my '66 resto...

[tofufi]

I bought this when I was 16, as my first car...

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y11/tofufi/2ndapril2.jpg

When I bought it, my dad drove it to the MOT station. It broke down on the way, and had to be towed there. When it eventually got there, the (Aircooled VW specialists) told me it would be £1ks worth of welding just to make it road legal. The MOT failed on 19 out of 28 possible fail points :D

Anyway, I brought it back home and a friend taught me to weld.

We welded up the front axle mount/framehead and replaced the front axle (which had a hole the size of your first through it)... a years worth of work later, it got an MOT! Just after I passed my driving test.

Move on another 2.5 years, and it has got a bit lower, a bit more power and a bit rustier.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y11/tofufi/2.jpg

I kept on promising my MOT man I would do a bit of restoration work on it.

So this summer, with 9 months MOT still on it, I got cracking...

It started with a total stripdown...

This doesn't look promising.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y11/tofufi/beetle/CIMG7773.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y11/tofufi/beetle/CIMG7776.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y11/tofufi/beetle/CIMG7777.jpg

Definitely not.

A bit more off:

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y11/tofufi/beetle/CIMG7786.jpg

This isn't looking good either (floor/sill join)

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y11/tofufi/beetle/CIMG7789.jpg

Remember this still has 9 months MOT in these pics :D

Beetles are meant to have separate body and floorpans, so of course someone had welded the two of mine together rather comprehensively.

Eventually, with a lot of help from my friends, off comes the body :D

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y11/tofufi/beetle/CIMG7793.jpg

My friend Sara removing a floorpan...

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y11/tofufi/beetle/CIMG7797.jpg

All gone!

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y11/tofufi/beetle/CIMG7799.jpg

At this stage, it gets a bit daunting ::)

More to follow, I've got a fair bit further in this job than this - those pics were taken 3 months ago now.

[Zebedee]

Nice work.
I've pretty much done nowt on my bug in 3 months. :(

[tofufi]

Cheers fella :D - I've not done much to mine in about a month due to being at uni. Finally got a week off uni, and my van goes and blows its engine.

With the bug, that was only the beginning. Just finding time to write it all up.

Having removed the floors, a bit of repair was required to the bits surrounding them.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y11/tofufi/beetle/CIMG7819.jpg

I only used offcuts of repair panels, as the repair panels are quite frankly ****e.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y11/tofufi/beetle/CIMG7914.jpg

A bit later, I had fitted two new floorpans. They were/are the 'Heavy duty' ones as featured in Volksworld about a year ago. Very nice and strong, and easy to fit. Everything seems to line up well :)

Wahey.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y11/tofufi/beetle/CIMG7915.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y11/tofufi/beetle/CIMG7916.jpg

Continually finding rust, more rust..

Without bracing the body, I cut out the passenger side sill.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y11/tofufi/beetle/CIMG7953.jpg

A friend and I then lowered it onto the chassis, and fitted the new sill. At the front, there was NO decent metal to weld to, so I had to make brackets to hold it in place until I could fit a new A pillar.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y11/tofufi/beetle/CIMG7971.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y11/tofufi/beetle/CIMG7970.jpg

I then found the bodge artists had been at work on the front 1/4 panels too. Spot the double layered bits ::)

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y11/tofufi/beetle/CIMG8034.jpg

So it went from this...

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y11/tofufi/beetle/CIMG8036.jpg

to this...

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y11/tofufi/beetle/CIMG8053.jpg

New panels are still (just) availiable from VW. But hard to obtain now production has stopped.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y11/tofufi/beetle/CIMG8040.jpg

Front 1/4 welded in...

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y11/tofufi/beetle/CIMG8159.jpg

And made a bit prettier :)

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y11/tofufi/beetle/CIMG8175.jpg


Clean inner wings :)

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y11/tofufi/beetle/CIMG8181.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y11/tofufi/beetle/CIMG8172.jpg

And a new A pillar bottom.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y11/tofufi/beetle/CIMG8177.jpg

[SeanyBoy]

Good work my friend, looking forward to the finished pic's! :cool:

[tofufi]

Thanks - I'm looking forward to it being finished...

The next installment :)

I also fitted a new sill etc on the drivers side...

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y11/tofufi/beetle/CIMG0890.jpg

And found this mess (also drivers side)

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y11/tofufi/beetle/CIMG7912.jpg

This repair panel had just been slapped over the original metal (with original paint on it still!).

But I havn't got round to replacing the inner wing (front) there yet.

Also...

Old bulkhead was rotten...

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y11/tofufi/beetle/CIMG8142.jpg

New one :D

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y11/tofufi/beetle/CIMG8145.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y11/tofufi/beetle/CIMG8146.jpg

Finally, I made a big hole.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y11/tofufi/beetle/CIMG8207.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y11/tofufi/beetle/CIMG8209.jpg

Again, lucky I have some new metal to replace it.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y11/tofufi/beetle/CIMG8201.jpg

Just needs a bit of fettling...

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y11/tofufi/beetle/CIMG8199.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y11/tofufi/beetle/CIMG8200.jpg

A few tack welds...

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y11/tofufi/beetle/CIMG8219.jpg

And a huge loads of tack welds and going very slowly later (to avoid distortion due to heat)...

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y11/tofufi/beetle/CIMG8228.jpg

That ^^ is with no filler, just a thin later of primer to keep the rust at bay :)

Future plans are:

Completely standard looking. Standard suspension height and wheels.

OAP-style stickers in rear window. RSPB type thing. tartan blanket on rear seat.

Biiiig aircooled engine with lots of power :D - I'm thinking about 2110ccs should do it.

It currently has a 1641cc with twin carbs, which is nippy but not exceedingly quick.

As it is currently lowered, I also have no idea how badly it will handle when I raise the suspension... probably awful, so that will need to be rectified, too.

But the main thing is that it will look like a cherished 43 year old car, single owner from new type thing. But go a bit faster ;)

As I'm a uni student, and the car is stored at home, it'll be a few weeks before I can update this much further. :)

[NickJ]

Excellent work keep it up, I like your idea for the finished car :cool:

[tofufi]

Cheers fella!

Just a quick update as I've been at uni the last month or two...

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y11/tofufi/beetle/CIMG7750.jpg

Someone had enlarged the radio hole with a sledgehammer.

Leaving this mess...

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y11/tofufi/beetle/CIMG7751.jpg

So I welded up the radio hole.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y11/tofufi/beetle/CIMG8054.jpg

And with a radio blank :)

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y11/tofufi/beetle/CIMG8056.jpg


1000 times better - just needs paint now! (And a bit of filler, all the above is only metal with a very thin layer of primer)

The primer is only temporary, to keep out rust before I paint the whole lot properly.

:)

[scott1066]

Quite some build up thread goindg there mate, keep up the good work

[vdubwill]

that is one cool project, really looking forward to seeing it all done


to work there fella ;)

[mollycat1]

heater channels dont ya just love ummmmm

looking good now though

[B-boyblue]

Wow! good on you mate! must have been a bit daunting taking all that work on! Especially as its your first car!:clap: Like the sleeper idea but you may want to upgrade your brakes a tad!;)

[MarkC68]

Nice work on the Beetle Tofufi, looks like you enjoy a challenge (I've been following your thread on earlybay with interest on the Bay resto project your doing)!
Lookin forward to seeing further images on both

[tofufi]

Cheers guys :D

Been a long time since I replied on this thread, mainly due to a lack of things worth mentioning...

In daylight...

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y11/tofufi/beetle/CIMG8256.jpg

I then hacked out the drivers side front 1/4 panel...

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y11/tofufi/beetle/CIMG8467.jpg

Spent ages welding, cutting, re-welding, cutting, re-re-welding and so on to get the drivers door-A pillar gap correct.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y11/tofufi/beetle/CIMG8520.jpg

Looks awful in that pic, but it'll be perfect when it's all done :p

As I've been at uni for the last few months, I've had a chance to go collecting parts.

Secondhand gearbox from a Karmann Ghia, giving it the same ratios as a GT bug... should give me 90mph at 4000RPM in 4th. Woo!

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b24/jdiwell/bug209/gearbox.jpg

Also a new decklid to replace the old one, which had been dented, filled, re-dented + cracked, left and water had seeped in leaving it to rot... :lol:

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b24/jdiwell/bug209/CIMG8589.jpg

[tofufi]

I also finished removing the front 1/4...

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b24/jdiwell/bug209/CIMG8593.jpg

Meaning the new one is (almost) ready to fit :D

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b24/jdiwell/bug209/CIMG8617.jpg

Because the panel is a Mexican one for late Beetles, I had to drill out, and weld up several hundred spotwelds. Fun fun fun.

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b24/jdiwell/bug209/CIMG8610.jpg


http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b24/jdiwell/bug209/CIMG8612.jpg

Etc.

Finally, I bought it some new numberplates from Framptons ( http://www.pl8s.co.uk/ )

They arrived faster than a speeding bullet (well, actually, it took nearly 20 hours from placing to order to receiving them...)

More to come as and when it happens. Sadly, Uni work hinders progress somewhat.


http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b24/jdiwell/bug209/CIMG8619.jpg

[B-boyblue]

Hello mate. Bug looks like its coming on a treat! Loving the number plates! Got mine from framptons too! Absolutely brilliant service! Got my 'Ace' plates
next day!!

Keep up the good work mate......looking forward to the next update!:clap:

[Birdy]

This may sound perverse but l hope your MOT tester makes love to you now following all this work you have done.

And l love your dashboard trinkets too.

[mummy]

good work jim :D
i love your number plates :thumbs: i want some.
we have had matilda's radio fixed now :)
she is off for her mot at the mo :cool:

[sparky_wig]

Bay and a bug. You must be addicted to grinding dust and welding fumes. ;)

[tofufi]

Cheers guys!


Just a quick update...

Front 1/4 panel partly welded in today...

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b24/jdiwell/bug209/CIMG8643.jpg

Trial fitting wings...

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b24/jdiwell/bug209/CIMG8644.jpg

Next, I had the fun job of fitting a bumper mount to the 1/4 which was tack welded in.

With the bumper mount welded in, I was able to fit the bumper :D

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b24/jdiwell/bug209/CIMG8645.jpg

Just a few more pics... makes me happy seeing it more together again.

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b24/jdiwell/bug209/CIMG8647.jpg

Fuel tank fits perfectly, too.

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b24/jdiwell/bug209/CIMG8648.jpg

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b24/jdiwell/bug209/CIMG8649.jpg

Today, I also painted the rear hatch of my bay in green, just to stop it from bubbling in a couple of places through the primer.

Just got this as the last major panel to fit now...

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b24/jdiwell/bug209/CIMG8650.jpg

Oh, and I tidied the garage this afternoon too...

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b24/jdiwell/bug209/CIMG8652.jpg

Thanks to the CCR Beaver for the new shelves. :)

[tofufi]

Right, I had a busy day today.

I started off with a rear 1/4 that had seen some very bad repairs...

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b24/jdiwell/bug209/CIMG8657.jpg

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b24/jdiwell/bug209/CIMG8658.jpg

So off that came :)

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b24/jdiwell/bug209/CIMG8665.jpg

Hang on... is something on fire?

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b24/jdiwell/bug209/CIMG8659.jpg

What could that be...

Oh, don't worry, it's only the old newspaper someone has stuffed into the 1/4 panel and covered with filler as a 'repair' :rolleyes:

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b24/jdiwell/bug209/CIMG8661.jpg

[tofufi]

More great repairs :rolleyes:, including someone bodging a huge plate over the perfectly usable return flange (teehee) of the boot floor panel.

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b24/jdiwell/bug209/CIMG8662.jpg

Mmm... nice


http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b24/jdiwell/bug209/CIMG8664.jpg

Rear 1/4 cut down to allow it to be placed on the car

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b24/jdiwell/bug209/CIMG8666.jpg

and trial fit with the decklid and valence

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b24/jdiwell/bug209/CIMG8667.jpg

Trimmed down to fit

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b24/jdiwell/bug209/CIMG8673.jpg

cut using a 1mm cutting disc, allows for a good join :)

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b24/jdiwell/bug209/CIMG8675.jpg

Door gap is good to go...

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b24/jdiwell/bug209/CIMG8678.jpg

Tacked into place...

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b24/jdiwell/bug209/CIMG8682.jpg

[tofufi]

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b24/jdiwell/bug209/CIMG8683.jpg

I think I've made a nicer job of this one than the previous one :)


Inside looks alright too

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b24/jdiwell/bug209/CIMG8680.jpg

And finally, with a wing on to test the fit :)

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b24/jdiwell/bug209/CIMG8679.jpg

(wing isn't bolted on properly, hence it is slightly low)

More to come another day! :)

[ray356]

looks like your getting thee m8

[tofufi]

Cheers fella :D

A quick mini-update...

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b24/jdiwell/bug209/CIMG8687.jpg

With back bumper fitted.

I also kept welding the front 1/4 up, it's getting there slowly. Needs a bit of work with a slide hammer.

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b24/jdiwell/bug209/CIMG8691.jpg

The bumper mounts were wrong, so off comes the existing ones...

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b24/jdiwell/bug209/CIMG8693.jpg

and whilst there, I couldn't fathom out the reason for this hole..

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b24/jdiwell/bug209/CIMG8694.jpg

so I welded in the original section for the rear light wiring to come through.

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b24/jdiwell/bug209/CIMG8697.jpg

(no filler or anything in that pic, just metal with a thin layer of primer)

More to come (possibly...)

[B-boyblue]

Dude...definitely taking shape now! Your doing a cracking job with that mate.

Nice one

[auntieaubrey]

inspiring thread,i'll be following this thread:D

[tofufi]

Cheers guys :D - Apologies for the delay, uni exams got in the way!

Got the bumper mounts fitted each side, back to early ones from the Europa / late bug ones which came on the mexican panels.

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b24/jdiwell/bug209/CIMG8844.jpg

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b24/jdiwell/bug209/CIMG8855.jpg

Now repairing the engine bay :)

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b24/jdiwell/bug209/CIMG8857.jpg

[tofufi]

Engine bay finished :D

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b24/jdiwell/bug209/CIMG8873.jpg

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b24/jdiwell/bug209/CIMG8871.jpg


http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b24/jdiwell/bug209/CIMG8874.jpg


http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b24/jdiwell/bug209/CIMG8875.jpg

[tofufi]

Been up to a bit more...

HOles in boot floor

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b24/jdiwell/bug209/CIMG8934.jpg

needed to be welded up

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b24/jdiwell/bug209/CIMG8935.jpg

other side done too...

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b24/jdiwell/bug209/CIMG8945.jpg

A stock height front axle sourced, rust repaired and then painted ready for use...

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b24/jdiwell/bug209/CIMG8960.jpg

B pillar welded up where I had only previously tacked it...

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b24/jdiwell/bug209/CIMG8987.jpg

and ground smooth

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b24/jdiwell/bug209/CIMG8988.jpg

Shouldnt need much to make it perfect...

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b24/jdiwell/bug209/CIMG8989.jpg

Heater pipes (metal (not the later bakolite ones) correct for the year of the car) fitted through the rear crossmembers...

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b24/jdiwell/bug209/CIMG9038.jpg

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b24/jdiwell/bug209/CIMG9039.jpg

[tofufi]

Front 1/4 done...

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b24/jdiwell/bug209/CIMG9050.jpg

both rear ones are done too...

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b24/jdiwell/bug209/CIMG9083.jpg

I've not used ANY filler on this car yet...


And with the back end fitted up to check panel alignments are all OK...

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b24/jdiwell/bug209/CIMG9117.jpg

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b24/jdiwell/bug209/CIMG9118.jpg

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b24/jdiwell/bug209/CIMG9119.jpg

More to come :)

[Ritchieboy]

Wow, thats a serious amount of work you've done there, & well :thumbs: I'll be using your thread for inspiration when i get my 67 into the garage from its current garden grave in the valleys.

Muchos respect dude

[Jon G]

Great work there matey! Nicely done!

[tofufi]

Thanks guys :D

Bit more work...

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b24/jdiwell/bug209/CIMG9125.jpg

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b24/jdiwell/bug209/CIMG9173.jpg

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b24/jdiwell/bug209/CIMG9163.jpg

Original style seal retaining channels fitted.

I decided that rust free doors and bonnet were the way to go after spending ages trying to repair the original items and not being 100% satisfied with the results.

So, with rust free doors and bonnet fitted, as well as lots of other bits of welding (All 4 inner wings now finished)...

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b24/jdiwell/bug209/CIMG9188.jpg

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b24/jdiwell/bug209/CIMG9182.jpg

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b24/jdiwell/bug209/CIMG9180.jpg

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b24/jdiwell/bug209/CIMG9183.jpg

There have been lots of other bits and bobs done, but nothing that picture-worthy. Just hours and hours spent on panel gaps and so on :)
I reckon one day of welding and the body will be ready for prep and paint :D

[tofufi]

Floor painted...

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b24/jdiwell/bug209/CIMG9333.jpg

Stonechipped...

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b24/jdiwell/bug209/CIMG9337.jpg

Painted again...

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b24/jdiwell/bug209/CIMG9341.jpg

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b24/jdiwell/bug209/CIMG9342.jpg

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b24/jdiwell/bug209/CIMG9344.jpg

And on top...

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b24/jdiwell/bug209/CIMG9345.jpg

More to come when I get home from uni :D