My First Beetle Project- 1964

[pilottangocharlie]

[pilottangocharlie]

[rcooled]

[scrivyscriv]

I'm looking forward to following your progress. Please don't let it stagnate in the garage as life moves on!
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Robert in Memphis
Dünkelgrügen 1967 Java Green bug thread
Engine rebuild thread
If you're ever in the Memphis area, you are welcome to stop by for advice and help.

[pilottangocharlie]

Soon after buying my Beetle I noticed the front shocks were mounted upside down. Anyone have any clues why someone would do this?

I shipped a big cap distributor I purchased through the classifieds out to Glenn to have a complete restoration done. I’m looking forward to seeing it get a new life in this car.

I’ve read good and bad about the AA P/C sets here, but didn’t really find any other options for the 40 horse 1200. I took advantage of a 20% Black Friday discount AA advertised on their site and ordered those. Once those arrive and I find a 6V flywheel and pressure plate I can get the case and parts sent out to a local shop I found that has done much work with VW engines. They will get the case machined to rebuild and everything balanced. Hopefully this will help in building a smooth and reliable running engine.
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Tyler

[Pruneman99]

Start looking for end play shims now. Just gather whatever you can find. They are not being reproduced. NOS, using old ones that measure out, or creating your own are the only options. I got hung up on a 40 horse build for weeks looking for shims.

I'll be watching your progress as I just recently picked up a '64 sunroof car myself.

[raycer60]

[pilottangocharlie]

[pilottangocharlie]

For anyone following along here with some experience with this, what are the advantages/disadvantages of going with the original style German pressure plate as opposed to the modern diaphragm type? I'm attempting to keep as much of the car as it was originally designed/built. Is this an obvious area where it only makes sense to install the newer style pressure plate?
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Tyler

[KTPhil]

[pilottangocharlie]

[rcooled]

[vwfreek61]

[pilottangocharlie]

Not many big items left to get the car completely stripped down.

I pulled the front brake lines out and removed the master cylinder along with the pedal assembly. I should be able to get the rear lines out this weekend as well.

The original fuel line wasn’t being used when I purchased the car, but I’d like to use it once the car is back together. I’m not sure if it was leaking or damaged somewhere in the tunnel, but that will be tackled once the body is off.

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Tyler

[pilottangocharlie]

There were a couple ads in the classified section here that I was watching as they were things I needed. I gave them a call and as it turned out he (R&D Engineering) was located at a little airport about seventy miles northeast of where I live. While browsing their website I discovered they also did general parts blasting/refinish. I loaded up some parts in the Cessna I needed to have done and was at his shop in twenty minutes or so. It was definitely an aircooled kind of day.

Doug at R&D Engineering showed me around their shop and I picked up a nice set of heater boxes and a refinished crank pulley for the 40 horse.

Doug texted this morning with a shot of the progress he made on the parts I dropped off yesterday.

Late last night the owner of a local VW body shop stopped by the house and we looked over the car and talked a little about what I wanted to have done. Looks like the body should be off and bare before the end of the year!!
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Tyler

[pilottangocharlie]

Today we towed “Louise” to the body shop. We pulled the doors off and got the body onto the dolly.

On the way we stopped by the blasting/powder coat shop and laid some plans for having the chassis cleaned up as well as powder coating the wheels. The best plan of action for the wheels was to blast them all bare then to powdercoat the entire wheel the light blue (L289) and then paint the inner wheel black.

For those that have painted their wheels, how is the paint holding up? My main concern is getting the light blue color correct.
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Tyler

[pilottangocharlie]

Car is bare and pan and body work is soon to begin.

_________________
Tyler

[pilottangocharlie]

An update on where the project is at. The chassis was brought back to the garage to begin assembly with new/restored parts.

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Tyler

[heimlich]

Nice 64. More people should buy them.

You have an airstrip in your back yard? I've seen a few communities with them.
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[pilottangocharlie]