The New And Improved Unofficial R65 Forum V2
General Category => Totally Off-Topic Discussions, Rants, Tire & Oil Threads, Etc. => Topic started by: montmil on July 23, 2008, 04:06:21 PM
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My four-wheel daily driver is a 1986 Volkswagen Cabriolet. Purchased from its original owner, I've had it for nearly eleven years. When regular gas went over two bucks a gallon, I parked my Ford F150 pick'emup truck and now drive the 'vert unless I'm hauling 4x8 plywood or some such.
Seven years ago, I put a new headliner, pad and top on the Vdub. The night of April 3-4 2008, a fairly benign hailstorm -if there is such a thing- rolled across our village. Next morning, my 30mpg baby had 50+ holes knocked in the roof! Insurance? Nah... too expensive; just liability. So...
I've had a beautiful, new top sitting on my workbench, patiently waiting to be fitted onto the Cabriolet. Mister FixIt, as my bride calls me, done waited until we're in a string of 100+ degree days to work on the car. Never claimed to be really bright; just handy.
So for the last six hours today, I've removed the old top and completed the nasty prep work -who knew all that glue and stick'em would have to come off someday?- in preparation for the new top installation early tomorrow morning.
I stink. I'm hot. I drinking my second cold adult beverage. My wife left for Austin, Texas, this morning on a week-long bidnez trip. I am The King of the Castle... and I have my wife's permission to say so.
The photo shows how I've been embarrassing myself while driving the Cabriolet. The duct tape repairs scream ghetto.
(https://bmwr65.org/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi196.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Faa1%2Fmontmil%2Fvolkswagen%2FP4070005.jpg&hash=7cd74676f758a373bc8894f37e3403232f741889)
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I hate to say it, but the heat may make the top easier to install. Better you than me!
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... the heat may make the top easier to install.
Right you are. The vinyl works much easier warm than it does cold and stiff.
This is day 2 of my garage captivity. Who knew there would be so much upholstery adhesive and sticky tape junk to clean off? Cautiously optimistic that the morrow will see the new skin on the vehicle.
What a mess. ;D
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You are a far "Better man than I Gunga Din".
Monte, the VW tops are notorious for being APITA to work on!
I wish you all the luck in the world in your endeavor and will hoist an adult beverage in your memory, but believe it will drive you crazy before you're done.
My Goat bucket seats & rear seat rebuilds almost caused a divorce with my bride helping during the recovering. I can only imagine your frustration level on the top replacement. :'(
Ed
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I helped put on on a Fiat 850 Spyder many moons ago, not fun from what I can remember. Post some "in-progress" pix so we can cry/laugh/curse along with ya...
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Monte, the VW tops are notorious for being APITA to work on! ...I can only imagine your frustration level on the top replacement. Ed
Not the first rodeo with my '86 Cabriolet. I helped a retired master trimmer/hot rodder do the chore last time. Full boat - headliner, pad and top. He worked, I watched.Danged hail storm...
Besides hanging out with y'all, I'm also hooked into the Vortex. It's a site dedicated to Cabriolet enthusiasts and wannabe mechanics. Sound familiar?
The Vortex has many photo documented DIY projects; 'vert tops included. There really is no frustration going on. Just lots of getting ready to get ready make ready.
Here's a few shots from my digital memory. Love the instant gratification of seeing what I thought I remembered. As such, no wide angle shots but maybe some come tomorrow.
(https://bmwr65.org/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi196.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Faa1%2Fmontmil%2Fvolkswagen%2FDSCF0016.jpg&hash=aa5a74a3476f4c81c49427c83d9f708d010a4f60)
Pulled all six of the weatherseal strips and their mounting trays. Gotta unglue that gray vinyl
(https://bmwr65.org/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi196.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Faa1%2Fmontmil%2Fvolkswagen%2FDSCF0011.jpg&hash=cec787fecc7ad8d9f25a6b9595fcf345703c6e35)
Left side aft of driver-side rear window. Side cable anchor point. The vinyl gets unglued here, too.
(https://bmwr65.org/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi196.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Faa1%2Fmontmil%2Fvolkswagen%2FDSCF0007.jpg&hash=a996169c99b89c1f674a664183dc307dd7a7e2b4)
Header area with, ohmygawd, more vinyl to be de-glued!
(https://bmwr65.org/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi196.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Faa1%2Fmontmil%2Fvolkswagen%2FP7150014.jpg&hash=fe78f319d82a7f573602683e5ab0c9862e2ff92a)
And last week I installed new, to me, upper door caps. Took a long time to score them on eBay.
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A headliner in a ragtop, what'll they think of next! ;) I remember the first headliner I put in a hardtop, I thought I'd be ready for the "rubber room" before I got all of the wrinkles out of it. I couldn't imagine doing that to a moving target like yours!
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Well, the top is on and anchored by the three cables -rear and two side, so now it's time to: Do some fabric gluing to attach side panels and the header; Attach the assist tabs that help fold the fabric neatly; Reinstall the six weatherstrip gaskets after refitting the "trays" that hold them; Put the back seat back in; Replace the pneumatic top struts... on and on.
Anyway, I've installed a drink holder in the car that helps eliminate any frustrations when things don't line up just so.
Gotta wrap up this project so I can concentrate on our Sunday bike cruise to Eagles Canyon Raceway. Open track day for the roadracer type bikes. Coolness.
(https://bmwr65.org/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi196.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Faa1%2Fmontmil%2Fvolkswagen%2FDrinkHolder.jpg&hash=0f789c4de485c2c08613772b7bea79b1a7ed1f68)
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Here's a couple "glamor shots" of the completed top install. Back window goes in as soon as I can finish cleaning out all the hard, dry "plumbers putty" in the rubber window gasket - installed by ol' Gunther at the factory twenty-two+ years ago.
Now to repaint the fender flares...
(https://bmwr65.org/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi196.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Faa1%2Fmontmil%2Fvolkswagen%2FCabrio7201.jpg&hash=ef02683bde1c731b7f9594434621ed1e40408de9)
(https://bmwr65.org/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi196.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Faa1%2Fmontmil%2Fvolkswagen%2FCabrio7202.jpg&hash=3317ef416f1abddddd3869f7663293c66269f1d1)
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Well, the top is on and anchored by the three cables -rear and two side, so now it's time to: Do some fabric gluing to attach side panels and the header; Attach the assist tabs that help fold the fabric neatly; Reinstall the six weatherstrip gaskets after refitting the "trays" that hold them; Put the back seat back in; Replace the pneumatic top struts... on and on.
Anyway, I've installed a drink holder in the car that helps eliminate any frustrations when things don't line up just so.
Gotta wrap up this project so I can concentrate on our Sunday bike cruise to Eagles Canyon Raceway. Open track day for the roadracer type bikes. Coolness.
(https://bmwr65.org/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi196.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Faa1%2Fmontmil%2Fvolkswagen%2FDrinkHolder.jpg&hash=0f789c4de485c2c08613772b7bea79b1a7ed1f68)
Not an empty can of Lone Star beer to be found !!!
How can you call yourself a Texan, for god's sake !! [smiley=wink.gif] [smiley=beerchug.gif]
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If you'd ever tasted Lone Star you would understand! :P
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If you'd ever tasted Lone Star you would understand! :P
The ONLY good thing you can say about Lone Star beer is that they maintain a really neat attraction in ol' San Antone, their Hall of Horns. A taxidermist's delight with all sorts of Texas critters. My wife calls it, "that horny place".
I swear, boys... A buddy found some rust in an aluminum can of Lone Star. Nasty, nasty, nasty... sell it to the tourists. ;D
And BTW, Miller is brewed in Cow Town, TEXAS. I'm one of the faithful.
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The Miller Brewery is about 5 miles from me and my neighbor retired from there a couple pf years ago. He had worked there since before it was a Miller brewery.
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Ok, how about Pearl beer, it's still being brewed by the Miller Brewing Company in Ft. Worth.
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Ok, how about Pearl beer, it's still being brewed by the Miller Brewing Company in Ft. Worth.
Alright, Bob. Open your wallet and let the moths out. Buy a ticket on Southwest and come see us... maybe when the heat breaks sometime in late October... and I'll personally put you up here on Planet Parkside. You need to try some of our real Texas and Mexican beers.
It's not even possible to rank the quality and taste of either Lone Star or Pearl brews.
I'm serious here. ::)
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I lived in the mid-cities area (Euless) for about 4 months in 1978 when I was going through training at Bell Helicopter International in Hurst, TX.
I was in Houston for about 6 months when I started work with Southwest.
I'm very well versed in Texas beers !! [smiley=1drink.gif]
I'm just amazed that since then, that Texans have realized that there is another universe outside of the great state of Texas !!! [smiley=wink.gif]
When I started working for Southwest Airlines in 1993, when I was asked where I was from, I said I was from a northeastern suburb of Dallas, Chicago !!!! [smiley=ROTFLMAO.gif]
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By the looks of your cardboard beer holder, there might have been a few frustrations along the way that need to be taken care of. ;D
Nice looking top. Can't see any wrinkles. How'd the liner turn out?
My Goat didn't have a liner (thank you GM), But I restricted myself to only removing the parts, disassembling the frame, and refubishing/painting the metal parts. I'm too clumsy to even consider putting a top on. So after putting the top frame back on with new hydraulic lifts, I bought the , springs, cables, pads, tackrails and let a top guy do the installation.
Ed
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By the looks of your cardboard beer holder, there might have been a few frustrations along the way that need to be taken care of. ;D
Nice looking top. Can't see any wrinkles. How'd the liner turn out? Ed
What's the game called? Truth or dare... The beer shot was...ohmygawd...staged. There. I said it. Hello. My name is Monte... and I'm a prankster.
Just replaced the top skin as that was the only thing damaged by the hail. If it ain't broke... Counting my time at nada, the top job cost me $179.00 plus a little change to make DIY side cables, upholstery adhesive, and a few cold ones.
I would love to have an old Goat... not the livestock variety, Justin, so hold off on any cute replies. I'm on to you. Saw a fairly nice rehabed 1966 model outside a Hooters in Richardson, Texas. I was there only for the fried pickles.
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They have fried pickles??
I'll have to try them the next time I cruise in that direction for a nourishing experience....
;D
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They have fried pickles??
I'll have to try them the next time I cruise in that direction for a nourishing experience....
;D
Yeah, they do... and they're GOOD! Our local Denton Hooters made the news the past couple days.
Seems a couple of their female "servers" rescued a five-year old boy from the restaurant parking lot after he slipped away from a daycare facility about a mile away. He had already crossed a major off-ramp from I-35, boosted a pack of gum and a soda from a big fuel station and then drifted over to Hooters. Went in, checked fried pickle prices, then ran out. The ladies snagged him as he was trying to cross the I-35 service road, heading for the interstate! The restaurant called police about the same time as did the parents from the daycare joint.
The State of Texas CLOSED, shut down and buried the daycare facility the next day - Wednesday, 30 July. Good going, there.
This was a very near thing. I'm heading to Hooters and plan to leave an extremely large tip. [smiley=thumbsup.gif]
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I always go to Hooters for the hot-wings - about the best deal in town. I loved the headlines on the evening news the other day, "Toddler escapes from day-care center..." I can just hear the little ankle-biter now, "You dirty screws ain't gonna keep me locked up, see? You're gonna have to go to the can sooner or later and then I'm goin' over the wall..."
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I have five of the tall glasses, and one of the small, in a box, somewhere. Courtesy of Dad from Texas...
(https://bmwr65.org/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pbase.com%2Ftomfarr%2Fimage%2F88828096%2Fmedium.jpg&hash=247319ecc943cc1e739b5697690b5a662a854322) (https://bmwr65.org/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pbase.com%2Ftomfarr%2Fimage%2F88828097%2Fsmall.jpg&hash=236fe6e5141a4c54c1d6943dbe94b6f8c97f06b5)
Heck! I was replying to the bottom of page 1!
The daycare degradation is way better than the beer one!
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Heck! I was replying to the bottom of page 1!
The daycare degradation is way better than the beer one!
;D Oh well, it's an off-topic topic anyway, sort of. It really is now!!
Little ankle biter? He probably is and that's how he got away. ;D Unbelievable, but some of these kids have a roaming spirit. If he survives he'll probably be riding motorcycles when he gets into his teens. :o
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Heck! I was replying to the bottom of page 1!
The daycare degradation is way better than the beer one!
;D Oh well, it's an off-topic topic anyway, sort of. It really is now!!
Little ankle biter? He probably is and that's how he got away. ;D Unbelievable, but some of these kids have a roaming spirit. If he survives he'll probably be riding motorcycles when he gets into his teens. :o
"If he survives he'll probably be riding motorcycles when he gets into his teens."
. . . And meeting up with the old geezers, that be Justin and me, for a basket of wings and fried pickles.
The Pearl glasses are nice looking. You could put some BMW stickers over the logo and have a decent drink! ;D
Monte
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Umm - nice job on the roof - but just a silly question - how the hell do you see out the rear window????? :o (And by the way if you want a nice drop of beer try Coopers Pale Ale - proudly manufactured and bottled in the fair city of Adelaide). :D
http://www.google.com.au/imgres?imgurl=http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/thumb/1/10/240px-Coopers_pale_ale.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.answers.com/topic/coopers-brewery&h=320&w=240&sz=13&tbnid=adv4tbZBKcMJ::&tbnh=118&tbnw=89&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dcoopers%2Bpale%2Bale&usg=__dDJauqXGWDnn7RngXBP312Vjusg=&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=4&ct=image&cd=1
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From Justin: << If you'd ever tasted Lone Star you would understand! >>
From Monte: << The ONLY good thing you can say about Lone Star beer is that they maintain a really neat attraction in ol' San Antone, their Hall of Horns. A taxidermist's delight with all sorts of Texas critters. My wife calls it, "that horny place". >>
First, the beer: I have a kind of love-hate reaction to Lone Star. Love the memories associated with it, hate the taste of the stuff. ;D Now, Shiner Bock is another matter altogether! 8-)
When I first got invited to the Army, I had to report to Fort Bliss, TX. (For our overseas friends, Ft Bliss is in El Paso, next door to Juarez, Mexico, 300 miles from the nearest large US city (Albuquerque, *New* Mexico), 4000 feet above sea level, and 800 miles from the nearest natural body of water of any size. With mountains in it, and near it, and being the gateway to the Conquistadores' "Jornada del Muerto" ("Journey of Death" - hope I got the Spanish case ending correct, for it's been a long time), it's great training for Afghanistan.) The Lone Star brewery, ~550 miles away, was our only source of beer other than the stuff in Juarez (that some of us thought at the time was the product of diabetic horses ;D ). Anyway, The Fort Bliss Officers Club Annex had Beer Call at noon every Saturday. A pint cup of Lone Star draft cost $.05!! The challenge was to ingest a sufficient amount of the stuff while suppressing one's disgust for the taste. :P
Now, the Lone Star Hall of Horns: It wasn't the horns I saw there that I found remarkable, but some of the other mounted species. The Hall of Horns has a small display case containing the only two mounted passenger pigeons I've ever seen. (Passenger pigeons were slaughtered to extinction about 1911.) They are beautiful, and I've seen or know of nothing else alive that remotely resembles them. :(
OT Question: Montmil, I gotta ask you, knowing you're in Denton. What, if anything, did they rename TWU, now that it's no longer "Texas Women's University" in reality, if not in name? My Ex is a TWU grad. I was there once in an unairconditioned Datsun 510 (black vinyl seats!) on the most hellishly hot day in 1977 one can imagine. (My standard of comparison is El Paso, Las Cruces, New Mexico, and Vietnam.) I heard a funny story when I was in Denton. Supposedly TWU built a new dorm at some point in the 1960s. On the final acceptance walkthrough, the inspecting party for the state university system realized that the dorm's bathrooms had urinals and not a single bathtub (all showers). The new bathrooms had to be renovated. (I've often wondered if the architects became disoriented & thought they were designing for NTSU (or whatever the neighboring former North Texas State University is now called). Is this story real, or is it urban Texas legend?
John
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Umm - nice job on the roof - but just a silly question - how the hell do you see out the rear window????? :o (And by the way if you want a nice drop of beer try Coopers Pale Ale - proudly manufactured and bottled in the fair city of Adelaide). :D
Installed the window a day later. Was overly anxious to get the top photos taken. Good eye and good catch. Don't know if anyone else caught it.
Monte
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From Justin: << If you'd ever tasted Lone Star you would understand! >>
From Monte: << The ONLY good thing you can say about Lone Star beer is that they maintain a really neat attraction in ol' San Antone, their Hall of Horns. A taxidermist's delight with all sorts of Texas critters. My wife calls it, "that horny place". >>
First, the beer: I have a kind of love-hate reaction to Lone Star. Love the memories associated with it, hate the taste of the stuff. ;D Now, Shiner Bock is another matter altogether! 8-)
When I first got invited to the Army, I had to report to Fort Bliss, TX. (For our overseas friends, Ft Bliss is in El Paso, next door to Juarez, Mexico, 300 miles from the nearest large US city (Albuquerque, *New* Mexico), 4000 feet above sea level, and 800 miles from the nearest natural body of water of any size. With mountains in it, and near it, and being the gateway to the Conquistadores' "Jornada del Muerto" ("Journey of Death" - hope I got the Spanish case ending correct, for it's been a long time), it's great training for Afghanistan.) The Lone Star brewery, ~550 miles away, was our only source of beer other than the stuff in Juarez (that some of us thought at the time was the product of diabetic horses ;D ). Anyway, The Fort Bliss Officers Club Annex had Beer Call at noon every Saturday. A pint cup of Lone Star draft cost $.05!! The challenge was to ingest a sufficient amount of the stuff while suppressing one's disgust for the taste. :P
Now, the Lone Star Hall of Horns: It wasn't the horns I saw there that I found remarkable, but some of the other mounted species. The Hall of Horns has a small display case containing the only two mounted passenger pigeons I've ever seen. (Passenger pigeons were slaughtered to extinction about 1911.) They are beautiful, and I've seen or know of nothing else alive that remotely resembles them. :(
OT Question: Montmil, I gotta ask you, knowing you're in Denton. What, if anything, did they rename TWU, now that it's no longer "Texas Women's University" in reality, if not in name? My Ex is a TWU grad. I was there once in an unairconditioned Datsun 510 (black vinyl seats!) on the most hellishly hot day in 1977 one can imagine. (My standard of comparison is El Paso, Las Cruces, New Mexico, and Vietnam.) I heard a funny story when I was in Denton. Supposedly TWU built a new dorm at some point in the 1960s. On the final acceptance walkthrough, the inspecting party for the state university system realized that the dorm's bathrooms had urinals and not a single bathtub (all showers). The new bathrooms had to be renovated. (I've often wondered if the architects became disoriented & thought they were designing for NTSU (or whatever the neighboring former North Texas State University is now called). Is this story real, or is it urban Texas legend?
John
Wow, John... you're almost a local, or "loc" as the home boys say.
Shiner Bock is most excellent. I enjoy it often.
TWU, Texas Woman's University, was originally known as CIA; College of Industrial Arts. Later, Texas College for Women. I'm married to a former TWU student with her bachelor, master and doctoral degrees from her school across town from my alma mater, the University of North Texas.
Formerly known as North Texas Teachers College, North Texas State College, North Texas State University, it's now the University of North Texas... Or, as she calls it, "That trade school."
Yep, the all-female TWU dorm was actually condemned because there were too many cracks in it. Your question and my respons are both urban legends.
Datsun 510? Me, too. Bought a brand new two-door sedan in 1969 for $1400.00. Great runner but the sheet metal was sorta like a recycled Prince Albert tobacco can.
I know lovely Fort Bliss in charming El Paso. My youngest son is career USArmy and was posted there with the 3ACR before they, fortunately, moved the regiment to Fort Carson, near Colorado Springs. Funny you mention Afghanistan as my son is now training up with a Special Forces bunch of rabble rousers for a tour in the 'stan. His fourth visit to S'West Asia.
Thanks for the memories! Monte
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Montmil wrote: << North Texas State University, it's now the University of North Texas >>
Whatever its name, the North Texas Jazz Lab Band is about the best big band I ever heard, with the possibility that Berkley School of Music's in Boston might be as good. (I've heard both, and was was about equally impressed.
Re "Texas Woman's University": Sorry about that. I grew up in a town that (formerly) had an all-women's college, Randolph Macon Women's College, and used the plural from force of habit.