TheSamba.com :: View topic - Messaged the wrong person, acquired a '61 :-D

Mon Jul 10, 2023 2:33 pm

oldslow wrote: Love that car, nice score. I too would try to strip it back to black. Maybe blend in some areas if it needed it. But that red passenger door, it’s saying “paint me black on the outside, but keep me red on the inside please!”

Hahaha, yes I'll try and get back to the black. I'm not sure it'll work but I'll give it my best shot.

Mon Jul 10, 2023 2:47 pm

The Pilch wrote: oldslow wrote: Love that car, nice score. I too would try to strip it back to black. Maybe blend in some areas if it needed it. But that red passenger door, it’s saying “paint me black on the outside, but keep me red on the inside please!”

Hahaha, yes I'll try and get back to the black. I'm not sure it'll work but I'll give it my best shot. This has always worked for me :wink: :lol:

Mon Jul 10, 2023 9:04 pm

As it's hotter than the surface of Mercury today, I took the dash apart and went inside to clean everything.

It went well, everything cleaned up real nice. I boxed and labeled it all.
The speedometer is broken though, not just the needle snapping off but the rollers with the numbers on are locked up. It's a bit beyond my watch-making skills tonight, so I'll do that another time.

Instead, here's two black and white photos of the '61 for no particular reason...

...and also a picture of me aged 5, right around 1980/81, back in Reading England, on the hood of our beetle. "F" registration plate would make it late 67, early 68.

Anyways, that's enough b/s, more tomorrow.

Be safe fella's!

Mon Jul 10, 2023 9:41 pm

One last thing, I bow to your guys' superior knowledge.... a friend of mine says if my car is a 61 it shouldn't have a gas gauge. If it's a 62 it shouldn't have snowflakes.

As you can see above pictures shows my car has both a gas gauge and snowflakes. the VIN starts with 11, title says 61.

What do you guys think?

Tue Jul 11, 2023 5:14 am

The Pilch wrote: a friend of mine says if my car is a 61 it shouldn't have a gas gauge. If it's a 62 it shouldn't have snowflakes.

As you can see above pictures shows my car has both a gas gauge and snowflakes. the VIN starts with 11, title says 61.

What do you guys think?

He is correct, and your car has snowflakes. As far as the gauge goes, it could have been added sometime in the last 60+ years to the car.

* Not sure if yours is mechanical or not, but there was an electric version of the 62-67 style square gas gauge that was available as an accessory in the early 60s.

Tue Jul 11, 2023 7:15 am

oldslow wrote: I too would try to strip it back to black. Maybe blend in some areas if it needed it. But that red passenger door, it’s saying “paint me black on the outside, but keep me red on the inside please!”

totally agree.

Nice score btw, looking forward to seeing it come together!

Tue Jul 11, 2023 2:23 pm

Good to see you with another car. Did you get rid of the 66'?

Tue Jul 11, 2023 2:27 pm

toxicavenger70 wrote: Good to see you with another car. Did you get rid of the 66'?

Thank you brother, it's good to be here.

Yes I sold the 66 for what I was into it - it was a really nice transaction, and the guy was big into it, which made me happy. I was burnt out on constant rust repair and life....it was devine.

As is this car. No rust repair at all!!

Wed Jul 12, 2023 6:47 am

Nothing much to post this morning, but in the interests of keeping the thread semi-interesting, I cleared out the chaotic garage, banished my old Dodge to the driveway, and gave the '61 the space it needs to work smart.

Next, I have to work on getting the temps down inside there. 107F at 5pm is not productive.

Wed Jul 12, 2023 12:14 pm

Appropriate fun fact when I logged into The Samba this lunch time:

In 1961, the price of the VW Beetle increased by $30, while the Ghia coup and convertible were reduced by $141 and $154 respectively.

That's all folks!

Wed Jul 12, 2023 6:05 pm

Oil - check. Fuel - check, hook up 6v battery starter and sniff for fire - check.

Well there’s nothing more to add then…

https://youtu.be/FIL7QdhCvJ4

Wed Jul 12, 2023 9:11 pm

Having him running was a big deal to me today. It changed the way I feel. I think I love this car.
https://youtu.be/FIL7QdhCvJ4

I must admit, I started and ran him four or five times this evening, just for a minute or two, and stood back and marveled at the situation.

My buddy Sherman came by to marvel at the situation too, but also to break down on my driveway. Dead battery. We got him on his way...

ID'd my carb as a 28PICT, with a throttle shaft leak, and a new-to-me return spring that the throttle cable goes through. It was hanging up, fixed that.

..and finally, right headlight was not illuminated. A bit of this'n'that, and following wires, I soon had that beat.

That's all for today. Like I said above, I think I love this car, and I can't wait to get home from work tomorrow and do some more tinkering.

Peace!

Fri Jul 14, 2023 6:13 am

Nothing too exciting last night, but I do have good headlights...

good tail lights with blinkers...

...I figured out why my brake lights don't work (wires broken and not attached to the switch on the MC), it starts up good every time which I LOVE, and Matt came by and hung out and cooed at how dry this car is. He also brought me the speedometer he promised, to replace the locked up one.

Lovely!!!

Fri Jul 14, 2023 9:44 pm

This evening was a great relaxing time, with good tunes and not-quite-as-brutal heat.

I started with this...

...gradually workd my way across the front of the car...

...and pulled wires, cleaned electrical contacts, and really got to know the front of the car. I love the simplicity of the 6V system. I got to cleaning it all up fairly nicely.

Tomorrow, rear end electrical clean up, purchasing a 6V battery, maybe even drive the car around the block....that's my goal.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Sat Jul 15, 2023 6:31 am

Awesome!

Sun Jul 16, 2023 3:16 pm

Pilch-
I saw your First Drive short. Donʻt hold out on us, man! How was it?

Sun Jul 16, 2023 3:43 pm

That is an amazingly clean Beetle. And the way you aquired it is epic. Looking forward to further posts.

Is that a push button on the dash between the headlight and wiper switch knobs?

Mike T

Sun Jul 16, 2023 9:07 pm

tcoop1100 wrote: Pilch-
I saw your First Drive short. Donʻt hold out on us, man! How was it?

Haha it was great, thanks mate!

I mean, it was basically round and round the gravel drive but the brakes worked good, the clutch had no judder, and it felt amazing to be driving a bug again, albeit less than 1/2 mile and under 15mph - but it's the goal I set.

https://youtube.com/shorts/pkw6U1laAls?feature=share

For those who've not seen it!

Sun Jul 16, 2023 9:11 pm

BIGMIKEY wrote: That is an amazingly clean Beetle. And the way you aquired it is epic. Looking forward to further posts.

Is that a push button on the dash between the headlight and wiper switch knobs?

Mike T

Thanks Mike! Yeah a previous owner drilled the dash and put that push button in for the horn - well spotted mate! I'll have to repair that hole...it's a slight dent as well which is a little frustrating, so it'll be a bit of microsurgery! As for the way it fell into my life...I still can't believe it really. Lady Luck was hanging around that day for sure. I should probably shut up about how blessed and lucky I am and just get on with the resto hahahaa

Pics to come... cheers!

Sun Jul 16, 2023 9:33 pm

Information from the PO regarding the paint...the black on the fenders was him attempting to get that patina look in the areas the red was flaking off. The back sides of all four fenders don't have any black paint on them at all, and the same with the passenger door. In fact, the more I dig into the car, the more I feel the only OG paint on it is the dashboard, the door pillars and up around the windows inside...however, it sure doesn't look like OG paint up there....more like a well applied rattle can.

Shock horror...I don't really want a black bug. Just not for me.

So...

No black paint under that.

I decided to start taking the car apart. I know it runs and drives and stops, and clearly isn't rusty, it has been, however, doing some weird-ass Christine-style behavior in the electric department. And I mean weird. Turns out this car has positive ground. It will not run with negative ground. So that's odd.

After much gesticulating, me and the Mrs decided to put in a new wiring harness (which can be used with 6 or 12v) but if we are going to do that, I may as well paint it first....so away we go!

The heater channels, inner wheel wells, all this in the front end is so dry, I'm starting to think it was restored at some point.

Laying stuff out like this helps reduce chaos in my brainbox.

Also, Volkswagens seem to be multiplying at Casa Pilch :-D

It's not as exciting as one assumes by the picture...my buddy brought his 67 over because I have more space than he does. That's Freddie our Vanagon. That white 67 is actually the one I was maybe buying from him, before I text the wrong person and my 61 beamed down from outer space with it's positive ground weirdness. My Mrs wants the 67...I expect we will buy it from him anyway...after all, it was delivered to my house already hahahaha

I was gifted a nice spare for the 61, even has an acceptable tire. Nice.

Cheers fellas...more to come tomorrow.