part 3

The interior is done - finally. All that remains is the Sapphire 1 radio to be installed in the dash, just waiting for a rear mount plate to arrive from the states.

I also managed to get hold of a pair of original front bumper over-rider supports of Ebay to replace the repro supports that were already installed. The repro supports were the wrong shape so that during the rebuild the front over-riders had to be moved towards the center of the bumper. So, over the course of an afternoon I removed the front bumper, took it to bits and put it all back together with the over-riders back in their original positions. Much better...

I have also ordered the grey vinyl to recover the sunroof from a classic car auto trimmer I found on the Internet, should be here for 4th March '05. It will be used to recover the spare Britax I have in the loft. I'll also be recovering the interior of the sunroof with the same fabric (TMI Grey Mohair) that was used for the headlining. The difficult bit will be carefully unpicking the headliner from around the sunroof opening to remove the existing sunroof so I replace it with the spare recovered roof and then re-glue the headliner back in place. Sounds simple... will probably take hours...!

I'll have to give up on grey running board covers, can't get ready made or the matting in pale grey from anywhere. Guess they will be staying black.

part 2

Over the weekend we put up Gertie's garage, got it from a Danish company. The instructions said two hours... more like two half days. The poles went together easily but getting the anchors into the gravel driveway took for ever, then we discovered concrete by the fence so I had to get some concrete fixing bolts. By 9pm last night (12/02/2005) Gertie was in her new home beeping softly...

The Carello spotlight looks great, Chris Gilley Beetles fixed it using the actual lamp bracket direct into the front hood; looks ten times better I think you'll agree, and it still works... You'll notice Gertie is wet in the pictures below, just washed her and no leaks(!). 

It must be almost freezing out there, was snowing this morning... At least Gertie will be kept dry from now on in her shelter and with lots of ventilation to keep her dry... Good night Gertie...

part 1

Gertie is currently back at Chris Gilley Beetles having a leak sorted out but gets home on Saturday 12th February 2005. In the meantime I got a picture of her re-located Carello spotlight in my inbox and a couple of presents have arrived...

Gertie's not feeling well since Christmas... her green oil warning light keeps flickering and there's a bit too much smoke coming out of the tail pipes for my liking so...

I've changed the oil, put in a new pressure switch and added some Redex to see if this helps her along - if not then the new engine will be arriving sooner than we thought...

She's been on a few 'good' runs after the new switch and oil and the light seems to have have calmed down, just got to wait for her to cool down and I'll check the oil level just in case she's burning oil...!

There's been lots of discussion over her eyelids, even got an email saying I should take them off(!) but local consensus with the neighbours make them a firm favorite so looks like they'll be staying (thanks Sue!).

The only 'new additions' to Gertie are her D-Ring horn push and the wheel hubs have been painted black. The hubcaps are safely inside for the winter and a surprise is on the way from the states - a set of 15"x6" widened stock wheels, just like Herbies...! She'll be so excited when they get here - as will I...!

Next weekend (5th Feb) Gertie goes back to Chris Gilley Beetles for a few bits and bobs...

Click here for more pics...

Not much going on except Gertie & Horace got snowed in... She's not going anywhere this weekend...! 

Gertie did get some Christmas presents though; a shiny new D-Ring horn push for her steering wheel, some new tubes for the headlamp wires from the wings as the pair fitted aren't long enough, some original style license plate brackets for the (also new) front and rear Californian style license plates. I noticed that her hub caps are turning a lovely shade of orange so they've been removed temporarily while they are cleaned and waxed and 4 N.O.S. hub caps are now on there way to her - didn't she do well...!

And she finally got her eyelids installed...

Gertie gets new tyres... We thought the steering was a little light, even for a Beetle. Whenever we came across a white line or painted box on the road, in the wet Gertie would slide across the street...! Very scary... So, a trip was arranged to the local tye garage to replace the original crossplies on the front and spare with radials - not original but definitely safer... Now you can feel the road under the car instead of the car and no road...(!) The guys at the garage were all over her, not bad for a 40 year old eh? Picking up a couple of 18 year olds... Naughty girl..!

First weekend out and about in North Manchester; from the house to Bacup, then Rossendale, Rawtenstall and down across Holcolme to Radcliffe before heading home, a good two hour run up and down the hills..!

The following day it was Gertie's chance to go to South Manchester, down to Knutsford, through Chelmsford and Alderley Edge and then through Manchester back home...

On the Saturday morning we started her up there was a cloud of smoke (lovely shade of blue!!) hovering around Gertie's back end, but after the weekend nothing...!

Not very exciting I'll agree but it's only the first weekend, be thankful there's not pictures of Gertie at the petrol station fillin' up...! 

Gertie in the workshop, almost ready to come home...