The Cal-look Lounge

I was looking for a new project car earlier this year and came across this '52 in the Spring. I was originally looking for a '62 or '63 as my first Bug was a '63 and I really liked the classic looks and practicality it had (larger rear windows, normal indicators, small side windows etc).

Well, the Split was too much to resist even though it feels locally like everyone and their dog have a Split Bug. We trailered the car to my parent's house for temporal storage in May. Moved the car indoors today and started to analyze purchase in more detail and tear it down.

Usually I try to avoid the situation "where my ego would write checks the body can't cash" and not post unfinished/barely started pictures to Internet but anyway here it goes  :D

Some dimwit had painted the headliner to black and white, the handbrake lever, shifter and pedals hadn't escaped some detailing neither. The passenger side quarter panel had been replaced quite poorly at some point and needs replacing again. The pan and spare wheel well look very solid, like the luggage area.

The luggage area with the electrics removed.

The only thing I don't like in Split Bug is the dash. My plan is to clean it a little by deleting the semaphore switch and ash tray.

Gauges are also problem as the original ones with the stupid cardboard face don't really suit car with any performance hint, okay for restored car or resto cal. I really like the VDO aviator gauges but as Mr Black Sheep is going to run them in his '49 I don't want to copy him nor the legendary DRA Split with regular VDOs.

I wanted to use Porsche gauges but the speeds displayed are typically bit ridiculous for the speeds you do with your Beetle, noticed this 924 speedo in ebay and it had the looks I want plus it doesn't display 200+ km/h speeds  ;) I guess it came around the 55 MPH speed limit for forced in US for US market? Based on quick googling it should work in Bug as the early 924/944 measured the speeds same way through the spindle as VW. Got a matching rev counter too. Best part of this was that both were dirt cheap. Only modification needed is changing the glass for flat and they're perfect.

Have some ideas about the steering wheel but not sure yet how to replace the stock switches.

Apart from the sheet metal needed I have pretty much what I mechanically need to complete the project.

Style-wise I am not yet 100% sure how it will end up like. One idea (and where the idea about the gauges came up) would be what kind of a car I would have build for my first car like if I was some 5-7 years older and grew up in So Cal.

I had planned to run it with 5.5" and late 7" Fuchs, but it'll look okay with the spare 5.5" and 6" combo I have or with Gas Burners. I am going to use my old engine which I probably will dress-up a little with older parts (carb linkage, intake manifolds, valve covers, pulleys etc).

60's panel fitting..

The documents that came with the car show it was taken out from traffic (plates returned) in June 1971. It had been exchanged in Saab dealership in March 1971 to some other car, the dealership was in 1971 in same area that I live now. The old paperwork show that someone with profession "student" bought the car in Saab dealership in April, so he might been the one who "detailed" the interior.. Maybe the engine blew up during the Summer of 1971 (as the car came to me minus the engine) and with the student budget the guy couldn't fix the car..

And, yes, it will be dechromed  ;)

Next steps after tearing it down more are taking it to media blasting and trailer it to the body shop who shall do the needed welding (I am not that good in it, nor have no time to learn, best I can do in this area is work and earn money to pay the bill). My fun starts when the car has been painted and can start assembling it.

love it  :o :o

nice one need to come over  some day to have  look. good luck man

Very nice Bug

That's a sweet project !

x2,and really solid for that age.

Yeah it is not that bad, the biggest visible problems are the quarter panel replacements that need to be re-done. For the 60 years of it's age it has sat 2/3 in garage, so that explains some of the good condition.

Let's see how it looks in few weeks, old cars are never better than they look  ;)

Thought this was cool... ;)

(http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d97/tstracy39/vdosplittachy1.jpg)

Looks liek a really nice project Tero! Welcome to the "Split Club"  ;D

Looks like a great project Luftsick. I'll follow your thread for sure.  :)

Tero, if you'd prefer not to take the heat from the vintage purists, I'll be happy to take the car off your hands... ;D

Nice find! Looking forward to following the progress on what is sure to be another cool build/car (has Tomi been by with a shipment of NOS mice yet?)

Which Tomi are you referring to? Like I said everybody and their dog has a Split in Helsinki these days  :D

Welcome back you mean?  :) A lot better than my ex one.

(http://www.terovirta.com/images/2000_My52Split06.jpg)

Fancy a side project across the sea? It could use some of your magic touch Stefan  ;)

Welcome to the Helsinki Split Club   ;D

Dennis

(http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd318/TEF20C/23072009347leikattupieni-1.jpg)

Nice find 8)
Would love a split as my next project ;D
Keep the pics coming!
Cheers,
Kev

Was that one originally pastel green but repainted in blue? strange dent on the roof on the right had side just over the windscreen frame? ???

No that's my ex '52 and unfinished project with the current owner.

Ah, I couldn't make out the crotch coolers and it looks very similar to my early '51! A lot more complete though... :D