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Malanthius
Samba Member
Joined: July 09, 2009
Posts: 206
Location: Palmdale, ca
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 Posted: Sun Mar 24, 2019 9:26 am Post subject: My new 59 Ragtop. |
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Hey everyone. Guess this is a better place for a build thread. I recently scored a very original Diamond grey 59 ragtop. Build was Aug 58. 75000 original miles. I dont think the motor has ever been pulled and still running on the original clutch. Runs like a sewing machine. Little old lady owned. She banged the passenger side front fender long ago. That was replaced with an early non tube type fender. The pans are perfect. Bumpers were rusty and I just threw on a set I could find locally for cheap for now. Came with all the original brochures and sales paperwork in a binder. Just amazing. Plan is to preserve and shoot the outside with the original color. Restitch the seat seams. Change the clutch and throw out bearing. Fix the rear main seal leak. Brakes have already been gone through except for the master cylinder. I'll replace that with a German unit.
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my59
Samba Member
Joined: August 13, 2003
Posts: 3790
Location: connecting the dots
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| Posted: Sun Mar 24, 2019 9:33 am Post subject: Re: My new 59 Ragtop. |
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Nice find.
_________________
my59: Well son, my grandfather died before I got to drive it, so does that answer your question?
our79: sunroof bus w/camper interior and 2.0 FI
Other:'12 Jetta, '77 Benz 300D, and a 74 MG Midget. |
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iowegian 
Samba Curmudgeon
Joined: February 16, 2005
Posts: 9829
Location: Somewhere between Dubuque and Keokuk
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| Posted: Sun Mar 24, 2019 9:39 am Post subject: Re: My new 59 Ragtop. |
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Beautiful car. The paper trail is priceless.
Unless I'm missing something here, why would you want to devalue it by painting it? Buff it out-------they're only original once |
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Malanthius
Samba Member
Joined: July 09, 2009
Posts: 206
Location: Palmdale, ca
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| Posted: Sun Mar 24, 2019 10:04 am Post subject: Re: My new 59 Ragtop. |
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| iowegian wrote: |
Beautiful car. The paper trail is priceless.
Unless I'm missing something here, why would you want to devalue it by painting it? Buff it out-------they're only original once |
It was repainted in the 70s or 80s a pale yellow. I'm thinking after the fender was replaced. Its primered now. I may try to take it back to the original paint and blend where needed. I wish she still had the original color. |
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aa390392
Samba Member
Joined: March 28, 2007
Posts: 3602
Location: So.Cal
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| Posted: Sun Mar 24, 2019 10:04 am Post subject: Re: My new 59 Ragtop. |
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1st off, 1 beautiful OG car, lucky you. Color combo is nice, I love me a grey car.
Do you think you can find the og color w/o repaint? Howd you find it?
Enjoy it.
Cheers Thomas
_________________
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getting grumpy & less tolerant!
55 ragtop
56 delux sedan
56 Kabriolet |
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Malanthius
Samba Member
Joined: July 09, 2009
Posts: 206
Location: Palmdale, ca
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| Posted: Sun Mar 24, 2019 10:11 am Post subject: Re: My new 59 Ragtop. |
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This is what she looked like when it was found. I traded a 72 914 I restored for it. The guy I got it from bought it last year from the guy who got it from the granddaughter of the original owner. Aparently it was stored in a garage for awhile after she stopped driving.
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iowegian
Samba Curmudgeon
Joined: February 16, 2005
Posts: 9829
Location: Somewhere between Dubuque and Keokuk
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| Posted: Sun Mar 24, 2019 10:32 am Post subject: Re: My new 59 Ragtop. |
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Nothing better than a little old lady who loved her Volkswagen.  |
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Malanthius
Samba Member
Joined: July 09, 2009
Posts: 206
Location: Palmdale, ca
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| Posted: Sun Mar 24, 2019 10:36 am Post subject: Re: My new 59 Ragtop. |
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[quote="iowegian"]
Nothing better than a little old lady who loved her Volkswagen. [/quote
Yup! I love that picture! |
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Evil Clown
Live
Joined: January 08, 2009
Posts: 1346
Location: Wacky Macs
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| Posted: Sun Mar 24, 2019 10:52 am Post subject: Re: My new 59 Ragtop. |
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Put hot water, bleach and soap in a sprayer, and tape off inside with plastic,
and it should clean that ceiling up with a brush...test small area 1st of course 
(LET BLEACH SIT AT LEAST 10 MINS)
Rinse...Happy time
_________________
CARRY ON
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| I'll take a Happy Meal with Prozac please |
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| kiss my airy VW ass |
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German word for constapation:
Farfrompoopin |
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Chinese word for constipation:
Hung Chow Chow.. & it was GR8! |
Last edited by Evil Clown on Sun Mar 24, 2019 11:39 am; edited 3 times in total |
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slave1pilot
Samba Member
Joined: February 22, 2010
Posts: 943
Location: Tehachapi CA
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| Posted: Sun Mar 24, 2019 11:00 am Post subject: Re: My new 59 Ragtop. |
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damn. I lived in the AV since 91 and never saw that car lol
congrats on the find.
BTW- your next door neighbor flexing for the Google car (on street view) is hilarious
_________________
My Photobucket for my Herbie Project - http://s1288.photobucket.com/user/TK-439/library/Herbie?sort=3&page=1
Currently:
1963 Ragtop Beetle
Previously:
1967 Beetle
1968 Beetle
1970 Beetle |
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Malanthius
Samba Member
Joined: July 09, 2009
Posts: 206
Location: Palmdale, ca
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| Posted: Sun Mar 24, 2019 1:57 pm Post subject: Re: My new 59 Ragtop. |
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| Evil Clown wrote: |
Put hot water, bleach and soap in a sprayer, and tape off inside with plastic,
and it should clean that ceiling up with a brush...test small area 1st of course
(LET BLEACH SIT AT LEAST 10 MINS)
Rinse...Happy time |
Thanks! I've been thinking of ways to try and clean it without ruining it. I'll give that a try in a small area! I'll let you know how it comes out. |
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Malanthius
Samba Member
Joined: July 09, 2009
Posts: 206
Location: Palmdale, ca
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| Posted: Sun Mar 24, 2019 2:01 pm Post subject: Re: My new 59 Ragtop. |
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| slave1pilot wrote: |
damn. I lived in the AV since 91 and never saw that car lol
congrats on the find.
BTW- your next door neighbor flexing for the Google car (on street view) is hilarious |
This bug was up north originally. The guy who got it from the original family had it in Apple valley and then it went to Ventura. I got it from the guy in Ventura a couple weeks ago. |
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my59
Samba Member
Joined: August 13, 2003
Posts: 3790
Location: connecting the dots
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| Posted: Sun Mar 24, 2019 8:03 pm Post subject: Re: My new 59 Ragtop. |
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Be very wary about cleaning the headliner. The nap will come off the cloth. A vacuum may even pull it off.
_________________
my59: Well son, my grandfather died before I got to drive it, so does that answer your question?
our79: sunroof bus w/camper interior and 2.0 FI
Other:'12 Jetta, '77 Benz 300D, and a 74 MG Midget. |
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sunroof
Samba Member
Joined: October 06, 2006
Posts: 1771
Location: Winnipeg
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| Posted: Tue Mar 26, 2019 8:56 pm Post subject: Re: My new 59 Ragtop. |
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Beautiful! Looks like diamond grey metallic to me, L243.
Don
_________________
Better and better mistakes! |
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Malanthius
Samba Member
Joined: July 09, 2009
Posts: 206
Location: Palmdale, ca
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| Posted: Mon Apr 15, 2019 12:32 am Post subject: Re: My new 59 Ragtop. |
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Got some work done this weekend. Pulled engine. Replaced clutch, main seal, trans seal, throwout bearing and wife and I restitched the front seats! Also installed the thermo-ring that was in the box when I got the car. Never knew this existed! Weird how it works. Not sure what it even does but it does open and close with the thermostat. Wonder why it was removed?
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Malanthius
Samba Member
Joined: July 09, 2009
Posts: 206
Location: Palmdale, ca
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| Posted: Mon Apr 15, 2019 12:35 am Post subject: Re: My new 59 Ragtop. |
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| Thanks for the advice on the headliner. Having tried cleaning it just yet. Going to attempt that soon. Will be restitching the rear seat back next. |
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thomas.
Samba Member
Joined: July 31, 2010
Posts: 1291
Location: South West (Pa.)
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| Posted: Mon Apr 15, 2019 3:16 am Post subject: Re: My new 59 Ragtop. |
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| Malanthius wrote: |
Got some work done this weekend. Pulled engine. Replaced clutch, main seal, trans seal, throwout bearing and wife and I restitched the front seats! Also installed the thermo-ring that was in the box when I got the car. Never knew this existed! Weird how it works. Not sure what it even does but it does open and close with the thermostat. Wonder why it was removed?
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A lot of folks wrongly felt it wasn't needed . My system is missing in my '62 stale air. Same as what you have. The ring blocks the cooling air on start up so your engine can get up to temp. faster. Otherwise it takes longer to get up to temp.,oil collects water and you'll get that white substance on the underside of oil cap, rocker covers, and elsewhere.
Also agree your car looks like it was org. diamond grey.
https://www.wolfsburgwest.com/colors/59l243.html |
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ZEKE65
Samba Member
Joined: December 16, 2018
Posts: 334
Location: Right Coast, Florida
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| Posted: Mon Apr 15, 2019 5:43 am Post subject: Re: My new 59 Ragtop. |
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No hair board stuck to the floor pans? Wonder when they started that. My 65 took a day of scraping to get to the floor boards. Beautiful car! Nice find.
_________________
1965 VW Sedan, 1968 C10 Step BB, 99 C5 |
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Malanthius
Samba Member
Joined: July 09, 2009
Posts: 206
Location: Palmdale, ca
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| Posted: Mon Apr 15, 2019 6:16 am Post subject: Re: My new 59 Ragtop. |
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| thomas. wrote: |
| Malanthius wrote: |
Got some work done this weekend. Pulled engine. Replaced clutch, main seal, trans seal, throwout bearing and wife and I restitched the front seats! Also installed the thermo-ring that was in the box when I got the car. Never knew this existed! Weird how it works. Not sure what it even does but it does open and close with the thermostat. Wonder why it was removed?
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A lot of folks wrongly felt it wasn't needed . My system is missing in my '62 stale air. Same as what you have. The ring blocks the cooling air on start up so your engine can get up to temp. faster. Otherwise it takes longer to get up to temp.,oil collects water and you'll get that white substance on the underside of oil cap, rocker covers, and elsewhere.
Also agree your car looks like it was org. diamond grey.
https://www.wolfsburgwest.com/colors/59l243.html |
Yeah. I confirmed its Diamond grey. Went through all the paperwork I got with it. Original order forms show Diamond grey with leatherette interior. I almost regretted installing that ring though! After getting all the work done and starting it up. Made a scraping noise when the thermostat opened. Ring was rubbing on the fan. I'll bet that's why it was removed. Couldn't seem to remove it without dropping the motor or at least loosening the fan shroud. Luckily I was able to get my had back there with a 10mm and adjust it. Now its working fine without rubbing. Very interesting engineering. I'm hoping it allows enough air in when fully open. Guess I shouldn't doubt those German engineers! Haha |
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Malanthius
Samba Member
Joined: July 09, 2009
Posts: 206
Location: Palmdale, ca
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| Posted: Mon Apr 15, 2019 6:20 am Post subject: Re: My new 59 Ragtop. |
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| ZEKE65 wrote: |
| No hair board stuck to the floor pans? Wonder when they started that. My 65 took a day of scraping to get to the floor boards. Beautiful car! Nice find. |
right? Check out the battery tray!
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