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Topic: My 79 bug  (Read 5394 times)

Offline Calvin

  • maylene Alabama
  • Joined: Mar 2011
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  • My 79 with a chevy v6

My 79 bug

« on: March 30, 2011, 09:57:37 PM »
I have a 1979 bug that I have a 3.8 chevy in and can't keep it cool  help

Offline Zen

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Re: My 79 bug

« Reply #1 on: March 30, 2011, 10:00:18 PM »
Do you have any pictures of the setup?

Offline Calvin

  • maylene Alabama
  • Joined: Mar 2011
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  • My 79 with a chevy v6

Re: My 79 bug

« Reply #2 on: March 30, 2011, 10:23:35 PM »
I do not but I will take some in a little bit and post them

Offline volksnick

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Re: My 79 bug

« Reply #3 on: March 31, 2011, 01:46:08 PM »
I can't keep it cool

Lots of jokes possible!  :D :D :D

How is the radiator set up? What about the fan set up? Do you have vents through the hood?

Just out of curiosity, is this the black one from Circle Yer Wagens? (I think that one was a convertible..

Offline Calvin

  • maylene Alabama
  • Joined: Mar 2011
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  • My 79 with a chevy v6

Re: My 79 bug

« Reply #4 on: March 31, 2011, 09:40:46 PM »
The motor is in the back with the raditor behind the seat and it is not black I have been trying to post some
 pics of the set up having trouble

Offline volksnick

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Re: My 79 bug

« Reply #5 on: March 31, 2011, 10:06:55 PM »
When you go to post you'll see "+ Additional Options..." down below the text box. Click the plus sign and it will allow you to choose the photo from wherever it is saved on you computer. If it says they are too big, you'll have to resize them. Try that first and let us know.

Another alternative is if they are already on a website like photobucket or flickr or whatever, you can click the third button from the left in the row above all the smiley faces. If you hover your mouse over it it should pop up a yellow box saying "insert image" you click that and it gives you brackets with img and /img inside the brackets. Copy and paste the lick that a specific picture is on and paste it between them.

Offline Calvin

  • maylene Alabama
  • Joined: Mar 2011
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  • My 79 with a chevy v6

Re: My 79 bug

« Reply #6 on: March 31, 2011, 10:43:24 PM »
my 79 with chevy v6

Offline 74loaf

  • Hixson, TN
  • Joined: Jun 2008
  • Posts: 303

Re: My 79 bug

« Reply #7 on: March 31, 2011, 11:54:09 PM »
 :o :o

so do you have the radiator set to run at all times, or just when it gets hot? how does the front of the radiator get air?

 I like the setup, just not seeing where a decent amount of air is being pulled from with the back seat and rear deck in place.

Offline Calvin

  • maylene Alabama
  • Joined: Mar 2011
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  • My 79 with a chevy v6

Re: My 79 bug

« Reply #8 on: March 31, 2011, 11:58:19 PM »
i will take more pics tomorrow there is duel fans on the front of the radiator and the rear deck is custom and  the fan runs all the time

Offline volksnick

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Re: My 79 bug

« Reply #9 on: April 01, 2011, 12:14:05 AM »
Maybe the package trey has a tunnel or something that helps direct air up from the road and into/across the radiator/engine compartment.

If there isn't adequate airflow over the radiator(i.e. it just up against the firewall), then sure it will over heat! If the radiator is getting substantial airflow, then I'd say the fans aren't powerful enough or the thermostat is the cause. Don't know much about them watercooleds...

What's the story of the car? Have you owned it since the 80s or is it new to you? Did you do the V6 conversion? Where are you located? I hope you can make it to the show in two weeks!

Offline volksnick

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Re: My 79 bug

« Reply #10 on: April 01, 2011, 12:20:06 AM »
Wait a second... weren't all 79s convertibles!?!?! something doesn't sound right. Check the VIN number and verify the year. And yours looks like a standard bug, which its last year was 76 or 77.

The seat rails look like pre-73 and it has the finger hole in the gas tank door which means its either a 68 OR a post-72 (which would have crescents behind the rear windows, but your scoops are covering where they'd be).

Definitely interesting. Can't wait to hear more about it.

Offline Calvin

  • maylene Alabama
  • Joined: Mar 2011
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  • My 79 with a chevy v6

Re: My 79 bug

« Reply #11 on: April 01, 2011, 12:24:40 AM »
this one is new to me but i have 4 more and one im putting in a 350 big block im in maylene alabama and i have duel fans on the  front side of the radiator witch is 1100cfm each with a singal on the back side pulling that is as well 1100cfm.and im going to try and be there  u know u might be right i was thinking it was around a 74 but the guy i got it from told me it was a 79 so i took his word

Offline volksnick

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Re: My 79 bug

« Reply #12 on: April 01, 2011, 12:56:09 AM »
Cool, you're down near my sister; she's on the North side near Trussville, but you're not far off. I drove down to the show in Tannehill last summer so I wasn't too far away.

I understand that you've got 3,300 CFM worth of fan power. Has the body been altered to allow better air flor cause from where I see the radiator, those powerful fans would stall out from not enough available air to move. Pretty much if you put those three fans and radiator up against a wall, the wall would keep the fans from being effective. Now if you knocked a whole in the wall or pulled the whole assembly back, you'd get more available air and the fans could do their thing. I'd be interested to see a picture of behind the rear seat. If its stock looking, I'd say your radiator is more of a heatsink than a cooling device.

Offline 74loaf

  • Hixson, TN
  • Joined: Jun 2008
  • Posts: 303

Re: My 79 bug

« Reply #13 on: April 01, 2011, 03:38:52 PM »
Also, just noticed, but I think you may have your water lines backwards. To me it looks like you have the water line from your water pump going to the top of the radiator (looks that way in the pics)... so the one from the bottom of your radiator is going to your thermostat...

But I'm thinking thats backards... from what I can remember, the line going from the top of your radiator should go to the thermostat side of the engine, and the line from the bottom of your radiator should go to the water pump. Just my two cents... the system will not flow backwards.....so that would immediately cause you to overheat.

Offline Calvin

  • maylene Alabama
  • Joined: Mar 2011
  • Posts: 7
  • My 79 with a chevy v6

Re: My 79 bug

« Reply #14 on: April 01, 2011, 10:06:43 PM »
u r right i do have them hooked up wrong i was working on it and it started raining so i just grabed lines and hooked them up if u look u will see a new thermostat laying on the breather  i fogot to pick up i have got all that stright now. thanks

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