OMG what have I become.

So ever since I have owned the car I have HATED the under seal all over my engine bay and general state of it under there.

So tonight I thought I would do a little test area with some pvc cleaning solvent.

I confess I polished with autoglym my first ever chassis leg. Ooo in feel dirty

Anyhow only took about 2 hours to get from before to after pictures. See in order below.

Lots to do but if I can get the worst of then I will be happy to plod with the rest.



No show piece but good enough for me. I quite like the honest look of it. One day engine out and do the detail but if I can get the scuttle, other wing, reachable parts of the bulk head and key engine components then I shall be happy. Besides I love being cold and dirty in the garage for my winter nights when they come. ?


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Wow looks a lot better.

This will make you sick though, just yesterday I actually waxoil'd my chassic legs and suspension turrets

WATERNAIR said

Wow looks a lot better.

This will make you sick though, just yesterday I actually waxoil'd my chassic legs and suspension turrets

Haha. So in about 3 years you too can get high of solvent fumes doing what I am doing now. Must say the wax oil has protected it but with so few miles covered now and garage stored I can keep on top of the engine bay.

I am not doing the underside of the car though. That can stay waxy and dirty.


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AH the joys of a pressure washer and WD-40 on a rag.

How I clean my Mk1 | Volkswagen Owners Club Forum

I also have found a neat trick….

Take your favorite spray on protectorant not armour-all  but I use the Simonize stuff or 303 aerospace protectorant….

Find a good spray bottle fine mist.

Shake the protectorant well.  
Pour 1/2 the bottle in to the empty sprayer.
Fill the remainder of the bottle with distilled water….Cap it and shake the heck out of it.

Now spray the entire engine bay Engine, hoses, fenders you name it…. Battery all the stuff under the hood.

Close the hood, and wait overnight.  Open the bay and be amazed….

I'd get those front suspension top mounts changed while you're there. They look pretty shot.

I'll second Briano's comment on the Aerospace303 protectant. Great stuff for the engine bay.

Pistol said

I'd get those front suspension top mounts changed while you're there. They look pretty shot.

I'll second Briano's comment on the Aerospace303 protectant. Great stuff for the engine bay.

Christ! Just went back up for a look

Pistol
I'd get those front suspension top mounts changed while you're there. They look pretty shot.

I'll second Briano's comment on the Aerospace303 protectant. Great stuff for the engine bay.

1985
Christ! Just went back up for a look

I wouldn't say shot, I would say long deceased…I have replaced ones that looked far better for the same reason they were bad. I am surprised that you don't have some 3 inch circular dents in your bonnet right above the mounts.

Here is a couple of tips for your new ones.
Tack Weld the Studs to the mount as I have had new ones spin free as I was tightening them.

3m Window Weld on the gap at the bottom makes them last a wee bit longer, you have to fill the gap and let it cure for about a week or 2 before installing them.

Well went out for an hour to attack the other side and found a rusty but not rotten battery tray. Kept the fuel lines attached as I don’t have spare copper washers may need to move the car hence will fight the metering head for a couple of hours each night.

Now in the process of rubbing back the tray ready for some phosphoric acid then some paint. Rusty bits on the inner are are nothing has wiped away and can be easily treated and painted over.

Only wanted to clean it now doing bodywork. I hate body work it is so boring doing the prep but will be worth it. Wish I owned a dremel right now.




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Now about those top mounts. Funnily enough I had the same comments on Instagram from a friend also.

The reason I started doing this is that I am waiting for a nut splitter to attack the bottom bolts on the front struts they are totally gone. Corroded, rounded and seized. I get all the luck.

But as I do when I have to abandon one task I take a look at the next. This was the rocker cover gasket. While off I decided to send it for powder coating. 2 weeks that will be. So now I have a stuck car in need of bottom bolts on the shocks, a rocker cover and I’m stuck.  

So decided to test how hard the wax oil will be to remove and here I am. Getting dirty and high on fumes.

However as I come full circle and paint the battery tray and protect it from more corrosion.  Clean up the easy to reach waxoil parts. Replace the rocker cover and cam cover back on. Clean all the pipes and bits I have taken off along the way and eventually remove the front struts to get rid of the corroded and stuck coil overs for the original set up I will in the end replace the top strut mounts.

Still awake and with me. Because next will be the rear suspension. I hope to Christ is comes of easy or with this run of luck I will be removing the fuel tank and fitting a new rear beam.




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You might want to invest in a Cheap Sawzall for the rear strut lower mounting bolts they get rust welded in to the strut bushing and you can't get them out.  Take it from someone who has been fighting them since 1984.

Once you get them out, by cutting with a torch, sawzall or a hand held hacksaw blade (done that the first time).

Replace them with grade 10 or 8 bolts.  The bolts need to be wrapped from head to thread with Teflon tape, then slathered with never-seize… in 5-10 years from now, they will come out just like you put them in all those years ago.

How I change rear shocks.
How I change my rear shocks. - Topless Rabbit Forums

I would be worried about taking the fronts out that the mount isn't bad enough to be a health hazard as that spring has enough force to KILL YOU.

How I change my mounts out:
Replacing Front Struts, and Mounts | Volkswagen Owners Club Forum

I even show you what I think a bad mount looks like.
there are 2 ways to do it, by removing the Camber bolts as you are, or…. Save the alignment

Remove the lower pinch bolt on the Lower control arm ball joint and Pry the Ball joint out of the spindle… All you have to do is to separate the tierods from the spindle and hang the Brake bits on a wire after removing the caliper….. Way easier, and you don't break the alignment.

Should be safe with the struts when jacked up the springs are loose as the platforms have been wound so low.

Will fit spring compressors anyhow just to be on the safe side.

To be honest the awkward sanding of the battery tray is most likely to kill me off first. Did I say I hate body work already. I hate it. I would rather be shot with a top mount any day.

Thanks for the tip on the rears. I am heading into overhaul territory here. The simple job of an evenings suspension swap over has turned into;

Order a nut splitter to split seized nuts £10
Order new nuts and bolts £20
Now ordering top strut mounts £30
Remove cam cover because I had time
Some more money at the powder coaters £20
Get over excited and clean waxoil FREE
Now sanding a battery tray PAINFUL
But some gloss black paint and primer as mine are almost empty £15

I love these simple jobs. When will I learn to just leave things alone and do one job at a time.

So far I’m about £200 in the whole on the free suspension swap over (including a spare rear beam powder coat, shhhh don’t tell the wife). So I am guessing another £50 won’t hurt as I travel along this latest adventure.


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