56 Ragtop Oval and a scary Story

[AceHH]

Hello.
I am infected with Bugs since my Childhood.
My first Car was a Bug, also my 2nd, 3rd.
In 2013, after a 17Year Break I thought, why not buying an Oval?
I found a 56 in Parts for €4400, he was welded, but not perfect, so I thought, I can make it Part by Part.
In a Garage of a Friend I completed the Oval and get the technical License to drive it.
He runs good with 30PS.
He got an adjustable Front Beam and SSP BRMs.
I read a lot and remembered all the old tech. Books I had and rebuy it.

All runs good and I had a Patina Car, but that wasn't enough for me.

In the 80s I think I was one of the first in Germany who subscribed to the Legendary VW Trends ( I still miss them), because my Friend was born in Huntington Beach.

Thats why I always was a big Fan of Cal Look and I wanted an Oval Cal Look.

In 2015 I met a Guy from a German Forum, who told me, he can weld it all in his Garage in Wolfsburg.
He had 35Y. of Experience with VW:
Don't get me wrong, I can weld, but not perfect, but I live in the middle of a 1,8 Million People City and its inmpossible to find here a Place to work.

When I look back, that was one of the biggest Mistakes I ever made.

He started in August and after one Hole he found another and so on.
He made really good Work.

Than I decided to lift the Body from the Chassis.
The Car had a flawless 64 Chassis, but I wanted a original 56.
I spent thousands and thousand for Welding.

What me really annoyed, was that he always said, soon hes finished max. 3 Month, €5000 etc. blah blah.

In October 2016 he finally got his Paint,( I had a Painter near my Hometown, but the Welder had his Garage in a Paintshop) I always wanted an Turquiose but People told me to use a better Cal Look Color, so I took VW Ruby Red L456.

I found many many Failures due to bad grind and fill, so they must make it new.
After painting and clear coat I saw that the Oval stood in the same Room where he worked, first with a Cover later without.
So except my Hood and Fenders the Paint get dustier and dustier and is now a big Difference from the Fenders and Hoods.

The Pan was sand blasted and double Painted with Brantho Korrux in black.

The Wedding was a great Moment but he bended the right inner Side and never fixed it, also the Front crosswise Wall had a bump.

Than he started completing the Car and sometimes I drive to the garage and worked a bit, but its always 400km to drive.

Same with the Interieur.
Another Guy with an Oval got very good Work from this Saddler (450km away)and I decided to give him the Work.
It was very suspicous that he never answered to my Mails, Call, never sent me Pics etc.
At the Date where the Car should be finished I came with a Friend and a closed (very expensive to Rent) Racing Trailer to pick up my Oval.
What I saw? Nothing, except my Front and back Seats ( every TMI Standard Cover is better in Eyes). He said he was ill. I never got an Answer why he not call me.
I picked the Oval and brought him to Wolfsburg (1 Tour 350km).
The Saddler said, he complete the Car there.
He came the coming Weeks, but what I saw was Glue all over the Car, Holes in the Sky, bad Ragtop and and and, look at the Pics.

Every Month I got a Bill from him (half Private, half Official).
Than one Day I saw Parts on the Bill I never got and his Loan per Hour increased without telling me!
I was really pissed and called him, and after he got over 23k, he told me in a very, very rude Tone, than pick your Car, you can be happy to work here.
So I looked for another Guy (only 50km from my Hometown) and picked up the Car.
A lot of Parts stays there, original 30PS Heaters, 6 Volt Battery and a lot more of rare Parts ( he said, he don't have it).
I completed the Car with the Guy in the Evenings and had big Problems completing the Doors.
My Driver Door got a new Skin, but the 1st Guy welded it so wrong, that the Holes for the Door Handles Srews where much to deep.

More Crap came to the Light, heres a List:

- Semaphores very bad dissambled, nearly destroyed
- rear Axle Screws bolted per Hand instead of 160NM
- forgot to weld a Part in the Hetarer Channel
- forgot to weld the Driver Door, did it after paint
- Front Disk Breaks wrong assembled (O Tone, I made it 100 Times)
- Safety Sheet Front Beam Wrong
- Spot weldings mostly departed
- All clearances between Front Mask, back Mask, Fender, Hoods and Doors are wrong.

More at my Blog. http://ruby-red-cal-look.blogspot.com/

The 2nd guy also make big Mistakes, Parts from the Electric were total wrong, and he worked at VW and told me, ha have a lot of Electric Experience.

In this Time I got a 1776 very cheap from an old Friend.
I dissambled all, put the Parts to a profi Shop and all was good.
But the Guy who assemble since 40Years Limbach Engines forgot to measure the Piston Distance and so the Pistons beat to the Heads.
He must make all new, but I never got an Sorry or so.

The 3rd Guy made all correct, right Rear Axle assembly and a lot of little Things.
In my Garage I finished with a friend a Electric Problem.

After 1 Year Painted I saw the first Rust coming through Gaps.

For 2 Days I finally got the Amen from the tech. Inspection.

Car looks better on the Pics.

But I have still some Things to do, my Weber are not optimal running, Ragtop is not right installed, I hope I can rescue the Paint.

What I can say, after spending 54k!!! so far is, that I will probably never trust a Mechanic who make private Work. For bigger Things I will always choose an official Workshop!
I met a lot of People in Forums who have no Behavior, because they laugh at People who can't make all by herself, sending Haressment PMs, Mobbing in Forums and on Facebook.

My best Experiences I always make here, People have Knowledge and mostly I see no stupid Answers or other BS.

[tisius]

You said you wanted a Cal-look?
That it's not.
But from the pictures it looks like a nice car now.
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drive it like you just robbed the bank
you don't have to be crazy to be into VW's, but it sure helps!!
.... if it ain't dutch, it ain't much!

[Mark Evans]

I'd move that oil filter up a bit...
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'63 Ragtop

[AceHH]

[joey1320]

Great looking bug.
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**1971 Super Project
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...mp;start=0

[AceHH]

[Rustforlife]

Looks great!
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1956 Ragtop

[AceHH]

[Rome]

I'm glad you stuck with your plan to get the Beetle redone, despite having to deal with and tolerate the many people involved who did not live up to their promises or who ended up with poor work practices. Your expenses ended up being crazy high.

Nice challenge to get the 1776 into the engine compartment with the body's H apron, right?

Und, wie faehrt er sich? (so, how does it drive)

In the early '80's I lived in Wolfsburg and worked at VW. Friend who I met at VW came from the Hamburg suburb Winsen a.d. Luhe, and invited me to his home a few times. We went into the city downtown in the evenings.

[AceHH]