RHD 54 in for a makeover

[jamiep_jamiep]

My 54 has been bodily a bit shabby for a bit now and tbh was a bit embarrassing looks wise (it looked hard a nails bit pretty ropey up close although vwery solid). Well, I recently seized the engine too, so enough isenough, the time has come to get the car sorted. Plus I want the car to be MINE, having bought it pretty much as is and it still feels a bit like its Pauls (the previous owner) car and I'm just the driver! So, I'll be changing pretty much everything except the brake setup, but the engine (which I've had apart once alreay due to careless worksho practice on my part) is coming in for a major overhaul, as is the gearbox and rear suspension, the body is having a total rebuild and a new interior.

[jamiep_jamiep]

Windows out, wings off, its time for some fun!


This to sort:


And this unusual lump in the front quarter means a bump sometime in the past - the bonnet never did fit quite right:

[jamiep_jamiep]

Need to make some covers for these carb access panels:

[jamiep_jamiep]

Bare metalling... such fun! I may try the dipping place suggested by Neil, see how I get on with my zip wheeel first....

[jamiep_jamiep]

And I picked these up from fellow Renn-Wageneer, Donge, last night - cheers dude! He's going turbo along with a few other members of the club.

[ian c]

any updates on the bodywork ??

[GreenTom]

hehe good car
have driven it when I was in UK it run and sound good.
I wonder why Paul sold it... he liked that car as it was...

what happened to the engine?
 
some damn goodies in this car isn't it

[jamiep_jamiep]

I'll have updates tonight hopefully - I would like the bare metalling to the roof sorted so I can properly assess a dent on there and get it repaired. I've been practicing lead loading (on a Golf) and am not sure if the heat from the lead will distort the roof with it being a large panel. I'll try to knock it out first I think.

Hey Tom, hope you enjoyed the ride! The engine seized - it was entirely my own fault - Paul mentioned to me that he hadn't got chance to fit an external cooler on the engine and I ran it as is. I overheated it, which is pretty embarassing tbh.  It overheated which I think damaged a bearing, and then it seized up. Ah well, I get to make upgrades now!

Have you got any pictures of the car when you were over here? I would love to see them if you have! Paul got out of VW's and now owns a Lotus but keeps in touch with me now & then with bits of advice and info about the car (and to see if he can have his car back - the answrs always the same! Its MINE now! hehe... ) I think he'll be back into the scene before long. The always come back 

By the way I've bought my paint - it is (drum roll....)VW Medium Blue, not a period correct colour, in fact not even a bug colour - its the colour often seen on T25 buses. I hope it looks as good in real life as it does in my head.

Thanks for the interest guys.
Jamie

[Gaz1]

Some good progress there mate,should look good in that colour too      

[kraftwerk]

Dude, you are Kickin ass!! Keep up with this pace and we'll be paintin it in a month!! Think Kraftwerk needs to give you a little time with the hammers & Dollies to straighten up that bodywork, & trust me when i say the effort put in on gettin those inner wings panel perfect is soo worth it!! You'll feel so much better about the car!! Hookies carb inspection panels too, they'd be worth the bit of extra cash! sounds like i'm talkin my way into some work, but i want this bug to be a real contender in the show & go, as i'm sure you do!! i'll contact ya to arrange an evenin in the week to make a start!!!!

Later dooood!

Leeps

Kraftwerk
Custom Speed & Resto
07889 178 638

[GreenTom]

I think I had few from Manchester and few from York Raceway (he did very well out there damn it was 2 years ago ).

I hope You'll do everything to bing it back to life (too bad that colour is going out but it's Youre car now) leave the pin stripe some how or maybe live the lid as a suvenir

Are you leaveing the VWSS muffler and header (I think you shoiuld) the stuff is propper... How did you like the breather box

fingers crossed for the project    

[ballbag]

Got any further on it dude?

[Jordy/DVK]

 Looks fine!! Nice to see that oval getting the treatment it deserves...
 BTW Medium blue L37 is an original colour for splits. Definately a nice colour!!!

 One thing I noticed though was that the taillights are a bit higher than original.
 I think it'll look better when you lower the taillights to the original height. But that's just my opinion...
 And the rear valence shouldn't have the cutouts for the exhaust pipes as well. 
 Sorry for being such an "ant fucker", as we say in Holland... (or nitpicker as you'd call it in the uk)
 
 Keep us updated!!! Can't wait for the finished result... 

 original height...
 
 

[GreenTom]

just have a question about the Faltdach, I've spoted one on the ebay for aprox 200E does any of you guys know anything aboout those? is it all stuff or only the inside stuff (metal bits and cloth) is it woth it? http://cgi.ebay.pl/VW-Kaefer-Faltdachbezug-original-schwarz-055-7180_W0QQitemZ140115056267QQihZ004QQcategoryZ42491QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

thanx.

[jamiep_jamiep]

Thanks for the interest guys...

Tom - I would DEARLY like to see some photo's of the bug in its previous life, the car actually seems to have quite a bit of history as a hot street car and I'd love to fill in as many blanks as possible.

Re: the rear lights Jordy, your spot on, they definitely need to be lowered down - I could do with getting some info on what mounting hts they actually are at, if anyone knows this info please pass it on.

Progress has slowed this week due to fmily commitments, but should speed up again over the coming days. I've finished bare betalling the roof, have tapped out and skimmed a coupe of smalldents on the roof and have tidied up a bit of the skim work following the welding it has previously had done on the rear quarters. I hope to have the rear quarters, valance and roof ready to prime this weekend, then I'll move onto the front end to try and straighten that out. Here are some photos of progress:

[jamiep_jamiep]

Oh, and I also pried open a secton of the rain gutter towards the front of the roof which seemed to have 'thickened' up. Very surprised at how easily and neatly I managed to do this, especially since I'm a notoriously clumsy clutz with any job requiring even the slightest finesse... so I'm really trying to take my time with all this while still maintaining a programme/deadline. Anyway, I was dreading some really nasty rust, but it turned out to be minor, just some flaking, so I wire brushed it and rust treated it. What does everyone think to me maybe applying a little seam sealer in there before closing it back up? Would it prevent future problems?

Thanks

[smurf67]

I saw this on VZI earlier looks a great car good luck with it. Alex

[GreenTom]

I'm looking for them I don't remember if I did them or not cuz every time Paul came to us I sad ok next time the saim on the York RW hehe. I'll look for them more

good luck with the car it was really nice car with a hot rod soul

[ian c]

Re: the rear lights Jordy, your spot on, they definitely need to be lowered down - I could do with getting some info on what mounting hts they actually are at, if anyone knows this info please pass it on.

WILL POST THE INFO TOMMORROW WHEN I DIG IT OUT .
THE REAR LIGHTS WERE MADE HIGHER FOR AMERICAN MARKET @55 WHEN TOWEL RASILS WERE ADDED , AND A;SO (I THINK) ON ANY EURO BUG WITH TOWEL RAILS .

REAON BEING .... USA LEGISLATION ABOUT BUMPER HIEGHT MEANT OVER-RIDERS HAD TO BE ADDED TO BRING BUMPERS UPTO SPEC .    THESE INTERFERED WITH VIEWING OF THE REAR LIGHTS SO THE LIGHTS WERE RAISED APPROX 2" ON TOWEL RAIL CARS .

THEY ALSO HAD A SMALL CIRCULAR HOLE ADDED INTO REAR FENDER TO ALLOW A BRACING BAR . SEE PIC BELOW

[62 Ragtop]

Cool car!

Reminds me of my own project (no project thread - as I'm dead slow and have missed all my deadlines thus far ), and the state I was in a 2yrs ago. Those wire-wheel brushes are really addictive!!  Once you get going its hard to stop!

As for the tail light postitioning, I had the same ordeal. I've got a -62yr model and had sourced a set of OG fenders from a -60yr model (replacing my cracked glass fiber fenders as I wanted genuine german steel) and the previous owner had cut holes for teardrop lights and whatnot and I was missing all the original holes and my painter managed to accidentally "close" what I later found out to be at least one original hole... It is a bit hard to find the measurements in any "volkswagen" books (I've got the Bentley manual but not even in that thick brick I could manage to get any clear directions...).

I did some searching on thesamba, and I believe there are a couple of good threads over there that could get you started, try "tail light positioning", "heart light positioning" as a search. There are some good pictures out there, with lines and measurements that could work out for you.

Here's one (but you might want to doublecheck or cross-check things before you put the drillbit to your freshly painted fender - or better yet, take out the nessecary holes before you ship the parts for paint... I didn't do that  ... and it took some nerve to drill out the holes on freshly painted fenders)

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=111895&highlight=taillight+position

I found some measurements and I made a cardboard template and I think it came out pretty ok in the end.

Anyways, good luck with the re-build!

cheers,

[jamiep_jamiep]

Wow, thanks guys for the extremely useful info!

I'll certainly be looking through thos threads 62 rag, thanks again.

Jamie

[GreenTom]

hi dude,

I was looking for those pictures but unfortunetly I don't have any. sorry. I though that I have any from York RW but there was too much to do during racing with "the other" car and I didn't do them.

as I remember Paul made something about 14 or low 15 than (in full car) and newre race on strip before.

[jamiep_jamiep]

Hi Tom, no problem, thanks for looking.

Yeah I think Paul managed a p.b. of 14.3 in the car as it was before I bought it Tom. I'm an inexperienced racer having only made 4 passes on the strip, but I did a couple of tweaks to the engine before I took it out, a little dialling in and some porting on the heads and intake manifiolds and I managed a 14.2. I don't know what advantage (if any?) IDA's will give me over IDF's now that I have them ready to put on, but hopefully before long I'll be into the 13's. Maybe with the shinier paint it'll slip through the air a bit quicker :lol: whatever, I'll just keep trying and tweaking and hopefully with a bit more seat time I'll get there.

Anyway, yesterday was a productive day for me, I stripped down one of the doors and am pleased to say that its in extremely good condition needing only a rub down ready for the paintwork. The rear quarters and roof are now ready for paint too, which is great. Well, when I say rear quarters, I only mean the bits that you can see, I'm working on the inner wings this weekend - I have new bumper mounts and a pair of HiPac carb access panels from Hooky's that I'll be buzzing in this weekend. Then its the front end! A LOTTA work up there I think.... Then the interior..... then the... then the.... I'll get it there.

[ian c]

is it finished yet ?? 

got any pics of the carb access panels ?

[jamiep_jamiep]

Yeah its all done, I entered a car show over the wekeend and took a trophy!!

hahaha, I wish!

Had a funny (not in a haha way...) weekend really, was going to drop the motor on Friday eve. but spent the night at the hospital with my dad instead he thought he was having a stroke. Anyway, he turned out to be OK and was reprimanded for being forgetful with his medication....

So I had a lie in on Saturday to get over spending the night in the A&E, and then dropped some more bits off the engine to get it in a state to drop. I'll try again tonight! I'll get you some pictures of the access panels. All I can sy is that they are AWESOME quality. Likewise for the bumper mounts. nice stuff, this hookys.

Cheers

[ian c]

good to hear your dads allright !!!
musta bin scary .

anyway , enough of this emo nonsence ...  post the goddam pics !!



my minds eye is picturing where my projects gonna end up at the moment , and your car thread is giving me the impetus .
fanx

ian