New to the comunity. Lots of questions!

[hudsonsbug6914]

Hey yall. Names nick. Just recently bought a 69 beetle in about 1000000 pieces.. best part was it came dirt cheap. Now to me this make the process of rebuilding so much easier. But still a challenge. I have everything except 1 rear fender and headlights I believe. Havn't gone through it all quite yet. But I need a starting point. The body is nice, very ugly but in good shape. The floor pan is beautiful. The engine it disassembled as well as everything else. Just don't know where to start. I'm thinking I should start with cleaning and rebuilding of the engine and making sure everything is there.

This is my first ever rebuild of any kind. I don't even have too many tools but plan to buy along the way. The engine is the ad 1600 cc? Supposed to have been built once for racing. Idk. But as far as goals go.. I like to fish and want a nice beetle to cruise to the beach and go fishing in. Kinda stock/mild baja look.. maybe just bigger wheels. I can send pics of what I got or post the on here. Thank you all. And any questions I'll do my best to answer.

[hudsonsbug6914]

[Zundfolge1432]

If you are doing the engine first I'd get a few manuals with maybe Tom wilsons book first . There are more than a few engine build threads here, I'm in process of doing one now go back a page or two and look for one titled mystery engine.it might also be a good idea to start identifying and sorting parts then bag and tag. You'll also need a workbench and a vise and metric hand tools. A good listing of required tools can be found in John Muirs book. I know where there's a car just like yours all in pieces, this happens all the time. Finish it up be a hero, we can help.

[biga1969]

10mm , 13mm , 15mm , 17mm socket and wrenches will be a necessity and a good Torque wrench. Bug me video "complete engine rebuild" it worked for me. Good luck.
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Alan

1973 Super Beetle

[johnnypan]

like to fish? Id fish for another one,a complete assembled one and make the best of two..got a lot of stuff there but its a long way from having it all,buying parts can be way more expensive than buying another complete car..

[Chochobeef]

If it were me, I would do engine first with a test run out of the car. Then i would do the chassis to know I have a roller. Then I would do the body and wiring to finish it all up. If you break it down, it won't be a big deal. Stuff will go together quicker because you are focusing on 1 thing and not multiple things about the car.

This is your project, so you much choose what works best for you. Maybe you want a rolling chassis before you do the engine and that would be fine to.

Either way, post pictures of your progress. We like pictures.

[Q-Dog]

Well, I would not do the engine first. Putting the car together will be a bigger challenge than putting the engine together.

If it takes you 2 or 3 years to get the car together, the engine will be sitting all that time. And if it comes down to it, you can always buy a complete engine.

Make friends with someone who has a complete, running 1969 Beetle so you have something to look at when you have questions about how things go together. You will have A LOT of questions.
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Brian

'69 Dune Buggy
'69 Beetle Convertible
'70 Beetle

[Brian]

Search "class 11" on this site. Have a clear end goal and stick to it. Check out the bugs in my signature. Good luck.
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Wash your hands

'69 Bug
'68 Baja Truck
'71 Bug
'68 Camper

Only losers litter

[hudsonsbug6914]

[hudsonsbug6914]

Minor update. Started to sand in a rust area before kick off on the super bowl and found about 7 layers of paint.

[johnnypan]

That body doesn't look like its a '69. front fenders are definitely not..

[Zundfolge1432]

Seven layers? Get ready for a shock when you start pricing self etching high build primer. Pitted rust like that needs featherfill which a little more,you will be doing a lot of prep to get it right. Maybe consider doing the plasti dip peel off type of paint job. Much cheaper. I agree with Johnny, look for a more complete car .

[Floating VW]

John F. Kennedy, September 12, 1962:

"We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard."

I want to see that '69 in one piece, lookin' good and haulin' ass, even if it takes you 20 years to do it!
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"It's time you started treating people as individuals, rather than mathematically predictable members of an aggregate set, regardless of how well that works."

[hudsonsbug6914]

[quote="Floating VW"]John F. Kennedy, September 12, 1962:

"We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard."

I want to see that '69 in one piece, lookin' good and haulin' ass, even if it takes you 20 years to do it![/quote

Thank you. At least someone has some faith. I'm not planning to do a full restoration type job.. all I want is to do a complete job. My idea is just rebuild my way. It's gunna be a beach bug for when I go fishing anyhow. So being pretty and perfect isn't quite necessary. As far as paint. I'm sanding to bare metal priming and doin a good Ole rustolium job.

[johnnypan]

[Floating VW]

[Zundfolge1432]

[[email protected]]

From just looking at the pictures I would say do not assume all those parts are from the same car, and that you have all the parts you need.

But I often work on parts and never end up with a complete car.
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1974 Standard Beetle to Baja Bug
http://picasaweb.google.com/fvee1234/BajaBug02#

[Zundfolge1432]

Some of the bolts and hardware I'm referring to are specific, things like shoulder bolts,spacers for inside the bulkhead for mounting the master cylinder,mounting the front beam to pan and the list goes on and on. You can't afford to buy all this piece by piece or waste the time and gas doing it. Better lay it all out and see what's missing. It could be worse you could be newbie and have no idea. Sorry .