1980 Vert restoration back to stock

[racoguy]

I've had this car for more than 10 years sitting completely stripped on top of my office at work, from the bits that are left of it looks like it was a triple white car but I'm yet to order the certificate to confirm.
I do know that its 238 cars from the last one ever built putting it in the first few days of January 1980.
Anyhow there's tons of parts I have already but I thought I'd get on to sourcing the decals before they are lost forever when the body gets blasted.
Anyone reproducing these or know of anyone?
Accuracy and detail is important for this car, want to as close to stock as possible.

The color of the top is another thing, from what I found on line the triple white cars at the end of production didn't have a "white" top as such rather a sand or off white instead?
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[TX-73]

I would suggest to keep those decals in place, protected while you do the rest of the car. I've done it like this before, including my bug, and they survived fine with a bit of care.
IMO the original decals are a key to originality.
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My 1973 Standard Beetle Build SOLD
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The door jamb one with all the little die cut circles so you can't remove it without destroying it is either going to be ludicrously expensive, or next to impossible to reproduce. That's the only one I would preserve/paint around while doing your restoration. Having a reproduction sticker of it without EXACTLY reproducing it is going to loose ALL of your significance/credibility of the date of the manufacture of the car. Check with companies that reproduce the Mercedes/Porsche stuff. They may be interested in reproducing the others if you can't find them. I agree with TX-73 that the stickers add to the originality of the car, but having dog eared, mice stained stickers that have been masked off from fresh paint just looks like crap to me.

[Epilog79]

I ran into the same issue with my restoration 15 years ago. Unfortunately the paint shop painted over my black door jam sticker. This has been the biggest headache every time I have to go thru DEQ smog check. That sticker on my car says that it is a catalyst free car. I have to argue with them every 2 years that it is truly a non-cat car. I would keep that sticker taped over and protected during the blasting and painting. Good Luck.

[racoguy]

Lucky for me there are no smog checks in New Zealand so the door jamb sticker is of no importance here other than originality.

There's also no die cut circles on it, just has 2 squiggled lines cut from one end to another.
Just cant leave manky looking decals on what will be a near perfect car.
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[racoguy]

Doing some research in to stock parts etc and found I had purchased the wrong color top which was supposed to be sand, not white.
This led me to start looking at all manner of things like fender beading, I've seen pictures of 2 supposed ultra low mile original triple white 79's yet one has black and the other white fender bead, which is correct?
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[Dwayne1m]

I did some research a while back looking for a "sand" top but nobody offered them that I found. Some 78's came with the sand top as well. It wasn't really a sand colored top from new. It was more white so I think you're stuck with white but I doubt anyone will know the difference.

[racoguy]

Chucks has the sand tops
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[racoguy]

At last, some more progress on the Convertible.
I was never happy with the replacement pans I fitted many years ago and when I came across the Kaferland ones from WW I knew what to do.
With a set on their way I cut the other new ones off and threw them in the trash.
I've always mig plug welded floors but I aquired a big spot welder earlier this year but its way to big to handle so I had to think of a way it was going to work.
So..... if you can't bring the welder to the job, bring the job to the welder!
Gantry crane is pretty handy here, pan balanced its able to be done by 1 person. The spot welding is slow but there's much less clean up / grinding to be done.

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[Cusser]

This one states all original, Dec. 1979 https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=2131816
1979 VW Super Beetle with 6,900 original miles.This beauty is Completely unrestored. This particular car has a build date of December 1979, making it one of the last Super Beetles made. It has been meticulously maintained throughout its life. In its unrestored state, the Bug's paint is nearly flawless. The 100% original interior shows only very minor wear and still contains the original factory installed BlauPunk cassette radio. The 1585cc, 48hp air-cooled motor runs as smooth as it did when it built 36 years ago. The front compartment contains all original cardboard and retains all original warning stickers. With the low mileage, this car drives as it did when it was new. The highly desirable triple white car (white paint, top, and interior) is very unique. 4-speed manual transmission.

This is only about a mile away from me.

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1970 VW (owned since 1972) and 1971 VW Convertible (owned since 1976), second owner of each. The '71 now has the 1835 engine, swapped from the '70. Second owner of each. 1988 Mazda B2200 truck, 1998 Frontier, 2014 Yukon, 2004 Frontier King Cab. All manual transmission except for the Yukon. http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=335294 http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=335297

[racoguy]

$7500? something fishy going on.....
Still, a few more reference pics for my restoration.
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[Cusser]

[racoguy]

Its always good to have pics of supposed original cars to compare, by rights mine should be the same as that with sand top etc.
I'd seen one original low mile with white fender beading but this makes the 2nd low mile one with black beading so thats probably what they had new.

Finished up spot welding the seat pedestals on this morning completing all the welding on the chassis, few minor things to tidy up and sand blast the welds before I can re prime and paint it.

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[racoguy]

Sandblasting of the welded areas on the floors this weekend if the weather plays ball, can then get those in primer and work towards painting the chassis black.
Dragged out all the other parts and started sorting through making a plating and powder coat pile.
The few parts that are ok as is just get a good clean before being re used.
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[racoguy]

Finished off the metal work on the chassis over the weekend and had intended to re blast all of the welded areas so that I can re prime them but the weather didn't play ball as it hasn't for a while now.
Rather than wait another week possibly for nothing i sent the pan out for sandblasting.
Collected it yesterday so now there's work to be done this weekend, sealing seams and prep for coats of black.
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[racoguy]

Finally, top coat of black on the floor pan. Seems like months of welding, repairs, priming and sanding but to be able to finish coat it is pretty rewarding.
I already painted all of the chassis components many years ago so with this final piece done the whole chassis can go back together.

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[racoguy]

Any authentic sources for pan tar boards? anyone made their own close to original?
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[racoguy]

I guess no one has tried to make authentic tar boards....

With the floor painted last week assembly of the chassis got underway.
A lot of parts collected over the years are seeing the light of day again.
Rebuilt gearbox and axles went in yesterday along with the pedal box today.
Won't be long till i'll need to get the body down off the lunch room to start on that.

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[AlmostHeavenWV_VW]

I personally have not seen these tarboards in person, but WCM makes some pretty good stuff.

http://www.westcoastmetric.com/i-22965257-133-800t.html

The project is looking good!
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1973 Standard Beetle
1600DP AK case
Solex 34PICT3 Carb
Bosch DVDA 205AJ Distributor

[racoguy]

Thanks, I'll have to email them and see.
Pan has gone together quick, the body however will take some time.
Clean and straight but sanding and painting always takes an age.
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