Whitebrow's 65 Bug Full Restoration

tango_van wrote:

Nice one buddy! Looks like your having fun.

What's the plan and the budget/time scale that you have in mind?

Hi mate, time would be hopefully next summer and id really like to get it to Germany for its 50th birthday on 5.3.2015.

Budget! erm.... I spent 4K on it so say 5-6K!

Im going to try to take on as much as I can like sand blasting the chassis and once new pans and heater channels are in id like do do all the primer and coats.

Yeah its great fun, i've learnt more about Beetles in the last week than I did whilst owning my 71 for 5 months.

tango_van wrote:

Heating it makes a massive mess, still works but is harder to clean up. Get a part used co2 fire extinguisher. Sorted. Or I guess some of the industrial freeze spray for removing chewing gum from carpets or for chemically freezing metal bolts etc

Once i pulled of the the tar sheet the tar appeared to just come off very easily with a screw driver. I have to be careful not to damage the metal work but it all looks ok.

My aim is to concentrate on the chassis before I attempt the body. I want the chassis to be solid and all ready for front discs and air shocks.

Ive lost sleep a few night this week thinking of all the stuff ive taken on espeially knowing Ive never done work on a car before, other than adding oil and changing a wheel. lol

I could cry today with the amount of holes I found in the body work.  

Next step I think is to get the body off which will be done by The Old Dub Shop.

I think I shall name the Bug 'The Wallet Destroyer'.

Angry day so need to go chill out and have a beer and food.

as said before get panels from hookeys or klassic fab.
wings get from day mouldings, naybe fibreglass but they are the best fitting wings after nos ones.


http://klassicfab.com/klassicfab/index.php?id_category=90&controller=category&id_lang=3

http://www.hookyspanelshop.com/

floor pans

http://www.vwheritage.com/vw_spares_Floor-pan-half-Right-56-8-70-OE-Quality-18-gauge-111701062W_act_shop.product_pID_27374924_lang_EN_country_GB.htm?crumbStartPage=2&crumbStartRow=55

Looks like a good base for a project... Now, take your time and do it right!  

joker 67 wrote:

as said before get panels from hookeys or klassic fab.
wings get from day mouldings, naybe fibreglass but they are the best fitting wings after nos ones.


http://klassicfab.com/klassicfab/index.php?id_category=90&controller=category&id_lang=3

http://www.hookyspanelshop.com/

floor pans

http://www.vwheritage.com/vw_spares_Floor-pan-half-Right-56-8-70-OE-Quality-18-gauge-111701062W_act_shop.product_pID_27374924_lang_EN_country_GB.htm?crumbStartPage=2&crumbStartRow=55

Cheers Joker, will look those up when I get to the point when I need them. Definately a good shout about the thicker floor pans.

This evening I pulled off the rear apron rubber seal channel as it was showing signs of rust. Good job I did it as there was loads of rust. I might aim to do this to the front of the car too as there are some signs of rusting under them.



Any also wanted to get the carbs taken off so the engine could come out. Will need some help removing this.

Took me an hour and almost ripping my hair out to get them out, loads of pipes and plugs needing to be disconnected.





Feeling really depressed about the state of most panels all over this bug.

The engine bay trays are shocking and supposed to have rubber seals. Think the previous owners trashed them trying to get the engine in and out.

Next job is to drain the full tank. Decided not to do it with a hose pipe and a petrol can as id probalby throw up and it would feel like I was sucking off one of the Transformers.  

Im tempted to cut where its been welded to the chassis myself and unbolt the body. Im watching tones of Youtube videos and have downloaded the bug me videos series 1 - 10.

where you have removed the channels that hold the bonnet and decklid seal you can run mexican seals which attach to the bonnet and decklid rather than the body

Would love to put some og seal rails back in but will have to see how i get one.

Ordered an agle grinder whith a cutting disc to start on cutting the heater channel on the drivers side from the floor pan. Should hopefully be straight forward as i'll be replacing both the channel and the pan.

whitebrow83 wrote:

Would love to put some og seal rails back in but will have to see how i get one.

Ordered an agle grinder whith a cutting disc to start on cutting the heater channel on the drivers side from the floor pan. Should hopefully be straight forward as i'll be replacing both the channel and the pan.

if you dont know what you are doing dont bother it will cost more to put right than fit them in the first place, and an angle grinder is not the most important thing you need a good hammer and chisel, a drill for low speed, and some bloody good spot weld drills, and a hacksaw.

the cleaner the panel comes out the better the job.
you will need heater channel, lower door piller, and lower rear and front 1/4 repair panels.

a good mig with a decent gas bottle with argo shield mix.
plenty of clamps, good doors and seals to line everything up.

a beetle with the channels welded in wrong is horrible, doors that dont fit or shut properly, is the first thing anyone looks at.

spot weld drills, you will need a few drills.
this is the type to get and make sure they are cobolt ones.

http://www.rimmerbros.co.uk/Item--i-CONS8053?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=PLA&gclid=CK6n8eON4LoCFfHKtAodXzMAzQ

dont get this type as the pin snaps really easy and you go through both panels easy when drilling.

http://www.tesco.com/direct/draper-57624-swc1-38-516-spot-weld-cutter-set/567-4445.prd?pageLevel=&skuId=567-4445&kpid=567-4445&gclid=CIrwsp2O4LoCFVMdtAodkTwARA

The pans are welded in also which is a pain in the tits.

I think the previous owner loved wleding stuff as theres so much of it.

Might be worth you viewing it sometime Joker to get your thoughts??

The angle grinder is more for tidying up the metal left behind from removing the rubber seal channels on the decklid and front apron as well as removing the headliner gripers near the top of the doors.

After having alittle poke around just now, I can honestly say I believe I need to replace the following:

Both front arches/panels.
Both engine bay trays.
Heater channels.
Floor pans.
Drivers lower door pilar.
Washer bottle compartment plate thingy.
Lower engine firewall corners under the seat.

The previous owner just covered gaps in like the lower door pillars with rubber sealant and has done such a bad job of almost most areas.

Im trying not to think about it right now and just concentrating on removing the body and work on the chassis.

whitebrow83 wrote:

Both front arches/panels.
Both engine bay trays.
Heater channels.
Floor pans.
Drivers lower door pilar.
Washer bottle compartment plate thingy.
Lower engine firewall corners under the seat.

You wait until you split the body from the pan, you'll find ALL the rusty shitty traps that you can't get to yet.

If the front inner arches have gone, I'd be worried about the bulkhead panel and framehead.

Big_Al wrote:

whitebrow83 wrote:

Both front arches/panels.
Both engine bay trays.
Heater channels.
Floor pans.
Drivers lower door pilar.
Washer bottle compartment plate thingy.
Lower engine firewall corners under the seat.

You wait until you split the body from the pan, you'll find ALL the rusty shitty traps that you can't get to yet.

If the front inner arches have gone, I'd be worried about the bulkhead panel and framehead.

The arches haven't really fully gone its just that the alot of the bolt holes are large, the sides near the front apron have holes after poking round with a screw driver and the overall look of them look like they need replacing.

But body off is my next step i want to get to by next few weeks.

Would it be best to replace a front quarter at a time and then the front apron and wheel well as to keep the structural integrity?

ha ha that's the worst pressed sheet ive ever seen  

http://www.vwheritage.com/vw_spares_Washer-bottle-recess-8-64-T1-Beetle-113805508_act_shop.product_pID_56175_lang_EN_country_GB.htm?crumbStartPage=1&crumbStartRow=1

In my (limited compared to some) experience, I would try and keep as much of the original German steel as possible, and try to fabricate repair panels using the same gauge steel, and for some parts I would start looking for cuts from other cars.
If you had to buy panels, I would use hookeys or Klassic Fab.

Good luck with it Craig, it's certainly going to be a experience!

Nice one Craig.
Don't try and rush it, ask for help and advice when you need it.
I'd love to pop in and see it some time soon.

Big_Al wrote:

In my (limited compared to some) experience, I would try and keep as much of the original German steel as possible, and try to fabricate repair panels using the same gauge steel, and for some parts I would start looking for cuts from other cars.
If you had to buy panels, I would use hookeys or Klassic Fab.

Good luck with it Craig, it's certainly going to be a experience!

To an extent I agree with you but for example when most of the bolt holes in the arch are trashed, the front where it joins the apron has been patched, not primed and is now rusted and my screw driver went through it very easily... AND where it meets the heater channel at the front is all welded and is showing signs of rust, I feel the only alternative is the get a new arch? I could be wrong though, there could be miracle workers out there that could make this look dam sweet with minimal work???

After looking at Hookeys and Klassic Fab I would definitely use them as the gauge thickness seems alot more og.

Cheers Buddy, this forums is really helping me.

Mr Scoops wrote:

Nice one Craig.
Don't try and rush it, ask for help and advice when you need it.
I'd love to pop in and see it some time soon.

Feel free anytime buddy as the more advice I get the better.

Craig - take some time to look through the resto threads and see what the people giving you advice have done in the past, don't get me wrong, enthusiasm counts for a lot but so does experience.

have a look through nomates project, there was a mammoth amount of welding to do.

https://blitzen.editboard.com/t6312-the-nomates-rustoration

don't cut anything off/out until you know what you need, and then make sure the shell is braced so it doesn't twist out shape.

good luck an keep the pictures coming:thumbs: 

Just read Jokers resto thread and all I can say is     

Yes I want to go into as much details as he has especially on the body work as I dont want to do a shit job and then have to patch it in a few years.

@ Joker, that was an awesome thread and absolutely amazing outcome. Nice one.

Just makes me want to work in mine but i'm going to have to shed out more money for people to work on it as I don't have the room and tools he has.

Id be happy if I got the body off, welded new pans, san blasted, primed and painted by next spring.