[Rusty-bug-man]

Hello all, I'm new to Beetles but not rust bashing and car restoration, slow time in my own workshop/shed.
someone I know is selling this sorry old rusty bug.

I would want to return her to factory spec, I'm not into custom or soup ups. Unlike the previous owner who was using it as a donor car for the monstrosity sitting to her right.

he told me the moulds for the front fibreglass wings for the "thing" are over there to the right under that moss and ivy, yes I thought, "and they can stay there too"

 

[Rusty-bug-man]

aha, I'm getting somewhere, you can now view my first image above.... here's a closer view

 

[Rusty-bug-man]

this is the drivers footwell floor, more images on it coming shortly.

 

[Rusty-bug-man]

that rear wing is wasted, clearly, or do you know better and I should keep it?

 

[Rusty-bug-man]

here's a view of the dash and steering wheel

a view of the rear floor to body join behind the front passenger seat

 

[Rusty-bug-man]

The lump is missing, or rather it's sat between this car and the "thing"

here it is, probably not great news, it sat there, in the mud, rotting leaf mould and above all the damp.

 

[Chinaclipper]

Well amigo, take it from someone who did just what you are doing about 2 months ago. IT TAKES A LOT OF WORK! and time, and money...... I assume a lump means an engine?
BTW, don't throw away ANY PART YET!!!! You can use them for patterns, or whatever.. Keep 'em till she's done!!

You are looking at an expense minimum of several thousands of pounds, for parts, OEM and replacements, supplies, and and countless hours of labor, and stuck, rusty broken studs, rust coming out of your @ss, and generally a lot of hard work! Now if that is your idea a fun, go for it!

But be forewarned, it is NOT for the faint hearted. Do you have a good, spacious warm place to work? Lots of good tools, including air powered tools? Experienced with welding, either stick but preferably MIG/TIG? Do you enjoy turning wrenches? Can you follow basic instructions?
If you can honestly answer "yes", to all the above, then the next question is the big one-----Do you REALLY want to do this, given all the things I just mentioned, and probably dozens more BTW. Remember, I just started too!

 

[Rusty-bug-man]

A standard Beetle is 5 feet five inches wide by thirteen feet four and a half inches long, I've just been into my new timber built workshop to see it a beetle will fit and yes it will. My Pickup goes in there but I think she's shorter than a Beetle

 

[Rusty-bug-man]

cheers China Clipper, yes you are quite right about all the points you raise, I've got some idea what it will take,

from this...

to this, taken at Arundel Castle in West Sussex

 

[Popcorn]

cheers China Clipper, yes you are quite right about all the points you raise, I've got some idea what it will take,

from this...


to this, taken at Arundel Castle



Dear Rusty-bug-man,
From the looks of that Morris and the shop you built, I would say you don't need any advice on the Bug project!
Great work!

 

[Rusty-bug-man]

cheers China Clipper, yes you are quite right about all the points you raise, I've got some idea what it will take,

from this...


to this, taken at Arundel Castle



Dear Rusty-bug-man,
From the looks of that Morris and the shop you built, I would say you don't need any advice on the Bug project!
Great work!

Thanks Popcorn, I have to now make him an offer and recover that white bug to my cosy workshop, I wonder if he'll take £100 for it. lets see, keep you posted.

 

[Rusty-bug-man]

he took a £100 for it, and he's passing on a pile of spares with the deal, ad he's got his mate to deliver the car to m drive on Friday. Thursday, day after tomorrow, I'm picking up the motor and all the spare parts I can get on my Morris Pickup, I'll update that with some pictures, see you all later, I feel elated, the kind of elation you feel at the start of a long journey.

 

[Rusty-bug-man]

today my son Harry and I dropped over to collect all the loose bits and pieces included in the deal. There was a rotted out dead mouse in the drivers footwell, so Harry has named the car "Mickey" we cleared out the back seat and found it in great condition, here's Harry washing it over with a sponge and warm water, before it goes away in dry storage.

I got the karcher out and gave the motor a clean off before placing it away in the workshop to dry off. we have a week till the body arrives, time to make some space for it inside.

 

[Rusty-bug-man]

not sure all the parts are VW Beetle, and what they are? Guess I'll find out before too long.

 

[Rusty-bug-man]

the blue sheen is caused by Halfords Krust applied to the sheet metal parts, the chemical reaction makes stable black meterial out of the surface rust.

 

[Rusty-bug-man]

24 hours later, most of the blue has "turned", now I can wheel it under the bench out of the way to make room for the chassis/body to arrive here next friday.

 

[Rusty-bug-man]

so away it goes safely placed under the workbench.

spent my Saturday morning finding homes for everything, sweeping out the workshop ready for the arrival of the body next friday.

 

[Rusty-bug-man]

so going through some aprts wondering if I really need to store or scrap, so lets play

Store or scrap!

starting with....

is it even VW related

 

[Rusty-bug-man]

I'm taking a guess that these are the same part for different year models?

 

[Rusty-bug-man]

casting my eye around the internet, I've got to congratulate myself on choosing a Classic Beetle, on my door step in Shoreham-by-sea West Sussex is a VW Heritage supplier,

VW Beetle Parts, Spares & Accessories

VW Beetle parts UK - The UK’s biggest classic VW Beetle parts supplier has everything for your VW Beetle - body panels, engine, suspension, steering, interior, fuel & exhaust parts, original spare parts, performance parts & accessories. Heritage Parts Centre have what you need! We have the VW Beet

www.vwheritage.com

.

Bonus! Alice won't have to travel far to pick up repair panels. Brilliant. So let's take another look at the rusty parts of the body and see what panels I'll need and add up the cost so I can get an idea of what my restoration budget will be for the first year.

The front floor looks intact so far, obviously closer examination will be needed to see if they need re-newing, the rear footwell floors have holes, so they will need renewing.