1974 VW Beetle - Cal, Rat 356 racer mashup

So my Golf sold pretty quickly to a guy in Glasgow and was shipped up there. My kids were distraught but you know, they'll get over it.
I'd seen this Beetle on Facebook a few weeks ago whilst searching and it was the best one I'd seen but out of budget.






It had new pans and looked pretty solid. It had lots of bits I would have done if I'd have bought a stock bug such as early wings and boot lid, porsche seats etc.
It was a non runner but the engine had a recent upgrade and rebuild to 1600 but needed the supplied 1600 carb rebuilding.
The seller had lost storage and had another big project on so was wanted rid. I contacted him at the right time as he had been messed around as Facebook buyers like to do so a great deal as struck and it made its way up to Northampton filled with boxes of spare parts.

I'm self employed as a Carpenter and have 2 children, 5 and 2. My wife is able to work as essential staff so I'm on stay at home dad duty. This means if I plan the day well I can get 2 hours spannering a day when my son has his nap.

So to the non running bug. The engine looked very clean and new so supported the idea it had been recently rebuilt and upgraded. It had had been running twins but the po had put a single 1300 carb on which had a stuck float.



In the spares was a very new looking 1600 carb which I rebuilt and after checking plugs and oil whacked on and tried to start.
Nope not happening.
Fuel pipe off and span over to find it was dry as a bone, despite fuel in the tank and a new looking pump.
I took off the pump as it was the rebuildable type




But unfortunately this will not be getting rebuilt as a chunk of the plunger was rattling around inside and fell out snapped.
Armed with 60% off at GSF I ordered a new pump which ended up being the wrong type (for a dynamo engine, not alternator)
I took it back and they gave me a better quality one with trade discount for cheaper than the stock one was, bonus.

This was swiftly fitted and I had it running for a few minutes but the inlet manifold rubbers are toast so I have had to order some which has halted play for now.

I like the plan to work whilst the youngest is asleep. With the light mornings and nights I find a very early start can get you an hour or a post bedtime start another hour.

I thought I'd make a start today by trying to remove the inlet manifold rubbers that were leaking.
I've been reading lots of things on how hard it is so wasn't really looking forward to it.
Being a twin port the manifold is in 3 parts which fit into each other and are sealed with rubber boots.
To remove them I had to contort my meaty hands to unbolt the left hand section from the head. Then the centre section and heat risers to give enough space to slide everything over.



This is the left hand one which was largely intact but starting to crack.



The right hand one was totally destroyed and had been poorly bodged with a load of silicone which had seaped into the manifold too








The rubbers are £3 each so I don't know why you would even bother




Just waiting for my new ones to arrive now and we can get it back together and running.

Yes all the tinware is new, just took it out to get to the riser bolts

Cheers, fuel lines are all brand new so they will do me for now to get it up and running (got enough bits to be buying)

The carb supplied is an Empi not a Solex so the inlet is a barbed screw in rather than a push fit.
I've heard Empi is pretty curse word quality now a days but the carb looked good when I rebuilt it and it was free so I will have to see.

Shame it needed paint as it has/had a cool look to it.

And that leads me on to today. It started good with a visit from the postman and lots of bits I've ordered.




Set to work fitting the manifold rubbers and rocker gaskets but a flat battery ended my plans of a steady idle.

356 style headlight grills fitted (only £10) for the moral boost.




So I thought I'd get the bonnet fitted




And Mike was correct, despite being a 74 it has early wings, front panel etc so it also needs a long bonnet. After much swearing and procrastinating I thought I'd give fixing my damaged bonnet a go.




Hammer and dolley and its actually pretty mint. Will need a tiny skim of filler tomorrow but actually pretty chuffed.

The backdating doesn't end there tho as the side trim holes have been enlarged meaning the thin trim and clips that I've bought also won't fit. Oh well.

Being my 1st beetle it's been difficult to spot the pre '67 bits (of which there are lots) which has led to a lot of wrong orders.
It makes my beetle even more of a bargain really as all the bits aren't cheap. Currently going through the boxes of stuff that came with it and sorting out what can be sold on and what I have missing.