents; in a physical capacity.....I couldn't possibly condense what I have endured for the past few weeks into a brief synopsis of events.....though, you Know Damn Well that I had my trusty Canon Power Shot 1000 with me, and there would be absolutely No Way for me to meter my mettle without the indisputable, all-telling, digital pic.......which, by the way, I would not dare post here.....you will have to catch those on my thread....likely just a link on my thread.....not suitable for the feint of stomach.....actually, a buddy of mine, who works as a security guard at Sick Kids Hospital; saw a couple of the photos, and had to fight back more than a couple of gag reflexes.....then says, "...You know I handle dead bodies on a daily basis, right? ....THAT is just.....Aaauuugh!!!" 

At any rate....I do VERY much appreciate your thoughts..... and also it is VERY comforting to know that I have your collective strength to draw from during extreme times of duress...of which I am sure there are more to come.......thanks also for the reminder of self preservation myboxyfox....quite right; very easy to lose sight of your own health in the effort to preserve the health of others; I must beware not to become useless...!.....alaincopter; thanks for the wishes for moms' recovery, I have been up there every day since she was admitted; and Woody II surprised a mazda 3 that wasn't "macht schnell" enough for his (rather my) liking...these newfangled computer controlled cars don't climb to 5,000 rpm the same as the Fox...even an old and tattered Fox, such as mine....of course there is always driver intent; I was intent on getting to see my Mom (She is doing SO much better!!).......reddfoxx; Miss Moxx.....there's a limerick in there somewhere, But, I'll leave it alone....heheh...Yes, Dad is happy to be at home; but, not as much as my brother and I are to have him here; we jumped through a lot of hoops to prepare/transform my parents bedroom into habitable living quarters once again......(ever see "Hoarders"?).....not even close.......and vw90fox and DragonMike; thank you for your prayers guys, everything goes when the preservation of life is at stake......CHEERS GENTLEMEN...!!! :beer::beer::beer::beer::beer:

...and seeing as my pics have just finished uploading (I have been in electronic isolation for the past few days), here are a couple shots of the Deep-Freeze.........the morning dew looks a wee bit STIFF.....


....I wonder if that interferes with reception.....


....so cold.....the antennacicle is still intact at night....


.....on my way home to the frozen cave last night....I pulled over on a neighbourhood street; to capture this shot.....

(....*sigh*....yes, that IS a street light....)

Happy Holidays To ALL of my Fellow Foxers; ALL the Best to You and Your Families...!!! Cheers:beer:Gents...!!!

P.S. Interior temp dipped to 45 F (~6 C)!! BRRRR!!! Just nearing 60 F (15 C) almost seven hours after getting power back....lovin my electric blanket tonight!!!

Thanks for enduring my updates.....!!! Haven't taken many pics lately...here are a couple of videos that I took in the last couple weeks...
the first video is of my putting in a litre of 20W50 oil to the crankcase during -10C temps....the second video, is of a start-up the following morning......my car likes to make a LIAR out of me....

Video 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOHQuuwF2xw

Video 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okYSGRi_dhk

Sorry to click, copy, and run.....but, I wouldn't last long on page 3....haven't done much in the way of anything.....just been driving Woody II like it's winter time.....haven't started Woody III for almost ten days now....too damn cold out...!! ....though I DID take about $25 worth of premium fuel; and poured it in to the tank.....have yet to start him with the newer fuel in the tank....perhaps in the next couple of days; I'll take a few pics or a video.....but, that will have to wait....until NEXT TIME....


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

Greetings Gentlemen....it has been a while.....I haven't been here for over five weeks....the aging parental factor has been in play.....it was just this morning that my mom was whisked away to some nursing home in Port Hope (Perhaps I will have to go visit her; and then continue on to go visit germanpettingzoo, it's about a third of the way there...)....the last number of weeks have been VERY TRYING....I don't even know how my brother has been holding down the fort; without psychotic incident coming into play....I think there will be an adjustment period....it will take some time for this to sink in....my gluttonous hog of a father (I know that isn't the right thing to say; but, it is SOOOOO FITTING that it can't help but be accurate...!!!) seems to be indifferent about the whole incident...but, I suppose so long as he has something to eat, and a TV to watch.... he will be content....I suspect that he has Alzheimers disease.....and is in the early stages....I am told that THESE are the GOOD times....awwww man.....what is yet to come...?!? Dare I even ASK that question...?!?

I have had a few woes of my own to deal with....towards the end of February....I took a SERIOUS HEADER around the side of my house.....took a spill on some black ice...one which allowed me to see my feet parallel with my head for a split second.....didn't even have time to get my hands or elbows down to break the fall....landed square on my shoulder blades.....then hit my tailbone.....then followed up with my skull bouncing off the interlocking brick...I was wearing a hat, a hoodie, and a jacket with a hood...otherwise, I am pretty sure I would have split my skull open.....when I hit the ground; I was filled with a tremendous sense of, "Who the hell just hit me across the back of the head with a two-by-four?!?".....I lay there for a moment or two...trying to grasp what the hell just happened....then I thought to myself, "That was a good one, but NOT a REALLY good one....", and picked my ass up and went back into the garage and thought little more of it.....THEN....about a week later....it started....I don't know if any of you guys know what CLUSTER headaches are...but that's what I ended up enduring for about a month after I cracked myself in the head by wiping out on the ice.........Cluster headaches are more severe than migraines; and can last anywhere from 45 minutes to a few hours....I had one at work that lasted 5 1/2 hours....and had only T3s to deal with the pain.....I have since learned of a medication called "Cambia"; which is amazingly effective.....I spent the end of February and the better part of March trying to cope with these agonizing headaches... they are quite debilitating....I had one at work; and the General Sales Manager drove me to Emergency himself.....I had an MRI done....just to make sure there are no clots or bruises near my brain that will complicate things later on....all was good on the scan....quite a relief.....don't wanna wake up dead one day......

Woody III has developed a pretty severe oil leak.....I suppose me ripping around everywhere doesn't help....I put in OVER a litre of 20W-50; and I am still about 300 ml shy of being fully topped up.....the leak is coming from the head gasket at the back of cylinder one....and perhaps two by this time....drips out about a 5" spot every where he sits for longer than 10 minutes.......I pulled the trigger on the 2002 Passat Wagon; 1.8t, 5-speed, with just under 360,000 km on the clock; it was a trade-in at the dealership, PO took pretty good care of it; I am paying $50 a paycheque on it until $565 is paid off (I guess I am going to have to pick up a Bentley Manual for it too!)......it just may well become the daily driver while my Wagons get some TLC (Totally Lacking Cash ?!?)....my tool chest has become more of a parts cabinet.....too many things that haven't been installed for one reason or another...time/weather/sobriety/financial/coherence restrictions....

Enough of the personal update; I am SO GLAD to be rid of my cluster headaches for now...I feel like I have a new lease on life....for about a month, I was living in fear of the next attack....sometime near the end of January, I went to roll the passenger window down to wipe off the mirror....the crank went about one and a half turns before I realized the window hadn't budged at all....I immediately snugged the crank back up to support the window...it was ~ -25C/ -13F; and I didn't feel like having NO passenger window for the duration of the winter......[on a slight aside note: middle of February found my LG Neon 365 (POS!) dropping its' LAST CALL on me...I, now, have a phone; that is WAY smarter than I could EVER hope to be....(Samsung Galaxy S4 mini)...It is quite the device....but I still prefer my camera and computer to make posts; though the camera on the phone does take very impressive pics....until I figure out how to integrate my new toy into my approach; it's the tried 'n' true method]......the window has fortunately remained, rolled up, and in place...until now; time to see what's going on in there....


...fortunately...or UNfortunately....depending on whether you wish the door card to be OFF or ON....there were only a couple of the super-brittle nylon plugs to shatter and go ricocheting off on random vectors.....I was considering screwing the door card to the door anyway....not the immediate concern right now....attaching the window to the crank is the task at hand...


...just tossed the card into the backseat...I don't have many passengers....(by choice!)...


....unstuck and rolled the vapour barrier up so that it wouldn't interfere with the working area...


...my trusty 10 mm pocket socket (I carry this tool with me; extremely handy for battery terminals and license plate screws!) to remove the screws holding the bracket to the window....BUT...DO NOT remove the screws all the way until you wedge something in between the inner door moulding and the window....


....use whatever is handy....I happened to have a paper bag handy...


...with my paper bag brace in place....I rolled the support bracket down until it let go of the window...quite a rusty, goopy, mess really....


...BUT the REAL problem is that the support bracket is supposed to be "U" shaped....and through deterioration; it has now become "V" shaped, well....okay, it's pretty much "W" shaped; and is maybe connected in three places by less than a mm of rotted, weakened metal, along its' middle spine...I gave it a bath in some rust remover...


...I let this marinate for about 20 minutes....longer than they recommend; but, I kinda just forgot about it....I was busy doing other things...


...like cleaning up this mess enough to receive a new strip of tesa tape (double-sided, thin, high-tack adhesive)...


...I spent the better part of half an hour trying to clean up that rubber strip....this is as good as it's gonna get....I also found the remnants of some 5 minute Epoxy; which might help my cause....


...apply a strip of tesa tape to the window glass on the outer door side....


....and another strip on the inner side...


...peel off the wax backing tape....


...the inside of the rubber strip...


...the outside of the rubber strip...


...the inside surfaces of the bracket....pretty much on the verge of falling apart in my hands....


...my plan is to use the remainder of THIS smelly stuff to stick the bracket to the rubber strip...


...I drizzled the epoxy mixture, what little of it there was, into the bracket like runny icing...and stuck it here...(sorry...no action pics....my helper was napping and I only have two hands...)


...at the end of the day, (literally!), I got the window to roll up and down, on cue, as it should...


....but the NEXT DAY though....I noticed that the bracket had separated and sagged with the oozing epoxy being the ONLY thing keeping it stuck to the glass...


....this end looks a little more attached...


...not really wanting to rely on stale epoxy to keep my window from falling into the recesses of the door....when I was at work today....I happened by the dollar store and had a thought...


...there is quite a LOT of tensile strength in these butterfly clips....if you don't believe me....go get one, and clamp it on your finger for five seconds..!!! ..so, as I was putting them on....I thought....DAMN....wish I had these suckers when I was applying the EPOXY....just saying, good things to keep around for whatever the inner-MacGuyver in you sees fit to use them on....


...there was only enough room to put two on each side....so I have a couple left over...(you know...receipts, bills, shopping lists, nipple clamps....whatever the need...  ...{"I'd buy THAT fer a daller!!"...Robocop? ...anyone..? ...anyone...?}


.......as you can see....it's on there pretty convincingly...


...another view....


...the bottom view....


....and a final close up...


...this should hold it for a spell....if and when it fails...I think using some JB Weld or that Tech Steel Putty might be a step up, but, short of getting it welded by my friend Ed at Vangro....or I might buy a small MIG welder this summer....(hmmm... enough daydreaming...!) I have yet to replace the door card and fixtures...looking for suitable screws to use....but that will have to wait....until NEXT TIME....


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## germanpettingzoo (Jun 3, 2013)

You're always welcome for a visit!

Advice about the camera/phone situation: stick to the camera. While the phone takes AWESOME pictures, it's not worth the hassle. Between the awkward touch screen, the impossibility of taking pictures on weird angles because you can't find the button, and getting your phone all dirty, it's easier to just use a proper camera. I don't own a camera, I only have my phone, and I regret it all the time. Phone is great though for those times when you're out and about and see a ridiculous car that you need a picture of because nobody will believe that you saw it otherwise.

Also YIKES. Glad the fall didn't split your melon! See, sometimes it's good to live in a freezing cold climate - you're always wrapped in padding. I feel a little Monty Python coming on... "always look on the bright side of life" 

Clever work with the clips there. I quite like that. As a woefully under-equipped DIYer I often find myself having to come up with weird ways to use things that are totally inappropriate for the task. So I appreciate the ingenuity of this lol.


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## alaincopter (Oct 2, 2007)

Awesome dollar store clip fix Kevin, those things are indeed strong! Will keep this in mind if it ever happens to mine. Seen it happen to a number of Foxes, so it's definitely a good thing to know.

Loved the Robocop reference also - and I gotta say, I'll take a Fox over a 6000 SUX any day!


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...Had It With The Plastic Fasteners...*

After work today...I sat in the garage for a couple of beers before I decided that I have had enough of rattling panels and creaking fixtures....it seems I do some of my best work after dark...or maybe it's IN the dark.....I just seem to take so long to get motivated for certain things....

Thanks for the replies guys...!! I am glad that you two approve of my cheap fix...!!! 

Alain....thanks for the chuckle with the 6000 SUX...!!! My brain gave me a quick flashback scene that made me laugh....!!! Robocop has one of my all time favourite scenes.....where Emil drives the delivery truck into the silo of toxic waste; washes out the rear door of the truck; then staggers up to his buddy and melts all over him; his buddy then says, "Don't touch me, man!!" ...and gets away from him....then E'melt' staggers into the path of an oncoming car chase.....SPEL-LAY-YASH.....!!!! Emil becomes a slurry of windshield run off....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FftEeQmuDWM
(Clarence Bodicker is driving a 6000 SUX!!)...but I digress.......I hope all is well with Family and Fox, Buddy...!!!

Thanks for the extended invite germanpettingzoo...I just might drop by one day, in the not too distant future....I think I will be following your advice about the camera/phone action....I have come this far with just the camera and my computer...plus I figured out how to post pics with some help from myboxyfox a while ago....so I am familiar with my limitations in this dept....I usually have my camera(s) with me at all times....like you said, in the event that you require pictorial proof......also thanks for the concern regarding my noggin....I actually stopped playing JR. B hockey because I woke up in a hospital bed; realizing I wasn't at home, and couldn't remember A THING about how I ended up in the hospital....concussions are dangerous things...."...the WOUND....", "...and whatever you do; don't...mention...the war.".....or was that Basil Fawlty....still jokes...!!!

...so I waited until it was near dark before deciding to clean up the door a bit....tesa tape, rag, and rubbin' hooch....


....just cleaned an area where the tape was going to sit...


...near the front....


...I peeled off the amber coloured wax backing paper, and stuck the vapour barrier back onto the door....


...here too...


...then I realized that I have a bright flashlight in my pocket; and used it to help me see, to drill four pilot holes around the perimeter of the door card....I started up near the front...took a one eighth inch drill bit and sunk a hole through the card and the metal of the door, then took a screw and washer to hold it tight...


...sunk another one in the bottom of the card, a couple of inches to the rear of the storage fixture....


...put another one near the bottom, rear corner of the door...


....and finally, one near the top of the card, just below the door lock pin...


....and there was one more screw that absolutely had to be sunk....the rear right interior panel of my wagon has been rattling, creaking, squeaking, annoying me since I can remember......BE GONE annoying rattle.....


...the temperatures have become ALMOST civil as of late in the GTA....might have to re-read my own post on my heater core replacement...Woody III has been sitting and just getting idled for 7-8 minutes every couple days for the last year...that's no way for a Fox to live.....I need to change his heater core so that he can be DRIVEN......but that will have to wait....until NEXT time....


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...Starting To Warm Up...*

There have been some milder temps around as of late, which is a refreshing change from the deep freeze of the last five months.....about a week ago.....(I never seem to make legit [on time] 'WdydtyF...today?' posts...!!!), I was about to go for a drive into the depths of the city; when, as I was getting some fuel, noticed that my right tail light was out...the brake light worked, but the tail light was not lit....decided that my jaunt could wait ten minutes while I changed the bulb; especially considering the amount of dirty looks that I get from cops....just ITCHING for a chance to pull me over for something.....give them no reason...can't touch ya....though they are well trained in making the probable cause 'grey area'....very large....why push my luck....

....the culprit................bad side of the moon...?


As the mercury rose.....so did the need to get my snow tires off Woody II....we had one last blast of winter last Tuesday....got about four cm of snow...but melted a couple days later....Friday of last week; which was a holiday in Canada (Good Friday)....found me *P*iloting the *P*assat *P*lus *P*eople, *P*romptly *P*ast *P*ort Hope......to Coburg, where my Mom is in the hospital....she has had a stroke....which is never good...and I will be doing a lot of driving on the weekends.....(like I don't drive enough at work during the week!)....the problem is....Woody II is leaking oil rather aggressively.....I am almost certain the leak is coming from the head gasket....the amount can be visible beneath the car in as little amount of time as it takes to get $30 worth of fuel (which ISN'T very long these days!!!!!)....looks like oil pan, but is, I believe one major leak, behind the first cylinder...


...a view from beneath, taken while I was changing to summer tires...


I suppose I should consider replacing the oil pan gasket while he is out of service for surgery.......you can see the more recently baked oil stain creeping down the pan from the 1:30-2:00 portion of the frame....probably poured three litres through it in the last month.....at least I get a free under coating....in spots....


...I started when it was light out...but, as usual.....finished up in the dark.....there was a MASS of crud to move before I could even GET to my tire collection, near the front door (that doesn't open) of the garage...


....this is supposed to be a TWO car garage.....MAY-be a couple of Hot Wheels could fit......


....decided to have a little foresight.....charge up the flashlight....and the impact gun.......


....finally made it through the mire....to my stack of tires....can you tell which two were on the front...?

...the four on the ledge are snows from my buddy Mark....he was to come by and pick them up that night....

....the 2002 Passat 1.8t Wagon that I am buying from work (it was too good of a deal to PASS AT!!!) for Five Bananas PLUS tax....as is....came with four snows on steelies, plus a spare in the bag.....found a place for them for now....


....had to dig for a while to remember where I put THESE......centering rings....so necessary for ease of wheel installation....if your hubs are not compatible....(one broke with the excessive heat build up from a binding brake drum issue that I had a couple summers ago; but is still usable!)


...time for the transformation...from the, easy-to-steer, smooth-riding, cushy (not to mention Haesslich!!) winter paws....to the more stylish, more difficult-to-manage, sure-footed, summer shoes....(lost a wheel cover over the winter!  )


....found some wheel cleaner from the '90s.....let's give it a shot...these are dirty.....!!!


....since the water isn't turned on to the hose out front as yet; I had to grab a bucket of hot water from the tub.....with a few minutes of quick scrubbing with the brush.....way better than they were....


....I just quickly brushed over the outer faces....not too bad....notice the pics are taken after dark though.....


....I also had a quick look at the wear on the pads....


....wearing a little more on the inside pad....


....the other side.....couldn't get the camera to pick up the inner pad on the other side....


....the next day at work was when I managed to get a shot with the summer shoes........his 'best' side.....


...also removed the coroplast piece that I had blocking the rad to keep the heat in....


...also took out the first piece I put in to block the breeze....


...then put my makeshift shroud back in place......the blocking pieces worked wonderfully...!!! Kept me nice 'n' toasty through the winter....!!!


....early day tomorrow....better wrap this up....not even sure what will be next.....either a new heater core for Woody III; or a new Head Gasket for Woody II......damn, who knows....I might even have to bleed over into the Passat Forum and make an appearance for my newly (to be) acquired ride.......but that will have to wait....until NEXT time.....

P.S. Have a look at my previous post....if you were at all curious about my favourite Robocop scene....I included a 90 second link to You Tube....enjoy...!!!


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...This Looks Pretty Serious...*

In post #203; I just updated a still pic of how much oil drips out from the bottom of my engine while stopped....I have been noticing; as of late, that there are at least THREE drips on the ground....in the time it takes for me to shut off the car....get out....and walk to the front to see what has fallen....I thought perhaps when I don't see much oil; that the first piston has come to rest at the seam, between the head and the block....preventing excessive leakage.....but later realized.......there just ISN'T that much oil in the motor anymore......

When I got home from work today...I took a couple of short vids.....





.....the sequel.....





....I figured it would be better to post the videos on YouTube.....rather than use up space on my Photobucket account...my apologies for the barely audible commentary...I was competing with the motor....and the wind....

I feel kinda like I have been cheating on you guys....I have begun a thread in the Passat B5 Forum....I spent a few days' pay at work today; in an effort to get my NEWer ride on the road...had to buy a set of front springs [$160]....(the aging metal couldn't cope with the tremendous MASS...of the FatMan...), as the left one cracked; a safety and an emission test [$70], license plates and sticker [$98], and I think I am going to pay to have the springs installed [~$200].....I don't have facilities to lift a 4000 lb car in my driveway....all of my tools are geared for small stuff....perhaps as I get to know the car, I will feel easier about working on it........the reason why need a "daily" is apparent.....Woody II has become an oil filtration device....and I haven't gotten off my ass as yet to fix the Heater Core in Woody III; nor the leaking exhaust manifold; and the HG could use replacing after the meltdown of December '12....sooooo many projects....such little time....and even LESS talent.........and further still; even LESS money to do things the way they should be done.....I hope I live long enough to get this $hinola accomplished...!!!

There could be a Woody II, de-commissioning post, in the not too distant future.....but, that will have to wait...until NEXT time......


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...It's Official....*

THAT'S IT...!!!....(for now)....after TEN YEARS of continuous, partially interrupted, (for emergency surgery!), rain or shine, snow or blow, service.....Woody II needs to take a break; and get some TLC (as soon as I figure out how to administer it!) to be resurrected once again....I bought this Wagon in 2004 with 179,000 km on it....there were a myriad of problems with it....but over the years....and the kilometres....he has arrived at just under 410,000 km...in my driveway....taken out of service.....bleeding oil like a stuck pig.....I don't know how many of you look at my thread...but, those who clicked on the links in my last post; would have seen oil dripping from the bottom of my engine, smouldering puffs of smoke, from oil dripping onto the block, and hot engine components, and large puddles gathering on the ground beneath the motor.....I just can't get the image of my poor Fox bursting into flames, due to the incessant flow of dripping oil, onto a hot exhaust component, out of my head....so I knuckled under, and gave in, to temptation.....and opted for a vehicle from THIS century, to become my daily driver (sniff!).........I got a great deal on a used '02 Passat 1.8t Wagon, from work.....$500.00 + tax + OMVIC fee = $570.00 all in....it came with snows on steelies, hood deflector, roof racks (which I will likely have to pay a Locksmith to make me a key to remove!), a 5-speed transmission, power locks, power windows, moonroof, and a wonderfully toxic doggie puke/shat (past tense!) scented interior...........the turbo motor goes like stink, (keep in mind; I have been driving 1.8, 8V, VWs since I could drive).........I wonder what it would do if it didn't have to lug around the tremendous GIRTH of the Passat (GVWR 2040 kg)........versus, say, the less than lithe, weight of a Fox Wagon (1380 kg), which is WAY more nimble........in keeping with my modus operandi.....the car has over 350,000 km on the clock....and I am about to have a sound system installed...that has a higher dollar value than the purchase price of the vehicle.....I have a connection at Ultra Auto Sound.....
http://ultraautosound.com/
......they do some very impressive work......as in high end show cars....but, also took the time, to outfit both my Fox Wagons with suitable systems....wonder what they can do for my newer ride.......

Alas.....I am at a loss for visual imagery.......as an indication of the severity of the oil leak in Woody II....a pic of him parked in a puddle....while I get a take out order......the rainbow is visible.....


I need to order some parts and schedule some time to get things done.....but.....that will have to wait....until NEXT time......


P.S. My thread on the (B5) Passat Forum will be entitled......"Like It Or Not....I Own A Passat...."


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...It Has Been Slow-Goin'....*

All I have managed to do is to get a shot or two of my stationary Fox Wagons....I got the broom, scrub brush, and trimmer out on the weekend.....my buddy Oliver stopped by to help out...we got the front cleaned up to a respectable level...here is some evidence that I AM CANADIAN....note the snow shovel; just a tool, multiple uses, makes a great scoop for the leaf bag....use a rake too...


...took this for a joy ride; for about 45 minutes....


....there was a lot of overgrown hedge from the winter........and the previous half decade....


...trying to create some room to work.....I hate losing parts or screws to the elements; try to prevent it if I can....


....had a couple piles of micro-maple keys to discard....


...zoom out........my three Wagons.....(spot the PIG?)....

...can you tell that I park cars for a living...? Maybe I shouldn't bring my work home with me.....

...with the debris bagged......


.....even cleared a spot for the passenger door to open; there was a big-ass branch that was there....hate this hedge anyway...it was put here by the previous resident...and the current residents haven't surfaced in six months anyway....


....DAMN.....I could probably fit another Fox Wagon in here...!!! I should call Ian Wilson before he does anything hasty....!!!!


....as clean as it is going to get for the next expanse of time....


...gotta take "the PIG" to the Beerstore; and get some money back,; or get MORE beer at a reduced price...(usual scenario)....


....anyone want to buy a Buick (an '02 Regal)...? I am not a fan of dissonance......since I am the only licensed driver here....anything un-VW must go.......I think I need to install a hoist somewhere, somehow........ever have a hobby/obsession get out of control...?!?

.....AND....just for the record....THIS record....the FOX FORUM RECORD.....in the one month that I have owned/driven "the PIG" (my moniker for my new ride!), I have spent/paid: $25 for engine oil dipstick and funnel; (put in myself PITA!!); had to replace the front springs ($160 for the springs; $140 to put them in!); another $240 for a pair of driveshafts (because of the buggered spring; the 4000 lb car bounced off the control arm, splitting the CV joint boot, spattering grease everywhere, the right side has a cracked and aging boot so, might as well replace them both; if I have learned ANYTHING from you guys!!), the serpentine belt (what?) is cracked in a dozen places PER INCH ($35 for the belt!); ....and this is the BIG ONE....because the car has 360,000 km on it.....chances are, the PO did not change the TIMING BELT on this 1.8t 5 valve motor....I have to think that this is an interference motor....and cannot afford to have the timing belt malfunction.....SO....after having done some research; I have been told by a VW dealership that it will be 12-15 hrs of labour (@ $118.00 CDN) plus parts to change the timing belt, and water pump [$228.00 CDN] (recommended; because, it is all apart anyway), I can get the timing belt kit for a buck sixty (belt, tensioner bearing, idler pulley)....but, this is the kicker.... you have to remove the entire front end of the car to do the job.....!!!!! Which is about a half step away from what they refer to as putting the car in "Lock Carrier Service Position"; which basically, after about 90 minutes of disconnecting stuff, means you can slide the front end of the car about 6 inches forward, to gain clearance to change belts, and perform various services.....totalling about $1500-$1700 worth of [email protected]#$%^&*...
http://www.myturbodiesel.com/wiki/lock-carrier-service-position-and-front-bumper-removal-b5-passat/.......
....check out the video at the bottom....

..what the HELL have I gotten myself into...?!?!?!?

Missing You Guys......gonna do the Heater Core on Woody III VERY SOON....but that will have to wait....until NEXT time....


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...Baby Steps.....*

As time passes, I am beginning to realize that I am not going to get much of it to myself anymore......too many outside factors that don't have the same objectives as I do....so it looks as though the heater core for Woody III will get replaced in many, small incremental, work sessions.....last weekend completely washed out here in Toronto....it rained all Saturday (postponed the Toronto Indy race!), and Sunday was not to be my own....but, I did manage to get the project under way at least....it started with my own version of a tailgate party, just no barbecuing.....(yet!)



...I was actually looking for my Dremel tool....I remember buying one for myself for Xmas last year...but kinda lost track of it over the winter....I kinda recall just dropping it on the floor, in back of the drivers' seat..........sweet.....it's right where I left it......

....right next to the area where its' predecessor gave it up....!!!!

....the new unit has a whole whack of attachments.....which might come in handy.....maybe....

....just want it handy when I need to get the rivets off the sides of the dash......had to wear in the new tool....run it at full speed with no load for five minutes....to seat the brushes....

....my first step in removing the dash; starts with the steering wheel.....


....only I couldn't find my 24 mm socket.....I must have looked for at least 20 minutes through all my tools; before recalling that I left it in the travelling tool box....in the back of Woody II....


....unfortunately; after removing the wheel, which takes a few seconds.....I only had time to mark the wheel wrt the column....I like to use a Sharpie and mark N, S, E, W, on the wheel so that I get it on straight again.....


....and remove all the vents, steering column switches, speedo cowl, and heater controls.....before MY time to play had elapsed; and I was beckoned to be a good host, lite the BBQ, and entertain guests...

...my next set of pics should include the loosening of the speedometer cable at the transmission end; the two nuts to remove from under the hood; to let go of the dash...the removal of the cluster....bizzing off the rivets at the sides with the Dremel...unplugging of connections....and the removal of the dash itself........all of course time permitting....maybe I'll only get a few of the above mentioned items addressed in the next segment....I'll take a few more steps when I can....but, that will have to wait...until NEXT time.....


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## germanpettingzoo (Jun 3, 2013)

HE LIVES!



Looking forward to seeing this one unfold.

WOODY III SHALL RIDE AGAIN


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...Night Shot...*

Thanks for your interest J...!!! Woody III has a decent running motor....a really crappy exhaust system....a serious exhaust manifold leak.....a continence problem (He PISSES coolant all over the feet of the occupants; within five minutes of running!!!)....weak rear shocks...tired springs and dampers up front...alignment is good...this thing just needs a bunch o' well funded TLC....and He's ready to go...(...don't we all..!!!)....I have two dual port manifolds that are to be installed on my Foxes....I need to duplicate the Dual Downpipe that I bought from Flipside; going to use it as a template to have another made....but, none of that will matter unless I replace the Heater Core; to allow the car to run longer than five minutes...here is a shot of where the project stands currently.....the odo is at 313,301....I should fix the cluster while it is out also.....more side projects....just what I needed....this is seriously cutting into my drinking time...!!! CHEERS!!! :beer::beer::beer::beer::beer::beer:


...I have yet to remove the dash....but, getting there......until NEXT time....


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## SourKandi (May 26, 2014)

*...wow...*

i think i just spent the last 2 hours glued to this thread... and all i have to say is WOW. 

SO. MUCH. LOVE.

teehee

 makes me even more proud to have picked my car out of all the things I could have drug home.

:beer::beer: cheers!


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## FoXlr8 (Jun 15, 2014)

SourKandi said:


> i think i just spent the last 2 hours glued to this thread... and all i have to say is WOW.
> 
> SO. MUCH. LOVE.
> 
> ...


Ditto.


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...Thank You For Following Along...!!!*

Thanks for enduring my picture-laden ramblings SourKandi and FoXlr8...!!! (NICE use of the word "drug"...could come in handy...!) It is my hope that somewhere in the journey; you might have stumbled across something useful....in my sometimes unorthodox approach, to fixing my Foxes.....I have had a couple of good ideas/approaches to fixing something that hasn't been in the loop for a couple of decades.....I quite like the four pieces of putty around the transfer pump fitting for the fuel tank.....the tube on the top end of the rear shock piston; to guide it through the hole in the fender arch.....is a good one too......I ALSO really hope that you might have smiled...become mildly amused....chuckled.....or perhaps even caught yourself laughing out loud.....at some of the silliness that I have posted here on the Vortex....I know I have thoroughly enjoyed writing and posting pics of my antics.......sometimes I spend an inordinate amount of time....just trying to get THAT SHOT that explains all.....not so easy to do in many instances....especially only having two hands......but, I try to do what I can do........

...Todays' episode involved detaching the speedo cable from the transmission....now, to anyone who has tried and done this....you will know that the cable end is challenging to find down there...and when you do, there isn't much room to turn the collar....this one was kinda tight....I used a 2" nail to fit across the slots in the collar...made it easier to start it loosening......here is the end of the cable as it connects to the gearbox....the first pic has the flash, good detail, but the flash didn't light up what I wanted to light up....


.....the second pic has better illumination (because I held a flashlight on the intended subject), but poor focus due to the flash not engaging....


....this is one of those "difficult to get" shots.....you can just see my index finger touching the collar of the cable.....

....it unscrewed rather easily.....once started....

....so that it could be relaxed...while I go and fight with the cluster....


....AND FIGHT I DID....!!! I had all but forgotten what a tremendous PITA it is to free the cluster from the cowling....after a good ten minutes of unsuccessful finagling....I kinda stretched the cowling to let the cluster out....but, in the process, caught one of the plastic tabs that holds the connection to the cluster.....piss me off.....


....not much chance of gluing that back in place with any conviction.....oh well....


....when I did get the cluster out; the speedometer cable was literally a snap to remove.....


...looks like my alteration, to make the Scirocco cluster fit in a Fox....is still holding up strong....that's good news....


....the other side looks good too....


....one thing I DID learn and retain from last time I did this: put all of the fasteners from each undo, back in the receptor wherever possible....saves time looking for screws and also keeps things in order....


....this way the screw is right where it is supposed to be; just when you NEED it....instead of searching for something that 
may have gotten inadvertently misplaced.......in the Madness we all know and Love to Hate; the dreaded heater core procedure....better put this back here....


....tomorrow is Friday....might break out the new Dremel tool and christen it by removing the rivets on the sides of the dash....but that will have to wait....until NEXT time.....


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...Rivet Removal...*

After the nasty Friday that I had at work, (had to wash 6 cars to bring into the showroom; plus a dozen other things that were dropped in my lap to get done, for the Saturday Sale!)....I didn't have a whole lot of energy to work on my Wagon when I got home.......on Saturday afternoon though; I did manage to squeeze in an hours' worth of effort....with pics of course....which ALWAYS adds to the start/stop time.....but now that I have been doing this for a couple of years; my Canon Power Shot has been part of my tool collection, and I keep it handy when I do anything to "mein Vahgens"....

....I started with the rivet on the left side of the dash....


...these things are pretty beefy for rivets....I know that in DubbinChris' thread; he used an angle drill to drill out the rivets...


....I don't have an angle drill....a regular drill won't get at the rivet properly; because the door doesn't open wide enough to allow adequate access....so I used the next best thing to get the back of the rivet to disappear......I christened my new Dremel tool with this job...(my old one died last November)...it worked very well...the rivet was quite soft under the metal cut-off disc....

...I just gradually worked the shank of the rivet into nothing by just going back and forth to the edges, only going about half-speed, with very light pressure...lots of aluminum shavings every where.....(glad my carpet is pulled up...!)


...then a little pry from a body working tool....and the rivet is out of the bracket....

....the remainder of the rivet still needs to be removed from the dash though....I will do that when the dash comes off...last time I didn't....I couldn't get the dash to sit properly because the old rivet shanks were still in the dash....that's not happening this time....!!

....then there is the rivet on the right side......though there is relatively little on this side of the dash; the Multiplug is situated in a spot that prohibits easy access....I unplugged it to get it out of the way....


....very easy to unplug....simply depress the wire on the plug; then remove from the socket....


....doing things with my left hand can sometimes take longer....but I wasn't in a hurry to cut anything other than the rivet...


...same approach as the left side....just gradually brush the rivet away.....


....then another quick pry....


...when I was picking up the nuts and bolts to put back in place of the rivets; for the First heater core job on Woody II, I looked forward to when I would have to do THIS procedure; and bought a couple of sets....so I wasn't worried about what I am going to use as a replacement fastener......as the rest of the weekend played out....I was unable to get any time to myself to play with my cars.....there was a meeting at the bank; my Helper wanted to go shopping; (which turned out OK; I scored a VW Cap for $3!!), some people dropped by, beers and BBQ ensued; and by the time the dust settled....it started to rain....and I had to seal things up for the night......

...ordinarily....I would bid you adieu until NEXT time.....but I had a couple minutes before the sun went down today, after I got home from work; to remove the 10 mm nuts from under the hood; that hold the dash on....except for a few wires; like the glove box light, the "mint" lighter, the stereo, and the speakers.....these two nuts are the only things that are holding the dash on....unless I have forgotten something.....I don't think I have....I have been going over this procedure in my head for quite some time now.....having flashbacks to when my buddy Rob (The Professor) did most of the work....and I was snapping pics like a Japanese tourist on vacation (no offense!).....

...the nut on the left side is just on the passenger side of the wiper spindle in front of the driver....


....a medium extension, a 10 mm socket, and ratchet are all that are needed to remove the nut....not on very tight at all.....instead of putting the nuts and washers back on the places where they came from.....I placed them in the recess in the overflow reservoir....one of my favourite spots to put small nuts/washers/pieces that I CANNOT afford to become lost...


...the nut on the right side is located behind the ball, slightly towards the centre of the car...


...you can see the back of the fibreglass tape dude used to create a channel for the urethane sealant for the windshield....


...same deal....hardly any torque on the nut....very easy to undo....


...I would love to continue showing you pics of the procedure....but this is as far as I have gotten.....I wasn't about to remove the dash in the dark.....(apparently, I don't mind putting it BACK in the dark!!!)...in case something falls that I don't see......seeing as I am up to date with my pics...(I have been slacking on my B5 thread!)...this is where the dash will have to wait to come off....until NEXT time....


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## bluetoes591 (Apr 3, 2009)

Weird, I usually just reach up behind the dash and disconnect the speedo cable. I've never seen the other end. But I have skinny arms and I've done it a dozen times.


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...HC For Woody III...Part III...*

I just find that I have no room to squeeze the connector to let go of the back of the speedo; after I have contorted my wrist and forearm to merely touch/get a grip on the cable end......perhaps there is a milimetre or two of additional clearance in the Fox II version....yours being a '90 and mine being '87/'88.... Thanks for replying M....!!! I have had better success with removing the speedo cable from the transmission end, to give me some slack behind the dash....when removing the cluster....it takes a little extra time; but, it beats having a scored/scraped up forearm for the following week....

I spent quite a few hours tearing into Woody III on the long weekend (August Civic Holiday); and many more hours enjoying the long weekend....it has been about 19 months since Rob and I changed the Heater Core in Woody II....even though I took a boat load of pictures....I never actually saw what Rob was undoing, when he was removing the heater box from the car...when he did get the box out of the car...I recall that we spent some amount of time getting the box open....had to drill out a couple of rivets that held a sturdy, white, bracket to the bottom of the Heater Box....(more on THAT later!)...and Rob also undid and disconnected the blower fan and had removed the housing from the vehicle....I took pics at the time....but, never really SAW what he was doing....so, when I went to put things back together....it was NOT completely obvious to me......this time; I decided that I was going to take even MORE pics than I did last time....last time I HAD to get the HC in Woody II done so I had a car to drive....this time; I have the luxury of having another vehicle to use as my daily driver...so I can take my time and not have to worry about being "pedestrianized"....

....Here we go again....off with the dash of the Fox......I gave a couple of tugs on the dash after the rivets had been removed....and the 10 mm nuts from beneath the hood had been removed....it was still quite solidly on there....I thought I should remove the fan motor and housing next....the drivers' side of the housing...I think they are 8 mm bolts...


...passenger side...


....next thing to do was to remove the "Jesus" clips (as Rob calls them!)....cover them with your hand as you remove them, so that they don't go flying off somewhere...(Jesus...where did that go...?!?)....


....The drivers' side clip is already missing...


...once the clips are off...the front part of the housing can come out...


....I had a helluva time trying to fix this in last time ('cuz I had it BACKWARDS...!!!), so I took a pic of the trouble spot....you have to feed the one corner in first....then it will fall into place easily....


....next, I unclipped the resistor from its' metal holder....this piece will actually come out of the car with the heater box...

...then there is another 8 mm bolt holding down the base of the fan motor housing....it must be removed also....


...one Phillips screw to remove the fan itself....


....now this can be withdrawn from the car....


....I am going to have to withdraw from making a post to this thread for now....much more to follow....until NEXT time....


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...HC for Woody III....Part IV....*

....I suppose that I should mention that as I was delving into the project....I THOUGHT it might be a good idea to approach this project with a note of sobriety....I STARTED WORK ON MY CAR WITHOUT ANY BEER.....big mistake........you see; when I encounter an obstruction....I go get a beer, and sit a while and contemplate the best way around it......I am a bit of a raging lunatic when I don't keep myself sedated it seems....I say this because.....when I thought I had everything disconnected in order to remove the dash.....apparently I neglected to consider the flexible white bracket that is fastened to the bottom of the heater box, via four rivets; straddling the upper rear of the audio head unit; and also which is fastened to the dash via two Phillips screws....AND....(not until seconds later!!!)...I realized that; though I did remove the wiring for the glovebox light; I totally GAPPED...!!! ...and forgot to remove the screw at the very back of the glovebox....there was also the rubber guide grommet in the middle of the dash....

...as you can see...I took a pic through the windshield...and the grommet got left behind.......it got left behind because I had had ENOUGH of NON-COMPLIANCE from this vehicle....

....I got a wee bit IRATE and gave a mighty Yank on the bottom of the dash....I heard a couple of things go ricocheting off of the floor of the car....not sure what they were.....after I got the dash out....I realized they were the rivets....I STILL haven't found them.....!!!

....something else that got caught up in my rage; the air diverter....it became dislodged within the dash after my outburst....the flash kinda washed it out a bit....


....maybe easier to make out with no flash....but it helped to keep me from getting the dash off...


....or so I thought...until I WISED UP and realized that this screw was still fastened.....(SPAZ!)...


....after which disconnecting...the entire dash dropped into my lap.......exposing the usual.....helping of "pasghetti" wires...


....panned out, dash on seats, left side....


...panned out, dash on seats, right side...


....now the fun begins....gotta get the heater box out of the car.....but, that will have to wait.....until NEXT time.....


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## FoXlr8 (Jun 15, 2014)

bluetoes591 said:


> Weird, I usually just reach up behind the dash and disconnect the speedo cable. I've never seen the other end. But I have skinny arms and I've done it a dozen times.


Wow. Lucky man. My hamhocks-for-hands prevent access to a lot of tight spaces. Bentley's tells you to tip the cluster out, reach behind and unclip the speedo cable. Haha! Yeah. Can't get my hands back there.


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...HC For Woody III...Part V...*

With the dash finally off....it was time to get the heater box from the car....when I went to go have a look at the connections...I noticed that the box has been seriously fractured from the excess steam that burst out during the meltdown....


....now to get the box out...there are four, 8 mm nuts, with washers, that hold the box up into the metal below the windshield....the front two are easy to get to.....this is the one on the passenger side....


....and this is the one on the drivers' side....


...the rear bolt on the drivers' side, is probably the most difficult to get at....


...lots of drooping insulation.....and the side vent duct gets in the way too...!!

....you can get a socket on it....but only at an angle....best to be squarely on the fastener with the tool....

...I withdrew the duct tube enough to get access....

....or so I thought....the receiving end of the tube is still in the way...

...but, from down below....with a long and medium extension....the withdrawn duct allows you to see what you are doing...


....and lastly....the rear right passenger side bolt....


....now the box was allowed to sit on the hump; while I undid the coolant lines coming from the engine compartment....I am gonna go out on a limb here...and submit that somewhere along this cars' life; this procedure has been done before.....my ONLY reason for saying this: is that the hose clamps for the connections for the hoses; were already facing outward, to facilitate the ease of access for the next person to have to undo these connections.....maybe I am reading too much into this; but, I DOUBT very much that the factory put the clamps in this position......just saying....


....some remaining drips....


...and one Big drop....!!!


....the cable for the vent door...be SURE to put the clip back where it goes after you free the cable...you will be GLAD you did when it comes time to put things back together....


....and one last cable to disconnect.....again, I strongly URGE you to put the clips back where they go after the cable is free....it just makes the back half of this tedious procedure go that much more smoothly....


....now the box is allowed to rest on the floor...BUT...there is one more connection to undo....


....the box is still attached.....AND....because I haven't done this in almost two years....I kinda forgot some key things......plus, I never removed the box before; when Rob and I did this to Woody II...Rob removed it........how did he get the black harness with the white stripe to disconnect from the steering column....?!?


...keeping in mind; I was just about through the eight tall cans, my buddy Moose, acquired for me.....so I was thinking somewhat less than clearly....but at least I hadn't become overwhelmingly frustrated....and had another episode of extreme malcontented exertion...instead of continuing my quest....I decided to consider how I was going to get all the connections, the clump of wiring, and the resistor.....


...to fit through this grommet; without taking my Dremel tool to the housing......


.......but....that will have to wait....until NEXT time......


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...HC For Woody III...Part VI...*

I got distracted from continuing to work on it...so I left the box in the car for the night....the next day....I thought it might be a good idea to give Rob (The Professor) a call....first to say hi...then to ask how the heater box comes out of the car....he said it had been a while... but he seemed to recall some sort of connector that had to be undone......I must have been sufficiently tuned; to not see the big wad of foam around the wiring connected to the steering column.....it has to be at least a decade since this was last done....but that foam was still quite sticky.....


...having done a lot of laminating and vinyl applying with previous jobs etc....I seemed to have developed a great deal of patience; when trying to un-stick something from itself; and keep it in one piece...I got a couple of pieces of wax paper and sandwiched the foam between them...


...one more cable to unhook; then put the clip back in its' place.....


....and ...YEEEEAAAAAHHHHHHH.....!!!! Finally got this (coolant!) Bleeding Bastard out of My Car....!!!!!


...there are SEVEN of those metal clips (Jesus Clips) that hold the two halves of the heater box together...five are of one size; then there are two smaller ones....here are four of the clips....


...here is a quick shot of the carnage of the aftermath of my rant...when I forgot to undo the two screws on the flexible white bracket....which sent the four rivets......somewhere.......still haven't found them.....they weren't in the box...

....I am kind of counting on my "Toyota license plate screw" trick working here.....time will tell....and so will I.... 

....the next step would be to undo the Philips screw on the side of the heater box....it holds the metal heat shield in place within the box; but also helps hold the box together....


....does anyone notice anything slightly amiss......?!? .......the keenest eye might wonder........HTF did you get the bottom pan out............first....?!?!?

....not gonna lie....it took a great deal of very careful prying and bracing to remove the bottom pan without breaking anything.....if you don't believe me....try it sometime.........but, check this out.....a better shot of the steam fracture from the initial meltdown....


...after the Philips screw got removed....the pan was already off....because I am apparently OVERLY impatient.....one side of the box, and whatever is attached.....


....and here is the OTHER side of the box.....


....and the MAR of the show....


....next step was to take the whole business....minus the caked component....downstairs to the laundry tub....to do a little scrubbing....


....keeping in mind; NOT to get the wires wet.....


....I like to save a few old tooth brushes for such applications....


....I find that Palmolive is a great EMULSIFIER.....gets between stuff and LIFTS it away....try using it after a good wrench turning session.....and realize that it is a wonderful all-round cleanser....


.....after I scrubbed everything...I set it outside to dry.....


.....while the separated box was drying....I thought about how I was going to coat the FOAMLESS heater core that I have as a replacement....but...that will have to wait...until NEXT time.....


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...HC For Woody III...Part VII...*

While the halves and bottom of the heater box dried; I began the foam applying process to the new heater core....


....I chose this foam (merely on its' width!) to coat the sides of the core...


....placed a strip down the centre for positioning....with the backing paper still stuck to it...


...then applied five more strips to cover the rest....(I couldn't find any thin, wide pieces of foam with adhesive on one side!)....


....I used some slightly thicker, narrower, but less dense, foam to cover the ends of the core...


....pretty easy to work with...


...trim off the excess....


...measure out a strip for around the cap...


....peel and stick...


....almost ready....


...same treatment for the bottom end cap....measure first...


....peel and stick....some might become excess from stretching....


....ready to install....which one would You rather have heating your car...?


....ready to install....HA HAA-ah (Phil Ken Sebben; Harvey Birdman Attourney at Law!)....or so I thought....some of you may have looked at my new core and thought....."...that foam is too thick; it won't fit into the box..."......DAMN....."Right you are Ken...!!! Tell him what he's won...." (Kenny Blankenships' Most Painful Elimination Of The Day - mXc) ....


....My Challenge/Prize......was to shave the thickness of the foam down enough......to fit within the confines of the heater box.....which are QUITE limited....IF the foam is too thick; the box will not go back together properly.....


....had to shave the sides....


...and the ends....


.....and a wee bit from the sides of the core too.....

.....good thing I am exceptionally handy with a knife....I used to cut masks (cut through the thin film; but leave the artwork untouched!!!) for a sign shop for a number of years another lifetime ago....

....a shot of the bottom pan of the heater box....just in case you thought I didn't clean it up to look somewhat presentable....


.....putting the box back together can be a bit of a PITA....lining up the pivots for the doors, flaps, and levers....but; eventually it will go together, so that the clips can be replaced....


.....I am SERIOUSLY relying on my "long shot" of making the Toyota license plate screws fit into the holes (that I created when I ripped the dashboard upwards in a fit of frustration....I began working on the Fox WITHOUT BEER....WTF was I thinking...?!?!?)...in the bottom of the box.....there are supposed to be four rivets that were there....two here...


....and two here....usually.....if the mech/tek/schmeck isn't a raging lunatic....two of the rivets can be drilled out at high speed......with light pressure, until the bit catches a hold of the rivet.....so that the box may be separated; to exhume the core.......or just RIP them out (like I did!!!) by pulling upwards on the (nearly) disconnected dash, and hope that you don't cause too much grief for yourself, later on....much the same way that I am hoping such, right now....


....a couple more of the clips back in place....


....a big point of contention; was trying to get the Phillips screw to go back into the bent metal bracket, on the heat shield within the box.......you kind of have to get one hand inside the box, then with the other hand wield a screwdriver, and poke the screw through the hole, enough to feel with your other hand, line up the holes....and put the screw back in place.....the bent metal bracket is close to the 10:30 mark on the vent tube hole....


....just as soon as I had assembled the box; I realized that I screwed up again.......so don't do what I did....BEFORE you put the two halves of the box together again....MAKE ABSOLUTELY SURE...that this lever is connected properly....

....I did not....which meant that I couldn't control the door....not acceptable....(so...YUP...I had to take the whole shebang apart again; to connect that lever...!!!)

....sorry for the crappy pic...it doesn't show what I wanted to show....but that lever controls the door that directs airflow...


...THEN...I had to refasten the Phillips screw to the heat shield within the box.....such fun....!!!


...so this ACTUALLY brings you up to the point where I am in the operation.....the box is in the car....but merely sitting on the drivers' seat...I have to patch a leak on the firewall somewhere before putting this mess back together again....but that will have to wait....until NEXT time....


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## QuantumSyncro (Apr 28, 2000)

Wow
You have more bad luck with heater cores. 

The speedo cable is not an easy thing to get to at all. I ruined the plastic end of one once by being to vicious trying to get it off.

Since you can't see the stupid thing you never quite know where the clip is positioned, and if you try and turn it to get the clip into a position you can actually press on it fights you.

I have been able to reach up from underneath and get to it to disconnect it, you almost have remove the speedo cable to get the cluster tilted forward for removal from the dash.

Don't want to have to do that again....

Steve


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*....Thanks For Saying, Steve....*

Straight the **** up, Man....!!!! I even called VW Canada to find out if the recall had been done on this vehicle....it had been done already.....the fact that the car is still alive....(as though VW kind of expected the cars to NOT last this long....!!!), and needing another heater core...sort of becomes the current owners' responsibility....fortunately for me....I learned how to fix it; here on the Vortex, from YOU guys.....and a local Fox Fanatic named Rob....

The first time I had to do this...there was a very small window of opportunity....I had to get it DONE....!!! Otherwise I would have been walking......this time....I have another ride to use...so, I am kind of dragging my heels getting it done...I want to get it completed soon though...I am taking the first week of September off from work....to get some OTHER things done hopefully......need to change the timing belt and do the water pump as well, on my Piggy (the Pigsat); not to mention I also have to change the head gasket on Woody II.....so many projects...so little time....

I have found that the easiest way for me to deal with the speedo cluster et al.....is to disconnect the cable from the transmission end.....giving some slack to work with; when you do get the cluster out of its nook.....then the cable is very easy to remove from the back of the speedo.....a little more work; but less aggravation....I am okay with that trade off.......kinda like driving out of your way to avoid a traffic jam.........which is....from my perspective; also, an acceptable solution....

I frittered away a few hours tonight, trying to patch something on my Passat, and also charged the battery on the old mans' Buick........Jeez.....the EX is already a week old here in Toronto......the CNE basically signifies the beginning of the END of the summer here in T.O........which has been pretty much non-existent this year........I sure hope there is a serious version of Indian Summer in store for southern Ontario........not looking forward to anymore of those wicked ice storms that bring 50+ hr power outages...........I think I might make a big bucket/candle just in case.....

This weekend needs to see me putting that heater box back in place....after I address the breach in the firewall, that keeps leaking.....but that will have to wait....until NEXT time......


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...HC For Woody III...Part VIII...*

Wow....this is turning into an epic saga...during my week off in early September....it seemed that so many other people had ideas on how I should spend my time during my vacation....I ended up sitting in the Ophthamologist office for five out of my nine days off (with my Dad; he needs cataract surgery!)....which cut into my Fox fixing schedule that I had tentatively made for myself.....it rained for a couple of the days too; which further reduced my driveway play-time... 

On August 31st; germanpettingzoo was on his way back from the States by bus....and had a two hour stop over in Toronto....so I went downtown to the Bay Street Bus Station and met up with him....we sailed back to my house in the west end of the city in my Pigsat...then woke up Woody II for a few laps around the neighbourhood in the pouring rain....I am pretty sure we would have had more fun on dry pavement....there is some construction in the 'hood; so some of the roads were pretty choppy....we still had a decent run along Princess Margaret Blvd.....a stretch of road that has a hydro field on both sides; about 500 m to the stop sign from Dornoch Rd.....we got up to around 90 km/h before having to apply the very glazed braking surfaces....to make a legal-ish stop....I did a lap....then germanpettingzoo got behind the wheel for a lap....he was enjoying it; even though it wasn't the Fox he has been working on since June of 2012...I am glad he got to at least drive a Fox Wagon......even one that is in such decrepit condition as Woody II....which still, with leaky HG et al....fired up right away and didn't disappoint.....(as far as he is capable!)....it was great to meet Justin in person....always nice to meet a fellow Foxer....!!!

Looking back; that was kind of the highlight of my vacation....the only thing that I got to do for myself really....the balance of my days off were spent cleaning, raking, sweeping, mowing, driving, waiting, and occasionally fixing my Fox....all tempered with the commensurate amount of drinking and BBQ-ing to make it all bearable.......and last week; being my first week back, was quite hectic....I went back on the Tuesday (because of the Labour Day Monday), and immediately recognized that there must have been some sort of carnival that went on in the back lot, where all the stock inventory is kept.....what a disaster....it looked as though a band of myopic chimps had access to the key box....!!! ....and had a big free for all in the yard....!!! ...and apparently there was some DAMAGE caused by the negligence.....good....makes them realize that I run tight ship...!!! I have been in and out of over 8,000 new vehicles, maybe 4,000 used vehicles....I have damaged 9 of them over a six year period; totaling less than $2,000 damage between those cars....that's a pretty good track record.....then on last Friday; the arborists came to clear the back lot of overhanging trees.....which meant that I had to move all the cars out of their way....there was five of them; and they had a system....then there was only one of me, plus a helper; we had to hustle to stay ahead of the crew....(at the end; the Foreman shook my hand and said thanks, while stuffing a couple of fives in my pocket: "I wanna buy you lunch; you didn't have to run....nobody should have to run at work!!!")....not gonna lie...I said that it wasn't necessary; but thanked him for noticing....(and lunch tasted so much better!!!) ...I was wiped out by the end of the day; but, it felt good to be back at work....(am I nuts?).....I know, right...?!?

....enough of my ramblings....back to this seemingly never ending Heater Core replacement....I think the box was just sitting on the unfastened drivers' seat when I left off.....with the main vent door lever having to be properly connected, before I continued....I put the box on the hump to sit....while I put the electrical connections back together....


....then I removed the wax paper from the foam (worked well, preserved the tack!), and wound the foam around the connections....


....installed the cable to control the main vent door, refitted the clip, which was already waiting for me....


....next thing was to put the vacuum lines back on their respective nipples....I am pretty sure they are in the right spots....won't know for sure until I get it all back together and try the heat....


....tighten the hose connections....


....replace the cable and hold down clamp for this side....


....I found out where the rivets went when I pulled upwards on the dash prematurely....they didn't go anywhere....they are still in the white nylon bracket....I guess I heard the plastic pieces bouncing off the inside of the heater box housing....


....time to get the Dremel tool out...


...I kinda forgot about how 20,000 rpm has a tendency to heat things up a little...sort of melted a bit of the bracket, but nothing too serious...I got the four rivets out....and used a couple of different types of Toyota license plate screws to refasten....the screws will create their own threads in malleable plastic....I was counting on this....


....these threads look like they will do the job....


....while I had the Dremel handy....might as well bizz off the stubs of the rivets from the dash board....I do NOT want to have to remove them because I forgot to, just moments before installing the dash, like last time...


....I did both sides....then stuffed the air diverter back into place....it became dislodged when I ripped up on the dash....


....since I was already here....might as well remove a couple of useless wires and their cable ties....they went to the stock speakers....


....the other side....


...in case anyone needs a part number for the dash....


....the beefy-ass dash rivets from the sides....


....decided to wash the schmutz out of the vent tubes that connect to the side vents that defrost the side door windows....can you tell one got cleaned up a little...?


...attaching the vent that directs air to the floor in the back seat.....eventually....


....fastening the bracket to the heater box again....WHEW....it worked....!!! Lucky Break...!!!


...you can see where things got a little heated....


....had to use a self tapping screw on one of the holes; the screw has a wider shank, and sharper cutting threads....but it worked...!!!


...because I have taken a long time to do this procedure...I thought it would be a good idea to cover the opening to the cabin; where the heater box usually sits....


...I think it was a good idea; there was no water accumulation within the cabin....but the bag had about a Dixie cup full of water on it...


....this is going to present a problem.....the cable casing cannot be clamped down; due to the missing clamp, and the melted plastic area, around where the clamp would sit.......hmmmmmmmm.....


...because the cable casing isn't held fast...the door will not operate because the cable cannot slide freely....I suspect this led to the previous owner exerting excessive force to the heater controls....causing this....

....part of the bracket that is supposed to be connected to the dash....is wedged beneath the screw.......double hmmmmmmmm....

....I had to add those two items to my list of things to do...before the dash goes back in......but first...time to put the heater box back in place....


...all the foam was coming away from the cable casings as well....so I got my electrical tape and started cutting a bunch of 2"-3" strips to wrap around the foam to keep it in place....I decided that strips wound around and stuck to themselves would hold better than a spiral weave; that may not even stick enough to stay put.......I got time.....

...back to the bracket....I thought perhaps some 5 minute epoxy would do the trick......


....this is what the bracket is supposed to look like....


....this is what I had left to work with....plus the fragments that were on the plate.....


...the Epoxy ended up being sooooper gooey.....and not the right choice for the job.....cleaning the surfaces for prep was not ideal, my gloves were fusing to the pieces....nothing would stay connected together long enough to set....and eventually crumbled in my hands....then dissolved into nothing....evoking a muffled exclamation.......that echoed off the apartments across from my house........now what....?!?!? ....and almost as soon as that massive question mark in my minds' eye formed.....the massive question mark evolved into the right side of a massive light bulb...!!! DING...!!! "We have a winner...!!!" THE PUTTY...!!! Of course....why the hell did I go and get all gooey unnecessarily...?!? I should have just gone right to THIS stuff....

...maybe a couple of you recall me using this stuff on my transfer pump cap...to make it easier to gain access without slipping....if you see it anywhere.....pick it up....its' uses are limited only by imagination....not to mention....flippin' handy...!!!

...I used some Acetone to remove the Epoxy, and made sure to rough up the plastic with the wonder solvent; so the putty would stick....I managed to sculpt a reasonable facsimile of the original bracket....a little thick perhaps....but way better than what I was left with....I applied it in direct sunlight to a) be able to see what I was doing, and b) help the putty set.....wish I had some of that direct sunlight today...!!! It's only 11C (a balmy 51F!) outside here in Toronto....(but I am still wearing shorts....and a hoodie...!!)

...then stuck the dash in the back of Woody II, to dry and cure overnight....

....back to installing the heater box....the front right screw is where I started.....just sort of threaded it in....for support...


....threaded the bolt for the front left side in as well....just loosely though....there will be a need for play, to allow for secure fitment...


...had to disconnect the upper hose to get a proper angle on the rear right bolt....


....the rear right bolt in place.....again not too tight...

....the most difficult bolt to fasten is the front left...for two reasons....difficulty of access...and I was working upside down; lying on my back, with the accelerator pedal next to my right temple, with a flashlight in my mouth....

....after trying for a VERY disgruntled ten minutes; to get the last bolt to thread up and catch....I realized why I was having no success....

....the wee bolts were not protruding with enough conviction to catch....

....sooooo, I had to remove one of the front bolts....to put in my 1/4" drive 8 mm deep socket....


....to get the second bolt to sit with enough exposed threads to catch.....


....had to employ the same approach for my 3/8" drive 8 mm socket....


....which allowed the bolt to sit like this....


...which made ALL the difference....when I tried for a second time.....to thread the rear left bolt, here again....


....Success.....I was able to finally get all the bolts to thread properly....and made sure to fit the rubber seals correctly in the fan pod....


....as it sits....with the box in place.....


....I decided to call it a night and put the dash in the rear of the other Wagon until it becomes installation time....


...I have another dozen or so pics to show to catch up to the current state of affairs.....but I am being summoned to acquire sustenance.....duty calls..........until NEXT time.....


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...HC For Woody III....Part IX....*

This could even be considered as part 8.5....but who's counting other than me....? I decided this Sunday morning (today) to go out and play a round of golf at the local course...(my first round this year!)...the course used to be so small, it was considered a waste of time....but after 25 years of maturing....they added a third nine; and is a decent way to pass a few hours on a Sunday morning.....(could very well be MY aging 25 years helps me to see it that way...!!!)....and of course; the girlfriend wasn't pleased, because it was a last minute thing...so, I am in the doghouse for that......but....on the upside....I had a fantastic time....!!! ....chipped in from about 20 yards off the green on the 6th hole, on the front, for birdie.....!! ....then did it again on the 15th from 30 yards out...!!! ....then on the last hole...my buddy ended up in the bunker next to the green....Jonny says, "I've never hit a bunker shot before..." ....so I just dropped a ball in the sand, to hit as a demonstration shot; then explained to him that you want to hit the sand about an inch behind the ball...and send the whole business towards the hole... you have to swing with conviction.....then I made a byooootie explosion shot... that landed short and released right at the hole....it hit the pin and rolled another foot past....my buddy Jonny looks at me and says, "Just like that I guess, eh...?!?", then bursts out laughing.....so......time well spent in my opinion.....I need to start living again....(sorry, that last one is just for ME!!!)

...when I left off...I had fastened the Heater Box...the fresh air fan had yet to be put back in its' place....have you ever wondered why there is that removable piece on the fan housing....?!? ....so that it can be removed and installed....otherwise....it just won't fit here......

....now, I'm not gonna lie and tell you that this fits easily into the pod....it was a bit of a struggle to get it to go in there....but, I found that there was a millimetre or two of extra clearance, the closer to the wiper motor I got....tough to put into words....if you mess about with it long enough...you'll get it......

...I should also mention at this time...that I found a rubber cap in the pod, wedged in a groove at the back of the housing....the cap was not quite an inch long, with a slit down one side of it....I found its' mate stuck to the back of the fan housing....where the two halves of the housing come together at the back; there are two metal tabs about half an inch long.....the caps go onto these tabs....the rubber caps fit into a slot in the back of the pod....keeping the fan in place.....a minor detail....but could be the source of a phantom rattle later on....

....after the fan was back in place....just a matter of putting three 8 mm bolts back to secure the bracket....one here....


...one in the middle...


....the one on the passenger side.....


.....and finally the Phillips screw that holds the fan assembly in place....


...clip the resistor back into its metal brace....


....put the covers back into position....ready for the clamps.....


....the other side...


......then I realized that I only have three of the needed six to secure the covers.....

...I went to try to scavenge some from Woody I....only to realize that I had already taken them......so I had to resort to the Stealership to get the last three that I needed......yet ANOTHER reason to call them Jesus clips.....they should be made of GOLD for the Three Bucks and change (in advance!) they soaked me for each......Jesus these things are pricey....!!! In case any one is wondering....the part number is: 321 819 059 listed as a clamp...

....I am waiting for the clamps to arrive....in the meantime....back to the heater control head....for some reason....unbeknownst to me....the area where the clamp, that would secure the cable casing, would brace against....was severely melted away.....leaving the cable to flop about freely; and not operate the flap properly........I thought for a spell (cracked a beer!!!) about what the best method for securing this would be....zip ties entered into the picture....only to be pushed out by the absolutely perfect item for the job....a small gear clamp/hose clamp (tomayto/tomahto)...but, not just ANY gear clamp....I happened to luck out and find an old school clamp that was made of a metal that had a good amount of lead in it....VERY MALLEABLE....which means I could shape it without too much fear of it snapping or breaking....ahhhhh....they don't make 'em like they used to....!!!


...I did actually take a moment to consider how the clamp needs to be implemented.....I thought that the tightening screw should be beneath the controls....there would be fitment issues otherwise.....from below...I think I can get away with some clearance interference....so, I had to undo the clamp, and bend it so that it would fit through the control head, and still be able to clamp and tighten....


....I had to do a little persuading with my Wilde grips....


...then...of course....because this seems to be the way I do things....after I got the clamp to sit the way I wanted.....I had to undo it again to fit the cable into position....


.....then I just had to tighten the screw enough to clamp down the cable casing without restricting the movement of the cable....


...here is a small YouTube video of the finished product....





..... but, as stated in the vid....I still have some work to do....and that will have to wait...until NEXT time......


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...HC For Woody III...Part X...*

I have taken so many pics over the last few weeks; both of my Foxes, and also of my Piggy, (good thing I have two cameras!), that it has taken me some time to sort through them all, and not confuse the images, nor conflict the sagas...where to pick up from....hmmmm, oh yeah...my "Jesus" clips arrived; so I put them in place on the fan housing....


...I remember it being a PITA trying to get the first one to snap into place, because the covers flex....had to support the inside for the first couple....then the rest were easy....


...I had to make sure that the cover fit together properly....here...


...and here...before putting all of the clips on...


....all secure...


....here too...


....with the dash off...and all the rainy weather...I managed to see a pool of water that had formed, near the lower left corner of the windshield....good thing that I caught this, before replacing the dash.....


...I also found some more pooled water in the floor.....not related to the windshield leak, as far as I could tell...


....more than a knock-off shamwow can handle....


...maybe I could "stock the pond" with minnows or something....'rust' fishing anyone...?


....best way I know how to get that out of there.....


....Woody takes a Whiz....!!...


....I should check the other side to see if it needs a matching drainage port...


....at least the water has an outlet now....


....I found a tube of aquarium sealant in my collection of crap, amassed in my garage....I thought this would be a decent application for it....pretty goopy stuff....


...I put some in the same area on the other side....


...after getting the heater controls to function...I decided it was time to put the dash back on....I would have liked to have had another set of hands to help; but nobody was around....so I just managed to position myself in the middle of the cabin; had the dash face down...


....I had some "p'sghetti" wiring to figure out.......while I made a few connections....


...the wires that will be difficult to get to, after the dash is back in place.....namely the glove box light, and wiring for the switch...some speaker wires, and stereo connections...


...make sure that the air ducts are fitted properly...


...and plug in the head unit, rear speaker and amp connections...


...then carefully raised the dash by myself, and eased it into place....I had to jostle it about a little, to get the studs to fit through the holes in the beneath the windshield....I still have lots of connecting to do.....but the dash is back in the car....!!!


....which was great progress for me, in that, I haven't done much to this car for the past two months....I hadn't even turned it over in that time; because everything was disconnected....so I decided I wanted to fire up Woody III BEFORE I was done tinkering for the night.....I dug the cluster out of the backseat and just sat it on the steering column.....plugged in the long connector on the left....


...and the short one on the right....


....connected my battery ground....


...and got in the drivers' seat....kind of excited....turn the key.....kept cranking but wouldn't fire....tried again.....same result.....what the hell..? ...what did I forget....? ....oh yeah.....THAT could be important......better plug that one in too...!!!


....had to get out of the car; go around and kneel on the ground to put this back in place properly.....wanted to make sure...!!!


...turned the key time number three....SUCCESS....fired over after two cycles....ran Rough and OUTRAGED; that he hadn't been started for so long.....that, and the second stage on the throttle stuck open.....had to leap out of the drivers' seat and quell the rage....and lube the thing while I was at it....


...I left the cap off the reservoir to let the stream burp its' way to steady.....with coolant at the ready....


...then after a minute or two, the stream flowed through....


...I took a short video of the state of things before I called it a night....I was glad that I at least accomplished something; (as earlier in the day, I found an oil spill (250 ml) beneath my Piggy...but decided to wait until Monday, to use the hoist at work, to inspect the underside for leaks), I haven't done much of anything to this car this summer...trying to keep three cars going is a great juggling act...





....there are still a few connections that need to be made, some ducts to be connected, screws and bolts to be fastened.....and HEAT to be enjoyed.....but that will have to wait....until NEXT time....


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...Sunday Drive Surprise...*

Last Sunday was fantastic weather wise....it was almost 15 C in Toronto in November....anyway, I thought I would go for a little spin around the neighbourhood....about a third of the way into my usual route; the brake pedal got a bit spongier....there are a few panic words (that might be associated with losing ones brakes!) in this video....which was taken, while holding the camera in my right hand....and shifting/steering etc.....with my left....my apologies in advance for my lack of editing skills....





...and because my camera only takes video clips in 1 minute segments; we missed the best part of the drive....as I was passing through this street.....I heard a shout from the left side, "....SLOW DOWN...!!!", ...ahhhh....music to my ears....though I really wished that I COULD slow down....the 5% of pedal that I was enjoying earlier in the ride....was now gone.....relying on a fairly ineffectual handbrake to slow myself down....I am not liking the odds...





...the camera dipped at the end there; because I was trying to stop using the handbrake......you saw how well that went.....I managed to get Woody II home okay and back in the driveway....but with one gas tank strap missing; a leaking head gasket; absolutely NO brakes; and now a discharged battery....looks like he is going to be sitting 'til next spring....damn....the motor was pulling nicely too...!!! ....maybe I should start buying the odd lottery ticket....so I could afford a shop with a hoist and heat.......hmmmm.....these daydreams and more....will have to wait....until NEXT time....


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...Fuel Tank Straps....*

Since my last post.....Woody II has only moved....when jump started by Woody III...down to the sidewalk; to be jacked up in the air, to be fitted for a fuel tank strap (more than once!!).......which I did yesterday.....only to find, that the strap(s)[had one made for Woody III also], are about three and a half, maybe four inches too short.......:banghead:.....my own damn fault for not providing exacting measurements to the welder.....which I thought I had.....but at any rate; still kind of disappointing, to jack the ass end up in the air....support it, so you don't get squished....and slide under the car; expecting to get something done.....only to find out, that there is something more needing to be done; to let you actually accomplish what you set out to do.......I took a Holiday Issue Video, for no reason at all....




...Woody II just wants to be fixed; Woody III just wants to be driven; and the Piggy just wants to be FED...!!! ...fuel...and parts....and etc......

...the battery went flat in Woody II....I got tired of jump startihg it every time I wanted to turn it over.....I brought home one of the chargers from work....


...December 27th and not a lot of snow to speak of......I am okay with that....which allows me to play in the driveway (for a spell) at the beginning of winter; before the weather becomes unfavourable...
 

...the White Wagon; the Relic; the Survior; aka Woody II....still has lots of life left....just needs a few patch ups....alternator and idling issues among others.....





....I seem to get side tracked, every time I go to put things back together on Woody III....perhaps if the weather was beautiful like it was today, I will get around to it.....then there is always the, 'being able to sleep in' factor.....(deep inhale--big exhale).....but that will have to wait....until NEXT time.....


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...April Fool....*

Hey there Gents...I have been away from the Vortex for a few months now...haven't had a lot of time to be able to hang out in my garage and make posts....not that there has been any progress to speak of....and up until last week, it has been unreasonably cold to do any work on the Wagons....in my absence; I had a birthday weekend that I will not soon forget....which involved many, many tall cans of beer....lots of mints.....my helper AND her girlfriend..........the bonus part of this is that it was NONE of my doing....so, I cannot be held responsible for my actions.....though, the two of them have been trying to stir up something for the last few weeks; while I have been trying to wrap my head around this rather unusual occurrence......did I mention, "...weekend that I will not soon forget..."?....anyway....that's where I have been for the last few months......immersed in full on debauchery as best as I am able....

Just so there are some Fox Pix in this entry....I visited Woody I, at Paint-a-Car, on the third of March....he looked lonely....


....good thing I managed to get that window to stay shut....fixed it with a couple of dollar store butterfly paper clips....the regulator rail has rotted....this car has been permitted to rot....it's about all he can do for now.....and warehouse some parts for me...!!!


I have started Woody II a number of times....but I don't dare drive him anywhere.....apart from not having a valid licensing sticker and current insurance slip......he has NO BRAKES....reservoir is dry....pedal feels marginally better than a disconnected clutch pedal....so I have to add that to the ever growing list of things to do to him, which include: head gasket replacement; perhaps send the head out to be refinished, get the valves done; I have yet to install the dual port manifold from BFI, and also the SS downpipe from Flipside, which I also need to get duplicated before I install it; so that Woody III can have the other one...Woody II needs a new windshield also....I have lost count of the number of cracks, though it is quickly resembling a kaleidoscope without the pretty colours (unless it is Sunny out!)....

I haven't had much to do to my Piggy, which is good.....kinda tight for money right now....I'm so broke I can't even pay attention sometimes.......there has been yet another management change at my work to add to my daily stress...new guy and I don't see eye to eye.....so I have been doing things which the owners love...just to dig in a little deeper.....one of the things they asked me to do; was take apart 16 large pictures frames, and fix the images so that they wouldn't fall away from the mat anymore...(I used to work in a Framing Gallery years ago), so I used a museum mount corner method to fix the photos, and reassemble the frames.....another thing they asked me, was whether I knew anything about where to find a chalkboard upon which to post weekly specials...the markers that I use to write on windshields are made by ZiggyPosterman; a company that specializes in Point-Of-Purchase, hand-wielded, display materials.....the board is displayed on the wall behind the service advisors, in an effort to drum up additional interest in the services offered....I'll get some sort of visual to go from, then get out the markers....and play.....here are a few examples....the visual sample....(please excuse the 'toyota-ness' of this, just a reference; wish I worked at a VW dealership!)


...my version...


....reference....


....me....


...me again...


....this weeks' special; fuel and air induction service....Johnny showed me what the Teks get given to perform the service...


....I asked how it gets administered...ended up asking the Teks, who pointed to a couple engine components and then a black tool box in the Tool Room....I did my research, some preliminary sketches...then just started in on it.....here is what I came up with....


I spent a perhaps three hours in total...(which really irked the new guy, I could see him lurking in my peripheral)...from start of thought, to layout & design, to hanging it on the wall....the owner saw it and She was quite impressed (which irked the new guy even more!); more so this time, than any other in the past; (I have decorated the dealership with many artworks)....to the extent that She wants to PAY me to help them with their advertising layouts......which is GREAT.....but,I have NO idea what to charge....I just kind of juggle some ideas in my head, sketch out a few images, then assemble my presentation with whatever materials required.....

I don't hang out with any of my signwriting buddies anymore; that was twenty years ago....everything has gone digital and 3D imaging in the industry now......so, I am reaching out to the community that exists here on the Vortex, my question is this: Does anyone here work in the sign industry, or perhaps an accounting department that issues cheques to ad agencies for service rendered....? ...when I was involved in this business years ago, I was in production, and had no idea (still don't!) what companies were getting charged for the things that I worked on....hey, even if nobody has a connection....just curious to know what you guys think I should charge for my time in this arena.....what might be the going rate....? Twenty-five bucks an hour...? Hundred bucks a job...? I welcome your comments and criticisms Gentlemen....as I value ALL of your opinions...........I have to fix the current tracks on the blue circuit board on the back of the cluster on Woody III; in an effort to have a working light for the speedometer again.....but that will have to wait....until NEXT time.....


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## SourKandi (May 26, 2014)

Omg I wish I had the time to read all that right now


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## bluetoes591 (Apr 3, 2009)

I'm pretty sure you need to charge at least thirty bucks an hour, maybe forty for your handiwork.


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...Really...?*

Wow....seriously.....no wonder I feel like I am living paycheque to paycheque, (as do we all!), never quite able to get ahead.....thank you very much for your reply bluetoes591....I have always been told that I sell myself short to a fault....especially by a buddy who moved to Vancouver in the nineties (Dean Sheriff) and started his own studio out there...he kept telling me to come out to the West Coast, because nobody can draw out there (at the time!)...I should have listened....ah well, if we knew then what we know now; we wouldn't be where we are currently.......also thank you SourKandi for your response, a couple of the ladies I work with said they couldn't look away once they started to read everything, until they had finished....which I found complimentary......Thanks once again M for the insight.....I feel better equipped for the meeting tomorrow....CHEERS....!!! :beer:

P.S. Here is a link to some windshield lettering from a few years ago:
http://s1106.photobucket.com/user/KRAMMITT/library/Freehand Windshield Signwriting?sort=3&page=1

....I wonder if I could make a full-time gig out of going around to dealerships and lettering their cars....and also restaurants updating chalkboards that I could make and sell to them; then update weekly/as needed.....hmmmmmmm.....the lack of benefits and perks currently enjoyed; would make it a part time thing at best, I would submit....still though......hmmmmmmmmm....


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## 90quattrocoupe (Feb 7, 2002)

KRAMMIT said:


> ....I wonder if I could make a full-time gig out of going around to dealerships and lettering their cars....and also restaurants updating chalkboards that I could make and sell to them; then update weekly/as needed.....hmmmmmmm.....the lack of benefits and perks currently enjoyed; would make it a part time thing at best, I would submit....still though......hmmmmmmmmm....


Very nice work. 

You know I told myself something a long time ago. When I came up with something, I always tried it. Sometimes I made money, sometimes not. But if I never had tried, I would have regretted it for the rest of my time. 

You have to take the shot. Do it part time and see how it goes. At least you gave it a shot.

Greg W.


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...I Sorta Tried...*

Thanks for the push Greg...!!! I did sort of try to extend my talents to the community; though it wasn't totally honourable....the place where I go to grab take out on a daily basis; Montreal Deli, (shameless plug), has a chalkboard at the front door....I pass by it every day....one day I looked at it and thought to myself; I can do better than that....so, I brought over my markers, had Emma (massively cute hottie!) get me a wet cloth to wipe the chalkboard clean....so I could begin....I only spent perhaps half an hour each day, for five days, to complete the job, that had no contract, nor agreement....(I have just been a patron of theirs for about five years!)....the requirements included, daily specials and soups of the day......after a few days...the board looked like this....

....though I never had any cash placed in my hand for my efforts....I DID eat for free that week....whomever coined the term "starving artist"....never did any work for an established restaurant........pick your battles wisely.....!!!

...keep in mind I am using large-nibbed markers (15mm=5/8ths~), [that technically belong to the company for which I work; as well as the time I spent daylighting!] to make these images.......some close ups.....
....smoked meat sandwich with a couple of dills...


...Vernors Logo....


...some attention to the specials...


...and the soups....dine in...and to go....


...I have been getting my order for my own set of Ziggys together; so that I may explore additional means of potential sources of income...and in the event that someone claims there is no Fox content on this post....on the surface; that would be correct...but, prior to last May; Woody II brought me to and from the Deli for over six years.......so, that's my 'six degrees of Kevin Bacon' connection....and I am sticking to it........................(cuz I have no other explanation to offer....!)....and Woody III brought me there for the summer of 2012....when this was taken.....


.....he currently needs some electrical connections (HaHaa!!) to be hooked up before I can find out what might else be wrong with him.....but that will have to wait....until NEXT time.....


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...Wow...It Is Already July...*

Happy Canada Day to all Foxers...!!! I haven't been making much progress on either of my Foxes....largely due to owning a PIG...!!! This Passat is a large vehicle, by comparison to the Fox....fuel costs are large...parts costs are large...gross vehicle weight is large....potential to be mystified by electronic gremlins, VERY large......the only benefit is that this large vehicle can carry a LARGE payload.....enter...the Fatman....my Dad has had to be transported to and from the hospital; and also to the nursing home, where my Mom lives now.....the Fox just wouldn't have been able to accommodate such a thing, with any degree of comfort....

My apologies for being away for so long Gentlemen....I have been yearning to get stuff done on my Foxes....but every time I get a window of opportunity.....the Piggy springs a leak in my wallet, and time and energy get diverted....for the sake of maintaining mobility.....I have had to replace brake surfaces; rotors and pads on the back, just pads on the front....tie-rod ends on both sides...changed the gearbox oil...and found some two year old tires that were on a parts Passat that I have access to; and put rubber from this decade all around....and learned how to operate the tire mounting and balancing machines in the process......things that I desperately need are shocks all around; and also, the absurdly intricate front suspension on this Piggy needs refreshing....there are EIGHT control arms and a couple of stabilizer bar links, that have decaying rubber bushings in ALL the wrong places.....$90/corner for shocks; and the control arm kit is $400 CDN.....on the expensive upside of all of this....is that I am learning things that I thought I would never know....this 20V 1.8t engine is quite a lot more sophisticated, than the 8V 1.8 motors in my Foxes....which are merely CIS...no cat...no O2 sensors.......they would run on LEADED FUEL, if I could find it anywhere.....Woody II ate 3/4s of a tank of Diesel fuel; and just wanted something to wash it down with....!!! (while the new Corolla full of Diesel fuel that got towed in; had to have the system flushed...!) ....basic driving reliability with no warning lights or hassles......don't get me totally wrong about the Piggy though; I bought it for under $600, replaced the front springs and drive shafts, for under $500; then drove it for over 20,000 km in the past year without too much trouble...........but, I STILL MISS DRIVING MY FOXES...!!!

I started up Woody II the other day; and let him idle for about fifteen minutes...there was the usual dripping oil, and smoldering at the rear of the engine....but after I shut him off; I could smell a very strong fuel odour....turns out there is a leak in one of the lines ...looks like it is between the main pump and the engine........I flushed the driveway with a lot of water to keep the gas from eating away any more of the pavement....I found a discarded floor mat from a minivan which will come in handy, to catch drips, until I can address the leak....


...the mat is about five feet long....

....yet ANOTHER job, to add to the list of ailments, needing mending on this poor old car....I have noticed some of the outer shell along the bottom has decided that it is time.....falling like leaves from a tree in November....

Woody III has yet to have his dash light over the speedo restored....I haven't had time to putter around with this stuff...the blue plastic film doesn't want to co-operate voluntarily....

...I took this pic on May 2nd....just before I went to take in, "I Mother Earth", at the Phoenix Concert Hall....they put on a fantastic show....played til almost quarter after one in the morning...!!! ...my ears were ringing for about three days afterwards.....

Things have been crazy at work....another managerial change.....the new guy....catch this...asked me to reconnect the negative terminal on the Sienna at the back of the show room....he said that they wanted to take it for a test drive, but they didn't have any tools.......I had to walk away....so that I didn't say something to a Manager, that I shouldn't....largely because I don't candy coat things well.....how do these people end up being my boss....?!?!? ....it takes a lot of effort to feign respecting someone that is not deserving........

I haven't had much artwork to do at work lately either......it seems that I out did myself...and they liked the last one that I did so much...that they have kept it there...and went and bought another chalkboard for future promotions....

...the previous design wipes off with a dampened paper towel.....


...I was kind of reluctant to wipe off my previous image....


....see...? ...everything I do is not indelible.....I can be erased as easily as that...


...here is the image that they decided I could not improve upon....it stands from the beginning of April....

..... but, how could they know...? ....they haven't really challenged me as yet....

...I am going to have to find some new brake lines; and also some new fuel line for Woody II....and get the cluster fixed on Woody III....but that will have to wait...until NEXT time....


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## SourKandi (May 26, 2014)

=D


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...Thanks For Reading...!*

Hey there SourKandi....thanks for following my posts, after my being away from the Forum for so long....I read your entry on the,"WDYDTYFT?" thread...Very Impressive...AND...Very Kool...!!! Woody I had a trailer hitch; which I only used once, to help a buddy move out to Guelph....limped across the city with a buggered CV joint...towing a U-Haul trailer...fully laden....no highway.....just city streets....miraculously made it to my house...dropped the trailer off....made my way to Mein Mekaniker (a 20 km trek; this was over 15 years ago!)...Jon helped me swap out a replacement drive shaft, that I brought, which of course, didn't fit without some grinding, (there was a ridge that needed to be removed, to let the CVJ sit in the cup of the hub properly), but we managed to get everything back together and road worthy once again....back to my place, to get Tims' trailer....then out to Guelph (~65 km/~40 mi)......all with 'no hitches', other than the one that is still attached to this day....the bumper has completely disintegrated within the bumper cover; but, the two rails holding the hitch in place.....just won't let go....I want the rear bumper cover for Woody II, but can't get it off because of the trailer hitch....anyway; I just wondered if you might be able to tow your boat/trailer with Clara....(Your 'Grand' Collection!)....it would make for a great photo op; even if the towing capacity didn't measure up.....!!! Great work on the Johnson outboard...!!! Your Little Man may not realize it just now....but He has a Very Cool Mom...!!! (Hubby should be impressed too!!!) 

I have always leaned toward girls who were mechanically inclined....my first girlfriend gave me the opportunity to get my license; by driving her car, (a 4 cyl, 2.8L '82, 4 speed, Mustang GL [named Charlie; Charlie Horse....get it?]; which we both agreed stood for Gutless Lag...!!! ), more than she did......Sharon went through school to become a fixed wing/rotary wing aeronautic mechanic....ONLY GIRL in her class of thirty; complete with, "Male Chauvinist Pig" (her words), as the instructor....put up with a ton of shinola; complete with used condoms placed on her toolbox (this was late 80s/early 90s!).....but, in the end...she graduated in the top three of her class; and ended up working here in Toronto for Orenda Space & Aeronautics....servicing jet engines for the military....who gets to laugh last...? ....Plus, she also has a Little Man, Gabriel, who must be about ten years of age by now........Be nice to your Lady Mechanics guys; I know that I learned more than a thing or two...!!!

This is just a suggestion....but perhaps you might want to start Your Own Thread; to denote all of your trials and tribulations that you overcome, during your Foxing experience....keep all of your entries in one place...that you can add to whenever you like...I know I can only speak for myself; but, I would follow along....and I am sure that there are a few other Foxers; who have a similar admiration, for your inquisitive drive, and ability, to get things working properly......a word of caution on the thread though; it will be interesting and amusing; all at once, to revisit your pics....and recall the stories....then TRY to put them in some sort of cohesive timeline, that makes sense to you.......give it a shot.....I think you would enjoy the journey....time permitting, of course....

....as for my chalkboard efforts at work....it seems I jinxed my previous entry....the Operations Manager had me wipe the board clean of the previous image....and handed me a piece of paper with a few lines of copy on it....

....and says, "...just the words, no pictures..." ...Really...?!? ....ummmm...what's the point....?!? which is not something I said to the Manager....just thought it OUT LOUD...!!! ....then suggested to several other co-workers that putting a couple pieces of chewed gum, on the back of this paper, then sticking it to the wall....would achieve a similar client/guest interest........I made the sign.....but just duplicated the copy....no pics....no drawings....no colours....just plain yellow on blackboard (I have two yellow markers; for some reason, that I am sure I can't remember!) ...I suppose from the management standpoint, the sign took less than twenty minutes to make......yay team.....but from a creativity perspective; it is quite obvious that I wasn't inspired.....I will snap a lame photo....with reluctance to waste so many pixels unnecessarily.....but that will have to wait.....until NEXT time....

P.S. Much of my Vortex time is spent here: http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?6975223-Like-It-Or-Not-I-Own-A-PASSAT-!!! ....trying to keep my Piggy going....


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...Blurry Shot...*

I think the blurry image adds to my disappointment of the request.....didn't even sign it...


...it was only up for a week or two...before I was asked to update the board with a different image....the request was similar; no pics....just words....but, I couldn't help myself....this board is designed for catching eyes, and things unusual....


...just over a week ago...around the beginning of August....I was asked to get my parts Passat off the property at work; they need the parking space....I was allowed to borrow a dealer plate for transport....I had to start Woody III for the first time in about five months....my plan was to park the Green Machine in behind Woody III....I connected the cluster for my Fox...but, just had it plugged in, and precariously balanced in its' cave.....I plugged in the headlight switch....and had it dangling, but plugged in and working....Woody III faltered on the first crank; but, fired up with conviction on the second try....the throttle assembly was slightly stuck open; maintaining a 2500 rpm idle.....until I jumped up out of the unbolted drivers' seat, to set the Throttle Valve to normal...just a bit stuck open from sitting for a spell....it used to be worse; I placed a small rag soaked with oil around the mechanism to keep it lubricated, while he rests.......since I had the dealer plate home with me....after I got the Green Machine settled...I took Woody III for a lap around the block (0.7 km)...he is stuffed full of parts and things that moved about slightly.....the shocks and springs are toast....felt like I was driving a bowl of soup....but it was STILL FUN....the vicious exhaust manifold leak was ticking away louder than the valves....but STILL SO MUCH FUN...!!! ...I parked the cars at about 1 am, in the dark....my buddy Sam was guiding me back.....then said, "What the hell am I doing...?!? You do this everyday for a living...you likely don't need my help...!!!", which was nice to hear; but, it's always better to have a second set of eyes...!!! ....my driveway....

(...the Lowenbrau guy is not Sam....!)

....I have a lot of work to do...just to clean out the mess....enough to have a hope in hell; to get anything other than a Dinky car in my garage.......Woody II has sprung a vicious fuel leak; on top of having no brakes, and leaking oil quite emphatically...from the HG....so many projects....so little time....and even less funding....keeping my Piggy going; is proving to be an expensive endeavour...just bought shocks for all around; and forked out for a new control arm kit (8 control arms+ 2 stabilizer bar links & fastening hardware...Ka-Ching!!!)....now to figure out how to put the whole mess in the car....which is my explanation for not having been around here as of late....I always peek in to see what's happening...but don't often have enough time to make a post....hopefully, after I get my suspension issues addressed on my Passat....I won't have to do anything to it for some time....and will be able to get some work done on my Foxes....but, that will have to wait...until NEXT time....


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## mike in SC (Apr 29, 2004)

You've got quite a collection of wagons there. Have you painted your garage using one point perspective? I can't tell if it's open or closed.

I admit, I'd drive a passat wagon if I found a clean one. What are your thoughts on them, other than crazy front suspension work?


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...Right You Are...*

I did actually paint my garage door with a one-point perspective design...I painted it when I was fifteen years old....the house had brown trim at the time...I remember wanting to seal the driveway; and paint the white lines down the sides and centre...my idea got vetoed by my parents back in '81...

...since I seem to have most of the driveway covered...my design wouldn't be clearly seen...as far as the Passat goes....I think I got quite lucky in finding a car; that the previous owner(s), there were two, took care of and maintained....the B5/B5.5 platform is quite a lot more complex than our Foxes....1.8L 20V turbocharged engine for one (170 hp; but has to lug around 4000 lbs.; therefore, PIGGY!)....many electronic gizmos and sensors to keep track of...I bought a VW Scanner to read and reset codes....best $50 I ever spent......for instance....last Wednesday, I was messing around trying to reseat the thermostat housing....(I didn't get it right the first time; and had to undo the mess again!)....I undid the plug for the throttle body....when I put it all back together again...the car was running rough; as though it was misfiring....I shut it off; plugged in the scanner...read the codes....erratic misfire on cylinder one...throttle angle position too weak....I erase the codes....start the car again.....and everything runs FINE.....a misfire in my Fox; and I have to get under the hood and see what's going on....so, I guess what I am saying about my Passat experience is this....they are not inexpensive cars to run and maintain...parts are pricey; but, I manage to get decent discounts through my work and on-line......I haven't had to do much to the engine....I did change the oil at the first opportunity....then; upon learning more about the car, I was advised to change the timing belt and water pump, as soon as possible, if there is no record of the procedure being done....the AWM motor, that happens to be in my car, is an interference motor; a skipped tooth or sheared belt will destroy the valves, which are apparently sodium-filled, and quite pricey to replace....when I got my Piggy; I replaced both front springs; both driveshafts; the timing belt operation...then pretty much drove the car hassle-free for over a year putting more than 20,000 km on the clock....if you have some time; I have a thread over on the B5 Forum....it has been a challenge to keep all of this going...much less write about it....but I have been trying to keep on top of it all; as it happens.......here is a link: http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?6975223-Like-It-Or-Not-I-Own-A-PASSAT-!!! ...I started that thread near the end of May last year; right about the same time I stopped making frequent posts here on the Fox Forum....if you read it...please let me know your thoughts....the opinions of my Fox Friends, mean a great deal to me...and I am always interested to know what you guys think...!!! Cheers Mike...!!! :beer::beer:


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...It's Been Such A Long Time...*

Happy Foxin' New Year Guys...!!! ...I have to apologize for being away for soooo long....last time I posted was way back in August...!!! ...I drew a card for the Holidays....laminated it, then used a dry erase marker to change the greeting...then texted pics to everyone I knew...My version for the Vortex...


...I autographed Linus' blanket...perhaps to keep me from using the same image next year...


...at work just before the holidays; we had an "Ugly Xmas Sweater Day", where participants were encouraged to donate $5 to an Xmas benefit/help fund...though I didn't win, I did get a _lot of laughs_ and many honourable mentions...


...I have only started my Foxes a couple of times since the cold has set in....not really safe to do so now; as they have both sprung _vicious fuel leaks_, right at the fuel component assemblies....I haven't even been brave enough to get under and get sprayed while it is running, to get a shot of the leak...or where exactly the fuel is leaking from....I popped in a while back to see what was happening here; and there were a couple of members (I think SourKandi and another) who had just replaced their fuel cluster components (accumulator, filter & pump) and lines....I secretly applauded their efforts, and wished I could find the time to make that happen on Woody II & III.....!!! ...my PIGGY has been running well....good thing too...I have been sinking enough coin into this thing....I have been driving it with more enthusiasm as of late; now that I have become more familiar with the 1.8t...even though it weighs over two Metric Tonnes, it _goes like stink_ on the highway...I have to keep an eye on the speedo to keep it under a buck forty (kinda need my license!).....on an aside note, at my work (Mississauga Toyota), a '94 Jetta came in on a trade...it's toast; engine is good, but the interior is falling apart...223,000+ on the clock, window controls are haunted, door locks too....probably a moist CCM or something...but. I have learned that it is going to scrap....so I think I will scoop the 14" rims from it....they look like straight tarantulas or 9 spoke...poor description, but they are in decent shape, no nicks (I'll try and get a pic)...I got the green light from my boss, to take them if I wanted them...._sweet_...!!! ...but, that will have to wait...until NEXT time....


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## bluetoes591 (Apr 3, 2009)

KRAMMIT said:


> ), a '94 Jetta came in on a trade...it's toast; engine is good, but the interior is falling apart...223,000+ on the clock, window controls are haunted, door locks too....probably a moist CCM or something...but. I have learned that it is going to scrap....so I think I will scoop the 14" rims from it....they look like straight tarantulas or 9 spoke...poor description, but they are in decent shape, no nicks (I'll try and get a pic)...I got the green light from my boss, to take them if I wanted them...._sweet_...!!!


Which motor does that Jetta have? If it's a 2.0 litre you should have that as well.


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*....It's Been A While...*

My apologies for not having been around for many months....many life changing events have taken place....I DID however manage to scoop those Jetta rims....the motor was transverse mounted and my plate is full as it is with unfinished projects/open cans of worms....the giant maple in my front yard, got damaged in gusty winds...crushed the one vehicle in the driveway that _wasn't mine_...(need to get that towed soon!)...had to go to pocket to get the remnants dealt with......the inground pool, (installed in 1978!), needs a new liner; another 10 Gs that must materialize from the thinnest of air.......then in May.....my Mom passed away.......many hoops have had to be jumped through since then.......and just trying to put the pieces of the puzzle in place....still sorting through it all and processing what still needs to be done.....but that will have to wait....until NEXT time....


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## bluetoes591 (Apr 3, 2009)

KRAMMIT said:


> My apologies for not having been around for many months....many life changing events have taken place....I DID however manage to scoop those Jetta rims....the motor was transverse mounted and my plate is full as it is with unfinished projects/open cans of worms....the giant maple in my front yard, got damaged in gusty winds...crushed the one vehicle in the driveway that _wasn't mine_...(need to get that towed soon!)...had to go to pocket to get the remnants dealt with......the inground pool, (installed in 1978!), needs a new liner; another 10 Gs that must materialize from the thinnest of air.......then in May.....my Mom passed away.......many hoops have had to be jumped through since then.......and just trying to put the pieces of the puzzle in place....still sorting through it all and processing what still needs to be done.....but that will have to wait....until NEXT time....


Good to know you're alive, keep up the good fight. :thumbup:


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...Time To Bow Out...*

Awww Dudes....(and Dudette, being SourKandi...!!!) ....it is with heavy heart that I must announce I gotta get outta the Fox Chase....I have been bombarded with soooo many things this year.....conditions dictate that I must retreat and regroup...!!! ...the most devastating event of the past several months.....was the passing of my Mom....though we were expecting that day to come....ya can never _REALLY_ prepare yourself for that event....I put together an obituary...that the Toronto Star saw fit to charge me $400/day to run..._(Soul Less Vultures...!!!)_ ...and my brother ran it for three days....!!! (insert commensurate sibling scolding here!)...


....a shot of me in the reflection of the rear side window of PIGGY, (my B5 Passat Wagon; Woodys' Nemesis/Replacement!), on the way to the Cemetery in Port Hope...where my Mom was born...(she wasn't born in the cemetery; she WAS born in Port Hope!)


...the reason why I don't drive Woody II anymore is that I needed a bigger vehicle to transport my Dad around to visit my Mom...PIGGY has been great..._too great...!!!_ ..._that 1.8t hauls this monster around in quick order...!!!_ ...which hauled my Dad, my brother, and my Best Friend Dan out to Port Hope for the service....

...a reminder of our own mortality, and that _this life_ is not forever*...we age...we ail...we acquiesce...*

...which brings me around to the reason for this post....I need to _sell all_ of my *Fox Stuff...!!!* ...Woody I (great Parts Car...*OR...DIY Saveiro Project...!!!*)....thought about hacking him apart a number of times...!!!


...Woody II has to go...


...as does Woody III...


....and all of their accoutrements...lotsa stuff....!!!
...click on the link to go to my Classified Post...

...I know both the links end up at the same place....which doubly underlines the urgency with which I need to clear my driveway...it would be such a _*tremendous shame*_ to have rescued both of these cars from the wrecker....only to have bled and sweat even more into their preservation...to eventually let them get made into toasters anyway......

All of you know I live in Toronto...I don't want much for the cars...the parts that are still in the original packaging that I never got to install...well, they might come with one of the vehicles.......if you have any interest in anything in my inventory....which I will update here and in my Classified thread....send me a PM, and you can help me clean out my Foxes' Den.......but that will have to wait...until NEXT time....


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## bluetoes591 (Apr 3, 2009)

End of an era. Gotta sell the house?


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## What the Fox (Aug 7, 2012)

So sorry to hear about your Mom, I lost my dad a few years back but more because of medical issues. I can't believe your getting out of the Fox's, this was your passion, your hobby was it not...Well I wish you all the best sir

sincerely Geoff


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## MillerAPF92Fox (Feb 24, 2014)

I, too, am sorry for your loss. I lost both my parents, a few years apart (mom first, then dad a couple years ago), so I know a little about what you're going through. I wish there was a way it wouldn't take you out of the Fox scene, though. Like, maybe keeping the Foxes could be a therapeutic outlet for you, to help you work toward the future while maintaining a connection with the past. It would be a shame to lose another player in what seems to be an already shrinking game. At the same time, we know you gotta do what you gotta do. Hope you find a way to stick around, but best wishes either way. - Chris


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## MillerAPF92Fox (Feb 24, 2014)

I, too, am sorry for your loss. I lost both my parents, a few years apart (mom first, then dad a couple years ago), so I know a little about what you're going through. I wish there was a way it wouldn't take you out of the Fox scene, though. Like, maybe keeping the Foxes could be a therapeutic outlet for you, to help you work toward the future while maintaining a connection with the past. It would be a shame to lose another player in what seems to be an already shrinking game. At the same time, we know you gotta do what you gotta do. Hope you find a way to stick around, but best wishes either way. - Chris


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...I'm All "VerKlempt"...!!!*

Thank you so much for your regards, *bluetoes591, What the Fox, and MillerAPF92Fox*...!!! It means *A LOT* to me to have not been here for over two years, and come back with less than jovial news, on many fronts....and enjoy such welcomed support......You Guys Are The Greatest...!!! ...I was quite reticent initially...to bleed over into the B5 Passat forum; to streamline my posting savy with PIGGY...but, it seems there are a handful of extremely decent Vortex Members on each Forum....and I manage to luck out and become acquaintances with those people....._I REALLY DO MISS_ driving my Foxes.......after having driven my daily PIGGY for the last 30 months....firing Woody III up to move him, (so the Montana could be towed away, FINALLY!!! .,.actually got $200 CDN for the massively useless garage doorstop...!!!), was a reminiscent trip down memory lane.........sometime last week, I made a call to the shop (Body Line) that we use, (at work), to retrieve, "wrecker cars", that someone will trade in; but, will also never see the road again...under its' own power...Body Line are in Hamilton; and, so advised me that it would be a scheduling matter before they could fit me in; but, would call an hour before pick-up...yesterday morning, I got the call......I had to scramble to get my $h!t together and get Woody III out from behind the Montana, so it could disappear.....I fully expected the battery to be flat....even though I disconnect the negative terminal on dormant vehicles in my care....I save the caps that come on the terminals of a new battery....very handy to keep unwanted, accidental connection between cable and terminal.......I had to jump start Woody III with PIGGY via cables....so....wildlife sex, was once again taking place in my driveway....(Fox-PIG cross-platform "inter-pollenation"?).....the Fox Wagon is the BX platform...my Passat Wagon is the B5 platform...evolution...? ...soooo many things....soooo similar.....ie; the battery is similarly located beneath the passenger side wiper spindle....which, if you have short jumper cables, _REALLY SUX_, if you are trying to boost two of these cars...!!! ...you have to park the donor car with its' passenger rear view mirror, very close to the patient cars' right front signal.......once I managed to hook everything up....turned the key to crank once....nothing....second time, a sputtery burst.....third time; _ROARED TO LIFE AND STUCK OPEN THROTTLE_ to idle at 4500 rpm for almost four minutes....I had to move PIGGY out of the way and get back to move Woodrow the Third....engaging first and letting the clutch out without thought....chirped the tires out of their resting spot for the last few months......he was pissing fuel from the line just out of the fuel filter, when the line is under pressure; at least I know where the leak is now...!!! ....not a difficult mend; it's just that I have become _TERRIBLY SPOILED_ while working on my Passat...I get to use the hoists and air lines at work after hours.....so long as I am done and out the door by nine...it's all good....._it's effen fantastic actually..!!!_ _...a sidewalk mechanics' dream come true...!!!_ ...I have done work on Woody II & III in the shop; I just had to be _REALLY_ careful about where the hoist supports get placed...!!!

...I must sell...or _EVEN WORSE_..._*SCRAP*_.....(sniff)...my Den of Foxes.....I have several NEW parts that apparently I only had _aspirations_ to install......ie; *two* BFI dual port exhaust manifolds, still in original packaging....one coveted SS Dual Downpipe from Flipside Customs; again, in original packaging, (co$t me an arm, a leg, and a left nut....to get it here from the west coast...I need to at least recoup my testicle...!!!)...I have two sets of door/window seals for Fox I Wagons, also in original packaging as I received them...multiple sets of tires and rims; 13s steelies x 2/14s, Bottle caps, five spoke silver, and wide five spoke black, nine spoke Jetta rims with tires.........that Hoarders Show could do a weeks' worth of shows at my house......wish that was a joke...and that's just ME in the garage...!!!

...AWWW Man...?!? ...it's almost three in the morning again....I am presented with the opportunity to buy a 2000 Audi A4 Quattro 1.8t w/ 121,000 miles (U.S. car)/~194,000 km on the clock via my work...black on beige leather; front shows wear, rear is clean (that's what SHE said...!!!), 16" 205s that are snows...wee bit of rust underneath; minor panel missing just behind left front wheel...all electronic stuff works....my price....$300 CDN............it seems that my Vintage VW tastes, have changed to the more recent vintages of VWs.....though I still have fond memories of my Sciroccos; my PIGGY is an Audi in Pyjamas.....sooo many parts are identical and interchangeable.......a concept not very often enjoyed by the Foxes; which prompted the Fox to be labelled the 'Bastard Bad Boy", (by ME...JUST NOW...unless you have heard it somewhere previously....or I read it here previously; and am more accurately, drunkenly trying to glean some glamour on someone else's clever moniker...!!!)....completely fun and frustrating at the same time....!!! (but I don't need to tell YOU guys that..!!!) ...I had some pics that I wanted to post...but I need to down one more beer and have a mint before passing out for a few hours before greeting the last day of my work week....I have some more to write...but that will have to wait...until NEXT time....

P.S. ...a note about the 1.8t; I have spent the last couple years getting to know this motor, I have aspirations to stuff of of these monsters into one of my Foxes.....a regular 8 V 1.8 had maybe 82 hp back in the day; one of these 20V 1.8t units cranks out almost 170 hp from what I have read/seen....it would be an absurdly unsafe/fun vehicle to rip around in...the PIG moves well, but weighs over TWO TONS....!!! ...putting a 1.8t into a 1390 kg Wagon.........??? ...buckle up and keep TWO HANDS on the wheel...!!! ....maybe I'll keep one and make a Tip-Tronic Fox Wagon...!!! ...that'd be ultra unique I think...(Yes, I am enjoying that last beer and mint...thank you for asking...!!!)...until NEXT time....


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...And Then There Were Two...*

Seeing as I am making this post during the same party session as I just made in the "WDYDTYFT?" thread; I will try to not repeat too much in the same fashion for the sake of not boring you to tears or tedium....*SourKandi*, I opted to go with initials because it took me a great deal of time to figure out/remember where I had heard that (your tagline!) before....perhaps it was made by another person originally; but, I assure you that I am not so _well read_ to know whom that may have been....but it wasn't until I watched that movie again (with Jack Albertson, Peter Ostrum & G.W.), that it clicked....._well done...!!!_ ...in case anyone is wondering wtf I am talking about....you might have to go lick some wallpaper to find out....heheh......(...apologies if I have mentioned this before; living with my Dad, who repeats things a lot, may be rubbing off on me...!!!)

I am still going to post the Grim Reaper wielding his JerrDan Flatbed Scythe to take Woody I away to get flattened....then according to Mr.Grim (Mike), they wire about thirty flats together...then they get shipped off to an industrial shredder; to get made into metal mulch....part of me wants to see that process....there are lots of YT vids; but, I am sure it would be a bit different to see a previous possession get pulverized...!!!





...but before all of this took place...there were a couple of days where I was able to get over to Paint-A-Car and try to reclaim his contents and the rear windows and hatch glass...part of me still wanted to take the head off and see what the hell I did to him....that would have been an interesting learning experience...!!! ...bit o'deja vu....not sure where to begin....much the same as removing the rear side windows...I opted for digging in at the small section; not sure why, maybe I read somewhere that this was the place to begin...


...so much easier if you are not concerned with effing up the finish on the vehicle....I just rolled the screwdrivers towards the front of the car, to unseat the rubber lip that holds the glass in...it was difficult to do because there was not much room between the cars...but enough to get the window out...


...kinda looks like this has never been done to this car before....it took about twenty minutes of prying and finagling....


..._also_ kinda looks like a rats' nest....pretty sure I saw a couple of well fed feral cats guarding Woodrow last summer...

...I also kept that head and manifold set if anyone is interested in having one to rebuild while they keep driving....shipping would be _stooooopid_...so I suppose that offer is only local; or at least within Southern Ontario....

...now he looks better dressed down to depart...though, I wanted to get some pieces for *Axeman*, but our communiquees had thirty hour reply times that didn't give me enough time before the Reaper showed up.....(My Buddy Mark [the guy who bought me Woody III!], owns the Black Sedan in the adjacent spot...an '83 Ford Fairmont, 2 dr, 4 spd, RWD, 2.8L carbureted four banger! ...for more on that; click here)


....though he looks about the saddest I have ever seen him....


..._STILL_ wasn't the sorriest looking car on Peters' lot.....just the _Second_ Oldest and most Forlorn....but still maintained his Original silhouette....save for the cancerous parts....


...A brand new (okay, how 'bout never been used?) front bumper was within; now passed on...like a baton....to Woody II...who has now become a bit of a warehouse as a result of the 'Toaster Effect'....


...there is also a front bumper cover that is in decent nick....silver in colour....


...a set of 14" Jetta rims with decent rubber....


...and Woody III is also packed to the headliner with boxes of various Fox Fixins....


...I got two of the four bolts that are holding the remnants of the rusty-ass rear bumper to the cover...removed...


...but, I need to get some more cut-off discs for my Dremel tool to take care of the other two rusty fasteners....


...I've gotta shoo....the remaining two...Fox Wagons outta my driveway....I have already ousted the Montana that was a fixture for eight years....I need the space to park my AudiMatic (_IF_ you choose to _click on that_; scroll up about six posts to where it all began, and I _defy_ you to keep a straight face and not laugh, smirk, snicker, snort, chuckle, grimace or guffaw...!!!); which is still at the dealership where I work, pending some maintenance procedures....I have had to learn a lot about PIGGY; who is basically an Audi in Pyjamas....why not actually have an Audi to play with too....?!? _Seriously_; if anyone in the GTA wants a pair of Fox Wagons and over a decades' worth of amassed acoutrements....gimme a shout and let's figure it out....whether or not that happens....will have to wait...until NEXT time....


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...Posted An Advert...*

Not quite two weeks ago, I posted an ad for Woody III on Kijiji.....within forty minutes somebody texted me asking if I still had the Fox Wagon.....I said yes and that I want it to go to somebody who will pick up where I left off and bring him back to the road once again....he seems like the best potential recipient; as he has a '91 Passat, and he and his Dad Love Older VWs....haven't heard from him since....another dozen inquiries have surfaced; but nothing serious as yet....I need to patch the fuel line as it comes off the pump....split in the hose...need a 2" piece of metal fuel line, some rubber fuel line, four hose clamps, and a couple hours of decent weather, before I can confidently show the car to a potential buyer........I need to vacate at least one space in my driveway....I lucked into a 2000 Audi A4 1.8t Automatic "Femmetronic" (Boo!!) for $300 (YAY!!!), from a trade-in at work...it needs work...and that is where I have been spending my time and efforts as of late....PIGGY (my '02 Passat Wagon), has a soaking wet floor behind the drivers' seat, which I just discovered this evening....so that has become my newest, latest, most urgent project.....Hopefully Woody III can find a new home......but that will have to wait...until NEXT time....


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...Happy Canada Day...*

My apologies to all, for my threads going to hell...my EX image hosting site, _*PHOTOSUCKIT*_ has decided to hold my images hostage and is demanding over $400 USD to continue their part in the third party image sharing schtick......pretty disaflippinpointed with this transpiration......I am not sure I will continue my efforts here anymore....last time _*PHOTOSUCKIT*_ _PHUCKED_ me, I had to spend over thirty hours to straighten out my thread after they updated their site......I suppose this wouldn't be an issue if I didn't enjoy photography so much as I do.......currently exploring other image hosting options....I have over 3500 pics to upload to a new site; and I am quite sure I won't want to have to do this again......anyone have suggestions for a reliable site that won't resort to _image ransom or extortion...?!?_ ....replies welcome....there may not even BE a NEXT time.....


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## bluetoes591 (Apr 3, 2009)

I use Photosucket for the photos I post here, but man is it annoying. You may consider Flickr, I've been a user there for at least 12 years, it's where I keep my more serious photography. Used to be if you weren't a paid user you could only have 200 photos, but now you get pretty much unlimited photos.


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## KRAMMIT (Apr 16, 2011)

*...Thanks M...!!*

Thanks for the reply *bluetoes591*...I'll have to check Flickr out...I tried a couple of other sites which boasted free sharing; but, it turns out that they only offer that for a limited time...then want money...many sites are affiliated/run by _PHOTSUCKIT_ I have found out in the process......that'll teach me to _put all of my jpegs in one bucket_.......HAPPY CANADA DAY....!!!


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## bluetoes591 (Apr 3, 2009)

Hoy ****, Photobucket wants $399 a year for third party hosting? That's extortion. People are going to drop them like a hot potato.


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