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1960 Beetle Ragtop Project - First VW
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Madd Maxx
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 06, 2013 3:43 pm    Post subject: 1960 Beetle Ragtop Project - First VW Reply with quote

New to the Forum, new to VW's.

I have recently acquired a Ragtop built in Nov. of '59. It has been in my family all of my life, but, I do not have any memories of riding in it. I have heard stories about it all of my life. Dad bought it when he was a young Army officer stationed at Fort Benning, GA. when it was about two years old. He bought it thinking that my mother would enjoy driving it. She did not; apparently, he had a blast with it. Anyway, right after I was born in '66, he sold it to one of his brothers, after receiving orders to Germany.

After all of these years, I have the pitiful little thing in my possession, and have permission from the wife to divert money to getting it back on the road, eventually, as we can afford it and time permits.

Any and all help, advise, and constructive criticism, what steps to take next, etc. from this group will be greatly appreciated - Thanks in advance...

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YouBugMe58
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 06, 2013 3:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Cool history. Take care of it. What are your plans, Not to mind everyone's suggestions. Its yours, do as you wish.

Pics of of the inside, engine etc. Smile
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NewVWFan
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 06, 2013 4:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Cool car. I would get it running and leave "As is" I really like the Ft Benning sticker on the bumper.
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Thomas Pedigo
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 06, 2013 4:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes...more pics.
Some guys would kill to roll that natural patina btw...
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Rustforlife
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 06, 2013 4:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thomas Pedigo wrote:
Yes...more pics.
Some guys would kill to roll that natural patina btw...

I agree. Get it roadworthy, drop it and enjoy!
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lovethatconvertible
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 06, 2013 4:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Awesome, Take pictures of everything, and feel free to post as many as you can, so we can admire the unit. I own a 1960, quirky year but fun. Dash pic's first up, rest of interior, and trunk wiring would be a great start. Still have the 36 hp back there? Does it still have the SE key code stuff. Horn work Very Happy
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Thomas Pedigo
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 06, 2013 4:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Rustforlife wrote:
Thomas Pedigo wrote:
Yes...more pics.
Some guys would kill to roll that natural patina btw...

I agree. Get it roadworthy,keep it completely stock saving every "one year only" part and enjoy!

FIFY!
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anthracitedub
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 06, 2013 4:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yeah!!!! That finish is sweet..... Wouldn't mess with that.... Just a mechanical restoration.....
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stale air
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 06, 2013 4:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thomas Pedigo wrote:
Rustforlife wrote:
Thomas Pedigo wrote:
Yes...more pics.
Some guys would kill to roll that natural patina btw...

I agree. Get it roadworthy,keep it completely stock saving every "one year only" part and enjoy!

FIFY!



Very Happy X2!
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Madd Maxx
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 06, 2013 4:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I want to keep it pretty stock, I might go with a different paint and interior. The engine has been switched out (still a 36hp as far as I know), or, I would go back totally stock. It's either Flint Grey or Artic as near as I can tell. It looks like primer grey to me though... I do like this, but, it may be too much:

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Thomas Pedigo
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 06, 2013 5:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes, arctic blue.
You might still have the color tag behind the spare.
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Madd Maxx
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 06, 2013 5:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

For all of the patina guys out there, I'm sure I will have to drive it in it's natural state out of necessity for a while. Maybe it will grow on me, I don't think my wife would want to ride in it very often, she wants me to make it "pretty".
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bobnorman
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 06, 2013 5:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Love the car, great story too, its nice that you have that history. Very Happy I have a 60 rag as well. It seems to me that I see more 60 rags than any other year rag, or even more than regular 60 sedans for that matter! I love the simple dash in the 60.

Check out this thread:

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=464213

If it were mine, I'd roll it stock, keeping mostly orginal where I could... But that's me, and you're you... do what you want, so you can enjoy it the way you like.

Good luck, looking forward to seeing more of this car.


Last edited by bobnorman on Tue Aug 06, 2013 5:36 pm; edited 1 time in total
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johnsongti
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 06, 2013 5:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

A good CLR scrub down would do it wonders. Look up others that have done it to see what it does. I think that would clean it up nice and then put some clear over top. Nice car wish I had a 1960. Good luck and keep the pics coming.
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 06, 2013 5:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks everyone for the quick responses!

YouBugMe58
Thomas Pedigo
lovethatconvertible
All...

I will get more pics in a few days for your review, I really appreciate the interest. It is in pretty rough shape and is still in a remote location right now in an old airplane hanger - but wait, there's more; I only had to give my cousin $100.00, he felt bad for even accepting that. I think he did make me promise that I would restore it and not just flip it.

This should be a long and hopefully fun journey
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 06, 2013 5:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

NewVWFan -
Good eye, I plan on having the Ft. Benning stickers reproduced for posterities sake/nostalgia, but that's way down the road.
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 06, 2013 6:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thomas Pedigo wrote:
Rustforlife wrote:
Thomas Pedigo wrote:
Yes...more pics.
Some guys would kill to roll that natural patina btw...

I agree. Get it roadworthy,keep it completely stock saving every "one year only" part and enjoy!

FIFY!

Lol! Damned vandals.
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Thomas Pedigo
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 06, 2013 6:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Rustforlife wrote:
Thomas Pedigo wrote:
Rustforlife wrote:
Thomas Pedigo wrote:
Yes...more pics.
Some guys would kill to roll that natural patina btw...

I agree. Get it roadworthy,keep it completely stock saving every "one year only" part and enjoy!

FIFY!

Lol! Damned vandals.

Anxious
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Madd Maxx
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 08, 2013 7:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I should preface this story with where the car has spent about the last 38 years of it's life. I failed to get a picture of it before I moved it, my bad. I may go back and take a picture of where it sat the next time I'm out that way. It has been under a carport type roof in the middle of a pasture type lot, with no front, back, or sides - just a tin roof over it. I don't know when the fabric ragtop roof completely deteriorated from the car and left the seen, but, it has only marginally been protected from the elements. I wish it would have been in a barn to "find". At least it wasn't completely out in the open. The only good bit of news is that the Texas Panhandle where it lived is usually extremely dry country. The average rain fall is about 10-12 inches per year, and there is plenty of wind to dry thing out quickly after an event.


A couple more pics, sorry for the quality. I'll get more detailed pics when I get it moved to my house.

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When I first got the car, the doors, hood, and trunk hinges were/are pretty rusted down. My Dad opened the hood to look at the engine, and they bent when he opened it, och! I'm sure that will take some effort to fix.

So I got the trunk lid opened, everything is in there. Minus what the field mice have eaten along with a lot of nesting material and rat droppings, and I mean a lot, I found the windshield washer plastic bag and the jack. The jack was frozen up completely.

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So, not even knowing what a Bilstein was, or what it was supposed to look like, I decided to try to restore it first. This was kind of a Beta test to see if it might even be possible for "me" to try and bring this car back to life. It took a couple of weeks of spraying with penetrating oil twice a day to even get it where it would move. Now mind you, this was under the hood and out of the rain and elements, which concerns me - because the entire rest of the car is going to be in the same state.

Here is the test results.

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Not perfect, but, good enough for who it's for. I intentionally left some of the pitting on the shaft(?) so people wouldn't think I just bought a new one.
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Thomas Pedigo
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 08, 2013 8:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well, if that's an indication of you're approach to the '60, I salute you sir.
Purdy jack!
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