manoverboard987's 1998 Cool White 2.0L

[manoverboard987]

there were some interior pics at one point, in my old org thread, and then the photo server i was using lost them all, and i could swear i reloaded them to my old org thread, but i can't find them. but yes, i'm doing a lot of painting this summer, so i guess i should post them here as before pics...

oh! i know where they are. they're in this thread: Post your Interior Mods!

but i'll post them here too.

i've already done a bit of painting:

the 5 pieces on the dash...



the 2 door handles...



the radio surround and bud vase...



and the shifter and shift plate thingy...


as you can tell, i'm goin for a silver on white on black paint scheme. i've since repainted the 2 door handles, the radio surround, and the bud vase. they got scratched up and worn since i never polished them or anything. they've now got a bunch of clear and a coat of turtle wax.

the rubber crap has been peeling constantly, and you can tell my carpets are starting to get worn down a little. so you were accurate in saying that the bulk of the beetle love has gone to the exterior. that's not to say there's none left for the interior. all the broken switches and hanging wires and carpet floor mats and whatnot in the pics have all been replaced/taken care of.

so this summer, i've gotta do the 2 center dash pieces (upper and lower), the 4 door panels, and the center floor console. that'll wrap up the theme and the interior will look a lot cleaner than it is right now. plus, now i know how to best remove the remaining rubber crap.

and feel free to take the pinstriping. the toyota dealership did it before i took delivery. i liked it so i didnt argue. it highlights that line of the beetle and makes it look more streamlined. (at least that's what i see.) and yes, yellow.

[FineExampl]

Ahhh yes i've seen these pics. Didn't put two and two together. Yer a good boy laddie. Keep up the hard work. You'll get it done in no time.

[manoverboard987]

Originally Posted by shellbug

Awesome beetle, very clean looking (except the pic when the birds attacked it)
~Shelly

thanks shell!

[LilBit]

Beautiful Beetle. I like the mods. Keep the pics comin

[manoverboard987]

got my org license plate frame...



i got the blue so it would follow the silver/blue/white color scheme back there. it fits in nicely.

(yeah, i know its not a "mod", but i figured it was worth posting. you've gotta represent for the org after all.)

[niki]

Nice white buggy!! GO WHITE BUGS!! I never see too many of us lil white ones. I love the berry pic... I think I'd cry if I saw that on my bug. Your Euro emblems look hot... I'll keep that in mind.

One question, how on Earth did you remove the "shift plate thingy?" And do the ends of the shifter just twist off like I think they do (because I keep twisting them...like a loose tooth that I just don't really want to pull out yet...LOL!)

Thanks if you can help me out... and great job!!

[manoverboard987]

ok - after a long, busy summer, yes i'm still alive. i never really made it online at all over the summer, let alone on the org, but a few things did happen. to make a long story short, i ended up not getting a job and therefore not having enough money for the shocks and brakes i wanted to get, but they're still on the back burner (i.e. i still need them). the first major thing i did was repaint some interior parts. i had noticed that the finish on them was starting to wear and get dirty, so i sanded em off, laid down a couple new color layers and then used Krylon Triple-Thick Crystal Clear glaze instead of the Duplicolor stuff i had been using. it's a much shinier and nicer finish. then i topped it off with a couple layers of Tech Wax. here's what i'm talking about:





at the same time, i noticed my door panels were really starting to look horrible, so i ripped them off and painted them. i used GINA's method of laying thin towels soaked in acetone-based nail polish remover over the rubberized stuff and letting it bubble up and then scraping it off. here's the finished product:



i was also gonna the center dash console, but i ran out of nail polish remover and white paint.

as you can tell from the one pic, i also finally bit the bullet and ripped off my steering wheel spokes and painted those. i'll make a before/after pic a little later to show how much better it is now.

the next thing that happened was my AC adventure. it had really started to zap my engine's power. so much so that i ran in 97 degree heat without it. it was then that i had a revelation of sorts, and remembered that my aunt (who owns the car) bought a 3-year extended warranty plan on the car. i knew it covered pretty basic things, but had forgotten that she opted for the Silver level, which covered most of the AC and accessories as well.

Sure enough, i took it to the local Stealership, and got a new compressor, drier, expansion valve and all the seals and freon it needed for a $50 deductible. the total without the warranty? close to $900. needless to say, we were very pleased.

and then, one day in July, my left rear tire blew. it was on a highway at like 2 PM when the sun is hottest, but luckily i was close enough to a mall parking lot to pull over safely. we still havent figured out why it popped - i know for a fact it was properly inflated and not irregularly wearing. oh well. the Tires Plus where i bought the tires and road hazard protection didn't have any of the same Insignia tires, so they gave the new model SE200s for the same prorated price.

and most recently, i "recharged" my K&N air filter and cleaned out my MAF. the "recharging" process was easier than it sounded- just spraying on the cleaner, running water through it, and then spraying oil back onto it. the trick is to spray just a little oil at first, let it soak in, and then put a little more where it needs it. that way the oil doesnt drip up onto the MAF whilst air is being sucked through.

see all the nasty dirt from the filter? ewww:


i do feel it pertinent to mention that there was no sign of oil on my MAF after running the K&N for about 2 years- just a tiny bit of dirt on the front side of the sensor. i cleaned the MAF by taking Foway's advice and soaking it in rubbing alcohol, swishing it around a little bit, and letting it dry completely. whatever power loss i had felt with the AC that i didnt gain back with the new compressor, i gained back with the MAF cleaning. it's back to its peppy self again.

the only major problem right now, aside from the squeaky (but not worn) brakes and the shot shocks, is the falling headliner. i thought about removing it and reuphostering it myself, but i'll just take it out and give it to a headliner shop as soon as i get the cash. here's half of what it looks like, but the other side's the same:



and then this morning, i got in the driver's seat only to discover this:



i decided such a landmark demanded an org update, so there ya go.

[Oyveychris]

Great pics and very informative posts! Nice Job!

[JuggBug]

I your bug! If my NB was white, I would be all over those hot euro badges!

Psst, your clear 3rd brake light is the shiznit! You are the person responsible for helping me install mine, so thanks!!!

[lady bug]

i love the euro bagdes. they look really good. but black and blue don't mix so i'm missing out...boo. i love your door panels and the interior too! good job with the car!

[Mazzzja]

Originally Posted by lady bug

i love the euro bagdes. they look really good. but black and blue don't mix so i'm missing out...boo. i love your door panels and the interior too! good job with the car!

Black NB's here have the blue logo's and it doesn't look weird.

Love the pics though, nice work.
Strange though that the inside of your roof is letting loose.

[manoverboard987]

Originally Posted by Mazzzja

Strange though that the inside of your roof is letting loose.

no, actually, it's not strange at all. my car's had 8 years worth of Floridian heat and humidity to contend with and headliner glue apparently doesn't like that at all. my dad's dealt with a falling headliner in his 85 Grand Am for as long as i can remeber. he said it started a year after they moved down from Ohio, so i'm convinced the culprit is Florida.

thanks everyone for the nice words.

and you're welcome, JuggBug. I think the clear third brake light is one of the easiest and best looking mods you can do.

[Oyveychris]

It's not actually glue, but the thin foam padding under the fabric of the headliner, it dry rots and then the fabric falls...

[manoverboard987]

Originally Posted by Oyveychris

It's not actually glue, but the thin foam padding under the fabric of the headliner, it dry rots and then the fabric falls...

ah ha. that makes more sense - and explains the crunching when you touch it.

here's the steering wheel comparo pic i told ya'll about - it had gotten worse than that, but you get the idea:

[manoverboard987]

ya, i know - i missed it by a few miles. oh well. you can't get them all.

The 90k Mile Update:

- as soon as the new EBC Green Stuff pads come in, they're getting thrown on and the rotors are getting turned.

- 4 new US-spec center caps are on the way. (thanks Vim.) the blue stickers had fallen off an additional 2 caps, so i decided i was done playing with blue ones and right now i'm running capless. i plan on securing the metal VW logos to the cap via a whole bunch of JB Weld 2-Part Epoxy.

- as soon as those 2 things are done, next on the agenda is finding a good shop here in Tallahassee to recover my headliner. the fabric's down to about 3 square inches of attachment, so it definitely needs dealt with accordingly.

- after some interesting points GatorBeetle brought up on why high mileage cars shouldnt get Synthetic Oil, i've decided to stick with Dino until i can get the system flushed and seals checked. (it turns out the detergents in Synthetic can eat away at the "false seals" created by whatever sludge is in there and cause leaks and otehr bad things.)

- i've had to redo the top coats on a few interior pieces. i've got them sanded but no paint yet - i'm still trying to figure out how i'm gonna paint on my apartment balcony.

- and last but not least, i tagged my first beetle yesterday, and another today. the first was a sweet PG Turbo S in the school lot and the second an extremely clean black NB who's owner lives in my apartment complex. we'll see if they follow thru.

updates to follow - esp. on the EBC brakes.

[manoverboard987]

so in case you haven't seen my other thread (link to other thread), my NB was unfortunately wrecked beyond repair last monday.

This is the last set of pics I took of her a couple weeks previous to the wreck...














May my NB rest in peace.

[Breez]

Rest in peace little guy, aka fast in pieces

I am just glad you are okay, take it easy now this week and dont overdo it.

[callisto9]

i love those last pics you took - those are really cool. sad to see your car go, but it served you well.

[dnyed]

So beautiful, so sad.