Author |
Message |
vwbug47 Samba Member
Joined: November 17, 2013 Posts: 10 Location: Wiltshire
|
Posted: Sun Nov 17, 2013 12:12 pm Post subject: 1959 RHD complete original restoration project |
|
|
I have created this thread to log the progress of my 1959 original Beetle restoration.
My aim is to restore this car as closely to the day it came out the factory as I'm able down to original period nuts, bolts and washers.
The car was (and will be) painted Indigo Blue.
I am 25, this is my 3rd Beetle but I have never taken on a project anywhere near the size of this.
Any help, hints and tips will be warmly received.
I look forward to hearing peoples thoughts.
Below shows the chassis with floor pan. Freshly painted and in amazing condition. Sound deadening material has also been added to floor pan
The original shell stripped to bare metal. not a spot of rust anywhere
Front axle and gear box with drive shafts added to chassis
The first 30horse engine stripped. Awful condition inside with serious amounts of damage and a hole corroded in the underside of the engine casing
Another 30horse engine sourced from Belgium stripped and in fantastic condition considering it's age
Fuel tank painted, original engine tinware painted and lovely shiny hubcaps. Have to say I'm over the moon with my shiny fuel tank.
Matching year correct seats sourced from Belgium. Needing re-covering...
Original steering box, king pins, peddle assembly and starter motor all cleaned up and freshly painted.
Original shiny bumpers
Stunning condition period heat exchangers
Engine progress...
Few chips removed from the original steering wheel, getting ready to paint.
A blasted ash tray and front plate with original knob. I think its a great example of the engineering that went into each part of these early bugs.
The only part I have showing the original blue it came out the factory in that it will be painted.
The second engine (sourced from Belgium) as I received it.
Original with VW stamp and label.
Dismantling of the carb to clean the jets, casing and check the diaphragm.
The engine casing from the second engine all cleaned up and bolts checked and double nutted tight. Over the moon with its condition.
Today's job was stripping down the fuel pump, cleaning it up and reassembling.
Ready for install..
Next job.. completely clean the carb and ensure no blockages in the jets..
Carb now fully cleaned, jets checked and re-assembled. Looking much better.
Carb and fuel pump ready .
Cannot wait to get the steering wheel painted and this added to the centre.. I'm told these are hard to find in perfect condition .
Essential organisation.. new shelves .
Original instruction manual and service booklet.
Forgot I had them!
Original VIN plate
Found some photos the previous owner had given me..
Engine is now very nearly ready for re-assembly. Just a final petrol clean and then can get it together. Will mount it to the gearbox and mount the tinware from there. An exciting moment in the project. Photos to follow...
Small job but forgotten I hadn't cleaned and painted the tinware plate that slots under the barrels before the heads go on.. all done now and ready to assemble the engine.. I think!
Progress today. Engine being put back together. Had to pause progress to solve a query about one of my bearing dowels. Feels too thin.
Heads shot blasted and looking as good as new. What a difference!
Removing the valves for cleaning and to clean the passages..
The valves cleaned up..
Before and after..
Bedding in the valves...
Original clutch shotblasted and cleaned up very nicely..
Original flywheel shotblasted and shined up..
New pushrods with seals added...
The promised progress fell short. Wanted to change the exhaust manifold studs on the heads as several were worn and 2 were not even the correct ones but a few snapped so had to be drilled out and re-bored. All sorted now....
Rear lights surrounds in primer.
PLEASE EXCUSE THE MUCKY FINGER PRINTS ON THE ENGINE BLOCK/ CYLINDER HEADS... THEY WILL BE REMOVED... I WAS IN A RUSH!
Pistons fitted, barrels pushed in with gaskets and copper seals. Tinware plates under the barrels fitted, push rod tubes positioned and cylinder heads fitted.
Rocker gear fitted, tappets adjusted and Bosch super plus spark plugs fitted.
Engine so far... before and now.
Oil cooler blasted and painted. Before and after.
Pulley and more engine tinware in etch primer.
5 original wheels in etch primer.
Tiny job but oil cooler fitted
|
|
Back to top |
|
 |
volkspower5150 Samba Member

Joined: June 02, 2001 Posts: 57
|
Posted: Sat Nov 23, 2013 10:56 am Post subject: |
|
|
Subscribed! looking great! _________________ In progress 1960 rhd ragtop
61SNRF wrote: |
You might also want to change your signature line to.....WTF is it?  |
|
|
Back to top |
|
 |
vwbug47 Samba Member
Joined: November 17, 2013 Posts: 10 Location: Wiltshire
|
Posted: Mon Nov 25, 2013 4:38 am Post subject: |
|
|
Thankyou! Means a lot.
Currently sorting out the colours so I can have the wheels painted.
Have also just shortened the brake lines so they look a better fit.. pics to follow... |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
anthracitedub Samba Member
Joined: June 20, 2007 Posts: 3241 Location: Michigan
|
Posted: Mon Nov 25, 2013 4:59 am Post subject: |
|
|
Very proper, all your work will be well rewarded. |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
bowserb61 Samba Member

Joined: November 19, 2008 Posts: 48
|
Posted: Mon Nov 25, 2013 10:58 pm Post subject: |
|
|
You're doing a really nice job with all this, and you won't regret having done each step the right way.
If you're as meticulous with the interior as you are with the rest of the car and you really want a factory day restoration, I've got some disappointing news if you don't already know. Nobody, and I mean nobody makes a really accurate 59 interior. I had the exact same blue interior with the cloth seat faces, and that has been the most consistently frustrating part of parts searching. That fabric pattern was 58/59 only and it isn't reproduced anywhere, but some people have had luck with having it custom woven.
So my advice from all this complaining is: don't throw away any original interior you may have. Restore old vinyl when you can and go the extra distance matching fabrics. If that stuff matters to you, there's nothing quite like the real thing. |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
AlteWagen Troll

Joined: February 23, 2007 Posts: 8635 Location: PNW
|
|
Back to top |
|
 |
sunroof Samba Member

Joined: October 06, 2006 Posts: 1906 Location: Winnipeg
|
Posted: Thu Jan 09, 2014 10:21 am Post subject: |
|
|
I have correct cloth for your interior if you are interested.
Don |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
59RAIDER Samba Member

Joined: April 24, 2013 Posts: 83 Location: Alamogordo NM
|
Posted: Thu Jan 09, 2014 11:35 am Post subject: |
|
|
AlteWagen wrote: |
Looks great!!!
Just wondering why you are using a 60-63 steering wheel instead of a stock 56-59 unit. |
I had the same question  |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
AlteWagen Troll

Joined: February 23, 2007 Posts: 8635 Location: PNW
|
|
Back to top |
|
 |
Fifty-Eight Rag Samba Member

Joined: September 07, 2011 Posts: 936 Location: St. Louis, MO
|
|
Back to top |
|
 |
lawn ninja Samba Member

Joined: January 02, 2006 Posts: 1020 Location: Round Rock, TX
|
Posted: Thu Jan 09, 2014 8:00 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Also if you are deadset on super original the engine case should have a gold-ish creosote coating on it. Also as far as I am aware the gas tanks were grey and the replacements were black. The rear shock towers also look like they have a bit of rust. Looks like you cans see some daylight there. Not nitpicking but I wouldn't want you to miss that rust. _________________ Jason
My 64 1500 S Notchback project here
My 58 sedan project here
My 63 Ghia here |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
56Cabrio Samba Member

Joined: May 22, 2008 Posts: 2005 Location: San Fernando Valley, CA
|
|
Back to top |
|
 |
Blauchen L331 Samba Member

Joined: November 16, 2011 Posts: 1270 Location: Gainesville, Florida
|
Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2014 3:30 am Post subject: |
|
|
Your car SHOULD have the "new" style 1960 steering wheel, if it was built after August 31st 1959.
Steering wheels changed in late August 1959 and YES, there's 1959 titled registered cars in Europe that are sold 1959 but have ALL the 1960 "new" parts........
Does your data plate have a year stamped onto the right side I can't see the plate well, it should.....
The correct proper interior for your car might be leatherette? ~ While it was EXPORTED outside the continent, to a RHD destination, which would have been
code 70 Steel Grey with Blue sides.
If the car had Cloth then it would be the German code 50 50 Water Blue, or known in European VW circles as "Pajama Stripe" interior.
(I know where to GET this fabric, it's STILL being made, no matter what some people say.....!)
I'm PROUD to see someone restoring a 1960 Euro correctly and to Original specs, so many of these cars now are cut up, messed up, lawn mowers with 20% original parts just the Semaphores left working, BRAVO to someone wanted to save a car and keep it original.
If you need any advice and help about the originally of the car, please write me off the thread.
Best of Luck With Your Restoration,
Tom _________________ OG PAINT L331 JUNE 1957 TYPE 1 OVAL WINDOW
(US Army In Germany POV/Grey Market Special Ordered Car from MAHAG Munich)
Delivered with Semaphores - German "Puntchen" Cloth Polkadotted Interior -
USA RAM Protection/Export Overrider Bumpers - MPH Speedometer -
Sealed Beam Headlights and Bullet Front Turn Signals!
99.9% ORIGINAL PARTS WITH ONLY 33,000 ORIGINAL MILES/ GARAGE FIND/ UNRESTORED CAR |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
Blauchen L331 Samba Member

Joined: November 16, 2011 Posts: 1270 Location: Gainesville, Florida
|
Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2014 3:42 am Post subject: |
|
|
BTW.
I just watched a episode of the 1960's adventure show "The Saint" with Roger Moore and there was a European L 363 Arctic Blue car (same kind of Beetle I once owned except mine was LHD), the one in the TV programe was a Irish Registered RHD car and it has the same style of interior that might have been in your car as well, the code 70 leatherette......
Super very kool episode and the car had some strange single fog light and hooded headlight set up, I'll try to get some screen captures and make a thread about it.....stay tuned!
Tom _________________ OG PAINT L331 JUNE 1957 TYPE 1 OVAL WINDOW
(US Army In Germany POV/Grey Market Special Ordered Car from MAHAG Munich)
Delivered with Semaphores - German "Puntchen" Cloth Polkadotted Interior -
USA RAM Protection/Export Overrider Bumpers - MPH Speedometer -
Sealed Beam Headlights and Bullet Front Turn Signals!
99.9% ORIGINAL PARTS WITH ONLY 33,000 ORIGINAL MILES/ GARAGE FIND/ UNRESTORED CAR |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
|