Let me introduce the latest addition to the stable. But before I do that, the VWs I already have are:
* A 1974 L Bug, bought almost 8 years ago. Much work (and money) has gone into it, with a 1916 Pobjoy, suspension and brakes by Holzl, Recaro seats, Momo steering wheel, and Boxster wheels. Much still to do on it.
* A 2002 Bora V6 4Motion. It has the Oettinger kit on it, and it is lovely, but receives the least money of the lot. A blast to drive.
So anyway, I became aware of a Beetle parked up in a paddock in the Riverina region several years ago, as it belonged to a relative of someone I work with, but the owner always intended to restore it. In the end that poor gentleman passed away from a nasty genetic disease, and in his last few months he wanted to pass the Beetle on to someone who would look after it and neither of his sons were interested.
So for the princely sum of nothing, it has become mine.
So, I gathered a few mates and we set off to see what it was that had become mine. I had seen only one photo, and that at the funeral, from when it ended up hanging off a herb garden, because his learner driver son had forgotten to put the handbrake on. So all I really knew was that it was white and post-67, but not a super. I figured if it was too far gone I’d part it out and donate the money to find a cure to what killed him, otherwise I’d see what I could do.
At any rate one of my mates who was on the retrieval mission had also decided to buy an old Subaru Brumby from the Riverina to use as a paddock basher at his brother-in-laws farm, so it was going to be an adventure (and it was a great road trip).
We made a feeble attempt at starting it, but using only WD40 as fuel, we couldn’t get it to fire, even though it happily turned over on the starter and there was spark. So we loaded it up and brought it home.
We discovered that it had last been registered in 2007, and that it was the herb garden accident that resulted in its parking. Some attempt had been made at repair, hence the mismatched fender.
When we stopped for lunch at a small town on the way home a guy wandered up and asked if we restored Beetles and asked for my contact details so he could send photos of one or two he has at his place (which was in yet another small town some 80km away), and apparently many VWs at one of his neighbours place. Who knows what will come of that!
Anyway, we arrived home safe and sound, rolled the car onto the street, and made a proper attempt at firing her up. In the end all it needed was clean fuel, everything else was fine and it fired first turn of the key, letting out a huge fart of black smoke and crud. We started and stopped it several times, gave it revs and it sounded like the happiest 1500 in the world. From there I drove it up into the carport, with steering, clutch, gearbox and brakes all working just fine.
Yesterday I started the clean out, because it was packed to the gunwales with junk and dirt and spiders. What I discovered:
* Based on the VIN it was built in Feb/March 1969
* It was built in Germany (does that mean that it isn’t a CKD?)
* It has the Sekurit glass (again I’m not sure whether AU CKD kits had this?)
* No vents on the deck lid (which struck me as odd for a car this late, although I’ve no reason to believe it isn’t original)
* Unmolested 1500 engine with original oil bath air filter.
* Front discs (they look factory from the very brief look I’ve had)
* Lotus white
* Red interior
* The owners manual
* The faint remains of a VW dealer sticker on the rear window for a dealer at (I think) Strathfield. Phil, who was the dealer there, it looks like Mc????
* Almost all complete and original except:
* Passenger fender with some neat 80s graphic stickers, but scratch the paint back and it seems to be the same colour as the rest of the car underneath
* The passenger seat had been replaced by something from a much more modern car, although using the original runners. An identical one obviously destined for the driver’s side was also in the car, but both have now been removed. I think the driver’s seat is quite busted as well.
* Lots of lichen and patina
* Rusty floor pans
* Some rust spots on the bottom of the B pillars and inside the front wheel arch
* A very small amount of rust in the spare wheel well.
All in all not bad for a 46 year old car that has spent at least the last 8 years sitting outside under a peppercorn tree.
So the plan is:
* Figure out how much damage its herb garden adventure did and make that good.
* Sort out as much of the rust as is feasible (I really need to buy a welder and learn)
* Source a new passenger seat
* Potentially recover all seats
* Source a less destroyed front bumper bar
* Recommission the engine, brakes and suspension by replacing all rubber hoses, shocks, pads etc
* Give it a very mild altitude adjustment
* Ankor wax to protect it from rotting too much
* Get it registered
* Drive it
As I still primarily want to spend my money on my 74 super (plus the Bora needs new shocks and suspension bushings, which might accidently result in it getting lowered) I’m trying to do this one as frugally as possible, and ensure it is kept as original as possible. I’ll be hitting the swap meet at the nationals in a few weeks, but if you’ve got anything I’m after please let me know.
Given the rat look is still fashionable I don’t have a problem keeping the exterior looking as it does, as long as I keep it in a condition where it is suitable for a more complete restoration one day, if and when I get around to it.
What I can say from the road trip is that the Riverina is full of interesting cars parked up in various states of viability and availability. We’re already figuring out who amongst our group needs a project so we can hook the car trailer back up and head back out to some of the swap meets we now know about.
Let the fun begin!
Craig S Wolfsburg Wizard
635 posts · joined May 2008 ·
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1969 Beetle - June
1974 L Bug - Gwendolyn
2002 Bora V6 4Motion - Anita
1974 L Bug - Gwendolyn
2002 Bora V6 4Motion - Anita
