Replaced the hub oil seal with one of CSPs double lipped kits. Seemed to have stopped the leak. Stuck a bit of card underneath to see easier. Made this pile of wire and a load of heat shrink into a useable loom with all the extra wires i need. Few extra holes drilled in underside of dash for fog, spot and HRW switches. Loom pulled through into engine compartment. Joined in some 7 core cable for future towbar if i fancy one. Just coiled it up under the back seat for now. Regulator wired up. Just needs main wire from battery +ve. Need to find a bullet connector for the MGB rev counter. Fuel tank given some prettifiying. Painted the front plate too as it was missing the black before.
I made a bracket to hold extra relays for uprated headlight loom, spot and fog lights and klaxon horn but screwed up a little and forgot there was dashboard vent hose running through the location i fitted them in. Rebent the bracket the other way and it clears now. Made a couple of bits of loom up to replace the missing ones for the back lights. Whats the bet i find them lying in plain sight when i go in the garage next? Getting the wires inside the conduit was a royal PITA though.
Got the rest of the engine bay wiring done this afternoon and bolted on the engine lid rain catcher as i was sick of tripping over it. Realised it needs to come off again to fit the engine lid badge but that can wait until its colour sanded. Bolted a few more bits onto the dash too.
Mate I’ve just started mine 1970 also ,I’m a complete novice I’ve bought a front beam genuine one ,now I’m hoping to start stripping it down this weekend l’m worried about how the steering box & coloum fits to the beam & how difficult is it to do ?
Its a simple enough job to do. The workshop manual does a pretty good job of explaining it. Bentley manual is 100x better than the Haynes though 10x as expensive. The clamp has a couple of notches in it that corresponds with 2 bumps of weld on the beam where it sits. Aslong as they are on the beam its simple. Not sure what you do if they aren't there. The number 13 stamp should be next to the nub on the beam (closest to the RHS of the car). I fitted it the wrong way round (see piccy below) and it sat wrong on the beam.
Been slowly working my way through the wiring under the bonnet. About 95% of the way done now. I need to sort out the wiper motor as the correct one slowed down and stopped years ago and the replacement was the wrong one so kept popping fuses. I'll get my dad to look at it this weekend as i can't find anything wrong with it. Touched up the last few bits of paintwork today.
Made a start plugging in the new wires i've added to the loom. One or two wires still need making but i've run out of VW specific wiring colours so just having to use what i can find.
Wiper motor stripped, 1/2 a ton of old grease removed and the internals cleaned before a little bit of grease applied to the gears. Tried it out and it works on both speeds and parks too. Dug an old rear bumper out of my dads shed where its sat since the mid 90's. Expecting rusty chrome as it was a Brazilian bumper and has been lying in compost for nearly 2 decades but its actually OK. A couple of small rust spots and a few dents but it'll be useable with a little work.
Don't think i'm gonna get it done for Tatton in 6 1/2 weeks time. Just not enough time to do all the little bits that need doing. Maybe if i put a week or so solid in it then i could manage it but an afternoon here and there just isn't enough on my own.
That’s a shame it’s looking great but no point in cutting any corners just to get it finished cause you will only take it apart again to put it right if you do lol keep going you will have a great bug when done
Managed to get the main loom through its grommet into the underbonnet area. Still needs the grommet pushing into the hole and the loom pulling through another 4" as the wires don't quite reach the fusebox. Have nearly run out of spade terminals too. I though 100 would be enough. I also realised the thick red cable i used on the split charge relay on my bay was for between the fusebox and headlight switch.
Got the connectors on the wires on the main loom and started connecting up the speedo lights. Found out there one broken warning light for the main beam. Made a start wiring up the relay block for the uprated headlight loom, horns, fog and spot lights. Radio is ready to go in now aswell. Modern radio will go in the glovebox but i need an ISO loom plug first.
Got 99% of the wiring behind the dash done now. Just a couple of power wires to the relay to run and the live feed to the interior light and radio in the glovebox. Running the wires for the interior light is a job i don't want to do again, but its in now. Still don't have the dash top vents i need.
Got the last few wires needed under the bonnet cut to length today. Forgot about the brake light switch wiring to the master cylinder Still waiting on some new spade terminals to arrive before i can connect them up though. Haven't managed to find any 8mm steel pipe for the low pressure brake pipe from the reservoir to the MC. B&Q sell it on their website but none of the nearby stores stock it. I can't even buy it to pick up in store. The to do list is getting shorter and shorter though it doesn't look like its gonna be finished in time for Tatton (again ) in 6 weeks time. I'll probably be in my bay as it'll go in the for sale area.
Spent ages today running wires through conduits (or struggling to get wires through conduits). Looks a bit neater than when it came from the VW factory. Still needs a few wires finishing off and everything cable tied together.
Bug is officially not going to Tatton this year. Julianne had put a note on the booking saying 'check it's been built'. Theres always next year. Been playing with the wiring around the voltage regulator under the back seat. HRW relay and hot start relay will live under there plus theres a coil of 7 core trailer wire incase i ever find a cheap towbar. 35C in the garage today with all the doors open.
Received couple of dash vents in the post today so fitted them and the dusting behind the dash. Managed to get the earth wire to run where it should from the heated rear window too.