The Restoration of #1768

[vwdmc16]

Can't wait to hear if the car runs better as a result - I bet you'll see a lot of little improvements everywhere given the state things were in before, but some really big gains would be awesome!

Forgot to add this, No the engine didnt run any better, the gauges and lights are definitely 3x better at least but I still had a crippling and persistent missing/ cutting out when coming off idle under load. the car would buck back and forth an cough if driven below 2k rpm. The fix was super simple, new spark plugs! I had it in my mind that the plugs arent that old, sure they have about 20k miles and 4 years on them but perhaps it was that I have taken them out quite a few times I thought they were fresher. Some how new plugs made the car just work properly, I again gapped them at .040" since I have that powerful coil and no resistor. I love easy fixes!

[Cartman]

Been reding this tread from start to finish, I must say you'we done some grate work, admmitedly, seeing all this work has scared me slightly from getting a D of my ovn, but the want is stil stronger than the scare, så hopefuly some time down the road, i'l have saved up enough money to find a deacrnt enough one to import. I'm no stranger to restoration, but there is aparently alott more than meets the eye on the D's i had the impresion that they didn't rust at all, but I now se that that wil be my biggest consern. Theelectrical bits, and engien/trans issues don't realy bother me that mutch, because that's just mechanical bits, but rust is my acilies heal I can't weld good to save my life luckely we have a grate bodyshop at my place of work, and they realy know what they are doing
Idealy I would get one of DMC's new build's but that wil be to expencive I fear.

Wil be keeping an eye on this tread

[jawn101]

Really glad to hear the new plugs went such a long way for you man. Did you redo the dyno now that you have solid spark?

[DMCMW Dave]

I again gapped them at .040" since I have that powerful coil and no resistor. I love easy fixes!

Keep an eye on your cap and rotor over time. By doing this you have raised your spark voltage by quite a bit over what the resistor in the rotor and the gap in the cap/rotor were expected to handle by the OEM designer.

[vwdmc16]

Really glad to hear the new plugs went such a long way for you man. Did you redo the dyno now that you have solid spark?

No there is no way my old boss will let me use the Dyno again sadly.




Dave, that is a good point, the car and rotor will begin to wear more too. Ill get a new one to keep around on hand for the next time im in the valley.

[vwdmc16]

Havent updated in abit since the car has been behaving so well, really racking up the miles, (over 56,800 now) Probably hasnt driven this nicely and consistently since new! Mostly this is from the recent fuse box replacement and the spark plugs, Also this simple mod I did helps tremendously in traffic. As ive said before I hate the stock throttle set up and currently the only way I could get full throttle and full idle was after a LOT of adjusting, well at this "optimal" adjustment, the first 10% of throttle is very twitchy which is quite a pain in heavy traffic

As a test I merely added a small ziptie to the throttle max stop with the throttle cable going on the outside. This allows the cable to have more leverage on the throttle spool for the first 15% of throttle and making it less twitchy




However the zip tie only lasts two days before breaking so the permanent mod will need a metal roll pin to be installed, drill a hole as far out as I can without going too far and cracking the metal.




Now the throttle has a variable control to it. The lower throttle amounts require more pedal movement than the upper amounts, if that makes sense.




I have some other interesting projects coming up that will have to wait until coming events are over (or the car decides to stop behaving)
But still Im continuing with more cosmetic issues like the lower engine lid, Crack repairs and repaint

Grilles and retaining strips sandblasted and being painted, engine cover stripping:








Need to figure out how to reinforce the leading edge of the lid better than this brass stock/JB weld mess




Cracks

[jmpdmc]

Wolff,

About the brass/JB Weld mess: Email Josh at DPI since he sells a lower engine cover support strip for this area. You will need to ask him how it is secured too.



Jeff

[DavidProehl]

Nice work with the throttle. Glad to hear you are making progress and you continue to have a more and more reliable car every day. Keep the updates coming!

[jawn101]

Are you gonna keep those engine cover grilles silver, or is that just the prep phase?

[vwdmc16]

Nah that's just primer, I painted them SEM black again. Nothing flashy. On day I could go back and make it contrast.

Another note on those grilles I was thinking about just gluing them to the lid with windshield adhesive instead of reinstalling those heavy and clumsy retaining strips, Anything I can do to lighten the rear of the car and remove possible rattle makers.