Moonlite\'s 54 Beetle (Undated 13th May)

It definately appears to be all the rage to show off your project in its progress these days so i figured id jump on the bandwagon and do the same.

To begin the story bluntly and breifly. I have allways loved VW's and at the age of 13 began building a 1966 beetle which is now my everyday drive car.

Building the car as a 13 year old would the result was good, but nothing that would pull a trophy.

However, when i was young i allways wanted an Oval window beetle however could not find one to support my finances.

Now being 17 and an apprentice mechanic things have changed financially, and after building a second car which was a HQ ute as a good looking Bog and Flog , which got a little carried away... I found the finances to gather myself an oval windowed beetle.

Being patient and wating for the right one was hard. But i allways wanted an Immaculate shell to start with. I looked around and came ever so close to just settling for a good 60's shell. When one day a post was posted on the forum of a RUST FREE OVAL SHELL. Only issue being that it was 3,500kms away from me.

After seing some photos that were sent to me i decided to get the car organised to be shipped across the country sight un-seen. So from Ballarat to Northam across came my oval roller and arrived at my place on the 17th of april 2006.

And so began the build for my unltimate street car.

[ Edited on 8-5-2006 by moonlite6t6beetle ]

[ Edited on 13-5-2006 by moonlite6t6beetle ]

Wouldnt win a beuty pagent.. But as far as im concerned this old girls aged VERY WELL.

And its just like this EVERYWHERE.

You get the idea..

And heres everything it came with it.

Four guards also in immaculate condition
2 Fantasitc doors
A W-Decklid good condition
1 Bonnet immaculate condition
2 Bumpers
1 steering wheel
2 tail lights
A box of goodies

great score

looks like the base for a very nice car.

After what i have seen, you can only thank god for a great rust free opportunity like that.

Congratulations mate.
You gonna make a awesome rat?
or take yard hards of getting a shiny beaut?

good to see you finally found urself a nice oval mate, look forward to the progress :thumb

Don't let your brother take it off you...

All I can say keep us posted with updates and its good to have some room back in my shed.:thumb

Nice to see another one saved from the scrap. Very clean indeed. What month 54 is it? Great score.
Turbo54

nice one..

The best Beetle. Gotta love Ovals. Enjoy the resto!
Rob...

keep updating us - gotta love dem ovals..

yep misery loves company

Shell got stripped of all glass, wiring, trima and dash components today. No suprises found.

Hooray

So with that onto the first pannel. The drivers door.

The paint stripper certainly bought out a nice display of a rainbow of previous colours.

The whole door srtipped (Sandblasting in the small areas has been acheived after this photo has beentaken)

So now onto panelbeating the small dents

Fortuanelty no rust to fix.

Bonnet and Passengers door, Rust repaired, panneled and primered.

Look nice hanging up there...

Boot and Passengers door, both bare metaled..

Door has been mosified to now take full glass.. stil needs chrome strip holes welded.

Boot has little rust in bottom and needs serious pannelbeating.

But its a W-Decklid so im willing

Nice score! :P What are your plans for it?

If the body ad doors bonnet etc is so good, why weld up all the holes and wreck a really good body? I personally wouldn't do it... but its not my car. I also see standoffs, but stroker motor? Callook?
T54

Have to agree on welding up the holes. THink long andhard about doing it as you may regret it in a few year. Especially if you decide to restore it back to original. The chrome strip is so nice.

Noooooooooo....leave the holes for the brightwork. They look so much better with it.

BTW, good to see such a straight oval, and particularly one being shown so much love by a keen young fella. :thumb

depends what look you're going for but regardless - cal, german, og, or whateveri agree the chrome strip sets it off...

nick

For what it`s worth I wouldn`t do it either.
BUT it`s nothing a drill and a 6mm bit won`t fix in the future, bitch of a job though!
It`s his car, let it be.
Graham.

Dear Lord..

WOW i didnt expect susch a personce from the holes being welded.. so it would be wise not to show photos? :P

All the holes are TIG welded with copper behind and cooled with compressed air. All me and my dads assistance work. All properly done.

As far as what style it will be, its hard to describe. Its look will be very much a PRO STREET look on a bug. Intentionally look like a semi-purpose built drag car. 10's under the back 3.5's under the front, Full Rollcage, Autometer guages, high performance motor ect looking initially to run a high 12 Naturally Aspirated.

There has only every been one car that has been done ina similar style to what i am chasing and it was built by a man called Mark Gattwolt. (to freshen peoples memory it was magenta with the number plates "FWOOR", I have idoled that car since i was about 12. The only thing i wanted however was it in a 53-57 bug, instead of a 68.

Dad recently asked me why i didnt wait and get a splitty beetle. And my reply was because i would ruin it. This is my dream car, and ive chosen an oval as i personally couldnt do it to a splitty.

Corey

Go for it mate, do what you want as its yours! There will be knockers not matter what you do, hopefully people can either provide some words of support....or just maybe stay quiet. However if you ask for opinions, expect to get them left, right and centre!

😵

Sounds like a great project and something a little different.

you want it like this....

Hey man just do what feels right to you, either way its good to see another 54 revived!!!

I recently agonised over the same thing, Stock or Custom, it's good either way!!!

retro

Moonlite, I wasn't knocking what your doing and like I said do what you want. One of my 54's is also a Pro-Stock looker but with all the chrome and stock interior. Are you running Convo Pros? Have you seen the split Pro-Stock looker from the UK. Was a silver one with a big wing. How are you getting 10's under the back. I have only been able to get 9" without problems. Keep the pics flowing.
T54

Hey all, though we should coninue on the chome strip discussion..

After the recent comments it really made me think about leaving them on there.. You see the colours going to be Thistle Purple Pearl off a Mazda, its a dark purple with a pink pearl throught it. Dad made the comment that chome strips really set off dark colours and it may be wise to leave them on there.

T54, and others, seriously i dont take offence to any constructive critisism or opinions with backing. So i appriciate the feedback. As you can see from above Mark Gottwalts Bug all deschomed with convo pro's looks esxactly what i am chasing. I think if that car had chome on it it wouldnt look any better, but i feel alot of that has to do with being megenta.
On the other hand again, with dark pruple the chome may really work well on it and i may regret not leaving them on there.

The rims i wish to put on the car are weld racing (magnum) copperlite's, spindlemount front. 32 spline rear. **as seen underneath* A cousin and i are going to attempt to make our own flared guards from steel and then have them glassed for the rear. (He being a fabricator)
And sipmly buy the glass 2" winder fronts.

Thanks all for the complimets and critisism its all good.

Corey

r u looking for one piece window parts? i think calcool has some for sale. my opinion, never weld up the trim holes.

how do you fit 10inch rims on the rear of a bug...i got a 72 with 15x4.5's on all 4 an they stick out.

blue bug - its all to do with offsets and narrowing the rear end.
Moonlite - I take it if your running spindle mounts this isn't going to be a street / drag car. I wiil try to email you some pics of the one I am talking about. U2U me your email address.
T54

T54: Yes this will be a street / drag bug. Both dad and i have ALLWAYS driven out semi-street cars and i thoroughly intend to drive it semi-regularly, even with spindlemounts. The spindlemounds will have front discs so nothing is compensated

PPB: Purely by having narrowed axles by just over an inch, and custom guards that flare out enough to take the 10" rim. They will be custom made as i hate double bump guards and i wish to make it vary hard to pick to verage joe that ehy've been widened.

BUT ONTO PROGRESSS!! YAAAAAAAY

Sperated the skins on the W-Decklid to get to the rust,

[ Edited on 13-5-2006 by moonlite6t6beetle ]

following that i sandblassted the rust and cleaned it to bare metal.. metals thin, however now has no rust.

Panelbeating the next step