Cheap Corner
| CC STUDY CASE 2: DEC. 2009 |
AT LEAST SOME PROGRESS:
Checking everything, it became clear, that after so many years of inactivity, poor Karmann will need a lot more than a quick wash a polish to make it streetworthy. Due to a lot of other projects constantly demanding the master’s attention, it got sidelined for more than a year. Only some quiet free days around Christmas served as a restart for the project. While already some people asked to buy it, this cannot be done before driving the thing for some time. First things first, - and so the brakes became a must. As the foundation owned a 1965 bahama blue VW Beetle some years ago, a rummage in the library produced some suitable literature: “How to keep your Volkswagen alive, a manual of step by step procedures for the compleate idiot.” Done by John Muir at the end of the sixties, it’s an amusing read and extremely valuable.
THE BRAKES:
Armed with knowledge and a will to survive, the front brakes were attacked first. Easy. Then the rear items came in for dismantling.
Only with the help of a two meter “cheater tube” (as the Americans would say) the castellated retaining nut gave way to expose a view like from the engine bay of the Titanic, - after some years on the bottom of the sea. Lots of dust and massive corrosion. Except the anchor plates all items will probably need renewing.
NEW PARTS:
Already some time ago, brake parts have been ordered (and received) from CSP (Custom and Speed Parts, - www.csp.de) of Germany. As a local (Austrian) supplier Peter Christ (0043 1 9827423) can be recommended. In the end more than these parts will be needed.
FURTHER PROMLEM AREAS:
Looking underneath it became clear that more beauty operations will be needed. The heat exchangers are thoroughly shot. To keep costs down a used but perfect pair together with a nearly new rear silencer from a 1500 motor kicking about in the stores, will be used to keep costs down.
Remember, please, - this is the cheap corner. Some vertical play around the king pins should also be investigated.
MORAL BOOST:
To keep spirits up a set of wheels from the old bug will be used.
Michelin XZX 145 front and 165 rear together with Carrera spacers were still waiting in the stores to see daylight. A classic Nardi steering wheel (also from way back when) replaced the awful white plastic original.
EUR 60,- were spent on a Machine 7 shifter. Doors were adjusted for perfect fit.
COUNTING COSTS (DEC. 2009)
- 1000,- purchase price
- 100,- collection costs
- 12,- cleaning materials
- 523,- brake parts CSP
- 60,- Hurst style shifter
EUR 1695,- total
NEXT STEPS:
Buy a 6V battery, fix the carb, get the engine running, sort the ignition lock, complete the brakes.
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