I know I don't have to post a pic of every single thing I do but I guess I am a bit of a picture-hoar...just can't get enough of 'em I 'spose.
Also its nice for people to get a real-time perspective of how long it takes to every bloody thing involved in a resto of this extent.
Okay, here is the bonnet after the treatment - not quite as nice as that email going around lately but not bad for a vw bonnet :o
Thats it for now, just the doors and shell to go (sounds easy in one sentence).
Remember how it started life? Ugly. :duh
Stop you pic-hoar you !!!!!!!!!!! All these pics make us that haven't done a thing a thing envious.......... Righty o no more lookin at this thread !!!!!!
Yeah right !!!!!!!!!!!!
Make great work as ever.............. Carn't wait to see it in the flesh so to speak................................
Da Time For The Aircooled Revolution Is Upon US.
Brothers & Sisters Lets Hit The Streets, Roll As One. And Feel The Power Of The Aircooled Storm.
Alright, gotta get my next fix (told you I can't get enough of the pics! Sorry aussieveedubbers bandwidth).
The doors suffered probably the worst orange peel as you can see in this pic:
Here it is after 1500 and 2000 wet and dry treatment. Dull but nice and flat:
Now after the G3 (curring compound) an G4 (hologram/swirl remover). Looks a bit better now.
You can see it is not dead straight, but its not bad compared to what I started with (the sandblasters warped them pretty well).
This gives you an idea of how the prep work pays off in the end. The colour sanding process took about 2.5 hours for this door. Hopefully the other one will be done this arvo (providing I am not too drunk after the obligatory Australia day BBQ). :beer
FUCKEN LOVE IT!
Only part of my car i get that sorta reflection is the rear view mirror! :thumb
1958 Beetle, 1966 VW Beetle, 1996 Holden Statesman!
Its an obsesion for engines and fuel.... 😏
I can't comment any more.. I am out of words you pic-whorebag! Mate, I say more pics the better. This is in the top 5 threads most viewed on the site mate, so don't stop now.. too many people are watching!
THE LOWEST WITH THE MOSTEST BLING BLING WINS!!
Dasdubber wrote:This gives you an idea of how the prep work pays off in the end. The colour sanding process took about 2.5 hours for this door. Hopefully the other one will be done this arvo (providing I am not too drunk after the obligatory Australia day BBQ). :beer
Now that retaining wall could do with a lick of paint or maybe some killrust on the bolts of the pier's, and you should mow you lawn more often.....:P
Desert Moose wrote:Now that retaining wall could do with a lick of paint or maybe some killrust on the bolts of the pier's, and you should mow you lawn more often.....:P
:thumb I was waiting for someone to pick that up! This is why the beetle has taken so long - I am still in the middle of renos on our house....the stains are from the hardwood beams that will support the trusses for the carport (which are sitting in the front yard under tarps waiting for the roof sheets to be delivered!)....after carport is done the yard will be scalped back to dirt (you should have seen the size of the weeds before I mowed them!)....then the retaining walls will be painted after I turf.....pity work gets in the way of these things, why do weekends only last two days?
Cheers
PS - Had too much to drink to operate power tools so I'll leave the other door for another day :duh
[Edited on 26-1-2005 by Dasdubber]
How many coats of color and clear did you apply? Looks like a lot of clear. I'm sorry now that I only used 2 litres of clear looking at your work.
Brendan
I never thought I would read 23 pages of a thread, but I have tonight.
The work you have done on this car is simply amazing and taking the time to share it with us all.....thank you.
I hope to see it for real one day at a show or a cruise.
Cheers
Dave.
Thanks Dave, being in Brisbane I am sure you will see it sooner or later (hopefully sooner rather than later!).
Brendan, I applied four coats of clear using just under 5L in total. If I had more time I would have sanded it all back (to the same degree as before I hit it with the buffer), then applied another two coats before going through the same process again but that time with the buffer. That would give it even deeper gloss, but I am pretty happy with how it turned out so I am certainly not complaining!
I 1200 grit the color before applying the clear. The first clear coat had 10% color in it also. Made for less color sanding work at the end but looking at your car I don't think I started with enough clear lacquer. Lesson learnt for next time (shhhh don't tell the missus).
I'd like to see yours and CT's (fullnoise) oval in a lineup. Would be cool.
Brendan
Nothing too exciting to report - colour sanded the little bits like tail-light housings, licence plate light, glove box lid etc.
Just another shot of the car for no real reason :P
I look forward to you posts. Very straight! I now wish I had spent more time on prepping the body of mine. Once again fantastic job.
Brendan
seen this baby in the flesh..she is pretty 😀
BTW the kombi is mid engine rebuild 🙂 cheers
mate every time i see progress on this thing i drool.
hope youve made a huuge cabinet for all of the trophies youll be winning!
Finally finished the drivers side door - surf has been pumping so things have been on hold for a little bit 😉
Hard to get decent pics in the dark but you get the idea. Now I can start on the body itself!
don't stop now dude, I can't wait to see this thing finished! 😎
Alan,
Now you are teasing us with those pics.
I know how you feel. Surf is the reason my bug took two and a half years. You know what they say "if you use to surf, you never did" and "the only bad day's surfing is one where you don't".
How do you get a German Look roof rack for a beetle to effectively hold surfboards?
Brendan:jesus
I know what you mean Brendan, as much as I want to get this beasty done, still have to find time to do the things in life you love (surf, wife etc) :P
Re. roof rack, well I still have my wood slat Harding European roof rack - not exactly german look but will do the trick when needed!
From the pics your G-Looker's paint looks pretty damn good Brendan, its easy to get very critical when you look at it every day and go over it with a fine tooth comb! (I know the feeling).
What craft do you ride...hope it's not a Mal.
I had some problems where the etch primer reacted with the POR15 so I'll have to fix those places up at some time in the future.
Regarding the roof rack I've been thinking of getting something made out of oval aluminium tube of 50x25 and then get it powder coated.
Brendan
Definitely short board for me (anything from 6'1 fish to 6'10 gun depending on size - lately its been the 6'4).
The aluminium rack would be pretty cool - polished would be nice but hard to do.
I have a ragtop roof so I could look like a nob and stick it out the top like I've seen some of the richy rich's driving around the gold coast in their new saab/audi/etc convertibles with the boards hanging out (I'm sure more for decoration than actual use most of them!).
Phew I would've had to stop conversing with you! Kneeboard for me (cause I'm an old worn out bugger). Got three boards all 6 footers. They fit in the passenger seat but you look like a parker when you are with someone and they have to sit directly behind you.
I'm going to get a couple of pieces of 1/4 aluminuim and shape some side plates. Once I get the curve and angle correct I'll get flanges welded on for the crossbars. The plan is to have the bars easily removable to add foam tube when needed. A single clamp each side to the corner of the door jam made out of stainless also. If I get adventurous I will design the crossbars to have some inlaid padding instead of the foam. I also want all the fixings to be as hidden as possible so there may be quite a bit of experimentation.
Carbon fibre/kevlar would be nice.
Brendan
Finally stuff is starting to go back together! Rear lights, licence plate light, glove box lid, ashtray etc done.
