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'72 Super Restoration on a College Kid's Budget
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RidinRetro1973
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PostPosted: Wed Nov 14, 2012 8:27 pm    Post subject: '72 Super Restoration on a College Kid's Budget Reply with quote

I got my Bug back when I turned 16. It wasn't my first Bug, but it was the first running one I owned.

I'm not new to VWs, aircooled-wise, my parents bought a '78 Convertible in 1994 and a '79 Westfalia in 2005. My mom has a '98 New Beetle, My dad a '03 EuroVan, and my sister has a '02 New Beetle.

I bought it from a kid who had just turned 21(my current age) and it was also his first car. His grandmother bought it for him down in Florida and had it restored. The body was near perfect sans a few nicks and bumps but I didn't want a perfect looking car to be daily driving to high school. It needed some engine work as it wouldn't stay running and some interior finishing.

Picked it up for the reasonable price of $3500. The car was SOLID.
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I did a couple interior mods to it, added a new stereo, checkerboard glovebox door, CB radio.
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Added some smoked taillights and a checkered bra.
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I was inspired by the Sports Bug special edition as the car already had black trim all around, so I added some Sports stripes.
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I drove it year round, rain, sleet, snow. I did repairs as it needed them and freshened parts up. I had the 1600DP rebuilt, I rebuilt the front end with all Topline parts, and added a chin spoiler. It was extremely reliable.
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I drove it to prom my senior year and my girlfriend and I matched the car.
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It also was a main feature in my senior pictures.
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Honestly, I believe Beetle's are the best cars for driving in the snow. We had a massive blizzard here in Chicago 2 years ago. I went out in it during the blizzard and besides the snowplows, I was the only car on the road. I never got stuck in the snow.
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I even drove it on a frozen Lake Geneva in Wisconsin!
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In 2010 I drove it from Chicago to Daytona Beach, Florida, then onto Panama City, Florida and back to Chicago without a single problem.
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Last edited by RidinRetro1973 on Wed Nov 14, 2012 9:35 pm; edited 2 times in total
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RidinRetro1973
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PostPosted: Wed Nov 14, 2012 8:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Unfortunately, years of driving it in the Rust Belt really took a toll on my Bug. I started noticing rust bubbles popping up on the rear quarter panels and rust holes in the front wheel wells. Various other rust spots starting appearing in different places on the car.

I had the holes in the wheel wells patched decently and drove another winter. I pressure washed it weekly to try and stop the spread of the cancer.

It continued to get worse and worse though so I decided it was time to take the car off the road and buy a winter beater that actually had a heater. I ended up buying a gorgeous '92 Jetta.
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The Bug got garaged Fall of 2011 and moved into storage in Spring of 2012 whilst I enjoyed semi-dailying the Parent's '79 Westy and '79 Vert. The Jetta was put on Daily Driver Status.
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I drove the Westy to Estes Park, Colorado with my best friend in June 2012.
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We brought the Convertible with us on our family vacation to Panama City, Florida in June 2012.
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Daily Jetta.
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cletus_zuber
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PostPosted: Wed Nov 14, 2012 8:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

awesome,
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RidinRetro1973
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PostPosted: Wed Nov 14, 2012 9:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Heres where the fun part begins.

I put the car up for sale in August of 2012 on here, craigslist, and ebay. It finally sold on ebay for 5,500. I was sad that I had actually sold my first car.

I anxiously awaited payment from the highest bidder. After multiple emails to them, I never got a word back. I reported the bidder to ebay and the deal fell through.

I took this as a sign that the car wasn't destined to leave my hand and that a full restoration was needed.

At the beginning of October this year I went to pull my Bug out of storage. She started up first try but would only idle for about 3 seconds before dying. I couldn't figure out what the deal was with it until I checked in the engine bay. As I pulled the throttle, I could see gas pouring out from the accelerator pump on the carb.

Two weeks later I had new carb seals. I was able to put them in and started it up. It ran like a dream. I drove it the hour back to my house and loved every minute of it. I hadn't driven the car in a whole year and just driving it for that amount of time reminded me of how much I loved the car.

After getting it home, I drove it around for a few days on expired license plates. I was eager to tear into it and start the resto.

Day one, yesterday, I was able to take all the trim off, remove the lights and take one of the fenders off. I examined the rust more throughly.
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I found some pretty bad rust on one of the strut towers.
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This is what road salt + expanding foam does to aircooled VWs.
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Despite the body rust, the pans are nearly perfect.
Do you guys think I should go ahead and do a body-off restoration to get at the body rust better? I don't know how to weld, and plan on having a body shop do the rust repair on it.
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RidinRetro1973
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PostPosted: Wed Nov 14, 2012 9:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Today I continued to dig into my Bug.

I was able to remove the rest of the fenders and some various other trim pieces.
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I took it out and drove around the block a couple times with no fenders and no tailpipes. I think it looks cool as a rat rod and the engine noise without the pea shooters is UNBELIEVABLE!
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RidinRetro1973
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PostPosted: Wed Nov 14, 2012 9:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

This evening the hood came off and I started digging into the interior.

I took my dash pad off and am planning on shaving the unnecessary holes because I love the look of the metal dash.

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I took out the seats and carpet. The pans are solid besides one dime sized hole on the drivers side. I plan on using a wire wheel and treating the metal when/if I take the body off.

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RidinRetro1973
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PostPosted: Wed Nov 14, 2012 9:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Here's my plan for my car:

Dropping it down as low as possible
Empi Sprint Stars
New Doors with vent windows
68 to 70 rear fenders/taillights
Euro front bumper with turn signals
Pop-out rear windows
Black Billet running boards with polished ribs
Shaved side/hood moulding(?)

I'm planning on painting it Cobalt blue:
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ORRRR Chrome Yellow:
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OR PERHAPS Viper Green:
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Ethan17
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PostPosted: Wed Nov 14, 2012 10:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

oh man that green looks sweet!!
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Globespotter
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PostPosted: Wed Nov 14, 2012 10:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nice!!! Glad you ended up keeping the car. The rust does not seem too bad for Illinois!

It's a 72 SB right? I guess the non-vent windows are a mod then?
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hobbybob517
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 15, 2012 12:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

nice bug, hope you take the time to do it right,

awesome designs btw, did you draw these?

lovin' the green man!
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69vduber
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 15, 2012 3:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I like the Sprint Stars ..
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RidinRetro1973
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 15, 2012 9:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

71Survivor wrote:
Nice!!! Glad you ended up keeping the car. The rust does not seem too bad for Illinois!

It's a 72 SB right? I guess the non-vent windows are a mod then?


Yeah, the PO hacked in the one-piece cal look windows that I absolutely HATE.
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RidinRetro1973
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 15, 2012 9:35 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

hobbybob517 wrote:
nice bug, hope you take the time to do it right,

awesome designs btw, did you draw these?

lovin' the green man!


Yeah, I'm studying graphic design. I drew these in Adobe Illustrator.
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RidinRetro1973
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 15, 2012 9:35 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

69vduber wrote:
I like the Sprint Stars ..
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Your Bug is one of the reasons I fell in love with Sprints!
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bandi
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 15, 2012 10:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

RidinRetro1973 wrote:
69vduber wrote:
I like the Sprint Stars ..
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Your Bug is one of the reasons I fell in love with Sprints!


That makes two of us.
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bandi
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 15, 2012 10:56 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Also- Chrome yellow!!!
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zombiebug
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 15, 2012 11:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think the story is awesome and the pictures are great! Keep us posted on your progress. Im glad to hear you kept the car and are now restoring it.
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 15, 2012 1:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The welding is not too hard to do yourself. I picked up a Campbell Hausfeld welder for less than $200 (refurbished on Amazon) and just patched up my 73SB floor pans and strut tower. I had not even touched a welder before this.

It ain't super pretty, but some grinding and rust sealer fixed it up.

You will save LOADS by doing some of it yourself.

Also, don't stress the strut tower too much. The inner skin is a thin sheet spot welded to a stronger outer brace. The inner skin will be crunchy, but the outer thick brace should be fine. The inner skin is sold as a piece on CIP1 for $24.

Great story BTW, thanks for sharing!
Ed
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 15, 2012 2:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Awesome story. Glad your gonna restore it.
Smile
Take the time and do it right. You won't regret it.

Keep us updated.
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 15, 2012 3:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

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the Viper green is a good color, this is my old 72 Super, wish i still had the car
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