i couple of months back i purchased my first bug (above), a 72 1300 for £350 off ebay. i'm only 15 and have no substantial income so the aim of this project was to get the car back on the road and spruced up a bit for £700 including the cost of the car. I thought it was a bit of a bargain at the time as it had not failed its MOT, just hadn't been tested. All it needed was some brake and headlight adjustment... until i started poking round with a screwdriver, to my suprise most of the car was really solid and the only point of concern is that the drivers side heater channel has rotted under the rear seat. :crazy:
Bug on a budget project...
inspecting the bug for the first time...
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the first thing i did when i got the car home was to do a basic strip down to check all the rot spots, i was pleasantly suprised!
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and this is the car as it looks now... from the outside except a new right hand front wing is on its way.
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and this is the car as it looks now... from the outside except a new right hand front wing is on its way.
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set of wheels and lowering ?
might be able to scrape it for that
might be able to scrape it for that
first of all i got the engine running sweet, with a little fettling of ye old stock carb. Seems to be running pretty sweet having been recently reconditioned and having a brand new exhaust, new complete 009 ignition system, new fan belt, 2 new pullies, all new tin, carb manifold ends and alternator.
looking good to me
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the next job on the list was to check out the pans which i already knew were pretty solid, when i'd ripped up the carpets i was in awe, the pans were perfect, not one hole. So i promptly bare metalled them and put down 2 coats of primer and some black smoothrite.
looking good to me
the next job on the list was to check out the pans which i already knew were pretty solid, when i'd ripped up the carpets i was in awe, the pans were perfect, not one hole. So i promptly bare metalled them and put down 2 coats of primer and some black smoothrite.
Nothing wrong with a stocker, cheapest cars to build and of course the thing about a bug is that you don't have to do a thing with them to make them cool, they are cool out of the factory! Modifying one just adds coolness, all the shitty motors in Max Power need serious money spent before anyone would evern look twice but a bug needs nothing, my advise would be to spend on the essentials first
and the essentials are what shall be and have been attended too, how right you are! :hangloose
next job on the agenda was inspecting the heater channels so i removed and disposed of the old rotten running boards and set to work stripping the paint behind. this is what i found...
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amazingly shiny fresh metal, it seems the forward area of the cills have been repaired quite a while back and have lasted. Even though the repairs are not to aesthetically pleasing doesn't matter to me as on this kind of budget the if it aint broke dont fix it mentality is very important :hangloose
next job on the agenda was inspecting the heater channels so i removed and disposed of the old rotten running boards and set to work stripping the paint behind. this is what i found...
amazingly shiny fresh metal, it seems the forward area of the cills have been repaired quite a while back and have lasted. Even though the repairs are not to aesthetically pleasing doesn't matter to me as on this kind of budget the if it aint broke dont fix it mentality is very important :hangloose
And don't forget that you always find hidden rust when you can least afford to do anything about it
Oh and well done matey, I got my first bug when I was 14, thats seven years ago last month, scary
well, now on to the next job. My main concern was the electrical switchgear when i bought this car as most of the dash switches were missing! i've fixed this for now with a shiny race style switchboard which is clamped to the original radio opening. When i've found a 2nd hand set of indicator and wiper stalks i'll swap it back to stock though.
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the next job on the list was to strip the rest of the interior. Behind the carpets i found.... suprisingly little rot! :coffeecup
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the inner rear wings are looking nice and solid with only a few strong repairs around the bulkhead.
and on to the next job, the only rot i have found on the whole car so far is on the rear drivers side heater channel. Its not terrible but has basically no bottom plate left and small holes in both sides.
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so i decided to investigate the rot with ye good olde tin snips, and made a rather large hole...
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this will be adressed later when i send the bug to a workshop :incheek:
and heres an update of what the car looks like now including freshly primered wheels.
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the next job on the list was to strip the rest of the interior. Behind the carpets i found.... suprisingly little rot! :coffeecup
the inner rear wings are looking nice and solid with only a few strong repairs around the bulkhead.
and on to the next job, the only rot i have found on the whole car so far is on the rear drivers side heater channel. Its not terrible but has basically no bottom plate left and small holes in both sides.
so i decided to investigate the rot with ye good olde tin snips, and made a rather large hole...
this will be adressed later when i send the bug to a workshop :incheek:
and heres an update of what the car looks like now including freshly primered wheels.
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ok, so total costs now at £30 including a fresh can of red oxide, new front indicators, front wing and various seals and electrical parts! not bad.
so on to the next job, primering the recently baremetalled passenger side heater channel and the drivers side too, to prevent further rot.
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so on to the next job, primering the recently baremetalled passenger side heater channel and the drivers side too, to prevent further rot.
once i started prepping and primering i couldn't stop, heh, so i finished off rubbind down and stripping the drivers side front quarter panel and slapped a coat of red oxide on it!
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thanks jack, christmas isn't too far away at all really!
did you replace that heater channel yourself?
did you replace that heater channel yourself?
the boot floor and floor pan are pretty solid with no holes, very suprising considering the price i paid!
as for the look i'm going for, i think a late model resto cal eventually, but the main aim at the mo is to get it on the road so it'll be a little ratty.
as for the look i'm going for, i think a late model resto cal eventually, but the main aim at the mo is to get it on the road so it'll be a little ratty.
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