NOT a body off rebuild.

Wings off to review the rust situation







Actually not as bad as it could've been, so quite happy really.





All rust areas available as repair panels which is good news.


Mind you some will have to be made....

Got to work with the soft pad grinder and rust treatment to this stage:





Remember I only want this to be a low time/cost repaired car so will be patching where necessary.

18-12-10 update

Wings off (well 3), flooding under the gazebo made it difficult to get the last front wing off. Yesterday, it was cold and snowy so decided to prep the 3 wings that are already off.

600grit wet sand got them flatted nicely with a little help from the airsander on some small rust spots along the inside edges. More like rust creep, just under the paint which was soon sorted with rust killer and a nice coat of red primer from a rattle can. This is not to be confused with 'red oxide', I think this stuff is primer coloured red!







I'm pleased with the way they have/will come out, considering they are pattern parts (sorry lightened metal race wings :incheek.

The plan is to replace the beading with satin black (instead of gloss), refit the stoneguards and '66 rear lights with smoked lenses and bluedots and LED bulbs. I'm interested in the look of the lenses with an LED behind the bluedot, could look v/good me thinks!

Front wings to get the same treatment and include:

Porsche 911 headlight lenses with silvered indicator bulb in the American spec headlights.



Along with my modified horn grills to look like this:



Keeping the stock VW chrome bumper and over riders which I think will look neat and contrast well against the dark paint scheme I have planned

Oh yeah, was given a bag of nuts n bolts which include lots of stainless allen bolts which will be used where possible. Some are button headed allens so will look really neat and tidy, I like 'em!

Decklid detail

I wanted to change the decklid to a twin vent version, when I found one at Parts Emporium I also spotted a VW number plate light shroud which I could make fit with a bit of fettling:







Can you tell what it is yet?

Bonnet

Changing the bonnet as the original is crusty. I'd spend more time fixing it (and have a repaired bonnet) than finding a solid replacement and fettling it.

Results of a coupl'a hours with a wire wheel attachment, sander and high build primer:

Before:


After:


Hope to fit a Mex seal so I don't have to mess with the original seal/strip fixing thing that is a git to fit without splitting the fresh paint.

Every job completed is a step closer....

Decklid detail

Went from this:



to this:



Guess what the number plate light housing is from?

Liking the chrome detail & lower position which makes the number plate look a lot meaner (or snug). Also, the twin vent rather than the 4x vent look. Will probably leave it badgeless to make room for the pin striping, so it will look clean and uncluttered.

Interior detail

This old bug was first rebuilt and modded in the mid '90s, in true '90s style with standoffs, pale paint, XR3 interior etc. Nice as that all was, I wanted an updated/retro (makes sense?) look with a bit of hot-rod in there!

So had the interior trimmed in a 'tuck n roll' style.

From this:





to this:





and this:



I kept the bottoms of the XR3 seats cos they're comfy but removed the headrests to give them a retro low back look. Makes them hard to recognise as XR seats now. The colour combination will compliment the new body colour v/nicely I think.

More interior shots :

XR seat onto bug runner mod

Here's how the bug runners worked for the XR seats, probably too old now to be useful, but the general idea could still be OK I guess?

Runner/frame in place without seat:



You can see the holes drilled through the frame.



Simple nut & bolt job:


Picking up on a corresponding hole in the seat frame. Allows you to do this:



...and then this:



Hope this is useful to someone?