1960 11 Window Restoration - "Walter"

[vrsenator065]

Hi All, I am pretty new to the VW world, and only just joined this forum. I was reading some of the other very cool builds on here so thought I might post mine up too. I am in Australia.

I have just finished a 3 year more muscle car orientated build, but my wife and I are the proud owners of what we believe is a June 1960 11 window split. I have been half looking for another project for a year or so . A panel beater mate of mine found this out the side of one of another workshop and the deal was done for $500 which I was really happy with.

What is there is actually pretty sound, unfortunately it was used as a donor car and the front floors and front have been hacked around. Its also missing the front doors, side cargo doors and rear engine hatch.

My plan is to restore it externally sympathetically, with two tone paint, but uprate it all mechanically to bring it up to more modern standards of drive-ability and use it for us to both do some touring in. I am thinking most likely a scat motor or similar, IRS conversion, air bag suspension, disc brakes etc. With my last car I did everything except body/paint, this one I want to attempt to do it all myself. I am not after concours, but something that holds its own, looks cool and is fun to tour in.

[vrsenator065]

So once i was ready to start the resto a couple of good mates and I went out and pulled it out if the container its been in for the last year and brought it home. Had a bit of a party at my place, quite a few of my friends think I'm crazy and its too far gone, but I reckon its a beauty. Definitely going to be a very steep learning curve learning to do body work but should be a great bus once its done.

[vrsenator065]

Then made a start. Was a bit apprehensive at first but sort of just plodded along. Started off by using some 20x20 and bracing the front as someone had suggested. Just holds it all in place whilst you basically pull the car to pieces. Used my new mig. Have to say its years since I last used one, prob need to brush up on that a bit, but I guess by the end I will be back to OK

Then used a flap disc and ground back the crimped edge on the nose on each side, then used a spot weld drill bit to spot face the few spot welds. Ran a 1mm cut off saw across the windscreen channel. Need to tidy it all up but the nose is off. Then started the disassembly. Lots of it is held with Phillips head or regular cross head screws. of course after 55 years almost all are rusted on. Had a crack using some heat from my mini gas flame torch and bingo, that was the answer.

So have the glass out, nose off, front parcel shelf, speedo (which looks like its in perfect condition, and all the switches etc. The wiring loom is actually in pretty good nick, so I may be able to salvage that. The rest is as I expected, looks worse than it is, the bottom is completely toast, but above that is salvageable. Great to be into it finally.

Few pics for posterity;

[vrsenator065]

So then made a jig so i could work on it.

[vrsenator065]

Had a couple of friends from up the road come over and help me tilt it over. Only issue I had was that the weight is actually quite concentrated at the bottom of the car, so I needed to re-position the casters on that side out further out to keep it balanced. Got that done and I can comfortably move it around on my own. So that's that done, now I can actually start getting stuck back into the actual build. A few pics for posterity.

[vrsenator065]

Got the boys to come over and help me tilt it back right way up. Then had the idea of using the hoist but under the dolley, works a bloody treat, gets it a great working height Had a young lad from Gawler with a Splitty of his own come over and give me a couple of pointers. Took him for a spin round the block in the Senator afterwards. I am guessing by the amount of giggles he enjoyed it. Cut off the stuffed front guards, also made start to the inside floor which I think I have sort of worked out a bit of a system for. I know its not everyone's idea of fun, but I think going to be cool as once its done. You know the deal by now, a few pics for posterity

[vrsenator065]

Bloody great week end, really happy actually feel like I have made heaps of progress, making those first couple of cuts was bloody nerve wracking, but once you start, you sort of get into it. Suesy must be happy she made a nice lunch that we sat out in the shed and enjoyed chatting about different ideas for the interior layout. Gotta say I am falling in love with this project, awesome to able to go for a squirt in the Senator as relaxation when I am sick of cutting out rust!! Its gotta be 50kg lighter now so much rust and dirt are out of it. Living the dream :good:

[vrsenator065]

So project "Walter Deconstruct" is pretty much complete. Today carefully cut out the rear corner panels,, it means the blasters get good access in behind, they are available as a repro panel up to the hip line. Also cut the bottom of the front away for the same reason. So now will book it into the blasters and get it down there. Tomorrow should be clear now to do some stuff on the Senator.

[vrsenator065]

Next stage done on project "Walter Resurrection". Off to the blasters today. Have a bit of a crook ankle so nice to get a couple of mates to come give me a hand. Have more pics but waiting to get them off a mates iPhone (groan) but here is a few anyways. Once its back I will have a better idea of exactly what i am up against :wacko:

[vrsenator065]

Was super excited to bring him home from the sand blasters. Also delighted he is in a lot more sound condition than I was expecting. The roof is great, whats there is very sound. Now the fun begins :good:

[vrsenator065]

Then had a crack at starting on the chassis repair. Bit of back and forth to locate some mild steel sheet the correct thickness but got it in the end. The thinner inside boxing is 1.2, looks to me like the main chassis thickness is 2mm.

Tackled the worse one first, the passenger side inner. Learnt quite a bit along the way, made a bit of a rookie error I think in assuming how far the rust had gone and made the patch first. Should I think have cut it out first to see the extent of the tin worm then would have known how big it needed to be. So ended up having to extend the repair section by about another 30mm, when I could have done it in a single piece, but live and learn.

Made a cardboard template of the repair section, once I was happy I transferred that to steel. I couldn't get my spot welder into the seam as its on the dolley so i used plug welds. Yesterday was literally the first day i have ever tackled anything like this, one thing I am sure of is I didn't have the mig settings right. Today i took my time and also made up some test pieces and played around with the mig settings, the difference was like night and day. Looked and sounded so much better.

The drivers side wasn't in anywhere near as bad condition, and that one came up really good (for me anyway) So now next job will be to do the outer main chassis rail sections. I wanted to do the inners first so there was strength there when I cut out the main chassis in case the car folded in half.

I think that's the first time in 56 years years its ever had anything nice done to it. Feeling happy I have made a start anyway. I am a rank novice but already like the learning process. Few pics for posterity.

[vrsenator065]

Took a day off work today and had a good shed day, thought I might post up but hope to get more done tomorrow. Tackled the outside of the worst chassis on the passenger side. Got some nice 2mm sheet, also took some tips a very helpful member sent me in regards leaving a small gap for better penetration, also using the air gun to cool each weld to minimize distortion. Really happy with how it turned out for a rank amateur. Gotta say i feel like I am starting to get a feel for the basics, slow and steady wins the race, and it seems most of it is in the prep.

Also very exciting that the doors arrived, they look in really great condition. The blue cargo is awesome, and the other cargo has already had the bottom repair started. The passenger side front door is pretty good, of course needs the bottom skin repair like the all seem too.

Tomorrow I want to try and do the drivers side chassis repair which is much smaller than the one I just did, and also try and remove what remains of the old cargo hinges. Any tips on removing these Phillips head screws, I have tried an impact driver with no luck, any tips?

[vrsenator065]

And that brings it up to today. Been a lot of fun so far, learning as i go

[mandraks]

looks like you are a quick study
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regards

Uli

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'53 3-Fold Oval, L35 Metallic Blue, looking for a narrow hatch panel

[vrsenator065]

Thanks, yea I really enjoy learning new skills. My last project I did all the the mechanicals, but not the body or paint. With this one I want to at least attempt to do everything myself. I am lucky that up the road from me is a young guy who is bit of a guru on restoring these and he has been really happy to offer advice.

[mandraks]

that is a nice way of saying we don't shut up where VWs are concerned
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regards

Uli

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'53 3-Fold Oval, L35 Metallic Blue, looking for a narrow hatch panel

[Eric&Barb]

Weld on the heads of the hinge screws. Then soak with water to cool down as fast as possible. Repeat till you have a good tower of weld blob that you can get a good grip onto with vise grips.

When you first try to move those, turn to tighten ever so slightly, then loosen slightly. Keep going back and forth to get the screw rocking back and forth. Once you get it moving apply a good penetrating oil to avoid galling the screw threads to the nut plate and just shearing off the screw.

If you do shear off a screw, you are going to need to drill out the fastener remains. Start with a 3mm drill bit and work up a size or two till you have most of the screw gone and only threads like a spring remain, or hopefully the drill bit will grab the fastener remains and just spin the whole thing out and away.

Using an Easy-Out at this point will result in a broken off EO, and a mess to grind it out since the EO is harder than any drill bit.
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In Stereo, Where Available!

[vrsenator065]

Hi all, so looks like I forgot to post my last efforts at removing the hinge screws!! I did try a couple of different ways, then was told the best idea was to carefully cut "windows" from behind, as I would need to make and fit new plates up. So ended up carefully cutting access form behind, then drilled out the bottom bolt completely, then took the head off the top one and was able to prise the plates up and out.

[karl h]

nice job. if i cut an acess window i leave one of the four sides intact and use it like a door, you can later just close it and reweld the three remaining sides
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arctic alice (63 on irs): http://cal-look.no/lounge/index.php/topic,27456.0.html
86 Caravelle
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[vrsenator065]