52 Zwitter

[Robert Chambers]

Great work Alan! These pictures inspire me to get moving on my Zwitter. I was interrupted by the building a wood shed for my wood furnace. Then a chance in a life time happened. I will post about it soon. It involved many Chicken Coops. I hope to get moving on my metal work this Fall!
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'63 OG 117 Herbie Replica
'56 Euro Oval Deluxe
'52 Standard Zwitter
'63 OG 117

[AlanInMass54]

Thanks Sir! I'm happy my half-assed work is helpful! You have a much nicer car to start with for sure. I'm looking forward to seeing it and hearing about the chicken coop story!

[AlanInMass54]

Started this afternoon with a simple enough idea, replace the cheap badly made front apron center section with a nice original four finger one I had.

Look at and its' awful cheapness!

I took care of it properly.

A bit better! The surrounding parts were solid so I opted to leave it as it was and just replace the center so it would look nice and original. It was a replacement apron. Not done particularly well, either.

But looking at both sides it was such a cheap part and badly formed, badly installed and generally garbage I decided it should all go.

It looks like the original spare tire tray, very solid, just a couple small pinholes. There were only about three weak welds holding the apron to it, I broke them with a screwdriver and a good whack. Note the misshapen right side and that wonky looking bumper mount! I actually saw some NOS quarters not long ago from VW that had this on them! Must have been some one size fits all thing they came up with. Ugly!

This is now where I am, drilled the spot welds to replace the right quarter forward area, figured this was the ideal time to do it! I'm cutting higher up as it has been hit here and repaired by some clown with just a framing hammer apparently.

This is what's going in once I patch it up, it's since been blasted and looks nice now! Tomorrow will hopefully see at least a new quarter section welded in! Must find a nice front apron - hopefully for a realistic price!

[lovethatconvertible]

Keep at it Man, We're watching Baby step's Brother. one day, sooner than later I hope cause I'm getting old, you'll be sending this puppy to paint.
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1960 Convertible

[AlanInMass54]

Thanks very much! I think paint is a while off still, though! I was doing the front left section this afternoon. This is an unpleasant area! So many curves and edges to mess with. This is not a fun part to work with!

Cutting off major parts of the car is scary to me, but must be done.

Splicing the old front section into the replacement section! This was a pain as the metal was quite thin in some spots and I got some burn through. It's together but I will have to fix a couple spots.

Using the fender as a guide here to keep it all lined up as best I can. I wish I could have gotten a complete quarter, I don't like how this is fitting. That's where I gave up tonight, the bugs were annoying.

[AlanInMass54]

Still working on this damn quarter! It's now back to original shape, at least.

It's getting there! Need to fix the lower section on the right then find a nice apron and button it all back up and move on to the next section!

[AlanInMass54]

My motor I've been rebuilding at work on my lunch breaks is just about done! It's a 59 block with a few earlier items tossed on and an 019 distributor. I hope it runs!

Excuse the blurriness - cell phone pic on a crappy old phone.

[GERMANAIRE]

Looks like youve been comin along there Bud!, Takes time but rewarding at the end.

[AlanInMass54]

Thanks for the kind words! Your car was a real beauty and I looked at it a lot for reference and motivation! Even though mine will never be nearly a fraction as nice. That's your old rear clip on there:

I'm doing more and more work on this mess of a car, trying to straighten and smooth it out.
The right front is more or less done. Have to patch up 3 holes where the spot weld cutter went through.. ooops.

Cleaned up some old but questionable patches in the left front. It is solid and not really noticeable once together so I'm leaving it.

The right quarter is more or less straightened, so is the left one, just need to fix a small rust spot at the end of the driver's heater channel. Oh and converted the right standard door to a deluxe door! It's an arduous process of drilling 5 holes.

Finally today I'm trying to tackle the roof, which is a disaster, can't tell in the pic but it looks like it's been through several hail storms at once.

This is after using a shrinking disc to get the really big dents out! There's a skim coat on there now and I'm sanding and sanding and then sanding more.
Also during the course of this project I've saved lots of spare sections and I can't recommend it highly enough! Not only does it come in handy and look smashing but the neighbors probably love it! All the kids are into this patina thing today so this is doubly valuable!

[GERMANAIRE]

Wow! no more gold , You have come along way bud really looking good.
Thanks for the comments but I have sold that car to a friend, In the middle of selling current home and building a new one so had to go family comes first.
Kenny is the new owner and going a different route all og I believe and doing an amazing job! He has some great skills building these cars and cant wait to see it finished. Wished it would have been me but times call for change.
Congrats to you on your achievements and will keep an eye on your thread as always!! Talk soon

[AlanInMass54]

Thank you again Sir! Your kind words are always appreciated! I saw the new Zwitter's owner posting his updates and it truly is a beautiful car! He is doing an amazing job continuing where you left off. I wish you the best of luck in the new house and with the new shop, would love to have a proper place to work!
I took a break from soul crushing sanding to start fixing my bargain rear fenders. The left was the worst so I am starting there.

There were issues allover the fender but the rear section was the worst. Mangled, hacked and with chunks snot welded on.

The back was nice too. I had added a couple quick spots to keep the cracks from getting worse.

The original idea was just to cut out that section and splice it in from this original junkyard bargain (free) fender I had. Upon sanding over 1/4 inch of bondo I found it was just as mangled. So that was that.
Then I remembered the pair of rear fenders that came with this car, they were repro and I had no worries over hacking them up.

There's the left one, doesn't look too bad!

You can tell it was from this car... friggin GOLD.

Excuse the blurriness! I was amazed at the unbelievably shoddy design and construction of these fenders, thin as a beer can, badly formed, shaped all wrong, even! I couldn't use this!

So here is the old fender, I sectioned a new piece in where the overrider hole was and met it with the bumper bracket hole area. This is after LOTS of cutting welding, grinding hammering out caved in areas and more.

Numerous sections here were gone so I spliced some I had gotten from a nice fellow on this site. So that's it for fenders today as it started to pour out and I had to put the car back inside.
Moving on to the wiring!
The car came with a mystery unidentified but new harness! I had nothing to compare it with as so much of my wiring was missing or butchered! Then I bought a rear clip and remains of a front section form the very kind and excellent Clay Smith in CT! That car's harness was pretty much all there! So I scavenged the entire thing out of it and compared them as it was an early 53 oval which seems to be the same wiring as my (mostly) Dec of 52 car. They're nearly identical! I need to add a couple wires here and there but I think this can be made to work!

Printed out some of the very nice diagrams out of the technical section and did a packing tape laminating job against some cut up FedEx boxes to make handy big diagrams!

Here's the remains of the original rear harness. It's burned, spliced in with all kinds of butt splices, tape, twisted in wires, all very nice!

Here's the remains of the wiring coming out the windshield pillar and all terminating in these blocks. I'm assuming this is wrong? There is nothing beyond this! Someone took the rest of the wiring out, maybe for the bitchin racing wiring that must have once been here?

There's also these nice small holes and a bigger one! Were these for a bumpin stereo maybe? Who knows! Excuse the hackery around the former speaker area, I will be fixing it all at some point.

Also how in HELL do I get this damned thing out? The whole thing just spins. I'm afraid to damage it. There are always some in the classifieds but which one is right in case I just brutalize the old one out?

And lastly here is a portion of all the crap I've been saving up for this car! NOS starter button and ignition switch, weird hybrid heart lights, the gauges, etc! Aside from front seats I've got nearly all the parts now! Okay that's enough foolishness, back to work! Hope everyone has a great rest of their weekend.

[AlanInMass54]

The chassis I got with the Zwitter was a 58 and very butchered, all conduit tubes rusted, broken or clogged, trans mount hacked. So I found a 53 one! I got a great deal on it from Clay Smith in CT, thank you again Sir! I put on a roller front end and tranny to make it mobile while I fix it. It has a few holes here and there to weld up. The Napoleon hat was also hacked. I located some original floor pans, ebrake, shifter and looking for a pedal assembly. Here it is so far.

Still a long way to go!

[D. Haviland]

Alan,
you should be able to hold that accessory plug and turn the nut.

Dave

[Zwitterkafer]

Had the same problem. Layers of paint filled the threads on my accessory socket, and that nut would not budge. The problem is that if you try to hold the part somehow while turning the nut, it will become badly marred since it is soft aluminum. I considered trying to dissolve the old paint with stripper to make it easier, but in the end I cut a slash through the nut with a small Dremel wheel, and finished by splitting the nut off with a screwdriver. The accessory sockets are still available. They are supplied with a bigger more modern cheese head screw, but if you are picky, you could replace it with a flatter curved type screw used on Zwitters.
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"Criticism comes easier than Craftsmanship"
- Zeuxius, 400 BC

[AlanInMass54]

Thanks guys! I ended up getting it out with a bit of force. Also these

It mostly survived, I will clean it up, even though it's kinda useless.

I also got this fender off Ebay! Listed as a 66 but the 2 larger tail light seal holes were visible. Took a gamble on it and got it for $100! It's in excellent shape, just needed added on overrider holes filled in along with added taillight holes from snowflake brackets.

It's in great shape! I think this car has a dozen fenders now. Of course it's the same side as the fender I just completely redid..

[AlanInMass54]

Almost ready to put the new old floors in. Both these sections on this chassis were rotted and hacked. Got these two great ones from Randy in NC , thank you once again, Sir! Now it has nice solid pieces here.

Now I just have to replace a few sections along the tunnel where holes are and the surrounding metal was too thin to weld up.

I will replace more than this, the metal is deeply pitted and I don't like leaving it like this.
Then there's the Napoleon's Hat and the bottom piece just below it, that has been cut for some reason.

Why do people do stupid things like this! But work trudges on.
However it will have to share time with my new toy, a car I've been looking for for ages! Perhaps the hottest looking one ever built!

Isn't it beautiful? The answer is yes.

[Fifty-Eight Rag]

Pardon my naivety...but what is it?
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1956 Oval
and a barn full of VW parts

1956 Oval build thread
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...mp;start=0

1962 Single Cab Restoration
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=7959298#7959298

1967 Beetle Restoration
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=495269&highlight=larrys

[AlanInMass54]

Oh yeah I forgot that part, it's a 58 Lloyd Alexander Wagon.

[GERMANAIRE]

Nice find on the 53 Chassis that was a hook up! Kepp up The Great Work its coming together nicely. And The Wagon Is SCHWEET!!! Congrats!
Happy Holidays Alan!!!!

[AlanInMass54]

Hi Peter, thanks again for the kind words! Hoping you and your family have a most excellent Holiday also! I love this little Lloyd rotbox and it's 2 cylinders of fury!