The Cal-look Lounge

How about some Mechanic/PO/Paint & Body Horror stories to help pass a slow afternoon?

Lets see, my first bug was a '71 which had been given the cal-look treatment by its former owner.  To fill all the trim holes he took what must have been a ball peen hammer and "dimpled" the area around the trim holes. Then filled this in with bondo and painted over it. He also recreated the front six inches of the passenger's side heater channel with bondo. It poped out while I was driving down the road one day. Then there was the electrical issue that I spent weeks trying to track down. I finally figured out that the guy had piggy backed the ignition, the radio and an after market cabin fan all on the same fuse slot. When you drove the vibration would make the ignition short and the car wouldn't start. (This is after I replaced the battery, the starter, the regulator and the alternator. )  :-\ 

Another VW I bought had had one of the heads replaced on the 1600cc dp. But the head they used had different size valves than the other head. That engine ran really well let me tell you.

I remember going to look at a Thing one time which in the add was described as rust free. They must have meant they were not charging for the rust because the thing was eat up with rust. You could move the post between the front and rear doors a good six inches. to keep it in fourth gear the guy had a bungie cord he would wrap around the shifter. I passed on buying that one.  ::)

I think the worst one I ever saw though was this horrible mismatch of parts I went to look at. It was a '63 beetle shell on an IRS pan with some sort of SP motor in it of unknown vintage. (He assured me that it ran great.) The bottom six inches of the body was mostly fiberglass. The seats, which were not bolted in, came form some GM car and must have weighed a ton. He was asking $100 for it but said he would take $50 and a case of bud. Told him I would think about it.

--louis

My first bug way back in the mists of time had some interesting running repairs too , its first night out in the rain revealed that one of the quarter panels was made from paper mache and the knocking noise from the front was not the spare but a total absence of bolts holding the front clip to the top of the beam .

Kind of related this , I found this pic age's ago and Ive been dying for a chance to post it , bet it has more than its own fair share of bondo  :D One careful owner  ;D

 its got to be ;   

Worst think you have seen done to a VW

Hey, that looks like Sheep's ride  ::) ;D


The worst I did involved solid motor mounts, scraping the floor pan of all it's sound deadner, adding close ratio (noisy) gears, removing the headliner, and adding alluminum door panels all to my '63...oh yeah, removed the stereo, too...couldn't hear it anymore!  ::) ;D

The worst thing to me was the factory commercial for the new Corrado when they dropped a type 1 from the helecopter or plane. I was so incensed that I sat in front of a dealer and waited for the test rides. I went on a major hunting expedition that day and on many other days to follow.

This is one of my favorites, it had a 383 cu in stuffed in it. Note how far back the headrest are.
(http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g265/racebug67/IMGP1455.jpg)

There are 135+ pages of horrible things done to VWs here. Some are not so bad,but some will make you cry.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=149769

Oh my god!!!!! :o :o :o

Looks like a Mr Saunders creation :)

it was posted on volkszone in the for sale section by "shark boy" from bournemouth so could be ::)

wtf!!
i saw that on vzi, and the nutter wants £4500!!??!! ($8500!!!)

Think I know who that is and its not Andy , don't worry I'll have a word  ::).
Still cant believe any one would do tat to a low light  :o

And here's some more carnage  ;D

Come on guys if it going on in Sunny Bournemouth i know about it. ;D

Paul at Coltech Classic did it and as i have been friends with Paul for year.

I'm not going to say any think about it apart form what a lot of SH1T. :D

Sorry guys has to say it.

Take the fins off and I actually like it.  :) It needs to be sectioned a couple of inches too. Could you see it running at the salt flats with a turbo hanging out the back.  ;D

--louis

Yes i like the roof and you also right about the turbo motor. :D

Oh if you want to know who Mr Saunders is here is web site. Dam nice guy he always does my MOT on my car.

www.andysaunderskustoms.com

Saw this one on our holiday in Spain/Catalunya a few weeks ago....

Funny Jim  :D

What do you think about this?

(http://blogsimages.skynet.be/images_v2/002/610/398/20070906/dyn002_original_1162_794_pjpeg_2610398_e729bc6fac244bd6e0dfb45ccd55b6ee.jpg)

That's nearly as bad as the white bug with 53 painted on the doors! I HATE Herbie replicas! Especially as most of them are so wildly inaccurate! >:( ;D

Vw beetles with a Mercedes nose or fake ovals or splits ;D

painting a bug matt black, and then stripping it all off a week later...  :-[ :D

I cant Imagine who you might be referring to   ;D  ;)
 
Think there's a vw under there some place

Couldn't agree more dude - why do people insist on doing a replica's based on a 1974 1300 etc  ??? ??? ???

like this one here no benz but ROLLS ROYCE   :o.... ;D

there was a guy in hayword CA that used 2 come into buggy house where jim worked that drove a monster bug like that. it was a complete joke, he used chain to tie the body to the chasis. ask jim about him.  we at mikes car service called him hair lip.

"Who you gonna call? Ghost Busters"

(http://www.glenn-ring.com/temp/ricebugz.jpg)

I've just worked out what you mean... I hadn't even thought about that!  :D