TheSamba.com :: View topic - Renew-Restore-Modify-or Hodgepodge????

Tue Aug 26, 2008 11:09 am

My late father's 1962 Beetle has been sitting in the homestead's carport since 1985. He bought the car brand new in the Fall of 1961 and had the engine rebuilt sometime in the early 80s. When it stopped running, he didn't remember what had happened to cause this. My father passed in 2005 and now I have decided to do constructive and positive things to get it up and running again.

A fellow who turned me on to this site was impressed with the overall condition of the car. No rust to speak of, just surface stuff, clean engine, floor pan near perfect and all genuine parts intact.

My question is: with a speciman like this, what would be the best route to go in getting it up and running again, restore, renew, modify or hodgepodge it?

(I am a DIY kind of guy but I have no experience doing this kind of job. I owned a new 1968 Beetle which in later years required an engine overhaul which a friend and I attemped. We didn't calibrate the end-play tolerances correctly and the engine only lasted about 15,000 miles. We used John Muir's book as a reference. I also owned a 1969 Beetle and a 1959 VW windowless van so I am fairly familiar with VWs.
FenderMender refers more to my fondness for modifying 1/24 and 1/18 scale diecast model cars and has nothing to do with actual 1:1 bodywork).

I am not a man of deep pockets. I would prefer to do much of the work myself for the satisfaction of the experiences and to have an economical, historical car as well. Yet I still want to preserve the integrity and the value of the old Beetle.

Tue Aug 26, 2008 11:24 am

Well fist off, this car sounds sweet. Please post some pics if you can. So, all you know is that he stopped driving it, but not sure why? You assume due to some kind of failure. I would do the the easy stuff first to see if you can get it running. Oil change, fresh gas, tune up, etc.
If the interior/exterior is super clean I would recomend you get it detailed and leave it alone. I dont see any reason to fully restore a car that is still a clean original. But like I said pics would help to decide what direction to go.
Anyway, just my .02 cents.

Tue Aug 26, 2008 11:29 am

Post pics please :D

Tue Aug 26, 2008 1:20 pm

With my 1961 Beetle I have decided to just replace what is needed to keep it safe and mechanically sound. I am kind of fond of the rolling time capsule look. :lol:

Oh and post some pics. :wink:

Tue Aug 26, 2008 2:07 pm

First off, there's nothing you can't do yourself, so just dive in.

Start by getting it running and driving, and see what your inspiration tells you...
I bought mine to volksrod.
Got it running, and discovered it's pretty sweet!
Then learned that it's a nice small window car, worth keeping in one piece.
Still undecided, I lowered it drastically.
Discovered a ratty low early bug is fun as hell to bomb around in and that people of all walks of life give a big grin and thumbs up when I roll by.

Still might wind up cutting it, but having fun along the way.

It's just a bug. Rock on!

Tue Aug 26, 2008 3:44 pm

Start with the fuel system. Make sure the tank is clean and replace all the rubber lines.

Then it's on to getting it running. Fuel, compression and spark is all it needs!

If the engine goes OK, then move on to the brakes. Here you may have to spend a little more time and money, but it's no big deal and you'll be happy with the results.

There are plenty of folks here to give you advice and probably even a few close enough to come and help if you get stuck or just don't know where to go next.

I think you wil be happy to get it going again and would be making a big mistake to let this one go.

After it's going, what you do with it is up to you. It's a journey, not a destination. What you get from it depends on how you approach it.

Tue Aug 26, 2008 3:55 pm

Will post some pictures. At the present time I am away from home and cannot get to the pics. But in due time I will post them.

Thanks for all the replies and encouragement!!!!

Tue Aug 26, 2008 4:45 pm

Since it is from a close family member, I would restore it to the way they had it. Then it would make you smile and think of your Dad every time you got in it.
For some of us , that would be a good thing

Tue Aug 26, 2008 6:18 pm

If it's that original then restore it or preserve what's there. If you feel the need to modify it, just do bolt on stuff...an adjustable beam, shiny wheels, a steering wheel, etc., and keep all the original stuff.

Tue Aug 26, 2008 6:34 pm

Solid, original cars are becoming rare. If it was rusted out, wrecked or whatever, then I'd say do as you please. However, it sounds like a worthy candidate for a spot-on authentic resto. Of course, it's your car so do as you will.... but you did ask our opinions :wink: ! If you feel like you want to have a modified car, I would highly suggest only doing bolt-on mods and keep all the original parts. You can put in a higher performance engine, but keep the original. It will be worth a lot more to a purist to have the original parts that can easily be reinstalled. My '59 Westy has a 1600 engine installed by the original owner, and thankfully the two interim owners kept and passed on the original engine. When I got the bus it mean a LOT more to me (as reflected in my purchase price) to also get the original engine and all original 6v parts (coil, generator, starter, etc) that they kept, too.

And pleeease post some pics :) !

Wed Aug 27, 2008 2:47 am

What he said! Pretty much...

If the paint and interior is original, I would keep them as they are with a careful and thorough cleaning/buffing/polish--even if they're a little rough. In my opinion, a full restoration is nearly as sad as a radical custom for cars that are very original and well preserved.

Sun Sep 14, 2008 2:04 pm

Car is in good condition body-wise. The dent on the left rear fender as seen in the second photo is the worst of the defects. The front hood needs the VW logo attached; I have this part as well as all other factory parts. Removing the spare tire from the front trunk yielded a fully inflated tire on a rim with new-looking paint after all these years!

Sun Sep 14, 2008 6:10 pm

So Fender Mender, what did you decide to do with that bitchen' 62?