Restoration Project: '68 VW Beetle (o\ _!_ /o)

[Xulfiqar]

remove spindle and shock, rotate each arm, they should move quite springy, If the shocks were laid flat - you need to work them so they actually bleed themselves, If they dont come back to life, they are bad - you can get them rebuilt at a proper shock refurb place, There is one at Saeed Manzil, but firstly make sure the springs are working.

[nmshaikh]

remove spindle and shock, rotate each arm, they should move quite springy, If the shocks were laid flat - you need to work them so they actually bleed themselves, If they dont come back to life, they are bad - you can get them rebuilt at a proper shock refurb place, There is one at Saeed Manzil, but firstly make sure the springs are working.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record I'd still repeat....Drive her..in whatever shape or condition ..drive her! A lot of things are going to work themselves out and another lot of things that need to be attended to would be noticed. The car has been parked for a heck of a long time so give her some time. let the Karachi potholes take care of the hard suspension for a few days. I don't think the beam has been pumped with grease. You may want to do that after driving for a day or two.

[Xulfiqar]

^^ only someone down and dirty with aircooled VWs knows that driving the machine resolves more than half problems, the rest are very slightly fiddly and the last are cosmetics.

but any machine made by volkswagenwerke is a driving machine, if you try to baby it or make it a standing queen - best dump the car.

[murtaza_murti]

remove spindle and shock, rotate each arm, they should move quite springy, If the shocks were laid flat - you need to work them so they actually bleed themselves, If they dont come back to life, they are bad - you can get them rebuilt at a proper shock refurb place, There is one at Saeed Manzil, but firstly make sure the springs are working.

Will give that a try for sure.

The shocks are brand new. All four of them.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record I'd still repeat....Drive her..in whatever shape or condition ..drive her! A lot of things are going to work themselves out and another lot of things that need to be attended to would be noticed. The car has been parked for a heck of a long time so give her some time. let the Karachi potholes take care of the hard suspension for a few days. I don't think the beam has been pumped with grease. You may want to do that after driving for a day or two.

I agreed with you, that's what I told the mechanic. Once it'll run I can get idea on all the mechanical related things. I'll definitely do that once I get it.

It will be used everything day then, it's going to become a daily driver

^^ only someone down and dirty with aircooled VWs knows that driving the machine resolves more than half problems, the rest are very slightly fiddly and the last are cosmetics.

but any machine made by volkswagenwerke is a driving machine, if you try to baby it or make it a standing queen - best dump the car.

Function over fashion, anyday!

Like I have mentioned. I'll be using it everyday once I get it back. Maintenance would be on top all the time.

[murtaza_murti]

Updates: 16-6-2012

As Blue was parked, overtime it received some dings and dents here and there. The painter was busy doing the patch work on the exterior today.

Paint is to go on by next week, HOPEFULLY.

BTW guys, after seeing @lazeez's beautiful Beetle last Sunday I am having second thoughts on whether to get a matte or clear-coat finish.

Suggestions please!

[murtaza_murti]

The front shock towers seem fine in this picture but there are no signs the beam has been greased. Can you confirm if the mechanic pumped grease into all four points on the beam till the grease oozed out from the sides?

The boot on the ball joint is shot

He said he did, last time I checked they were greased.

He applied it using his hands not a pump tube or a grease gun.

Yes, the boot is missing. Brazilian ones are out of stock. Do you have a complete set in stock?

[Xulfiqar]

did you get it sorted, the arms need to be tightened in a proper angle otherwise you lose the spring working in either too soft or too hard.

If you say the shocks are new they should take about a few weeks of driving to bleed themselves.

[murtaza_murti]

did you get it sorted, the arms need to be tightened in a proper angle otherwise you lose the spring working in either too soft or too hard.

If you say the shocks are new they should take about a few weeks of driving to bleed themselves.

Not yet, what would be the proper angle for the arms to be set at?

Yes, they are new for sure. I hope they do after driving it.

[NashTrooper]

Go for matte finish to get something different...

[nmshaikh]

He said he did, last time I checked they were greased.

He applied it using his hands not a pump tube or a grease gun.

Yes, the boot is missing. Brazilian ones are out of stock. Do you have a complete set in stock?

How in the world can someone grease the beam with his hands??????

There! I pulled some more hair out!

Get some local rubber boots to replace the torn boots. Something is better than nothing. By the time the brazilian ones arrive your ball joints are going to be trash

[reezvaan]

This post was flagged by the community and is temporarily hidden.

[NashTrooper]

How in the world can someone grease the beam with his hands??????

There! I pulled some more hair out!

Everything is possible in Khi especially at Uncle Fedrick's workshop...
GOD bless BLUE!!!

[reezvaan]

This post was flagged by the community and is temporarily hidden.

[Xulfiqar]

You seemed to have forgotten that there are grub screw indents in the torsion leaves to properly adjust/tighten the torsion arms over the leaves. Unless the mechanic is a 'total mo*on' to find those grub screw indents on the torsion leaves, it doesn't seem possible.

that was my concern... too much diesel in my head

[Xulfiqar]

He applied it using his hands not a pump tube or a grease gun.

microscopic hands??? the grease is to be pumped in the whole tube, it takes quite some pumps..

[lazeez]

microscopic hands??? the grease is to be pumped in the whole tube, it takes quite some pumps..

They dont fill the whole tube with grease. Only the arms and leaf springs are greased. They have their reasons.

[nmshaikh]

They dont fill the whole tube with grease. Only the arms and leaf springs are greased. They have their reasons.

Oh yeah? and what might that reason be that, obviously, Volkswagen overlooked?

[lazeez]

and what might that reason be that,

"jiss part par lubrication karni hai bas ussi part par laganay ki zaroorat hai grease. poora grease se bharna tau zaya hai."

[nmshaikh]

"jiss part par lubrication karni hai bas ussi part par laganay ki zaroorat hai grease. poora grease se bharna tau zaya hai."

oh of course... how silly of the rest of us considering we could have saved enuff to buy another VW

[reezvaan]

This post was flagged by the community and is temporarily hidden.