1982 VW Rabbit

[Broke4speed]

We're definitely on the same page, I love automatic transmissions. I'm a drag racer, from my very first days into 'cars'. I remember watching the guys with the autos do so well, and never break anything...and even if they did, it would be up and running again in no time flat.

This was the first box I've ever built, but I've taken a few apart, and are remarkably similar to pretty much all the GM RWD autos (and the Chrysler FWD 3 speed stuff), so it was easy to find diagrams and information on what to do to make them stronger. I was gobsmacked when I took it apart, there's NOTHING inside! It takes 10 minutes to strip and rebuild one, seriously. The rebuild manuals say that when you're done, if you can install the final circlip...you've done it right, lol. If you've done it wrong, you can't put the clip on.

I'm already frustrated inside, knowing that I can't drive my car for another 6 months. That last drive was awesome, and the car is barely put back together. I can't wait to see what it's like when it's complete!

Speaking of paint...what do you have that torqueflite in? I'm intrigued, knowing the fetish for big power and classic cars that's prevalent in your part of the world .

[Spockie-Tech]

Good Guess..

This is what the Torqueflite is in..

Actually, thats someone elses car, mine isnt quite there yet, but thats where I'm heading for.

This is where my car is up to at the moment
http://www.robowars.org/charger/Charger ... ge%201.jpg
The paint went on the other day. This week the stripes and war paint (blackouts) go on..

This is the powerplant..
http://www.robowars.org/charger/Hemi%20 ... %201-2.jpg

I attached some pics here, but they're too hi-res for the forum pages, and I didnt want to hijack your thread too much.. If you want to see more progress pics along the way (complete bare metal rebuild, after owning the car for 25 years), then have a browse around the pics here.. http://www.robowars.org/charger/

Its had a High Stall Torqueflite 904 in in for years, it used to have triple webers on it 20 years ago, and it was savage. (The E49 Weber'ed Charger held the record for fastest accelerating production car made in Australia for over 30 years) it would fry the tires all the way through first gear and hook up halfway into second if you tromped it suddenly. If you launched carefully, then the 1-2 chirp was awesome. Which is why your post bought back fond memories and future anticipations

Then I put a bigger cam in it, and the 2nd hand small (42mm) webers I had on it at the time (its not an original Triple Weber RT model) couldnt feed it any more (ran out of air at about 5000rpm, so I sold them and tried a 4 barrel, hated it, went to LPG for daily driving for several years (which is what the photos of it in the BRG green paint show), then a woman crashed into the front of it and wrecked the front end, so it rested for a year or two, and then embarked upon the current full restoration project and decided to go back to new correct sized original fitment 45mm triple webers - so I'm eagerly looking forward to the return of the "chirp power"

I should do my own build thread for the Charger one day..

[Broke4speed]

That is awesome! I can only imagine how loud triple webers are, it's gotta be heavenly .
I'm loving the pics of your car in-progress. I'm definitely jealous.

[Thrasher]

Yay , cool Vid Mr Brokespeed ! - you have PM.

and double Yay, a Valiant Charger, my ex in NZ had one of these, they sold them in limited numbers in the Uk as well, although I've never seen one.

[Broke4speed]

It's been a looooooooooong winter, but it's almost time to get the car out again. I was going stir-crazy, so this is much welcome news. I went out to fire it up, and had a hell of a time trying to get it to run. The battery was just dead enough that it would drain on the first few cranks, and all the cold oil and ATF certainly didn't help. The starter is a home-refurbish jobbie, of unknown origin, so it might not even be geared to turn over the high compression engine it's currently on. It was unhappy, lol.

Cleared the winter junk off of it, pushed it outside, and gave it a boost from my daily driver...and it burst into life. I had to hold the chokes open by hand, but it eventually idled on it's own. I guess it's still a bit cold here (-5*C or so), but it made me feel good to get it running .

Of course I managed to completely forget about the leaky 4-1 header, and discovered a new ATF leak...but hey, gotta have something to do this summer . I got another 010 automatic for free over the winter, and will be picking up my new shifter today, lots of happiness to ensue .



Oh yeah...new wheels too .

[Broke4speed]

So, the megajolt has been pulled from my Rabbit. For that matter, so have the carbs . I'll be putting it up for sale shortly, I've started down the road on a radically different project...to which I'll start a thread about soon. It's MUCH different than what I'm used to, and I don't think there's ever been a jolted one .

[Thrasher]

Nice rims. Yes.