My first resto - 71 beetle
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Cool looking Bug. I'd stick with the factory panels? Too many late Bugs have had slopers put on. US '67s had uprights look cool as fuck - the ultimate Cal look. Personally I'd put it to standard, install a roll cage and harnesses. I like VW Blue or Dove Blue for a colour. Lower the front and put a big motor in it.
Everything I buy is more fucked than yours. lol
Everything I buy is more fucked than yours. lol
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1,396 Posts
hehehe i have to be totally honest with you.. i really like the sloping lights. 
adjustable narrowed beam has already been discussed and will be ordered, and im looking at november for when i can think of that more clearly though. firstly is the body fix up.
after my last trip to the bodyshop i was asked to get another rear 1/4 repair panel - passenger side this time as the previous repair seemed to be mostly filler/silicone again.
the new one is waiting at gsf for me to pick up, but i cant get there till later this afternoon as i have to borrow mums car to get there. It doent matter too much though as work isnt scheduled on my car till tomorrow and he has plenty to do.
Its weird. i havent had a car for 3 years (ive been on a bike) and i never missed having one, but now, after 6 weeks or so of having a car again ive become so dependant on it and am really missing having the bug.
also, work is still gathering pace again after the summer lull so inbetween jobs im kinda kicking heels with it not here to tinker with...
adjustable narrowed beam has already been discussed and will be ordered, and im looking at november for when i can think of that more clearly though. firstly is the body fix up.
after my last trip to the bodyshop i was asked to get another rear 1/4 repair panel - passenger side this time as the previous repair seemed to be mostly filler/silicone again.
the new one is waiting at gsf for me to pick up, but i cant get there till later this afternoon as i have to borrow mums car to get there. It doent matter too much though as work isnt scheduled on my car till tomorrow and he has plenty to do.
Its weird. i havent had a car for 3 years (ive been on a bike) and i never missed having one, but now, after 6 weeks or so of having a car again ive become so dependant on it and am really missing having the bug.
also, work is still gathering pace again after the summer lull so inbetween jobs im kinda kicking heels with it not here to tinker with...
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1,396 Posts
well, sady one week on and nothing has been done to my car.
My body guy has been having staff issues and hasnt had anyone free to be able to work on my bug, which sucks, BUT as a small business owner myself i can sympathise and im not about to start hassling him about it.
anyhoo, i grabbed some more pics yesterday of the work thats been done and stuff its uncovered.
passenger side doorpost and channel now welded in:
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He also remade and fixed up the top hinge section too. why does no body make repair panel for this and the whole door post???
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drivers side rear 1/4 repair panel welded in:
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bugger. another pan hole.
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hopefully things will get moving this week coming.
i want my car back - having nothing to work on at home other than work itself is getting to me a little bit.
My body guy has been having staff issues and hasnt had anyone free to be able to work on my bug, which sucks, BUT as a small business owner myself i can sympathise and im not about to start hassling him about it.
anyhoo, i grabbed some more pics yesterday of the work thats been done and stuff its uncovered.
passenger side doorpost and channel now welded in:
He also remade and fixed up the top hinge section too. why does no body make repair panel for this and the whole door post???
drivers side rear 1/4 repair panel welded in:
bugger. another pan hole.
hopefully things will get moving this week coming.
i want my car back - having nothing to work on at home other than work itself is getting to me a little bit.
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1,396 Posts
well... i got a call this morning saying that i will have my car back on tuesday evening.
yay.
i also managed to pick up some cal-look stainless louvered running boards from a friend. They should tide me over till i can get something more along the lines of what i wanted.
Soon as its back i can get to primering stuff, and making the repairs i need to do.
woohoo.
yay.
i also managed to pick up some cal-look stainless louvered running boards from a friend. They should tide me over till i can get something more along the lines of what i wanted.
Soon as its back i can get to primering stuff, and making the repairs i need to do.
woohoo.
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1,396 Posts
small delay.
the new front 1/4 had the bumper hanger mount on the outside rather than the inside, so it put him about 2 hours behind while he fixed it so it was correct.
i was shocked at the old one as it came off... it was all filler. again. grr.
all in all, it meant when i went to get it today it still wasnt done and is now rescheduled for tomorrow evening pickup. no big worries. id rather it was right than not.
the new welds and panels look fantastic. huge praise the for people who have done the work.
im way excited to get her back.
the new wing beading arrived today as did the gear rod bush.
I still have the new coupler from when we were sent the wrong one from my brothers splitty...
more when i have her back tomorrow.
the new front 1/4 had the bumper hanger mount on the outside rather than the inside, so it put him about 2 hours behind while he fixed it so it was correct.
i was shocked at the old one as it came off... it was all filler. again. grr.
all in all, it meant when i went to get it today it still wasnt done and is now rescheduled for tomorrow evening pickup. no big worries. id rather it was right than not.
the new welds and panels look fantastic. huge praise the for people who have done the work.
im way excited to get her back.
the new wing beading arrived today as did the gear rod bush.
I still have the new coupler from when we were sent the wrong one from my brothers splitty...
more when i have her back tomorrow.
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1,396 Posts
hrm thats the first time ive unknowlingly called the car a her.
spose i will have to start thinking of female names to call her.
Had planned on calling the car "Stimpy", but every time i did the engine would splutter. maybe that was why??
spose i will have to start thinking of female names to call her.
Had planned on calling the car "Stimpy", but every time i did the engine would splutter. maybe that was why??
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1,396 Posts
its back.
pics later this evening.
pics later this evening.
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1,396 Posts
woo hoo.
its finally home.
wow it drives differently now.
It isnt perfectly finished, but thats cool. i have lots to do and the body guy ran me through what needed done. there is a lot.
Here are some shots..
this one is crappy because i had my camera set to the wrong setting..
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thats betterer!
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new channels and door post repairs...
the passenger door ACTUALLY closes now. woohoo.
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Drivers side:
rear 1/4 repair
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A post
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this is the one of the bits that needs finishing...
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B pillar
sadly this is damage from the bracing they put in, but its no big problem and easly fixed over.
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yay new front 1/4
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its finally home.
wow it drives differently now.
It isnt perfectly finished, but thats cool. i have lots to do and the body guy ran me through what needed done. there is a lot.
Here are some shots..
this one is crappy because i had my camera set to the wrong setting..
thats betterer!
new channels and door post repairs...
the passenger door ACTUALLY closes now. woohoo.
Drivers side:
rear 1/4 repair
A post
this is the one of the bits that needs finishing...
B pillar
sadly this is damage from the bracing they put in, but its no big problem and easly fixed over.
yay new front 1/4
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19,225 Posts
Looks good - you must be pleased
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1,396 Posts
well im a happy bunny.
i have been busily putting bits of primer on the bare metal this evening and now have to dash to pick up my lady...
but this made me kinda gobsmacked when i saw it...
the front 1/4 we replaced because of the dent...
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...Was pretty much all filler.
Im so glad i replaced the panel..
ok have to run. im happy to be driving her again.
i have been busily putting bits of primer on the bare metal this evening and now have to dash to pick up my lady...
but this made me kinda gobsmacked when i saw it...
the front 1/4 we replaced because of the dent...
...Was pretty much all filler.
Im so glad i replaced the panel..
ok have to run. im happy to be driving her again.
Joined
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19,225 Posts
Mmmm, delicious filler!
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1,396 Posts
today is the first day i got to really play and go to town with stuff as work has been kicking my arse since i got the car back (hooray for good timing...)
i did manage to find a few minutes in the week to run some primer around those exposed welds and stuff as it was worrying me about rust setting in.
ok, today...
i started by patching over the primer on the roof that i had badly done in a rush.
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it looks a lot better and is covered a lot better too now. it is only until i can bare metal the whole roof and primer it all. im gonna wait till i get the gutter repairs done for this tho.
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then i set to stone chipping and priming up the drivers side rear wing, as the original one is buggered.
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oh, watch out kids, them there wings are sharp.
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When i went to pick my girly up the other night i had a few issues.
One was the cutting out when id approach a junction. this felt the same as before and i was sure was crap in the fuel/clogged carb again
the other was some SERIOUS wheel wobble/shimy/judder following driving over a bump. It actually felt like a wheel was loose.
I did some reading and i think that the steering damper may be shot. the steering feels very light even when you turn the wheels by the wheels when it is on the ground.
I had a look at the filter in the fuel pump and yep, it was full of silty crap again. i guess sitting there for 5 weeks in the welders made the crap go through the system.
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i tore down the carb to see this in the float chamber again. not good. time to buy an inline fuel filter me thinks.
you can see the silt here - sorry for flash thingy on pic.
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this is all the shit that came out of the carb once id given it a damn good blasting with some carb cleaner.
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I also read that there is a filter in the tank, so i took the tank out. I wanted to paint it anyway so now was as good a time as any i spose.
I couldnt find the filter, but i will still get an inline one as there was tons of that silty rusty crap coming out of the oulet from the tank.
some of that is petrol on there, but im sure most is oil from the damper.
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I was playing with the steering column and looking at the damper there thats pretty gone (i think), i noticed that my steering column is bent. It scrapes the inside of the tube a little when you turn it. so i am adding that to the list of things i need to replace. bugger. the list is already huge enough... haha.
i did manage to find a few minutes in the week to run some primer around those exposed welds and stuff as it was worrying me about rust setting in.
ok, today...
i started by patching over the primer on the roof that i had badly done in a rush.
it looks a lot better and is covered a lot better too now. it is only until i can bare metal the whole roof and primer it all. im gonna wait till i get the gutter repairs done for this tho.
then i set to stone chipping and priming up the drivers side rear wing, as the original one is buggered.
oh, watch out kids, them there wings are sharp.
When i went to pick my girly up the other night i had a few issues.
One was the cutting out when id approach a junction. this felt the same as before and i was sure was crap in the fuel/clogged carb again
the other was some SERIOUS wheel wobble/shimy/judder following driving over a bump. It actually felt like a wheel was loose.
I did some reading and i think that the steering damper may be shot. the steering feels very light even when you turn the wheels by the wheels when it is on the ground.
I had a look at the filter in the fuel pump and yep, it was full of silty crap again. i guess sitting there for 5 weeks in the welders made the crap go through the system.
i tore down the carb to see this in the float chamber again. not good. time to buy an inline fuel filter me thinks.
you can see the silt here - sorry for flash thingy on pic.
this is all the shit that came out of the carb once id given it a damn good blasting with some carb cleaner.
I also read that there is a filter in the tank, so i took the tank out. I wanted to paint it anyway so now was as good a time as any i spose.
I couldnt find the filter, but i will still get an inline one as there was tons of that silty rusty crap coming out of the oulet from the tank.
some of that is petrol on there, but im sure most is oil from the damper.
I was playing with the steering column and looking at the damper there thats pretty gone (i think), i noticed that my steering column is bent. It scrapes the inside of the tube a little when you turn it. so i am adding that to the list of things i need to replace. bugger. the list is already huge enough... haha.
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1,396 Posts
its time to crack out the POR15.
this stuff beter be good for the money. i cleaned down the front section of the chassis and hit it
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i also hit the underside of the tank. my god there was a ton of underseal on there and it took ages to get off.
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by this time as you can see it was pretty much dark and i have no light where the car sits on the driveway so i called it a day.
this is how the wing ended up - all stonechipped on the inside and primed on the out - 3 coats.
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I will get this one fitted first. I have to replace the other side as well but i cant do this till i replace the rear bumper hanger panel too.
I did find some time in the darkness to fit the new bonnet. Not that its aesthetically any better, but im just glad to get the piece of poo fillered one off the car.
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when i fitted it i noticed that the passenger side hinge was loose. i cant get in there to see why with the bonnet on - i guess this is a job for tommorrow maybe.
I also plan to get the airline out and blow the fuel line through from the front to the back to get any silt out of there.
its like a big jigsaw. i dont know what bit to do first. gonna hit it again tomorrow if it all goes to plan.
tomorrow is:
blow through fuel line.
paint other side of fuel tank and refit.
fit painted wing
fit new gear coupler and bush.
start looking at repair patches for floor pans and inner rear arches.
fix bonnet hinge and fit handle.
i should have little brother helping me tomorrow so should get lots done.
this stuff beter be good for the money. i cleaned down the front section of the chassis and hit it
i also hit the underside of the tank. my god there was a ton of underseal on there and it took ages to get off.
by this time as you can see it was pretty much dark and i have no light where the car sits on the driveway so i called it a day.
this is how the wing ended up - all stonechipped on the inside and primed on the out - 3 coats.
I will get this one fitted first. I have to replace the other side as well but i cant do this till i replace the rear bumper hanger panel too.
I did find some time in the darkness to fit the new bonnet. Not that its aesthetically any better, but im just glad to get the piece of poo fillered one off the car.
when i fitted it i noticed that the passenger side hinge was loose. i cant get in there to see why with the bonnet on - i guess this is a job for tommorrow maybe.
I also plan to get the airline out and blow the fuel line through from the front to the back to get any silt out of there.
its like a big jigsaw. i dont know what bit to do first. gonna hit it again tomorrow if it all goes to plan.
tomorrow is:
blow through fuel line.
paint other side of fuel tank and refit.
fit painted wing
fit new gear coupler and bush.
start looking at repair patches for floor pans and inner rear arches.
fix bonnet hinge and fit handle.
i should have little brother helping me tomorrow so should get lots done.
Joined
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1,396 Posts
Sunday!
motogp is the awesome! next week will be fun.
well done mr elias.
ok, to the car.
started out by taking the rear right wing off. when the body shop guys took it off a lot of the bolts sheared so they needed drilling out.
my little brother is a champ. he stuck with it and got them all drilled out. well, apart from the far rear one - that fell off when the old wing came off!
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yep, this needs repairing - maybe with a new panel? we shall see.
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little brother/bad hair:
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the other side of the tank - painted. hooray. looking much better!
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and back in... (with inline fuel filter as the tank is full of rusty dust)
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I did blow the fuel line out with the airline. a ton of red dust blew out which was a good sign.
once the fuel line was all reconnected, i started her up and she ran ok. there was a smidge of a stutter, but i wont know how bad until i take it for a real drive - there isnt much fuel in it at the moment.
then... disaster struck when we refitted the bonnet.
the left hand bonnet hinge fixing point snapped off! it was wobbly and i thought the bolt was loose. it wasnt. it came clean off. grr.
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It came from here...
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My welding kinda sucks. i will be honest - but it can only get better. right?
welding this was a NIGHTMARE. not cos it was difficult to do... but it was just hard to get AT - such a tight spot to get the gun into.
we ended up drilling some holes in the plate and plug welding it, and then also from the dash side too. this meant drilling a hole through the dash, but i wanted to be sure. the drivers side felt a tiny bit wobbly too, so i did the same welding from the dash trick too. sadly this one didnt go as well but we managed to salvage it ok in the end.
I have no idea if this is the correct way to fix it, but its the only logical way we could see to do it and actually get at it - so a sorry to the purists if this is a bit of a bodge!
![]()
motogp is the awesome! next week will be fun.
well done mr elias.
ok, to the car.
started out by taking the rear right wing off. when the body shop guys took it off a lot of the bolts sheared so they needed drilling out.
my little brother is a champ. he stuck with it and got them all drilled out. well, apart from the far rear one - that fell off when the old wing came off!
yep, this needs repairing - maybe with a new panel? we shall see.
little brother/bad hair:
the other side of the tank - painted. hooray. looking much better!
and back in... (with inline fuel filter as the tank is full of rusty dust)
I did blow the fuel line out with the airline. a ton of red dust blew out which was a good sign.
once the fuel line was all reconnected, i started her up and she ran ok. there was a smidge of a stutter, but i wont know how bad until i take it for a real drive - there isnt much fuel in it at the moment.
then... disaster struck when we refitted the bonnet.
the left hand bonnet hinge fixing point snapped off! it was wobbly and i thought the bolt was loose. it wasnt. it came clean off. grr.
It came from here...
My welding kinda sucks. i will be honest - but it can only get better. right?
welding this was a NIGHTMARE. not cos it was difficult to do... but it was just hard to get AT - such a tight spot to get the gun into.
we ended up drilling some holes in the plate and plug welding it, and then also from the dash side too. this meant drilling a hole through the dash, but i wanted to be sure. the drivers side felt a tiny bit wobbly too, so i did the same welding from the dash trick too. sadly this one didnt go as well but we managed to salvage it ok in the end.
I have no idea if this is the correct way to fix it, but its the only logical way we could see to do it and actually get at it - so a sorry to the purists if this is a bit of a bodge!
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1,396 Posts
so we got the new bonnet fitted again by the end of the day as it was getting dark. i have noticed that the bonnet sits better on the side with the new wing, and the passenger side seems to sit about 1/2 inch back.
now...
the car has been in a shunt, and im guessing that it has also shunted the passenger side wing back a bit too, so i think it may be worth my while to mabe try and graft in a front section of the passenger side wing. the door post end seems ok, its just the fact is isnt sitting far enough forwards.
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what do you think?
so the last thing we did was fit the new rear wing. - all nicely primered.
oh dear.
i know people speak of poor fitting panels, but this is ridiculous. it literally seems the wrong shape. the body line is pretty much a straight line in one place!
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now...
the car has been in a shunt, and im guessing that it has also shunted the passenger side wing back a bit too, so i think it may be worth my while to mabe try and graft in a front section of the passenger side wing. the door post end seems ok, its just the fact is isnt sitting far enough forwards.
what do you think?
so the last thing we did was fit the new rear wing. - all nicely primered.
oh dear.
i know people speak of poor fitting panels, but this is ridiculous. it literally seems the wrong shape. the body line is pretty much a straight line in one place!
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8,436 Posts
Woohoo, Blood!!!! It's about time!!magicfiver said:oh, watch out kids, them there wings are sharp.
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I know what you mean 'bout them being sharp, I picked up a nasty little slice off my repro floorpans when I picked them up from GSF
Looks like a lot of work's been done to the bug tho.. nice!!
You might be able to work the wings a little to get them to fit btw.. Apparently they can be wangled quite a bit to get them to line up and stuff. Wing beading will help a little too, and I'm asuming not all the bolts were used either, wich'll help a lot too. Unless they're realy blatantly incredibly not straight, in wich case it's new wings time!
Keep it up dude:hangloose
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