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Thu Apr 01, 2010 10:22 am

This is my all time favourite car. I bought it in 1989 and drove it for 10 years until it got hit really hard in traffic. I turned it into a yard car and had lots of fun with it for a few years out at the farm. Circumstances have changed since then and I've decided to turn it back into a car again. I have donor sheet metal to do the front and rear clips and the rest is minor hole patching. I have never replaced a front end before and I was hoping someone could give me some pointers on how to measure and cut so it all fits together properly. I don't want to make any obvious mistakes!

Don

Thu Apr 01, 2010 11:38 am

All the best with your build.

Tue Oct 23, 2012 7:01 am

Sheesh, 2 years later and a couple of moves later and the car will finally come home.

Don

Tue Oct 23, 2012 4:39 pm

cool to see another early big window canadian out there getting fixed up.

Fri Nov 09, 2012 2:29 pm

I might have to restore 2 cars at once this winter.

Don

Mon Dec 17, 2012 6:51 pm

So, the green '59 will have to wait till another time. I have decided to restore a car I call The Turd. It is a 1958 Canadian custom built in the second week of August 1957. It is a curious mix of '57 and '58 parts. This is what it looked like when it arrived on my driveway this fall:

I proceded to dismantle it and started to work on the rear apron first, this is what it looked like before I took a sledge hammer to it:

After some dismantly and gentle massaging with hammer and dolly it is starting to look like something:

Don

Mon Dec 17, 2012 6:58 pm

The car is Glacier Blue, this is the first one I have seen in 35 years of playing with 58/59 beetles. I don't have a blue interior for it but I will use a green one until I can come up with something. The seats are no problem but blue standard door cards might be a bit of an issue.

Don

Tue Dec 25, 2012 10:30 pm

I've mostly got the rear end done, I'm going to switch around to the front for a while now.

I'd like to thank Flyertim for being such an inspiration and teaching me some of the skills required to take on this car.

Don

Tue Dec 25, 2012 10:35 pm

Considering this is what I started with and that I have never done body work of any kind before, I'm pretty pleased.

Don

Tue Dec 25, 2012 10:52 pm

Looking good, definite improvement.

Tue Dec 25, 2012 11:32 pm

Nice work so far Don. Im glad your gunna save it. It already looks so much better just by hanging that rear apron.

Sun Jan 20, 2013 4:40 pm

It's been a while since I posted anything here but I'm going to need some help. Anyways here is where things stand today: the car is on its side so I can work on the bottom.

Don

Sun Jan 20, 2013 4:59 pm

So I took apart the left front corner of the car, that is the front end of the heater channel and found this:

The question is: Is this somehow a captive nut? Should there be something to hold it in place over the 2 mounting holes like there is for the latch plates and the door hinge mounting plates?

I think I will just piece this together rather than buy expensive replacement parts.

Don

Sun Jan 20, 2013 6:16 pm

That sure looks like the 2 captive nuts from the front of the heater channel, the bolts go thru the nepolian hat. They should be welded inside the bottom of the Channel. Bolts go thru the pan and into the Hat and into the bottom of the firewall, that's where the captive nuts are. Should be the same directly on the other side of the body.
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=494304&highlight=captive+bolts

Sun Jan 20, 2013 7:35 pm

Thanks, that is exactly what I was looking for.

Don

Sun Jan 20, 2013 9:51 pm

I actually had to Edit my post above, as I had the captive nuts located in the wrong place. Whoops :oops:

Sat Mar 16, 2013 2:27 pm

well at least the long winnipeg winter is good for something....................assuming a well heated shop is available!

Look forward to seeing this one on the streets of winnipeg soon.

gerald
st vital

Sun Mar 17, 2013 6:14 am

Great to see another one being brought back/rescued.
Looks great so far-keep up the good work !

Mon Jun 10, 2013 11:35 am

This would make a good donor car for the turd:

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1486751

Don

Mon Jun 10, 2013 1:59 pm

sunroof wrote: I'd like to thank Flyertim for being such an inspiration and teaching me some of the skills required to take on this car.

you're welcome! :D