Hi everyone,

i am new to Aussieveedubbers and would like to show you what I am doing.

I bought a 71 Beetle about 18 months ago and have been in the process on pulling it to bits and have started to rebuild it.

It was going to be an "original", but I really like the German look. So here goes.

Its a body full resto that will probably take me 18 months. Here is the pan sand blasted and then painted in POR 15.

I had contacted Jon Chabot at Topline Parts in Anaheim and have the Topline Maxx Struts and disc brake rear end with slotted and drilled rotors and porsche Cup 3 (turbo twist) wheels fitted.

I am pretty pleased with how its going and just want to start to show it off. Its actually looking so good, its a shame to put the body back on!

I'll add more shortly

Yummy

A few more shots.

I have had to work out a temporary bracing system so as to e able roll the pan around without the body. Its ugly, but it works.

Cheers

Looking great!!

Good work. Being at that stage I understand how slow it is to get it back on its wheels. Well done. Look forward to seeing it evolve.

You must have a great space! where is the actual shell kept at the moment. Awesome work BTW

The shell is currently at my mother in laws place just outside of Daylesford. There is a big shed around it that is stopping any more rust causing further decay on it.

The workspace I am using for the pan is a mates palce in Montrose. I wish it was mine!

Hi, have had a break for a while but I though it was time to give you all an update.

Haven't touched it since May, but after moving house its time to get back into it.

I have moved the pan to my new place, much to my mate's relief, as now he has somewhere to put his 1970 Mustang. Also makes it a lot easier for me to work on it and still stay in touch with the family....

Anyway, I got hold of "Panelbeater Sam" via one of the other threads on here and also on Melburg Luft. He came around and started all of the rust repairs as well as welding back my passenger quarter panel that had been cut off due to being badly damaged.

He also welded in my new dash board that I had made to take the Porsche 944 instruments. After a full day, he has it straight and although he is coming back in January to finish the metal work (complete with removable rear valance), I thinks it is looking great.

If you live in Melbourne, PM me for Sam's details if you need work done.

I then needed to get the shell out of the weather. The easiest place to put it for storage was back on the pan. This also gives me an idea of what I will have to do to the guards to fit over my outrageously wide wheels.

As Jon at Topline said, the Maxx Struts with the correct spacers and stud lengths, my 225/45 fronts on 7'x 17" rims fit flush with the guards!

The back are a little wider... 255/40 on 8.5" x 17 rims. However, again sitting on the Topline rear disk kit and slotted and drilled rotors, the rear guards are only going to have to be "rolled" by Sam an inch.

As the old Recaro's that I bought were taking up space as well, I thought I'd put them in so they were out of the way.

Next, I'll put the rebuilt (by me) motor in and see how the car sits. I want to get the motor started and see how it goes too. Might as well see what the instruments look like while I am at it.

I am really happy with the way it looks. It will probably end up lower than this, but probably after its registered.

The dash is looking so much better than I had hoped and the car has quite an aggresive stance.

From here, the rust repairs need to be fixed and then its off to Yarra Valley Blast for a bare metal finish prior to paint.

Then, I have to modify an EB Ford steering column to fit. I want "modern" swith gear in the car. This will go well with the Watson's Street Works wiring loom which will modernise the whole lot and make it easy to put in the electric windows and alarm/remote locking.

welcome aboard!
great work so far
lookin fwd to seeing it at valla maybe?
it's on in august
cheers pauly

I'd love to have it going by then, but I think this time next year (i.e New Years Eve 2010) is probably more realistic.

Trying to make the DOTVW at Cranbourne next November, but one thing is for sure, its not coming out until its finished!

Wow, looking great and I love the dash. I wish I had of done something different with mine. I guess it's not to late, but have all the gauges already (smaller tacho). Like you, I haven't touched my car in a while and really need to pull my finger out.

Yours has come along great and looks like you have been getting right into it lately. I have the same seats for mine also. Any idea on what colour you are going to paint it.

I started off thinking I would have mine back on the road in 6 months when I first started dismantling, but shit I was wrong. Very rarely these things get finished as quick as we think. And they are a lot more expensive than we first think

Keep up the good work, Kevin

Thanks Kev,

yep agree with all of that. The trick is to never add it up, that way you can continue to not understand why you never have any money!

Colour wise, I haven't decided. I really like the current Ford colours. I am thinking "Ego" which is a dark metallic grey or Nitro, which is the bright blue on the new XR6's.

The trouble is if I go the blue, I worried that in 12 months time I would walk out, look at it and say to myself "you must have been on drugs"......

The dark grey would really work with the chrome trim and the wheels.

Any thoughts?

I too have changed colour ideas over the last 2 years. At the moment I'm all for a Ford colour as per this picture. Note: These are my wheels and a couple of other little things photoshopped in. Dont steel my colour idea please!!!!!

Kev