05/06/2011

Still waiting for leather and carpets so turned my attention to the wind up window ^ I had been putting this one off as it looked very fidly and difficult. As you can see below the 'bits' involved don't look easy to fit in the door.

I was right.. very fidly and complicated getting the window to wind up and down freely and parallel to the door as well as in line with the Windscreen pillar. Still it's done now along with fitting the inner door handle as well, I noticed the side windows are stamped with the part number 'Porsche 356A 1956 -1965', original windows !

19/06/2011

Still waiting for upholstery and carpets, but Chesil inform me the problems with his supplier's have now been resolved and my seats, leather goodies, hood and carpets should be with me in the next weeks. Meanwhile I noticed a slight oil leak at the nearside rear axle hub.. stripping down the assembly I soon became apparent I had damaged the oil seal when assembling, I had a spare so all fixed in about an hour. The job has been made easier as I had previously bought the 'Mr Torque' tool which multiply's the torque required to do up the axle nut which needs to be 217 ft lb !!. While under the back I also fitted the cables for the heater control flaps on the heat exchanger and the corresponding levers either side of the handbrake.

I also decided to sort out a reversing light / switch. The beetle never had either a switch or light ..but the later beetles, (after 1968) had the provision in the gearbox to accommodate a switch. There is a 'blanking' plug in the end of the nose cone, but as you might guess,with the gearbox in place it is a pain to get at, but with a little patience I got the blanking plug out and fitted a switch specifically made for the beetle type 1 gearbox, result.