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So a recap of where I'd got too before reaching 500+ posts on my original thread.

Where she began in a farmers field in Victoria, Oz.

How she sits now in me driveway.

 

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And here's what you have to do to get non 1200 exhausts and rear tinware to fit properly.

Hopefully you can see in the exhaust pictures the welds I made to shorten the muffler and align the peashooters. Wasn't happy as the guy who sold it said it was for a 1200 and so I paid 1200 money for a 1300/1600 exhaust. Bastard!!!!

The tinware was a ballache but easier than trying to source a correct 1200 item over here.

Also, not happy with the TRW brand new steering box as even after adjusting there is play and yet it's now a bit notchy around the centre point. And that was $300 of box

Ah well, trying to find sound deadener for the floor at present whilst also correcting the door gaps. Passenger needs the hinges drilling off and new ones putting on if I can't straighten them, tho they grind a fair bit from being bent so may just get new ones

 

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welcome back!

Cheers dude

 

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Is it just me or do new expensive parts suck balls? New $300 TRW steering box that even after adjusting has 10-15mm steering wheel play on the right steering yet no play in the left steering side of dead centre. What a load of balls

On the plus side I have 3.46sq metres of RAAMmat sound deadener to go in once I've washed the floors down.

 

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Hey, Look what turned up today

Yup, 3.46sq metres of RAAMmat sound deadener. So over the next few days I shall bore everyone with yet another floorpan being cleaned and covered in sound deadener.

Nah, go on. You know you all love some floorpan porn

 

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So sprayed up around the rear side window and the door cards to check the look of the interior colour scheme.

One with flash and one without. What do people think?

Blue is just a generic dark blue enamel that should close-ish match a blue for the current VW range of colours

 

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Managed to get a bit closer to re-painting the floorpan ready for the sound deadener.

Here we are sanded ready for the first coat.

And been figuring out the passenger door hinges. Had bent the door skin nicely, pushed the upper inner strengthener backwards and fully buggered the hinges. Oh and started to rip 3 of the upper rivets thru the door skin.

Drivers door needs OS hinge pins as got an 8mm drop from the 0.5mm pin wear.

Glad to be getting something done tho as no job and low cash flow makes it hard going. Plus I find Brisbane such a boring little town and yearn for the better social aspect of the UK.

 

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Cheers guys Always nice to know people are taking an interest

 

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Floorpan sound deadening is finally in

floorpan repainted. Not totally happy as did have some micro bubble issues so not a totally smooth paint job But the deadener will cover it now as can't be arsed to do it again.

RAAMmat installed.

So get the doors fixed up with new hinges and then find some form of epoxy mastic to paint the rest of the interior in so I don't have anymore micro bubble issues.

 

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So last of my free funds have gone on new door hinges and pins for the old girl but having to fix the mess the PO did to the door hinges and pillar. No pillar shots yet but here's the state of the door hinge areas

You can see in the removed metal that the hinge retaining rivets have halfway pulled thru the outer door skin. Might extend the repair panel depending on peoples thoughts on strength of the current repair section.

Hopefully I have enough gas left, don't really need a whole new bottle

 

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So as I've been having a such a ballache sourcing hinges, pins and tooling in Australia to get my doors back on the Bug I decided to clean up the rear seat frame and give it a lick of rust proof paint. Oz hammerite basically.

Before

After

As for the doors I need funds for welding gas as the rivet holes need a bit of welding and machining to make them round again otherwise the door will probably sag and move around quite quickly once back on the car.

Really quite peeved as if in the UK I would have had the parts and tools within a week but over here it's taken almost 6 weeks and I now have to find a 60 degree 12mm centre drill so the new lower hinge can accept an early domed pin

 

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So made a bit of progress with the doors n hinges as got bored of not doing anything due to a bum elbow

Whilst trying to sort out the mess the PO had made of the hinges I've ended up having to remove the upper strengthening plate from both doors. This shows the number of spot welds I had to drill out

This shows how the strengthening plate had been bent around and the river holes pulled into peaks instead of being flat.

This is a little holder for a piece of 5mm rubber to hold the old skool check strap in place. New rubber needed as old stuff is 50yrs old and buggered.

And dunno if you can make how that the rivet holes are a bit ovalled and enlarged to need welding and filing round again.

Also got me 60 degree countersink so I could get the new lower hinge to accept an early pin. Can now go and get a garage to press the pins fully in Yay me!!!!!

 

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Cheers dude

It's a lot of work to fix another owners mistake but the doors are totally straight with no rust so not much point trying to find a pair of totally straight, rust free 1959 doors to replace these ones.

Also, made a list of all the welding that I can think needs doing so I can have everything ready to steam thru the welding so BOC only get a months rental from me :lol:

 

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mirco update

So finally got the hinge pins pressed into my hinges after saving enough dole money and the guy at the garage said not to worry about payment

Best get on and rent some more welding gas then

 

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Let the door repairs begin

New bottle of shielding gas procured. Let the list of welding tasks be attacked

Least I've something to amuse me over xmas apart from the wife now

 

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Today I r mostly been fixing me doors

So last few days after finishing the wifes easel I have been prepping all the bits to get the doors back on the Beetle with new hinges/pins. Get ready.......

Original re-pinned hinges welded up to remove wear in mounting holes.

Cleaned up and re-drilled

Inner door strengthener splits n ovalled hinge holes

Both strengtheners welded up and fettled back to round holes

 

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And continuing......

Splits and panel beaten hinge area on passenger door

welded up and bit of filler weld in trough in panel

Drivers door lower hinge torn outer skin and crappy door mirror holes

Welded up and fettled into shape

More tomoro as no noise after 7pm here

 

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Thanks fella some may call it anal but to me its doing the job properly. Im of a dying breed maybe?

 

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So a bit longer than the next day like I said but waiting for knifing putty and paint to dry chews the days up especially when you have to wait until nitetime to apply the paint due to it being above 30 here.

Anyway,

Quick bolt welded to battery clamp to hold the plastic cover on

Stainless window channel repaired

Door hinge area's smoothed a little n painted

Door seal channels and bottom area de-rusted and painted

And the hinges and door inner upper support plates painted ready for welding back in

Also, getting the drivers wing bolts lubed up ready for removal so I can make a wee repair to the inner wings drain hole area and also the split to the passengers lower hinge area.

Doors so close to going back on after 3 months or more from when I removed them to 'fix the hinges quick'

 

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Whilst I've been waiting for the rust cure paint to harden properly in the doors so they don't react to the zinc welding spray I've been tackling what I thought was a quick little patch at the bottom of the driver A pillar. Turned out to be rather holey after wire brushing

Then spent a good few hours making a multi-angle plate to replicate the original panel

Tomoro I should hopefully get the door inner upper support plates welded back in. probably take the rear wings off to sort a few tears in the lower return lips and then I can move me welding gear up to the Beetle for a few jobs on the body itself

So close to doors going back on