'69 Baja - Dark Earth Version

[bikesndbugs]

[Dark Earth]

[Cul-tech]

Thanks for all the details on this build. Looks great so far!

That engine stand and hydraulic table work great together.
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I'm just trying to recreate my RC buggy's as a kid to a real life buggy.

[Dark Earth]

[Ruger59]

Great work so far! I love that color and was originally going to paint my baja a flat tan, but decided to go with a different color.
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Current Volkswagen's:
*An all original 1959 capri blue beetle nicknamed Ruger
*White 1970's Vert Baja Bug

[Dark Earth]

[Dark Earth]

I took out the two remaining windows. The rear window area has a little bit of rust where the window rubber seats.

The right rear quarter window had gloss black paint where the window rubber seated. Unfortunately it was all bubbled up. I scraped the paint and it flaked right off. Look what I found underneath.

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My Build: '69 Baja - Dark Earth Version

~I'm almost done. I just lack finishing up.~

[Dark Earth]

I cleaned the rust out of all the crevices using diamond burr bits. The pointed ones pulverize the rust into powder. Rubbing alchohol on a paper towel lifts it right up.

Then I filled the rust holes with weld and ground them down fairly smooth.

The right rear quarter window rust holes are going on the back burner for now.
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My Build: '69 Baja - Dark Earth Version

~I'm almost done. I just lack finishing up.~

[dustymojave]

I've done the same sort of work on a vintage Shelby Mustang Trans Am race car with history and a vintage Alfa Romeo race car.

I like to use solder ("lead"). Weld in areas like that can be a 'B' to shape.
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Richard
Offroading VW based cars since 1965
Tech Inspection 1963 - 2012 SCCA/SCORE/HDRA/MORE/MDR +
Retired from building Bajas, Fiberglass Buggies and Rails in the Mojave Desert. Also Sprints & Midgets, Dry Lakes, Road Race cars. All types New and Vintage
SoCalBajas Member
Kicked Cancer's A$$...1st and 2nd round...Fight ain't over yet.

[Dark Earth]

[dustymojave]

Once the rubber starts getting old and shrinks, water gets in under the edge and then is slow to dry. Old cracked window seals are the demon here.
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Richard
Offroading VW based cars since 1965
Tech Inspection 1963 - 2012 SCCA/SCORE/HDRA/MORE/MDR +
Retired from building Bajas, Fiberglass Buggies and Rails in the Mojave Desert. Also Sprints & Midgets, Dry Lakes, Road Race cars. All types New and Vintage
SoCalBajas Member
Kicked Cancer's A$$...1st and 2nd round...Fight ain't over yet.

[Dark Earth]

[Mykul]

Great work! Keep it up!
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Not all who wander are lost.

[Dark Earth]

[Dark Earth]

I plan to install the smaller euro style headliner, similar to this one, that only covers the center section of the interior roof.

I won't be using any of the stock headliner clips and I don't want to get snagged by any of them so I cut them off.

At the bottom of the door jamb I cut the headliner clips off the little strip that is spot welded and mig welded to the sandwiched metal structure.

Two separate parts of the body mate together here so I had to be careful to only remove metal from the short headliner clip strip. I ground away the metal around the welds.

I then sanded the welds down smooth.

I added a few tacks just in case I weakened things by removing the little clip strip.

I cut the headliner clips that run up the door jamb with a cutoff wheel.

I ground the remainder of the headliner clip metal flush to the metal it mates with.

It blended together with the overlapping metal at the bottom of the door jamb.

Above the door I cut off some more headliner clips.

I just ground the remaining metal off.

I cut the headliner clips near the rear window and ground them down smooth.

I still have the other side to finish.
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My Build: '69 Baja - Dark Earth Version

~I'm almost done. I just lack finishing up.~

[dustymojave]

I've planned for a headliner like that since the early 1970s. I still haven't done it yet though. Still my idea of how it should be done.
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Richard
Offroading VW based cars since 1965
Tech Inspection 1963 - 2012 SCCA/SCORE/HDRA/MORE/MDR +
Retired from building Bajas, Fiberglass Buggies and Rails in the Mojave Desert. Also Sprints & Midgets, Dry Lakes, Road Race cars. All types New and Vintage
SoCalBajas Member
Kicked Cancer's A$$...1st and 2nd round...Fight ain't over yet.

[Dark Earth]

[dustymojave]

To me a good Bug is like a good woman...Looks best bare.
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Richard
Offroading VW based cars since 1965
Tech Inspection 1963 - 2012 SCCA/SCORE/HDRA/MORE/MDR +
Retired from building Bajas, Fiberglass Buggies and Rails in the Mojave Desert. Also Sprints & Midgets, Dry Lakes, Road Race cars. All types New and Vintage
SoCalBajas Member
Kicked Cancer's A$$...1st and 2nd round...Fight ain't over yet.

[Dark Earth]

[I Ride Sand]

looks like i'm definitely not the only one giving the interior a fresh coat of paint and leaving it bare! i've also shaved the clips off of mine, but rather than a cloth European style headliner i'm just hitting the recessed portion with black rubberized coating. i hate having a headliner in an offroad vehicle. collects too much dust, and never looks clean again after the first 100 miles of dirt road. the rest will be red, grey carpet, black seats and door panels. i look forward to seeing your build progress!
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Just a dirty coyote playing in the desert.
now where'd that dirty badger run off to?