Things I wish I had have known

[Fiatdude]

[Schwing]

When you install a treasure chest floor on a single cab, do the passenger side first since the driver side overlaps.

When you replace Beetle rear quarters make sure the door is installed so the door gap and vertical plane is in-line.

Hinge pins - fix them before paint.

Don't buy WW doglegs, they are junk. Just buy Gerson, you aren't saving any money buying the cheaper ones.

Every says to save all parts, nuts, and bolts and I agree with that. But I also think you should save metal that you cut away, sometims parts of that are re-usable or the new panel doesn't come with everything it should.

Don't bother with a cheap welder, just buy a good one - Lincoln or Miller

Change your fuel lines every 2 years, maybe sooner.

If you repaint wheels, sand down the lug area before mounting. I lost a wheel while driving my Thing on the beach, very low speeds and I was lucky.

[mark tucker]

when you buy a tool and it dosent work....then 8 years lator order another one.....and it dosent work........dont order another one!!!! just use the tool like it is supposed to be used long story shortened....about 17 years ago...after cancer treetments I was going nuts and couldent do squat....so. I saw an old suzuki 4 wheeler...and them i bought it...then I tore it appart, got new honda trx400 body for it. blasted this & that & expixie painted, new dougleas wheels&tires, got it looken great, mostly assembeld in my kitchen.....of course... then on to th engine. the flywheel puller I bought didt fit so i took it to the bike shop I got the 4 wheeler from to have the flywheel pulled...I then tore it all appart and bought piles of parts, new over sized piston, welded upt eh chamber in the head and reworked it to my likeings, port work, new valves, lotsa new stuff clutch&plates,coated the piston reassembeld it all, couldent find the elements for the starter clutch so i used some torque converter sparags... well thay lasted about 2 years, they were slightly diferent type(go figure suzuki didnt use the same as automatic trans converter....) so i just pulled the string for the next 8 years or more then it's been sitting for a while, still looks like new, so...I ordered a starter sprag&gear...then another (hopefuly the right one) flywheel puller..... it csam in yesterday....looks great!!! just like the one that didnt fit!!!! then as I was looking at it......crap there both lefthand threads.......no wonder why it wont thread in to the flywheel turning it right oh well I like lotsa tools....now If I had enough brains to use them right...or wood that be use them left Ive been laughing at my dumb ass all afternoon......hmm...I still havent seen if it will infact fit I looked for the shit for brains thread but couldent find it.

[marklee]

nothing else matters.....just this....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTJ7AzBIJoI
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CGLI qualified body repair and refinish tech
CGLI qualified motor repair tech
Qualified automotive Glass installer
Motor Insurance Repair and Research Centre,Thatcham, Advanced Vehicle Damage Estimator.
Police qualified vehicle examiner
Police Class 1 High performance, pursuit trained Advanced driver

[pondoras box]

Wish I had known about / understood aline boring and thrust bearing sizes better during my first engine build. It didn't survive the twenty minute break in. Thank God I wasn't building one of the 12K plus beasts from above.

Wish I had know my 23 window buses would have been the best financial investment I could make. I could buy a nice house with the ones I had paid less than five thousand for total for all four. Two were running driving original paint buses.

Wish I had known that the owner proprietor of Wid Willies Customs and Restorations from North Carolina was a piece of shit and would steal one of my buses along with two split sedans when he was supposed to be doing work to them. Sidebar I will offer a reward if anyone knows where those cars are today. If you find two you get one of them.

Glad I didn't know my first wife would turn out to be a flake at 15 years in, I have four great kids that I would not have had if I knew.

Maybe it's best that we don't know.

Serious about the cars though. If you have any information PM me.
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Looking for anything from Hal Casey Motors out of Hamburg New York, from license plate surrounds to matchbooks.

1961 23 Window (Bobo)
1965 11 Window (Zelda)
1965 13 Window (Lucas)
1957 Oval ragtop
1988 Cabriolet VR6 conversion
Plus a lot of other rusty junk