(was) test, now notes from the wind tunnel

[roccit_53 at hotmail.com (C Boyko)]

Okay, obviously it's working now. WTH?? So no need to send me any further 
"it's working " notes, thanks.
Cathy

I tired to post this before, so I'll try again...(did these go before?)
Since the list is slow, I thought I'd post a note. It's been super mild 
here, so working in the new garage has been pleasant. So time for the 
"de-Californication" of the MkI exhaust. As with many things, it's my first 
full exhaust swap (non-cat from the 80 to the 79). BTW, I have a great 
stock/ with a cat exhaust system available for a MkI, if anyeone wants it 
brought to Cincy, it's in "restoration" condition , well nearly. Even the 
lower heat shield is near new.

So observations:

1. Aero-Kroil rocks MY world, that stuff is amazing. My kid said exhaust 
clamps were automatic grinder candidates for him, I got all mine off. 
(thanks Daun!!!)

2. You folks in California better not complain about "old cars". Just 
LIFTING the 80 (a Northern salt victim) was a challenge. (you know your car 
is rotten when you let the jack "down", and the car comes down, but the jack 
stays UP. Not good...) Not to mention the rust rain. Cotton in the ears 
helped. And then a mysterious antifreeze leak, on my head, WTF? Klaus OTOH 
is a no salt car. What a pleasure. There was even paint on the chassis 
exhaust hangers. You know, the ones that rust off on normal cars? (thanks 
Behrle!!)

3. First time with the big grinder! NOT the last, that's a blast to use. But 
using a flashlight with a plastic lens as a safelight when grinding? Not a 
good plan, the smell of molten plastic clued me in to this fact. (My power 
is not reliable as yet, hubby keeps conserving energy by pulling the plug, 
hence the battery backup, sort of sucks to be under the car when the lights 
go out)

4. Fibreglass reinforced wheels for the Dremel, for the tight squeezes are 
also awesome. Forget the "break and fly in your face" cutoff wheels. Cuts 
through nuts almost as well as the big grinder. I'm still on the first disc.

5. Murphy's law also applies to the "good" car, you know, if one of the 
three nuts rounds off, it will be the one you can't reach? (see #4, 
regarding grinding in tight spots...). But back to item #2, unscrewing the 
mass of rust that was once equivalent to fasteners was not even a 
consideration on the 80.

6. All the while I kept thinking that Ben and Cheapass Ron could have, 
between them, rebuilt a nice 2L 16V engine and appropriate custom tranny, 
and swapped them in, bent and welded up some headers, and driven up here to 
help me in about the same time it took me to do this piddly job. Hey, but 
I'm having fun, I won't be able to drive the car for months anyways.


7. And the general weepy sentiments to the list, for all the confidence 
building and patience over the years. You guys are such a lifeline for these 
cars and especially for their inept owners.

Other VW stuff? Well, my sister in law got a 99 Golf for Christmas, the 
second black A3 Golf in their driveway. And the kid's POS winter Jetta blew 
a headgasket, so there were streams of diesel oil and antifreeze everywhere. 
It's all happy again, he had up and it running before Santa came.

That's it for now. So what did Santa bring you guys/gals besides gift 
certificates?


Cathy

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