1968 Squareback renovation

[joker]

I’m going to chronicle the rebuild of this 1968 square. It originated in Grand Junction, Colorado, where it sat neglected in a yard for many years. The photos below show it as it was found, and work which was done to it in the USA, replacing the rear pan sections and a replacement rear tailgate hinge before it was shipped over to the UK, where it had some more recommissioning work before I bought it.

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The Joker

1958 Beach Buggy
1966 Notchback
1966 Sunroof N Model notchback
1967 Kustom Fastback
1967 beetle bug
1968 Squareback
1971 Karmann Ghia convertible
1972 Dopplekabine 'doka'
1972 Microbus 'the Pretender'
1974 Westy tintop 'Joker's bus'


http://www.vwbusimports.co.uk

[joker]

The car had some prior damage to the passenger fender which was badly repaired. Bus guy, who I bought this from, meticulously repaired this and did a great job of blending the paint to match the patina of the rest of the car paint. He also lowered the car slightly.

The last photo is the day I brought it home.

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The Joker

1958 Beach Buggy
1966 Notchback
1966 Sunroof N Model notchback
1967 Kustom Fastback
1967 beetle bug
1968 Squareback
1971 Karmann Ghia convertible
1972 Dopplekabine 'doka'
1972 Microbus 'the Pretender'
1974 Westy tintop 'Joker's bus'


http://www.vwbusimports.co.uk

[joker]

When I got the car I swapped the wheels over to an old set of chromes and that was about it. It allowed me to see just how solid it was, but then it sat untouched for 6 months. Then a few weeks ago I made a start and set myself a deadline to have the car on the road for 23rd August!

The interior needed ripping out as everything was shot. I wasn’t prepared for all of the rodent crap everywhere. I’ve never seen a cars body cavities filled with so much crap. So I’ve ended up tearing things down further, so the car is now pretty much naked. Great thing is that the engine runs like a sewing machine and I’ve had a drive around the yard with no brakes. Fuel tank has been stripped and cleaned, all windows removed, stripped and cleaned ready for new seals. I’ve blasted air through the body and jet washed the car inside out. Headliner padding has been added by waboo automotive who is going to install the headliner. You can see just the one bit of rust under the front hood where it’s obvious that brake fluid has leaked. This will be an easy repair. I’ve made a start at repainting the window frames, they’re nice and solid, no rust but a bit crusty, so I’ve used cure rust and had some paint mixed to match. I’ve machine polished the roof and the drivers door. Once the whole car is polished it will get a healthy cover of wax to protect the few buts which are exposed to the elements.

Next on the list is new brake hoses to get the brakes working, fuel tank back in so I can drive it on the 23rd, with or without windows!

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The Joker

1958 Beach Buggy
1966 Notchback
1966 Sunroof N Model notchback
1967 Kustom Fastback
1967 beetle bug
1968 Squareback
1971 Karmann Ghia convertible
1972 Dopplekabine 'doka'
1972 Microbus 'the Pretender'
1974 Westy tintop 'Joker's bus'


http://www.vwbusimports.co.uk

[squaretobehip]

Very cool.
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1963 Notchback - Ruby Red
1963 Squareback - Pearl White
1965 Squareback - Baltic Blue

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[joker]

[leoasman]

Looking good!

[Bobnotch]

[vwfye]

Cool!
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64 No'back Speedster "Pearl"
1980s Sand Dragster "The Plunger"
LME "Little Giant Killer 3"

[andybla]

cleans up very nice

[Yarkle]

Does UK Customs know you used that car to smuggle in acorns?

Man I hate rodents. When I sold the buses I went to get one of the extra doors and there were hudnred of acorns in the bottom of it. My wife is sortof a disney princess so I can only wage limited war on them.

she used to make me capture them alive, and then release them out in the woods.

Until the "event". We lived in a 1967 trailer and built a house out back, and ended up moving a few boxes a day.

Well, one box was supposed to go in the house, but it ended up in the loft of the garaj, and one day when I was sorting my Thing parts, i found it, and the little bastards had chewed through the box and had destroyed our wedding cake topper, all of the cards, etc.

She then told me "Do what you want**, as long as i dont have to see it"

So I cant go all Colonel Kurtz and have a bunch of decapitated mouse heads on toothpicks leading to the garaj, with Jim Morrision singing "this is the end" as I mutter about "you must make a friend of horror"

Anyways, nice looking car! Before I got Tilda I was eyeballing one like that, same color but in much worse shape.

I used to live in colorado and I miss the usually dry and rusty free VWs (usually just the battery acid rust). Last time I went back I probably saw at least 20 ACVWs that were just daily drivers, up here in Maine you only see hobby cars, too much chemicals on the road and humidity.

though weirdly, theres this dude who has a studebaker in a garage that is literally inches above the high tide mark over salt water and the thing has NO RUST. I asked him how he does it and he said "I never drive in the rain".


*** In disney princess speak that means they have to die quick, I cant use poison (i dont want to anyways cuz of how it affects apex predators and we have some dope owls out back), I have to place any traps above the floor cuz one day a snake got caught in it (which was sad, but the foxes gotta eat too)
So I finally got the bucket trap and i told her mouses cant hold their breath. I dunno if its true, but she does get peeved when she goes to fetch somthing and theres a floater.
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Tilda the Mustard Tigress 1973 Squareback (o'''^'''o)

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=771024&highlight=

[NUG637]

Cool rig

[joker]

[joker]

[joker]

[joker]

[joker]

[joker]

[joker]

well, I found rust. I'll put up some photos later, forgot to take any. Basically both rear inner arches at the join to the body there, both sides pretty much the same, although weirdly the drivers side was worse. Typically here we see more rust on the curb side as that's where all the stones and drains/puddles are. Not too bad and i'll try and tackle the welding repairs myself
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The Joker

1958 Beach Buggy
1966 Notchback
1966 Sunroof N Model notchback
1967 Kustom Fastback
1967 beetle bug
1968 Squareback
1971 Karmann Ghia convertible
1972 Dopplekabine 'doka'
1972 Microbus 'the Pretender'
1974 Westy tintop 'Joker's bus'


http://www.vwbusimports.co.uk

[Bobnotch]

[joker]