Rocco's Modern Life by jcpahman77

12 minute(s) of a 96 minute read

So my battery has been dying on me and it's been pissing me off. First I noticed a wire from the alternator not fully connected to the battery, figured that might be it. Still no go. So I'm thinking maybe the alternator is on it's way out, 'cuz the car runs all day long once it's running but maybe it's just not enough to charge the battery. It's sunny from 6 am until about 9 pm down here 300+ days a year so I grabbed a little $20 solar charger and hooked it to the cigarette lighter. Things were alot better for about a week, then out of no where it was dead again. So, I've heard that lead acid batteries tend to naturally loose a charge over time if they've been fully drained, and this one had a few times.

It was time for an upgrade. :naughty: 

I went to Autozone and picked up an Optima red top battery, a length of 2 awg wire with battery terminal ends and got to installing the battery in the trunk. I got most of the install done yesterday and the car even ran, but I noticed that at idle my fog lights flickered and I was concerned it may have been a grounding issue. Today I installed 3 more grounds, one 2 awg at the battery and a 4 awg wire on each side of the motor and it runs very nice. 1000 cranking amps is also really nice to have. With the battery moved I can finally close my hood properly and I can get to work on replacing the hood prop cable because even if I need a jump start now the battery is in the hatch area.

7/15/07

Two photos to go with the above update, I'll snap more as I un-ghetto the install but for now the car starts and runs just fine.

The battery, nestled nicely just behind where the back seat used to be:

The primary ground for the battery, a 2 gauge wire. I used the old seat belt bolt and location:

7/16/07

The lumber is to simulate a back seat. The cargo cover won't stay in place without something there and I happened to have some wood lying around.

My goal for the car is for it to be as comfortable being a daily driver as it is on the track. I know that requires some compromises on both fronts but a happy medium is what I'm looking for. The mirror is cheaper than I imagined, $19.99, and if I recall I can mount it without destroying the car. Just kinda wondered if I was the only one who used one.

8/21/07

It never fails. Every time I get set to leave this car for an extended amount of time the M'F'er breaks. I was running a quick errand yesterday and it happened. I was going from 2nd to 3rd after coming around a turn, I put the clutch down and just as my foot touched the pedal BOOM, the cable snapped. OUTSTANDING!!! So I drove it to where I was going by rev matching my shifts, both up and down, and rolling through stop signs ever so slowly in 1st. The tricky part was stopping at the gate for the ID check, had to start the car in gear and just drive once it got running. Backing it into a parking spot also meant pulling up at an angle and pushing it back by hand. I got it home and parked it in front of my house where it is now destined to sit for 15 months. I'll deal with it after I finish my tour. I plan to buy a little festiva when I get back and take this thing apart from bumper to bumper anyway, put it together the right way this time.

Damn car...

10/3/07

Being in the Army is starting to effect the way I plan this car. In the Army we call it being squared away, in the civilian world it's known as OCD. In any event I've come up with a plan for making sure I stay on track and get the best build for my intentions. I'm going to post a mods list, only instead of it being what I have done to the car it's going to be for what I want to do to the car. This way as I get farther into it input from fellow MIVER's can help direct me away from things that are bad ideas and I hopefully won't end up doing something twice because I forgot to do it the first time.

So, here's how I see the car when it's "done".

1.8ltr 8v counterflow motor (likely a JH code)

Boost in the form of a Peter Tong S/C kit

Air -- water I/C by PWR (4x6" barrel type)

the kit included a pump, radiator, and 9" fan

Location of water reservoir to be on the other side of the firewall from the motor (I'm giving thought to a custom mount that would involve mounting it behind where the glove box sits without changing the outward appearance)

Samco coolant hoses (to include the ones for the I/C)

An LSD for the transmission (I hear good things about both Peliquin and Quaife so I'm not decided on which one)

A refresh of the transmission to make sure it's up to par (020 4k)

A new clutch (16v pressure plate upgrade is likely)

A new clutch cable, 'cuz the current one snapped

Either a lower "K" bar or some sort of 4 point X for the A arms

Front and Rear upper strut bars

Possibly a header (currently running a 4-2-1 with a 2" collector)

TT cat back exhaust with a Borla muffler

Fuel/Air management to be handled by a CIS system (I understand the Volvo or Saab systems are sufficient)

Stewart Warner Gauges (I'm in love lol)

A performance cam and gear to match the S/C

Windage tray for the oil pan

Short and weighted shifter

Possible custom instrument cluster

Various pieces of car stereo equipment that say JL Audio on them

That's all I can think of at the moment, but then that's why I'm making the list. It always seems there is something I'm forgetting so getting it on "paper" will help the build go more smoothly when I get the time/money to dive into it.

As always input is appreciated and welcomed, keep it constructive though please.

11/23/08

For those that offered advice in my other threads about getting the car started, thank you. It is now to the point where I'll be working on getting it back on the road and cleaning up some loose ends I left before I deployed.

Today's foray will include two new front tires, I choose Firestone Firehawk GT's; after that the whole car will move to the shop on post where the transmission will be dropped to replace the thrust plate. I have a few sets of hands helping so hopefully the process will go fairly smoothly, although I know this car, it'll piss me off at least once before the process is over, it did last night when I was trying to get the tires off, one was rusted to the hub. FYI liquid wrench is the shit.

I'm going to post pictures along the way of the repair and restoration of 15 months of sitting, it's not pretty. It looks like there is a good chance the car is going to get a new paint job. I left comprehensive (I think that's the right term) on it while I was gone. My insurance company has a policy that covers the vehicle against any damage and is set up so that it can't be driven, kind of a storage policy. Anyway, someone keyed the whole driver's side from fender to fender and the paint on the front driver's side fender looks really bad like something was allowed to soak into the paint. I can't figure what it is, but I am going to file a claim and since I have a fair amount of pictures from the 4th of July before I left of when I buffed it showing the paint was perfect I have proof it happened while I was deployed.

Stay tuned for updates, if all goes well after this afternoon 'Rocco will be back on the road and pissing people off like it used to.

Didn't get nearly as much done today as I wanted but I forgot the shop on post closes at 5pm on Sundays so we're going to attack it Wednesday when we have considerably more time. I did get some pictures of the new tires and the damage to the paint that I was talking about so I'm going to post those. I'm actually impressed at how well it's running considering how long it sat. There is a small oil leak at the oil cooler, looks very much like the upper O ring and I noticed that the vacuum line I used for the knock box actually doesn't have vacuum on it so I'll be rerouting that. For now, on with pictures.

11/27/08

Took the car to the shop today. Drove it again without a functional clutch, I'm getting pretty good at synchronizing the shifts up and down, I can even get it into 1st. She really wanted to pull so I'm excited about putting it on some open roads when I get it driveable again.

Once in the shop I immediately began tearing into it to get ready to drop the transmission out. After a couple hours my friend finally showed up and about an hour later we had the transmission out. I discovered I am missing a starter bolt, no idea how one of those could have fallen out but it's missing. There are a few odds and ends along the way that need touching up but all in all things went well.

Once we got the transmission out, after nearly breaking my friend's fingers, I began to inspect the thrust plate. To my surprise it was perfectly fine. The fingers on the clutch behind it also seemed to be fine. The pressure plate looked worn but otherwise OK. Now it began to be a mystery.

One of the guys from the shop came over and asked why I thought it wasn't the clutch cable. I explained that I had already checked it, but to make him happy I had my friend hop in and move the clutch pedal. The cable didn't move. After some kind words about making sure he was pushing the right pedal I went and looked for myself. Then I tried to move the cable by hand (now that it was disconnected from the transmission) and it wouldn't move. I still figured it couldn't be broken if it wouldn't move, how could that be? So I gave it a yank and it came clean out from the firewall forward, a clean break.

All that work, all the headaches, and all I needed was a D@MN clutch cable. I could have had this on the road DAYS AGO!!! Now since I have it all apart I'll put a new clutch disc in since one side of the one that is in there is almost down to the rivets.

I snapped some cell phone pics, not many, but I'm not sure how to get them off of my phone yet. I'm kinda new to this whole "camera in the phone" thing.

Saturday we're going to finish it up, then I just have to fax the paperwork in to renew my tabs since I still have MI plates and am a little far away from a SOS branch. After that I'll be back to burning Kraut with the rest of you.

11/28/08

My kingdom for a clutch cable. I can get the clutch disc no problem, NOBODY has the clutch cable in stock. Everyone says they can get it from a location in Colorado, I swear I'm moving. Looks like my friend and I are going to end up making one.

5/2/10

Necro-bump. Turns out the new owner and one of the potential new owners are both members of SEA (Strictly European Autosport), the local VW club I've found for the El Paso and SW Texas area. Updates may actually continue on this car. The new owner bought it for his nephew and they are both avid VW enthusiasts. Seeing it on the road again is going to be great, but I don't know how I'll react to seeing what used to be my baby being driven by someone else.