Very new to the VW arena , but i have just invested in a bug to restore back to original condition. I think i picked up a good buy for $2,000 what do you guys think.
I have just ordered some books from amazon.com on keeping the bug in top shape and a few other books about restoring the old girl. Any help with where to get the best parts at a good price and general advice would be appreicated.
Very new to the car Game , have never tried anything like this before , but i guess that how you learn. So here is a few pics
Doolang ·
Few more Pictures of the girl
beerdoc ·
LOoks pretty sweet the way it is mate whats your plans
Bizarre ·
Welcome
I think your motor has been properly looked after.
No fuel filter between pump and carb and the stock vac advance dizzy
Good start
Supers are a bit special and you will find more help over there
As Doc said - what are your plans??
Barry
ian.mezz ·
Doolang wrote:Very new to the VW arena , but i have just invested in a bug to restore back to original condition. I think i picked up a good buy for $2,000 what do you guys think.
I have just ordered some books from amazon.com on keeping the bug in top shape and a few other books about restoring the old girl. Any help with where to get the best parts at a good price and general advice would be appreicated.
Very new to the car Game , have never tried anything like this before , but i guess that how you learn. So here is a few pics
Welcome
It looks ok to me. I like the supers
So are you going to weld a roof back on😂😂 good luck.
Joel ·
dizzy's a 6volt style which doesnt play with a 34 pict3 real well but still way better than a uh-oh-nein
doolang, get onto that rust in the rear passenger floor b4 it gets anyworse
someones foot will end up going thro the floor
welcome to the loony bin
Doolang ·
Thanks joel,
yes that is my first step , have the floor pan replaced. i have seen a few sites around selling the floor pans. Being over in WA i have to get this little bug licensed here in WA. Over the inspection pits she goes. I should then have a rough idea on what needs to be done.
The inside door trims need replacing and she does back fire a little bit , the guy i just bought her off said he just replaced the spark plugs and i will need a service.
Also what this about the 9volt , i have read around they change them to 12 volt.
Doolang ·
ian.mezz
i think the roof will stay like it is. i have some papers in the glove box saying the previous owners paid to have the conversion done on her. Use to be a police womens drive car, hence the convertible.
I have 3 little girls , so one day down the track this little bug will be theirs
ian.mezz ·
Yer me just trying to be funny as you said you would restore back to original condition.😂😂😂
Doolang ·
Everything but the roof :-) thats a little to much work for a novice .
all the interior ill restore to original , but i think my girls will like to convertable when they are able to drive , so i have 13 years to restore her :-)
Doolang ·
My plans are to restore the interior and to work the motor a little , make her sound a little lumpy and i have seen a few pictures of some rat rods , they look very nice lowered :-)
ian.mezz ·
the main thing is that you keep the car going, i ve seen so many people pull the car apart and have no idea what they are doing and five years later they flogg it off as a car with boxes of bits for $200 bucks the lot.
ps maybe dont lower the car just get som nice set of porsche fuchs to fill in under the guardes.
Doolang ·
ill keep the girl running , first thing is to get her over the pits here in wa , then start working from there.
Doolang ·
No night driving for me :-) the lights seem to flicker on and off. might have to check wiring or fuse's i think . They turn on for like 10 seconds and then turn off. Wont pass the pits if this is happening any idea;s
Joel ·
is it only happening on low beam? or high beam as well?
start with the fuses 3 and 4 are low beam, 5 and 6 are high beam. thats working from left to right
also suspect is the light switch
these can burn out thro old age or if higher wattage headlights are fitted
anything over 60/55w needs relays fitted or they will eventually burn out the headlight switch....dont ask how i know
VW headlights generally suck so ppl put in higher wattage bulbs to try and combat this
it would be 12volt too
no such thing as 9 volt
they were 6 volt up till 67 and 12volt from there on so its only the early ones that need converting but most have been done by now anywayz
Doolang ·
thanks joel , i will invstigate the fuse's and see how that goes.
Nope its your money, you may have to open up the spark plug gap to benefit the better spark.
Doolang ·
I started remove and striping back the bus and have uncovered a nice rust spot
kombimatt ·
Ouch!
pod ·
thats one very big ouch👎
Doolang ·
Indeed it is , when i purchased the bug 1 ,month ago , it had carpet glued down everywhere , and today after ripping up all carpet that is what i found, 🙁 o well i guess you can only move on
ian.mezz ·
Nasty Rust, Remmember what I said about keeping the thing going, glad to see your moving on . You will have to do a bit of welding .
Doolang ·
Dont have a problem with cutting out and welding , have a friends mig i can borrow anytime. My mate also works in the steel industry so getting some steel for the job wont be a problem
ian.mezz ·
Doolang wrote:Dont have a problem with cutting out and welding , have a friends mig i can borrow anytime. My mate also works in the steel industry so getting some steel for the job wont be a problem
Good to hear.
give the bottom of the door pillars a sand to, they rust in that area also
Doolang ·
Seats are out and i found the original floor pan rust hole :-)
Doolang ·
Motor Is Running Fine , Very Tight and compression is perfect.
New Dizzy Cap Points Rotar Hose's Spark Plugs and a Nice Tune .
Replaced the fuel hose and fuel filter is was black :-)
Doolang ·
so it begins , and i have uncovered so much bog and more rust :-)
paulo ·
Hey
just stumbled on your story looking for some carby parts.
How's your reno going??
I have just registered this old girl for my 17yo son who is learning to drive. Pretty cool car the dub - I'm a convert.
YOur story was very familiar as we bought this car - a wreck - off company at Noosa that was dissolving called Bugs Convertibles. So this old girl had spent the last few years of her life siting in the salt air outside resorts on the coast and as a result was a rust bucket.
On reflection we probably should have steered away from it - but it was a long father son bonding activity. I guess it will be rewarding in the long term - but it did become a bit of a liability.
Anyway heres a before shot.
paulo ·
She was a sight to be seen
paulo ·
I think I prefer the classic bug look like yours - but my son likes the whale tail.
paulo ·
As I said - my son was pretty happy with it.
paulo ·
So the rust was diabolical - we pretty much had to replace the parts where the guards joined onto the body. Went through numerous rolls of MIG wire and zinc plate and weekends of welding and grinding - but it eventually came together - after about 16 months.
We found bog inches thick and caked on over a colander like surface of rusted metal. When we pulled up the seats and carpet - a nest of ants had been living in there.
What is it with the lure of a challenge??
paulo ·
We have to get the canvas top replaced next.
The tractor Blue was my sons choice.
paulo ·
So I dont kow if ou are ever looking for parts - but there is a place in Brisbane called Mick Motors that you can pretty well buy anything.
We welded on a new nose cone to this one as she had had a front end bingle.
New door rubbers and horn rim and steering wheel emblem, new carpets, door trims, handles knobs etc. All the new floor pans and stuff is available. It's all made in Brazil - although we got a new standard exhaust that was still made in Germany.
paulo ·
WHat would a boys car be without a stereo?
paulo ·
New carpets and horn ring and emblem.
The guy there Rohan and his dad I think are pretty helpful. The mum isnt. She dont seem to wanna be there.
Anyway - I hate to think what we spent on this car - but it was a cool thing to do with the lad - might have to insure it now.
Love to see how yours turned out.
Paul
paulo ·
Dont have too many photos of the rust - we were in denial at the time.
paulo ·
Except we moved from the Sunshine Coast to Brisbane and had to stop progress for a while.
Anyway - hope you dont mind me clogging up your blog with my story.
The bottom line is - we are all mad I think.
Paul
byronmcmanus59 ·
haha im so lost right now i don't even know who's thread this is now?!
😂
Joel ·
yea most people learn the hard way convertable beetles are best avoided like the plague
i think there was more bog than metal in that one i had
nearly all of them have been coastal cars owned by P platers who regularly crash them, cook the engines and dont realise that rust is a problem untill their seat or battery falls thro the floor
squizy ·
It's a pity you uncovered so much rust in it, but a lesson learnt I suppose for when looking at a car for the future. Aussie Convertable roofs will never fit as good as a proper cabriolet roof, and they will always leak - hence the damage you've uncovered. Good luck with the your work here. Looks like you've got the tools and skills to tackle it. Now that you've uncovered this rust, you should really check the bulkheads out too.
RED62E ·
(Aussie Convertable roofs will never fit as good as a proper cabriolet roof, and they will always leak)
I think the upholstery guys here deserve a bit better than that.
My car was chopped apart in 1994, according to the receipts, and the roof I am sure is the original one and old as it is it doesn't leak.
I am sure there are some crap ones but get the job done right and its all good.
I saw an old Valiant last weekend at a Newcastle car show and it was chopped into a convertable with a custom roof and it was an excellent job. I think there are some trimmers out there that have got it down pat..
Go the Aussie convertible 👍
Joel ·
the main problem they have is sealing the door glass to the hood and the hood to the windscreen
thats were most of the wind and water gets in
and alot of hoods have been redone on the cheap buy the tight P platers that usually buy them as first cars with really low grade canvas
best one i ever saw had a folding frame setup similar to a cab and was upholstered with merc hood material
RED62E ·
Mine has shrunk over the door windows and needs refitting but even with the heavy rains we have had I have managed to NOT have it leak. You have to make sure you have it all setup properly though.
Never had any blow back from around the window which is a surprise coz this old bug has thrown at lot at me.
I like the idea of something similar to the original cab roof as well.
Maybe one day when lotto is won.
VDUBXTC ·
Joel wrote:the main problem they have is sealing the door glass to the hood and the hood to the windscreen
thats were most of the wind and water gets in
and alot of hoods have been redone on the cheap buy the tight P platers that usually buy them as first cars with really low grade canvas
best one i ever saw had a folding frame setup similar to a cab and was upholstered with merc hood material
Hey Joel.
Was the car you mention with the folding type roof like a cab Dark blue?
Joel ·
hey jace, nah mate it was a yellow one in sydney looked to be very well converted
jburt_99 ·
Can anyone tell me which is the best company to insure a 1959 beetle with?
Is it shannons?
Joel ·
jeez doolang people are hijacking your thread left right and center 😂
greedy53 ·
well a lot of work as long as ya having fun
and if you bought a sunbug and there was no rust you been riped off go back and demand ya rust