Great Grandpa’s 1964 Sunroof Bug Full Stock Restoration

[matthew henricks]

[TheRide]

I envy your energy level, must be great to be able to take on such a project. Installing a clutch takes about all the energy I have.

[racerock]

[matthew henricks]

Thank you Racerock. When i built my R2D2 (see my avatar) i used a ton of binder clips and still have them all. Will leave them in place until i install the windows.

Thank you TheRide. I get bogged down just like anyone else. My body man gave me a kick in the pants a few weeks back when i did not want to install more parts... If i had done the paint and body then i think i would have stalled.


Today's update. Just odds and ends.

Someone asked me how i re-routed the front sunroof drain tubes. I pulled them out of the A-pillar and routed them into the front wheel wells. I did this back in the 90's. At that time i just used electrical tape to seal the hole. Today i will use a rear brake light wheel well seal.

While heating up a bolt to remove it i fried my drivers rear sunroof drain tube. That really made me mad... I have been looking for a suitable replacement. The OG is 10mm OD and 7mm ID. It is some sort of long lasting material as mine are still very supple. I wanted NOS but non out there. I then wanted German from current cars but could not get any size info. I am trying out metric silicone tubing.

FWIW it is really tough to get a new tube down the C-Pillar. Must be something in there. I used a copious amount of silicon spray and had to pull first through the rear shoulder seat belt hole down and then go forward into the side wall. SUPER tight fit. Without a leader rope no way to get it in there.

Getting 7mm ID tubing to stretch over 12mm OD steel tube in sunroof is also very difficult. Not alot of room to work. I used some needle nose pliers to spread out the tubing and looped it over the top of the drain. Then with a small screwdriver i stretched the bottom to go over the drain. Could only get about 2/3 the way on the steel tube. I plan to seal it up using Smooth-on Sil-Poxy. (In the third image that extra length will be pulled out.)

Next was the steering lock and steering tube. I finally got to test out my homemade "NOS" break away bolts. From a few month back these were NOS units that were too long that i shortened up. They worked great. Have not broke the head off yet but installed.

Getting the steering tube seal installed into the body was a pain. I ended up doing like a window seal by wrapping cord around it and using alot of silicone spray. Having a helper here was key.

Lastly i finally spend the time to go through and match up all the zinc plated hardware to their assemblies. I figured i would lose some number of fasteners at the plaiter and i did. Probably lost 5%.

Sooo.... Anyone have a stash of OG hardware they would be willing to dig through for me? If yes i will post my need list. Nothing crazy but i would like to use OG.

On the headliner front i received my 3M Hi-Strength 90 spray adhesibe, i got some replacement jute padding and i have located and installed all the hardware into their holes that you need to "find" after the headliner is installed. I am running out of excuses...
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1964 Original Owner build Thread. https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=702135&highlight=

Ambulance Fan's. https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=627707&highlight=

Parts i am looking for:
64 bug nice used front/rear Black LHD floor mat.

[Chickensoup]

Awesome work! The car is nearly done!
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-'85 c10 5.3 LS, 222 cam, long tubes, x pipe, 3 inch spin tech's
-'05 B5.5 TDI Wagon 17in sport rims ;EGR + BSM + ASV Delete, Stage-2 Tune, straight pipe
'65 Tourist Delivery Build
'66 RIP
'69 RIP
Hosea 4:6 "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge"

[bad91teg]

what a awesome job you have done wow . love the color .

[racerock]

Brakes: I reviewed from the first page on which you wrote front discs...
Saw pix of front discs on the front
Saw pix of what looks like early single reservoir MC for drums.

Curious:
- What brand discs did you go with and why?
- Did you eventually go with a dual reservoir?

Thanks.

[matthew henricks]

[Ceckert64]

Amazing work! I just skimmed you thread and read some. I really like the sea blue too! Your progress is going so fast and such high quality.

I like your sunroof drain tube resolution. Funny thing is my door pillars were decently solid but the rest of the car was completely rotted. But amazingly solid car! 64 sunroofs are cool, but the sunroofs cause lots of troubles it seems. Some little NLA parts can be obnoxious.
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1964 sunroof Beetle Restoration "Herbie"
“Joann” 1970 Elm Green Squareback
1972 Sierra Yellow Tin Top Westfalia Camper
“Fitz” 1971 Westfalia Poptop

[Chickensoup]

i would HIGHLY suggest you go dual circuit.
_________________
-'85 c10 5.3 LS, 222 cam, long tubes, x pipe, 3 inch spin tech's
-'05 B5.5 TDI Wagon 17in sport rims ;EGR + BSM + ASV Delete, Stage-2 Tune, straight pipe
'65 Tourist Delivery Build
'66 RIP
'69 RIP
Hosea 4:6 "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge"

[matthew henricks]

[matthew henricks]

I had been searching for a OG front window. Fat chance, i know. I then started to simply look for the correct window markings from a 64. I am not going to claim that all VW's used the same glass markings nor that VW had only one sources but from a few sources i was able to locate these.

Front Window. Delog

Rear Window. Duro-Glas

Fixed Quarter Windows. Delodur

Vent Windows. Sekurit

Door windows. Sekurit

The front window is the only one i do not have. I have some ideas though...


A teaser.

_________________
1964 Original Owner build Thread. https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=702135&highlight=

Ambulance Fan's. https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=627707&highlight=

Parts i am looking for:
64 bug nice used front/rear Black LHD floor mat.

[sportin-wood]

I’ve always used single circuit master cylinders without issue. It’s just one of those debates, much like “take the fuel filter out of the engine compartment!” of which I’ve also not had issues with, as long as I change the fuel lines every couple of years…

Your project is looking great!
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Paused 66 project bug
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"Relax, all right? My old man is a television repairman. He's got this ultimate set of tools. I can fix it." --- Jeff Spicoli

[matthew henricks]

Well i guess the joke was on me. I was all psyched up this weekend to tackle the headliner. Ready to go and BAM. Shut er down!

After a few mis-steps with the padding i finally got on the right track and installed the rear window padding. Cannot find Jute anywhere around me so i went with 1/8" trunck liner material which is very similar to what i took off that part of the car. Pleased with the results

I am not pleased with the top of the bow sections at all and will be removing it and trying again. I used a material similar to what VW used but my material is a bit stiffer than Jute and the edges show. Looking for Jute now...

Got ready to install the rear window section of the headliner. Opened the kit and got things laid out in the sun to heat up and.... Fingerprints.

My new headliner has fingerprints on half the parts. Oily like substance that does not wipe off with a damp towel nor with a little dab of simple green. That is how you stop progress really fast. I pulled the rip cord and bailed on the attempt. I will wait to hear back from the vendor before i share who i got it from as i fully expect them to make it right. Total bummer...

Tinkered instead. Jack. Anyone have a spare shaft clip for one of these? Lost one. There are three total Two are shown below.

Rear luggage padding. Start with the old for the pattern, Lay it out and cut new material, put weight on it for a few weeks so it will take shape.

Was not happy with my window defrost pocket paint job so sanded that area down for a re-paint Wednesday. Will also paint the screws for the rear engine lid at the same time.

Installed the window defrost tubes. Did you know the front hood hinges unbolted? I did not. That made the install SOOOO much easier.

Anyone have an extra bolt for this hinge pivot? Mine stripped. It is the one you see hanging out at the top of the hinge in the picture. Hex head shoulder bolt.

I am still looking for a Feb-May 64 Engine case that is nearby, reasonably priced and will take an align-bore. (one cut case preferred.)

I am also in need of some fasteners. If you have cans laying around and would look for a few specific ones would you please post here or PM me? I am in need of about 12 fasteners.

That is all for now.
_________________
1964 Original Owner build Thread. https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=702135&highlight=

Ambulance Fan's. https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=627707&highlight=

Parts i am looking for:
64 bug nice used front/rear Black LHD floor mat.

[rstrobel]

Wow! Very nice work! Just read through the entire thread. It has a lot of good information and tips on how to do things. Keep it up!
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1967 VW Beetle
1993 VW Cabriolet
My 67 build thread: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=716767
•(__)•
(O\!/O) <--- supposed to look like a beetle

[matthew henricks]

Headliner is still the main focus. Amazing how much time you can spend on something when you are not sure of each step. Chris Vallone & I have become very good friends via Youtube. Very greatfull for his content. Very helpful.

I have a new headliner in hand. This one without fingerprints. Coo-do's to Wolfsburg West for taking care of this without hassle. Why the ACME headliner had fingerprints i do not know... Interesting that my first headliner had a two piece rear window but separate so you have to hem them. This new one is sewn like original. Will be a pain to install but more accurate... If it were now only black dot instead of perforated...

Tore out the padding along the roof line and the door posts. (Mineral Spriits cut 3M 90 Glue) Was not happy with the results nore with the Jute i was using. Founds some better Jute on Ebay that was much more pliable.

Instead or wrapping the jute for the door post i layered it. Three layers. Two to build up and the last going from the top of the clamps back to about 1/2" from the window frame. For the roof line I covered the clamps down to the seam. I am not totally done but getting there and pleased.

One tool that worked great for the door posts was electric hair trimmers. Was able to sculpt the jute easily with them.

We did a little bit of touch up paint work to the front window vents and painted some screws that were missed. Bagged the body and away we went.

I finished the repair on the sunroof drain. I used Sil-Poxy from Smooth-On. It is used to repair silicon Rubber molds. Did a test with a piece of steel. Roughed up the steel surface and the exterior of the silicone tubing. Then cleaned it with Acetone. The glue worked great. Did a water test and and a break free test. Very pleased.

Fit my decklid. This was a replacement and i knew it had a miss match curve. Thought we took it out but... Made a template of the body as a guide and now going to have to put a little more curve into it without damaging the paint. This will be fun...

Anyone know what this is for? I think i came out of the engine compartment behind the tar board. Only on one side.

I am looking for a few parts. This is a lousy place to put it but here goes.

- 1x Old ratty front kick panel carpet with the heater vent surround intact.
- 1x Front spare tire well shift rod access plate retainer screw.
- 4x Vent wing lock & pivot mount screws
- Super nice dash molding. Specifically left side grill pieces.
- Dash molding clips.
- 2x fender bolts.
- 1x Negative battery cable body bolt.
- 1x Front door open stop pivot pin.
- Front door scrapper mount screws.
- 2x OG engine heater box to bod tubes
- 1x OG 6V generator pulley

If you have any of these and do not think they are gold plated let me know.
_________________
1964 Original Owner build Thread. https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=702135&highlight=

Ambulance Fan's. https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=627707&highlight=

Parts i am looking for:
64 bug nice used front/rear Black LHD floor mat.

[Dake]

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=633578&highlight=bags
This may help . This is the bolt you want?
https://www.wolfsburgwest.com/cart/DetailsList.cfm?ID=211827345

[matthew henricks]

[matthew henricks]

The Good, The Bad and the Ugly. Headliner and more.

OK, really no ugly but this weekend i went for it. Did not finish the headliner but i did get the rear window, both B pillars and both rear quarter panels installed. Not hard but for sure stressful. I could not imagine doing this if the body was on the chassis.

What did i learn? Keep your hands clean. A good heat gun is key. Patience. Walk away when you need to. Having someone you can follow is a huge help. (Thank you Chris Vallone). Window welting is great for when you are done.

Rear Window. This took me about 3 hours. I did alot of test fitting first. My ACME headliner (from WW) has the rear window as one piece meaning the lower was sewn to the upper like VW did it. That meant i had to pre-fit things to get the seams to align to the rear window corners. I marked on the body and headliner reference marks and then clipped the bottom in place before i started the top. In the end the bottom has a few wrinkles i cannot get out. My mistake here was applying glue to the very bottom too soon. Locked things in too soon. Overall pleased though.

B Pillars. Not too hard. About 2 hours each if you do not count my test fits.
The bottom is a pain. Lots of corners. I will re-stretch mine when i get to the carpet and door panels so right now it is not super tight. The windlace you need to seat really well and look at your padding and how the fabric stretches over it. I am glad i shaved my padding edges down so it looked better.

Rear Quarterpanels. About 2 hours total. Getting the plastic strip tucked into the back corner is key here as was shaving the padding down at the metal clips. I had to recover on this one as i trimmed the plastic strip about 1/2" too short. I think it will be fine though once i install the top. For these just pull down first and attache to wheel hump. Then firewall and then window. After getting the plastic strip in this was not hard at all.

Our puppy was bored watching me.

Next is the top. I test fitted it but have to learn a few things.

1. The bows seem long. They are the originals so i need to figure out why they jam against the roof
2. The headliner bow sewn guides in headliner are too long. I am almost certain that you trim these to size but not sure yet.
3. The sunroof area. I guess you just install the headliner normal and cut it out when done. Not sure. Seems like with not bow there you could really stretch the headliner low making it hard to bring back up to the sunroof opening.
4. The sunroof hand crank area has to be cut to get cardboard tabs installed. Need to figure out that area so i do not over trim the headliner.


Fit my hood and decklid. Neither fit well. The hood we were able to massage into place and should be fine. Shown here is before we massaged things. Big gaps on the side and nose.

The decklid...

I am kicking myself for not test fitting it. It was new to my car and well.... It does not fit. Shown last week the bow is 1/2" flat at the center and the wings flare out. I tried to massage it but ended up cracking the wings. Off it goes and it will get re-painted. Bummer. No pictures but trust me. We are re-painting.

No pictures yet but i started door re-assembly. Vent wing rubber and small parts.

I am NOT happy with the WW chrome divider bars. Chrome shows all kinds of grinding marks under the chrome. Makes me think it is single layer chrome job since the copper and nickle in good chrome usually hides that stuff. I am now looking for either some really nice OG divider bars or to have mine re-chromed.

Anyone recommend a good chrome shop?

That is all for today.
_________________
1964 Original Owner build Thread. https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=702135&highlight=

Ambulance Fan's. https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=627707&highlight=

Parts i am looking for:
64 bug nice used front/rear Black LHD floor mat.

[52brezelfenster]

Awesome thread Matthew.

I've got access to a pair of extremely low mileage 64s (one happens to be sea blue). Give me a shout if you need any details on specific things. Happy to help.

Have a nice weekend man and keep up the good work.

Dustin