TheSamba.com :: View topic - 66 bug "cheap to the street" project **ON THE ROAD

Sun Mar 30, 2008 6:11 pm

Howdy all, this is my 3rd bug, but it's been 21 years since the last one. I am no pro, don't have a fancy shop or garage, and have a shoe string budget. So for all my broke Samba members ... this is for you! :D

I looked for a mid 60's bug for about 6 months before i found this 66. It's in pretty good shape and it won't take alot to get her street worthy. It cranks and runs, the tranny shifts good but it has no brakes. So my pops and I took a trip over to daytona and picked her up.

It has already been changed to 12 volt and a 1600 DP installed. My main concern is to get the brakes right and change back to 5 lug wheels and get that front end down a bit. Of course, the stingers and T-bars are out also.

When i got her home I went ahead and ordered drop spindles, master cylinder, wheel cylinders, brake shoes, exhaust, shifter bushing and coupler, air filter, gen belt, and few other odds and ends.

All the work will be done under my carport by myself, my pops, and my 11 year old son. No fancy tools, just alot of elbow grease and busted knucles.

Sun Mar 30, 2008 6:34 pm

The PO of my 66 also cut the og apron to run a stinger. :x Looks clean man 8)

Sun Mar 30, 2008 6:51 pm

Well, parts are in and the work begins. Sorry in advance, no frame off resto here. This is just to get me back into a bug and start teaching my son the finer art of automotive reapir. The funny thing is, my first car was a 66 bug purchased when i was 14 and my pops and i worked on it in the same driveway. (i purchased my parents house when they decided to RV around America) So now, my son and I will be doing it all over again 21 years later .... weired!! Haha

This is my son Sebastian ready to go.

Up on jackstands and my dad and I getting the old brakes and spindles off. A quick peek under the car revield the pan around the battery area was gone, but luckly, the PO screwed sheetmetal in to hold the battery up. A hack job, but it works.

This was my sons first project, the ol' wire brush on the drums. I have acsess to a sand blaster, but what will he learn from that. :D

After they were cleaned, i had them turned at a local auto shop, then Sabby sprayed them black.

On went the new drop spindles and tie rod ends. Sabby is putting the cotter pins in the ball joint nuts.

Afterwards, we pulled the gas tank and cleaned it out and changed the fuel line from the tank to the hardline. the new master cylinder went in fairly easy also. After the MC was in, i decided to change out the soft brake lines also. I would hate to have one collapse on me after bleeding the system, and have to do it all over again. That was about enough for the first day, but now i can't wait to get her on the road!!

Sun Mar 30, 2008 6:53 pm

sweetlokin66 wrote: The PO of my 66 also cut the og apron to run a stinger. :x Looks clean man 8)

Not only did they cut the stinger slot, but they hacked the dash up! I love the old school dash, and they disfigured it with a 1980's audiovox casette player with no reverse, remember having to flip the tape and hit fast foward to rewind the oppisite side!! HAHA

Sun Mar 30, 2008 6:57 pm

OK ok, i said low budget, but i just spent the most this car will ever see. A deal for some wide 5 smoothies wasn't paning out and i ran across a super deal on 4 brand new black empi 5 spokes. I ran black rims on my last car and thought it might be a sign from the rim gods so i didn't want to piss them off! :lol:

Sun Mar 30, 2008 7:10 pm

neonrick wrote: OK ok, i said low budget, but i just spent the most this car will ever see.

LOL how many of us have said that 100 times before. Car looks good! I can't wait to teach my son the finer points of VW repair.

Mon Mar 31, 2008 8:17 am

sweet! im excited to see how this will pan out!! keep it up!

Mon Mar 31, 2008 8:38 am

teufeltito wrote: sweet! im excited to see how this will pan out!! keep it up!

slow and steady tito ... :D ... We got the soft brake lines on and are about to reassemble the front brakes.

On closer inspection of the rear brakes, it appears my rear wheel seals are failing. So i'm off to Sundance for a replacement set. I figure, it's all apart, i need to change everything i can get to.

Check out them shoes!! Thats what i call getting your moneys worth!

Mon Mar 31, 2008 9:27 am

Looks like you have good solid project car!! Have fun and keep posting the pics!! :P

Sun Apr 27, 2008 4:48 pm

Well .. it's been a couple weeks but I'm back on it. I cought a nasty chest cold and have been on my ass for a while, but i'm better and my son and i got back out to the bug Saturday.

This is Sabby putting the backing plates back on.

We got the new front soft lines on, new barrings and put the front brakes back together. So the front is ready to go.

I also changed out the fuel line up front and moved the fuel filter. (No engine fire please)

Next comes the rear brakes and seals. After that, shifter bushings, exhaust and tune up and on the road we go...

Sun Apr 27, 2008 6:26 pm

Nice thread so far, good luck with the car and keep us updated. :D

Sun Apr 27, 2008 7:04 pm

Looks good!!!!!!!!! Most important thing is have fun :) I wish my son was old enough to do some of the work too!!! It's really good to see you let him get involved.....it will stay with him, his entire life . You guys keep up the good work .

Mon Apr 28, 2008 4:40 pm

67type0ne wrote: It's really good to see you let him get involved.....it will stay with him, his entire life.

How true!! I can still remember how cool it was to work on my first bug with my dad. It made me apperciate my car, unlike alot kids who were just handed a newer car, and all they had to do is crank it and drive off.

Wed May 21, 2008 8:00 pm

Well dang ... with the drop spindles and Empi 5 spokes, my wheels stick to far out and will rub the outside of the fender. I know i said cheap to the street, but it looks like i'm getting a narrowed front end.

I decided to sell my 05 ZX-10 so i will use a bit of that money for the beam and some 145's up front. Which i guess works out, i love the low and tucked look anyway.

Will post soon on...

Wed May 21, 2008 9:50 pm

neonrick wrote: Well dang ... with the drop spindles and Empi 5 spokes, my wheels stick to far out and will rub the outside of the fender. I know i said cheap to the street, but it looks like i'm getting a narrowed front end.

I decided to sell my 05 ZX-10 so i will use a bit of that money for the beam and some 145's up front. Which i guess works out, i love the low and tucked look anyway.

Will post soon on...

damn, had to sell your ZX10? my buddy has an 05 too those things kick ass. fast as hell too.

Thu May 22, 2008 7:32 am

rustbuget wrote: damn, had to sell your ZX10? my buddy has an 05 too those things kick ass. fast as hell too.

Well, not really HAD to sell, I'm getting off a sport bike and buying a cafe style, maybe like a Buell lightning. Love the ZX, but it's hard to not twist the throttle on that thing. I've already almost been to jail on it, thank god i got one of the few "cool" cops in Florida.

Any suggestions on a 4-5 in narrowed beam? Brand, style of adjuster, where to by? I know there is a thousand posts on the issue but just thought i would ask. ( it's early and i'm bored)

Rick

Thu May 22, 2008 12:44 pm

You've got the fuel filter going the wrong way. Just thought I'd mention it.

Thu May 22, 2008 1:21 pm

Axle wrote: You've got the fuel filter going the wrong way. Just thought I'd mention it.

DING DING DING!!!! We have a winner! I noticed that after i took the pictures and changed it. I told my son to snap another picture for me while i put some tools up and he said "why don't we see if anyone notices"

I didn't think anyone would .... I under estamated the power of the Samba i guess.

Rick

Thu May 22, 2008 2:14 pm

neonrick wrote: Axle wrote: You've got the fuel filter going the wrong way. Just thought I'd mention it.

DING DING DING!!!! We have a winner! I noticed that after i took the pictures and changed it. I told my son to snap another picture for me while i put some tools up and he said "why don't we see if anyone notices"

I didn't think anyone would .... I under estamated the power of the Samba i guess.

Rick

Okay, for future reference, how can you tell that it is backwards :?:

Thu May 22, 2008 2:24 pm

There is an arrow on most of them that dictates the flow direction. If not, the flat/top side goes away from the source.