Copyright © 2007 - 2024, Coachworks For contact data Click Here.
Copyright © 2007 - 2024
Copyright © 2007 - 2024,
Coachworks For contact data
Click Here.
For this vehicle's main web page, click here.
The '74 chassis takes the rearmost body mount at a higher point. In the 1986 restoration they moved the mount anchor up to accommodate, and did a rather nice job. Rather than un-do this work, I made a spacer! It worked brilliantly, as seen here:
The starter selected is a genuine old school one, appropriate for 1959.
As the electrical system was originally 6 volt, then changed to 12 v in 1986, and as it was decided to retain the 12v system in the current work, a proper battery retaining needed to be effected and the battery has to be properly charged.
In the engine section, found here, you can see the generator fitted. Here we show the two accessories that go along with.
The battery was originally covered with a metal cover that fitted a very specifically sized battery. However, now we are well outside that happening. If we did nothing and merely tried to strap the battery down without additional effort, the solution would fail because the strap would be attempting to make two 90 degree angles and would not "slip" properly to keep the system tight. Here, we have made two very simple but very important pieces that fit into a feature of our specific battery. Should the battery ever be change wtih a different type, it is very important that this solution be re-implemented for the new battery! With luck, these pieces might even fit a new battery type! Note that the retaining strap used here is the stock item.
The battery must be kept charged. The only real issue here is that the small diameter generator used on this engine only puts out 25 ampiers of power while the voltage regulator is sized for 30 amps. This could cause serious trouble if the battery were to be dead and the generator attempt to charge it for any length of time. As a solution, not just one but TWO fuses have been added, fusing the D+ lead with a 25 amp fuse (blue!) and the DF lead with 8 amps (white!), and in this situation, a fuse will blow if the regulator asks the generator to deliver more than it is capable of. Should a fuse ever blow, the FIRST thing that is done is that the battery must be fully charged! Simply replacing the fuse will result in another burnt out fuse!
These fuses are retained within 1970s era "cigar fuse holders", which are stock VW from that era.
The mounting bracket for the voltage regulator was retained from the 1986 merging of this vehicle with the '74! Hey, it works, why fight it!
If ever, by luck, a 12v, 25A voltage regulator could be sourced, that would be a better solution as then, no fuses would blow under any circumstance!
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