I thought it was about time that I started a build thread for my 76. I've had it for about 2 years now and bought it off a family down in Albury who had owned it about 20 years.
This is my second 76 and the 3rd bug I've owned and was bought for me by my wife for my 40th (that's right getting old).
These pics are what it was like when I bought it.
Apart from the bodykit and wheels it was pretty standard but in good condition apart form the obligatory C-pillar rust.
The basic plan is to build a nice street Beetle with a German Look theme and hopefully a few custom touches that will make it a bit different.
Some of the grunt work has been completed and I'll provide some updates of what has happened to date over the next couple of weeks.
In the mean time any (more) advice and guidance is greatfully appreciated.
Tidy!
That's what it did look like. Bodykit and wheels now gone and it will be going back to steel guards and deck lid.
Photos of what it looks like now please.
What's the suspension and brake plans?
What's the engine going to be?
1969 Beetle - June
1974 L Bug - Gwendolyn
2002 Bora V6 4Motion - Anita
Craig S wrote:Photos of what it looks like now please.
What's the suspension and brake plans?
What's the engine going to be?
I will put some more pics and progress up over the weekend.
As for suspension, it will be lowered a little bit, but needs to be practical as I would like to be able to drive it often. I have a front beam with avus style adjusters to go into it. Just need to paint the arms, change the seals and install new ball joints.
As I understand it the front discs are not a bad set up so they will probably stay after an overhaul. But the rear end will get discs. I'm not sure which way to go on those yet.
The plans for the engine are a streetable 1916 with cb performance quicktune efi. But that's a fair way down the track.
It's paint and panel first.....and dealing with rust.
OK as promised some more progress pic.
I have limited spce to work and store parts, ptherwise would hav taken the body off and wrking on the pa would have been som much more easy. But unfortunately that not the case, so I do what I can, where I can, when I can.
The inside floor was pretty good,so I just stripped it back an gave it the POR15 treatment. These are pics after metal ready prep stage and before painting.
And here are some pics after painting. The POR15 paint went on and produces a flattering finish.
And while I was at it, the pedal cluster go the treatment as well. Top pic is the slightly tired looking original state and the bottom is after a clean up and lick of paint.
Next was the underside of the pan. There wasn't really any rust to speak of, just 30-odd years of dirt and road grime to clean off, as well as thick layer of what seemed to be factory epoxy.
This took quite a lot of time to strip workinh under the car and many nights with a sore neck.
Top is a before pic and below is after paint. Again the POR15 makes me look good!
Nice work Cam! Great to see a thread on this!
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- '70 1500 Beetle (The Clean One)
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- '69 1500 Beetle (The Mean One)
Ollie wrote:Nice work Cam! Great to see a thread on this!
Cheers Ollie, I thought it was about time to share now that I have made some progress.
The petrol yank was the next up for some love. The first pic is what it was like when I removed it. The following pics are adter stripping it right back.
And here is the petrol tank after some POR15 treatment
great work Cam, prepping is the key! appreciate the pics
Nice work, that tank coated in POR looks awesome, will you leave it black?
thebullfrog wrote:Nice work, that tank coated in POR looks awesome, will you leave it black?
Thanks. Yes tank will remain black and probably be covered by a carpet kit. As will the interior floor.
Nice, very nice. i shall follow this build. was the floor pan and tank the only area's you POR 15 treated. I love how smooth and glossy POR drys (as with KBS).
Jeremy
thebullfrog wrote:Nice, very nice. i shall follow this build. was the floor pan and tank the only area's you POR 15 treated. I love how smooth and glossy POR drys (as with KBS).
Jeremy
No, plenty more being POR15'ed. Will upload more pics shortly.
I did the same thing with POR15 in my floor pan. excellent work. I will probably copy your fuel tank
treatment as well.
david-syd wrote:I did the same thing with POR15 in my floor pan. excellent work. I will probably copy your fuel tank
treatment as well.
Thanks David. More por15 progress to report soon
OK, this thread is well overdue for an update. While the updates have stalled progress hasn't.
The rear suspension has now been given the POR15 treatment. The first pic shows the rear suspension with possibly 35 years of dirt etc on it and the second, the same section stripped back and ready for paint. These are of the drivers side.
And here are some pics of the rear suspension all prettied up.
New inner and outer bushes installed and suspension reset 1 outer spline lower. This may change at a later date, but for now, while I'm still likely to be working under the car, a bit of height could be useful,
And even though I plan to upgrade the rear brakes from drums to discs at a later date, I couldn't bear to reinstall the dirty old drum brake assembly, so that also got a clean and detail.
The first pic is the as-received state and the second the newly detailed state.
And here is the passenger side rear suspension before shots
And here are the after shots of the rear suspension painted and detailed rear drum brakes.
Again, innner and outer bushed replaces and reset 1 outer spline lower.
.......and yes, I forgot to put the boots back on the slave cylinder. They will go back on shortly, but no major rush as the car isn't goin to be driven for a while yet.
Nice work Cam,
I'll have to pay you to paint my pan inside and out 🙂
1969 Beetle - June
1974 L Bug - Gwendolyn
2002 Bora V6 4Motion - Anita
Craig S wrote:Nice work Cam,
I'll have to pay you to paint my pan inside and out 🙂
Lol the painting is the easy part. It's the prep that sends you crazy.
Hey cam is the por15 painted on with a brush,what size can to do floor pan top and bottm ???
69 Beetle
66 Beetle
56 Beetle
Pumba wrote:Hey cam is the por15 painted on with a brush,what size can to do floor pan top and bottm ???
I would say a 1 litre can would get you by if you just do the floor alone.
After having done the job, I would separate the floor pan and strip whole lot before painting if I was to do it again.
I had some of the internal floor bubble up a bit. I have now re-stripped and and am just waiting for some good weather so I can start the painting process.
And yes, it has all been applied with a brush. I just get cheap brushes from bunnings and toss them after I paint a section.
My other advice is do as they say. Pour the paint into a container rather then painting direct from the can and cover with glad wrap before putting the lid back on. FYI I use cheap aluminium trays to paint from.
The only thing I did differently with the internal floor or top was to wash after marine clean and metal ready prep with a wet rag as the body was on still. All the other sections were hosed off.
No worrys,my body will be off the pan so should be straight forward.
cheers shane.
69 Beetle
66 Beetle
56 Beetle
