Neil's 52 Zwitter

[nshaddox]

picked up this crusty crusty zwitter about 5 years ago now maybe? flat towed it home to Detroit from Iowa, no issues. Its a standard, or was. came with an assortment of cable brake and hydraulic brake bits. no interior, total basket case. nice 54ish gas tank, seems to have OG doors and decklid, but crusty. Has all glass. The body is heavily surface rusted all over, and both aprons have been tapped. hesitated to start on this project because it looks like such shit, but the more you stare at it the more manageable it looks. Typical midwest rust, but no botched prior repairs, and almost enough material still there to measure out where the new stuff needs to go.

So, against better judgement, I have officially started this project. Ya, I should probably finish the panel or the bubbletop car or fiat first because they arguably need less work, but the time just seems right. I've picked up some repop heart tail lights and semaphores. I already rebuilt a tunnel case trans w/BD reduction axles (going Kommando!) Have to get back into the trans for an LSD install, but have that on the shelf too. And as of a couple weeks ago, have most of the repair metal to do the lower 8" of metal repairs.

As dragged home (to the old house)

And some new bits (at the new house)

This will be a long term project because work has me travelling about 2 weeks of every month, but I've almost finished running wiring and plumbing to the new garage, so work should start soon.

[TDCTDI]

Dude, put the blinders on & finish up or off load one of the other projects. You have lots of skill & cool projects, it'd be a shame to let them sit because your ADD got the better of you, ask me how I know.
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Everybody born before 1975 has a story, good, bad, or indifferent, about a VW.


GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!


An air cooled VW will make you a hoarder.


Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it.

[nshaddox]

Trust me I know. Blinders are on in a sense. The initial investment is made, and I've dedicated all my free time since the 4th to getting the new garage ready to handle the welding. Should be finishing that up on Sunday. And it looks like no work trips for the next couple weeks so I'm hoping that having the parts and project at the new house will translate into progress.

Haven't been idle. Got the daily driver truck engine rebuilt and installed. Might not seem like it but I really have been focusing on getting the important stuff done first.

[oldovaldriver]

Was the dashboard modified for a later ashtray?

[splitjunkie]

[nshaddox]

No clue on ashtray question. I wouldn't be surprised since gas tank is from a later car. Some of the parts that came with are correct and some aren't. Not familiar enough with early cars to know one way or the other and don't really care that much either. This thing is too rough to be picky about stuff like that.

[D. Haviland]

I'm thinking that since it has holes for trim, it's not a standard.

[nshaddox]

Checked and ashtray hole is indeed hacked. Trim holes I believe were also added. Can see where inner quarter panel was distorted when drill came through from outside. Alignment seems off for it to be factory. Plus there's the cable brake bits and obvious hacked napoleon hat for hydraulic brakes.

[Jorge R]

I guess the ashtray hole is correct.
In fact there should be no ashtray at all on the standard zwitter but only a blanck plate to hide the ashtray hole.

[nshaddox]

ashtray hole is hacked. most of the hacks don't look like farmer hacks. probably done at a dealership early in the cars life. only hack that more resembles a home job was the access hole in the tunnel for the clutch cable.

Got shop lights and outlets set up in the garage. Going to get my welder from the other garage tonight after work. Have a bit of reorganizing to do and a few more outlets to run before I get started.

plan of attack starts with lifting up on doors/pulling body together with ratchet straps to get doors back in alignment. will probably tack weld them closed then and start welding in some braces before starting on lower rust repair.

[chrissev2]

Get ready to start spending mass $$$$ to buy all the rare zwitter only parts that car is missing.
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2024 GLI Jetta 6spd manual
2023 VW Atlas 3.6 VR6 Highline
1978 Volkswagen super beetle convertible
1992 Eurovan 2.5 5spd westfalia

[nshaddox]

yea, I'm not doing that. I don't care that much about everything being year correct. I'll do the metal work as correct as possible in case I ever sell the car and someone else wants to pick up where I've left off, but my plan is to build something I can actually have fun driving on a reasonable budget. Not going to waste my time and money just so that I'm afraid to drive the car.

[DDub]

Good for you, enjoy it your way. Maybe you can collect parts along the way.

[splitjunkie]

[sled]

[nshaddox]

exactly. I've already got the lifted trans built up. gonna probably do a cut and turn beam up front. also have a 1776 motor ready to go for it. should be able to slap it together as a driver soon after metal work is completed. that will of course take some time though.

got a little more wiring done in the garage last night and moved most of my bodyworking tool collection over. getting there.

[mandraks]

going for something like that?

or like that?

both built by friends of mine in the early 90s.
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regards

Uli

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

[67ctbug]

[nshaddox]

closer to #2. maybe not quite so authentic looking, but time will tell.

[parker007]

niel where did you get the lsd? what did it come out of?