1961 very original pearl white deluxe

[pastellgreen]

During the last built, a 1960 pearl white beetle

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=729339

a friend of the neigbourhood, a Portuguese, who also is into VW beetles, got a message from his friend in Portugal. There was a beetle to find in a shop window, that might be interesting for me. The beetle is a model year 1961 and seemed to be very well kept and original.

The first pictures have been:

Indeed, it was interesting for me, as I was not so amused having had to replace the heaterchannels from the 1960 pearl white what have stolen so much originality. Also I'm not a friend of "dachboard-switch-challenges", so I was open for another car, that might be untouched but in good condition in most important areas.

We found out the seller was Lamycar at Torres Vedras. "Lamy", Pedro Lamy, is a famous Portuguese Formula 1 driver. More pictures to follow:

What I saw from the pictures, the car is very original, the engine seemed to be original to the car, also the interior including its paint. The car had one respray in the past, not to hide some nasty things but refreshing the exterior that was affected by Portugals sun. Unsually, they did not disassembled something, only taping the chrome and rubbers and sprayed it. The layer of paint is very thin, the fender beading was painted over. But nonetheless, it looks very good.

I pleased the friend in Portugal to make some pictures from the usual areas that should confirm a good condition:

Now I was shure that this would be a nice car and completed the deal with Lamycar.

My german Portuguese friend often visits his family in Portugal. Even if the route is very long and hard, he always drives by car. He was so kind and fetched the car for me and brought it back to Germany where it was built.

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1961 pearl white beauty from Portugal
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=759951

[pastellgreen]

Now, the history turns into a sad story:
The car arrived here and was first stored in a barn.
My german Portuguese friend also collects beetles. He was very proud of his last find, a 1953 convertible in the rare colour navy blue. Also, he owns a 1953 deluxe and was always on the search on parts for it.
One day I called and told him, there is a pair of good ribbed doors in the classifieds. On a sunny day, he was on the way to fetch these doors. But he won't arrive at he seller. On the highway, he got crashed into a truck standing as the last vehicle of a traffic jam. A team of a firetruck driving next to him, freed him. He was ransported by helicopter to the hospital and now he lies in a vegetative state since last October and does not react to something.
I feel unbelivable sorry for him and his family. Now I help them to sell all his vehicles and project cars so they can afford the care.
Life is that hard and I try to arrange with the knowledge that every day, something like this could happen also to me or my family.
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1961 pearl white beauty from Portugal
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=759951

[Larmo63]

Wow, he sounded like a good guy to fetch your car for you and drive it back.

He didn't deserve that fate.
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Lawrence
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
‘61 Mango Green Single Cab
'62 Pearl White Ragtop sedan
'66 Ruby Red Cabriolet
'86 Porsche 911 Carrera

[pastellgreen]

He is a real gentleman and friend. Of course we all hope he will able to be present one day. In meanwhile he reacts a little bit with his eyes, so there is a kind of development.
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1961 pearl white beauty from Portugal
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=759951

[pastellgreen]

For the moment I work on the Portuguese car and prepare it for the technical inspection.

A list of finds:
- the car is very original, keeping nearly all one-year-only goodies
- one, thin respray outside, inside complete original
- with leatherette silver beige interior. As I wrote birth certificates over two years, I learned that ordering the leatherette option was common in the warmer EU countries. Especially for Portugal I would call it standard.
- the car was never welded anywhere, but also has no rust. The body is complete solid
- The rubber components are badly affected by Portugals heat. That is for the window rubber as also the chassis to body seal and all other seals.
- The radio was installed by the dealer. I don't like it and am lucky the original radio delete cover was kept with the car.
- the rear ligths have been updated. Of course they will be changed to egg-style. The correct holes in the fender for installing the rear lights are still there.
- there was a complicated wiring at the front togehter with 4 relays. After some study I found out, that was for flashing the headlights when hooting. Of cource I changed it to original condition without that function. The less wiring connections the brighter the head lights.
- All wheel cylinder had the wide slot for the brake shoes, so I ordered correct wheel cylinder.
- The rear axle boots are slottet and wrong installed (seam at 12 o'clock). I will keep an eye on that.
- The battery tray was messed with a wrong battery and additional power switch. They cut down the edges of the battery cover for still using it on the bigger battery. Of course that area had to be reworked.
- Big amunt of sand under the floor mats, also a mess of grease behind the pedal assembly. It took some time to remove both, the grease and the sand...
- one of the headlight rings still keep the Bosch logo. I have collected enough parts to get the last year Bosch headlights with Bosch logo in the ring and VW logo on the asymmetrical headlights. But the rings need a rechroming, it will take some time.
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1961 pearl white beauty from Portugal
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=759951

[pastellgreen]

The first action was to remove the radio. It was dealer installed but the delete cover was kept with the car. There was also a booklet with the radio, where the dealer installation was carefully noted.

The radio

the delete cover

After removing

I love the original and clean design of the dashboard so much that I can not suffer seeing it destroyed by a radio. As it was not factory installed, it was not a theft of originality.
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1961 pearl white beauty from Portugal
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=759951

[pastellgreen]

The battery tray was messed up with a power switch and larger battery. The edges of the cover had been cut off for making it fit to the bigger battery.
I cleaned the area and treated with a rust converter, after it was painted black. I did not use the original two hardboard stripes, as they will affect the paint. So I decided to use corkboard between battery and chassis.

Installed a good used cover, strap and an original ground strap.
The car used to have difficulties with starting. As if the starter could not get enough voltage. After installing the new continuous cable, the starter problems disappeared.
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1961 pearl white beauty from Portugal
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=759951

[pastellgreen]

Togehter with the rework on the battery tray, I removed the floor mats for removing the sand and the mess of grease behind the pedalery. Cleaned the floor mats and after tuning the e-brake, installed a new original e-brake boot. It was hard to remove the sand from the sound deadening board, as the grain was walked into the board.

Solid front end from the inside

and outside

the boot

_________________
1961 pearl white beauty from Portugal
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=759951

[pastellgreen]

The bearing from the steering wheel also had to be redone. As in my other thread from the 1960', it was disassembled and regreased. Some balls were missing, I still kept the package with new balls. The steering wheel and turn signal lever are as new.
Unfortunaltely in Germany we have to install warning lights. So I had to drill a hole unter the dashboard for hiding the switch. For the moment and for the inspection, the car keeps upgraded rear lights. For those who don't know about the background of this upgrade:

[pastellgreen]

The engine number matches the pan. Just spent new spark wires and some little bits here and there, also changed oil. It still goes very strong and has the "bite" I know from good, low mileage 40hp engines. The generator keeps the VW regulator. The engine still keeps the original cylinder heads that need special valve covers and gaskets.

Here you see some things I took apart as they are not original. The VW splash guards have been installed with self made brackets attaching the fender lip...

...that has been "prepared" for it.

The original licence plates will be kept of course. The car had only one owner before it was given to Lamycar.
After a week of afternoons work the car is ready for the inspection that will take place at wednesday. The wheels are borrowed from his brother next to him, who carries the winter wheels from ow on.

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1961 pearl white beauty from Portugal
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=759951

[Erik G]

very nice car - well wishes for your friend

[pastellgreen]

Thank you.

The car passed the technical inspection without problems. But on this first drive, I felt some issues have to be solved. During the drive I heard the transmission clonking when taking away the gas. Also the transmission made a light noise when the car was pulling the engine. The engine has to be resealed at the front end and also at other places.
The other thing is, the car got an exterior repaint in a slight wrong colour. As there are some holes to close (ex antenna, ex relays screwed into the sidepanels next to the gastank, the additional holes for the upgraded taillights,...) I think about repainting the exterior of the car in the right colour.

Example of Glasurit L87 next to interior original paint:

and next to exterior repaint

Repainting the car will be an easy job for the painting guys as the surface is very perfect. It only needs to be padded, cleaned and repainted directly with single stage resin enamel paint.
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1961 pearl white beauty from Portugal
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=759951

[TornadoRed06]

Here you see some things I took apart as they are not original. The VW splash guards have been installed with self made brackets attaching the fender lip...

... but they happen to be "very original" indeed, just not Wolfsbourg original:

any vehicle at that time, and it is really any, had to be provided, at least, with mud flaps at the rear axle, otherwise couldn't get a license plate and be lawfully authorized to be used on public roads. That, and also a warning triangle onboard, for the event of break downs on the road, that had to bear the homologation inscription DGV-..., another thing not Wolfsbourg original. It was some of the work tasks Guérin had to do.
Most of that just vanished when Portugal joined the EEC, later EU.

And all this is very good luck, just a few years later most of the vehicles would be fitted new with COVINA rochedo glass, Tudor batteries and so on.
The less and less Wolfsbourg original.

[TheRealOld59]

Great car !

Cant wait to see the rest

[pastellgreen]

@TornadoRed06
yes, the mudflaps are original, but the way they have been installed was complete insane. VW provided special L-shaped bracket for the mudflaps, easy to install. But instead, the dealer installed a self made aluminium bracket between the panel of the motor compartment and the lip from the fender, destroying its shape.

@TheRealOld59
Thank you. Before we found this car, I had one pearl white observed in the "departement 04", but this was sold very quick.
Now I have to buy a torque tool in France, because in Europe is no other reseller.

https://www.car-concept.fr/p/mt-outil-torque-dude-36mm

serial kombi would be cheaper but it is not available for the moment. And of course I need it now...
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1961 pearl white beauty from Portugal
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=759951

[type241]

Could you take some pics of the front trunk area? I am restoring a 61 right now and need to see how the wiring is routed and other trunk details. Thanks!

[pastellgreen]

Well, the wiring is not original as they have hacked it to install the relays for connecting headlights with the horn.
Will bring it into original condition, when the car was painted. In meanwhile I will take some pictures of the trunk area of the other car of the same model year. What details do you want to see?
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1961 pearl white beauty from Portugal
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=759951

[type241]

Just various pics of trunk area without cardboard liner in place so I can see.

[pastellgreen]

I will take pictures of the trunk area the next days.

For the moment I started working on the engine. Also the transmission will be pulled out to seal some areas and install detent plugs.

The muffler looks wrong for me. The j-pipes have been extended to make them fit to the muffler.

Also I detected wrong cooling tin for this modelyear

But was able to source a NOS muffler (the egg style that sounds like a 36hp) and also correct tin.
As the generator sounds like a thunderstorm and also is a Garbe Lahmeyer I will replace it with a good Bosch generator I have on stock that came from an industrial engine with low hours.
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1961 pearl white beauty from Portugal
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=759951

[Mervo]

Great thread and a similar car to my Australian 61.
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1962 Porsche 356
1968 Porsche 911 (sold)
1988 Porsche 911
2004 Porsche Turbo
1960 VW beetle (Australian)