RE: It's alive!

[Curt Dilday <cdilday@mail.win.org>]

>Very hesitating but getting more enthousiastic with every turn of the
>starting motor the engine started running! First a bit caughing and 
>stammeringbut after a minute it ran smooth and sounded like an awaken 
>princess afterbeing kissed by her prince. It's alive! (and KICKING)

I had a similar experience when I bought a 73 fastback for parts for $200.
It had been sitting outside in the weeds for about 3 years, unstarted. 
 Before that the PO told me he'd driven it about a hundred yards a day to 
the end of the mailbox.  It was pretty rusty, an obvious basket case, but 
it had an automatic and a fairly good interior, amongst other things.  On 
the truck home, the gas tank rotted through and dump gallons of varnish all 
over everything.  Shortly after Betty burned a valve on a road trip, her 
motor was tired, and I thought whatthehell, I'll give the other motor a 
shot and rebuild the original.  Man, this thing had no push-rod tube 
gaskets (yick) and when I took the tin off, I discovered that the fan had 
sucked all the insulation out of the fenders, and it was packed on top of 
the cylanders like a jello mold.  The oil cooler was totally blocked with 
crud.  Who know's how long they'd driven it like this!  Not to mention the 
wasp's nests, mouse droppings, etc. Cleaned it up (whew!), torqued 
everything down and slapped it in and damned if the thing didn't fire right 
up!  No leaks or anything.  After 4000 miles it's still going quite strong. 

Is it just me, or does it seem that the people who just don't care or have 
a clue about their VW's go the farthest?  "Yup, drove that thang furover 10 
years.  Dint change the oil or nuthin."


Curt
70 sb
75 Westy