My First Car - 1970 1300 Beetle - The Resto

[TwoToneAlex]

Starting the NEW thread soon
Hey, as I have just turned 17 last week (23rd April) I thought it was time I got some motivation to get it finished in the next month so I can actually drive it!
The Story
well I bought this last year in July when I was 16, I saw it in the paper Trade it, just over the bridge into swindow, I was looking for a bug that needed a little bit of work, so I could learn about it in the process and use it as my daily(7 miles per day)
The guy was looking for £1200, as I had been working all summer I had got together £650, straight away after I had seen the photos, I knew it had to be mine, it was a pre67 cal look, lowered at the front slightly and 1 spline at the back, running on white EMPI 8's that just didnt look right(so wrong!) it had a full restoration about 7 years ago, which included both new floorpans, passenger side heater channel, new door cards, and a 1600 AD engine.
These are the photos I was sent:





It had been stored for 5 years getting it out a few times per year in the summer, as the guy really needed the money, he emailed me offering it for £700(Bearing in mind this had pretty much full service history, a huge folder of reciepts, and even the original sales reciept!
This was for a very solid 1970 Beetle that he had spent well over £2000 on in the previous 8 years he owned it, the funny thing was the door cards were still in original wrapping.
I was well chuffed and got it delivered back to my house where it sat in a huge agritcultural barn for 2 months, when I decided to get my arse in gear, me and my dad put it up on axle stands to get a closer inspection.


We soon established under the front two wings, right where the running boards connected to the wing, the bit of the body on both front arches had rotted, this was only a 2 X 2 inch piece on either side, so getting round my grandad(an industrial welder for 40 years) and my dads friend Robin, we cut out the two offending patches and welded in some nice new clean metal.
Then gave under each wing a coat of Red oxide to help prevent any more rust
As you can see the car only had front seats, both were funked and out of a metro, so they had to go.
We then stripped the inside to put in the original seats(courtesy of VW Penguin) and then the door cards so I could replace the winder mech's.
After we replaced one and tried the winder handle, we realised it was the handle and not the mechanism!

[TwoToneAlex]

So 2 hours later & £45 down the drain, we got them working.




I got rid of the EMPI 8's as my Niave view of the car being original clouded my judgement, which meant me buying a set of 68> Original Wheels, these were pitted slightly and looked alot better in the photos!
In the end after stripping them down and getting rid of channels of rust, we realised 3 of them were 4J and one was 4.5J, not set back I got some tyres on them, and sent them off to my dads mate Robin, after getting a cheap set of white hubcaps, I sanded them right down and after a respray of the hubcaps and wheels they looked like this:



Before they looked like thisdont be fooled by the wheels! they were in terrible shape)


Since all these photos, I have fitted the rear seat, and the drivers seat, but I have to fit the passenger & drivers seat again due to the strips inside the runners being old.
I am waiting for my dads friend to come over and wire in the cd player to the amp, 6 X 9's & a Sub, aswell as bringing the bootlid over after he has resprayed it also.
The list is mounting up, of things to do yet, which include a re-tune, I am fitting T bar bumpers, some new seat covers when I can afford it, I also have a full original beam which I plan to narrow & adjust to replace the existing one as its patched to hell, also I plan on getting the dash smoothed leaving the speedo & Glovebox.
It has lots of little bits left, like the washer bottle (it just wont work!) and fixing the rear seat backing in place.
Thanks
Alex

[TwoToneAlex]

Also I have curb feelers to fit.
And plan on fitting a mondo Exhaust & header, aswell as whitewalls.
During my work I re-routed the fuel filter from the engine bay to prevent an engine fire (well,.... another one)
Alex

[VW PENGUIN]

Originally Posted by 1970BluebellAlex

got camber? lol

[TwoToneAlex]

Lmao

[TwoToneAlex]

Got my seats fitted today will upload a photo of my interior
Alex

[TwoToneAlex]

OK VOTE!
T Bars or Blades?
Thanks
Alex

[Tomarse]

Blades FTW! IMO T-bars look wrong on late bugs because it leaves a space where the short bonnet and decklid are.

[thebashley]

lool dude u have to buy a long bonnet from me lol so this is what that beam u got off me is going into well i hope to see this sometime

[TwoToneAlex]

Thanks for your input guys.
I put them on today and they didnt look right IMO, so blades it is.
If anyone wants to help provide me with a bit more info on lowering the rear, as I want a bit of camber
Alex