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meatness Samba Member
Joined: September 11, 2019 Posts: 29 Location: Sultan, WA
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Posted: Wed Sep 11, 2019 9:37 pm Post subject: I have until May |
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Another bug noob starting a project. Thank to all those who have taken the time to document builds and write how to's. This is going to be one of my main sources for information.
Picked up a clapped out 68 convertible that is going to be a surprise 50th birthday gift to my wife in May. I have a lot of work cut out for me and am in info gathering mode right now. I am going to start the tear down once I get a project that is sitting on my plate done, shouldn't be more than another couple of weeks.
Goal : Match my wife's described dream car, stay within budget and have a driving safe car with a solid body and paint by her birthday. Doesn't have to be perfect by then but has to be close.
One with the pics!
_________________ Noob
1968 Vert Project on a budget
Looking for stock intake tube, stock carb linkage advice and my marbles |
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heimlich VWNOS.com
Joined: November 20, 2016 Posts: 6593 Location: Houston, Texas
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Posted: Wed Sep 11, 2019 9:58 pm Post subject: Re: I have until May |
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Looks like the car's had a good life. _________________ www.vwnos.com [email protected]
Classic Brands. Classic Quality.
Not all parts are made the same. NOS OE/OEM parts made mainly in West Germany, Early Germany, and Early Brazil are where VW produced the best quality parts and best fitting products.
5% Off your order with coupon code: 5%OFF
Restored Distributors Available (<--Click here) |
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Chris333 Samba Member
Joined: July 30, 2017 Posts: 656 Location: Ohio
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Posted: Thu Sep 12, 2019 12:10 am Post subject: Re: I have until May |
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May shouldn't be a problem... but what year? |
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sb001 Samba Member
Joined: May 19, 2011 Posts: 10406 Location: NW Arkansas
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Posted: Thu Sep 12, 2019 5:33 am Post subject: Re: I have until May |
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meatness wrote: |
Another bug noob starting a project.
Picked up a clapped out 68 convertible that is going to be a surprise 50th birthday gift to my wife in May. |
Did you remember to add 6 months on to your estimated finish date? _________________ I'm the humblest guy on this board.
1969 autostick sedan, family owned since new
1600 SP engine
Solex 30 PICT 3 carburetor
Bosch 113905205AE autostick distributor |
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TDCTDI Samba Advocatus Diaboli
Joined: August 31, 2013 Posts: 12848 Location: North Carolina
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Posted: Thu Sep 12, 2019 5:57 am Post subject: Re: I have until May |
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If you plan on having that done by May, then you're going to be putting in so many hours on it that it's no longer be a surprise, or she'll have divorced you because you have disappeared for the next 9 months or you have emptied the bank account by paying someone else to pound that thing out. Good luck. _________________ Everybody born before 1975 has a story, good, bad, or indifferent, about a VW.
GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!
An air cooled VW will make you a hoarder.
Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it. |
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Murmsk Samba Member
Joined: February 24, 2019 Posts: 368 Location: Illinois
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Posted: Thu Sep 12, 2019 6:12 am Post subject: Re: I have until May |
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whats your budget?
where is your skill level? What skills are you willing to learn?
How much daily time do you have?
Hows the engine? trans? brakes? How does it drive now?
s _________________ 1970 Convertible
1972 super
1946 Willys Jeep |
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Tom K. Samba Member
Joined: March 10, 2005 Posts: 1604 Location: Central Pennsylvania
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vamram Samba Member
Joined: March 08, 2012 Posts: 7300 Location: NOVA
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Posted: Thu Sep 12, 2019 7:09 am Post subject: Re: I have until May |
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TDCTDI wrote: |
If you plan on having that done by May, then you're going to be putting in so many hours on it that it's no longer be a surprise, or she'll have divorced you because you have disappeared for the next 9 months or you have emptied the bank account by paying someone else to pound that thing out. Good luck. |
This!!! _________________ Eventually, "we are what we pretend to be.’”
Give peace a chance - Stop Russian-Soviet Aggression!!
'74 Super 9/16 - present, in refurb process.
'73 Super - 6/18 - Present - Daily Driver!
'75 Super Le Grande...waiting it's turn in line behind '74.
Click to view image
Save the Supers!! |
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TDCTDI Samba Advocatus Diaboli
Joined: August 31, 2013 Posts: 12848 Location: North Carolina
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Posted: Thu Sep 12, 2019 7:10 am Post subject: Re: I have until May |
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Tom K. wrote: |
Rethink your plan. It's a good car... |
Not with that rotted reinforcement channel & sagging floor pan. The sagging floor pan suggests that the bottom of the heater channels are no longer intact.
The edge of the floor pan should not be visible below the reinforcement. _________________ Everybody born before 1975 has a story, good, bad, or indifferent, about a VW.
GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!
An air cooled VW will make you a hoarder.
Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it. |
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Q-Dog Samba Member
Joined: April 05, 2010 Posts: 8699 Location: Sunset, Louisiana
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Posted: Thu Sep 12, 2019 7:28 am Post subject: Re: I have until May |
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If I had that kind of deadline I would replace the reinforment rails and throw a cheap paint job on it back to it's original color. DON'T STRIP THE CAR!
It will be fine for a sunday driver. _________________ Brian
'69 Dune Buggy
'69 Beetle Convertible
'70 Beetle |
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meatness Samba Member
Joined: September 11, 2019 Posts: 29 Location: Sultan, WA
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Posted: Thu Sep 12, 2019 7:25 pm Post subject: Re: I have until May |
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I hear you guys for sure. You all make a TON of sense and I am debating just telling her about it now and moving the project to my shop. However, even though I am a bug noob, I have built more than 30 cars and used to run a small race shop. That was a lifetime ago however and it is a different ball of wax to build something in a shop and to build something in your buddies driveway when you can sneak away or pretend you are helping someone out......
I may move forward with the build and see where I get by Christmas. I unfortunately won't be able to no strip the car, just isn't in my nature to half ass anything, especially a car build.
Also I have a bunch of support. My son works at a body shop, a good friend of mine is very knowledgeable on bugs, I have another friend that does custom interior that has offered to do the bug back to stock. I am thinking that using my support group this is maybe feasible.
Still have to get the international together though before I even start to take it apart and see how deep I really am. _________________ Noob
1968 Vert Project on a budget
Looking for stock intake tube, stock carb linkage advice and my marbles
Last edited by meatness on Fri Sep 13, 2019 4:36 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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N9PHW Samba Member
Joined: September 12, 2019 Posts: 2 Location: WA
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Posted: Thu Sep 12, 2019 9:39 pm Post subject: Re: I have until May |
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I guess I'll sign up since I'm already in on it... |
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Eric&Barb Samba Member
Joined: September 19, 2004 Posts: 24733 Location: Olympia Wash Rinse & Repeat
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Posted: Thu Sep 12, 2019 9:41 pm Post subject: Re: I have until May |
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Looking forward to see how it goes for you! _________________ In Stereo, Where Available! |
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Dal Churchill Samba Member
Joined: November 10, 2008 Posts: 275 Location: Catalunya, Spain. Originally England UK.
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Posted: Thu Sep 12, 2019 11:55 pm Post subject: Re: I have until May |
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Surprises are nice, but maybe she'd want to be involved with the build in some way? I'd tell her about the project and make life easier on yourself. _________________ 1974 Beetle. Bus/Porsche/Rover V8 (Buick 215ci) Baja. (Unfinished project)
1979 Beetle. 1641. Ex-Modern Day Luftwaffe Airfield Radio Car. (Daily driver) |
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TDCTDI Samba Advocatus Diaboli
Joined: August 31, 2013 Posts: 12848 Location: North Carolina
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Posted: Fri Sep 13, 2019 2:10 am Post subject: Re: I have until May |
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meatness wrote: |
...a good friend of mine is very knowledgeable on bugs...
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You should have gotten some input from your buddy before picking this thing up.
That car will NEVER get done with the “sneaking over to a buddy’s & working on it in his driveway.” approach.
You won't have the correct tool to do whatever job that you need to do, even though you know right where it is in your shop. The weather won't cooperate with your schedule. Your wife will start questioning why you spend more time at your "buddy's" house instead of with her. Once you start lying to her about what you're doing, no matter what your intentions are, you have broken her trust. _________________ Everybody born before 1975 has a story, good, bad, or indifferent, about a VW.
GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!
An air cooled VW will make you a hoarder.
Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it. |
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jeremy.g Samba Member
Joined: May 29, 2019 Posts: 400 Location: VA
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Posted: Fri Sep 13, 2019 8:28 am Post subject: Re: I have until May |
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I like Dal's idea. I'd tell her about it, and let her see the progress. Easier to 'sneak away' when she knows you're working on *her* car.
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N9PHW Samba Member
Joined: September 12, 2019 Posts: 2 Location: WA
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Posted: Fri Sep 13, 2019 9:53 am Post subject: Re: I have until May |
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I'm the friend... he is covered for tools between the two of us and his wife is used to him helping friends all the time, it's just the type of guy he is. Pieces of it can be done in his shop as she won't recognize parts/sub-assemblies individually. The key to this project will be finding the right balance. It won't be done but it can be far enough along. To be a great surprise.
Break it up into chunks, call in some favors, learn to embezzle money... it's all good |
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meatness Samba Member
Joined: September 11, 2019 Posts: 29 Location: Sultan, WA
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Posted: Mon Sep 16, 2019 11:19 am Post subject: Re: I have until May |
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I told her about the bug. It wasn't going to work as she is the household accountant. She is excited and we will start the build as soon as I can get the international out of the shop. _________________ Noob
1968 Vert Project on a budget
Looking for stock intake tube, stock carb linkage advice and my marbles |
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Tim Donahoe Samba Member
Joined: December 08, 2012 Posts: 11740 Location: Redding, CA
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Posted: Mon Sep 16, 2019 12:11 pm Post subject: Re: I have until May |
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I was going to tell you to tell the wife that a customer wants you to restore their bug. But too late!
No big deal. You chose the best course. It will still be a surprise—if you don’t let her see it all the time you’re working on it. The “reveal” will be a great surprise.
Tim _________________ Let's do the Time Warp again!
Richard O'Brien |
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John Galt Samba Member
Joined: September 15, 2019 Posts: 1 Location: Earth
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Posted: Tue Sep 17, 2019 4:09 pm Post subject: Re: I have until May |
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Hey I just wanted to offer some encouragement!
That look on your face says it all! You seem to know what you're getting into.
I agree May 2020 is ambitious, to say the least, but please keep us informed of your progress. |
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