ANOTHER VW Bus

[kombi1976]

First off, great video Sith kombi!!!!!!!!!!! Great you have good mates to help you.

Yeah, Ash, the guy who edited this was really good.
He's just scored a contract to project manage something for Sony BMG here in Oz.
And Thady, my work mate, has just started working at our school and is a top guy.
He bought a Subaru Impreza WRX (All Wheel Drive 2.5l turbo) over the hols so it's cool having the other music teacher being a young guy into cars.
The last fella, Chris, who helped me push it into the yard, is up for most things, helped move the Country Buggys when I brought them home, and is also into hunting.
So the cast and crew were a top bunch.

Aren't those new digital camers great? I've got a Cannon powrershot that takes super pictures and not too bad of video.

The Nikon is freakin amazing for the price.
It comes with a lead that will link the camera straight to the TV and the picture quality is astounding.
I just need to work out how to minimise wind noise.

That sheep rancher looks to be quite a character!. A really good bloke. A sheep carrier, great, hope there's not to any "pellets" OR pig poo left in the baaaaaack :D

Mike is a real individual.
When I met him and shook his hand it was momentary as he was moving at a pace and concentrating on something else.
I think the interview with him was the first time I've seen him stand still!

Ah bloody 'ell, stupid grinder, buggah!! I've used a fence post to tie to, to pull a car off a trailer before, but never a telegraph pole.

Well, needs must and there were no fence posts around but the telegraph pole was perfect.

It's amazing that the tyres held air at all. After setting that long you'd think they'd be rotten. I'll bet they'll be just a pleasure to get off the rims. They are tubeless aren't they?

That has to be the most freakish part of the entire thing.
I don't don't know what they have inside them, although I suspect it was run on the cheap so most were fixed with inner tubes at some point.
But the one that held 28psi was the most chewed up old retread you've ever seen!
Between being flat and the rim weighing down on it, the simple deterioration of moisture and exposure to the sun and the poor quality of it in the first place it's a miracle it worked at all.

I got a kick out of the munchkins yelling "It's another kombi, another kombi!!! They sound pretty excited.

I did tell you.....they LOVE Kombis.

Great job Andy. I'll have to crack open a Blue Moon wheat ale to help you celebrate.  What kind of beer was that you were having?

I'm pretty sure it was Coopers Sparkling Ale.

Oh by the by, keep your hat on. Wouldn't want you to get your topknot sun burned :o.  :D

And now you know why I need a big hat to wear. :undecided:

[recoil junky]

You'll never see me without some sort of cover either. If you do, I'm either indoors or changing "covers".

                         :grin:

I'm glad the tykes are into kombis as well. Gives  them lots of opportuinty to learn and bonus time with the old man. Seems to me I've seen pictures of your missus rendering aide as well. Good show mate!

RJ

[kombi1976]

You'll never see me without some sort of cover either. If you do, I'm either indoors or changing "covers".

                         :grin:

I've got a few too but the cowboy hat is the most practical.
Sometimes people say "Did you leave your horse outside?" or "It's not that sunny....aren't you going over the top?"
And I reply "You have hair - I don't, so I'll wear any hat I like to make sure I don't need a life membership at the skin cancer clinic when I'm 50."
There's no lack of people willing to make jokes at my expense for being bald but that tends to shut them up.

I'm glad the tykes are into kombis as well. Gives  them lots of opportuinty to learn and bonus time with the old man.

The boys love Kombis.
That's why we bought them the '70 Bus in the backyard to be a playhouse.
It'll go back on the road eventually in time for Bryn, our 5 yr old, to drive.
That give me about 10 yrs or so to do it and the '55 although the '70 should be tons easier.
Much less rust, all the panels, simple drive train.
Actually we'll lower it a bit but I want it to stay pretty ratty.

Seems to me I've seen pictures of your missus rendering aide as well. Good show mate!

She sure does.
She was laying under the '67 helping me fix the starter motor when she was 10 weeks pregnant! :D
Actually, she deserves the credit for finding the '55.
She was doing some chores around town and 2 guys wandered up to admire the Panel.....there usually is a couple guys everywhere like that.
And one says to the other "Hey, Mike's got one of these on his farm, hasn't he? You should go and check it out."
So she asked a few questions round town and worked out where it was.
As a result we made the fateful journey to find it!

Y'know how everything seems good and then you find out you have to spend money again?
Well, we drove down to a show today and the car was running rough at times, particularly in the 2000rpm to 2700rpm rev range, which is unfortunate as this is where it does a lot of its work.
It has been throwing a lot of oil around the engine bay and we thought a good breather box would stop it pushing oil out onto the fan belt pulley.
It hasn't, in fact it's dropping more if possible.
I spoke with Steve Muller, the fellow who restored the car, at the show today.
When he found out it made no difference he said I've probably cracked a compression ring and the blow-by (for want of a better term) is pushing the pressure up in the case and pushing oil out.
It must've been cracked for a while and is probably safe enough to drive on a little longer but the missus is due in about 4 weeks and we NEED a reliable car to drive up until she gives birth and when the new baby comes home.
So the motor will have to be pulled and, if it is the ring, all four cylinders will get new barrels, pistons and rings (thank goodness you don't have to strip them like a water cooled motor!).
I'll go up a size from 85.5mm pistons to 87mm as they don't require extra machining.
That increases the capacity from 1584cc to 1641cc and should see some more power, not the mention stop it dropping oil and recover the loss of power we are currently suffering.
On top of that the gearbox needs reconditioning as reverse has had it and if the motor has to come out and be done the gearbox may as well be done at the same time.
It'll be nice not to have to clean up the engine bay all the time and to be able to back up a slope without holding the gearstick in reverse. :undecided:

[recoil junky]

Andy, while I'm not bald, my hair on top is very thin!! :D

My missus tends to stay away when I'm in my shop, but she does come out and render aide if I go in and get her. My latest trick was to call the "house" phone from my cell. That really got her attention because she thought I was hurt and couldn't make it to the house.

Note to self: DO NOT call the house from the shop on personal cell phone. Wife gets very upset. Does not remotely think above circumstances are the least bit funny.

Oooh bugger, a cracked ring can cause a lot of havoc in a V or inline engine and I can only surmise what it would cause in a boxer engine. Blow by is indeed the correct term at least to a Yank. The usual cause in my proffesion is somebody being over zealous with the ether during a cold weather start (diesel engine) and the piece of equipment didn't get the engine heater plugged in.

I have seen a few compression rings that lost their "spring" and collapsed, leaving the same results. :undecided: Oil consumption goes way up and usually that hole goes pretty much dead. A guy can give  the dead hole a bit of life by putting in the next step (or 2) hotter plug. It will help by not fouling so fast and help burn the extra oil getting into that cylinder. While it won't cure the problem you might get some of the power back and it should run better in the RPM range you were descibing.

RJ

[kombi1976]

Gee, now why would your missus be unhappy when you faked an emergency?
 Can't work it out myself? :undecided:  :D

I'm convinced there's a lot more power to be got from that motor when it's fixed.
It was a second hand motor and although it had only done 20.000km when I picked it up it sat for about 6 years and there's every chance some condensation got into the bores.
It didn't drop oil to begin with but it was after one particularly big rev overtaking a semi down a hill that it began to drop oil.
That was probably when it started having problems.
It tends to be worst when it's cold and maybe it seals better when the motor warms up.
When we get the extra 57cc and full power from all cylinders it should spin like a top and really be much better.
I spoke to the mechanic today and I'll leave it in Sydney on Sunday 24th after the Show & Shine of the VW Nationals.
He's lending me a dual cab VW Transporter Pickup while it gets fixed.
I'd like it earlier as Catriona is due the week following the Nationals and he's going to call me if it can happen earlier but I'm not holding my breath.
There are other cars that need finishing for the Nationals and mine can still limp it in, grubby and oily as it is.

[recoil junky]

Butbutbut, I didn't do it to "fake an emergency", she just took it that way.    

I've seen engines let go in a similar manner. I've gotten so I won't try to pass any body with the '93 Buick. It's got 255k miles on it and I don't want to tempt fate. It still doesn't burn much oil. I think it leaks more than it burns, about a quart every oil change.

The Subie engine smokes a bit after it sets for a day or two. I attribute that to having 150k on it. The father-in-law said it's done that for several years, but that the Subie mechanic they took it to said "no worries". It still has good compression and doesn't even use a 1/2 qt. of oil between changes. Must be a boxer engine thing after they get a few miles on them. I use 20W50 oil in it in the summer and switch back to 10W30 in the winter. Seems to help on the smoking a bit. No plug fouling as yet.
 

I'm sure you'll let us know on the progress of both the engine and the new babe.


RJ

[gitano]

Great video! Look forward to the sequels.
 
Paul

[kombi1976]

Thanks, Paul.
When the motor on my '67 Panel is fixed and I can finally properly degrease the engine bay as well I'll take some footage of it and make up a vid.
That way you can see what I drive everyday.

[22hornet]

G reat footage Kombi!
 
Its amazing what a snatch strap and abit of grunt can do!
 
I think your kids were more excited than you to get another kombi in the yard.
 
 
  (For your kids)

[kombi1976]

They really do like Kombis.
Now you know where my username comes from.