New silly shite. Beetle based buggy.

[3VOM]

Wouldn't you be better off with some 1.99 Chinese leds? OK I understand the keep it original thoughts but I would suspect the back lights off a 2002 are ££s.

[UltraWomble]

Beach Buggies in the UK....

 

 

 

[vulgalour]

Deffo 2002 rear lights, I'd recognise those units anywhere!

 

Good luck with the resto on this one, the Mantaray is one of the better looking of the buggies.

[catsinthewelder]

Top bombing Tim that is ace.

 

They should have used it in this video

 

[matty879]

Pah! I had these down as the rear lights from a Plaxton Elite.

 

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwj9k-r4gdfVAhXGKlAKHcUsCU4QjRwIBw&url=https%3A%2F%2Fcommons.wikimedia.org%2Fwiki%2FFile%3APennine_Plaxton_Elite_OWR_266K.jpg&psig=AFQjCNERv7Xe8XslwpmUBqzUywS0rrJBPg&ust=1502809993394650

close,but no cigar

[alf892]

Looks like a Juke from the front!

[Lankytim]

It's been hard to find time to work on this thing but today I finished work early, went and bought some fuel hose, 20 litres of petrol and spent an hour tinkering.

 

The existing fuel pipe around the engine looked ancient and had gone hard so I set about replacing it. The main fuel feed from the tank passes up the "spine" of the chassis and looks in good shape so has stayed for the time being.

 

With fuel added to the tank and drawn through by the frantically ticking fuel pump I tried to fire it up. it burped and popped but wouldn't run. I popped the top off the carb and cleaned crudded up jet and tried again. This time it fired up and settled down to a nice smooth idle. I still can't figure out the autochoke or how it works, and without a throttle cable connected I had to operate the throttle lever by hand. 

 

I fancied a quick spin so propped the throttle open a little with a screwdriver and went for a jaunt up and down our shared drive. What a hoot! All gears seem to work OK and the brakes work well enough to lock the front wheels in reverse. 

 

As the exhaust is still knackered this thing is very VERY loud and rapidly attracts a crowd. I can't wait to try it out on the road!

[Lankytim]

I've taken out the very crappy dash and found the wiring is in a right state. May have to get a loom made up. Also does anybody want this selection on shite 70s speakers I removed?

 

Also, I can't figure out the auto choke on the carb... it doesn't seem to work. Any advice?

[Asimo]

The choke butterfly has a little stepped cam thing that holds the throttle open a wee bit, you should be able to see that easily, the throttle stop adjust screw pushes against it.

 

When all is cold the choke butterfly is spring loaded into the start position, but because of the cam thing I mentioned above, it can't move there until the throttle has been opened - so push on the throttle pedal once to set the choke before trying to start it.

 

The choke spring is actually a bi-metal coil which unwinds (or winds up) as it gets hotter. There is an electric heater that warms it up slowly, it is the thing connected in parallel to the fuel cut-off valve on the carb.

 

It is a pretty crap arangement, and on all of my Beetles I just wired the choke fully off, they always started fine with a few pumps of the throttle to get the accelerator pump squirting pure juice down the manifold.

[darkfour]

Try this page, looks detailed enough

 

http://www.vw-resource.com/automatic_choke.html

[cobblers]

You can buy new beetle looms for pretty reasonable money, I'd probably go down that route cos at least you'll have some diagrams to go off.

[Lankytim]

The choke flap doesn't seem to be connected to anything, I can open and close it easily by hand. I need to hold it closed to get the engine to run. 

[bunglebus]

Very cool. Because it's already registered you shouldn't have any problems with the shortened floorpan.

[Jim Bell]

 

 

 

Such a beautiful thing asthetically. Grossly impractingal in youkay weather.

 

Ten out of ten stars.

[Exiled_Tat_Gatherer]

One of my all time wants.. love the early MantaRays. Most excellent bathtub of pure win.

I'll quietly await DieselAssist looking to get rid of his from the back garden as you're bound to fall in love with this and keep for too long a time!

[Jim Bell]

Think is a hairy back and the back of a mans head.

 

[cort16]

Are you any good at guitar?

 

[Lankytim]

Nope.

[Crusty Sills]

That is awesome, it's no secret I am a bit of an aircooled licker. A new loom is not the cheapest thing but well worth it for piece of mind. I put a new 1 in mine and bar a few wires it was god send. Machine 7 are Good for parts, cheaper than VW heritage.on eBay a seller called Newcastle harbour is good for random bits.

Hope to see lots of pics of this being renovated.

[Lankytim]

Well, the first ting i've ordered on ebay has turned up and it's wrong. I need a new throttle cable and was after the early style with a loop at the pedal end rather than the later "S" shaped type.  The photo on ebay was the early type but the advert said late type, so I stupidly bought it anyway and received the later type. Turns out they use the same pic for all their throttle cables.

 

Luckily the place is local so hopefully I can drop in and swap it for the right item.

[DeeJay]

Baldy headed fellah with a hairy arse waiting for a back scuttling.

[MorrisItalSLX]

 

Some fellas hairy chest and clean shaved chin

[Lankytim]

Got a hammer and chisel on the arse end of this mofo earlier on today. The rear lights were glued in with about an inch of filler which was cracking and falling out. All the BMW rear light units were removed and are now dangling on their looms, a PO having soldered the wiring into the light units. I'm left with 4x 16cm holes if anyone can think of a type of rear light that will fit? I'm thinking maybe "new Beetle" units may do the trick, failing that I can just fibreglass it all up, skim it with filler and start again. Better hit YouTube for some
Fibreglass tutorials!

[steveo3002]

corvette rears ?

[Lankytim]

corvette rears ?

 

Way too expensive!

[CreepingJesus]

Hit the commercial vehicle parts suppliers for universal lamps? If they're not an exact fit, they won't be far off, surely?

 

Anyway, well bought. I'm turning green up here, cos a buggy is on my extensive want list, and a Manta Ray is high on that subsection.

*goes to lick buggy reference books again*

[Pillock]

I bet Vulgalour has a notebook somewhere with every round rear lamp ever made along with the diameter and depth from the time he was finding some for the Princess.

 

It does look very Corvette. Trailer lamps can often look a bit gash but some are OK - please steer clear of LEDs!

[Timewaster]

Will any of those speakers fit in the holes?

[fordperv]

Why not just fibreglass the holes up and fit whatever lamps take your fancy

[Mally]

Could almost get 7" Headlamps in there.................then the engine would be in the right end.