1954 Ragtop Resto - The Journey

[VW_Jimbo]

[lardawge]

[markendee]

A real pleasure watching your restoration.

Hope you find a great painter.
_________________
Member # 145244

[VW_Jimbo]

Again. That looks really good! Picture perfect, the way everything sits! I spent a lot of time getting the body lines to look good. Yours look factory good!

It has been my experience that some of the best sprayers are subcontractors. You may want to search for an independent sprayer. Back when I did not spray, I would use anyone willing to spray that was close to my home. Or I would spray in my Dad’s cabinet shop booth over the weekend. I got pretty good at spraying!

The last one I did was in my own garage! Had decent results and really pissed my neighbors off!!!!! This time I will rent some booth time or take it to a buddys’s cabinet finishing shop and use their booth!

I wish you luck! And am looking forward to the end result!!!!
_________________
Jimbo

There is never enough time to do it right the first time, but all the time necessary the second time!

[lardawge]

Quick little update.

Spent some time fitting the running boards. I bought a set from Mika and had them powdercoated. I then bought a set of mats from Wolfsburg West. Spent some time mounting the mats. Not overly difficult.

The passenger side fender needed a little bit of work where the fender meets the running board. Nothing a hammer and dolly couldn't fix. Spend a little time reshaping and fits like magic.

Once I fit the grommets and snugged up the bolts, it was a gap I was happy with.

Still waiting on the hood to get finished. That is the only thing left to test fit.
_________________
11/2/54 L227 Strato Silver Ragtop - Build Thread
1/7/55 L275 Light Beige - Build Thread
9/1/56 (57 model) L331 Horizon Blue - For Sale

[lardawge]

I thought I would post a quick update given it's been a minute since the last one.

The car left today to go to paint. After searching for a painter, I was connected to one through a mutual friend. He is a VW guy and has done a bunch of cars that I have seen. He was open to signing a contract with me that stipulated both a payout schedule as well as a total cost and timeline. I don't know why it is so difficult to find painters that are also good business people, but it is. Even with all of that, it is a gamble and the stress is real.

I will be painting it with Glasurat single stage. I like how single stage ages and this car won't see enough daylight to warrant the level of UV protection that clearcoat provides.

On a side note; I still have not ironed out the issues with the hood. It really has been nothing short of a disaster and a shining example of why I am so apprehensive to deal with shops. They are all smiles when it comes to taking your money and telling you they stand behind their work, but when push comes to shove, you are left holding the bag. This hood was ruined by Washburn's shop. At this point, I will refrain from posting the costs involved, but it was more than it would cost to purchase a NOS hood. This hood started out as an exceptional example of an early hood with some rust under one of the mounts and turned into a mess that will not bolt up to the car straight. I would really love to find a good hood if anyone has one in their stash and would be so kind as to part with it. I have a couple of months or more before we paint.

Can't wait to show some progress as we work towards color.
_________________
11/2/54 L227 Strato Silver Ragtop - Build Thread
1/7/55 L275 Light Beige - Build Thread
9/1/56 (57 model) L331 Horizon Blue - For Sale

[lardawge]

Now that paint is in process, I am pulling other parts together to get a running start when the car comes back from paint.

The motor has been a point of contention. I have struggled with wanting to rebuild the original engine or use a 55 engine that I have spent a lot of effort, time, and money restoring.

The problem with the 55 engine is that I could never get the rings to seat properly. See the thread here: [url=https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=771132]
WW 81mm Big Bore Blowby[/url]. I used WW pistons at the advice of the builder. I later found out that the issue is likely rings given it still smoked after putting close to 1k miles on it. The rings that come with the pistons are not good and most builders refuse to use them and go with the AA 80mm that comes with Grant rings.

I decided to fix the 55 engine vs going down the road of another build. I will put the original engine on the shelf and save the rebuild for another time.

This led to taking it to my go-to builder for a tear-down and discovery. The first thing we found was that all 4 cylinders had blow-by. It was clear by the buildup on the edge of the pistons that the rings were not doing much. As you can see by the piston tops, there was a lot of oil getting into the combustion chambers.
Second, the rings had no sharp edges. They were pretty much rounded over so it is not surprising that things look the way they did. It is clear to me that the previous builder did nothing to cause the issue and that it is an issue with the rings.

We also pulled the valves to check the guides and seats and found that these freshly rebuilt heads had guides that had too much clearance in all but one of them. I will keep the name of the shop I used out of this so I don't hurt anyone's feelings.

Planned engine fixes; Order custom rings. Hone the cylinders. Check the balance on the pistons. Replace the valve guides. The engine had a lightened flywheel which I was not fond of. I like how it spins up but it does not feel like it pulls as hard on the top end. Likely because of less centrifugal force. I had a stock flywheel already resurfaced and ready to go. That will get balanced and installed.

This should take care of the engine issues which will complete the drivetrain.

As an aside, I spent some time this week updating my build budget for this car. It is scary how much it costs to restore a car to this level. When you hear about builds from reputable shops going into the high six figures, it starts to make sense. I am doing all of the final assembly which is helping tremendously, but still insane how much it costs. It makes me look at the price of finished cars in a whole new light.

If you are looking at restoring a car, I really recommend you put together a budget based on today's prices. If you go to a shop that bills by the hour and they claim they can do it for a certain amount but don't put it in writing, assume you will pay double, triple, or more. In fact, if you go to a shop that won't give you a written estimate, or put anything in writing, run as fast as you can no matter how large their Instagram following is.
_________________
11/2/54 L227 Strato Silver Ragtop - Build Thread
1/7/55 L275 Light Beige - Build Thread
9/1/56 (57 model) L331 Horizon Blue - For Sale

[pastellgreen]

[lardawge]

[pastellgreen]

ah, understand, that is a 2-component paint and I search for a single stage 1 component paint as in the old days. Thank you.

[lardawge]

A few small things to update and then a plead for help finding a hood.

First up is a decision to fix a set of original vw bumpers vs buying aftermarket. I had to drop off my vent windows at the chrome shop so I decided to haul a set of blades with me to get a price and see if they were repairable.

After discussing what I needed on the vent window and various small parts with Jose, the owner of Christenson Plating, I asked him to take a look at the blades.
They were originally overrider bumpers and had a few dents and dings. They would need the overrider holes filled and the dents messaged out.

I almost fell over when he told me the price. It was shocking. Keep in mind, I didn't have the guards because I was looking to source a set that were NOS in paint, not chrome. I had seen a set here in the classifieds but would need to strike a deal and have them shipped. After hearing the price for chrome, my hopes and dreams had been dashed. I quickly extinguished the idea of having OG bumpers from my mind.

While writing up and giving me a price on the various other bits, he threw in the idea of giving me a package deal for everything (clearly wanted my business). It wasn't much of a savings if I am being honest, but it was enough to be intriguing and I could not let go of the idea of having original German bumpers. So I relented and gave him the bumpers to fix.

Then off to find a set of guards. I was lucky enough to find the set I was looking at still for sale. I contacted the seller and had him send me better pictures. They were pristine. No rust, stamped VW, and in factory primer. Just what I needed. Once I received them, off to the chrome they went. This time, I got a surprise. Jose had originally quoted me significantly more per guard than he ended up charging me after seeing what great condition they were in. Win.

So, I am pleased to say that I will have factory steel for the bumpers. I am crossing my fingers that Jose can do his magic and make them look like new.

The car itself is moving along. It has had the interior stripped and etch primed in white. It will get filler work done in the coming weeks with the goal being, minimal filler.

The very large hold-up at this moment, and yes, this has been a recurring theme, I NEED A HOOD. The hood is not going to work for this car. After spending some time trying to make it fit, it does not fit well. Somehow, when the repairs were done, the hood shrank across the top. It is also twisted. The work to get it to fit is not minimal and will likely mean reversing the damage done @ W*******s. Until we find a hood that fits, we will be at a standstill shortly.
_________________
11/2/54 L227 Strato Silver Ragtop - Build Thread
1/7/55 L275 Light Beige - Build Thread
9/1/56 (57 model) L331 Horizon Blue - For Sale

[lardawge]

Spent some time in the garage this morning. I am working on my 55 and had to go to the metal yard to get square tubing. While I was at it, I decided it was a good time to pick up some tubing to repair my seat backs.

I was inspired by the work Jimbo did on his seats and I need to get them ready for upholstery. I have also been spending time learning to tig weld which has lead to me finishing a bunch of other small projects. This one was looming.

While I was at the metal yard, I picked up the tubing for the seat back. Once home, I couldn’t help but get to work. One thing led to another, next thing I knew, one was complete.

After bending the pipe to match the original radius, I needed to cut the slot to house the seat cover. It was challenging to do it even in a vice, so I tacked it to a couple pieces of plate. The tube is loner than needed at this point.

I used a marker to trace to cutout then a zip cut wheel on a grinder to cut it out. I then filed it smooth.

Cut and test fit before tacking and tig welding.

One down, one to go!

The last part of the frame that needs to be fixed is the spikes are broken that hold the material to the seat bottom. I will need to find someone to laser cut a bunch so I can replace them. There are some for sale in the classifieds, but they are for newer seats.
_________________
11/2/54 L227 Strato Silver Ragtop - Build Thread
1/7/55 L275 Light Beige - Build Thread
9/1/56 (57 model) L331 Horizon Blue - For Sale

[lardawge]

The car is back in my possession for the time being. We uncovered some metalwork that needs to be redone and given I just did this to the 55, it made sense for me to do it.

Obviously disappointed having to redo something I spent a fair amount of money to have done by a "professional", but it is par for the course on this project.

Went Saturday morning to pick up the car and bring it back to my place for the surgery. To make a long story short, the work that was done on the heater channel, and specifically, the heater muffler, does not line up by a fair amount. The heater tubes should be inline, these are not. The side effect of that is that I can't get the lid onto it. So, it is either not run one, or fix it the way it should have been done to start with.

It's not clear to me why the rear tube was removed to begin with given there was zero rust anywhere outside of the actual heater channel, but it was. Then welded back in out of alignment. Pictures of the positioning of the one on my 55 that has never been removed.

The plan here is to sell the car... kidding?... The plan is to replace the entire tube from the inside of the heater channel, to the rear. I have one on order from Wolf who has been very helpful in getting me the parts I need. I will sacrifice the installed tube to save the heater channel and the firewall. If I can save the muffler itself, I will, however, there are some pretty gnarly plug welds so we will see.

On a much brighter note, my engine is now assembled and running. You will recall the issue with the rings not seating that were provided with the pistons. We replaced the rings with a set of much better quality. Fired the engine on the stand and after the initial cleanout of the assembly lube, not a single puff of smoke, and the motor sounded like a million bucks.

In celebration of the moment, I restored my early 6V coil today in anticipation of placing it on the engine.

Enjoy!
_________________
11/2/54 L227 Strato Silver Ragtop - Build Thread
1/7/55 L275 Light Beige - Build Thread
9/1/56 (57 model) L331 Horizon Blue - For Sale

[VW_Jimbo]

Nice update! I feel your pain on the shitty craftsmanship. This should never happen. As a craftsman, I take great pride in what I do. To do less than what is normal would be unacceptable, for me. Seeing that level of work (beginner) completed by a professional shop is mind blowing! If I had done that level of work as an apprentice to my father and grandpa, I would have paid a great price.

Glad you got your car. The coil looks good!
_________________
Jimbo

There is never enough time to do it right the first time, but all the time necessary the second time!

[lardawge]

[lardawge]

A mid-week update. Don't want to bore everyone with vendor frustrations so thought I would post about work being done.

One of the initial reasons I brought the car home, besides fixing the heater muffler issue, was that I was not happy about the rear of the bottom plate on the passenger heater channel. The jack point had been pushed up into it and created a hole, and although the hole had been welded, was still dented.

I got the part I needed to do the repair from Wolf. I had done this repair on the 55 so knew what it took to do it. I was also confident that the inside of the heater channel was nice and would not need repair so the plan was to wire wheel it and coat it with master series. The heater channel itself had been pushed in a bit from the weight and would need to be massaged.

It came out pretty nice and I feel confident it will hold up for another 70 years.

Next up this week is a couple of small repairs including a random hole that the painter decided needed to be there above the door hinge. This one caught me off guard because I actually have no idea why he or one of his guys decided to hack a chunk out of the body. Another WTF moment.

After I fix the last of the small stuff, I will tackle the heater muffler. The parts should be here by that point.
_________________
11/2/54 L227 Strato Silver Ragtop - Build Thread
1/7/55 L275 Light Beige - Build Thread
9/1/56 (57 model) L331 Horizon Blue - For Sale

[VW_Jimbo]

It will be interesting to see what lays in back of the hinge.
_________________
Jimbo

There is never enough time to do it right the first time, but all the time necessary the second time!

[lardawge]

[lardawge]

Another day in the garage. I am loving my mini vacation where I can spend time working on this car all day. Next week things will change as I will be back to only having weekends.

Spent the day yesterday getting two 36hp fan shrouds sorted out so I can powder-coat them. One of them, the original one for the 54 motor, had cracked at the coil bracket. I had attempted the repair when I was just learning to tig weld. I got it way too hot and warped the shit out of it.

I ended up having a doner shroud with a good coil mount and decided to section it into the 54 shroud.

Doner patch panel

Completed patch

The other thing that I pulled out was a 4-inch shrinking disc to take out some of the warpage. It was magical. These always end up being pretty warped anyways given they are banged around. I was able to get it pretty flat and take out some oil canning.

I also did some work on a later fan shroud for my 55 motor. It has some high spots and a pretty deep dent. Hammer and dolly as well as shrinking disc and a few hours later, it was acceptable.

Last order of business was to get the door hinge mount holes that were created by the prior painter. I had a few passes and had to go get a 1 inch roloc wheel and 1 inch discs from HF. I probably have a couple hours into this.

Before;

After;

I will revisit after a few days and see if I am still happy with it or if I need to do some more work.

Still waiting on parts for the heater muffler. Hoping to see them this week so I can get it together before I send the car off to paint.

I also want to add another row of spot welds on the heater channel that had the bottom cap replaced. They had a ton of them from the factory given how much flex they have to endure. I am not happy with the amount currently applied.
_________________
11/2/54 L227 Strato Silver Ragtop - Build Thread
1/7/55 L275 Light Beige - Build Thread
9/1/56 (57 model) L331 Horizon Blue - For Sale

[lardawge]

Finished up the heater muffler at the end of last week. I had to build up and smooth out the metal because of the terrible work that had been done previously. I thought about replacing that panel but figured I would work it and make a decision as I went along.

It turned out fine and I was able to add some metal to close the very large gap once I got the rear tube lined up. The critical goal was to be able to put the lid on and secure it.

Wolf does not provide the muffler with fold over tabs so I had to make them. I used tinsnips after shaping the lip to match the factory canister.

I ended up epoxying the inside with SPI epoxy. I want to paint the car with the mufflers put together so I don’t have to worry about bending the tabs when it’s painted. It also more closely mimics original. It went together beautifully. My only criticism is the welds to the body. I may clean them up a bit but don’t want to work the metal more than it has been. I was using a miller 212 which seems to have a small working window before the welds get inconsistent. This lead to a bit of a hotter weld than I would like.
_________________
11/2/54 L227 Strato Silver Ragtop - Build Thread
1/7/55 L275 Light Beige - Build Thread
9/1/56 (57 model) L331 Horizon Blue - For Sale