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Fall 2025 New Plugs and Wires

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Tuesday, September 2nd, 2025  I had ordered new plugs and wires back when I first bought the bug but never got around to putting them in so I decided it was a simple (!) enough job that I would do it before putting the bug to bed for the winter. Yeah, right. I started out with caution and pulled only the #1 plug (right front). Replaced it with a new plug then removed the wire by first tying a length of cord to the end of it and pulling it through the thin space under the alternator then between the intake manifold and the dog house. I then untied the the cord from the old wire and tied it to the plug end of the new wire and used it to pull the new wire through the same space and back to the #1 plug. Then I spent 15 minutes trying to push the wire onto the plug. It's hard to get your hand back there to begin with and you can't see anything so you're doing it blind. Next think I know I hear a crack! Then four letter words come out of my mouth. I pull the wire back out and thi...
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Rear Wheel Bearings - Summer 2025

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I've been driving the beetle for two summers knowing that something wasn't right with the right rear wheel as it was making a scraping noise which I have just been ignoring. I committed myself to fixing it once and for all before I started driving it this summer. Best laid plans of course... My plan was to get to it in April or May so I could start driving it to the pier in the mornings for my walk. Shirl taught a Grand Rapids Community College during the 2024-2025 school year and I committed to driving her there 4 days a week. That took us through the end of May. Then we were committed to have the Grand Rapids Symphony Chorus Leadership Committee over for a back yard barbeque on May 27th which meant we had to have all of the yard work and planting done in time for that so no VW work. Then the Honda Van had to go in for a new alternator. Then I had to do brakes and replace control arms on the Van. I did finally bring the Beetle home on the 22nd of June and parked it next to the...
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