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Astra VW GT 2+2 - Starting Restoration, Have Questions
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redfarmer84
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PostPosted: Sun Nov 24, 2013 5:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I didn't get to work on it today as I had planned. It's pretty cold here plus I had an emergency come up and had to take care of that. I did sell the complete 1967 Beetle that came with the car though. My uncle was able to complete the deal and load it for the buyer while I was gone. $$$ to put towards the project!!

Oh no.....well what am I supposed to do? I need to remove the fiberglass body from the heater channels in order to do a good/complete restoration and in order to properly prepare the body for paint. I am planning on replacing the chassis/pan/engine with one from a later model beetle (ie. 1970, 1971, etc.) with at least a 1600 cc engine in it. I thought about making a brace that bolts in the existing holes and goes across to the passenger side. My uncle thinks it should be ok and when we get ready to lift it, he said we can use the bobcat with some nylon straps to lift it off.
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SBD
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PostPosted: Sun Nov 24, 2013 5:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'd try to rig up some kind of brace. No sense in risking body damage. There's no telling how much it might flex if it's not supported properly.
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redfarmer84
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PostPosted: Sun Nov 24, 2013 5:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

SBD wrote:
I'd try to rig up some kind of brace. No sense in risking body damage. There's no telling how much it might flex if it's not supported properly.


Do you think a brace going from the drivers side to passenger side would suffice? Or should there be something from front to rear?
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redfarmer84
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PostPosted: Tue Nov 26, 2013 12:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Guys.....quick question.....ran across this on CL and wondered if it might be a reasonable option. Of course there are parts there that I wouldn't need, but weighing the cost of buying an old used beetle or frame and engine, then buying parts to fix/rebuild, do you think I'd come out ahead to buy all of this? The engine and floorpan/running gear seem to all be "ready to go". Seems like it might be a decent deal, then I could focus more on the body work and getting the body painted since all of the rest would be mostly done. yeah, I can always lower the pans for the new seats, but most everything else he has completed. What do you think??

http://bham.craigslist.org/cto/4204232621.html
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SBD
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PostPosted: Tue Nov 26, 2013 1:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It's probably not a bad way to go if you have the money at your disposal. Depending on what's been done to the engine it might cost you that much to buy one outright. I'd hate to see you separate that project because so much has been done on it already but you might be able to sell the body to somebody. You could probably make a bit of your investment back selling parts you don't use. I'd have a hard time passing that car up if it's as nice as it sounds and the receipts are there but completing it would be a bit of work too. Then again, your Astra won't be a piece of cake either. Go for it & sell off what you can't use. Make sure you get a signed bill of sale and a clear title.
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redfarmer84
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PostPosted: Tue Nov 26, 2013 1:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

SBD wrote:
It's probably not a bad way to go if you have the money at your disposal. Depending on what's been done to the engine it might cost you that much to buy one outright. I'd hate to see you separate that project because so much has been done on it already but you might be able to sell the body to somebody. You could probably make a bit of your investment back selling parts you don't use. I'd have a hard time passing that car up if it's as nice as it sounds and the receipts are there but completing it would be a bit of work too. Then again, your Astra won't be a piece of cake either. Go for it & sell off what you can't use. Make sure you get a signed bill of sale and a clear title.


I know the Astra won't be a peice of cake, but I feel that I could focus more on the body of it since all of the other work has been "done". And yeah, I feel that I might get up to $500 back in the stuff I wouldn't use. Would it "ruin" the body if i had to use the heater channels from it to complete the Astra?
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jspbtown
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PostPosted: Tue Nov 26, 2013 1:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

You shouldn't need to use the heater channels from the VW on the Astra. Those are steel and built into the body on the Bug. The Astra has no use for them.

You might be able to sell the body for some decent money. I am far from an expert on the VW vs Super identification so make sure its a stock Beetle and not a Super.

Your body can be liften many ways (including just 4 people) and I wouldn't worry about bracing it. Here is my old Avenger bing held up by just a few straps.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.
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SBD
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PostPosted: Tue Nov 26, 2013 1:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

redfarmer84 wrote:
Would it "ruin" the body if i had to use the heater channels from it to complete the Astra?

Yes, I think it would. You'd be better off to keep the ones you have in the Astra. If you want to replace them I'd buy a new set.


Last edited by SBD on Tue Nov 26, 2013 1:47 pm; edited 1 time in total
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jspbtown
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PostPosted: Tue Nov 26, 2013 1:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Does the Astra have heater channels? If so..where are they located?

I did not know you could buy them.
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SBD
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PostPosted: Tue Nov 26, 2013 1:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

jspbtown wrote:
Does the Astra have heater channels? If so..where are they located?

I did not know you could buy them.

http://www2.cip1.com/SearchResults.asp?Search=heater+channels&sort=7&Search1=Search
Other places sell them too.
Look at the pics earlier in this thread and you'll see that a stock set is grafted into the Astra body.
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jspbtown
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PostPosted: Tue Nov 26, 2013 2:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Wow..that certainly sucks some room out of the cockpit huh?
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redfarmer84
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PostPosted: Tue Nov 26, 2013 4:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

jspbtown wrote:
Wow..that certainly sucks some room out of the cockpit huh?


I really don't know about it sucking that much room out of the cocpit, but yes it has them.

To answer the other comment above. i realize I could probably get $1,000 for the body alone, but i really want to restore the car and keep it for years to come as I like it uniqueness and appreciate its individual history with the previous owner. i have been wanting a project to work on and I feel that this will be a good one, plus I can enjoy it when I am done!.

Thanks for the pictures of your body being held up by straps. My body is 1 peice and I think it'll be ok taking it off. I am scared though since no parts are available for a "quick fix" if something goes wrong.
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BIGMIKEY
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PostPosted: Tue Nov 26, 2013 7:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

jspbtown wrote:
Does the Astra have heater channels? If so..where are they located?

I did not know you could buy them.


Jeff;

The Brochure pictures I posted on the first page talk about building the 2+2. They explain to remove the stock heater channels from the Donor Beetle with a torch or chisel and reinstall them on the donor chassis. Then bolt the Astra body down on the heater channels. A unique mounting method I never saw before.

The heater channels are exactly where they would be on a Beetle and use the same mounting bolts.
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https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=787047&highlight=

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BIGMIKEY
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PostPosted: Tue Nov 26, 2013 7:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

redfarmer84 wrote:

To answer the other comment above. i realize I could probably get $1,000 for the body alone, but i really want to restore the car and keep it for years to come as I like it uniqueness and appreciate its individual history with the previous owner. i have been wanting a project to work on and I feel that this will be a good one, plus I can enjoy it when I am done!.


I think he meant to sell the beetle body that comes with the parts hoard you found on Craigslist. More money in the project fund. ka-ching!
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Deserter Series 1 project.
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=787047&highlight=

1973 Beetle Driver, Marina Blue.
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jspbtown
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PostPosted: Tue Nov 26, 2013 9:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
I think he meant to sell the beetle body that comes with the parts hoard you found on Craigslist. More money in the project fund. ka-ching!


Exactly.

And of all the kits I have done (Mirage, Bradley GT & GTII, Kelmark, Sterling, Speedster and Avenger) I have never seen a kit use the stock VW heater channels.

Learn something new every day! I like that.
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SBD
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PostPosted: Wed Nov 27, 2013 12:16 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

BIGMIKEY wrote:

I think he meant to sell the beetle body that comes with the parts hoard you found on Craigslist. More money in the project fund. ka-ching!

That's what I was talkin' about! Wink
Just keep a solid paper trail for everything so that there's fewer problems for everybody involved down the road. Cool
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Q-Dog
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PostPosted: Wed Nov 27, 2013 10:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

jspbtown wrote:
Quote:
I think he meant to sell the beetle body that comes with the parts hoard you found on Craigslist. More money in the project fund. ka-ching!


Exactly.

And of all the kits I have done (Mirage, Bradley GT & GTII, Kelmark, Sterling, Speedster and Avenger) I have never seen a kit use the stock VW heater channels.

Learn something new every day! I like that.


I had an idea to buy new heater channels, bolt them onto a pan, then build a kit or buggy on top of that. It looks like that is exactly what this kit does. I like it.
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redfarmer84
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PostPosted: Wed Nov 27, 2013 11:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Going to look at everything today. Do I actually need a title!? I didn't realize they were around in 1970. What if it doesn't have one? Surely he wouldn't have done all that work for nothing. Anything I need to look for in particular since I am a Vw novice!?
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vw7266
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PostPosted: Wed Nov 27, 2013 12:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

what are u doing with the seats u took out of it?
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SBD
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PostPosted: Wed Nov 27, 2013 2:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

redfarmer84 wrote:
Going to look at everything today. Do I actually need a title!? I didn't realize they were around in 1970. What if it doesn't have one? Surely he wouldn't have done all that work for nothing. Anything I need to look for in particular since I am a Vw novice!?

It's possible he did all of that work and found out that he can't get a title & now wants to unload it before it bites him. I doubt that this is the case though. If it was I think he would most likely sell the carcass and keep the parts or sell them separately.

Is Alabama a "no title" state? I know some states are. You might want to look into it. The rules vary from state to state. Some require a notarized bill of sale and some don't. Some need the signature on the title notarized, some don't, and some don't even have titles. Think I've got a 1964 Plymouth that I bought in 1974. It has a title, but it looks like something that came out of a photo-copier. I guess they weren't as worried about that sort of thing back then.

As far as things to look for, other than obvious things like is the body twisted in a knot, is the pan showing obvious signs of being damaged/bent/twisted/rusted? If the flywheel is on the engine, grab the pulley or the flywheel & push it into the engine & then pull it back. It should BARELY move. We're talking about .005", which is barely perceptible to a lot of people. If it's a hard THUNK then the engine is suspect. In the pics it looked like a lot of the parts are still in packages. That's always good. Receipts will help prove ownership, just so nobody will accuse you of theft later on.

Others here might have more to say.
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