Author Archives: robsworkshop

Kubota T1400 Lawn Tractor Page 2

June 2026:

Let’s fix a mower deck !

So the first thing to do is release the tension on the deck belt, and remove it.  Well the outbound arbour is loose.. Maybe pooched  ! not looking good.  I’ll need to press the main shaft out to see what is wrong.  So I take back what I said earlier about how tough they are.  They can be damaged ..but it takes a lot to do it, and it just the one replaceable bearing.  I still need to convince the double pulley to free itself from the spindle..  I have ways..

Well that double pulley refuses to part ways with the deck.. So I left it there.

Going to put my efforts into the big hole in the middle of the deck.  That is not a rust hole !  Something happened under the deck to punch that hole , ripping the metal.  AND !  Forced the deck mounting bracket right up through the floor board on the tractor.

They fixed this with a piece of angle iron bolted across.  Nah we will do a better fix using a bigger plate up top, and bolt that through.  As for the deck.. It’s got a lot of stress cracks to weld up as well as the patch.  No way I can get all the dents out. But it will be functional and repainted.  Oh and while I was under the tractor I removed the drive belt tension wheel.  It was seized and not doing the job..  Which I’m sure the belt was slipping .

Back to the deck…

The pulley is ok it’s the swivelling part that did not swivel any more.  FIXED !  But let’s get back to the deck fix’n.  I did the welding today, the patch and the new front wheel holder’s.

It’s not bodywork on a car.. This just needs to be strong, not pretty.  And it’s hiding under the tractor.

Here’s one of the gauge wheel holder’s.  Hope they stand the test of time.. I only welded the new piece on ! Everything got another sanding and de-greasing.  Time for the bottom paint first..

Ta Da !  Once the bottom was dry. The top got a coat of primer..  and then the Kubota orange paint..  Looks as good as can be..

You can really see the dents in the front of the deck.  Looks like they were mowing rocks not grass.  Today I replaced all four bearings in the arbours… Now they are smooth…  I will install them then paint them, so I can paint the bolts too.  Need to make a grass deflector and two safety covers. Here’s a bit of an update video…

Today I’ll work on the grass defector and the belt covers.  This is Funny!  Who knew that Betty Crocker made new belt / pulley covers for my Kubota.  $3.75 each !

Oh sure they need a bit of a trim..and a hole for the grease zirt..  But the diameter and height is perfect.

I’ll make clamps to hold them in place…

 

 

 

Kubota T1400 Lawn Tractor Intro

June 2026:

It’s a Kubota !

This popped up for sale on Market place for a very low price..  Seller said  ” only good for parts”  I disagree !

It runs and drives ( on to the trailer I mite add ).  Sure it’s missing a few things…Battery, gauge wheels for the deck, a grass deflector and the headlight cover.  But all and all it’s very complete.  Aside from those four things there is also some stuff that needs replacing..  Front tires, seat, blades.

Oh there will be more I’m sure..  like new belts. But most of all … The Motor Starts !     The deck works !  Here’s an intro video…

This is 100% my kind of project.  I don’t like working on dirty stuff, so time to separate the deck from the tractor.  Well that’s the first bad news..  A hole in the middle of the deck.

I have access to some metal and a welder…so we will fix that.  Years of grass caked on have now been removed.  And the deck is clean !

The guards over the arbour pulley’s are missing. The front wheel mounts are DESTROYED !  And the cable that pulled the blade brake off when engaged is M.I.A.  Oh I knew the blades were bad.. but this is bad to a new level.

Bent upward ?  What did they hit !  That would have destroyed most lawn tractors arbours. These are very “stout” grease able arbours.. It’s a Kubota..  The tractor got it’s bath too…

Easier to see what you are working on when things are clean.  And I’ve seen most everything ..top and bottom.  Here’s the part 2 video.

And now I start taking stuff apart.  First the seat then the rear body.  And it came off with four bolts !   Amazing how little rust there is. Mostly where they made previous repairs.

Why paint this. Let’s just polish and wax it.  Ya there’s is worn off paint parts … but adds character.  Removing this part allows good access to fix the battery hook ups, and my fan is missing a blade !

This post is getting long, so time for a new page.. And we switch gears to focus on the deck.

Page 2..

1988 Chevy Cavalier Z24 Convertible Page 5

May 2026: 

It’s convertible weather now !

But I’m waiting for the new top to be installed…  So I keep busy with other stuff.  I’m also waiting for some supplies to finish under the dash.  So I hop back and forth from the shop to my home work area.  That’s were the trunk lid is. The Black one… The winner of the three.  I put the primed bottom trim piece back on and used a bit of the glassing putty to fill some scratches from removing the emblems.

And there you have it..  The lights cover the middle so no need to paint that. Since the inside is all painted I want to clean up the wiring so it’s ready to just plug in..  Part of my plan with that is replacing the mercury switch / light with two LED penny lights.

These will be a bit brighter and less likely to get damaged. They will be turned off when the trunk is closed by a push button switch.  This lid is now with the car but not installed till after the top is completed. And speaking of that… The old top is now off the car !

Good thing it’s inside out of the weather ..  Now I have a lot more work to do.  Cleaning, oiling and repairing the mechanism. All the belt line trim is removed around where the top and the windows meet the body .. And that needs to be painted.  This small shelf at the back had a plastic cover.

Mostly to cover that butcher job .. cutting it back to fit the top when retracted. That plastic cover was brittle, cracked and can’t be fixed..  This requires a creative solution !  This is the kind of thing I like.. It is hidden under the well cover being made for where the top goes. Hard to explain… better to show you later.   The back part of the top is stapled to HDPU strips , which are riveted to the body. The strip in the middle is still there.. (barely) But the corners are gone. My job is to remove the rivets clean the area and make new strips.

It’s a mess !  So I set to work..  and Cleaned things up… a lot ! Going to need primer on these places.

Once the top is stapled to the HDPU strips there is cover pieces that screw on to finish things off.  I’m repainting those.  And here they are with a new paint job…

They are aluminum so no rust..  But some of the old paint was missing, so these got primed and painted with the satin black. All part of installing the new roof.  And now for the other part to keeping mother nature out of my car… The outer window gaskets..  Going to be a lot of work to remove the old ( glued on) gaskets…or what’s left.

Anyway lets get back to the convertible top..  So I needed to replace some of the HDPU stapling strips. I had a sheet of that, and just the right thickness too.  Made some pieces to fit the curves and the straights.

These corner pieces were totally missing !  Noticed I primed the bare metal first before fitting the strips on.  Heating them up allowed for bending and twisting the pieces.  Quite pleased with how this worked out..  The roof needs to be continuously stapled around and across the back.   Here’s a look at the roof fully retracted..

Before the roof goes on I need to lube up all joints and the rear windows.  Also cover that shelf.

 

1988 Chevy Cavalier Z24 Convertible Page 4

April / May 2026:

Now I don’t have to cover the car every time I think it’s going to rain !   Yes I’ve moved it to the shop.

And yes it’s on a hoist… And yes we checked out the underside of the car.  It’s in amazing condition. Looks better than the top of the car.  For it’s many many years there is little to no rust.  Everything is solid.

Solid floor pans !

See what I mean..  Not bad for 38 years. and here’s another view..

Solid spare tire well !

Some rust on the rear cross frame, but that should be expected.  The tires however are showing there age with some dry cracking and one of the rear shocks is leaking..  That’s it for the underside..  Other needs are an oil change and the serpentine belt changed, and it just so happens there’s a new one in the trunk. There’s other work to be done while here inside..  The new top has arrived and that work will be very soon. I will remove the seats to make that easier.  Also  I will work on the side window seals and the workings inside the doors. Get those windows going up and down better. All this will make the car “weather proof” once again.  And while I have this nice place to work without the seats in the way..I’ll tackle removing the remote start and clean up the wiring.

The bolts holding the back of the rear seat were rusted on the outside. To be expected and not hard to deal with when you can lift the car.  That’s the hydraulic pump for the top, now visible. I also removed the fuzzy side panels for better access to the rear window and roof mechanism. while the tools are out let’s open up the dash and find that darn remote start stuff.

What a mess !

The control box is gone. And that’s too bad because I would like to look up the wiring schematics. But this mess is left behind and that coil of wires under the hood too.  So I’m going to do some wire tracing and removal..  Kinda like defusing a bomb, without the boom. I have a test light and know how to use it. I also have the wiring diagram for the car.  So I at least know what colour wires I’m looking for.  What I’m looking for is the lock / unlock wires for the power door locks and the trunk lock. I have found the wire to flash the park lights.  I’ll get back to the wiring soon..  But I have other things on the go too. Not in the shop, but at home closer to my tools. One of those is the front seats that I got. These are the matching ones for the correct year and the correct colour of fabric. But they are rough, and the lower slide frames are rusty.  I’ve taken all that apart and cleaning those up..

Rusty..

Not Rusty…

These are from the parts car that had no doors.. Therefore they are rusty from “Mother Nature” having full access..  I FIX !  And painted them..  As for the cushions … I’ll talk with my upholstery guy to see what we can do. Easier for him now that they are out of the car and taken apart.

The foam is breaking down and some stitching is coming apart. I’m also repainting the luggage rails for the rear trunk lid.  And that brings up the debate on witch lid to use…  The 93 one currently on the car has the wrong holes, and it does not fit well.  So I’m reconsidering the black lid. And reconsidering the need to have six luggage rails..  The correct holes are there for four rails. Maybe that is good enough.  So I will continue sanding down the inside for the colour change.  Meanwhile back in the shop..  I have won the battle with the old remote start..   Now GONE !  But it left behind the wires needed for my remote door lock system.  I removed the door panels for access the the window and locking mechanisms.

That is a huge steel panel RIVETED to the inside of the door panel !  So access is limited to say the least.  But I’m not drilling 20 or so rivets..  So I’ll do my best to get the locks and windows working better. On the passenger door someone already dealt with the rivets. Might want to remove that one.  With this access I could hook up my remote system… Done and it works great.

Back to the trunk lid thing…

Judges all agree… The black lid wins !  So I went to work sanding the inside , and primed it too.

How’s this ?  Not bad transformation..  Rattle can paint job with a very close colour. It’s called Bahama Blue, and it’s a great colour.  I think I’ll clear coat it too.  Today I removed the 93 lid that was on the car..  Plus the latch and wiring, which I can transfer to this lid.  New loom on the wires too.  Now that the lid was off the car it was easier for me to get the spare loosened up and out.

I just wiped it out a bit..  The paint looks better in here than the outside of the car.  Too bad this is hidden under the carpet.  Time for a new page… this one is getting long..

PAGE 5 New roof and more…

1988 Chevy Cavalier Z24 Convertible Page 3

April 2026 :

Now that I have collected some parts and pieces.. It’s time to get to work !

First thing on the agenda. And because need to still drive the car. The plan will be to work with what I have that’s not currently on the car..For now it’s.. The trunk lids.  Today I gave them a bath so I could look them over carefully, decisions need to be made.  The blue one is the original trunk lid, and was changed out most likely because it has a welded up place where the latch mounts. Kinda messy too. But it has the six luggage rails that are proper for the year. Also the centre brake light is dented down.. Again I see why it was changed. The black lid has the proper latch mount. But only has holes for four luggage rails.  New holes are easy to do. Welding up four old holes is easy too. Also I would want to paint both sides, inside and outer. I’m leaning toward the black one.. Because to repair the blue lid I would have to weld the latch mount from the black lid into the blue one.. And that position needs to be accurate ,so not ideal for me.

But I could do that.  After all one of them (if not used ) is scrap. Here’s photos of top and bottoms.  All stripped down.

Yup sounds like a plan..

So I have a few things I can do before Starting the work on the car once it’s in the shop. And that’s coming soon I hope.  But meanwhile I have two sets of the centre taillights.. Red are just reflectors, white is the backup lights.  And they are slightly different.  Below is what is currently on the car..  I like these.. they are the real 1988 taillights.

I know these work … I saw them on when we were moving the car before I bought it.  Below are the ones that came with the blue lid.. but are likely from the lid that’s currently on the car.. It’s complicated !

And of coarse those are 1993 taillights like the lid..  More reflector… less backup lights.  In very good condition.  They are all interchangeable. Therefore I will use the ones I like.. Once again decisions will be made on condition and originality considered.

Here’s something else…  I was digging through my stash and found this keyless locking kit I had bought years ago.. For what I don’t remember.  But this would be ideal for the Cavalier.

Ideal ! Because the fob has a “open trunk” button as well as the door locks.  Perfect the Cavalier has a electric latch with a  “pop the trunk” button in the glove box. Right now the car has what’s left of a remote start system and I presume an alarm too. No fobs it so going bye bye !  And that system will be wired into the door locking and the “flash the park lights” wires. I’ll be having fun with that..

Paint Code:

Wow I found the RPO code decal in the trunk !   And now I have the paint code…..clear as day.

WA 9346.. is the colour. “Bright Blue Metallic”   I’m not worried about the silver for the bottom..  So long as it’s close.. I’m re painting all of that.  The debate is whether or not to remove the lower cladding before painting. I’ve got lots of time to figure that one out.

Today I removed the key lock from the trunk lid that’s on the car. I’m having it keyed the same as the doors..  Simple and not costly.  While I was messing around I decided to remove the spoiler and centre brake light.

The trunk lid is from an early 90’s car..  The spoiler was bigger and so was the brake light.  As you can see the holes do not line up.  I was considering using this lid, but I would have to drill twelve new holes and fill these two.  Also this lid was red… and some of that shows on the inside.

You can see some of that red peeking through in places.  Like I said before I have three to choose from and that can wait.

April 27 th:

Today I moved the car to it’s new (temporary ) home in my nephew’s  Auto shop.  The Cavalier can stay here while some important work is done.   This calls for a new post / page.

Page 4 :

1988 Chevy Cavalier Z24 Convertible Page 2

March 2026 :

Let’s carry on …Like we know what to do !

Well that’s a maybe..  And I’m not ready yet.. Officially it’s still winter for a few more weeks. I have to keep the car covered and dry.  If it was in a garage I would start right away. That would be nice. But that’s not going to stop me from doing research on solving some of the issues I know of.  “I know of”  Ya.. there are still some unknowns.  The car needs to go on the hoist and all the stuff you can’t see checked.  Brakes, suspension, frame, lines… and the whole condition of the underside. For now my focus is on keeping mother nature from doing further damage.  I believe I have sourced the weather stripping needed for the windows. Also I have a local shop that can replace the roof..  For now these I consider the next most important things. However for the time being this is my view out the window.

Stay tuned there’s more videos and stories to come as I learn…

Well I had the place in the states send me five samples of the “belt line” window sweeper gaskets.  And I found a very good match to what was there.  An order has now been placed for more that enough for the four windows.  Should be here soon.

In the mean time…  I had to go to Cranbrook for vehicle pick up so I stopped by the place where I bought the car..  He has another car ( not convertible) that’s for parts.  So I got the sad looking seats and a few goodies.

These are very dirty and in need of repairs…not to mention the rusty parts.  Can Rob clean and fix these ? You bet I will try..  Consider this photo the “before” photo.  I can make a whole post on fixing those..  And here is the other bits I got…

On the left is the “under hood”  light that should come on when the hood is opened.  It has a mercury switch and one of those dome light bulbs.  Mine is only missing the lens..BUT this gives me a chance to make the better, brighter light.  And on the right is the right side of the dash bezel for the wiper controls and under that normally has the rear widow defrost.  However I have a convertible without defrost… but the roof control would be here instead.  In the introduction video I made I showed the roof control.  Changes are coming..   Stay tuned.

April 2026:

The weather is going to be nice for a few days.  So I unwrapped the Cavalier and moved it to our driveway.  Needed to open the windows and air it out..  starting to smell musty. Noticed a few things.  One was yet another mystery switch under the dash by the hood release.

Hiding a switch has to mean some kind of security thing.  We will find out later.  But nicely done!  The other thing bothering my ” OCD things in the right place” mind..  was the horn button.  The Z24 was upside down when the steering wheel was straight.  Sure enough The horn ring has a notch and three possible ways to mount it.

They got it wrong… the notch should be at the top.  I guess they thought “the horn works so what the hey”   I’m certain to find more.. Meanwhile my new roof guy has come by and had a look at what’s needed. Then we’ll get that ordered.  The paint colour has been confirmed, and I can get what I need here locally. I’m not changing the colour or the two tone theme with black trim. That look has grown on me and is a recognized 80’s look. Off to Creston again this week to get the original trunk lid and a few other bits for the donor car. Here’s a video I made after moving the car to my driveway….

More bits & pieces..

I’m back from a trip to get more parts.  I brought home two trunk lids… so now I have three ! That should be enough to make one good one.

The one on the left is the original lid… The one one the right came of the parts car, which was a 2 door hard top.  The light assembly is off the blue lid, and I just found out the red lights are just reflectors !  Only the backup and licence lights work. Interesting ….  Wait ! there’s more…  I got two perfect Z24 emblems for the lower valances.

 

Just got to figure out how to remove them without harm.  Yes it’s still attached to the valance. Plus.. I got a complete trunk carpet (grey), dirty but it will clean up.

Consider this photo the “before” photo. Also in the picture is a second piece that goes between the hood and the windshield.  I’m sure it has a name…. just don’t know…at the moment.  Having this (un attached) piece shows me how to (un attach )  the one on the car.  Yes I will need to do that..

Here’s another spare part, this time interior. The centre dash bezel.  This means I have two… and that means I can experiment with modifying one of them. I don’t want or need an ashtray…or cassette tape holder.  Or green switch for that matter. And last but not least some extras…

A window belt gasket. A door sill, and wiper arm. You just never know what you’ll need. AND having removed parts helps learn how to remove the bits on the car come painting time..  Yes I would rather remove stuff then mask them off.

1988 Chevy Cavalier Z24 Convertible

March 2026:

Note: I constantly update this blog post and other posts too..   

Winters are hard on me.. Time to get stupid.. and buy something. BIG

But was I stupid ??

It was cheap. ( so not much invested)  It drives,  and I could have driven it home if it wasn’t still winter.  This photo was taken in Creston when we stopped for lunch. Doesn’t look like winter does it . It’s still clean! But not for long… There is still snow on the mountain passes, and we have three of those to get home.

Meanwhile back in Grand Forks…

It’s here now ( home) and a little dirtier. And soon off to the car wash for the trailer and the car then I will unload the car. I’ve got to remember this Chevy is 38 years old !   Guess what I found in the glove box ??

The owners manual !   In excellent condition.  Blew my mind. I never expect that. And yes I read the whole thing.

History Lesson…

What little I know. I bought the car from the son of the owner.  Dad owned the car from 1992 till now. (Claimed) Only driven in the summer and stored under cover…  OK I’ll buy that. It is a convertible and I can not find any rusty places.  Dad was a heavy duty mechanic for the coal mines and lived in Elkford.  Winter lasts more than six months there. So unless the dash was replaced, he drove a whopping 300,000+ kms in those 34 years.  Yup possible, the math sorta works. However that 9000 kms every summer seams like a lot of driving. So the whole mile’d up thing is up for debate, and not what I was hoping for. It could be that this car came with the…  ( notorious ) digital dash from these years that was prone to failing.  And the only one he could find (from a wreaking yard) was this one with lots of Kms.  We will never know for sure.

I must note here (after reading the manual) that the odometer has a feature that tells you if the numbers have been tampered with. Suffice to say THIS odo has not been tampered with..  But could have been changed.

I’m writing this post a bit early.. Haven’t even unloaded the car from the trailer.Got that done today and made a video too…  Check that out …

Today I have had a much closer look at the car..  Put a new battery in, and air in the tires. Some gas in the tank..  Took it for a drive …about 4 kms on our rural roads.  No issues. It drives better than I expected.  I like it !

That’s the good..But let’s look at the bad stuff…

And you know there’s got to be some things not right. Let’s put aside the terrible paint job. That’s not going to be a problem for the time being. And it looks fine from 20 ft away. I’m more concerned with the condition of the weather stripping and the seals for the windows.  It’s an old convertible !  Which means even more places that’s going to let the rain in. Sourcing these seals is going to be a challenge. I’ll take some photos of what I’m referring to.

#1 bad place to leak.

The belt line seal for the drivers door/ window on the outside is missing. The rain will just run down inside the door.. Not Good !

#2 bad place to leak !

This gap is between the front and rear windows.  Is the rear window to blame for this?  Is there a seal missing ?  That metal piece comes off and I suspect it’s on the wrong side.

#3 Bad place to leak ! chunks are missing..

This time the rear drivers side belt line window seal.  All four should be replaced.  I wonder if something generic could be used. So I pulled this belt line moulding off to see how the felt / rubber seal is attached.  ( what’s left of it )

Here it is.. the belt line is a metal cap that snaps onto the top of the door , or in this case the body behind the door. stapled to it is the rubber / felt window seal / wiper.  I found a place in California that sells just the rubber / felt part…. By the foot.  So I can repair this. What little is left of these seals is hard, brittle and doing nothing to stop rain from coming in.  Two down one to go..

A new top !

The other part to keeping the car dry inside is the whole convertible top..  That’s a big one.  But just today I found out the local upholstery shop here can replace the top… with a”glass” window for approximately $1600.  My choice of colours..   I think I’ll stick with black.  The rain is coming so for now I have a tarp over the car and a car cover over that.

That should keep it dry.. Intro is done… Time to start a new post for the repairs / restoring work.

Page 2

2006 Chevy Avalanche Z71 Page 6

Jan 2026 ! :

New Year.. New Love ..

And.. New work to do on the Avalanche.  So first thing right away is the exhaust  manifold leaks. As I write this it’s in the shop having that done.  And then before winter is done… the knock sensors will be done and hopefully that will finally turn that darn check engine light off. Even before these things get done I just haveta say the Avalanche has been reliable and driving great. To be expected given the amount of new parts and work done since I’ve owned it.

Lucky me just the left side exhaust manifold needed to be done ( I think it’s quieter? ). And with that job out of the way.. Time to try out Peter’s new scan tool..  Yes it shows the Knock sensors, An evap leak plus a random miss fire on #8 cylinder. What the hey ! Time to check that spark plug.. And yup it’s got a cracked body. So a new plug went in and the codes reset. Will the check engine light come on ?? Now I drive the Avy till it does, or it doesn’t.  In the meantime !  It’s time to do an upgrade to the stereo. Here’s a new head unit..

This should be fun.. I haven’t done one of these in a few years..  The 2009 Avy was supposed to get a new stereo, but I sold it before that happened.  So this gives the 2006 a big upgrade in it’s functioning. Bluetooth, touch screen, navigation, USB input and most important to me a rear camera ! Never use the CD player. I’m putting the camera on a switch so I can leave it on while hooking up and pulling trailers.

That handy little panel next to the climate control.. and it’s lonely traction control button now has friends.  A second USB and the switch for the rear camera.  This is an Android based stereo so it works good with our phone. I’ve played with it a bit on the table, can’t wait to try it in the Avalanche.  I’m making a video on the install, and I will link that later.  I’m waiting for one last piece of the puzzle.  The interface so the chimes , bose amp and the steering wheel controls will work.  Here’s the camera I bought to use with the stereo..

Not all the cameras have the power wire in the cable all the way to the head unit.  Most come with it short and intended to hook up to the reverse lights for power.  That’s the way I need it. That’s what the yellow switch is for …  So instead of the reverse gear triggering the camera, I use the switch.

All wired up now, and the camera wire routed to the back..  Looks like it belongs..

Not the easiest to set up.. I did get the volume controls on the steering wheel to work..  Really all I need or care about.  But I can’t get the camera to work yet.. I’ll keep working on stuff..

Mastercraft Yard Bug Mower Part 2

December 2025:

The shed is staying nice for working…. SO

I’ll be making some improvements to the “BUG”.

Welcome to the shop / shed little friend !

You’ll notice the bug is sporting a new seat. (not mounted yet)  That’s one thing to do while in here. The list is :  install the deck, Re-wire all the electrical. ( going to be dangerous) I’ll need a new battery. Fix some rubber bumper buttons (where the body sits on the frame). Oh there will be other details as well.  As soon as it warms up we shall start….. maybe tomorrow.

It’s tomorrow !  And I tore into the wiring..  I have practice.. And I know the colour code for the wires. Let’s do it while things are fresh in my mind. Safety switches are removed and all the excess wires removed too..

Just like the “yard beetle” wires are in a loom and the key switch is taped up.  Solenoid moved and everything tidied up.

All tested too.  DONE.  A few little things to do before I re- install the deck.  Like the rubber bumper buttons that the body rests on.  Time to mount the seat too.  And that is done… four of the holes did line up.  The rubber bumpers are on too.  Time to deck the halls. But first a new video…

 

Yard Bug Mower #2 Intro

I liked the first one sooo much..I want to collect them.. So why not get a second one.

Different Flavour !

Different year too..  I drove five hours to the Fraser Valley to get this one.. WHY ?  Because it was $75 bucks.  And only missing a few things.  But Yard Bug #1 is also missing a few things.  However nothing that would stop it from mowing the lawn.  I believe this one is a 2000 model because it has the 8.5 hp motor.  The builder’s decal is on this one and again made in Canada !

Should I call that 1-800 number ?  Nah.  I just gave him the money … we loaded it up an headed home. This time I had help unloading last night and therefore did not have a runaway down the ramps and over my foot.. This morning I went out and had a look at what I’ve paid $75 for.

Here’s the photo in the ad.. Ya.. not much help, but does show the grass bin and a motor ! Doesn’t mention the fourteen thousand pine needles hiding everywhere.  I’m not at all disappointed.  A quick assessment told me a few things need fixing.  For sure the wiring , that rear wheel is off the rim, the cables need lube, two need to be freed up.  That would put this little guy back on grass cutting duty.  I gave the beetle a bath and then made a video.

Think of how much more it would have sold for if it looked like it does in the video. Now I have more pine needles in my yard.. Stuff is nice to work on when clean.  Time to roll the beetle into my little shop.

There you have it.. room to work …no dirt.  The green and yellow is growing on me.  I’ve ordered some bits and pieces.  New key switch, air filter and battery terminal covers.  Now to sort out this wiring.  Funny thing ! I tested the seat switch from the Beetle and it does the opposite of the Yard Bug.. Weird..  When you sit on the seat Beetle brakes the connection. Yard Bug makes the connection.  The mower deck engagement safety switch was just hanging around with a zip tie holding the button in. It does both with four wires.. My head hurts !  So I took the steering wheel and console off to get to the cables for the forward / reverse lever.

This is what’s under that cover.  so now I’m pouring the juice down there and slowly work those cables.

The Electrical Stuff:

Let the fun begin..  I’m rewiring the whole Beetle.  No more non – working safety stuff…  we’re going to live dangerously !  The new key switch arrived today as well as some other bits.

New Key Switch !  With fancy new key!  Now I can test some wires to make sure I’m right.  Here’s some of the corrosion That may be most of the problem.

If this solenoid works I’ll clean it up.  And mount it in a better place, as well as that fuse you can see in the background. Here’s the newest video…

The solenoid is dead.. relay works but no contact..  I have a working one so I’ll use that.  Here’s a photo of all the extra wires I’m tossing..

I’ll keep the switches though.. Ya never know.  The round one is the seat switch.  How about an up date video..  Coming right up….

Going great…  the wiring is done all tidy in a loom..  And far less to deal with. The contacts on the new switch are different from the old one, so I swapped some wires around so it does the right thing.

I taped the rubber dust cap to the key switch and that should keep it clean.  And like I said we are living dangerously now.. (not really)  You can start the motor without sitting on the seat, or pressing on the brake.  Even if the shifter was in forward the mower will not move unless you are pushing on the “GO” peddle.  I think we will be okay.  Moved the (new) solenoid out from under the battery..  New connectors , wires checked,

The 30 amp fuse is easy to get at. (not blown)  Now on to the motor… I’m hoping to remove the carb and clean it.  The gas line is missing in action.. so need that.  With a filter !  I have a new air filter, and gas line now installed. No leaks!  And the Beetle got a polishing..

Also taped up the seat with yellow duck tape.  So let’s see how this goes, starting the motor!  Will it run ?   Why yes and the proof is in this video..

I’ll have to admit I’m not overly surprised. There’s no reason for it not to.  It’s not on this video but when we turned the key the first time the motor started after only a few cranks.  We have a winner !   I sharpened the blade too.  So ready for lawn cutting …  Except there is 4″ of snow outside. So with that we will sign off on this little Beetle till spring.  I’m parking it in the shelter in place of the Yard Bug #1.  That will come into the shed / shop to have some work done. I’m leaving you with a final photo… all shiny.

Pretty nice condition for 25 years !

May 2026 :

I have sold both of the Yard Bugs !