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VWAdam Samba Member
Joined: February 14, 2002 Posts: 3330 Location: Birmingham, Alabama
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Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2011 9:24 pm Post subject: |
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Hi Jonathan's dad. I've known your son for, well a long time now. Let's see, since he was driving a light blue 66 Bug
Anyway, if it was a beige color, it was probably L343 Kalahari Beige. Nice looking color.
You should definately repaint it the original color.
Oh and read the 58/59 Discussion thread, it's a sticky at the top of this forum. 58/59's are unique and really neat cars and that thread will tell you anything you wanted to know and more. _________________ All he needed was a wheel in his hand and four on the road.
'59 Euro Beetle ragtop
'63 Standard Microbus
Come to my show! www.volksjam.com
Looking for badge/sticker/frame from Western Motors in Great Falls, Montana |
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YouBugMe58 Samba Member
Joined: December 29, 2011 Posts: 540 Location: AL (Wiregrass area)
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Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2011 10:44 pm Post subject: |
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That is a good looking color. Soon as I get the pecan shells out of it I will look up the color code. Even if I change the color I will keep it a true vw color for that year. I'm one of those that likes original unless the car is so bad it dosent mater.
I remember the blue 66 since he did most of the work in my garage. We had dune buggies, bugs and buses in the yard at one time. |
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Rome Samba Member
Joined: June 02, 2004 Posts: 9603 Location: Pearl River, NY
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Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2011 2:58 am Post subject: |
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Congratulations for politely pursuing and finally purchasing the Beetle!
As to the taillights, I'd wait to see if the ones now on the car fully work- like if there is a separate switch for the semaphores or if the sema's come out together with the blinkers. In the early to mid 60's Germany came out with a law which did not allow working semaphores anymore. This could have coincided with VW and all other German manufacturers dropping them for the '61 model year. Most people with the semaphore cars had to also disable them, installing the '62-style taillights and then had to add or rig the wiring for the blinkers. Most likely Belgium, as well as the rest of Europe had the same law. So you can regard these taillights as a "period-correct" upgrade. It would not be improper to keep them on the car, since it was a part of the car's active history in keeping it on the road. In 1983 I attended the Bad Camberg vintage VW meet in Germany while I was working in northern Germany and remember seeing these taillights on most pre-'61 Beetles which were driven to the meet. It was an incorrect detail which you had to live with if you wanted to drive the cars on public roads. This was long before the "H" (historic) license plates were issued. Meanwhile, many early Beetles have small auxiliary blinkers installed above or below the bumper blades as an alternative, so they could keep the original factory-installed taillights.
You hinted at the car's condition when you mentioned it was stored in a tin shed. How is the floorpan as to any rust/rot? If it's not bad, and if the heater channels and rockers are solid, do you think you really need to take the body off the pan for the restoration and repaint? |
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morymob Samba Member
Joined: November 09, 2007 Posts: 4683 Location: east-tn
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Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2011 4:29 am Post subject: |
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My '58 euro rag top(with semi's) i found similiar to yours, not in a barn but in a garage probably made for a model-A and had been there 10 yrs. Caught the door open and came back and talked to owner, loaned me his tow bar an now is mine. He had never even look inside as it was piled pretty full in back seat, no eng but i have correct series one to replace. 2 sets of semifores in glove box and turned out radio in back correct Blau(?-spelling?) ,don't know if it works yet, was really solid body and the rest of parts there. It's going back'' close' to orig as a driver, not as a fully restored show type, did that route with a '57 oval, i want to enjoy it. |
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YouBugMe58 Samba Member
Joined: December 29, 2011 Posts: 540 Location: AL (Wiregrass area)
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Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2011 6:27 am Post subject: |
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So far the pans look solid but we have not cleaned it up yet. There is the standard rust on the heater box behind the front wheels. they patched it with fiberglass. If we can get by without taking the body off the pan then thats just all better. We will know more in a few days as we start cleaning it up.
As for the lights I plan on putting it all back original and adding blinkers to the bumpers. No Drilling. And I would like to get the semaphores working again. They are just way to cool.
Thanks for the history Im doing a lot of reading and learning on VW's right now. |
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gotpatina Samba Member
Joined: August 18, 2011 Posts: 69 Location: Lancaster, PA
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Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2011 6:35 am Post subject: |
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great find!
re:semaphores
take them out and clean up the connections really well. i thought mine were shot but was just bad connections. try running them off the battery to test, +6 to bottom terminal and ground the metal frame. _________________ Fahrvergnügen |
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SkooobaSteve Samba Member
Joined: March 23, 2005 Posts: 3152 Location: Dothan Alabama
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SkooobaSteve Samba Member
Joined: March 23, 2005 Posts: 3152 Location: Dothan Alabama
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Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2011 7:35 am Post subject: |
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I like this picture first time its seen the light in a good while
and the journey onto the trailer begins
and headed home where it will be cleaned and worked on
Going to get it rolling today since we have to return the trailer that was loaned to us. So it will be on its wheels out of the way, since we have already found the old Belgium license plate we are going to sift through the junk under the hood see what else is there be fore we power up the pressure washer to clean it off. _________________ Jonathan
Romans 6:13
WTB 67 beetle rear seat belts.
59 Euro ragtop build with my dad
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=493553&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0
65 dlx Slow build
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=391061 |
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gt1953 Samba Member
Joined: May 08, 2002 Posts: 13843 Location: White Mountains Arizona
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Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2011 7:48 am Post subject: |
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At one time I had a 59 Euro model. Like mentioned above a few modifications to meet the USA market. The overriders on the bumpers and not single blade bumpers, Turn signals added to the fenders but still had semaphore that were disconnected. The rear lights were still the snowflake variety. Interestingly the body did not have holes in it for the bumper overrider supports. Several knowledgeable old time VW guys said it was a true Euro body for the Euro market. _________________ Volkswagen: We tune what we drive.
Numbers Matching VW's are getting harder to find. Source out the most Stock vehicle and keep that way. You will be glad you did.
72 type 1
72 Squareback
({59 Euro bug, 62, 63, 67, 68, 69, 73 type ones 68 & 69 type two, 68 Ghia all sold}) |
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SkooobaSteve Samba Member
Joined: March 23, 2005 Posts: 3152 Location: Dothan Alabama
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YouBugMe58 Samba Member
Joined: December 29, 2011 Posts: 540 Location: AL (Wiregrass area)
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Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2011 10:56 am Post subject: |
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The license plate is dated 1983 so it has been under that she'd for 28 to 29 years. Long time! Looking at the pans they could be repaired but I just don't like patches if I can help it. So it's getting new pans. Looks more and more like pan of restore. |
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stale air Samba Member
Joined: August 23, 2007 Posts: 5148 Location: Senoia Ga, formally NorCal
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Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2011 11:06 am Post subject: |
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YouBugMe58 wrote: |
The license plate is dated 1983 so it has been under that she'd for 28 to 29 years. Long time! Looking at the pans they could be repaired but I just don't like patches if I can help it. So it's
getting new pans. Looks more and more like pan of restore. |
Thats awesome, its amazing how long some cars sit before they get rescued. My 58 sat from 72 til 95 when I found it.
Hey, do you have any interior pics you can share yet? _________________ WANTED: Henry Veale Santa Rosa plate frames
WANTED: Brittsan Motors Fresno plate frames
WANTED: Any Georgia plate frames
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SkooobaSteve Samba Member
Joined: March 23, 2005 Posts: 3152 Location: Dothan Alabama
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SkooobaSteve Samba Member
Joined: March 23, 2005 Posts: 3152 Location: Dothan Alabama
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SkooobaSteve Samba Member
Joined: March 23, 2005 Posts: 3152 Location: Dothan Alabama
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vdubnut58 Samba Member
Joined: November 18, 2005 Posts: 663 Location: Cali
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Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2011 1:00 pm Post subject: |
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There is a small release on top you need to lift it up. Don't just yank them open. If its not rusted, just wont open. Lift the small tab on top with a small pic tool or screwdriver. |
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SkooobaSteve Samba Member
Joined: March 23, 2005 Posts: 3152 Location: Dothan Alabama
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SkooobaSteve Samba Member
Joined: March 23, 2005 Posts: 3152 Location: Dothan Alabama
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YouBugMe58 Samba Member
Joined: December 29, 2011 Posts: 540 Location: AL (Wiregrass area)
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Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2011 3:39 pm Post subject: |
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Just finished cleaning the 59 out. Some things not as bad as I thought and some visa versa. Both pans have to be replaced, both A pillars where they meet the heater channel need repair, left B pillar needs patching. The hood is the wrong year. Found bondo in places.
Car is still 6 volts, not sure if I want to keep that part, what y'all think.
On the other hand I found the original oil bath breather behind the back seat.
Removed about 20 gallons of peacons, believe the squirrels used it as a storage bin. On the other hand there was no rat poop or signs of rats at all.
To dark for pictures will take some tomarrow. |
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VWAdam Samba Member
Joined: February 14, 2002 Posts: 3330 Location: Birmingham, Alabama
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Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2011 9:19 pm Post subject: |
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YouBugMe58 wrote: |
Just finished cleaning the 59 out. Some things not as bad as I thought and some visa versa. Both pans have to be replaced, both A pillars where they meet the heater channel need repair, left B pillar needs patching. The hood is the wrong year. Found bondo in places.
Car is still 6 volts, not sure if I want to keep that part, what y'all think.
On the other hand I found the original oil bath breather behind the back seat.
Removed about 20 gallons of peacons, believe the squirrels used it as a storage bin. On the other hand there was no rat poop or signs of rats at all.
To dark for pictures will take some tomarrow. |
I can tell you that if it is working properly, 6 volt works just fine. Remember last winter down here was pretty brutal? Well that's when I started driving my '59 daily. The entire car was covered in a thick sheet of ice. I had to break it off of the door handle and thaw out the lock to get in the car but she started right up. The only time my 6 volts have failed me was because I didn't check the water level in the battery so it was my own stupid fault. My only complaint is that my headlights are too dim, however I'm sure that if I put a new harness in the car it would solve that. A lot of mine was hacked up when it was converted to US spec and just needs a totally new harness.
I say leave it stock, it's all there and original.
The rust sounds typical but not bad at all for a factory ragtop car. My car too needs pans and that pillar where the lower door hinge is needs replacing as well on the driver's side.
Gah, I wish Dothan wasn't so far away, I'd be over there checking it out! I just love me some 58/59s _________________ All he needed was a wheel in his hand and four on the road.
'59 Euro Beetle ragtop
'63 Standard Microbus
Come to my show! www.volksjam.com
Looking for badge/sticker/frame from Western Motors in Great Falls, Montana |
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