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Jay's 55 bug build
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55rag
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Joined: April 27, 2004
Posts: 252

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PostPosted: Sun Jan 29, 2023 8:55 pm    Post subject: Jay's 55 bug build Reply with quote

I put this car together a while ago and it is well documented so I figured I should make a thread about it.

Here is the start of it all. I had this bug sitting in a garage for years and finally had the opportunity to bring it home so I could work on it.


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This is after I had the body media blasted and primed a few years earlier.
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In this shot I’ve brought it home and put a new 2” narrowed front end on. I still couldn’t make the sprints fit unfortunately because I really love the look.
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You can see the apron was all jacked up.
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Some minor bodywork on the front end with a creased hood.
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First mock up of the engine (my old 1914). You don’t see my Rancho pro-street plus transmission installed yet.
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Life was pretty chaotic at the time and I didn’t know if I was just going to throw the car together to sell or keep it so I did a DIY paint job of the dash. I had most of the parts chromed over a decade before so I’m glad for that. It was probably half the cost of what it would be now and high quality.
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Mocking up the buggy bumper.
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I got a great deal on the Recaro’s. Trying to figure out a way to mount them with sliders. Going full 80’s with this one since it’s not a restoration candidate.
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Found a better hood correct year.
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I found someone to do the bodywork that didn’t want an arm and a leg so I stripped the car back down to prep for body. I still wasn’t planning on painting at this point. You can see that Rancho tranny.
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So I dropped of the car at the body shop and I didn’t show the full damage to you guys yet. The right rear quarter panel was hit and a someone tried a horrible attempt to repair it. It looked like they had ripped the metal with a can opener and tried welding the torn metal to fill the gaps. I had collected a full rear clip and dropped that off with the car thinking the body shop would just cut out a section of the wheel well and replace. I came by for a visit and this is what I found.

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This guy has some love for VW’s and just could not do what he thought was a partial job. I was shocked because he didn’t even call me up to adjust pricing or anything. He is a great guy and let me come in and help out with body work and do some work on the pan. Oh, here’s the pan by the way.
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Yep, that’s a real convertible decklid. I’ve been saving that for awhile.
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Here are a few things I got to do while the car was in the body shop.
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More to come.
_________________
55 ragtop bug
67 Ghia vert
85 911
18 GTI
Some beat up British bikes
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55rag
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Joined: April 27, 2004
Posts: 252

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PostPosted: Sun Jan 29, 2023 9:09 pm    Post subject: Re: Jay's 55 bug build Reply with quote

I bought a cheap spray gun from Harbor Freight and sprayed my pan with POR15.

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At this point I have that new car excitement you get when you can start putting things together and I decide to keep the car but not sink to much money in it. Hahahaha
I definitely didn’t want a show car or anything I would have to worry about scratching so I found a great solution for me. I bought the paint and the body shop sprayed it for some extra money.

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Back home. I think it was about 3 months at the body shop and they towed it back home for me.
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Once home I started putting things back together. I installed a new wiring harness and adjusted the ride height. I also wanted to paint the area’s that were missed.
If I remember right these are thing stub axles and 944 turbo CV’s. I was originally going with Porsche four piston brakes all around but that was in the early years of collecting parts and decided it was way overkill.

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_________________
55 ragtop bug
67 Ghia vert
85 911
18 GTI
Some beat up British bikes
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55rag
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Joined: April 27, 2004
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 29, 2023 9:18 pm    Post subject: Re: Jay's 55 bug build Reply with quote

And presto, I did my best to match the paint.

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Old tired 1914 engine cleaned up and installed. It still runs great. I forgot to mention that I wanted a removable apron. I hate installing motors in an oval engine bay.

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Getting ready for my first test drive in the neighborhood.

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Working on the interior. I went pretty basic with the interior.

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I started putting the headliner in but once I got to the ragtop I decided to take it to a professional.
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Here we go with the professionally installed ragtop.
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_________________
55 ragtop bug
67 Ghia vert
85 911
18 GTI
Some beat up British bikes
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55rag
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 29, 2023 9:59 pm    Post subject: Re: Jay's 55 bug build Reply with quote

If you’re going for an 80’s look you have to have a stereo system.

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And Recaro SE’s don’t hurt.
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Love them or hate them?
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O-berg installed
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Burning the midnight oil. I was single and could stay out in the garage all night long.
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Front end complete.
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Even the rear lights working.
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Trying out the new rims. I wish they were fully polished original.
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I think I’m getting close.
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Interior is getting done too.
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Damn, I came out to the garage to the overwhelming smell of gas and a pool under the car. The fuel line in the tunnel cracked somehow. I ran a 5/16 steel line outside the car.
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First cruise outside of the neighborhood. What a great feeling.
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It’s now an official bug.
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This was to be phase 2. I wanted a nice motor and to be able to feel like the car matched the license plate.
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After three trips back to the builder to fix a flat cam, sticking distributor, failed alternator and finally a carb butterfly screw dropped into the combustion chamber it ran okay for a while. I was not happy with the power but I’d find out why later.
Put a truss bar in to help with the HUGE power increase.
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With the engine change I swapped the O-berg with a disposable oil filter.
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I think I need to lift the back. With the new engine’s sump I am way too close to the ground.
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I think this was the third time out for repairs. Thank goodness for the removable apron.
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I am frustrated with this new engine but when I look at this picture I am so grateful. I’m a lucky guy.
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I wondered why the clutch and gas peddle felt weird.
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Finally painted that decklid.
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Just after that I took the car out to see if that decklid paint made the car faster and the final blow happened. The engine just locked up taking off from a stop light. Rode my skateboard home. I have about 1000 mile on the motor at this point but it’s been about 1.5 years since I bought the motor so no recourse with the builder. Maybe buy a trans from this guy but definitely not a motor.
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Crank endplay too tight?
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Put the old tired, dependable 1914 back in for now and decided to build a new 2275 myself which is in a different thread for now. Also, after tearing down the old motor I found that the cam was an FK8 and not he advertised Web 86b that I purchased which explains one of the reasons for lack of power.
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_________________
55 ragtop bug
67 Ghia vert
85 911
18 GTI
Some beat up British bikes
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55rag
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Joined: April 27, 2004
Posts: 252

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PostPosted: Sun Jan 29, 2023 10:51 pm    Post subject: Re: Jay's 55 bug build Reply with quote

You all know these things never end and I have more changes I want to make to the car. I am building a Ghia in concert with keeping this bug so I don’t know which car will get the new 2275 engine. I’ll update this thread in another decade or two to see where the bug ends up.
And here are a few of my cars I’ve never documented.
The future build. I have a ton of parts for this and hoping to do a nice resto-mod.
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Another fun car to drive and currently collecting parts for a "restoration". Drives just like a gokart and I have to say that the BMW community is amazing like the VW community.
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You saw glimpses of this in the bug build. Such a fun car to drive:
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My current daily:
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This thing is great fun but has almost killed me a couple times. Try riding this and then a modern bike and you'll know what I mean.
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Some old cars I no longer have:
This car was so amazing to drive. Really an underrated car.
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After I was taken out on my SV650 this was the next great bike I bought. Decided to give it up after so many close calls in Orange County. Still really miss riding.
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80’s mod. Even back then I did an engine swap. I think this was a 59 Vespa with a 200 sport motor:
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I had to talk my wife at the time into letting me buy a small bike so I wouldn't die. Funny because she later tried to kill me. SATAN
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Umm, okay, don’t laugh, these are worth a fortune in England now.
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California kid for the first time in cold weather. You do not want to drive a bug in Chicago in the middle of winter.
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I got a little squirrely racing a Camaro on a curvy road. My first lesson in driving a swingaxle. Good thing for being young and lucky. Feel bad for the bug I destroyed. I’m slightly more mature now.
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This car was cursed and had to get rid of it which made the way for the 911.
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Another dream car that got sold.
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I was just out of the Navy and had a small shop fixing up cars. This was my dream car and my shop truck:
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My first full resto on a Navy budget:
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Going back to the late 90’s:
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I have a few more but they are mostly bikes and other cars you don't want to hear about. Unless you'd like to see my adventures in the Ford Courier through Baja.
_________________
55 ragtop bug
67 Ghia vert
85 911
18 GTI
Some beat up British bikes
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fl59bug
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Joined: November 23, 2005
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Location: North Carolina
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PostPosted: Sun Feb 05, 2023 3:44 pm    Post subject: Re: Jay's 55 bug build Reply with quote

That's a sweet cal-look ride you have there Jay! It's nice to see the build photos.

This has given me a few inspirational ideas for my '59, thank you.

Ted
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