Sam Buchanan

For reliable starting even hot be sure you have 6v battery cables installed. They are much heavier than 12v cables because the current demand is greater. Here is what they look like: Another upgrade that removes aggravation and adds reliability is an alternator. They are available for 6v in either positive or negative ground. Battery Cables Alternators

Guess I should have said...in order to avoid my quote being taken out of context....that a 12v bulb will be dimmer on 6v than a 6v bulb with the same lumen rating.

I've never heard of "positive ground bulbs", as greg stated incandescent bulbs don't care which way the electrons are flowing. Yes, a 6v bulb is definitely brighter than an 1157. My P15 had a couple of 12v bulbs that I had to change out to get the taillights up to full brightness. If the positive ground thing is messing with your mind just change the car over to negative ground. It's a simple process as long as it doesn't have a radio. My P15 had been partially converted when I got it (I had to reverse the ammeter wires) but I probably would have done it anyway just to avoid mental gymnastics.

The headlight switch fuse is a SFE 30a which is 1/4" x 1 7/16". This is longer than the more common AGC fuses. I bought a box of them at the local Napa store. I'm a Beetle dude, too, they were my first cars and I went through several. Here is the last one, a '74 Standard, which was a total ground-up restoration and went to a new home three months ago when I was adopted by a Triumph TR6. Front beam narrowed 3" and 2" drop spindles and quite a bit of body shaving. Your '50 fastback is a really cool ride, don't hesitate to modify it however you wish. You don't have to please anyone but yourself (definitely not a few old cranks on an obscure internet forum....). ?

Valve adjustment tips on the Tech Section of this forum: https://p15-d24.com/page/p15d24/tech/tech_tips.html/ The Chrysler Master Tech service film on valves: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCj0XktYuM0

Yes, and some of the bolts may be frozen. Go ahead and do whatever is necessary to remove them even if you need to snap off a couple. You can deal with replacing them later......after you have brakes. The gas pedal pulls off of a couple of ball-ended studs, just give it a firm tug to break it loose. To replace it I clamp a pair of vice-grips on the accelerator rod to prevent it from going down as you snap the pedal back into place. As mentioned above, if your carpet isn't a problem just removing the bottom cushion of your seat will give you a lot more working room. The seat frame can stay in place. Just lift up on the front edge of the cushion and it should pop free.

I can understand why you are frustrated........get the floorboard out of the car and your task will be much, much easier. ?

You did remove the floorboard, right?

If the pump body has developed a crack a rebuild kit won't help........

Do a Google search on "How to Do a Compression Test"......you will find a multitude of videos and documents.

Very possible, probably due to rear crankshaft seal failure. (Hamilton beat me to it.... )

Nick, once the paint is done you will basically be assembling a kit car. That is an enjoyable phase of the project because it starts looking like a car very quickly. Looks great!

Well.....I was assuming we are using the correct wheel width and offsets. ? Depart from the norm and a lot of things will need to be modified.

Proper tire pressure is a function of the load each tire is supporting. I had a Lotus Seven semi-clone (StalkerV6) with 205/50-15 tires. The proper pressure for those tires considering the weight of the car (1500lbs) was 17 psi cold, any additional pressure would decrease the contact patch. My 2300lb TR6 with 205/70-15 tires runs 24 psi cold, and the 3200lb P15 with H78-15 bias ply tires works great with 27psi cold. One size does not fit all......... ?

With the fluctuating needle don't be surprised if the genny or reg is not long for this life................. ?

If you have a bit of electrical prowess you can charge devices with a 5v regulator. I've used the LM1086 regulator to power devices in the airplane and it works nicely if mounted on metal structure for heat sink purposes. Input voltage is anywhere between 2.6-30vdc. Here is one source, might as well get two or three of them since they are only $1.86 each: https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Texas-Instruments/LM1086IT-50-NOPB?qs=X1J7HmVL2ZGlvf9ZmCkJfg%3D%3D&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIp6aC77Tx6wIVEGyGCh1GIg2TEAQYASABEgJyqvD_BwE Here is the datasheet.

Stating the obvious, but there is a problem with the charging system. You might start with confirming solid connections at all points in the charging system wiring, especially grounds. If that looks good, you are down to dealing with a faulty generator, regulator or ammeter. Checking the battery voltage with an analog meter while the engine is running will tell if the battery is being charged. A reading less than 7v indicates a weak or inop system. There is a great solution to charging problems but I've already expressed my opinion on that in several threads. ?

It is certainly your perogative to disagree...but you missed the point of my post (or maybe I didn't state it clearly). I'm not talking about a sudden illness or injury, but rather the loss of desire or will to pursue a hobby, in other words, the fire has gone out. My local airport has hangars full of aircraft abandoned by pilots who know they will never fly them again, many don't even want to fly again, the hangar doors haven't opened in years. But they can't pull the trigger to sell and their family will be left with a huge burden to unload something they know nothing about. We can be more considerate of our survivors by realizing when its time to let stuff go.

Yep, when we get to the age where our productivity is dropping off....if we haven't touched something in a year, we most likely never will.....time to get rid of it. It is a huge burden to leave this task to our kids....and their opinion of us will not be enhanced.......

Just needs to be strong enough to hold the seat latch in the locked position, not a lot of engineering here.

Yeah, I thought it was one of those deals like the bikers do when they meet someone.................

The round hole you see above the sender is for an access cover that can be removed from within the trunk, it is secured by small screws. It appears the cover is missing in your car and has been covered by the carpet. The access hole allows you to reconnect the sender wiring after you install the tank. Might as well go ahead and cut the carpet so you can access the hole. You can make a new cover for it our of thin sheet steel or aluminum.

Here is an article about the heat riser in the Technical section of our forum: https://p15-d24.com/page/p15d24/tech/heat_riser_adviser.html/

Give the return springs a hard look while you are at it.

They already have.....see post #2. ?