The '61 gets its first drive

Oh yes, the Ragtop hits the road after two years and one month of waiting!

Engine finally in!

Finally the day came that I was in a position to test my Ragtop Beetle. I've been looking forward to that moment for a very long time! It was very nerve racking!

My mate Rich and myself spent Saturday morning fitting the original 1200 engine that I had cleaned up and rebuilt and come lunch time we had it all wired up and ready to go. Time to turn the key! Chugga chugga vrooooom! It started first time - no flat spots - just a perfect idle and excellent responce. That was a first!

So now everything was fully working (I had had a few electrical problems with the rear lights which I've now sorted) I think it's safe to say the car will be taking me and the lady to our wedding reception in two weeks. That's if it gets through the MoT this coming Saturday!

There are a few jobs left to do such as putting on the new front wheels and tyres this week and getting the tracking done but the other remaining jobs are pretty small. I do want to get the interior light to work when the doors open - for some reason it's refusing to do so even though it all appears to be connected as it should be. Also there is an annoying squeak coming from the urethane spring plate bushes which HAS to be rectified for my own sanity.

So what was it like to drive? A dream! It was smooth and comfy. Despite being lowered potholes and lumps in the road didn't seem to bother the car, the steering felt solid, responsive and easy, the engine pulled well and the CSP disc brakes are possibly the best brakes I've had yet - I really can't believe how well it drove first time. And I can't believe that the project is very nearly over.

Don't fret though, I have more plans up my sleeve for the winter and, as I've mentioned before, a bigger engine is going in plus there are still a few minor jobs to finish off once the wedding is out of the way. Ooo and I also have some accessories to look for like a period stereo. I have some plans for that too in the MP3 department!

Previous blog post with interior shots