Right then ...........Today was the start of (hopefully) the restoration of my really wanky 65 bug .....Sadly in the past it has been repaired very badly......i bought it in good faith to replace the body of my other 65 model ,because places that i don't feel comfortable fixing needed work i.e gutters ...firewall ect ....

the new body has got good gutters and a good firewall .......but that's where the good news stopped

I got totally ripped of (not by a lot of cash thankfully) ...when I bought it over the phone ...and the guy told me that a perfectionist would replace the channels ...However anyone else would get it through the MOT with a couple of plates ...

I was soo pissed off with him when I arrived with a car trailer and a mate to help me ....I never said a word ....just handed over the cash and left with the car ...nevermind


I have in my garage attic a load of repair panels ....a mint floorpan with narrowed beam and a GT box .....so it would seem a shame not to make something out of what I've got ......

also i've got a britax fold back sunroof ...so my plans are to cut ALL the rot out and get me a nice ragtop 65 model .....

And if it ges tits up so be it ....some of the repair panels I have got are a bit on the cheapo side but I'm fairly confident with some rust proofing they could be as good as expensive ones ...

Here are pics of today's fun



heater channels ...(a few patches my fat arse!!)


good firewall


nice original dash


found a grotty patch welded in by the waterbottle

front end seemed a little thin and flimsey


so I cut it off :


then I found another previous repair ...so I cut that off too


I ran out of cutting discs so I started to use this bad boy


then after drilling out all the factory spotwelds ....the wing fell off!!


I was then able to cut the rott out of the bottom of the A post ....after carefully measuring my repair panel was nearly ready to go in ....I had heard that you can make this panel a lot better if you weld nuts to the back of it for extra strength ....so thats what I did


in it goes


welds ground back




First thing this morning ...I put the bonnet back on ...so I could make sure the front inner wing went back on nicely


inner wing tacked into place .....and a good tidy up needed ....ready for another day on it tomorrow

hope you enjoy my resto thread

If its anything like that pan on your drive mate this will rock, i so want another project.

good luck mate

i think i would have ade a bbq out of it but thats me . good luck mate . have you found a dog yet

Cheers dude ....to be honest ...I'm loving it , hacking away at all the crappy rust ......and the best thing is ...if I mess it up ..it won't matter cos it was destined for the scappy yard anyhow

Check you out fella!! I will have to come round and inspect!! lol
Well at least have a cup of tea!

your .....always welcome dude .....






....just wear grotty clothes

Top work as always Steve. I couldn't stop drooling over the scooter when I was there getting the Transit of Doom!!

looking like another top resto steve ;-)

Steve, As you say anyone could pick holes in your work so here goes...

Fair play to you buddy, looking good, keep up the good work.

Without being rude I didn't think you put your hand to welding, fabrication ect.

You make me laugh...I havn't built anything buddy. I'm too fooking slow.

I can't help it I just get bored easy.

You'll have to invite me round one day so I can have a nose