So let's stop FOX-ing around. A VW lover's story.

So let's have a look at disassembly and fixing that notchiness...

So it was just a casting imperfection that was sanded down, and now the button moves smoothly.... Talking about sanding down stuff

Then some primer coates...

Then a flash coat of gloss black...

Then following that, 3 to 4 coates off gloss...

So let's add some personal touches...

And then the whole thing was coated in 4 more layers of crystal clear

Now let's assemble...

The yellow wiring hanging down on the floor is the sensor wire before I routed it through the fire wall...

Now that is up to date on the interior.

What started this, is actually a chain reaction that started in Nov 2019, with the purchase of a damaged 2L short block.... But all that will follow, as I am off this week at home to fix a couple of things on the fiance's Fiat Palio, and the garage, and finalizing our wedding plans for mid April.

mdshaw said:

I wish we could go back to those simpler car times. Like when we visit Brasil, there are SO many different small, simple VWs, Fiats, Fords, GMs. Also anything with 4wd is diesel. And those short little 3-5 ft pickup bed, 4 door trucks are super cool.

Hi. Sorry for the late reply.

Was so busy rambling, did not see your post.

Then you should come to South Africa. You will be amazed about all the old Datsun/Nissan 120Y's and old Mazda 323's and Toyota Conquest's still running around

pres589 (djronnebaum) said:

Interesting to see the path the mk1 Golf took in your country.  Cool thread so far.  Welcome to the forum.

Thanks alot.

The Citi/Mk1 is still te most popular used vehicle/hatchback in South Africa

There will be some more "back-dates" when the wedding is done and I can get time for forums and cars

Well with the wedding plans are going well, and the Fiat's suspension sorted, I had to do a quick drain and clean on the FOX after somebody dumped a couple of tin foil pieces into my gas tank.

In South Africa we do not have self-service stations, ao somewhere, a filling station attendant dropped, on purpose, a couple of tin foil pieces into my gas tank, and the car kept stalling out of fuel, with a full tank.

A small update. 

Having swapped my BIL my 14's for a set of genuine Borbet Type A's, they were still lacking in the center caps, which are unobtanium, I found that one of my friends, and action cricket team mates, does 3D printing, and he did a prototype, which was a bit crooked.

After giving him the new measurements, he tweeked the file a bit, and we have centre caps

So let's measure one up... 

Conclusion? It is still recessed by 5mm, but it is possible to space it out a bit. So I will be doing one, an finishing it off, and see the fit, then will I do the other 3

Well guess it's time for a carb rebuild. 

Three weeks before our wedding some idiots threw E36 M3 into my car's fuel tank. 

So I drained the tank and added a filter an extra filter in the tank. 

The other day the started feeling as if it is falling on it's face whenever it shifts. 

So I changed the one in the engine compartment and the intank. 

It did help a bit, but I think some E36 M3 got through into the carb and is blocking some of the jets, so a rebuild is due

So after replacing the two filters, I got a hold of a carb kit, some carb cleaner and a new air filter

So last Friday evening, in a break during the rain, just after the engine cooled down, let's start by taking the carb off... 

Dirty little monster aren't ya.... 

Now this little vacuum pot on the side kept on giving me E36 M3. It's purpose is to open up the choke under manifold vacuum when you have the the choke cable pulled out, but for some reason it didn't work like that. It kept the choke butterfly closed, so I was going to inspect it's function as well. 

Did I say a dirty little monster? I meant a filthy little berkeleyer.... 

Damn that's nasty

Realy nasty.... 

Emptied the carb into an empty 5L ice-cream tub.... Lot-o-crap inside. 

Screw missing on yhe speed pump's diaphragm 

Yuck. 

Some music to strip the carb by, playing it over garage sound system. 

That O-ring looks a little bit suspect 

Definitely berkeleyed. Might be the reason behind the bogging, since it's the second stage fuel jet

Changed the music line up a bit. Wanted something more relaxing for the cleaning process 

All internals lined up. And yes, for carb work, I do it on old mirrors. Easier to spot odd pieces rolling to the side as well as forces you to be more gentle 

A second carb donated some of it's internals

My preferred carb cleaner. Went through two 500ml cans. Also paintball marker waiting in the back for it's turn to get worked on

berkeleying E36 M3. This was dirty as hell

Second carb also donated the vacuum pod after testing showed that original to this carb was not holding vacuum and causing rough idles. The green ringed one is the faulty one

Ended Friday evening with a cleaned and adjusted carb top, choke vacuum pod and needle and seat. 

Spend the Saturday with the family and went for a drive in the GWM H5

Rare to find carb kits in RSA that includes new jets as well as all the o-rings

This Lucas brand does indeed have EVERYTHING in the rebuild kit

Air correcter jets, emulsion tubes and venturies installed. Also surface the top for a better seal with a fine file

New main jets, o-rings, speedpump jet, idle jet and idle jet plug installed

Carb assembled. Not take photo of is the new speedpump diaphragm and o-rings and also al the screws on said speedpump diaphragm housing locktited

Carb installed and all cables, wires and hoses connected

New air filter installed. 

Afterwards air filter housing top was installed and the carb tuned. After the test drive, I can confirm that all is good

Still need to sort out that top rad mount on the right hand side

Just dropping this here to remember where I am with this combo upgrade/modification

Welp, carb still has a slight sluggishness to it, but will try and sort it out later. 

Had a slow Sunday at work. 

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so here is 7000 in a short recap, turning a front indicator into an LED type. 

Rinse and repeat 

I love the enginuity modifying a car with parts not designed to just bolt on right to it. Nice progress and love the Borbets.

Javelin (Forum Supporter) said:

I love the enginuity modifying a car with parts not designed to just bolt on right to it. Nice progress and love the Borbets.

Thanks alot. 

I do love my FOX. And when I sort out the recess problem on the new center caps, the Borbets will get a respray. 

Also currently doing a minor/major thing with the windows and locks, but when that is done, I will start on an upgrade/modification to a set of taillights I have for the FOX

Neat work you're doing here. 

A buddy of mine had a Fox in college and we drove it from Boulder to Calgary CA straight thru - 24 hours.  It was super capable for a basic old car.  I remember taking it all the way up to 100 mph in northern Montana, and it just hummed along.

TVR Scott said:

Neat work you're doing here. 

A buddy of mine had a Fox in college and we drove it from Boulder to Calgary CA straight thru - 24 hours.  It was super capable for a basic old car.  I remember taking it all the way up to 100 mph in northern Montana, and it just hummed along.

Those were indeed quite capable little cars, but they were more based on the Mexican Gol, Type 30 and the Group BX platform, were as the South African FOX, was based on the VW Mk1 Jetta, Typ 16 and the Group A1 platform.

Dimensionally the same, but the Type 30 had the North-South engine arrangement, while the Typ 16 had the East-West arrangement. 

Been busy with a couple of behind the scenes upgrades and mods, and today at work, yes we were open on New Year's day from 9h00 to 12h00, I decided to continue one of the mods, and the I did a stupid... 9.5mm drill bit right into my hand...... 

And how it looks like this evening..... 

Changed out the original fuel cap this morning as the lock didn't want to lock anymore 

Send of the 2L 8V EFI head to a mechanic friend of mine to dismantle and have a look at what is going on so I can take of the 1800 8V carb head sitting on top of my 2L block. 

Also bought a nice lumpy bumpstick for ontop. 

When I get the head back, the bumpstick will be going in, and the head on, with a adapter plate to still run the carb, but now I will be a few steps closer to my EFI conversion

Nice lumpy bumpstick

Finished the taillight mods today, after working every second Sunday on them. 

Starting point, a standard taillight. 

Screw and light fitting. Had to do this 20 times

Measure twice, drill 40 times

One fitting done and testing

All fittings done and testing

So with one light done, one still to do. 

Then after everything was done, time to clean up

All messy wiring. 

Adding two 10Watt/15Ohm resistors per side to stop possible hyper flash situations 

One side done with pig tail added and marked

Other side done and pig tail added 

Both done with the pig tails

Second one looks much neater than the first