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azamy66 Samba Member
Joined: September 10, 2003 Posts: 147 Location: Tempe, Arizona
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Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2014 10:17 pm Post subject: Amy's 1968 Convertible Beetle Restoration "Grettah" |
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Okay. I have decided to start a thread on this car of mine. I mostly want to keep a record of what I am doing and hope for some advice as I go . Initially, I didn't really have any intentions of restoring the car more than a new carpet kit, seat covers, refresher paint and a top. Well, that has just been tossed for new plans. The more and more I read on this forum, the more I learn about the state of convertibles and the issues that go along with them, ie: rust. So, today I began my journey, probably a long one, of dismantling the car. Her name is Grettah and she spent all her life on the coast of California. Until now, where she resides in Arizona. These are pictures of her when she first arrived. She looks really good from a distance, but as you get up close you can see a few imperfections. Mostly little rust bubbles in her paint, rusty running boards and other various signs of surface rust. She does have a new engine with only 2000 miles on it and new brakes all around. So I am good in that respect. She kinda purrs.
[img]https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/1185726.jpg[/img]
[img]https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/1185724.jpg[/img]
[img]https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/1185725.jpg[/img] |
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azamy66 Samba Member
Joined: September 10, 2003 Posts: 147 Location: Tempe, Arizona
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Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2014 10:23 pm Post subject: |
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Ugh. I can't figure out why my pictures aren't working. Maybe they are too large? They uploaded to the gallery just fine though. |
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azamy66 Samba Member
Joined: September 10, 2003 Posts: 147 Location: Tempe, Arizona
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Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2014 10:37 pm Post subject: |
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Got it.
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azamy66 Samba Member
Joined: September 10, 2003 Posts: 147 Location: Tempe, Arizona
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Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2014 10:58 pm Post subject: |
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Now that I got all that figured out....
I pulled the carpet today to find out what was underneath. I got a few surprises, but I'm not sure how good or bad the situation is. The pans had this tar-like padding on them. Looked factory and seemed to protect the front of the pans somewhat. The front of the pans are pretty good. Just some surface rust, The backs, however have issues. In 1990 the owner replaced the back half of the passenger side. It's welded together under the seat. It is rusty again, but there are no holes. The problem there is that the seat seams to be rusted to the rails. I've wire brushed and sprayed WD 40 to break it down, but it's not budging. Any suggestions? The driver's side pan has holes behind the seat and also under the back seat. I'm thinking 2 new pan halves would be the best.
I started on the luggage area too. I found some rust but no holes. Really not sure if it's bad or not. I'll post pics as well. The wheel wells back there still have some type of coating on them that I need to remove.
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dubjeep Samba Member
Joined: December 24, 2011 Posts: 354 Location: Rhode Island
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Posted: Sun Mar 23, 2014 3:18 am Post subject: |
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The car looks very nice, Congrats on your purchase. Floorpans are not the end of the world; just make sure you buy good ones.
It also looks like your seat is missing the spring underneath though. _________________ "Harvey"--My 1970--http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=495804 |
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Q-Dog Samba Member
Joined: April 05, 2010 Posts: 8688 Location: Sunset, Louisiana
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Posted: Sun Mar 23, 2014 4:55 am Post subject: |
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I see nothing to be concerned about right now. I would wire brush the loose rust, slather the pans with rustoleum, put the carpet back in and drive the heck out of that car. Spring is perfect weather to put down the top and drive it. Make a note of problems as you drive it and collect parts. Make repairs during the Winter.
In the future I would replace the carpet with original rubber floor mats and reupholster the seats using using original coco pads under the upholstery instead of foam.
And I would only replace the rusty back half floor pan. Keep as much original metal as you can. Even the best new pans are not as good as the originals. _________________ Brian
'69 Dune Buggy
'69 Beetle Convertible
'70 Beetle |
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Cusser Samba Member
Joined: October 02, 2006 Posts: 31268 Location: Hot Arizona
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Posted: Sun Mar 23, 2014 9:09 am Post subject: |
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Yeah, even on my two the battery tray area has issues; that area can be fixed separately with a replacement panel. Looks like other could have rust brushed off and repainted.
Looks like someone did a hack-wiring job on the ignition switch, see all those crimped connectors. A replacement switch comes with wires long enough to simply plug into the correct locations inside the trunk. But maybe if the crimps are OK, just wrap the hole harness in electrical tape for now. _________________ 1970 VW (owned since 1972) and 1971 VW Convertible (owned since 1976), second owner of each. The '71 now has the 1835 engine, swapped from the '70. Second owner of each. 1988 Mazda B2200 truck, 1998 Frontier, 2014 Yukon, 2004 Frontier King Cab. All manual transmission except for the Yukon. http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=335294 http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=335297 |
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azamy66 Samba Member
Joined: September 10, 2003 Posts: 147 Location: Tempe, Arizona
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Posted: Sun Mar 23, 2014 3:01 pm Post subject: |
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Q-Dog wrote: |
I see nothing to be concerned about right now. I would wire brush the loose rust, slather the pans with rustoleum, put the carpet back in and drive the heck out of that car. Spring is perfect weather to put down the top and drive it. Make a note of problems as you drive it and collect parts. Make repairs during the Winter.
In the future I would replace the carpet with original rubber floor mats and reupholster the seats using using original coco pads under the upholstery instead of foam.
And I would only replace the rusty back half floor pan. Keep as much original metal as you can. Even the best new pans are not as good as the originals. |
Thanks Q-Dog. Someone local here told me to do the same thing. Keep as much of the original metal as possible. Do you have any suggestions on how I should go about getting the seat out? I'm not sure if I'm seeing it correctly, but it looks to bee rusted onto the rails a bit. It won't budge. |
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wcfvw69 Samba Purist
Joined: June 10, 2004 Posts: 13382 Location: Arizona
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Posted: Sun Mar 23, 2014 3:09 pm Post subject: |
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On your stuck seat, spray penetrating oil vs. what you're using. Make sure you lift the seat lever up (duh) and then bang the back of the lower seat frame with a rubber mallet so you don't dent the frame. A good penetrating oil should free the seat up on the bottom of the track and whacking it with a rubber mallet may free it. If not, you may have to risk minor dents by hitting a piece of 2x4 wood against the seat frame with a big steel hammer.
As someone who has restored a rusty 69 convertible, only replace what you need to on the metal. Don't replace an entire panel (like the rear tub) if you can simply patch rusted through areas.
On the floor pans, personally, I'd replace the entire pan vs. welding in a patch that can be clearly seen under the car. As the other person mentioned, get the best floor pans you can buy with the original thickness of metal. Wolfsburg West sells pans that are really good.
Post as many questions as you need. Lots of nice folks here enjoy helping out. _________________ Contact me at [email protected]
Follow me on instagram @sparxwerksllc
Decades of VW and VW parts restoration experience.
The Samba member since 2004.
**Now rebuilding throttle bodies for VW's and Porsche's**
**Restored German Bosch distributors for sale or I can restore yours**
**Restored German Pierburg fuel pumps for sale or I can restore yours**
**Restored Porsche fuel pumps or I can restore yours**
**Restored Porsche distributors or I can restore yours** |
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azamy66 Samba Member
Joined: September 10, 2003 Posts: 147 Location: Tempe, Arizona
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Posted: Sun Mar 23, 2014 3:17 pm Post subject: |
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danno627 wrote: |
The car looks very nice, Congrats on your purchase. Floorpans are not the end of the world; just make sure you buy good ones.
It also looks like your seat is missing the spring underneath though. |
Thanks. I went to a local VW show today and didn't really see many late model convertibles. There was a 74 restored and a 66 on a 68 pan (rough but solid) and that's it. The others, I think 5, were 65 and older. I didn't realize that there just aren't that many Convertibles around. I saw a little Yukon Yellow like Harvey. Nice work on the resto by the way. He'll be a beauty when he's all done I bet.
Amy
Last edited by azamy66 on Sun Mar 23, 2014 3:25 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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azamy66 Samba Member
Joined: September 10, 2003 Posts: 147 Location: Tempe, Arizona
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Posted: Sun Mar 23, 2014 3:24 pm Post subject: |
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wcfvw69 wrote: |
On your stuck seat, spray penetrating oil vs. what you're using. Make sure you lift the seat lever up (duh) and then bang the back of the lower seat frame with a rubber mallet so you don't dent the frame. A good penetrating oil should free the seat up on the bottom of the track and whacking it with a rubber mallet may free it. If not, you may have to risk minor dents by hitting a piece of 2x4 wood against the seat frame with a big steel hammer.
As someone who has restored a rusty 69 convertible, only replace what you need to on the metal. Don't replace an entire panel (like the rear tub) if you can simply patch rusted through areas.
On the floor pans, personally, I'd replace the entire pan vs. welding in a patch that can be clearly seen under the car. As the other person mentioned, get the best floor pans you can buy with the original thickness of metal. Wolfsburg West sells pans that are really good.
Post as many questions as you need. Lots of nice folks here enjoy helping out. |
Thank you Bill. I have a friend coming to look at my pans in the next day or two. Someone who would know more about the condition that I do. I don't really think the holes can be patched, but I'm not sure. Just want it to be safe. Thank you so much for the tip on the seat situation. I will try that. And, yes, I would have to agree. Lots of nice people here and very helpful too. |
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VWCOOL Samba Member
Joined: June 02, 2006 Posts: 1821 Location: Down under
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Posted: Sun Mar 23, 2014 3:27 pm Post subject: |
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That car looks terrific!
Apart from the battery section, that's only minor rust that will be easily fixed with a wire brush, some rust-kill chemical and fresh paint |
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azamy66 Samba Member
Joined: September 10, 2003 Posts: 147 Location: Tempe, Arizona
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Posted: Sun Mar 23, 2014 3:29 pm Post subject: |
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Cusser wrote: |
Yeah, even on my two the battery tray area has issues; that area can be fixed separately with a replacement panel. Looks like other could have rust brushed off and repainted.
Looks like someone did a hack-wiring job on the ignition switch, see all those crimped connectors. A replacement switch comes with wires long enough to simply plug into the correct locations inside the trunk. But maybe if the crimps are OK, just wrap the hole harness in electrical tape for now. |
I saw that. I really miss Paul at Karl's Custom. He would fix it right for me. I know that a bunch of the guys from there moved to Wedge VW, but not Paul It's just a bit of a trip for me, but I might get it to them eventually. |
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azamy66 Samba Member
Joined: September 10, 2003 Posts: 147 Location: Tempe, Arizona
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Posted: Sun Mar 23, 2014 3:32 pm Post subject: |
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VWCOOL wrote: |
That car looks terrific!
Apart from the battery section, that's only minor rust that will be easily fixed with a wire brush, some rust-kill chemical and fresh paint |
Thanks I sure hope you are right about the pans. It's pretty thin behind the driver's seat though as well as under the back seat on that same side. |
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Volks Wagen Samba Member
Joined: February 13, 2013 Posts: 2926 Location: Germany
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Posted: Sun Mar 23, 2014 4:02 pm Post subject: |
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I would get all that rust out of there asap. Replace the panels. That will only spread and if you bury it under carpet, the next time you dig it out there'll be gaping holes and the rust will spread to the heater channels. Then you'll be looking at big bucks. The channels etc look good so stop the rot now. Nice car, good luck. _________________ 1973 1303 with AB-motor - sporadic
reconstruction as time permits, 1986 ex-Bundeswehr Doka - on the road again.
I'm definitely, probably, the worlds greatest lover.
Aithníonn ciaróg ciaróg eile. |
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azamy66 Samba Member
Joined: September 10, 2003 Posts: 147 Location: Tempe, Arizona
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Posted: Sun Mar 23, 2014 8:31 pm Post subject: |
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Yeah, the rust scares me a bit too. Thanks for the input. |
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Cusser Samba Member
Joined: October 02, 2006 Posts: 31268 Location: Hot Arizona
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Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2014 7:02 am Post subject: |
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I think that removing the rust (steel wool, chemical stripper, etc.) then painting or rubberized coating will be fine for Scottsdale, and you won't have any further rust issues in the surface-rust regions. _________________ 1970 VW (owned since 1972) and 1971 VW Convertible (owned since 1976), second owner of each. The '71 now has the 1835 engine, swapped from the '70. Second owner of each. 1988 Mazda B2200 truck, 1998 Frontier, 2014 Yukon, 2004 Frontier King Cab. All manual transmission except for the Yukon. http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=335294 http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=335297 |
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jlex Samba Member
Joined: January 23, 2009 Posts: 2902 Location: NW Pennsylvania
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Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2014 1:37 pm Post subject: |
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If you're going to attack the rust, this is what I did:
wire wheel and manually wire brush as much rust as you can
get a gallon of Phosphoric acid (Home Depot) and spray it on
after it's eaten the rust away, wash it away or use denatured alcohol to remove the excess
paint with 2 coats of MasterSeries silver
topcoat with MasterSeries or Por5 Chassis Black
Have fun & use goggles and gloves when wire brushing that rust.
Beautiful car, BTW. _________________ jlex.
'70 std. "Elsie"
'88 Carrera |
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azamy66 Samba Member
Joined: September 10, 2003 Posts: 147 Location: Tempe, Arizona
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Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2014 7:48 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks to everyone for the advice given. I will certainly use it. I have a few updates. I could not, for the life of me, get that dang passenger seat out. Therefore, I was a little stuck with taking care of the pans. I ended up taking it to the body shop to have the back half of the driver's side pan replaced and asked for help on the seat. My guy ended up having to cut the tracks to get the seat out. He said that, judging from the amount of rust that was there, it appeared as though water just sat in the pan for awhile. I have ordered new seat tracks to be welded in. He was able to save the seat itself, but there is a bit of metal missing, so I may be in the market for a new pass seat. Once I get it back from the shop I will treat the pans as suggested and probably spray an undercoating on the pans underneath.
While waiting for it to go into the shop I decided to dismantle the top. It was actually a ton of fun taking it apart. The condition of the material was pretty bad. Things were duck taped and disintegrating. The PO was trying to save the expense of a new top I'm sure. The headliner, although looked pretty good, was totally rotten from age. I may be able to re-use some of the wood pieces, but not all. The frame itself is okay with the exception of the front right near the front bow. It will definitely need some repair. From what I understand, this is a typical problem area.
Anyway, it's slow progress, but it's progress just the same.
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nickfancher1 Samba Member
Joined: February 03, 2014 Posts: 282 Location: Phoenix, AZ
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Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2014 10:05 pm Post subject: |
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I've never used them but if you need help with the top, The Top Shop is at the SW corner of 16th St & Indian School. I've seen convertible Beetles out front for years. _________________ 1970 Beetle |
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