TheSamba.com :: View topic

Mon Jan 14, 2019 5:32 am

When my friend started his Brazilian Import business and started buying brasilias, these couln't interest me. When my (Brazilian) wife told me about the car her dad had when she was little, I got interested in finding a VW Puma.
His Company is TCG classics, located in Belgium http://www.tcgclassics.com/

The requirements were simple, it had to be a Tubarão (shark fin ) and it had to be cheap. I didn't touch a welder in 15 years so I needed a small project to learn to weld again.

Today, januari 14 2019, the chassis is done and were ready to join the chassis to the body.

This is what I bought in a "very good shape, well maintained and no costs to foresee in the coming years".

Most progress is uploaded to my Public facebook album, I'll do my best to keep this post up te date.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1375415192590863&type=1&l=25f0d3a239

These are the pictures the previous owner sent me.

Mon Jan 14, 2019 5:43 am

The car went on a 6 week cruise from Brazil to Belgium. When it finally arrived and was processed through customs, my friend went to pick it up.

Mon Jan 14, 2019 5:47 am

some pictures they sent me from the underside, I have a strange feeling that some freaky surprises will come up.

This looks too good to be true

Mon Jan 14, 2019 6:49 am

Like a Ferrari.

Tue Jan 15, 2019 12:59 am

removal of the seats and sound deadening reveiled the true state ... swiss cheese

This is where we decide to perform a full restoration instead of trying to patch up the chassis.

Tue Jan 15, 2019 6:08 pm

your floor is better than mine was, when I sat in the seat I went straight through the floor.

Thu Jan 17, 2019 4:53 am

Did you swap the complete floor with gia panels?

Thu Jan 17, 2019 5:01 am

Next step ... replacement of the floors.
the previous owner replaced the stock floor with widened vw brasilia floors, the puma is built on a shortened VW Karmann Ghia chassis.
Floor boards are usually cut in the "deep" seciotn where the seat goes.
As I'm tall, I want to conserve all the recessed space and we cut it down near the front.

Thu Jan 17, 2019 5:15 am

I didn'"t like the shifter location on the puma, the shifter is located beneath the dash and as I'm sitting all the way back, I almost can't reach it.

We decided to relocate everything :-) ... nice welding exercise

Thu Jan 17, 2019 5:21 am

This was the last welding portion on the floor ... had to fabricate some parts as the rear cross member isn't available and mine was completely rotten.

Thu Jan 17, 2019 5:26 am

Seam sealer was applied, I ended up using a complete half liter can of the sticky stuff.

Chassis and front beam got some paint :-)

Thu Jan 17, 2019 5:28 am

Sandblasting and paint ... this actually took me 3 complete days, the only nice thing about being at home when the customer is closed. (freelance It engineer)

Thu Jan 17, 2019 5:31 am

Then the gearbox went in and the engine was mated to it

Thu Jan 17, 2019 5:38 am

And this is the actual situation, I tired to figure out what they did with the wiring but gave up after a couple of hours.
I ended up ripping evrything out and I'll create a complete new loom.

Thu Jan 17, 2019 9:21 am

Imagine what it's like to drive that with your restored chassis.😀

Thu Jan 17, 2019 9:30 am

ijskoe wrote: Did you swap the complete floor with gia panels?

Mine is a 1981 so I used Brasilia pans, each side arrived from Brazil in three pieces as they had to fit in a mail size box.

Thu Jan 17, 2019 5:52 pm

Very cool. I can totally relate to the wiring. I am looking at doing a Rebel wiring harness.

Fri Jan 18, 2019 3:06 am

rear lights are wired up and I started pulling cables to the front lights.
This is taking more time than I would have expected.

I crimp each wirte in a spade connector and solder them also, just ot be safe :-)

Fri Jan 18, 2019 10:54 am

Hello from Germany,
have you an Idea which tire size you will use?
I own a 1969 and am restoring as you do. Have to decide the tiresize now...

Sun Jan 20, 2019 2:40 am

not 100% sure about the tires but probably 165/60-15 in the front and 185/65-15 on hte rear side.

I'm waiting for the wheels to arrive, they should be here in 2 weeks