Rebirth of Clementine

[Tram]

[dnunes]

Hey Phil, Could you give me any tips, photos anything on grafting in a sunroof and c pillars on my '73 Fasty? Thanks Doug "Leilani"

[diesellibrarian]

Looks great - same vintage as my car. Long live the pignose fastback!
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Robin

'70 Fastback
'80 Westfalia

[KTPhil]

Okay, here are some pics of the restoration ISP West did for me over the last six months.

First they stripped off all removable panels, headliner, dash, windows, etc.
This let them inspect and check for hidden damage and old repairs that need to be redone right. In my case, it took only a few minutes and they found a 1970s dealer repair that was not quite done right. The front clip had been replaced and welded poorly. They also found accident damage that I had not addressed (see later pic below). Fortunately, this is a California car, so the inner panels were rust-free, even behind the gas evap expansion tank.

Next, they replaced or straightened small sheet metal parts that had been bent from creek crossings and off-roading; I used to live on a ranch and this was needed to get to the house. Ouch!

Here is an example of my cheap fix after a left front fender bash on that dirt road:

And here is their repair in process-- ground to metal, re-welded, sealed, primered and painted.

They also noted the driver door gap was too small.

The cause turned out to be another neglected consequence of my accident-- more than the fender needed attention! They found a crease, which they cut, welded, and finished properly:

Of course they took care of the inevitable rust in the lower corners of the front fenders:

They stripped the front clip area to bare metal; they had to, with the dings, rock chips, bends, etc. Looks like a VW Delorean! They spent a LOT of time getting this straight and smooth.

Next, they repaired what I think is a crack at the A-pillar, perhaps the source of my door squeak and creak.

They did a great job dealing with my desire to fit pop outs; those screws take a LOT of force, unlike the hinge screws on Bugs. I had them weld in a plate with nuts welded to the back.

They also welded in the proper nut into the passenger door so I could add a rear view mirror.

Now, on to the sunroof. I wanted them to graft in a sunroof. This turned out to be a major job! I procured a whole new roof section (lates are different than earlies, by the way), and also the moving panel. The proper method is to drill/pop out all roof welds, and peel back the lip.

Next the pillars are cut, matching the donor and original locations, of course. Yikes!

The dreaded foam was removed from the C-pillar. You can see some remnants so now you know where it was located.

They welded in drains in all the factory locations, then sealed, primed and painted the areas.

Okay, time to mask and prime.

You can see where they dug out the old hardened seam sealer and applied fresh pliable material.

Here is the gleaming paint; the inner panels have the quality of the outer bodywork, so there will be NO rust and it will all look original. All new seals were used for fender assembly.

Here is a view of one of the metal sunroof parts ISP West now makes-- these will last the life of the car.

They added proper, original-type insulation to inner fenders, roof, doors, etc.

Here is the front area, painted and in mid-assembly.

And here it is with the new upholstery panels in place. Those curves are hard to fit!

Door plastic and foam was added.

View of popouts. Also note I found original Clementine colored beading, so it was not painted and won't crack over time.

And here she is just before I drove her home.

This quick summary leaves out all their work to refit windows with new seals, new headliner, new door seals, cleaning and lubing winder mechanisms, locks, and a bunch of other nits that make the car work like new now. Also some careful work to repair the original carpeting and reinstall it. If I can locate OEM/NOS carpet I will replace the front three pieces. They added wiring for the rear fog lamp, and replaced any plastic pieces along the way. They straightened and rechromed the bumpers and guards (the latter rear units are not yet back from the plater). I am sure I am leaving off more of their work, all of which was first-rate. I have since added new inertial 3-point belts and will do some rewiring of the fog lamps, to be mounted on the light bar they added to the front bumper assembly.

Alex at ISP West communicated via email constantly, sending photos as the work was done. There were no surprises and the quality is evident upon even the closest inspection.

Cosmetically and functionally, this is a 43-year old, brand new Type 3! I really can feel the thrill my dad must have felt driving this car when it was brand spanking new.

This was done in his memory, and I know he is smiling as he sees his baby driven with pride once more.

Thanks again, Dad!

[knewknew]

nice work! I really love the color.
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1970 Squareback

[squaretobehip]

Out of the five years I've been at iSP, this is my favorite restoration so far. I learned so much, and got to help out a lot. I must say, pictures don't do it justice!

I miss her already.
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1963 Notchback - Ruby Red
1963 Squareback - Pearl White
1965 Squareback - Baltic Blue

Follow ISP West on:

Facebook - www.facebook.com/ispwest
Instagram - @ispwest - www.instagram.com/ispwest

[KTPhil]

Post-ISP work included my tightening up the large heater box nuts and fixing the muffler seals, so now she is REALLY quiet as she should be. I also replaced a worn tie rod so she tracks like she should.

We took a drive to Ventura for lunch and took a scenic road back (Portrero Road and Hidden Valley, for locals), and it was wonderful! Beeped at a Bay Bus in Westlake on the way back and exchanged peace signs. All in all a fitting day out in the 80 degree SoCal sun, roof and pop outs open.

[Tram]

VERY nice work- that's how it's done!
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Немає виправдання для війни! Я з Україною.

[notchboy]

Well done sir. Im sure he would be proud.

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[t3kg]

Better than new! Congrats Phil.
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5/62 343
I WAS THERE! The 2017 Type 3 Rally / September 29–October 1 / Cayucos, CA
2014: The 2014 Type 3 Rally / October 3–5 / Cayucos, CA
2011: 50 Years of the VW Type 3 / September 29–October 1 / California Central Coast

[EverettB]

Awesome, thanks for the detailed shots.
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[Erik G]

[vlad01]

mmmmmmmmmm

[Bobnotch]

Damn that looks beautiful Phil. Reminds of my wife's 70 Fastback, right after it was done back in 1990. The biggest chore for us back then was to find new pop out window seals, as they had just become NLA. My wife loves them, and I'm sure you will too. Same goes for the sunroof. At first I really didn't want 1, but after having it, I found that I really like it.

ISP did a fantastic job on it, and it really shows.

Enjoy your new car Phil, I'm sure your dad loved driving it all those years, and now you will too.
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Bob 65 Notch S with Sunroof
71 Notch ...aka Krunchy; build pics here;
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=249390 -been busy working
64 T-34 Ghia...aka Wolfie, under construction... http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=412120