Servicing
When I started out working on Volkswagens, servicing used to account for about 50% of the work going through the workshop, these days no one seems to put any sort of priority on servicing their air-cooled Volkswagen. I guess that most of this is down to the fact that they don't get used in the same way these days (most of these cars are no longer 'daily drivers'). However, a regular service is still well worthwhile and will keep on top of all those little jobs that otherwise mount up into bank loans!
At the very least, treat the poor old thing to an annual oil change - it's the least you can do!
Electrical
From small repairs to putting right 40 years of meddling, sorting the usual 6 volt problems to complete rewires. No job to big or too small and all carried out to the usual high standard.
Bodywork
Here we are most often talking about restoration work, be it body or chassis. This is where most VW owners end up spending the bulk of their money, so it is important to get it right. Make no mistake, high quality body repair is an expensive business, but anything less is most often a waste of money if you intend keeping the vehicle for any length of time. Please take a look at the page on TIG welding, along with the picture gallery, to get a better idea of the bodywork philosophy here at the Mid-Norfolk Car Company.
Mechanical Rebuilds & Upgrades
All the usual hardware and tricks are used to make your Volkswagen Go, Stop and handle. For most of us mortals, mild is almost always better than wild and can be surprisingly effective! A well sorted VW is a pleasure to drive whether standard or modified.
If you are driving a car with twin carbs, chances are that they are incorrectly jetted and not achieving full throttle - it's worth a look!
Engine Building / Rebuilding
Buying a new engine or rebuilding an existing engine is a complicated business these days. There was a time when any part bought woas of known uality, and you could pretty much just bolt the bits together and it would work. Sadly this is no longer the case. The vast majority of parts produced are of a quality inferior to that of the original VW component, that even goes for most performance parts. As a result, great care has to be taken when buying and assembling parts to build an engine.
For a standard engine, we typically start with a new or line bored crankcase, and build into this an original German VW crankshaft (far superior to the VW Brazil item which is only cast Iron, not forged Steel like the German one), and a set of reconditioned German VW connecting rods (same reason as Crank). The crank, rods, flywheel, clutch and pulley are dynamically balanced as an assembly to ensure smooth running and long life. The case is put together with a new Web cam, and top quality followers, oil pump and bearings. We use Mahle forged pistons where available and new or rebuilt cylinder heads, always with a three angle valve job. Compression ratios are set as per factory reccomendation to ensure reliability.
Corrosion Protection
Whether you drive a 'native' UK vehicle or a rust free import (is it really rust free?), it really is essential that steps are taken to stop existing corrosion and prevent new corrosion taking place. The main method that most VW owners will be aware of is Waxoil, of which there are many different brands available. We use the best - Dinitrol. Although the product is expensive, the protection it offers is first class.
There are many different levels of Waxoiling. A basic minimum job would be to clean and waxoil the entire vehicle underside and inject all closed sections. Once the waxoil has dried, the underarch areas are then undersealed. On top of this, it is preferable to also waxoil inside all exterior body panels.
Ultrasonic Cleaning
This is a cleaning method that has many different applications, but in the workshop it is mainly used for cleaning carburettors. The ultrasonic bath enables effective cleaning to take place within the small drillings and airways found in carburettors. Conseuently it is very often possible to eliminate persistent carburettor faults. A very useful method when dealing with secondhand carburettors, standard or performance.