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Sun Feb 05, 2006 5:36 am

ok i need your advice,i have a 51 beetle in black,its only got 45000klms on the clock,its the most original car i have seen,it was put in storage in 1968 and some time before this the four wings were painted,not very well and definetly need repainting,the rest of the body is very good,but does have little
scratches and chips,and some spidering under the paint,if i paint the wings your going to be able to tell,so would you paint the whole car then its mint,i was going to keep it in original paint but im worried about the little chips and spiders getting worse,so do i sort the imperfections and repaint or just touch up the chips and hope they dont go any worse,but bare in mind i live in the uk and our weather is crap,not nice and dry like in the states.i would value everyones opinion as im undecided,regards steve.

Sun Feb 05, 2006 6:03 am

Really need pictures of this to tell.

Sun Feb 05, 2006 7:17 am

Look in wolfsburgvw Gallery. That car is NICE! Keep it the way it is and try to touch it up. How many chances are you going to have in life to find a car like that.

Sun Feb 05, 2006 7:52 am

I would just keep it as is. I had a car very similar (a 52) and I got a ton more attention than restored cars since it looked original.

Sun Feb 05, 2006 9:16 am

A hearty hand polishing with rubbing compound & some wax will do wonders. I'd leave it. If you go for a full respray, you may not be willing to drive it as often in fear of new scratches.

Sun Feb 05, 2006 9:22 am

Man what a "SWEET" car :D even I wouldn't slamm that one :shock: . I would roll just like it is and load up on the accessories for it.

NICE FIND WOLFSBURGVW :D

Sun Feb 05, 2006 10:24 am

Steve,

My car is almost as preserved as yours (if speedo is correct it has 70,000 miles). My car has been resprayed once. They used the orginal corlor, but it wasn't the best job. It has chips and small spider viens around the trim and window rubber as well. I constantly debate the issue of restore of not.

Finally, I made the decision not to. Instead, I drive my car as is and enjoy it as is. It has made it 53 years with very little deterioration. If I go another 3-5 years without a restore, it isn't going to change much. In the meantime, while I drive it, I correct the incorrect things on the car, do basic maintenance, and plan to accessorize. I can also collect all the things I'll need for a restore (rubber, etc.)

Once a car is dissassembled you can not longer enjoy the car. how many half done project cars are out ther for sale? It is easy to get started and then lose momentum on a car that you can't drive and interfers with the quality not to mention the space in your gargage it absorbs.

Love your car as it is. It should be unconditional, especially your car as many people would give their left arm to find what you came accross.

Sun Feb 05, 2006 1:13 pm

thanks for the replys guys,its a hard one,what if you were buying a car would you prefare it in imaculate condition or needing the paint done.steve

Sun Feb 05, 2006 1:50 pm

I restore cars for a living and nothing beats unrestored original if the car looks presentable (as it does). There is a strong demand for cars like this and once you do that show paint job there is no going back.

As mentiond pile on that wax which will give protection, old fashioned carnuba is the one as this will build up after a few coats.

You have not mentioned if the car has been rustproofed. If not I think it is vital that you do this, heater channels/sills rust from the inside out! We use a two step process. First stage is a thin version like water almost, this is sprayed into all cavities, it will run into and penetrate seams that thicker wax will not reach. Then go through the same with thicker wax. It is also worth removing fenders and brushing this thicker wax on the flanges - also a problem area. Excess can easily be wiped off with a rag even after initial set as it is non hardening. I have had this in my 47 for six years now and it is still waxy and can be wiped off. Brand name we use is Dinotrol - used by VW today I believe with their 12 year warranty. Can get product codes if you can't find it.

Sun Feb 05, 2006 2:02 pm

There are two sides to this for me and I am only talking about STOCK The two scenarios:

1. Buying a car that is well preserved (unpainted)—I know as the informed purchaser, it hasn't had any repairs that will be hard to undo. Therefore I will be able to sleep at night. :wink: The car is more than likely to increase in value if left as is. It will never fetch the price of a restored car, but if I restore it, most likely I will be in the red if I sell it at any point. However, if I decide to stay with the car for the long term after a restoration, like I said— I can sleep at night and be happy to say "I revived that car and it is mine".

2. Buying a restored car (painted)—If it is from an owner with a good reputation that knows what they are doing, or if they paid someone to restore their car who had a good reputation, then it could be a deal. Meaning I will pay alot, but I am not going to be in the red for what it would have took to restore the car. This is rare that you'll find a correct and prefect restore however. Ussually you'll still need to finish a few things here and there or most restored cars have a troubled history. Maybe the person who restored it even cut some corners *gasp*. This can make it hard to sleep at night. :wink: You also can't say "I revived that car, but it will still be yours"

Either way I'd say both of these ideal cases are just as rare. I'd also say either way you'll also worry about the car just the same, new paint or not. But as 53oval said to me once, "it's just paint and chrome" :wink:

Sun Feb 05, 2006 2:08 pm

hi that would be great if you could let me have the product codes,i allso restore v dubs for a living but i just wanted to get a feel for what people thought,the whole car is 100% rustfree shiny underside everyware,it had a kind of wax on it from new,i asume this has done its job looking at the condition,i was going to put somthing on to protect it ,but not sure if we can get that inthe uk,with the feedback im thinking of just redoing the original fenders as i think a blind man painted them.steve.

Sun Feb 05, 2006 2:19 pm

That split is great the way it is. Polish it and clean it and quit. The unrestored cars in good condition will always be worth more than a shiny resto. Also waaaaaaay cooler.

Sun Feb 05, 2006 2:38 pm

Ivan Fuller wrote: Can get product codes if you can't find it.

I'm very interested as well.

Mon Feb 06, 2006 12:03 am

man that is a cool car, like someone said i wouldn't even lower that, i would touch it up and drive it as an original car, people respect that.

Mon Feb 06, 2006 12:31 pm

ok you have all made my mind up,im keeping it as is,thanks guys,steve.

Tue Feb 07, 2006 5:09 pm

Dinitrol Products are:

ML Cavity Wax - the thin watery one.

Penetrant 470 - thicker spray and brushable.

Looks like they are available in aerosol although I buy 1-4 liters at a time.

Made in Sweden

http://www.tuffkote.co.kr/tuffkote/dinolus/index.html

Google found a couple of sources in UK not sure about US.

Don't forget bonnet frame.

Cheers Ivan

Tue Feb 07, 2006 5:21 pm

I think that stuff is already on my car. It is a Sweedish bug. You can see the coating in this picture under the fender. It looks to have been brushed on and feels very waxy. Is it a brownish gold color when dry? I think it was done a long time ago.

Wed Feb 08, 2006 1:36 am

Sounds like the stuff to me, a bit unusual to use it under fenders as it remains sticky/waxy and all the dirt would attach itself. It could proably be removed with a light solvent (one that won't eat your paint)

A trick that I use under fenders is a silicone spray, stops the dirt sticking.

Wed Feb 08, 2006 2:19 am

2splits wrote: I would just keep it as is. I had a car very similar (a 52) and I got a ton more attention than restored cars since it looked original.

I agree with 2splits,
I had gone to the Oakland Rodster show in 92'or 93' and there was this Track T that had been Hot rodded back in the late 50's and had been stored since the mid to late 60's in someones collection. They brought it out and basically had just washed off the grime and cleaned it up for presentation. No major detailing or buffing. It was checked and hazing had a little shine to but not much. It was getting more "Oooohs and Ahhhs" and stares then the high dollar Brizo & Coddington cars were. I remember seeing it featured a few months later in a magazine. I didnt quite appreciate the "petina" or the history of the car that much at the time. But when these "barn finds" come out and get a lil soap and water,I think there some of the best things out there.

I paint cars for a living and Id try to talk you out of painting it, even with the bad fenders.
Like you said:
wolfsburgvw wrote: its the most original car i have seen
Keep it that way.

Wed Feb 08, 2006 2:14 pm

Ivan Fuller wrote: Sounds like the stuff to me, a bit unusual to use it under fenders as it remains sticky/waxy and all the dirt would attach itself. It could proably be removed with a light solvent (one that won't eat your paint)

A trick that I use under fenders is a silicone spray, stops the dirt sticking.

Yeah. I cleaned up all the grease and dirt on my front beam, joints and tie rods. I then sprayed some silcone on all the parts.

there isn't a lot of dirt stuck to the underside of the fenders. In fact I think the stuff was applied so long ago that it isn't tacky anymore. Soft, but dry. I scraped some off around the rear shock mount and the paint under neath looked brand new. It sort of startled me. I'll just leave it as I think.