TheSamba.com :: View topic - My '59 Beetle project. Fresh Pics Added Regularly!!

Fri Oct 20, 2006 2:14 pm

I picked this up here local (midwest) on Oct. 1st. Floors and rockers and wheehouses and aprons are shot. Check out the pics of the 1st day till yesterday Oct 19th. Thanks goes out to Wolfsberg West, Mid America and CIP1 for the sheetmetal parts. Thanks also goes out to the wife too for putting up with my late nights and early mornings, and to my boss for letting me work on it at the bodyshop I work for.
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v318/CUSHE63/59%20Beetle/

Enjoy the pics and I welcome the comments. I named it Eddie.

Steve

Fri Oct 20, 2006 2:39 pm

Thats a nice car. Looked really solid from the outside. Hell I would have rolled it as is. But you are going about the rust repair the right way from the looks of your bracing. Good job, Keep us posted.

Fri Oct 20, 2006 4:01 pm

Major dedication right there. You're doing alot of work that most people would have passed up on. Was this car for sale on here at one time? Keep up the good work. =D>

Fri Oct 20, 2006 8:56 pm

It sure looked alot better than it turned out to be. But,,, I do this for a living and the replacement parts are cheap enough to justify the repairs. It has major rot in the left rear seat area. The inner 1/4 panels are just about the only parts I will have to fabricate. Nothing a sheet metal brake and hammer and sandbag won't handle. It was so bad that when I jacked it up, it bent in the middle. The doors were way out of whack. They didn't sag at all, but the car sat real low in the back. You could see that the body mounts by the rear shocks were toast. The roof, trunk lid, hood, fenders and doors are solid. The rest you will see will get new metal. It is gonna be fun doing this with my sons (ages 21 and 14). Plus this is the first bug I have ever owned. My dad owned around 25-30 of them..He bought, fixed and re-sold most of them. Car= 1200.00, repair panels=1000.00, time with sons repairing VW Beetle=PRICELESS.

Steve

Fri Oct 20, 2006 9:20 pm

More Fathers should do things like this with thier Sons and Daughters. Kudos to you.

Sat Oct 21, 2006 7:23 am

Well it looks like you are off to a good start Steve. Keep it up and keep the pics coming.

Sat Oct 21, 2006 7:57 am

Bmtx.... I don't know if it was listed here or not. But the guy I got it from was selling it for a friend. He had it for 3 yrs for sale. Lots of lookers, but I was the only sucker. LOL !! It was in a barn for over 20 yrs, then ouside for the last 2. It took it's toll on the metal. The only thing missing was the Wolfsberg crest from the front hood. It was repaired in a few areas with sheet metal and pop rivits. And I had to pull the right front bumper mount/apron area out also. It appears to have been wrecked in that area. A newer style headlamp was installed and I think a new right fender. I welded in the bracing in the passenger compartment so I can still shut the doors. It is 1" chrome moly pipe. I ended up welding the drivers door shut because it still sagged a little. As soon as I weld in the left heater channel that will be cut loose...

Steve

Sat Oct 21, 2006 9:56 pm

another one saved, good job

Sun Oct 22, 2006 6:11 am

Looks like it may have a '67 rear bumper.

Sun Oct 22, 2006 6:17 am

nice one ....yep post progress of it !! 8)

Sun Oct 22, 2006 6:38 am

This will be the 7th car/truck I have saved from rust. I always say I will never do another all over resto. But I have wanted a bug for as long as I can remember. Muscle cars have always won out though. This time I wanted something to build to keep my mind focused on something. I am rebuilding this car in honor of my Grandpa who died last Christmas eve. I had 42 great years with him and just have had a hard time with his death. I thought of doing this partly because my 14 yr old son will be driving in a yr 1/2 too. Something he and his brother and I can share some quality time with each other.
How can you tell is might be a 67 rear bumper ? The chrome will be getting replaced with new when the time comes. Right now it is getting new metal and then a complete brake job. From lines to hoses to cylinders to clips. Everything new. Then suspension/pan restoration. Motor was rebuilt already. It will just be cleaned and checked over for leaks. Good thing everything is relatively inexpensive for these cars. So far I/we are having the time of our lives..

Steve

Mon Oct 23, 2006 7:15 pm

More gettin done today. Left heater channel removal, along with 6" of the floor and front firewall and front wheelhouse. I cut more of the floor out for better access to the A pillar and B pillar. I will have to make minor mods to the firewall where the high beam switch is located and move 1 hole down about 6". No problem. At least I will have NEW metal going in. Check out the pix.

Link to more pix:
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v318/CUSHE63/59%20Beetle%202/

Steve

Proud owner of a '59 Beetle

Tue Oct 24, 2006 3:58 pm

More got done today. I cut out the rear apron and replaced it. I replaced just the lower part to save the original upper apron where the latch is. That way it still looks like a '59. Then I modified the front firewall where the high beam switch mounts. The car is really starting to come together. Hard work, but worth every second. Enjoy the pics.

Steve
Proud owner of a '59 Beetle

Tue Oct 24, 2006 8:21 pm

Nice work so far. Keep the pictures coming.

Wed Oct 25, 2006 5:31 pm

Drivers side rocker/heater channel and floor cut out and trimmed. New rocker vise gripped and bolted in place and trimmed to fit the '59. Minor modifications are required to make these work. The firewall will need mods too because the front of the heater channel in shaped a little differently than the old one. I welded the drivers door shut last week and cut it loose tonight to see if my plan worked. It did, the door stayed right where I fit it.

Enjoy, Steve

Pround owner of a '59 Beetle

Wed Oct 25, 2006 5:36 pm

When can i drop off my vert

Wed Oct 25, 2006 5:50 pm

i wish i could weld like that....

what kind of welder are you using?

Wed Oct 25, 2006 6:18 pm

Rich's 50 wrote: When can i drop off my vert

Rich, don't you mean MY vert? I got a title from the info in the pics Everett posted. :lol:

Wed Oct 25, 2006 6:30 pm

eastcoast57 wrote: i wish i could weld like that....

what kind of welder are you using?

Rich,

It is an oldie but a goodie. The name escapes me right now. Sun---something. It's hard to get parts for it, over 30 yrs old. It is very easy to weld with though, as long as you keep the tip clean. Everything has to be clean though to get a good weld. I won't give up my Miller at home though. I'm not the best welder, but I get to practice almost everyday on the job.

Steve

Rich, Let me finish this one first.. I will be looking for a 60, 61, 62, or 63 rag when I'm done !!

Wed Oct 25, 2006 7:05 pm

Well your doing a hell of a job

ps. Yeah right Lid