'68 Aussie CKD salvage

Carl and Emily · 2012-06-20T09:51:34+00:00

So,.. We picked up our '62 bug a few weeks ago from Matt. So,.. we dragged our other bug out of storage and swapped them over. It's a '68, apparently a fully imported one. EDIT - It is actually a Aussie CKD Our hope is to have this as our daily. First step was to let Matt have a poke about it and see if it was worth saving. Things to do. 1 - Sort Body. 2 - Engine? - hmmm,.. 3 - Gearbox? - There's one in it, don't know condition. 3 - Wheels? - Probably stock black and whites. 4 - Interior? - Stock 5 - Wish list - A/C - perhaps/ maybe/ one day.

vassy66T1 Wow ... are U reading this?

2,120 posts · joined Jun 2003 · 11 Jul 2012, 7:29 pm

#912179

What's Bilbo Baggins doing sticking his head in the picture 😀

Repair work is nice.

matberry Moderator Go hard or go home

8,114 posts · joined Mar 2006 · 11 Jul 2012, 7:38 pm

#912186

vassy66T1 wrote:What's Bilbo Baggins doing sticking his head in the picture 😀

Repair work is nice.

Ha ha , since your asking.... he was checking the work at the end of the day 🙂

Matt Berry Motorsports...air cooled advice, repairs and mods Ph 0408 704 662
OFF-ROAD,CIRCUIT,DRAG,STREET,ENDURANCE

Carl and Emily Officially Full-On Dubber

349 posts · joined Apr 2012 · 12 Jul 2012, 5:55 pm

#912291

matberry wrote:
vassy66T1 wrote:What's Bilbo Baggins doing sticking his head in the picture 😀

Repair work is nice.
Ha ha , since your asking.... he was checking the work at the end of the day 🙂

I thought he was the night time guard dog.

DubbyDo Officially Full-On Dubber

276 posts · joined Jan 2012 · 15 Jul 2012, 9:21 am

#912701

Are you going to stick with the original colour? Is it close to pastel blue which was on Aus bugs in 71? Great work so far, keep the updates and pics coming,
Cheers

matberry Moderator Go hard or go home

8,114 posts · joined Mar 2006 · 15 Jul 2012, 10:08 am

#912704

This weeks progress......

Rear 1/4 panel welding has been finished, the lower corners of the panel were fabricated by hand, extra detail for the drain makes the job look factory. We had a crazy humid day yesterday and the bare metal went surface rusty, this and the other repaired areas will get acid wash and prepped for etch prime next. 🙂 Then onto the prior repaired accident damage in the front.

Right hand front 1/4 panel

from this

to this

to this

Matt Berry Motorsports...air cooled advice, repairs and mods Ph 0408 704 662
OFF-ROAD,CIRCUIT,DRAG,STREET,ENDURANCE

DubbyDo Officially Full-On Dubber

276 posts · joined Jan 2012 · 15 Jul 2012, 1:25 pm

#912731

Hey Matt, do you cut the section out then fab the patch to suit or make the patch then trim the rusty area as needed?

matberry Moderator Go hard or go home

8,114 posts · joined Mar 2006 · 15 Jul 2012, 3:20 pm

#912742

Hi mate, i cut first as often you expose more cancer underneath the panel. Final repair patch is determined as I go.

Matt Berry Motorsports...air cooled advice, repairs and mods Ph 0408 704 662
OFF-ROAD,CIRCUIT,DRAG,STREET,ENDURANCE

Carl and Emily Officially Full-On Dubber

349 posts · joined Apr 2012 · 15 Jul 2012, 6:02 pm

#912777

DubbyDo wrote:Are you going to stick with the original colour? Is it close to pastel blue which was on Aus bugs in 71? Great work so far, keep the updates and pics coming,
Cheers

Yes, because we are not going to repaint the car.

The colour of this one is Zenith Blue. It is a fully imported German car. I'm not sure how it compares to the 71's, maybe same paint code but different name,..
I'm sure if you posted the question in the paint and panel section someone would be able to answer it.

Repaired areas will be blended in to the original paint as most of the car is original paint.

and,..

Yes, thanks Matt for the update.

Did you find any more rust in the drivers side channel when the running board came off?

matberry Moderator Go hard or go home

8,114 posts · joined Mar 2006 · 15 Jul 2012, 11:19 pm

#912842

Carl and Emily wrote:Did you find any more rust in the drivers side channel when the running board came off?

👍 👍 All good so far Carl. 🙂

Matt Berry Motorsports...air cooled advice, repairs and mods Ph 0408 704 662
OFF-ROAD,CIRCUIT,DRAG,STREET,ENDURANCE

matberry Moderator Go hard or go home

8,114 posts · joined Mar 2006 · 22 Jul 2012, 2:57 pm

#913887

So after completing all the rust holes in the body, it was time to tackle the spare tyre well and prior accident damage to the front. The replacement apron was fitted over the top of the damage with reminants of the old panel underneath. Rust in the area is mainly due to the repairer not painting the repairs properly. The body was around 50mm short fwd of the beam and there was nearly 20hours of pulling stretching, beating and pulling, some more beating, pulling and stretching etc..etc....you get the idea.

Some before and during pics

Matt Berry Motorsports...air cooled advice, repairs and mods Ph 0408 704 662
OFF-ROAD,CIRCUIT,DRAG,STREET,ENDURANCE

Carl and Emily Officially Full-On Dubber

349 posts · joined Apr 2012 · 23 Jul 2012, 9:15 am

#914060

and the car is saying,..

" Thank you for giving me corrective surgery for my broken nose."

😍 it!

Joel Now containing 100\% E-Wang

9,368 posts · joined Feb 2006 · 23 Jul 2012, 9:47 am

#914071

Carl and Emily wrote:
DubbyDo wrote:Are you going to stick with the original colour? Is it close to pastel blue which was on Aus bugs in 71? Great work so far, keep the updates and pics coming,
Cheers
Yes, because we are not going to repaint the car.

The colour of this one is Zenith Blue. It is a fully imported German car. I'm not sure how it compares to the 71's, maybe same paint code but different name,..
I'm sure if you posted the question in the paint and panel section someone would be able to answer it.

Pastel Blue and Zenith Blue are slightly similar but Zenith has a more of a grey shade to it compared to Pastel.

66doubledoor Seriously Crusin Dubber

144 posts · joined Aug 2009 · 25 Jul 2012, 2:15 pm

#914404

very nice repair work thanks for posting

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5lam AKA: BlackBug

520 posts · joined Mar 2006 · 25 Jul 2012, 3:41 pm

#914417

Coming along nicely! Glad to see you are keeping the OG paint

Custom doesn't come in a Box

Carl and Emily Officially Full-On Dubber

349 posts · joined Apr 2012 · 26 Jul 2012, 9:10 pm

#914641

66doubledoor wrote:very nice repair work thanks for posting

Thanks must go to Matt and Max.

Carl and Emily Officially Full-On Dubber

349 posts · joined Apr 2012 · 26 Jul 2012, 9:52 pm

#914650

BlackBug wrote:Coming along nicely! Glad to see you are keeping the OG paint

Thanks Blackbug.

Yes! We like the old, original, worn look too.🤪

We feel this car is just on the edge of being able to retain it's original feel, and not the restored look. If you know what I mean.

Don't get me wrong,.. a fully restored car is a lovely sight to see.

But that's not for this car,.... at the moment.😂

Carl and Emily Officially Full-On Dubber

349 posts · joined Apr 2012 · 26 Jul 2012, 9:55 pm

#914652

Joel wrote:
Carl and Emily wrote:
DubbyDo wrote:Are you going to stick with the original colour? Is it close to pastel blue which was on Aus bugs in 71? Great work so far, keep the updates and pics coming,
Cheers
Yes, because we are not going to repaint the car.

The colour of this one is Zenith Blue. It is a fully imported German car. I'm not sure how it compares to the 71's,

maybe same paint code but different name,..
I'm sure if you posted the question in the paint and panel section someone would be able to answer it.
Pastel Blue and Zenith Blue are slightly similar but Zenith has a more of a grey shade to it compared to Pastel.

There you go Dubbydo,..

Thanks Joel for sharing your knowledge.

It will be interesting to see how our car comes up after a cut and polish.

DubbyDo Officially Full-On Dubber

276 posts · joined Jan 2012 · 27 Jul 2012, 12:39 pm

#914726

Thanks Joel. I think Zenith Blue looks a helluva lot better than the Pastel Blue which I have, maybe because the only cut and polish that will bring it back needs to be done by a grinder😂😂
Looking forward to seeing how yours looks after its been polished Carl. Have a great weekend
Cheers,
Dave

matberry Moderator Go hard or go home

8,114 posts · joined Mar 2006 · 27 Jul 2012, 7:31 pm

#914784

Update pics....

the rust repairs have been prepped and painted with a zinc rich primer to seal them from the elements

Upon removal of the rh rear guard, the last nest of evil has been un-covered, again purely 'caused' by poor workmanship during past panel repairs but nothing a bit of elbow grease won't fix

Matt Berry Motorsports...air cooled advice, repairs and mods Ph 0408 704 662
OFF-ROAD,CIRCUIT,DRAG,STREET,ENDURANCE

Nickster Officially Full-On Dubber

302 posts · joined Jul 2008 · 28 Jul 2012, 7:14 pm

#914947

Nice work Matt, you've given me some inspiration to tackle the rusty holes I'm finding in my '62. I have very bad panel damage to the rear quarter panel, under the side window down to the sill - how would you approach that?

Carl - thanks for the heads up, I'll enjoy following this post. 🙂

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matberry Moderator Go hard or go home

8,114 posts · joined Mar 2006 · 25 Aug 2012, 9:26 pm

#919333

Some more progress this week, the rh rear guard mounting area patches have been plated and while the hole was there, it gave access to the rh C pillar that had a decent dent from a fork lift or something. You can just make out the dent in the first pic. It doesn't look like much, but was a good 25mm deep and streched the panel somewhat. Max the panel guru has metal finished the area to require very little filler.

Matt Berry Motorsports...air cooled advice, repairs and mods Ph 0408 704 662
OFF-ROAD,CIRCUIT,DRAG,STREET,ENDURANCE

Carl and Emily Officially Full-On Dubber

349 posts · joined Apr 2012 · 26 Aug 2012, 6:39 am

#919369

OMG!!

Fantastic work!!!

I wish I had those skills.

Thank you to you both.

It's so nice to see 'old school' work manship.

matberry Moderator Go hard or go home

8,114 posts · joined Mar 2006 · 26 Aug 2012, 8:38 am

#919379

Thanks Carl, still some smaller holes to finish and this area will also be completed. I have a new spare tyre well floor coming to get the front back together. The skills shown are all Max's, he's extremely good. All day tap tap tap, bang bang tap tap, and 'hey presto' metal finish..... 👍 Sweet as.

He is working on other jobs of his own (elsewhere). Presently a 'Getz', he can't believe the Volksie metal.....Oh so very different to the alfoil that today's cheapy's are made from. 👍

Matt Berry Motorsports...air cooled advice, repairs and mods Ph 0408 704 662
OFF-ROAD,CIRCUIT,DRAG,STREET,ENDURANCE

Carl and Emily Officially Full-On Dubber

349 posts · joined Apr 2012 · 28 Aug 2012, 7:40 pm

#919780

Emily and I went to visit our car today.

We gave the 'guard dog' (Bilbo) a good scratch.🙂

and met Max for the first time. 🙂

It's getting there our old bucket, lucky car it is.

It's a little sad to see that most of the rust issues were caused by lazy panel work in the past. I guess the real culprit of bad panel work is insurance companies not paying the panel shops enough to do the job properly.

But all is in hand, and this journey of bringing something back from the dead is what we really enjoy.
I do it in my my daily work in restoring old houses, and I just so wish I had these skills in this world of cars.
Maybe one day if the opportunity came up I might do a career change. What a nice dream that is.

We hope you are all enjoying reading this journey of our humble every day bug.

And finally.

Today is a birthday of a good friend to our car. He is turning '28' today. So Happy Birthday!! and hope you have a nice evening with your family.😉

Peace and happiness to all.

cam070 Custom Title Time!

1,332 posts · joined Jul 2009 · 29 Aug 2012, 12:03 am

#919820

Those are quality repairs Matt. If I was up your way, I'd have my car at your place in a flash!

matberry Moderator Go hard or go home

8,114 posts · joined Mar 2006 · 29 Aug 2012, 8:29 am

#919834

Good to see you guy's yesterday and show our progress, your '68 is coming along nicely, she's a lovely solid car that's for sure. Thanks for the birthday wishes too 🙂.

Thanks too, cam070, the panel prowess is Max, he is an ex hot-rodder/panel guru that really knows his stuff. A pleasure and asset to have in my workshop. 👍

Matt Berry Motorsports...air cooled advice, repairs and mods Ph 0408 704 662
OFF-ROAD,CIRCUIT,DRAG,STREET,ENDURANCE

gerggl Wolfsburg Wizard

447 posts · joined Sep 2010 · 9 Sep 2012, 10:00 am

#921365

Great work ... I know the feeling of restoring a car ........ good luck! 👍👍👍

Greg Gordon-Lane

Brisbane

Vw's are part of life's journey .... get on board!

VW Safari / Thing 1976 - "A work in progress"

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matberry Moderator Go hard or go home

8,114 posts · joined Mar 2006 · 13 Sep 2012, 9:54 pm

#922067

Well, back to the front apron........

After being pulled the apron and the badly rusted panels were cut out by drilling the spot welds

more work straightening the side panels

Here is the new panel ready for installation

during installation

The front apron needed some repair and straightening before installation

Fitted

Matt Berry Motorsports...air cooled advice, repairs and mods Ph 0408 704 662
OFF-ROAD,CIRCUIT,DRAG,STREET,ENDURANCE

baghall Ben Hal Outlaw Bushranger

1,021 posts · joined Jan 2010 · 13 Sep 2012, 10:00 pm

#922069

Coming along nicely. Wish I had seen some of the rust repairs before I started mine. Would have saved me some stress as to shaping the repars etc.

68 Baja - It's a growing pain!
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Carl and Emily Officially Full-On Dubber

349 posts · joined Apr 2012 · 14 Sep 2012, 3:18 pm

#922127

What can we say other than,... thank YOU!!! again, and again, and again.🙂