September 2019

Beer Tap Handle Shift Know & Boot

I replaced the stock shifter in the Beetle a few years ago and I’ve been very happy with this EMPI Trigger Shifter. It’s smooth and tight. I did paint the shifter knob to match the exterior of the Beetle, but I always hated that cheap looking plastic base. I’d had plans for a long time to change the knob with a beer tap handle and to add some kind of shifter boot. A few weeks ago, I finally found the beer tap handle that I’d been looking for. There are some really nice and decorative tap handles available, but since Michelob ULTRA is currently my choice of beer (gotta watch those carbs), I decided to go with it! Oddly enough, the brass fitting on the tap handle was the exact same size as the shifter rod, but the threads were different. Since brass is so soft, I just re-tapped it with the correct thread pattern and it fit like a charm. But this being a trigger shifter, the gap needed between the brass fitting on the tap handle and trigger was unsightly. I needed something that would fit over the trigger “tube” but still allow it to be slid upwards. I guess if I had a lathe, I could turn a piece of brass that would work, but I don’t have a lathe or the expertise run one, but I did have some pvc pipe laying around with the correct inside diameter for the trigger tube. I just needed to flare one end to fit over the brass fitting on the tap handle. Nothing a little heat from the heat gun couldn’t handle. I just heated the pvc and slid it over top of the brass fitting. Once I was satisfied and tested it, I gave it a couple coats of brass paint and it looked like it’d been there forever. [Read more…]

Radio Flyer Restoration Part IV Finale’

To complete the restoration of the Radio Flyer, most of the attention was given to the tub. The inside of the tub had some pitting due to years of sitting outside and gathering rain. It had been painted a few times over the years, but unfortunately, paint was applied over top of rust, which made it rust even more. The tub was sanded to the bare metal and the pits were filled with glazing/spot putty. After the putty cured, it was wet sanded smooth, then another layer of putty was applied and the process repeated a total of 4 times. The end result was a smooth inner tub. All of the parts were wet sanded and primed multiple times to achieve the desired results. And to finish, every part was give 3 coats of paint. Everything was given a light coat paint, given ample time to cure, then they were given and medium coat and finished with a heavier coat. I let the paint cure for about a week before everything was put back together. The end result was much better than we could’ve expected. Please enjoy the video, hopefully it will provide you with tips to aide in your next restoration.