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Frank the '66 Deluxe project.

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KalgoorlieGreg Seriously Crusin Dubber

196 posts · joined Aug 2016 ·

#1030149
Hey all,

I managed to get my hands on a fairly decent 1966 Deluxe. My kids have called him Kirby, but since I'm the one doing the bulk of the work, I'm calling him Frank!

The intention is not to do a full restoration, but to do a period sympathetic body off rebuild with modern updates for safety. Main updates are the front seats, and the wheels. Putting in a pair of BMW E36 coupe seats, and rebanding the wide 5's to 15x6 with staggered offsets to keep the tires inside the guards.

Engine is a 1300SP that runs but with low compression, so will get a rebuild along the way. Minimal rust, just in the rear of both front wheel arches and bottom door hinges, along with a few other repairs, which is to be expected in a 50 year old car!

I'll upload pics as I go, but here are some to get started with. And yes, I'm planning this to be at least a 3 year build.

Cheers, Greg.

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nbturbo Veteran Volks Folk

2,171 posts · joined Dec 2002 ·

#1030153
Welcome to the VW restoration world.The 66 with 1300 is my all time favourite.Will look forward to see how you attack it.

KalgoorlieGreg Seriously Crusin Dubber

196 posts · joined Aug 2016 ·

#1030154
nbturbo wrote:Welcome to the VW restoration world.The 66 with 1300 is my all time favourite.Will look forward to see how you attack it.
With a couple of welders, a media blaster and a grinder!! 😎👍

nbturbo Veteran Volks Folk

2,171 posts · joined Dec 2002 ·

#1030176
Looking good- did you machine the centres from the rims?

KalgoorlieGreg Seriously Crusin Dubber

196 posts · joined Aug 2016 ·

#1030184
Manually with a 5" grinder and 1mm cutting discs, working very carefully. Took about 4 hours per rim to dissect both and combine the wide 5 centres and 6" wide bands.

KalgoorlieGreg Seriously Crusin Dubber

196 posts · joined Aug 2016 ·

#1030507
http://i.imgur.com/aPq4xmA.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/F96pmVM.jpg

It's back on the ground now, and I started messing around with fitting the BMW E36 coupe seats. Real easy to make the mounts, and I'll be able to fold up a drawer for under each seat, on ball bearing runners, for a bit of extra storage. And there is just as much, if not more room to access the back seat than the original seats.

Bizarre Moderator The artist formerly known as blue74l

12,789 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#1030522
KalgoorlieGreg wrote:Manually with a 5" grinder and 1mm cutting discs, working very carefully. Took about 4 hours per rim to dissect both and combine the wide 5 centres and 6" wide bands.
GREAT work

have you had them balanced yet?
Heard they are buggers to get done.

Some one was selling special adapters for them to get balanced
Futue te ipsum!!!

KalgoorlieGreg Seriously Crusin Dubber

196 posts · joined Aug 2016 ·

#1030538
Was going to use the Dynamic Beads for balancing. Unless I machine up an adapter plate at work.

KalgoorlieGreg Seriously Crusin Dubber

196 posts · joined Aug 2016 ·

#1030546
I have a bit of a technical question. With my seat runners, I've tacked up a quick frame to get my heights and placement sorted. As you can see, I've run my frames across the seats, with the intention of folding up some drawers for under the seats.

Would it be better to have my frames running with the direction of the seat runners, with flat bar running across the seat to join the two halves? This way should give me more height for the drawer, I think.

http://imgur.com/a/NtcFW

KalgoorlieGreg Seriously Crusin Dubber

196 posts · joined Aug 2016 ·

#1031910
Got some more done tonight. Getting the seat mounts fabricated.

iob.imgur.com/uYGg/yjZg60X0Iy

Slowly getting there.

KalgoorlieGreg Seriously Crusin Dubber

196 posts · joined Aug 2016 ·

#1033124
Whoops! Meet Pig, the parts pig. Fibreglass wide guards and whale tail engine lid, jellybean mags and a healthy 1600 dual port. Some bits will be for sale.

Pig the parts pig. https://imgur.com/gallery/3oRAb

KalgoorlieGreg Seriously Crusin Dubber

196 posts · joined Aug 2016 ·

#1033198


Just got Pig started up before it gets taken apart!

oldskoolguy Officially Full-On Dubber

329 posts · joined Sep 2011 ·

#1034920
Nice looking seats, are you going to re-cover them?
Bit of an upgrade eh!
"The best trophies are stone chips"
1969 1500 Beetle "Otis"
2008 Golf GTI

KalgoorlieGreg Seriously Crusin Dubber

196 posts · joined Aug 2016 ·

#1034924
Yes, going to get redone in brick red cloth to match the vinyl door cards. Vinyl seats in Kalgoorlie is not a great idea!!

BlasterTheRedBajaBug Wolfsburg Wizard

444 posts · joined Nov 2016 ·

#1035046
What did you do wit the original seats from Frank?
Nobody can drive you crazy, unless you give them the keys.

KalgoorlieGreg Seriously Crusin Dubber

196 posts · joined Aug 2016 ·

#1035057
BlasterTheRedBajaBug wrote:What did you do wit the original seats from Frank?
Sold them to somebody in Adelaide.