Well I picked up a 64 tonight, mainly coz it was cheap and a good thing to go on club runs in, feel like a bit of a goober going in the company car common_dore.
Credit given where credits due I didn't "find" this one it kinda happened upon me, the brother in laws old man (old holden man) thought he'd like to do up a small car for him & the missus. So he found this one going cheap but non runner, motor siezed. Well he couldn't get it to turn at all and after a month or two its all gotten too hard. He was gonna put it in the trading post but asked me if I wanted a look so I did & now here we are.
I got drenched it was bucketing down with rain tonight but why should that stop anyone. Its pretty straight, only 2 owners before the other guy found it. Got some original books too which is nice but I haven't really looked at em yet.
So the plan is don't put too much $$ into it (that's what the Oval's for). Just motor, lower all round & maybe narrowed front. Everything else stock, no stereo, stock wheels with skinny Michelin XZX's & just drive it. Simple. Yeah. I can smell petrol under the car & there's some trademark "liquid" emerging from the underside of the tunnel so it looks like I'm up for fuel line replacement too. No biggie, been there before. Anyway that's enough for now, heres some pics....
[ Edited on 2-4-2006 by SVW-054 ]
1954 Oval long term project going nowhere
1958 Beetle drag car project
1959 Beetle project I need to sell one day
1969 Squareback
More pics, didn't finish getting it off the trailer till about 11:45pm
1954 Oval long term project going nowhere
1958 Beetle drag car project
1959 Beetle project I need to sell one day
1969 Squareback
Paint looks pretty damn flat, doesn't worry me though.
That's it, bedtime now......
1954 Oval long term project going nowhere
1958 Beetle drag car project
1959 Beetle project I need to sell one day
1969 Squareback
Looks sweet! :thumb
that looks cool Greg.
You should have called, I would have given you a hand with loading/unloading.
I'll chase that engine for you today.
will look nice slammed.
leave the paint as is, just give her a polish.
Most people seem normal, till you get to know them.
That a kool beetle you lucky Bugger
Marc
If you can't laugh at yourself you can't laugh at anyone else! Because life is to short not to LAUGH
vwtyp2 wrote:that looks cool Greg.
You should have called, I would have given you a hand with loading/unloading.
I'll chase that engine for you today.
will look nice slammed.
leave the paint as is, just give her a polish.
At 10.30pm unloading?? Thought it was a bit late... Thanks for chasing the motor you have email.
Yeah can't wait to slam it will do it soon, geez the paint is real faded now its dry & in the sunlight, I can see a rat coming along...
Cheers for the comments everyone
1954 Oval long term project going nowhere
1958 Beetle drag car project
1959 Beetle project I need to sell one day
1969 Squareback
very coooooooooool!
put its on its guts!
put its on its guts!
put its on its guts!
steve
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
steve-89 wrote:put its on its guts!
put its on its guts!
put its on its guts!
steve
Yup that's the plan
Got 2 adjusters today, a pair of caster shims & the steering "donut" between the steering box & column. Hoping to start slicing my spare L/P beam this weekend then send it off for the welding.
If I really get some time to spend on it I'm intending to get the motor out too....but knowing the way things always go I'll probably get the tools out then get sidetracked by the kids/baby never to return.
I'll chuck some progress pics up when theres progress
Cheers
Greg
1954 Oval long term project going nowhere
1958 Beetle drag car project
1959 Beetle project I need to sell one day
1969 Squareback
Well its taking forever, but it's getting close now. Just dont get much time to work on it. Haven't updated for ages so here's whats been going on. Tried polishing the seriously oxidised Ruby Red paint. Can you see the difference???
1954 Oval long term project going nowhere
1958 Beetle drag car project
1959 Beetle project I need to sell one day
1969 Squareback
More of the polishing....
1954 Oval long term project going nowhere
1958 Beetle drag car project
1959 Beetle project I need to sell one day
1969 Squareback
So on to the more serious stuff, now I know the paint will look OK with some attention.
Pulled the seized motor, replaced the trans mounts & gave it a much needed clean under there. Gave the replacement motor a quick paint (didnt come up that well but I didnt prep it too well!!) & put it in with the help of the kids. My 9 year old sat under the rear fenders and held those bastard motor bolts on top of the gearbox that I can never get to, couldn't believe how easy he got in there.
Fired the motor up the other week, so at least I know it runs now. Nice to know.
Then it was time to jack up the front of the car and pull out the old front end in preparation for the 2 inch narrowed beam that my cousin (ace welder) and I (cant weld, just told him what to do) built.
This is all over the course of a couple of months
1954 Oval long term project going nowhere
1958 Beetle drag car project
1959 Beetle project I need to sell one day
1969 Squareback
Oh yeah thanks to vwtyp2 & pmgbus for hooking me up with the motor on the cheap.
So here's a couple of nude pics of the beam before it was painted, as you can see the insides of the shock towers were cut off & plated so it just fits inside the inner fenders. Actually when the welds all cooled the towers pulled in a bit at the top, so they needed some persuasion with a mallet before I could get the damn thing in....
1954 Oval long term project going nowhere
1958 Beetle drag car project
1959 Beetle project I need to sell one day
1969 Squareback
So after much cursing, scratching of paint & belting with the mallet, the beam is in. Didnt have to hit it that hard in the end to get it in, looks pretty neat aside from the paint that came off. As you can see there aint much room to the inner fenders.
Its been sitting under the car for that long that some grass clippings found their way into the grease inside the tubes, yes I've cleaned it out now.
I've put the top torsion leaves in so I've just gotta do the bottom ones, clean up the arms & install them then throw the hubs back on and I can see how low it is. Cant wait.
So the only jobs before its on the road are:
Replace metal fuel line right down the pan
Finish the rear 15 x 6.5 steelies & get tyres on em
Bolt on the front std wheels with 135's (thanks Mattie)
Get it off the stands & on its guts
Put rear seatbelts in to keep the kiddies safe
Get a 6V battery (anyone got a spare in Adelaide??)
Finish restoring the popouts & put em in.....mmmmmmmm
Find some $$$ to register it
Drive it...yay
1954 Oval long term project going nowhere
1958 Beetle drag car project
1959 Beetle project I need to sell one day
1969 Squareback
looking good Greg.
good to see you're getting some time to work on it.
Most people seem normal, till you get to know them.
Tehehe, the progress pics of polishing that faded paint look awesome! Talk about a huge difference! :P
Nice work greg, finally some time to owkr on it... know what it feels like.
T54
C'mon kids gather round,
there's a new sensation hitting town,
It's moving straight, low to the ground,
it'll pick you up when your feeling down.
