Date: Fri, 13 Dec 1996 11:07:13 -0500
From: Gregory M. Merritt <gregm@ENGIN.UMICH.EDU>
Subject: 1958 VW junkyard rescue! (1)
Hi all,
the title is misleading; you probably thought I meant that a 1958
Beetle was just saved from the scrapper.
Rather, this is the story of a 1947 VW that was *rescued*from*the*
*scrapper* in 1958! I was reading some old auto magazines the other day
and came across this hilarious article from the October 1959 issue of Sports
Cars Illustrated magazine. I think it speaks to all of us even after all
these years. I can't resist sharing it, so I'm going to send it here in
installments (it gets even better as it goes on). Here's the first.
-----------------------------------------------------------
"VW the Hard Way," by Henning B. Deiter
Does your car start at the press of a button? Did you obtain
your last inspection sticker without physical exertion, mental anguish or
bribery? Will a qualified mechanic service your engine without loud
guffaws? Did your dream car cost you half the price of a comfortable
home? If the answer to any of the above questions is "yes", then you are
not an auto-sport but just another motorist. A speed boat driver is not
a yachtsman, nor should motorists be confused with car sports. The word
"sport" connotes gambling, self participation, physical exertion,
adventure, skill, prowess, ingenuity, and amusement. If your driving
lacks these essentials and you simply use your automobile to drive from
one place to another with monotonous regularity, you may consider
yourself only a motorist, and an amateur at that.
Perhaps deep reflection on the psychology behind the above
paragraph may indicate why the writer was unable to say "no" when faced
with the not altogether lucrative opportunity to purchase a badly
battered 1947 Volkswagen at a local junk yard.
Actually I have wanted a beetle for years and years, ever since
missing my first opportunity to buy one at an Army Exchange surplus sale
in Frankfurt am Main in the self-same 1947. "Over 300 Used Volkswagens
for Sale" read the ad in the "Stars and Stripes". "Priced from $250 to
$350, First Come First Served. Sale Starts at 0800 Monday Morning".
Since I was very cunning in those days and knew a bargain when it came
along, I drove my army surplus amphibious jeep with the bow and stern cut
off to Frankfurt from Wiesbaden Sunday night to be sure to be among the
first in line. It didn't work. The parking lot in front of the Army
Exhange warehouse was a veritable hobo jungle of Quartermaster Corps
Commandos who had been bivouacked there since Friday night, all carefully
guarding each other's place in line, three hundred and fifty strong, and
well provisioned with cash. I made a point of looking over the
automobiles carefully before deciding that they weren't worth the money
after all. In the next twelve years I waited patiently for the world to
wise up and the price to come down. It finally happened. I purchased
the beetle of my dreams about a year ago for the reasonable price of $240
cash.
Only a fool would buy a car that doesn't run, so I insisted on a
demonstration. It was explained that the battery was dead, and that the
clutch was slightly out of adjustment. But the car had obviously been
run in the recent past because it still had current license plates from
the state of Maine, as well as a U.S. Army in Europe registration
document. I accepted mine host's kind offer to push the car for a
demonstration before I realized that he meant to push it with another
car, rather than by hand, and by then it was too late. He was right
behind me in a veteran Austin Sedan, and like the lady in the now ancient
joke, trying desperately to get me going about 35 miles per hour, or
let's see, 5/8 mile equals 1 km, so 1 mile equals 8/5 km, therefore 35
miles is 8/5 times 35 or 56 km per hour if you prefer. By this time the
engine was running, but the rear bumper had become disengaged at one end
and was dragging on the ground. It might be mentioned for the
uninitiated that the bumpers we see on European automobiles are not
generally used for bumping in the American sense, but are more in the
nature of trim or ornament. In the case of the VW they are simply bolted
to the inside of the fender, since that is the most economical place to
bolt them. After shrewdly calculating that the bumpers were not an
essential part of the running gear, and could easily be removed, I
refused to be diverted by this apparent catastrophe, or the secondary
failure which had occurred in the attached fendres, trunk lid (or rather
engine cover, hood, or bonnet, sinche the engine is in the trunk) and
stop lights. I concentrated intently on the sound of the engine in order
to determine if there were any burned out bearings. I detected only a
smooth whirring sound resembling an eggbeater or a sewing machine.
Having decided that the engine was in excellent condition, I paid the man
his stipend and scampered merrily on my way. Since I was already the
owner of a 1951 Borgward Hansa, the idea bagan taking shape in my mind
that I would become a collector of fine, imoported, antique German
automobiles.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: 1958 VW junkyard rescue! (2)
Here's the next installment of the story of a 1947 VW that was
"restored" in 1958, as told by Henning B. Dieter in the October 1959
Sports Cars Illustrated. Enjoy; more to come!
-Greg
'71 squareback
'63 Beetle
--------------------------------------------------------
It soon became obvious that a few minor adjustments would have
to be made before the people's car would be quite up to what may be
called American people's standards. The first obvious trouble was in
the braking system, or rather the lack of it. Since the clutch would
disengage only with great difficulty, it was impractical to stop the car
with the usual expedient of shifting into low gear, or when necessary,
reverse. And since the motor wouldn't start with a dead battery it was
impractical to stop the car by cutting the ignition, so the brakes had
to be fixed. A spot check under the car with the aid of a dental mirror
revealed that the brakes were mechanical and not hydraulic. They were
therefore within the operating range of a do-it-yourself tool box
complete with a collection of German taps, dies, and wrenches. The job
was under way without any hesitation, but was complicated by the fact
that German wrenches are notorious for not fitting German bolts and
nuts. A wrench to fit a nut exactly 14-millimeters in diameter is
called a number 14 and measures exactly 14-millimeters. A 14-millimeter
wrench will theoretically almost fit a 14-mm nut, but in practice fits
only with the aid of a hammer or a hydraulic press. The engineering
behind the development of this system of nuts and wrenches can only be
understood by those who have had long years of experience or have
studied the traditional German or indirect approach to engineering
problems. In short it may be explained that the bolts, nuts, and
wrenches developed by the German machine tool industry are contrived
with Machiavellian cunning to sabotage the French or metric system of
measurements in favor of the English, because an ordinary 9/16-inch
wrench fits the bolt in question with no trouble. Once the elements of
the indirect approach are mastered, it becomes a simple matter to repair
the mechanical brakes on the 1947 VW. In this case there was no need to
waste any time looking for an adjustable nut to take up slack in the
brake cables, or tracking down the linkage between the brake pedal and
the drums. It was noticed that each cable housing fit rather sloppily
into a bushing in the side of its corresponding brake drum. The cable
housing could be pulled in and out of this bushing or receptacle about
one inch on each wheel. The obvious (indirect) solution to the problem
of taking up slack in the brake cables was to cut four small strips of
brass 1/2-in. wide by 1 1/2-in. long, and bend them with a pair of
pliers into the shape of a "C" or a half moon or crescent. Each of
these brass clamps was then simply crimped over the portion of the brake
cable which peeped out when the cable housing was yanked back away from
the brake drum. This was done in about the same way as you sometimes
put ten or fifteen washers under a bolt when it is too long, except that
in the case of the brake cable you have to use a "C" shaped washer
because the ends of the cable are not exposed, or even explored. After
the slack or bight in the cable was taken up, final adjustment was made
by sawing off a piece of a 2 by 2 long enough to reach from one's knee
to the ground. This 2 by 2 was propped between the driver's seat and
the brake pedal to hold the brake pedal in the depressed or stop
position. Each wheel was then jacked up off the ground with the aid of
an ordinary or non-bumper type jack, and spun. It was discovered that
the brake drums are equipped with the same magic nut as the venerable
Model "A" Ford. By turning the magic nut to a certain key position it
was found that the wheel stopped, i.e. the brake was holding. In all
other positions the wheel didn't stop, so it was necessary to find this
trick position for each nut on each wheel. Although the adjustment was
accurate enough for most purposes, it was found that even better
equalization could be obtained by the simple expedient of turning the
steering wheel slightly to the left or right, depending on which way the
car tended to swerve when brakes were applied. Swinging the steering
wheel while depressing the horn button also improves the electrical
contacts in the horn circuit.
The unique design of the VW would have brought about a
revolution in passenger comfort had it not been for the need to have a
place to put the brake and clutch linkage. By putting the engine in the
stern between the hind wheels it was no longer necessary for an
automobile to have a tunnel through its middle for the transmission and
drive shaft. However a place was needed to put the handbrake lever, the
clutch linkage, the footbrake cables, the throttle cable, the choke
cable, the heater cable, and the gear shift linkage, so the tunnel had
to stay and even became the main structural member of the frame.
--------------------------------------------------------
Subject: 1958 VW junkyard rescue! (3)
...and here's the next installment of the 1947 VW's resurrection by H.
Dieter. (Next time: road test impressions.)
-Greg
'71 squareback
'63 Beetle
-----------------------------------------------------
Once the brakes had been adjusted, it seemed logical to go to
work on the clutch cable since it was apparently a similar problem in
rigging. The frayed clutch cable was replaced by removing two bolts
which hold the clutch pedal to the side of the tunnel, disconnecting the
ends of the cable, and pulling the old cable out. Putting in a new
cable was a more adventurous undertaking which will be much easier next
time. The operation "may present certain difficulties" according to
Hank Elfrink in his book on the VW. This understatement might be worded
a little more correctly as being similar to threading a needle in the
dark while standing on your head. This is also an understatement
because it fails to mention the penalty or handicap for failure. Each
time the cable is improperly threaded it snags on the hand brake linkage
and can be extricated only with the aid of a size 10-C leather boot.
Here again the proper German or indirect approach is to drill two
3/8-in. holes in the tunnel, then peer in one of them and hold a
flashlight to the other to illuminate the interior of the tunnel. Once
the cable is properly inserted it becomes a simple matter to adjust the
clutch. A 9/16-in. box wrench is sawed off 1 1/2-in. from the end, and
with this device it is possible to reach up behind the rear axle between
the bell housing, motor mount, heater box, main frame, and fan duct to
tighten the adjusting nut. There is also a small lock nut which is
supposed to be tightened to hold the adjusting nut in place, but since
the size is unknown and tightening the nut would require sawing off a
complete collection of small wrenches or a vernier caliper to a length
of 1 1/2-in., the project has been postponed until a later date.
After emergency repairs had been completed it was decided to
undertake some performance tests. As can be seen from the chart, the
1947 VW lacks some of the refinements of more expensive automobiles.
For instance, the shimmy in the front wheels was caused by a worn out
wheel bearing. The bearing is the same as the front wheel bearing on a
bicycle and is repaired in the same way. Acceleration was found to be
inversely proportional to the amount of load in the car. Braking was
found to be spasmodic even after repairs had been completed.
-----------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 17 Jan 1997 10:43:18 -0500
From: Greg Merritt <gregm@ENGIN.UMICH.EDU>
Subject: 1958 VW junkyard rescue! (final)
Hi all,
here is the fourth & final installment of "VW the Hard Way," that
story of a 1947 Beetle brought back to life in 1958. This article by
Henning B. Dieter appeared in the October 1959 "Sports Cars Illustrated"
magazine. I posted the first three portions several weeks back, and have
only now finished. I took the liberty of posting both to vintagvw & type2,
as I feel that it is a voice out of the past that speaks to all of us with
that nutty VW spirit.
There's more news! I have contacted the author who wrote the
article over 37 years ago. I looked him up & sent him a letter, and he
responded; I'll repost snippets of his letter later. Hope you enjoy this
final installment of "VW the Hard Way!"
-Greg
'71 squareback
'63 Beetle
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Extensive road tests over the hills and dales of Central Texas
emphasized some of the characteristics of small sport cars which are
apparent even in some of the most modern jobs. An encounter with a
moderate size skunk became a near catastrophe. Head-on collisions should
be avoided because the gasoline tank of the VW is in the driver's lap. An
attempt to ford a small stream, a common maneuver in this part of the
country, brought about unexpected problems. The blower which cools the
engine picks up water and blasts it out through the defroster openings
behind the windshield and under the driver's feet. The same thing happens
on days which are both et and cold, so it might be a good idea to equip the
VW with double windshield wipers, inside and out. Parking the VW is no
problem, except that parallel parking is out because of the bumpers. In
many places the car can simply be parked on the sidewalk, since the police
will assume that it was placed there by pranksters. It may be left safely
in a tow away zone because there is no way that the vehicle can be lifted
by a wrecker once the bumpers are removed. The bumpers must be removed in
order to protect the fenders, and in order to do this the owner has to work
up strong moral convictions that bumpers are sociologically wrong, since
people should not go around bumping each other. Once over the
philosophical hurdle, the actual removal takes only 15 minutes with the
indispensable 9/16-in. wrench. Other items which are easily removed and
disposed of are the rear seat, the sidewinding jack which comes with the
car, the hub caps, inspection hole covers, and the trim strips on the
running board.
No description of the VW would be complete without a few words
about its remarkable engine which runs and runs on about a dollars worth of
gas per week. Imagine a hole in the bottom of the trunk of your car, then
imagine a small outboard motor suspended in space. If you were to then
pick up your car and drop it neatly over the engine descried, fastening it
in with four bolts you would have a Volkswagen. You can make major repairs
to the engine, transmission, or differential on your front lawn, without
any chain hoist or tools other than a handful of 9/16-in. wrenches. The
engine is removed by sliding three old inner tubes, inflated, under the
back end of the car. The four bolts are removed, the air is let out of the
inner tubes, and the engine is dragged out from under the trunk.. Once
removed, the engine is best left alone, since it seems to run as long as it
isn't tampered with. The transmission is similarly removed, but
unfortunately it sometimes needs repairs. The selector forks get broken
and need to be replaced. This is a simple matter because the transmission
case is cast magnesium and opens up like a walnut shell with no gaskets or
seals. The broken gears, forks, bearings, or what have you are simply
replaced and the walnut shell bolted back together. The old gear oil can
be reused unless it has chunks of iron in it. Any repairs which are more
involved than overhauling the transmission should be left to experienced,
factory trained mechanics. Minor repairs are easily performed by the
novice, providing he keeps the indirect approach idea in the back of his
mind.
The VW engine is provided with a fascinating device which makes it
possible to start under any conditions. Behind the engine in the body
panel which goes over the fence last is a small opening through which may
be inserted a key or crank to turn the engine over by hand until it starts.
(Newer Vws do not have this do-it-yourself starting feature.) The
manufacturer has failed to exploit this unique invention in solving one of
his most perplexing problems, where to put the battery. In Wehrmacht's
VW's the battery had to be placed between the knees of the Commanding
Officer, and now it is stuck under the passenger's seat in lieu of coil
springs. By using the crank it is possible to do without the battery
altogether, and decrease the 0-60 acceleration time to 16.5 seconds.
The performance of the 1947 VW leaves nothing to be desired,
because driving it is great fun under any conditions. Maintenance is
likewise sheer fascination if you are the type who likes to monkey with
electric trains and Christmas tree lighting. If you are a connoisseur, the
styling and appearance of the VW will appeal to you because, with the
bumpers removed, the VW has all the succulent appearance of a wood duck
with freshly plucked tailfeathers.
DATA
Price: .................................$240
Net Weight (stripped of
fabric and trim) ............... 1420 lb
Price per lb of metal ............. 17 cents
PERFORMANCE
Top Speed (4th) ......................60 mph
(shimmy was noted at 40 mph)
Acceleration through the gears:
0-60 .................................90 sec
(With full fuel tank, seats in-
stalled, 3 passengers, and 1 boxer
dog)