Restoring a 1963 L380 Turquoise Ragtop Beetle

[TheType1Freak]

Hi, Im starting to restore a 63 Beetle. This is my first Volkswagen restoration and I am trying to restore it as authentic as I can. I have two big questions:

I want to paint it the original L380 Turquoise color. Would you guys recommend that I stick with Glasurit brand paint that Volkswagen used. Has anyone had experience with other brands of paint. I want it to be correct looking.

My other big question is about the ragtop vinyl. I would like to have it be turquoise to match the car like original. I have seen one in person that had the original top and it looked very nice. I contacted Wolfsburg West and they said that They could get two different shades of green or I would have to buy vinyl dye and dye it myself. Im wondering if anyone on here has a ragtop with the correct color vinyl top? Or where I could buy one? I see I can get the correct como green running board mats and turquoise fender welting from Wolfsburg West that I need to make it look authentic. So it seems weird that they wouldn't carry the correct ragtop vinyl for the same car.

My car wasn't a ragtop when I got it, but the top had been replaced before and they didn't do a very good job replacing it. I also had a 63 ragtop beetle that has no bottom left in it at all and the car was all beat up. So my dad and I cut and welded the ragtop roof onto it. It seemed like it was a meant to be type of thing.

Any ideas or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I thought I might find some people with experience restoring a VW this color on here.

[buguy]

I can't help on the ragtop, but the paint most likely isn't going to look original. Technology has improved and changed things making it pretty tough to make things look original. I think using a single stage paint would get you closest. There is really no need to use Glasurit paint either. Any decent paint manufacturer will do just fine.

[nlorntson]

Our 1962 ragtop with the original rag top cover. This was the color from the factory. The sunroof cover is faded but the original color is shown on the underside when the top is open.

[TheType1Freak]

Thanks for sharing nlorntson. I seen your car at the Bug-in in the cities. I really liked it because it looks just like what I imagined mine to look like someday hopefully. I have emailed you with questions a while back about your car. Its the car I mentioned seeing with the original ragtop in my original post actually. Thanks for sharing the pictures, they will help keep me motivated about my project. And hopefully I can find a ragtop the right color eventually one way or another. I might have to settle for white or grey.

I have seen pictures of other beetles that are painted the L380 color, but they looked the wrong shade almost too blueish. The paint on your is just right. It looks so great. Everything looks so correct. And thats the look I want to go for.

Hope to see it again next summer. Thanks for your help.

[nlorntson]

Yes, we've emailed back and forth. Hopefully I've answered your questions.

Keep moving on getting the body ready for paint. Don't get ahead of yourself and get bogged down.

Good luck!

[67ctbug]

On the topic of the vinyl top, did you get pictures of the greens Wolfsburg West can get you? If not I would do what they suggested, and get a white one and dye it. I'm pretty sure SEM makes custom dye, but I'm not positive.
_________________
'67 Beetle L41
'74 Westfalia
'69 Plymouth "Adam-12"
'63 Ragtop
'73 914
'72 Dodge Wrecker
Go Cubs!
World Series Champions 2016

[TheType1Freak]

I did get a picture of the greens from Wolfsburg West. They are going to see if they have have some samples to send me. So then I can compare them to a car that is painted the L380 color and see if they go with it.

[67ctbug]

Alright. If they send samples, maybe you can post pictures of them against the car.
_________________
'67 Beetle L41
'74 Westfalia
'69 Plymouth "Adam-12"
'63 Ragtop
'73 914
'72 Dodge Wrecker
Go Cubs!
World Series Champions 2016

[nlorntson]

Back when we painted my 62, we used glasurite and the factory paint formula so it should be close to the original L380 if you want to compare.

[TheType1Freak]

Yeah yours is the one I want to compare it too, at the Bug-in next year.

Yesterday I started cleaning the chassis with a sandblasting attachment I bought. It goes on a pressure washer, so its kinda like the dustless blasting thats so popular now. No dust and no heat. It works great! It was the ultimate test for it because I started on the bottom side of the pan, and it has thick rubberized undercoating on it. I takes it right off. Its really going to go fast just taking rust and paint off.

[67ctbug]

Do you have a link to this pressure washer attachment? It sounds like what I need to take some of the paint/undercoating/bondo off of my bug.
_________________
'67 Beetle L41
'74 Westfalia
'69 Plymouth "Adam-12"
'63 Ragtop
'73 914
'72 Dodge Wrecker
Go Cubs!
World Series Champions 2016

[TheType1Freak]

Heres the link: http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200660204_200660204

You might have to figure out if you need any fittings or anything so that it fits your pressure washer. There is videos on Youtube that show how they work also.

I never knew there was such a thing and a guy I know told me he had one.

[67ctbug]

Thanks for the link! I've never heard of it either except for Dustless Blasting. I've searched for them and there aren't any in my state and they're expensive.
_________________
'67 Beetle L41
'74 Westfalia
'69 Plymouth "Adam-12"
'63 Ragtop
'73 914
'72 Dodge Wrecker
Go Cubs!
World Series Champions 2016

[67ctbug]

Sorry to be hijacking your thread, but one last question. You said it's like dustless blasting so what are you using for abrasive material if it leaves no dust?
_________________
'67 Beetle L41
'74 Westfalia
'69 Plymouth "Adam-12"
'63 Ragtop
'73 914
'72 Dodge Wrecker
Go Cubs!
World Series Champions 2016

[TheType1Freak]

I just meant that because your sandblasting with wet sand there is no dust in the air. And Its also nice cause everything stays cool so there is no warping.

The lines all over the pan are just from when I rinsed the sand off with the pressure washer when I was done. Its not graffiti. Haha

[/img]

[TheType1Freak]

Oh I forgot say what I used. I just had some leftover sand for the cabinet sandblaster. Im not even sure what type it was. I just wanted to try it. I have to buy a bunch yet so I can do the whole car. It tells in the book that came with it what kind of sand to use for different materials.

[67ctbug]

Oh ok thanks. If all you did was use this pressure washer attachment on that pan it looks great!
_________________
'67 Beetle L41
'74 Westfalia
'69 Plymouth "Adam-12"
'63 Ragtop
'73 914
'72 Dodge Wrecker
Go Cubs!
World Series Champions 2016

[TheType1Freak]

Yep thats all I used. And it has the toughest undercoating on it. I think I would of been grinding for a year to do that.

Even on that, it went surprisingly fast.

[67ctbug]

That's good to hear that it had undercoating on it. My bug is covered in the stuff, and I'm pretty sure it's covering some nasty rust.
_________________
'67 Beetle L41
'74 Westfalia
'69 Plymouth "Adam-12"
'63 Ragtop
'73 914
'72 Dodge Wrecker
Go Cubs!
World Series Champions 2016

[63 vwnotch]

a torch and putty knife makes quick work of undercoating without a major production or mess...

I had a huge Graco pressure washer that had the ability to mount a sand attachment directly on the unit for wet sandblasting... never used it as a zero degree rotary tip will blast everything that's going to come off just fine and then some...
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