1959 Beetle Restoration Project

[jbannon]

[jbannon]

Pan Restoration and Rebuild

First some updates...

It's been a while since I posted but progress has continued in the 59 Beetle. Some quick updates before I jump into the pan:

- The seats are at the upholster and should be done before Christmas. I'll post a full update on the interior once it's done.

- I have started restoring the door panels and will provide a full update once they are finished.

- All body work is completed and the car is ready for paint. I hope to have the car painted and returned by Christmas.

Pan

As many of you know the rear torsion bars and spring plates were frozen solid and no amount of pounding or heat on my part could free them. I didn't have the correct tools or equipment to remove the bars and opted to go with Scheidl-Vetiska OG, which is a local company that provides a host of services to the car restoration community in Austria. The owner, Harald Scheidl picked the pan up from my shop and returned it fully prepped and painted minus the frozen torsion bars. When I asked him how they removed the bars he commented that it took three guys with hammers and a hell of a lot of heat to get them out!

In addition to removing the bars they cleaned and prepped the pan (inside and out), and painted it with semi-gloss epoxy plant. I opted for the epoxy versus powder coating given I can more easily touch up the epoxy if it gets scratched or damaged. It was also a service that Scheidl-Vetiska OG offered and it made sense to have them do everything so I could get the pan back to the shop and complete assembly.

Here is a picture of the pan when Harald returned it:

Since then I have been building the pan and assembled the front beam and started to work on the brake lines:

As you can see I have opted for a dual circuit master cylinder for safety reasons. The guys at Airkweld made a good video on how to prep the master cylinder so it doesn't rust once its installed (I have no affiliation to Airkweld--I found the video useful and thought I would share it.) I also installed a steering damper given my front beam is a post 59 beam and had the support bracket. These are small things but they will positively add to the driving experience.


Link

Services / Vendors:

- Scheidl-Vetiska OG
www.coldpowerclean.at

[VW_Jimbo]

Very cool thread! I will be following along. I love the information you supply with those posts where a vendor was used. Great resource for those that follow in your foot steps!

And I ABSOLUTELY LOVE YOUR ATTENTION TO DETAIL! Man after my own heart!
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Jimbo

There is never enough time to do it right the first time, but all the time necessary the second time!

[Busstom]

My GOD dude, that pan looks GREAT. I'm jealous.
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My name's Steve and it's pronounced "Bust 'em" (cuz people think I'm Tom) 😏

[scrivyscriv]

Looking great! It’s all downhill from here!
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Robert in Memphis
Dünkelgrügen 1967 Java Green bug thread
Engine rebuild thread
If you're ever in the Memphis area, you are welcome to stop by for advice and help.

[jbannon]

[jbannon]

[jbannon]

[Wily]

[jbannon]

Bodywork and Paint Progress

Received a few photos from the body/paint shop today. Body should be completed next month and assembly can begin.

A motometer 3-in-1 gauge will go into the new dash grill plate

Here is paint swatch of L243 Diamond gray. On the left is my glove box door with original paint, and on the right is the paint swatch.

Vendors/Parts:

Pasztor Classic (Hungary)
https://pasztorclassic.hu/en

Grumpy's Metal
https://grumpysmetal.com/gas-gauge-bezel-single-2-13-32th-hole-lhd.html

[jbannon]

Paint

It's been some time since I last posted any updates. Despite this, the restoration is making progress and I thought I would share the results.

Painting has begun! The L243 Diamond Gray paint is looking great, and I really enjoy how the color changes depending on the lighting. Paint should be completed and the car will be ready to bring home in February 2023.

And the wheels are done! Stock colors for L243 Diamond Gray were Moss Green (L244) on the outer rim, Pearl White (L87) on the inner rim, and black for the back of the rim. While it was easy to find a paint code for Pearl White, my painter could not find a paint code for Moss Green. The only references I had were pictures from The Samba, so my Moss Green may not be exact. I defaulted to going a little darker given the darker moss green contrasts better against the Diamond Gray paint. Now I just need to figure out tires.

Vendors/Parts:

Pasztor Classic (Hungary) - Body
https://pasztorclassic.hu/en

Albert Kiegler e.U. - Karosserie Fach- u. Meisterbetrieb - Wheels
https://www.kiegler.at

[jbannon]

SWF Windshield Wiper Restoration

I did this a while back but hadn't shared the results. When I pulled the windshield wipers they were covered in an inch of grease and were very beat up. The wiper shafts themselves were seized (and needed replaced), which I assume was the reason for all the grease. Here is what I started with:

I disassembled everything, inspected and cleaned the motor, polished the motor case, and had all metal sandblasted and powder coated.

I then replaced all the seals, bushings, grommets, etc., cleaned the grounding strap, had the bolts and retaining spring zinced, and then reassembled all the parts.

Parts / Vendors:

- Sand blasting and powder coating

Sandstrahlen-Stockerau
https://www.sandstrahlen-stockerau.at/

Replacement Parts (all from Wolfsburg West)
- Wiper Shaft (Left) - 111955215B
- Wiper Shaft (Right) - 111955216B
- Wiper Shaft Grommets - 111955261A
- Wiper Link Bushing - 111955341
- Wiper Shaft Nut - 113955243A
- Wiper Assembly Grommet - 111955641
- Wiper Shaft C-Clip - 111955346A

[jbannon]

Chrome

I sent my side mirrors, door handles, and hood handle to Wittka Galvanisierung GesmbH (http://www.wittka.at) to get re-chromed, and was very happy with the results. Wittka has an employee that enjoys working on classic car parts, and personally handles all the chroming to ensure everything is done correctly.

Driver Side and Passenger Side Mirrors:

The car came with a passenger side mirror that I had never seen before but thought was very cool. After searching for a while I found a driver side version to complete the pair. The "Made in Germany" must have been embossed after they chromed them at the factory, and unfortunately they got a little lost when re-chromed. Regardless, they look very good.

Before:

After

Door Handles

Before

After

Front Hood

Before

After

Other chromed parts

As for the bumpers, deck lid handle, vent windows, window division bars, chrome trim, and running board trim I decided to go with new items. I purchased stainless steel chromed bumpers from BBT, and stainless steel chrome trim and new chrome window division bars from Kaeferland. In addition, I bought NOS vent window frames, vent wing locks, and related hardware when I attended HO 2022 in Germany last summer. These items were very worn and beat up, and it was surprisingly cheap to replace them with new NOS parts. I'll provide updates once I start putting things together to show you how they turned out.

Vendors:

- Wittka Galvanisierung GesmbH (http://www.wittka.at)

[jbannon]

Some quick updates on painting the car. The body is nearly done and I should get the car back soon.

[Rome]

Beautiful paintwork! Please try to post a photo of the body outdoors in mild daylight when you are transferring it back home- that color often appears very different in natural light compared to the fluorescent in the paint booth.

[jbannon]

Thanks and will do!

[markendee]

Just discovered your build thread last night and have read every post.

Magnificent!

Looking forward to seeing your car finished.

Regards from Australia.

Mark.
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Member # 145244

[Busstom]

Wow, loving it! That's not Diamond Grey, is it? Whatever it is, it's stunning and will suit the car very well
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My name's Steve and it's pronounced "Bust 'em" (cuz people think I'm Tom) 😏

[jbannon]

[jbannon]