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My '59 Bug Xmas pressie!!!
psimitar - February 16th, 2009 at 08:54 PM

Hello all,

I'm new to the Aussie VeeDub scene but now have a bug that my wife bought me for xmas. It's a 59 and pretty solid body wise so hopefully just the mechanicals to get her rolling again. Here's some piccies of saturday when she arrived.
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y252/psimitar/59%20Beetle/DSC00105.jpg

Coming down.......
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y252/psimitar/59%20Beetle/DSC00107.jpg

Her new home and my lovely wife!!!
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y252/psimitar/59%20Beetle/DSC00112.jpg

and the rear end....
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y252/psimitar/59%20Beetle/DSC00109.jpg

and one proud owner
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y252/psimitar/59%20Beetle/DSC00110.jpg


Dilbert - February 16th, 2009 at 09:03 PM

i think the look on your face says it all. looks like a pretty good score :cool:
what are the floorpans like?


pod - February 16th, 2009 at 09:16 PM

is this the one near albury ,you were trying to get home?? if it is ,it looks a good score:tu:


psimitar - February 16th, 2009 at 10:12 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Dilbert
i think the look on your face says it all. looks like a pretty good score :cool:
what are the floorpans like?


yup, well happy with her. The pans are totally solid from first inspection as is pretty much the whole shell plus it's got a new front beam on her. Either that or the paint has lasted very well for a 50 year old beam.


Quote:
Originally posted by pod
is this the one near albury ,you were trying to get home?? if it is ,it looks a good score


yes mate, the one from Albury. Cost a grand to get her here but looks like she is well worth it though the size of the redback i found on one of the engine was huge. mortein works well I found. think i shall be careful as i strip her down:!:


izac - February 17th, 2009 at 12:00 PM

sweet man, looks awesome!! some ankor wax on that body would look the goods i reckon and slammed of course :cool:


vwsteve - February 17th, 2009 at 12:36 PM

looks like a good score, watch out for the timber chocks though, looks a bit iffy


psimitar - February 17th, 2009 at 05:04 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by izac
sweet man, looks awesome!! some ankor wax on that body would look the goods i reckon and slammed of course :cool:


Cheers dude. Paint will come eventually I'm afraid. but the Rat looks funky for now :cool:

Quote:
Originally posted by rexy
looks like a good score, watch out for the timber chocks though, looks a bit iffy


tis alrite. sitting on bessa blocks at the back now and axle stands at the front. Pretty solid:yes:


vickie - February 17th, 2009 at 06:57 PM

what a great wife... she's a keeper....


desh - February 17th, 2009 at 07:08 PM

I'm sure you already know it but you have a very cool wife to buy you a car!


Much better than socks and hankies.


psimitar - February 18th, 2009 at 09:40 PM

Thanks guys!! Yup, she is a great wife and likes the Beetles too :cool:

she asked the other day if she is allowed to drive her when she's on the road. Cute, huh? course she can!!!


psimitar - February 26th, 2009 at 09:40 AM

So I decided to strip the interior and clean the boot out last nite whilst the wife was at work. I forgot to take pictures of the before but lets just say that there was a couple of vacuum bags full of dried mouse poo in there.
So the under bonnet
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y252/psimitar/59%20Beetle/DSC00119.jpg
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y252/psimitar/59%20Beetle/DSC00120.jpg

only a little rust arounf the tank edge and surface rust in the wheel well. Sweet.

The interior
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y252/psimitar/59%20Beetle/DSC00116.jpg
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y252/psimitar/59%20Beetle/DSC00117.jpg
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y252/psimitar/59%20Beetle/DSC00118.jpg
This was gross to begine with. Redback egg sacks everywhere plus mouse poo but now just needs a wire wheeling back to metal and some rustkill paint on top.
I am amazed at how solid this 50 year old bug is. Bloody marvellous :D


eraser - February 26th, 2009 at 04:15 PM

amazing the floorpan can still look that good, and other people see it rusted right through. nice job keep it up :P


whatnow - February 26th, 2009 at 08:18 PM

that looks like a great start, i'd be happy with it. your wife is definately a keeper if she buys you cars. that pic is priceless, she looks as though she has realized just what she has done.

if you don't mind me asking, does the chassis number date it to after august 59? just asking as it looks like a '60 model to me.


psimitar - February 27th, 2009 at 09:44 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by eraser
amazing the floorpan can still look that good, and other people see it rusted right through. nice job keep it up :P


yep really pleased that its as solid as the previous owner said it was. time for the grinder with wire wheel :)

Quote:
Originally posted by whatnow
that looks like a great start, i'd be happy with it. your wife is definately a keeper if she buys you cars. that pic is priceless, she looks as though she has realized just what she has done.rnrnif you don't mind me asking, does the chassis number date it to after august 59? just asking as it looks like a '60 model to me.


yea she's great. love her to bits. as for the look it's kinda typical of women as us guys look at something thats shabby and can see how to make it better. we start making lists in our heads etc.

as for the chassis number....um where abouts is it located? been ages since i owned one and the Gregorys manual is pretty crap at detail.


vwsteve - February 27th, 2009 at 11:46 AM

under the rear seat area, just before the gear coupling access hole, looks like a 60 to me as well, bumper overriders , steering column, raised bonnet badge area, looks like 68 on pedals put in as well,etc


psimitar - February 27th, 2009 at 04:10 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by rexy
under the rear seat area, just before the gear coupling access hole, looks like a 60 to me as well, bumper overriders , steering column, raised bonnet badge area, looks like 68 on pedals put in as well,etc


Did 60's have semaphores? The only bug I'd owned previous to this was a 73 1303 so I'm learning at present :)


VDUBXTC - February 27th, 2009 at 04:22 PM

Looks to have a few 60's parts on it, but i can see it still has the semaphores, so i'd say 59 body with a possible pan swap at some point?


whatnow - February 27th, 2009 at 06:23 PM

it looks like there is og blue trying to shake off that ugly top coat. (maybe 1 yr only strato blue :) )

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=76072&start=0 

1960 was the last year for glass tail lights and semaphores in australia.


psimitar - February 27th, 2009 at 10:41 PM

well the chassis number is 197645071. Thats whats stamped by the gearchange tunnel linkage access hole.

I think the poor thing has had later parts fitted to her in the 50 years since rolling out of wolfsburg


vwsteve - February 28th, 2009 at 07:29 AM

i recently picked up a bug i thought was a 59 but its a 60, it has semaphores in it still.


psimitar - February 28th, 2009 at 10:24 AM

well did a bit of looking around and seems as tho the chassis was built in May 59 from the 197 start of the chassis number.

So it is a 59 but with later additions. I'm not looking for original persay so a few different bits here and there is fine with me so long as i like the overall look :)


whatnow - March 1st, 2009 at 01:47 PM

i'm not sure if it is a 59 pan. it has a 9 digit no instead of a 7 digit no. i would have put it as a 67 pan. i have the remains of a 67? out the back with a 197 *** *** pan no. i have seen those pedals in a 67 i had previously plus your pan has the cut outs in the sound proof tunnel mat for seat belt mount holes.

the body is certainly early and the pan looks in good nick so have fun.


psimitar - March 3rd, 2009 at 01:31 PM

well so long as the body is mainly '59 then thats fine with me. The pan is getting IRS'd so even if it was a '59 pan it wouldn't be original for long :)

Got a gearbox this weekend and some spring plates so just the 'A' arms, driveshafts and then the conversion brackets and thats done. Just need some wide 5 drums with spacers and the rear is ready.


psimitar - March 12th, 2009 at 09:16 AM

Had a go at stripping the drivers side floor pan at the weekend and went well but did find a few holes :rolleyes: To be expected I s'pose but they not too bad. fab a few plates and pop em in.
some mild swiss cheese
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y252/psimitar/DSC00138.jpg
Dead Battery tray
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y252/psimitar/DSC00141.jpg
a reasonably clean pan
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y252/psimitar/DSC00142.jpg

so a few plates and then a good sanding and it's ready for POR15.

Also took my good engines tinware off to find another Redback. Poor thing didn't like the bug spray :lol:

Have also sourced all I need to IRS the pan so just need to find the money to pay for it now.


izac - March 12th, 2009 at 02:57 PM

looks good man, Penetrol works great on crusty rusty floor pans!


psimitar - March 13th, 2009 at 01:44 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by izac
looks good man, Penetrol works great on crusty rusty floor pans!


Whats Penetrol? moving along nicely :)


psimitar - March 17th, 2009 at 08:51 AM

Hiya,
Just wanted to let everyone watching know that progress will be very slow for the time being until i find a new job cos my boss is an arsehole!!!!

If anyone knows of work for a Control Systems engineer that would be greatly appreciated. I programme PLC's and SCADA. Very snooze worthy :)


psimitar - March 25th, 2009 at 11:24 PM

Hiya all,

So whilst looking for work whilst still having to go to work?!?!?! go figure :rolleyes: I have been making some plates for the floor pan rot and starting to tear out the wiring loom. so pics of the holes and patches i made.

Drivers foot hole
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y252/psimitar/59%20Beetle/DSC00145.jpg

Battery tray hole
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y252/psimitar/59%20Beetle/DSC00144.jpg

Passenger 'where your bum should be' hole
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y252/psimitar/59%20Beetle/DSC00146.jpg

and my nice plates i made with the help of works bending press :D
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y252/psimitar/59%20Beetle/DSC00147.jpg
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y252/psimitar/59%20Beetle/DSC00148.jpg
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y252/psimitar/59%20Beetle/DSC00149.jpg

trimming to size at present and then need to find/borrow/pilfer a welder or maybe just loads of arldite :crazy:

Not much to show wiring loom wise but pulling the old/new one thro the roof should prove interesting......


OzSpeedway - March 26th, 2009 at 12:07 AM

Excellent start, pretty much the sort of starting point I want to get to (or is that from? :) )

Oh, and by "Have also sourced all I need to IRS the pan so just need to find the money to pay for it now. ", can you explain what it was you sourced and from where? I'll probably be needing the same thing once I get going.....

Cheers


psimitar - March 26th, 2009 at 09:18 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by OzSpeedway
Excellent start, pretty much the sort of starting point I want to get to (or is that from? :) )

Oh, and by "Have also sourced all I need to IRS the pan so just need to find the money to pay for it now. ", can you explain what it was you sourced and from where? I'll probably be needing the same thing once I get going.....

Cheers


Thanks dude :)

As for the IRS parts. I'd managed to find people that have the parts I required but now can't afford them due to job loss. If you are going to IRS your swing pan then you will need: an IRS gearbox, drive shafts with CV's, IRS torsion bars and spring plates (or modify the swing spring plates), IRS 'A'/pivot arms and last but not least the IRS brackets that are welded to the torsion tube. Good luck with it :)