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Snydr
Samba Member
Joined: July 07, 2011
Posts: 467
Location: Gig Harbor, WA
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 Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2011 9:48 pm Post subject: 1963: Back in a Beetle again... |
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I've been out of the VW scene for over nearly a decade; recently I just happened across a 1963 Standard Beetle while out with the Father-in-law at his buddies house. This led to that, owner didn't want to sell, long story short, I bought the car - clear title.
It has rust in all the usual places (both floorpans, heater channels), random patch work from past owners here and there, a few dents and dings, a "newer" engine installed by the previous owner (1600 I believe)... But overall fairly solid, it should be a fun project. It's good to be back, back in a Beetle.
Below are a few pictures from day one (a few weeks ago), I've been a bit lazy getting the pictures off my camera… Today, the car is mostly torn down to the shell (with the engine and transmission left to come out) prepping for sandblasting and metal work, but for now the BEFORE:
More to follow...
Last edited by Snydr on Thu Jul 28, 2011 8:33 am; edited 1 time in total |
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pdivizzle0112
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Joined: July 13, 2011
Posts: 260
Location: Toluca Lake
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| Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2011 10:06 pm Post subject: |
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Very Nice! welcome back! 
btw, what color is that? thinking about painting my 62 a similar shade of green |
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Nubby
Samba Member
Joined: August 28, 2010
Posts: 605
Location: Down by the river
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| Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2011 10:43 pm Post subject: |
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| Just drive that vdub....looks good |
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66brm
Samba Member
Joined: January 25, 2010
Posts: 3676
Location: Perth Western Australia
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| Posted: Thu Jul 28, 2011 1:10 am Post subject: |
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Nice find, but are you sure its a standard? 
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Snydr
Samba Member
Joined: July 07, 2011
Posts: 467
Location: Gig Harbor, WA
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| Posted: Thu Jul 28, 2011 6:10 am Post subject: |
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| pdivizzle0112 wrote: |
Very Nice! welcome back!
btw, what color is that? thinking about painting my 62 a similar shade of green |
Thanks! No idea, it was [obviously] done before my time. What ever it is, everyone that see's it wants me to keep it that color. Not saying anything bad about it, but it really isn't my first choice. 
| Nubby wrote: |
| Just drive that vdub....looks good |
I did, for about a week, and decided I just wanted to get down to business. The rust was asking for it... and I bought it intending to rebuild it. It sure did bring back a lot of memories during that week of scooting around town, good times.
| 66brm wrote: |
| Nice find, but are you sure its a standard? |
I guess not, then again, I'm sure it's not the first time I may use the wrong termanology. Should I be sure, or unsure? 
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'63 Beetle Ragtop - (Build in progress)
'00 Jetta 1.8T |
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BXRJIM
Samba Member
Joined: July 28, 2009
Posts: 85
Location: Spantuckey WA
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| Posted: Thu Jul 28, 2011 8:22 am Post subject: |
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The VW looks sweet Snyder! Start looking now for the heater channels and use a donor. IMO no company makes a good replacements. It took me 7 mo. to find the right seller, with good pieces, with the right price.
Good to see another PNW guy on here too!
Jim
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My new mission- '62 Ragtop |
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gottria
Samba Member
Joined: April 28, 2011
Posts: 89
Location: Castro Valley,CA
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| Posted: Thu Jul 28, 2011 9:07 am Post subject: |
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| Very nice. I also got back into the VW aircooled scene after 20 years and bought a 63 ragtop. It sure feels good to drive it doesn't it.. |
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Snydr
Samba Member
Joined: July 07, 2011
Posts: 467
Location: Gig Harbor, WA
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| Posted: Thu Jul 28, 2011 9:30 am Post subject: |
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| 66brm wrote: |
| Nice find, but are you sure its a standard? |
| Snydr wrote: |
| I guess not, then again, I'm sure it's not the first time I may use the wrong termanology. Should I be sure, or unsure? |
Ah, semantics; but now I get it. Just assumed a standard was simply "not a Super Beetle."
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Via AirHeadParts.com:
The Standard Beetle was a “stripped down” model of the Beetle without almost any body or window chrome trim. In fact, the door handles, hood handles and front turn signal housings were painted, usually in grey. These were sold primarily in Europe, but available in other markets such as Canada. The Deluxe Beetle is what was primarily sold in the United States with the familiar body and window chrome moldings, door and hood handles and chromed front turn signal housings. With the introduction of the Super Beetle in the 1971 model year, the Deluxe Beetle which continued in production was informally called a “Standard Beetle” to differentiate between the two models and continued to have all of the “Deluxe” trim appointments. When ordering parts, this can be important to know what model type of Beetle you have or you might receive the wrong parts. |
Touché.
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'63 Beetle Ragtop - (Build in progress)
'00 Jetta 1.8T |
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Snydr
Samba Member
Joined: July 07, 2011
Posts: 467
Location: Gig Harbor, WA
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| Posted: Thu Jul 28, 2011 9:08 pm Post subject: |
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Just received the Stiftung AutoMuseum Volkswagen birth certificate in the mail today:
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Model: 113, VW De Luxe Sedan
Engine: 34 DIN-PS, 1.2 Liter
Color: L 87 Pearl White (Wheel Rim L 87 Pearl White, Wheel Disc L 479 Tint Beige
Upholstery: M 104 Leatherette Red
Built On: 16 January 1963 in Belgium
Left Factory: 22 February 1963
Destination: England |
Why none of my family/friends believed me when I said it was white, I'll never know. They all thought the green was original, you can see bits of the Pearl white under the window rubber and around the engine.
I did find the original red leatherette; FOUR LAYERS deep with duct tape patches. I'm sure the guy who put the fourth seat cover on there thought it was a real tight fit... 
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Snydr
Samba Member
Joined: July 07, 2011
Posts: 467
Location: Gig Harbor, WA
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| Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2011 3:26 pm Post subject: |
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It's been slow, steady and silent. I've spent my evenings after work in the garage slowly dismantling, documenting and bagging every part I took off. I catalogued parts that needed refurbishing and replacement; as well as, built out a projected expenses & actual expenses tracking spreadsheet.
New floorpans (WolfsburgWest) are in, everything is ground down and/or sandblasted that needed it and the chassis & suspension bits are going into paint tomorrow. (The pictures of the pan below are a few days behind what it really looks like right now). I'll spend the next few weeks putting the Chassis back together and then it's on to body work: both heater channels, both lower hinge pillars, a few cancerous spots, dents, dings then paint.
The plan so far is to stay mostly stock with the body, rims, glass, interior; but to upgrade the engine, add dropped spindles, and eventually a nice set of white walls. I'm also leaning towards anthracite gray for the body with a two tone (white or light gray) down each side.
This has been everything I could have hoped for so far, I'm having a blast.
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'63 Beetle Ragtop - (Build in progress)
'00 Jetta 1.8T |
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GtiKyle
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Joined: March 27, 2008
Posts: 211
Location: Tacoma, WA
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Snydr
Samba Member
Joined: July 07, 2011
Posts: 467
Location: Gig Harbor, WA
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| Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2011 4:46 pm Post subject: |
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| GtiKyle wrote: |
Nice progress, looks like fun.
Are you planning on doing the paint, or taking it to someone. If so, who'll be doing it? |
I plan on doing it myself (with the help of my father in law). He fully restores vintage coke machines, slot machines, a few jaguar XKE roadsters and other vintage memorabilia. He's super excited because this is his first experience with a VW. The top two pictures are my garage; the bottom two, of the chassis, are in his shop where he has his make shift paint booth.
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'63 Beetle Ragtop - (Build in progress)
'00 Jetta 1.8T |
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BadNis
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Joined: September 13, 2011
Posts: 137
Location: out and about in B-Town
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Maddog209
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Joined: November 03, 2011
Posts: 291
Location: Central Valley, Ca.
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| Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2011 7:23 pm Post subject: |
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Enjoy the build. I will look forward to seeing the progress.
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Current VW's= 2013 Tiguan, 1968 Bug |
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Rome
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Joined: June 02, 2004
Posts: 9640
Location: Pearl River, NY
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| Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2011 3:15 am Post subject: |
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Good going! You're going whole hog at full speed. Great that you're fixing the rot properly. How long have you been welding before you bought the car?
Built in Belgium? Went to England?! Seems the history how it made it to the USA would be very interesting to research. How long did your dad's friend have the car?
BTW anthracite would be a dynamite color choice. |
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Snydr
Samba Member
Joined: July 07, 2011
Posts: 467
Location: Gig Harbor, WA
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| Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2011 5:59 pm Post subject: |
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| Rome wrote: |
Good going! You're going whole hog at full speed. Great that you're fixing the rot properly. How long have you been welding before you bought the car?
Built in Belgium? Went to England?! Seems the history how it made it to the USA would be very interesting to research. How long did your dad's friend have the car?
BTW anthracite would be a dynamite color choice. |
The pace at which I am moving is purely my father in laws' fault. The guy is retired and gets to tinker in his shop at all hours of the day while the rest of us have to work. 
I had welded once in my life when I was in middle school. So, I am teaching my father in law about VWs and he is teaching me how to weld and paint. It also helps that he is a retired mechanic... I'm pretty sure I have the best in laws, ever.
That is pretty much the extent of the known history of my beetle, what was on the birth certificate. All I know past that is the previous owner got it at a repo auction (otherwise clear title in hand). He threw in a junk yard engine, tranny & starter and drove it for a few years until I found him.
My friends and family roll their eyes when I tell them the color will be "gray." But I'm in love with anthracite. Still trying to figure out how to find a place that can mix up the correct color.
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Snydr
Samba Member
Joined: July 07, 2011
Posts: 467
Location: Gig Harbor, WA
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| Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2011 6:01 pm Post subject: |
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And as promised, primed and painted today. That feels good...
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Rome
Samba Member
Joined: June 02, 2004
Posts: 9640
Location: Pearl River, NY
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| Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2011 6:10 pm Post subject: |
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Anthracite: Look at the middle of page 1 of this thread- http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=424324&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0
Might be worthwhile to buy a quart to test it... If you don't have an authentic anthracite panel for a match, it might indeed be very close substitute. Your father-in-law might also enjoy trying out a home garage repaint with it . Then again, if you want to spend $$ for a pro paint job, then you'll want to get a color code mix for anthracite.
You're very lucky to have an in-law who is interested in and actively is helping you with the Beetle. |
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Snydr
Samba Member
Joined: July 07, 2011
Posts: 467
Location: Gig Harbor, WA
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| Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2012 11:43 am Post subject: |
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Slow and Steady: Thought I'd update my thread with some notes and a few pictures...
Chassis is coming along. Front suspention is pretty much rebuilt and in place minus the locking plates being bent down (incase I need to take something off). Brakes rebuilt, but I haven't put the rears on yet since I've still got work to do on the transmission. I've started running/hooking up cables and fitting a few finished items (pedal cluster, ebrake, shifter, heater control etc). THe long white box under neath are my KlassicFab heater channels (woohoo!).
Added tennis balls onto the spindle ends so the wife wouldn't wack the Jetta's door on one side, and stop bruising her leg on the otherside by her potting bench.
Trying the channels on for size, perfect fit (no bolt plates, I know, it was just a dry fitting):
And last but not least, the wheels are done. They were my "color/eye test" to see how the Pearl looked against Anthracite (so I'd be sure it would translate to the two tone body). Next for these are the tires, thinking of going with BFGoodrich 2 1/4in White Wall - 165R15.
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HotRod06
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Joined: January 02, 2011
Posts: 86
Location: Rosamond, CA
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| Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2012 12:00 pm Post subject: |
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Thats an awesome looking combo you got going there.
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It's not always the destination, sometimes its the journey. |
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I just did as well after 25 years a glad I did!
