'59 Rag Project

siemonw · Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2014 9:09 pm Post subject: '59 Rag Project

I picked up a new project this weekend.

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Somebody did quite a bit of work toward building it into an old style Cal Look, including putting it on an IRS pan. Unfortunately, that isn't really to my taste. I have a couple of '59s laying around, and I was going to sacrifice one of them to get it more to the resto-rod style I like.

Had it all worked out in my head, over the hour and a half drive to get it home, and then my wife uttered the words, "I like this, I could drive it." Now since she doesn't usually get excited about VWs the way I do, I am thinking about building it for her. If that's the case, it won't be such an elaborate project, and it can stay on the later pan... which means I can hold out for the Oval I really want.

Here are the two '59s that can donate parts to the cause:

grandpa pete · Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2014 7:54 am Post subject:

I'm telling you ; Volkswagons are like rabbits , you leave two of them " liying around " and they multiply .........
I usually say ; welcome to the samba to anyone with one or two posts but your bug " hoarding " leaves me to believe your a long term lurker !!!!!! Very Happy

This could be the fastest build on samba with two parts cars already on hand

Lots of info if you get stuck ; ask away Cool

Welcome to SAMBA ; Smile

_________________
63 two fold rag
66 sedan delivery Type 6

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=569619&highlight=sedan+delivery

raycer60 · Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2014 8:20 am Post subject:

60ragtop · Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2014 8:30 am Post subject: Re: '58 Rag Project

siemonw · Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2014 12:42 pm Post subject:

63Ragtop NZ · Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2014 2:56 pm Post subject:

always amuses/amazes me how huge US pick ups are, the caddy looks like a toy! Laughing

good luck with the resto, when does it start?
_________________
If you can't join them, beat them!

siemonw · Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2014 3:28 pm Post subject:

It actually should start soon. The only hold up is, that trailer is loaded with insulation that is supposed to be blown into the ceiling, and the garage is loaded with the construction tools and equipment that are supposed to be in the trailer. Once I get the insulation done... it's been sitting in that trailer for a year... I can move stuff out of the garage, push the '58 into the garage, and then put a parts car in the driveway where it that car is sitting right now. I'm am hoping to make some headway on the car during the winter.

siemonw · Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2014 2:43 pm Post subject:

So, today I went through and did a little inventory of what I've got to work with so far. Here are some pics of what came with this '59.

As you can see, the car is pretty straight. I don't think the front fenders are correct to the car, and the hood has been filled at the emblem area, so I'm not sure about it either.

The interior, under the bonnet, and the engine bay, are all covered in bed-liner, which really sucks. Anybody have any ideas on how to get it off?

There are some miscellaneous parts and pieces that came with it, including the rag-top parts, and most of the glass.

siemonw · Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2014 3:04 pm Post subject:

And now the first '59, which I bought about a year ago, and from its VIN, I get a build date of February 1959.

Don't mind all the rat crap and junk sitting around these cars, they are sitting on an old derelict piece of property that we have, that we have slowly been working on cleaning up. This car sits in an old dirt floor garage over there.

[/img]http://siemonw.smugmug.com/Cars/1959-VW-Beetle/i-D5kJMNv/0/X2/photo8-X2.jpg[/img]

And some of the miscellaneous stuff that came with it:

This one has almost perfect front fenders, and they are even the correct tube ones.

The trim seems to all be there, and so is the glass with the chrome, which is in OK shape, but not perfect. How hard is it to rechrome those parts?

I think a lot of the interior parts are salvageable.

siemonw · Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2014 3:17 pm Post subject:

And the second '59. It has a build date of September 1959. This one cost me the princely sum of 400.00, and I found it about a month ago.

And it came with a few parts too:

And on the rear glass there is this sticker, does anybody recognize it?

siemonw · Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2014 3:24 pm Post subject:

So, I've got a lot of good stuff to start with. Somebody probably could do a really nice resto project. I would like to do a resto-rod project. Ultimately, I wish it was an Oval, because that's what I've wanted for years. But this project is just begging to be done. The question is how far to go. Do I go ahead and switch out out the pan to a swing-axle one, or do I leave the IRS pan and just make a nice driver for my wife. The more I look at it, it probably deserves to be done right.

What does everybody else think?

If I did go whole hog on it, I sure wish I had a big shop that would fit all three of them at one time.

henry roberts · Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2014 5:50 pm Post subject:

der guteeneine were one of the Californian vw clubs back in the early days. it might be worth trying to suss out the history of that car before parting it out. at the very least don't break the window getting it out as I'm sure there are people who'd love to have it as a decoration in their sheds.

it looks like you have a nice base in the ragtop, please post lots of pics so we can come along for the ride.

siemonw · Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2014 7:50 pm Post subject:

If that sticker has some history, I can put that glass in the Rag. That is in the late '59, which doesn't have many parts I need for this project... though it may have the better pan to use for the project.

MANNAXMAN · Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2014 12:44 pm Post subject:

siemonw · Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2014 1:21 pm Post subject:

Does the black one look correct? I have a couple of more to choose from that came with the red '59.

I didn't think about the build dates to model years, I just went off the titles. The white one is titled as a '58, and the other two are titled as '59s. Good to know.

MANNAXMAN · Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2014 12:36 pm Post subject:

siemonw · Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2014 1:32 pm Post subject:

Great. Thanks.

siemonw · Posted: Sat Oct 18, 2014 7:47 pm Post subject:

As to the build dates vs model years, this seems to imply that until the '61 model year, the build dates on model years are directly related.

http://www.vw-resource.com/years.html#1951-1960

MANNAXMAN · Posted: Fri Oct 24, 2014 12:51 pm Post subject:

Bret2094 · Posted: Fri Oct 24, 2014 2:38 pm Post subject:

Sweet rides !This has me all jelly . You will probably get done with yours way before my 59 rag.(curse school) Having parts cars must be nice. I will be looking forward to seeing your progress. Lol maybe when you get done with those donor's you could send a front and rear clip my way.....jk. Here's my build thread if you are interested http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=603320&highlight= . Looks like i need to move to oregon

Bret
_________________
1959 baja beetle ragtop( going back to Full body)
1959 beetle
1960 Beetle frame Custom buggy
1962 Karmann Ghia
1967 beetle( august 66, first car)
1967 beetle (parts car)

1977 Westfalia Camper

1972 Plymouth Duster

Just another 22 year old jackass who caught the bug, and lives by the motto " NO fatchicks allowed" , I've got too many cars as is (buses N/A)


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