-59 sleeper project

[lawrence]

Perfect. More photos please

[Sepi]

Now doors are right and most flaws of paint have been polished. It's hard to make 100% with old parts collected from here and there, like those front wings. Left and right horn grill holes aren't exactly the same position and it causes the front bumper to look like not straight   But this beetle is built to go, not not for show, so nitpickers have to look another project

Anyway, interior is ordered six weeks ago from TMI, but I'm still waiting. As I'm waiting some moldings and stuff from local VW part dealer - who responces once a month and do not reply if he has any or anything ready to be posted to me. Nerves nerves... and no timetable for anything seems to be the most important lesson to learn with this project...

[Henrik Hagen]

Hello

Very cool car (-:

I have some questions?
Your front brakes - Is that zero offset CSP brakes or
Your spindles is that stock spindles or lowered spindles?
Stock beam - narrow beam - Lowered beam?


Best regards Henrik Hagen

[Sepi]

Henrik, those are original spindles and normal CSP front brakes. It is quite out with those 5,5" rims, but ok to my taste.

[Henrik Hagen]

OK thanks for your answer.

[Sepi]

OK thanks for your answer.

I forgot to write that front beam is original width and adjustable and now more or less half way up and down. I cannot make it much lower as those tyres will start to give problems

And NOW it seems that the long waited interior roof cloth lining is arrived to Finland and I'll get it done soon :-) After that we will start and tune the engine, make some final touch and then everything should be ready to MOT & registration. Let's hope the inspector would be positively surprised and I'll get the bug back to roads after 18 years.

[dielinde]

Wau it is a nice car  i love it

[Sepi]

I was told the headliner IS in Finland but still somewere on handling. So, something little is going on - like this


and this - notice the two speed fan for cabin :-)


and this


but just fake pea shooters to fill those notches

[Rocket Ron]

I was told the headliner IS in Finland but still somewere on handling. So, something little is going on - like this


and this - notice the two speed fan for cabin :-)


and this


but just fake pea shooters to fill those notches

Love the peashooters 

[miguel]

hahaha  very coll idea peashooters

[Sepi]

Last days of my holiday spent to make some of those about million small things; interior, seat belts, etc. One wind screen was here but unfortunately it was for 65>. BTW, counting all those days to wait for a part or work to be done by pros' must be now almost a year and I have tried to plan what to do next and when. Amazing! But when the correct wind screen is here and on the place it should be, there are not many things to do now anymore. After registration and test drives I'm sure the gearbox will be done during next winter to stay dry and clean. Have anybody else such leaking issues with a brand new Rancho pro street boxes?

[kev d]

Very nice
And I really like the fake exhaust!
Cheers
Kev

[TomJ]

and this - notice the two speed fan for cabin :-)

Such a great car! Love it...where did you source the fan from?

Cheers

Tom

[Sepi]

Tom ^ I bought this simple fan from Biltema Then I painted it and added the meshwire to intake. With a two position switch and a resistor I got it working like a modern gadget. That hose is from old Hoover

[Type1/DVK]

do you have a brand name for that R&P steering unit? love the sleeper setup!

edit:

Found it
The R&P steering is from VW Polo. That system to fit it to beetle is a copy with slight modifications from a German set. Originally it was designed for ball joint beam, so I had to change the position of steering rack about two inches to the right. Left tie rod is a shortened VW beetle RH side rod and the right tie rod is from VW Polo.
I added the original steering absorber to make sure there is no daabadaaba when I go to annual inspection. Rules here demand a steering absorber when engine is bigger than original 1,2 -59 model...

[Sepi]

do you have a brand name for that R&P steering unit? love the sleeper setup!

edit:

Found it
The R&P steering is from VW Polo. That system to fit it to beetle is a copy with slight modifications from a German set. Originally it was designed for ball joint beam, so I had to change the position of steering rack about two inches to the right. Left tie rod is a shortened VW beetle RH side rod and the right tie rod is from VW Polo.
I added the original steering absorber to make sure there is no daabadaaba when I go to annual inspection. Rules here demand a steering absorber when engine is bigger than original 1,2 -59 model...

There was a german set for sale some years ago, tho I haven't seen it for a while, but our local copycat   did this one for sale. I had to modify that set to fit my old beetle.

[Sepi]

For the sleeper style, engine lid couldn't be ajar in any corner and with these air cleaners the engine breathing works - so this much must be sacrifice. It looks a bit weird, but it works and removing couple of millimetres from lip the stack, it cannot effect much for the air flow - I hope so...

[Sepi]

Today we agreed to start the engine on Sunday with the pro who built it. As a total dumb with these strokers, I don't take any risk.
Moldings (split beetle type) should also be here anytime and that's it for now.

[Zach Gomulka]

Car is looking great 
Why not plumb the exhaust to the fake peashooters to make them functional?

[Sepi]

Zach, it't better now to leave this way as I don't want any whistling pipes around this beetle.
Sorry to add too many pictures, but I'm just in flames and dusk light gives nice contrast and the fjord blue comes real

[Zach Gomulka]

Zach, it't better now to leave this way as I don't want any whistling pipes around this beetle.

I think it would ad to the sleeper look To each their own, car is looking great

[TomJ]

Tom ^ I bought this simple fan from Biltema Then I painted it and added the meshwire to intake. With a two position switch and a resistor I got it working like a modern gadget. That hose is from old Hoover

Excellent! Thanks for the info Sepi.

Cheers

Tom

[Sepi]

It works! - but something is wrong again with the new IMI starter. It works (also solenoid clangs, but no contact for teeth. Starter is tighted right and all cables connected. Tomorrow I'll try to find time to take it out and see what is wrong. Is that common with those starters, or do I get all monday craps?

[Sepi]

It works! - but something is wrong again with the new IMI starter. It works (also solenoid clangs, but no contact for teeth. Starter is tighted right and all cables connected. Tomorrow I'll try to find time to take it out and see what is wrong. Is that common with those starters, or do I get all monday craps?

This was the problem. Now a new - IMI again - starter is there and so far so good. Some small oil leaks around filter and Rancho gearbox, but nothing serious - I hope so.

[Fiatdude]

 I highly recommend using a starter for a automatic bug -- -- You'll find the IMI spin at a slower speed than stock (reduction gearing) which can also be a problem at times -- I've never had an issue since switching over years ago, spins my 2989 without any issues

[Sepi]

I highly recommend using a starter for a automatic bug -- -- You'll find the IMI spin at a slower speed than stock (reduction gearing) which can also be a problem at times -- I've never had an issue since switching over years ago, spins my 2989 without any issues

Skoda Felicia starter is also recommend and as a spare it is easilily availlable here. We'll see. If this still have issues, I'll look something else than IMI

[Sepi]

First kilometres driven and not bad at all. Still some fine tuning, but basic things were quite right. Steering was also better than expected, but I couldn't do any real test. So within a week or two I'm driving this beauty to inspection office to get licence plates and a proper insurance. I hope he will give me those important documents to enjoy these last warm days with my beetle.

[Type1/DVK]

Great work! keep on posting here!

[Sepi]

Propably I can call this ready - or as ready as these can be.
This -59 beetle is completely assembled and tuned again here in Mikkeli, so I can proudly call this as The Mikkeli Edition



Previous pictures were "corrected" - which means destroyed by picasaweb, but now this blue is more like the real one - and my -52 is as well a pastel green

[Sepi]

Today this -59 is again between lisence plates after twenty eight years - three and half years with me.

Still lot of small things to do but normal driving and testing is now possible and much easier. These modern europlates are for time beeing only as those wanted ones are here in Finland 900,-€ and I'll order those later.