1959 Bug Lazurus, Resurrection

[VWNate]

Well ;

It's abundantly clear that you're the right man for this job .

I too have a Mignonette green '59 #113 .

My choke cable is sized solid, yours you say moves a little bit so you have it easy(er) .

First you're going to need some good penetrant .

I highly suggest KROIL as nothing works better .

Gibbs and P.B. Blast are also good .

Tie the ends of the cable up and dribble the penetrant down each end until it stops flowing in then wait a moment and add more .

I like to flex the cable a bit, this helps the penetrant work it's way in .

Mine is jammed solid so I removed the ivory knob and added two 5MM (IRC) hex nuts to the threaded end so I can clamp my vise grips (NEED Mole Pliers) to the threaded end without damaging it, then I pull hard .

This '59 of mine is the very first one that didn't free up in a week of soaking and pulling .

Let us know how this goes, I never let go of ANY parts until the job is 100 % done to my satisfaction .
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-Nate

One last Beetle : 1959 #113 DeLuxe survivor ~ 36HP & full synchro tranny, 6 volts etc.

[Artistic gearhead]

Thanks Nate, yes I did exactly as you suggested. All is well. My fuel line is clear and in good condition, my choke cable is working smoothly, my two heater cables are removed and tubes are clear. All tubes have been well flushed and treated to copious amounts of Kroil. It was very satisfying working through these issues and MUCH easier than cleaning 65 years of tar and paint off of the chassis. Next step will be to weld in patches where needed.

[VWNate]

I am insanely jealous of your near pristine floor pan ! .

How did you find this anywhere in Canada ?! .

You're really doing good works, I'm too old and broken to be doing heavy works like this even if I knew how .

I didn't remove my choke cable, I turned up each and and dribbled the KROIL in a few times every day for a few years....

Recently I tried twisting the threaded end as I pulled mightily on it, it snapped and that turned out to be a good thing : it snapped right where it was rusted nearly through .

I spent some time cleaning the Bowden tube still in the car and made a horrible mess when I blew out all the rust, Kroil and crud I saved two original choke cables complete long ago and used the center threaded wire in my Bowden, it's nice and smooth now .

I used long fiber Lithium grease, that oughta outlast me I think .

I like your little work shop too ~ I work outside on Concrete and have a 20' X 40' shade thing-a-ma-jig so I maybe won't catch cancer .
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-Nate

One last Beetle : 1959 #113 DeLuxe survivor ~ 36HP & full synchro tranny, 6 volts etc.

[Artistic gearhead]

Hey Nate, yes this chassis is pretty good. My first one, a 59, is extremely rusted so I really appreciate this 58. I wish I could show you the inside of the tunnel. Amazing condition. The spring finger on the shift rod bracket is intact and like new, I discovered today. They are usually rusted away. I am 71 so I feel your pain. These beetles a perfect projects for old guys. Everything is light. I just finished restoring a 78 Corvette. What a fat pig. I can barely change a tire. I am very happy with my little bug.

[VWNate]

Keep tinkering away at it please .

Baby steps will get you where you want to go .
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-Nate

One last Beetle : 1959 #113 DeLuxe survivor ~ 36HP & full synchro tranny, 6 volts etc.

[Artistic gearhead]

I have cleaned the chassis fairly well now. Here are the areas that need repairs. PO drilled three access holes on the front drivers side of tunnel. There is a brazed repair on the clutch cable conduit, looks like the tube had separated from the crossmember so that was the fix. The repair is not pretty but has integrity so I see no need to make any changes other than cover openings. Rear footwells have some rust so I have cut out the offending parts. I will scout out some local manufactures to try to score some end cuts of 18 gauge and 14 gauge for repairs. I still don’t have a welder, can’t afford one at this point. Will probably hire a mobile service to come and tig weld my pieces in just to keep the project moving. I’ll see what the estimate is for that before committing but it would really be best to get that done next.

[VWNate]

looks good to me ~ cut the replacement patches to have a nice even 1/4" overlap and make sure the edges have ZERO rust, paint ripples etc .

Sad abut those holes, I was taught to make two very small holes and bend a hook in the far end of a welding rod, snake it in and rotate until it looped over the clutch tube, pull it out tight and hold it whist the welder zapped both ends, let cool, inspect and grind smooth .

Easy-Peasy and much less damaging to the pan .

if you can find another old pan I'd suggest cutting slightly larger discs out of it to use as patches ~ matching the metal makes the Welder's job easier and a better weld strength .
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-Nate

One last Beetle : 1959 #113 DeLuxe survivor ~ 36HP & full synchro tranny, 6 volts etc.

[Artistic gearhead]

It will be more work but I won’t over lap metal, just creates another place for rust to grow. I will be going with butt welds. I will get OCD on the rust. The metal will be pretty thin in spots but adjusting the tig down might work. It will be fussy but I have time. Interesting tip about repairing clutch conduit. Makes a lot of sense.

[EVfun]

I see clean round holes and no signs of stress cracking after a number of years. I'd be inclined to leave it alone. Shows some history harmlessly, and getting good new paint inside the tunnel isn't easy.
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[Stephan Schmidt]

Interesting! That's my old beetle! I had the ragtop section cut out from a 1956 (I believe) oval window and grafted into this car about 20 years ago when I was 17 years old and it looks like its been un touched since. It was a complete car when I had it with engine, full interior, lights, etc, but it looks like a lot is now missing.

It was unfortunately an ICBC salvage car, so will require a full rebuild and inspection to get the title. Be careful however, because ICBC has significantly changed their rules as to how a car can receive a rebuild title to be licensed for the road again. I think you may need documents, photos, etc.. of the rebuild process. The car was hit hard in the front and rear, sandwiched in a 3 car pile up. The front end was taken from another hit car, sorta banged straight and spliced on before I got it. But I didn't know it was incorrect until I bought it...lesson learned!

Either way, all the best with it!

[Artistic gearhead]

[Stephan Schmidt]

[Artistic gearhead]

This will be a bit of an experiment. Born from necessity. I cant afford a welder at this time and after several attempts to hire a local tig welder service with no response I have to try something else. Ive been researching automotive structural adhesives and am amazed at their performance. So, since my chassis repairs are not structural and I want to keep my project moving here is my plan. For the holes in my tunnel I will glue in backing plates. Once cured I will glue plugs onto the plates and fill seams with adhesive. For the rear of floors I will fab overlapping pieces, glue them with screws to fix. Once cured I will pull screws and fill holes. If welding I dont like overlapping metal because I feel that rust is likely to form between overlaps. With adhesives I should be able to fill between overlaps so there shouldnt be any vulnerable cavities left. Its a theory.

[Stephan Schmidt]

I bought my second hand wire feed mig welder for $300 from facebook marketplace. Just had to buy a tank, helmet and gloves. If you're seriously going this far into the restoration, you may as well do it right. You're trying to do some things right (like replacing the front apron), but then want to bond parts to the pan?

Are you going to bond the front clip on also?

Get yourself a mig welder with gas and do it right! Keep up the progress!

[Artistic gearhead]

I beg to differ on this Stephan, respectfully. I hear you but I have done my due diligence on this subject. Automotive adhesives are used extensively and their strength characteristics are well documented. I’m talking about over 4 tons of pressure needed to cause separation. My little chassis repairs are unlikely to encounter 200 pounds of stress in their lifetime. Welding introduces heat in the associated area potentially affecting nearby parts. I’m not ready to commit to adhesive bonding on the bodywork yet and will probably invest in a decent welder by then. I don’t have any concerns about my current adhesive plan but if it does not go well I can easily revert to traditional means. In any case whatever I do is an improvement over past workmanship. Thanks for your input, I could be wrong.

[Artistic gearhead]

I am waiting for some product so chassis work is on hold. Thought that I would dig into my transmission. I believe this is a 58 box but havent confirmed the numbers yet. The lube looks pretty good. Absolutely no odor, wow! No shrapnel. I dipped a clean piece of metal into the drain bucket, scaped the bottom and only pulled up slight discoloured oil. I am excited, maybe I wont tear this lump right down. I’ll change shaft bearings and gaskets for sure. Is there any downside to flushing the internals out with varsol while I have axels out?

[Artistic gearhead]

I realized today that it’s been a few days and my garage doesnt reek of penetrating oil.For the longest time every day was an immersion in Kroil. Maybe Ive turned a corner. So I have scraped a brushed and sanded these old pans into submission. Nearly all of the nasty is gone so Ive lightly coated everything with rust converter, let it dry overnight and rubbed all the residual powder off. Now I am hitting them with glazing putty. Looking forward to a pretty chassis someday.

[Artistic gearhead]

Multi tasking, chassis and transaxle.

[scrivyscriv]

[Artistic gearhead]

That was fun. I’ve never blackened fasteners before. Oil, fire and a lawn chair. Very satisfying. Cases are painted bronze colour. I’m happy.