Hi Guys. Well I have finally got myself a bug. 69 I think and I love it. I hope I am in the right place and the pic works too.

1st question. From the plate, and looking up how to date. I think it's a 1969, March 4th day build? However it also says that if it has the extra plate with the numbers and the colour code that it's post August. Confused.

Right well I made a start Plan to start by stripping the interior 1st. Itemise all the parts. See what needs replacing, see what I can fix. So far I think everything is being replaced.

Thats me. Best 2 tools I have bought so far. Lay down trolley thingy and light. Nothing to drastic so far. Looks goo for an old car.

Luke,

Looks like your going to have a lot of fun, I also have a 69 and love it. what are your plans for yours? If you click on my link on my signature you can see what I have done so far.

Gahh. Oh well spoke to soon. Cleans up nice. Not a bad days work. Im hooked, this stuff is fun and people get paid to do it? Where do I sign up.

Hi Paul. When I finish stripping, it's off to the sandblasters so I can see whats its really like. I would like to restore it back to original spec. Things Ill do myself other wll be done by someone who knows what they are doing.
Id like to do a web log but dont know how, so Ill post some progress pics here if people don't mind.

nice bug, you don't mess about eh!

looking good, well mine will be pretty standard although i am getting new wheels and lowering the front slightly

looking good

Looks good. Hope it goes quicker than my '69 rebuild. I took it off the road after dropping a valve at 140kph (before 100kph limits - lol) and decided to do a full body off the pan re-build. My girlfriend helped me strip it down and get the body off the pan, which was great.
Then I wanted to spend money on parts etc, but wasn't allowed.

Well, then we got engaged, then we got married, then we had kids, and now we have grandkids... So, if I out live her...................I can finish my car.

At least I have a 75L bug to play with on the road.

Good luck with your '69 though.

Makes you wonder what kind of wierd person would respray a powder blue car in honey brown
would have to be a 70s respray

and yep she's a 69

Hey thanks guys. Just about got it gutted. Going to build a rotisserie to host it while I try a bit if body work. Pretty happy with the light blue under the burnt orange. Hopefully it will end up that colour again. I'll post some pics tomorrow night.
Nice talking today Dave.

Luke

Nice going Luke, looks like you're charging in full of enthusiasm which is awesome. Keep the pics and updates coming

Luke,

Great to see you are progressing, will be interesting to see how the body comes up after sandblasting although I would have thought something more gentle considering the age of the car, maybe paint stripping?

Look forward to seeing more updates

Been busy pulling apart the dub. Taking it slow as it is my 1st one. I am bagginbg and photographing every part. Insitu and after its taken out. This kind of gets me familiar with the bits and pieces. I can inspect them see whether they are keepers or replacements etc. So here are a few pics if your interested. Not much really.

Here are a few before and after pics. The door and window mechanisims would hardly work, After pulling the doors apart to see what was going on I could see why. Cleaned them up and work great now. 41 years of crud.

last one.

Jeez they look like new again! Top job.

Yeah they come up nice. Not sure where to go with parts like that. Leave them or get them cad plated. One thing I'm learning so far is that I need a bigger compressor and my little sand blast cabinet doesn't really cut it. It does the job on the small parts like above, but I want a bigger one. When I get my welder I'm not skimping.

Quote:

Originally posted by Luke Hi Paul. When I finish stripping, it's off to the sandblasters so I can see whats its really like. I would like to restore it back to original spec. Things Ill do myself other wll be done by someone who knows what they are doing. Id like to do a web log but dont know how, so Ill post some progress pics here if people don't mind.

Hi guys. Not much happening. Have got the whole car stripped out now. Waiting for my electrician mate to hook up a 15 amp plug so I can get some welding action happening(paractice) until then I have decided to learn to panel beat. I have been reading up, buy every book, watching every video you tube I can and thought I would give it a crack.
The 1st pic you cant really see to much as it is black but it was a good size dent with a crease. The other end I couldnt see the dent from the top but the paint was cracking so I sanded off I reckon 5 cm of bog to find all sorts of dents. The under side was covered in mud and hiding them too. So I have hammered and dollied them a bit and reckon they are coming along all right. I am going to get a shrinking disk and give it a whirl to see how smooth I can get the surface. I think with some practice I could get them real smooth and no need for filler.(maybe)
Another pic of my tools. Has much to do with the car, but if you like cars you like tools and I like tools. Can't have too many.

Hi. Okay I have got the body off the pan now. Off to the blasters to finally get rid of the 70's hippie burnt orange. Looks like I'll need new heater channels and the front bulk head thing where it attaches to the pan. Fair bit of rust under there. Body came off fairly easy. Two mates helped lift it and apart from a section where it was rust welded on there were no problems. Still havent got my matge to hook up 15 amp plug. Might have to employ an electrician. Anyway thing are progressing nicely.

Dreaded rust. These are the good spots. Underneath the heater channels it is all rusted out.

A few before shots of the pan. Man there must be 41 years of crud build up there. I am going to relace the pans. They dont look too bad, but there has been some work on them before and it is in pieces now so I might as well do them. Cant wait to get this all minty and clean.

Nice work i'm on a similar path but no a full resto just the pan at this stage... you can link there below

Good progress Luke, thanks for the pics, rust seems average to me, my L bug had more I reckon but welding yourself is the way.

Yeah. Definitely worse cars out There then this one. Just enough rust to warrant new heater channels. I should be able to patch the other sections well enough. All metal though. No bog. Thinking about getting the pan powder coated. I think I'll get the body done 1st. Don't want to many parts laying around.

Getting the chassis stripped. Probably going to strip it by hand and will be getiing it powder coated. Will be replacing the pans, and slowly taking apart all the stering brakes etc. Cleaning them, recording what they are and where it came from. There is so much grime and gunk built up on all the parts, but they come up nice after a bath and brush.

Few shot of the chassis.