1984 Rebuild

[Briano1234]

Stupid freeze plugs, even tried Brians freezing it trick but still could not bang it in. Only option left is to drop the exhaust so I have room to swing a hammer. Since I am doing that I will replace all three and not just the one that was leaking

Strongly suggest using a impact wrench on the manifold bolts along with pb-blaster a couple of days hours, then minutes before removal Also take your o2 sensor out prior to pb-blastering so you don't contaminate it.

[84Vert]

Thanks Brian I will

[84Vert]

Bolts are soaking in PB Blaster. Since we had company this weekend I really did not do much to the Rabbit. But I had a really nice suprise. When we got the car the top was all torn up and there was inches of water in the floor. Had probably been that way for years. Anyhow I finally built up the courage to take out the passenger seat and carpet. The seat frame is all rusted so I was expecting the worst for the pans. Got the seat out, that one will never be used again, solid rust. I started pulling up the carpet, and there was a million red bull ants! A can of raid later they were all dead and I got the carpet up, vacuumed it out and to my surprise only minor surface rust. I sure was a happy person about that. Thank you VW for using good steel and paint

[84Vert]

Did a little bit to the Rabbit this weekend. Got the exhaust dropped, sway bar is off and painted. Now just waiting on the mailman to deliver the freeze plugs from NAPA

[84Vert]

Little stuff done today before it rained. Test painted a rim to see if I like it, it came out really nice. Also painted the wheel well skirt things. Some before and after pictures.

[84Vert]

rest of the pictures

[Briano1234]

Little stuff done today before it rained. Test painted a rim to see if I like it, it came out really nice. Also painted the wheel well skirt things. Some before and after pictures.

The "After" Pictures are awesome.. how did you get that white paint to look so used, the black and mud color is almost "life-like".

[84Vert]

Thanks Brian. the rims had been sitting out out had a nice collection of oak leaves

[Briano1234]

Thanks Brian. the rims had been sitting out out had a nice collection of oak leaves

pssst... before pics are the dirty ones? OH now I see... you got them reversed to challenge my mental agility? You know I only have half a brain....Thankfully it was the left side that got damaged, so I am all "right" now.
Yes I am not the whole butt of the forum, I am butt the hole. I couldn't resist. The difference is night/DAY. I like clean.

[84Vert]

Ha-ha late on a Saturday evening it is understandable. But back on the subject the rim paint from pepboys works really great

[84Vert]

Ok,k back to the saga of the freeze plugs. So I dropped the exhaust so I would have a little room to swing a hammer. Got out the new freeze plugs that I got from NAPA, the brass ones. Son of a B*&^% they ar just a hair smaller that the one I tried to pound in for 2 hours. So these correct size freeze plugs went right in, 1 hour and all 3 were replaced! It sure helps when you have the right size! Just a tip to anyont doing this. Punch a hole in the freeze plug with a screwdriver the use a seal puller and they come tight out,

[84Vert]

Did a little this weekend, cleaned and oiled the throttle cable and the hood release cable. After that I was moving our camper so my step daaughters friends could stay in it this weekend and once it hit the bump going up the driveway - Bam - a weld broke on the frame, now have to get that fixed. 40 year old campers are just like 40 year old cars, always working on something

[84Vert]

Have not had a chance to work on the Rabbit, had to do some repairs to our camper. A before picture and some work in progress pictures

[84Vert]

Now for the after picture. And all of this started because I needed to replace the faucet

[84Vert]

Santa son was good to me, he brought me an EBay gift card. Soooooo, I ordered the cooling fan motor, front sway bar bushings, and a shifter rebuild kit. Can't wait for them to get here