Remembered I saved an old heat shield from a car years ago. A bit of trimming, forming and came up with this. I’ll tweak the tube so there’s no contact.
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Getting the ‘57 beetle back on the road in 2024
- Thread starter bosco659
- Start date
Had a fair bit of dealing with vapor lock down in Fl and Al. 99% of the time it's heat soak after shutdown, then not starting 10 min later. That heat shield should work nicely.
Not to be too fussy but I keep seeing the title of this thread! To be real honest I have many "projects" that will out last me I'm sure!
When I started this thread I had owned the car for over 25 years (IIRC) and had left it untouched other than removing the motor when I first got it. My goal of getting it back on the road in 2024 was a bit optimistic. I worked on it quite a bit two winters ago, but the next winter, before I put the car back in storage I finished a bit of drivetrain mechanical stuff and once the car was gone, then only did things like clean up chrome bits. This winter I thought I should get off my butt and get serious about getting the car back on the road. I need to be driving the car this year - two years late but for something I only worked on during winter months, I’m pretty happy with the progress I made over the past three years. Hopefully I won’t run into any serious roadblocks after the motor is installed.
Stay tuned!
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Heat shield secured in place. New accelerator cable installed. 
Here you go!
https://www.facebook.com/share/r/14S76NJusHc/
https://www.facebook.com/share/r/14S76NJusHc/
Ah yes, if I only had a hoist. I built my garage back in the ‘80’s for my parents. Back then I never thought about possible future ownership. If I did, I would have made it bigger and taller. Oh well, at this point in my life it’s going to remain the same. I guess I can give myself more working space by getting rid of more stuff. Once the beetle is roadworthy I can drive it to a winter storage facility and that will free up one side of the garage. I’m going to start looking for a winter project soon. I think I know what I’d like to get.
Tease . . .
Just thinking about driving the beetle (hopefully) soon. I’d like to have a way of jump starting the car in case my battery dies while on a trip. I could carry a spare battery but I think that would be an extreme measure. I’m told I could boost the car with a12v battery but could possibly damage some of the 6V components. The recommended procedure would be to disconnect the generator then a quick boost and reconnect.
To be safer, is there such a thing as an inline voltage converter )12-6V, that I could buy and incorporate into a booster cable to carry in the car? I know such devices are available for lower current applications like the wiper motor but is there something I could buy or make that would handle the current drawn from a starter motor?
I know there’s always bump starting it but as my bones get older it’s a less attractive option.
Is this a dumb idea - carry a smaller 12v battery in the car, maybe a motorcycle battery. It won’t like the higher current draw so if the starter is engaged the voltage would significantly drop. Would that bring it to a safer voltage range first the brief engagement of the starter. Maybe silly - just askin’
To be safer, is there such a thing as an inline voltage converter )12-6V, that I could buy and incorporate into a booster cable to carry in the car? I know such devices are available for lower current applications like the wiper motor but is there something I could buy or make that would handle the current drawn from a starter motor?
I know there’s always bump starting it but as my bones get older it’s a less attractive option.
Is this a dumb idea - carry a smaller 12v battery in the car, maybe a motorcycle battery. It won’t like the higher current draw so if the starter is engaged the voltage would significantly drop. Would that bring it to a safer voltage range first the brief engagement of the starter. Maybe silly - just askin’
How many cranking amps is the question.
100?
100?
The highest current inline converter I've seen is ~40A, not enough. Maybe there are bigger ones, I don't know.
What about a jump box? Again, not sure if some of them are 6V/12V compatible.
But...why are you so worried about the battery? Because it's 6V? Just asking so I can understand?
The highest current inline converter I've seen is ~40A, not enough. Maybe there are bigger ones, I don't know.
What about a jump box? Again, not sure if some of them are 6V/12V compatible.
But...why are you so worried about the battery? Because it's 6V? Just asking so I can understand?
Just me - worrying about “what if?” Perhaps from my Boy Scout training - always be prepared…. And besides I’m running out of stuff to work on.
All the battery boosters I’ve seen are 12 and 24V.
Have to research that one.
Edit- AI says 100-150A but could peak at 200 with cold motor and cold oil.
I saw a vintage ad a couple of years ago for a pull start kit. Maybe that’s the best solution.
Here it is.
Regarding the hand crank. I’m still scarred from my teenage years where I had a summer job operating a good sized 2 stroke rotor tiller. They were great powerful machines but only had a crank start. They started pretty easily but the handle had a bad habit of not letting go of the crankshaft. Back then while being young and fearless, it was a challenge to get the handle off while it was running. Iirc the shut off switch was on the motor by the spinning handle. A couple of near misses and it was no longer fun.
The cars in the attached videos are 25hp stock. They are probably easier to start than my mighty 36hp! I might try the pull starter this summer.
The cars in the attached videos are 25hp stock. They are probably easier to start than my mighty 36hp! I might try the pull starter this summer.
To - hopefully - allay some of your fears (
), in my 10+ years being conveyed in or driving two Beetles, there were certainly things that stopped them i.e. gas, flat, failing to start after sitting in a parking lot for hours in 0°F weather, etc., but I do not recall a battery or "can't start" issue related to a battery under normal circumstances. They were actually quite reliable.
Looks like those guys go at it all wrong. On the Farmall H I bring it up on compression with the handle to the LEFT of the crank. grab with both hands use my knees to make a solid tug UP, about an 1/8 turn is all it takes and she's running. ;^) But mostly I use the 6 volt starter.
I'd deffo get that starting belt - cor, what a bargain at $3.58
