0018 The list seems to get longer !

0018  The list seems to get longer !
11th April 2020.
There seems to be more to do with every day that passes !

Why isn't the list of things to do getting shorter ?  I don't understand - I keep getting things done each day, but by the end of the day, there are another bunch of new things to do !

Everything back on the engine

I have slowly been putting parts back on the engine, but it seems to take forever.  For instance I went to put the heat exchangers on the car so I could start to work out what I am going to do about an exhaust. These heat exchangers not only bolt to the rear exhaust manifold, but also to the metal ducting that directs the cooling air around the engine.  I had already fitted much of the ducting and had the multitude of screws not only tight but also loctited.  But it turns out that to fit the last few screws that connect to the heat exchangers, every other screw needs to be loosened so you can wiggle pieces around so all the screw holes line up properly !   That might be why the book says "Do not tighten all the trim screws until all are in place" !!   Lesson learned.  So it all took a couple of hours, but now all done !

Original parcel shelf, destroyed

The sloping rear window of the Fastback ensures that there is a lot of heat on the rear parcel shelf
from the sun. This had totally destroyed the fibreboard shelf liner, making it look as though it had caught fire, with the plastic covering totally destroyed, and the fibreboard was so brittle it was just crumbling whenever it was handled.  So a trip to Bunnings found some similar

Trial fit of new shelf

fibreboard, and once this was cut to shape with the jigsaw, I primed and painted it to ensure that it is as weather/sun proof as possible, and then I need to bend it slightly so it fits flush on the slightly concave shelf. Once bent, I will cover it with some fine felt or carpeting, so it will be less reflective than vinyl,

Rear shelf covered and bent

and will last for a while.  I have also bought a venetian blind for
the rear window from one of the Californian parts suppliers, which should minimise the effect of the sun through the sloping window in future, while also looking very "period" !

I also found a piece of board tucked away that I don't even remember taking off the car - It appears that it fits behind the upright back of the rear seat, and forms a barrier between the boot and the inside of the rear seat

Other board fits behind rear seat

back.  This board was previously covered in the crumbling horsehair insulation that was used elsewhere in the car, and due to all the moisture ingress, was smelling so bad.  It had to go.  So I used another piece of the board I had bought for the rear parcel shelf, cut it to suit, and then cut out some of the roll of modern cloth insulation that I got from my upholsterer.  I painted it with primer and a top coat to seal it from any future moisture effects, and after gluing on the cloth insulation, will fit it to the car as soon as it comes back from the painters.

Original destroyed plastic bushing

Next job was the gearshift rod.  When I got the car I only drove it about 100 metres in order to load it on the trailer to bring it home,
but even so I could tell the gear lever movement was excessive - It was like stirring a bowl of blancmange !  Recent inspection through an access hole in the transmission tunnel and research on the internet had shown that a plastic bushing that was crucial to correct operation of the gearchange has totally disintegrated, and that the gearshift rod, that runs from the gear stick to the gearbox, was floating around free in the tunnel.  So I had ordered the necessary parts, and yesterday was the day to start work - Yet another part of the car repair that I really didn't quite understand, but I had to do !

Rod comes out of hole in front of car

First of all I had to remove an inspection hole cover in the front firewall of the car, as well a small 3" diameter circle of body work low on the front bodywork.   With these two plates removed I was able to reach through the small hole where the gearstick fits, and gradually slide the gearshift rod forwards.  It is about 2 meters long, and soon appeared at the front of the car.  I then got under the car and continued to pull it forwards, eventually through the small round hole in the bodywork.  I had always wondered what that little plate was for on VW's !!  With the rod out, I was able to see what was left of the damaged bushing, and also to inspect the rubber-sleeved gearshift coupling down the back where the rod connects to the gearbox shaft itself - This too was totally oilsoaked and soggy, and would have contributed further to the sloppy gearchange. After 50 years, why should I be surprised ?

New plastic bushing

The rod itself was quite rusty, and this in itself would destroy the plastic bushing as the rod has to
slide through the bushing every time the gear shift is moved. And how tight is that bushing on the rod ?   Answer - VERY.  Before inserting the rod and bushing into the very restricted access hole I decided to measure everything up in a trial fit to see how it worked.  With the bushing on the shiny and lightly greased shaft, I took some measurements.  The size of the ring that the bushing is seated into was 26.03 mm, and at its widest point, the bushing was 28.11 mm.   Even the recessed slot in the bushing where the ringshould seat was 27.57 mm - How on earth was this going to fit, especially when the access hole to manoevre everything is

Rod & bushing ready to install

only tiny ?   Have I been sent the wrong size bushing ?  So it was back to You Tube and eventually I found a complete instruction video. Apparently you put the bushing into the guide ring, then feed the gear rod back into the car through the front access hole, until it is right up against the front of the plastic bushing. Making sure it is then well greased, and perfectly lined up against the bushing, you go to the front of the car and give the nose of the rod a firm push with your hand - And all being well, the nose of the rod will push through the plastic bushing, despite the diameters all seemingly being too small.  And guess what, it worked !! Then it was just a case of pushing the rod all the way through, fastening the gearshift housing (with new neoprene sleeves) onto the rear, ready to link it to the gearbox when it is refitted.  Before refitting the gearstick (which was all pitted and rusty), I sanded it back and painted it with a chrome-finish paint - It will look just fine.   And the movement of the gearstick after all this work ?  Absolutely magic - Tight and precise.  Job well done. 

When I turned the car around in order to work on the gear shift rod, I also fitted the brake pads to the front right hand hub - I had left these out on purpose when rebuilding the brakes, so I just needed to fit them.  Now all the brakes need is some brake fluid, and then bleed the brakes.

Rear seat looking good !

Front seats looking good !

The seats were in pretty bad condition when I got the car, with the filthy covers also brittle and cracking, and the
original coir (coconut husk fibre) padding was crumbling and smelly from mould, so they all needed replacing.  I was able to buy foam padding inserts (to replace the coir) as well as pre-formed seat covers in the same pattern as the original seats from a supplier in California.  Once these had arrived, I contacted Steve at SS Trimming and as soon as he had time, I took the seats over to him.   4 days later he called me to collect them - I now have shiny new seats ready to fit in the car.

Fitting up new dashboard

The original dashboard was in terrible condition - Split, cracked,

New dash

and falling apart.  New dashboards are available from USA, but they are all LHD units.  The only place where you can now get RHD units is in South Africa - Which is where mine came from.  It is moulded plastic, but has the original surface pattern so is very similar. Now was the time to fit it up - And it needed quite a lot of trimming and work - More than I expected.  In the end it took all day, and I had to use a hot air gun to try to shape some of the bends, and I had to put it on for trial fits and take it off again maybe 20 times in order to get it mostly right.  This was because there are about 18 screws which holding it in place, and these have to all be screwed in so that the correct fitment can be assured.  It isn't yet quite right, but when I do get it right, it is going to stay in place, and I need to get the car painted and the roof liner in place before I do that.   Also I had to work on some small clips that hold the chrome trim in place after the dash is finished, and these were all bent and mis-shapen - In fact 4 were missing.  I was able to order some from the USA, but I spent time cleaning the corrosion off and rebending the existing clips in order to re-use them where possible.  Still not sure about this dashboard - It is going to take quite a lot of work to get it to fit onto the metal base properly.  Fingers crossed, because with the dash painted and the dash in place, it really sets the inside of the car off well. 

Not much space under car

Last task this week was one of the messiest of the entire rebuild, and one I was planning on leaving till later so I could do it when the car was on a hoist, was to clean and paint the floor pan underneath.  But with these recent delays to getting the car painted meant I had no reason to keep putting this job off any

Rusty and dirty floor

longer.   So I raised one side of the car as high as I could to provide better access (it was only 18 inches !), got my wire brush on my drill, and started work.  Not easy because I have so little space under there to move, let alone handle the drill, but I slowly worked my way from back to front on the right hand side (I will do one half at a time).

Coat of paint looks great !

Luckily it really wasn't too bad under there, with only minor surface rusting in most cases, and it cleaned up fairly quickly.  In the guttering around the edges of the chassis are the bolts which fasten the body to the chassis, and in order to clean and paint this guttering I needed to remove all these bolts - There were eight

Body-to-chassis bolts all shiny

along the side of the car.  These all came out very easily, and I cleaned up the large washers and the bolts on the wire wheel, and was also able to clean up that guttering all round the car.  Before I put the bolts back in, I will squirt Fish Oil rust inhibiting aerosol through the bolt holes in order to provide some form of protection in the hidden channeling.

Eventually, after about 4 hours under the car, I was finished.....Well, the first half anyway.  So it was time to get the

Bit grubby under there !

paint out.  I use KBS Rust Seal, which is a single component high-solid content, rust preventive coating / rust paint / sealer. It is impervious to road salts and almost every chemical. RustSeal self levels out to a smooth rock-hard finish that resists chips and scratches, and is ideal for hidden or under chassis areas.  I have used it on the inside of all the mud guards, and it is similar to POR 15, but I find it easier to use.  As mentioned in earlier posts, once the can is open you need to decant the entire can into smaller jars because once exposed to the air, it very quickly solidifies.  Another disadvantage it that if it gets on your skin, and it dries (which it does quickly), you cannot get it off !  So gloves and long sleeves are required, and since I was going to be painting upwards, I needed to make sure I didn't drip any on my face !

Putting the paint on was a lot easier and quicker than wire brushing everything to clean it, and I soon had the first coat on, with none on my face !   My face was a bit grubbier after the wire brushung though !!     2nd coat of paint on tomorrow, and then I can start on the other side.  Hopefully the spray painters will soon be able to start on the car so I can keep it all moving towards completion !!

Next day I got the 2nd coat on, and after I turned the car around so I could access the other side more easily, I started on the other half, but this turned out to be quite a lot harder.  While it was still not too rusty or damaged, the surface rust was for some reason much heavier on this side of the car.  How could this be ?  Maybe the car was parked partly on agrassy area that caused moisture on one side only ?  Maybe the underneath of the car was just not prepared so well at the time of manufacture ?  Who knows ?  Another anomaly with Clementine that I will probablem never have the answer for.

Subframe reinforcement plate

This second side took me two days just to wire brush off all the rust and dirt, and to clean up all the body-retaining bolts.  I also treated a few small rust areas with acid to ensure they remain under control.   But eventually it was finished, cleaned with degreaser, and given two coats of the chassis paint. Only trouble

Plate all cleaned up & painted

was that the smart floor pan now makes everything else under he car look terrible !  I will do more once the car is back together and running, but the subframe reinforcement plate was right in the centre of the painted floor pan, and was VERY rusty and shabby looking.  I did a bit of research and reckoned nothing else would fall out if I removed it, and got the spanners out. 5 minutes later it was off, derusted, acidized, and painted black like the rest of the floor pan.   Much better. Time for a break now that the floor is finished!

Rest of the photos are here :-  https://photos.app.goo.gl/PfHMnechpz6nETki8