John_aero
Member
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- Ireland
 Posted: Sun Nov 05, 2023 8:53 am Post subject: The Irish Bug |    |
| Good morning, this is a topic I have on another site however taught maybe of interest to people on here too. Sadly this project started 2 years ago and I am only getting back to it now. So far I have tack welded in the new heater channel, rear patch panels and will start work on front quarter next. It was a gift from my dad to Mam for here 50th as they always had a beetle when were younger. So after 3 years sitting idle taking up space, the beetle was transferred over to me and parents agreed its better let me make a project out of it rather than sit doing nothing. Mam was happy let em do what ever i wanted, Dad wanted it stock and kept vintage. So first points: 1 - Body bracing, father in law says leave doors in, he has rebuilt a good few beetles and getting lot advice off him. I was going to take doors off once i know body is free from pans and then weld in some braces before fully lifting it off. 2 - Body repairs. The car was restored 17-20 years ago, however there is some rust where i think the restorer just fitted int he small pin holes instead welding them. Then rust got worse. The whole underside was "shutz'd" and I think this is what saved it from serious rust while in the machinic's field. So i know the following is required 1 - Repair to front nose where old body filler fell off with hammer and rotten through 2 - Left side arch has same, rusted hole where filler was put in. I hope its not gone into the pillars as same me some work. 3 - Loads small paint bubbles, specilly down the pillars where heater hoses go. If luck is on my side these are just minor bubbles and i dont need to weld in here. 4 - Few area surface rust where water lodges, around seals and bonnet lids. So what do I hope to achieve. Future Discussion points and thinking points - Adventure bug in the class 11 style. We don't have places to race bugs here and I want this to be a my backup car when don't want use my motorcycle - Lift suspension - Bigger tyres of course - May even look led lights instead bulbs - Custom tube bumpers instead original ones - No side steps, maybe fit a long tube as a crash/bump bar to protect side of pans - Roof rack or some form spare tyre storage - Make sure nothing isn't reversible. So not going chop the hell out of the body work. - IRS suspension conversion. - Roll cage, don't need one really but a simple 4 point one might help in a crash as added support - Not sure what exhaust to fit - 1300 twin port engine (dad thinks this is a new one from brazil) might build it to a 1600 as the engine was stamped as a 1600 and re stamped as a 1300 from factory. Looks like a 1600 with 1300 barrels. |
