not perfect...

[nicolas]

how do you feel about the imperfections of your car. i see a lot of cars and maybe i want to change something about them, but that is not up to me, it is their car. but i am talking about the dings dents, dare i say shortcuts and compromises... you had to make to build the car. i hate them. i hate every dent in my car, even the ones people don't see or know about. and i know they are there because i use the car or simply don't have the budget to let it be done by a professional. BUT i don't mind those same things with some elses car. i like the faided paint on Dave Rhoads car and the battle scars that come from using it.
i talked to Jelle (lowfastbus) about his car and how unfinished it is (interieur-wise, and lucas-light-wise...  ) i like it. i like the way it is used and how it looks, but would not be happy if it were mine.

am i the only one? 

[Sam K]

For the most part, I'm proud of the rock chips and the few "battle scars" that my Bug has because it's a driver. However sometimes when I look at it, all I see are the flaws, despite how nice it is. In a perfect world I'd probably take it all the way apart and fix everything, but for now, I'll be happy with it as it is.

[roland]

Now that i'm building the car, i have to make compromises. The car was so deconstructed during bodywork, and i was 1000km from it, so obviously some stuff was forgotten. Those compromises, they just depress me, makes me wanna sell everything. For the stupidest thing, like drill a hole in the new paint or notice that i forgot to tell laurent to modify this or this...

But then i put a nice new part on the car, or put a freshly painted fooks on it, and i forget about all those little mistakes and i'm happy again! 

And then I make a nice picture, I put it on the lounge, i get incredible feedback so i can't sleep anymore and i only think about finishing the car and not to the mistakes...

But we'll speak bout that again when i'll have done my first dent in the 68... and cried about it for 2 days i guess...

[wolfswest]

Nicolas,

I've been watching your decklid for let us say a half an hour or so...  and I still think it looks pretty clean and good painted.  Yes, there are dents but most of the dents are between our / your ears... (don't know if this is a good translation into english  ) Your car is straight as hell man!  Sure, there will be some points that you don't like but like I said, most of them are so minor that somebody else would never notice them...  It's just because you use your car and clean it and wax it etc that you know it...

But, I know the feeling.  When I look at my car after I've read some magazines I think that I put a piece of crap together.  Sure, it's not the show-winner but it isn't that bad after all...  Every day I think different about my car...

[Zach Gomulka]

Let me start by saying that no car is perfect!

Signs of use like rock chips and such dont bother me, the car is used as it should be, and that is great!! The little dents in my GTV bother me, and the hood being off a shade really irritates me. The cocoa mats are trashed, doors are sticky, I hate the 195/65's, horn doesnt work (wrong adapter), the grease nipples are busted off the beam (my fault), the motor burns oil.... I could go on for days!! Ive been looking for 2 EMPI lug bolts for over 2 years now, with no luck until yesterday when I found a '71 bug with sprint stars on it and a few of the original bolts! But it remains to be seen if the guy will give a couple of them up

But I still love my car, all that is good and all that is bad 

[louisb]

I tend to be a perfectionist so stuff bothers me that no one else will ever notice. (That OCD thing doesn't help either.) I have to keep reminding myself of that or my car will never be done. (If they ever truly are.) It is the reason my car, after all the work I did to it last fall/winter to get it drivable, is back in the garage about to get torn apart again. The paint and body work bother me too much. So its time to start on the rust repair, bodywork and paint.

--louis

[Donny B.]

Louis, how's the pan in your car?  When I went to Bug-In 33 I saw some replacement pan halves by Wolfsburg West that are incredible.  If you don't need any then that is great, but if you do you should check them out.  They are as good as the original German ones!

[louisb]

Hey Donny,

Both pan halves have to be replaced. (and heater channels too) I have seen the WW pans and yes they are very nice. I usually order all my stock replacement stuff from WW as their quality is always tops. I for see a large shipment from them in the not to distant future. lol To bad they don't carry good used metal though, I really need a German driver's side rear fender. 

--louis

[Donny B.]

I'll keep my eyes open for a fender.  I gave away two a couple of years ago.  They were of a '66, but they are the same.  The new WW pan halves are made in the USA and they are just getting ready for production.   That is what we were told when we toured the facility on Friday before Bug-In 33.

[louisb]

I'll keep my eyes open for a fender.  I gave away two a couple of years ago.  They were of a '66, but they are the same.  The new WW pan halves are made in the USA and they are just getting ready for production.   That is what we were told when we toured the facility on Friday before Bug-In 33.

Humm, must be a new version then. I will check into it. Won't need them for a couple of months anyway.

--louis

[lowfastbus]

As I told you Nicolas, my car was always low budget.  This however doesn't mean that I don't care about the dents in it.
Still think it's different because I never looked at this car as a real clean cal looker.
If I ever get finished one off my other projects and there comes a dent in those one. It will ruin my day...

Jelle

[nicolas]

As I told you Nicolas, my car was always low budget.  This however doesn't mean that I don't care about the dents in it.
Still think it's different because I never looked at this car as a real clean cal looker.
If I ever get finished one off my other projects and there comes a dent in those one. It will ruin my day...

Jelle

i totally understand it. but i would like to have a car like yours. it has a look i never could create myself, but that appeals to me. and if you finish a different project this one would make a hell of a gasser... hint hint, but you probally have thought this up yourself as well i guess.

Nicolas,

I've been watching your decklid for let us say a half an hour or so...  and I still think it looks pretty clean and good painted.  Yes, there are dents but most of the dents are between our / your ears... (don't know if this is a good translation into english  ) Your car is straight as hell man!  Sure, there will be some points that you don't like but like I said, most of them are so minor that somebody else would never notice them...  It's just because you use your car and clean it and wax it etc that you know it...

But, I know the feeling.  When I look at my car after I've read some magazines I think that I put a piece of crap together.  Sure, it's not the show-winner but it isn't that bad after all...  Every day I think different about my car...

yeah i know the shit between my ears plays tricks on me. time for my medicine and yearly shots. 

[j-f]

My car was paint and welded 4 years ago.  And there is so much things which are not perfect 

But, I use my car without compromise. I go everywhere with it during summer. Meetings, party, to the grocery, stay outside from Mei to September.

As I try to make the most of the work by myself and I'm not a professional, there is always defects.

That's life...

[Zach Gomulka]

I just looked at the pic of my car up there, and realized it is just a nice 50 footer

[Jason Foster]

For the most part, I'm proud of the rock chips and the few "battle scars" that my Bug has because it's a driver. However sometimes when I look at it, all I see are the flaws, despite how nice it is. In a perfect world I'd probably take it all the way apart and fix everything, but for now, I'll be happy with it as it is.

  my feelings exactly....

[Donny B.]

Hey Louis, need one of these?  It's NOS German right rear quarter with the bumper bracket.