restoration books

[vjravula]

hello

i just bought my first beetle. its in pretty good shape but has a few minor body dents and its original paint. anyone have any suggestions on books for restoration? how about tips on getting it painted?

thanks

[Anti-]

My experience has taught me this:
Go to shows and ask for references; a lot of guys paint cars on the side, understand bugs, and have the space to work on yours. If you have an original paint car, you are very lucky as you should not need to strip it. IMHO, bodywork is an art, and one which calls for the right tools. You can disassemble and prep it yourself though, and save a lot. Unless your car needs a lot of bodywork, it will not be cost effective for you to buy the grinders, big compressor, moisture removal and filtering system, gun and zillion other tools needed to PROPERLY smooth surfaces and apply auto finishes.

Pay for good two-stage (base/clear)paint, 2 coats of color and three of clear. You can help color sand it during/after painting, which will also save you money.

If you replace any sheetmetal, be sure you fit it completely before painting.

Remove every speck of rust, or it will rust again.

The primer that you buy over the counter isn't worth the can they sell it in. Don't waste your money on it.

Get another set of wheels to drive while you work on your bug. That way you won't be forced to slap something together in two weekend days when the job really required four days. You will also have a more peaceful existence with the car when you are calling the shots and it is not your transportation.

Best of luck to you!!