Happy Update on my '84 8v (long)

["Nathan A. Marentette" <nathan@www.x5ca.net>]

Hey folks!

    Got the last of the really important work done last week, plated and

insured last Wednesday, and we're on the road.  Things have gone

really well so far (my inexperience with a stick notwithstanding :-)).

    My initial impressions - great car to learn on, very forgiving .. it

likes to rev!  Seems happy in the 4000-5000 range .. surprising 1st

gear acceleration .. shift light is rather conservative :-)  this car eats

turns, even with goodyears on the wheels.  I've never had so much fun,

even with 90 hp :)  I am definitely using any excuse for a road trip .. all

of a sudden I don't mind that my mother lives 50 km of country roads

away :-)  (how many smiley faces were in there?)

   

    Only a few lingering, nagging problems .. Mind if I share them with

you? :)

 

    The A/C doesn't seem to work. belts are tight, I don't really know

how to check the seal/vacuum of the compressor, so I assume it's

alright.  A friendly mechanic told me he's never had a problem with

this particular brand of compressor .. perhaps it's just the switch .. I'll

try to locate and force the valve when I have some time.  I didn't mind

at first, but the 40 degree C weather with 5000% humidity is convincing

me otherwise!

   

    Sunroof still sticks on the slide-back path .. needs a reach-around

pat of reassurance (a la the Fonz :-)) to get it to open .. I'll try greasing

up the parts tonight.

 

    Cold starts are hesitant .. the car will sputter in the 300 - 500 rpm

range for a few seconds, then the idle stabilizer kicks in (I assume)

and things are fine .. if I feed it some gas during those first five seconds,

the car will sputter out and die.  Otherwise it goes to a 1050 rpm idle (a

little high, I know).  Annoying, but not critical.

 

    Yesterday the cap blew off my coolant overflow reservoir .. I was a

little scared since I've only been driving for a week, to see a puddle

forming under my car.  I think the cap may have just been loose, since

I didn't spot any leaks on hoses or anywhere else .. I refilled at home

and things have been fine, if the thermo is honest anyways.  Should I

take precautions to try and clean off what may have spilled?  There

hasn't been any smoke to speak of.

 

    Well, this weekend's project is to clean the engine bay .. and the

engine .. hope I have plenty of degreaser around. :-)  Then the rear

]wiper .. have to check for current, and ohpe it's something simple.

Then a pair of 4x6's in the front, and we'll be set for the week. :-) Does

anyone know the oil capacity and the gas tank size for this model? I

believe it was enlarged right around this model year (1984) .. I'm a little

nervous to drive it right down to empty to find out.

 

Thanks again to all of you for your help .. I keep being amazed by the

knowledge of the people on this list.

 

Nathan

'84 8v Wolfsburg

lots o' new stuff