'79 Super Vert Project

[BrooklynTony198]

Hello all. I'm a high school student in Hawaii, the island of Oahu specifically. I have been lurking here for a few months and finally got my hands on a bug, so I figured I should just bite the bullet and make an account here.

I just bought a '79 Super Beetle Convertible for quite cheap. My dad worked on Beetles back in the 80s and 90s, so one of his friends offered to sell it to us. It's in not horrible mechanical condition; the engine starts and runs fine, the steering works, and the brakes are working. The engine is a fuel injected 1600, fully stock. The steering needs new bushings, but me and my dad can handle that. I hope to turn this car into a daily driver I can use, while also having it be a fun father-son project and something for me to do in my free time. I'm not going to be trying to win any awards with this car, so it probably will never be brought back to fully shiny stock condition.

One of the (at least) 3 previous owners threw in Honda seats by welding the rails in. They are relatively ok seats. The paint was originally silver, but someone decided to paint the fenders and other parts of the car for a two-tone silver and black look... But the black paint job was not the greatest, as you can see. I probably will repaint it anyway. Oh, and the interior clock still works! Exciting!

The chassis and body, however, are in... "a condition". The lower quarter panels behind the doors (and the heater channels in that area) are almost totally rusted out on both sides. However, the reinforcement rails underneath are rather solid and rust free. There is rust holes around some of the fender mounting points, around the windshield, around the fuel filler door, in the battery pan (when are they not rusty), and surface rust is just generally an issue around the body. The chassis and floor pans, though, are solid. (I forgot to take photos of the areas I'm talking about, which annoys me.) The rubber seals all over need to be replaced. (I mean, its twice my age, so I expected that.) The right side The convertible top itself is in good shape, but the interior lining is moldy and needs to be replaced. Also that the right latch doesn't lock onto the windshield correctly. Probably needs some fiddling.

I am receiving 2 better condition doors and a bunch of other spare parts with the car, so thats a plus.

I'm yet to drive it from where it's currently at to my garage, and I forgot to take a lot of photos, so I will probably keep updating this thread as I work on it.

I guess what I need to ponder now is what to tackle first on the bodywork, and if its doable for me at all. I have welding experience but have no welding setup, and I have worked extensively with power tools. I would like to finish bodywork and paint and get it driving by the end of summer break (which is... about august?) but I know I'm being totally unrealistic with my timeline. So I guess I should throw some questions at you guys.

What anti-rust coating should I use? I've been looking at POR, Eastwood's Rust Encapsulator Platinum, and some of the generic brands.

Is the rust on the lower rear quarters patchable? Would I be able to patch only that area, since the rest of the heater channels seem intact?

Is it taboo for me to patch some of the smaller rust holes with fiberglass and body filler after I remove the rust from the area?

[Lost69Convertible]

Hi Tony. Congratulations on the 1979 convertible. It must be terrific to drive in Hawaii with the top down!

I'll start with the fuel lines. Your FI system has a fuel ring, if you haven't already done so, you need to trace and inspect every hose from the tank, back to the engine, and forward again to the tank. Replace anything that looks old, worn, brittle, or soft. Your fuel tank has seven hose connections. Four of them are for the vapor system. Inspect them all.

Don't give up on your FI system. If you have difficulties, there are some very knowledgeable experts here that can help you fix it.

Rust: I can't advise you on body panel replacement, welding, and metalwork. But if you plan to drive the car while doing these things over time - then you need to stop the rust, put it on hold, until you get around to repairing it properly. I've found that a combination of wheel bearing grease (on heavily rusted out of the way areas) and Fluid Film spray (to penetrate corroded seams) do a good job stopping the progress of corrosion and buying time.
_________________
1956 Beetle Ragtop: My Father's car
1969 Beetle Convertible: My first car. I loved it, I lost it, and I never got over it.
1979 Super Beetle Convertible

[Tim Donahoe]

Welcome to the mad tea party, friend.

The new car stops and goes, so the rest is just time and money.

Have fun,

Tim
_________________
Let's do the Time Warp again!

Richard O'Brien

[BrooklynTony198]

[Beetlebaum]

I got my '73 Super Beetle wayyyyyyy back in high school (a long time ago now). Looking forward to your build!
_________________
1973 Super Beetle
2003 New Beetle
Post your Super here: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=331999
Beetle Bums VW Club Member

[BrooklynTony198]

Just got finished with driving it home! That was supposed to happen last weekend, but the plans fell through when the fuel pump stopped engaging. One "new" fuel pump later, and it runs yet again!

Driving it home was a doozy; there are no seatbelts, and I had to hold the latch for the passenger side of the top down the entire drive since it doesn't want to actually lock. Some of the lights don't work, which I kinda expected seeing the mess that is the fuse box... The brakes were dragging quite a bit, but it got a bit better by the end of the drive. The engine idles high, and the gas pedal is sticky and crooked. The shifter is angled forward more than it should be, too. Oh, and also the steering wheel doesn't point straight when the wheels are straight; no idea if that's due to some prior owner. The front bushings are entirely shot; the play in the steering and suspension was a bit concerning.

I was able to take some video from the inside of it while we were driving:

Link


After the 20 minute drive, me and my dad got it parked in our garage. Smoke was coming from somewhere, and it wasn't the brakes or the engine itself. I suspect it was either the clutch (since my dad accidentally dropped it into reverse instead of 2nd while we were going up a hill) or oil on the surface of the engine/transmission/exhaust burning off.

And here it is, parked in my garage!

I did remember to take a photo of the rear quarter panel and...

Well, its rusted out. Both sides are like this, and I can see inside the heater channel. These areas will have to be cut out and replaced. Other places with rust that I've cataloged so far are:
- around the windshield
- around the hood
- around the decklid
- around the passenger rear fender mounting
- below the fuel filler door
- below where the convertible top meets the rear body
- the battery well


Recently I've been starting to collect tools I'll need; welder and welding equipment, grinding wheels, and some other tools. Today is a Saturday, and I want to work on it tomorrow, but I can't because tomorrow is Mother's Day. Next step will be to strip the car as much as possible; the doors, the interior, the fenders, the hood, the decklid, and the bumpers will probably all come off. That'll most likely happen next weekend. I'll post an update whenever I work on the car next.
_________________
Proud(?) Owner of a Project '79 Super Vert.

"Am I in over my head? Maybe. Will I continue to work on it? Of course!"

[calvinater]

Don't forget to brace it before you remove the doors.

Good luck and welcome to the illness.
_________________
"Albatross"!

[Lost69Convertible]

Congrats on driving your Beetle home! The quarter panels on my ‘69 convertible were rusted out at the bottom like yours.

Take very detailed pictures of all the hose and wire connections on the engine before you disassemble anything. That doesn’t mean your engine is connected 100% correct now (you’re missing the air intake snorkel for example) but at least you’ll know where you started.
_________________
1956 Beetle Ragtop: My Father's car
1969 Beetle Convertible: My first car. I loved it, I lost it, and I never got over it.
1979 Super Beetle Convertible

[BrooklynTony198]

[Epilog79]

Hey I have a 79 with the original fuel injection system also. Congrats on a fun ride. When I picked mine up I noticed that the snorkel tube had been cut off part way up. I assumed it allowed the PO access to the air flow meter which they had turned upside down as well. No idea why any of that was done, but it ran fine. and over the years I have ended up replacing the AFM and finding a new airbox with snorkel. It is designed to take cool air in from above the engine through the air vents in the decklid.
You have your hands full with all the body panel replacement and welding. Enjoy the process and take lots of pictures and measurement to help document where everything went and how it all fit together.

[Lost69Convertible]

My '79 engine with FI had been hacked up as often happens. By searching the web for pictures of collector '79s at auction (with 250 miles on them etc.) and with help found here on The Samba, I think all my spaghetti hoses are reinstalled and back where they belong.

Tony - when I comes time to sort out your engine connections, you can get pictures and help here.
_________________
1956 Beetle Ragtop: My Father's car
1969 Beetle Convertible: My first car. I loved it, I lost it, and I never got over it.
1979 Super Beetle Convertible

[BrooklynTony198]

Just got back from one of the local auto shops. Hawaii Import Parts, while not fully specializing in VWs, is a great place. Real friendly staff. Picked up a small can of RustSeal (we shall see how good it is), a rear shifter coupling with bushing, and a 2018 EMPI catalog! The 2018 EMPI catalog will help a lot, since trying to find part numbers otherwise is... painful.

Talked to the guys behind the counter a bit, and then placed an order for a full urethane bushing front suspension rebuild kit. HIP doesn't sell much of the sheet metal, but apparently they do sell floor pans. Good to keep in mind, though so far I don't think I need to replace the pans.

This Wednesday I should hopefully be able to go to the other shop I want to go to, Aloha Otto Parts. From the pictures I've seen of their shop, they carry a lot of the sheetmetal. I need to disassemble the car more to get a better understanding of what I need to replace, but it'll be good to go there to see what they can order for me. And if they have the rear lower quarter panel patch panels in stock, I will probably just buy them, since I know that I'll have to replace those no matter what.

Now, back to browsing that EMPI catalog!
_________________
Proud(?) Owner of a Project '79 Super Vert.

"Am I in over my head? Maybe. Will I continue to work on it? Of course!"

[BrooklynTony198]

Today I visited the other shop I wanted to visit; Aloha Otto Parts. They specialize mostly in air cooled VW parts. I didn't buy anything on the spot, but I submitted an order for driver and passenger side lower rear quarter panel patch panels. Using the patch panels will make my job a lot easier; I know how to shape sheet metal, but having it pre-shaped makes it a lot easier for me.

I stupidly forgot to ask if he carried rubber kits; I know I'll have to replace at least the fender, windshield, and rear window seals. Theres probably more that I need, but I'll form a list only after I disassembled the car as much as I plan to. I don't plan to take the body off the chassis, but I am going to at least strip the interior, the fenders, the hood, and the rear decklid off the car.

This weekend I plan to start working on it. I can probably strip the car in a few hours, since I got an extra set of hands (thanks dad!) and a full set of tools. I'll update this thread after the first session of work.
_________________
Proud(?) Owner of a Project '79 Super Vert.

"Am I in over my head? Maybe. Will I continue to work on it? Of course!"

[BrooklynTony198]

First update on the actual car! Got to work on it yesterday, but got a lot other things going on so I'm posting this today. Moved a lot of tools into the correct space in the garage, made room for parts, etc. This took a few hours alone.

Then I catalogued more rust spots and issues with the car...

I probably will need a new hood, it seems. The rest of the rust seems manageable with time, a welder, and patch panels/sheet metal. In terms of dings; the doors will be replaced, so those I won't worry much about. Someone kinked the rear driver fender, and the front vent area under the bumper is a bit bent. Body itself is straight though, which is good.

I also peeked inside the interior again to take a good picture. Pretty sure the steering bushings are shot, because the steering wheel shouldn't be able to turn about 20 degrees without moving the front wheels!

Then came some actual disassembly! I got the lenses for the turn signals and the taillights removed, as well as the bulbs and the front headlights. I also took the bumpers off, both of which were held in with only a single bolt...

Can we talk about this:

Some previous owner was an idiot and cut the wires for the passenger side headlight instead of pulling the pins out of the connector. This also helps explain why the bulb itself was held in with only 2 screws, and why the chrome trim was so loose...

Next I jacked the car up and took both front wheels off. They were tight, but it was easy with an impact wrench.

Finally, I opened up the hood to check what was sitting in there.

Underneath the spare was the stock washer bottle, a jack, a T-wrench, and a few other misc. parts. Fuel system itself looks to be in good condition; someone changed the fuel lines and the fuel filter recently.

And that about wraps it up for the first session of work on this '79 SuperVert. Looks like there will be a lot of rust repair and bodywork ahead. I'll end this post with a pic of how I left the car.

_________________
Proud(?) Owner of a Project '79 Super Vert.

"Am I in over my head? Maybe. Will I continue to work on it? Of course!"

[Lost69Convertible]

Looks like most of your fuel vapor management system has been modified or removed. There's some type of filter mounted on the firewall above the fuel tank. That's not original equipment. The vapor system has been well documented on this site. When the time comes you'll be able to reconstruct it.

After you get the fuel tank drained safely, remove it and check the car body underneath. A lot of rust can hide there.
_________________
1956 Beetle Ragtop: My Father's car
1969 Beetle Convertible: My first car. I loved it, I lost it, and I never got over it.
1979 Super Beetle Convertible

[BrooklynTony198]

So, you thought the vapor system being missing was bad? Think again. I got some horrific/hilarious photos for you...

So first; the door handles. So the passenger side doesn't work; so I took the handle out... and apparently that's because half the the handle is sheared off on the inside!

Top is the broken one, bottom is the working driver side one. I'm probably going to change the oors totally.. but huh.

Also I have.... so many different keyed locks. The ignition key doesn't work on any other lock; the other key i got only works on the driver side door. I have no keys for the passenger and decklid locks. Thank god both were unlocked.

Today I was able to get the running board (yes, I only received the passenger one) and a single front bumper bracket off. I sprayed all the bolts with penetrating oil because none of the others wanted to budge.

So, time for the horrific thing I noticed right before I finished packing up to go home...

Pan looks not bad....

Wha- what the heck is that!?!?

So apparently someone used whats either a part of air duct, or a baking pan, to patch the floor.... I... uh.... what?!?

Well.... I'll post an update whenever I get more parts/work on it more... kinda chuckling nervously about that... "repair."
_________________
Proud(?) Owner of a Project '79 Super Vert.

"Am I in over my head? Maybe. Will I continue to work on it? Of course!"

[BrooklynTony198]

So, update time! Kinda late, since this is an update from last week... But I got busy.

Anyway, right into it; interior is somewhat stripped!

So, not much more than surface rust on the floor it seems. A previous owner welded in mounts for Honda seats... they unbolted semi-easily. Rear seat was stock, and easily came out. Emptied the rear of the spare parts I got; a lot of window glass, some fuses, and more window hardware. Also, I found the rear convertible cover! Its in good shape, thank god. They are rather expensive...

Now, that floor "repair".

Yea... its something. Thats coming out. Someone spot welded it in, so thankfully it should come out semi-easily.

Finally, I noticed that the fender is rolled....

Yup, that means I need a new front driver side fender. Oh, and the rear drivers side is kinked. Make that 2 fenders.

Also, I think that my exhaust tailpipe is made out of.... electrical conduit pipe? Guess I'll need a new exhaust.

That sums up the work I did last weekend. Probably gonna work on it this memorial day weekend; probably going to attempt to take the fenders off.
_________________
Proud(?) Owner of a Project '79 Super Vert.

"Am I in over my head? Maybe. Will I continue to work on it? Of course!"

[MuzzcoVW]

There's quite a bit of rust in that car that normally isn't seen often, especially the A pillars. Fortunately most all rust is fixable. A note on the Fuel Injection. It was suggested before to inspect the lines and replace if they "look" old. That is NOT good enough in this case. If those lines are over 5 years old REPLACE THEM ALL!!! Including the short ones on the injectors, which will need to come out anyway to replace the injector seals. This system doesn't tolerate any vacuum leaks so keep that in mind when renewing parts on the engine, or even testing it.

[Starbucket]

Looks like they took it surfing. I hope you have some good welding/body work skills. The braces under the heater channels are the most important in a convert. to keep it from folding in on it's self as they replace the roof of a sedan for strength so if they are rusted bad work on them first to keep the body straight.

[BrooklynTony198]