My 54 european deluxe from start to finish

[Russ]

victoria show is this weekend i assume you will be there, great show i went for the first time last year.
i can't make it this year but wish i could:(
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Cruiser pedals for sale (see my ad's)
55 hardtop finally finished
65 beetle done:)

[54bugn]

Hey Russ, sorry you couldn't make it across. Show weekend was a great success and a lot of fun. 168 registered cars plus others parked outside. LGK made a large appearance from the mainland to add to the show and helped out with the event.

Personally had a good weekend, third in poker run and took home First pre 58 trophy. Hope to meet you in August in Vancouver.

Cheers
Mike
_________________
"Schwing wrote:
You either have to be too cheap to hire a pro or determined to do it yourself, but it helps to be both!"

54 European Sedan deluxe
Build thread: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=414940

[Russ]

excellent job
_________________
Cruiser pedals for sale (see my ad's)
55 hardtop finally finished
65 beetle done:)

[54bugn]

Thanks Russ,

Out for a cruise night on a beautiful Victoria evening, with some members of the Victoria Volkswagen Club. A few shots from the night.

Enjoying every drive and show I attend.

Cheers,
Mike
_________________
"Schwing wrote:
You either have to be too cheap to hire a pro or determined to do it yourself, but it helps to be both!"

54 European Sedan deluxe
Build thread: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=414940

[Hazza6542]

That night shot with the hearts lit up is awesome, this car is perfection. I've gone through the thread a few times and every time I'm impressed by the work gone in.

Good work!
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55 build: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=680057

[54bugn]

Thank you very much Hazza6542. It's my pride and joy.

I hope you and others can get some useful info out of this thread as well.

Nice job on your 55 so far as well. Congrats.

Cheers,
Mike
_________________
"Schwing wrote:
You either have to be too cheap to hire a pro or determined to do it yourself, but it helps to be both!"

54 European Sedan deluxe
Build thread: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=414940

[TheLadyBug]

I spied this and didn't realize this was you until today!!
Did we meet at the GCVW?
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Charmaine
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1954 Beetle - because I can
2016 Golf highline - hubby’s daily
2016 Golf R - my daily

[54bugn]

Hi Charmaine, yes ''twas I. We met outside the sushi place talking to the three J's on the Saturday afternoon, but maybe you didn't realize who I was. Looked for you Sunday but somehow missed you. Hope you enjoyed the show and got a good look at the 54.

Cheers,
Mike
_________________
"Schwing wrote:
You either have to be too cheap to hire a pro or determined to do it yourself, but it helps to be both!"

54 European Sedan deluxe
Build thread: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=414940

[TheLadyBug]

[Digger89L]

Just spent Sunday afternoon 'cruising' thru the 22 pages of your rebuild post: amazing story, and GREAT results! And, a true learning experience for me as I proceed ever-so-slowly on my 66 Bahama Blue rebuild out here in Saskatchewan. I'll be referring back to your posts A LOT as I continue to do much the same kind of repair / rebuild work on my car. Couple of questions that I couldn't find the answers to as I read thru: what was the metal thickness (guage) that you used for your patch panels, and where did you source it? did you clearcoat the exposed bare hardware (ie: floorpan bolts) to prevent future rust? earlier on in your posts, you moved numerous times, but I missed your telling of the move across the country to Victoria ..what brought that on? (sorry to be so nosey!!) And ...one comment on the earlier beetles: often wondered why folks who rebuilt them didn't move the ignition switch so it was more easily accessed for a left-hand drive vehicle ...'correctness' and all aside. Just seems so odd to have the ignition switch on the 'passenger side'. Anyway ....enjoyed the rebuild description! Take care!
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"If you can't fix it with pop rivets, crazy glue and duct tape, or hold it together with zip ties, velcro or magnets, it REALLY is broken."

[54bugn]

Hello Digger89L,

Thank you for the comments, glad it is of help. I will see if I can answer your questions.

Quite a bit of the metal came from an early 55 donor bug, original German steel. The heater channels were Gerson funky green ones from Concept1 in Calgary, original thickness. The rest was best quality steel replacement panels I could get from CIP. Unsure of thickness but pretty close to original.

If there were bolt heads that were kept steel colour then yes I clear coated them and anti seized the threads and shank before assembly.

I work in the aviation industry and with the downturn in the oil industry the past few years, I have been chasing work.

Lastly I was trying to make the car as original as possible so placed the ignition switch back in the original spot. I have found since finishing the car that it is a comfortable reach to start the car, and as I changed the wiring harness I would have had to make some major wiring harness changes to move it and the other switches.

I had a Bahamas blue 66 as well, one of my favourite cars. Included pic of mine below. Good luck with the rebuild.

Mike
_________________
"Schwing wrote:
You either have to be too cheap to hire a pro or determined to do it yourself, but it helps to be both!"

54 European Sedan deluxe
Build thread: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=414940

[54bugn]

Small update, finally sourced, obtained and installed 1954 only fuel pump replacing the Zwitter pump I had been running this past summer. One more step closer to a factory engine.

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and the best for the New Year.

Mike

(o\!/o)
_________________
"Schwing wrote:
You either have to be too cheap to hire a pro or determined to do it yourself, but it helps to be both!"

54 European Sedan deluxe
Build thread: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=414940

[54bugn]

So my newly obtained 1954 fuel pump wouldn’t pump fuel. I disassembled it and found the mating surfaces to be warped by overtightening the screws. Anyway fully disassembled the pump, glass plate refaced all surfaces and reassembled with new diaphragm. To preset the 35mm preload on the diaphragm before tightening I made an adjustable tool based on the original vw tool. Next to check the fuel pressure once reinstalled.

Mike
_________________
"Schwing wrote:
You either have to be too cheap to hire a pro or determined to do it yourself, but it helps to be both!"

54 European Sedan deluxe
Build thread: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=414940

[54bugn]

So after reassembly of the 54 fuel pump, I had to set the fuel pressure. First I had to make a tool to measure fuel pressure and a gauge low enough to use.

Interesting that online, including this site, it talks about make sure you use the original spring, I know why now. I didn’t have that option, the spring had been replaced sometime in the past and it was initially putting out 4.5 PSI, too high. I swapped with a shorter spare spring I had and it was only putting out 0.5 PSI. Too low. So using some math and cross multiplication I stretched the short spring to what I had calculated to get 1.5 PSI and it worked. Thank god taking the pump apart again was a pain. So make sure you use the old spring! 😆 lol In the VW manual it talks about adding and removing gaskets under the pump mount, but this is just for fine tuning will not change the pressure to any great degree if you are out as much as I was.

So here is the proof, in the following pics. Happy to have it set correctly and running well.

Enjoy your summer season.

Mike
_________________
"Schwing wrote:
You either have to be too cheap to hire a pro or determined to do it yourself, but it helps to be both!"

54 European Sedan deluxe
Build thread: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=414940

[54bugn]

Had a chance in the last two weeks to give the 54 a good polish for the first time after last May’s paint job. I was getting it ready for the LGK Dubs in the Barn show on April 21, 2018. Thanks to Spencer Gilbert photography for the photos.

Also turned into a surprising successful day as we won the CIP’s best of show choice award.

Thanks to all, a great show.

Mike
_________________
"Schwing wrote:
You either have to be too cheap to hire a pro or determined to do it yourself, but it helps to be both!"

54 European Sedan deluxe
Build thread: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=414940

[55 ragger]

Congratulations Mike well done.

[René R.]

Utterly gorgeous!!
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Gone but not forgotten: 1950 Hoffman split (restored in 1966) - another 1950 Hoffman split (restored in 1996)

[54bugn]

Thanks Rob and Rene.

Love your 54 as well Rene.

Mike
_________________
"Schwing wrote:
You either have to be too cheap to hire a pro or determined to do it yourself, but it helps to be both!"

54 European Sedan deluxe
Build thread: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=414940

[54bugn]

Haven’t posted in a bit so I thought I would post some pics of Schultz hanging out this summer. Met with other vw types, cruised around and went to some shows. Won best of class for the second year in a row at the Great Canadian show in Vancouver. All in all a great summer.

Hope everyone had a good summer

Mike
_________________
"Schwing wrote:
You either have to be too cheap to hire a pro or determined to do it yourself, but it helps to be both!"

54 European Sedan deluxe
Build thread: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=414940

[AceHH]

Read yesterday your Thread.
Excellent work, looks very clean.
Lucky to have so much Space to work.

Greetings from Germany.
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TY and have a nice Day.