bring it back

SO long time without blogging.  I apologize and I hope you will join me again as I try to resume regular posting.

A lot has happened since my last posts, and I hope to do a summer recap at some point, but not today.  The important thing to note for todays post is we recently obtained a 72 VW Beetle Convertible.  It is a fun little car, but has a lot of little things wrong with it.

As it is steadily getting colder and colder as we ease into Southern California winter, night time driving is getting cold.  Todays project was to get the heater working on both sides of the car.  Previously only the passenger side heater channel was working.

Luckily the only parts that really needed to be replaced were the control cables, the flaps in the heater boxes both function, only the right side had a cable connected to it, and it wasn't properly connected either.  After a quick trip to JBugs in Oceanside, I had new heater cables in my hand, along with a new heater box to car hose, and some floor vents.

The first task was to remove any old cables and make sure the guide tubes leading to the back of the car were clear.  I initially mistook how the system works, there are two levers one on each side of the parking brake. I assumed each lever controlled the heat to each side of the car, in fact the passenger side lever controls the heat exchanger flaps, and the driver side lever only controls the rear seat vents (which are no longer in place on our car).

The first problem...I didn't buy new flap control stuff at all, and the original cable/flap arm interface was no longer intact.  I stopped by a bike shop to see if they would have the barrel clamp for the end of the cable, but no luck.  After staring at the hardware aisle at True Value for a good 10 minutes I figured it out.

Bought 2 threaded aluminum spacers whose diameter are large enough that I could drill a hole through the side for the cable end.  Also required are bolts/screws that thread into the aluminum and are long enough to clamp the cable.

Test fitting the barrel clamp.  Used 1/8" drill bit to put a hole through  it.

The finished product.  Works perfectly and cost less that $2.50.  Both flaps now actuate, and I replaced the drivers side hose so there should hot air making it to the front of the car.  Can't wait for a test drive along the coast highway...