My Superbug
 

since im actually making progress again finally i thought i mite share, and because i got a digital cam for pics to share... just cutting rust these days, dont know what else to say, have questions ask if you wish... check it out

background info, its a 71 superbeetle, your average condition cheap super i guess, got plans in the works for it, you will see as it progresses, its been daily driven, driven up from sydney to newcastle then brisbane, while ive been trying to work on it, so been in 3 garages in about 3 months, that was awhile back, now im resting it after the big trip, and ive striped it, cleaned it up abit, so its a very bare shell, well paint is there, replacing metal currently, well holes with metal, get it back on the pan, then off again for the next phase, paint! thats the details ill say so far, pics say more i guess...
When 1 1st got it
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...3.jpg~original
When 1 1st got it
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...2.jpg~original
Photoshopped pic when it was washed once in sydney
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...t.jpg~original

more
 

My Garage in Brisbane afew days ago...
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...s.jpg~original
And finally a little something i made in mspaint when i got bored and couldnt touch it, no it wont look like that when its done, ive changed my mind since...
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...d.jpg~original

All comments etc welcome, enjoy i guess

cutting this is rather un nerving the first time...

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...s.jpg~original

its all i got done over the weekend, dont get much time to work on my precious bug, girlfriend is more precious:agree: enjoy the pics, more next weekend

Keep the pics coming, I like these quick progress reports!

Rich

no worries ricola, updates should be every weekend, and maybe some stuff during the week:agree: thanks for the interest, love your projects aswell

aussuper did you measure the door gaps before you removed the doors so if one side is tighter than the other you can make adjustments while the heater channels are removed .keep the pics coming:)

Measured the space between pillars, not doors, fixing that another way tho, want perfect gaps, worked out an easier way, mod the doors not the body length, it sits perfect on the pan that way, and it was even when i started, doors seemed the easier thing to mod to me, will do with the pics i should be working on it now infact, since you all like pics.... this is me

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...s.jpg~original

"Luke, I am your Father...."

(saw that one coming, didnt you? :laugh: )

update, nothing special, dont have time to get to the vw shop so i decided to do abit of measuring while i could... wheels, roof, dash, sizes, clearance etc...

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...s.jpg~original

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...s.jpg~original

Oh and on more of a GL type note, to break up the rust work, it will be rolling on a tasteful set of wheels, around 18 inches tall, 8s front, 10s rear, not rice style, not chromies, just nice wheels, wouldnt see them on this type of car usually but i like them, roof thing was me contemplating a 4inch chop, so i have head room and clearance for a helmet for racing, ill decide on the chop or not after the bottom 1/2 is done, dash is getting 6 gauges in it, tight fit, tested to see if it would all fit and be visable etc, im happy, now going to make the dash from metal and weld in, im suprised i dont run away scared with this, but i have the right things motivating me pushing me to do it perfect, or as close to as i can get. oh and no they arent the seats going in this either, i have better taste than that,

somehow i think ill be cutting another body for this, not having much of an interior so its gotta look normal, i think its beyond my skills and patience at this point, anyone done this part before?
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...0.jpg~original
id love to see before and after pics and info if someone has without cutting another shell.

and another thing... i think ill have plenty of room for my chosen wheel sizes regardless of height, this is at zero travel and i could get away with an 18x8 wheel with low profile rubber under there, then add fatter taller guards should be a peice of cake
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...s.jpg~original
ok ok this is the style wheel im loving the idea of, its not chrome and its not rice burner style either, more of a hotrod street machine style look...
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...z.png~original
Im sick today thats why theres a tiny update, also there is a vw show on this weekend on 1 of the 2days i can work on it so dont know how much ill get done, hoping to hand form my own repair section for LHS footwell / inner wheelarch that meets the sills/heater channel section, first attempt at this, cant wait to break in the tools, wish me luck, hopefully wont be sick still on the weekend either.

Hate to dissapoint but different things have filled my weekend this time, i might get something done later today, no promises though... didnt get to the vw thing either... the vw population seemed to of doubled around my place over the weekend though, wish it was always like that, never enough dubs!

Dave

nothing happening as yet, have a funeral tomorrow on my day off so doubt much will get done, instead of trying to squish my stuff in im doing abit of maintenance on my missus's car... shes got good taste aswell... what do you think? oh and does anyone know what causes free play on a ball joint bug with a new steering box? adjusting screw doesnt change anything... i have no idea aboutr these beam things, give me struts anyday i say, so would you call this a GL bug? 17x7s white with pink/purple pearl through it, lowered, is it enough to be a GL???
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...s.jpg~original

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...s.jpg~original

lookin good major progress you move alot faster than i do

Thanks, doesnt seem like im going anywhere on my bug currently, had other things come up so dont have much time 2 invest in it, doing some maintenance on my girls car was a nice change, gave me abit more motivation to get mine to the stage where its just lots of little adjustments left instead of big jobs like panel work, and paint, i figure it will only get to finished primer stage mid next year, worked on the theory of three more years work, the panel work and paint is the most daunting of jobs to me, cant wait till i can step back and look at a solid 100% rust free straight smooth painted bodyshell that wont rust ever again, well hopefully... do you have a build thread bow? thanks for the comments again.
Dave

UPDATE: been filling holes, painful filling countless holes drilled by previous owners in the decklid, the trim clip holes along the sides of the body, and the front lid, slowly getting them filled, doors are the last bit left, pics later, left camera at the girlfriends place again.

Filled holes where chrome trim was
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...s.jpg~original
Close up of filled hole, not perfect but pretty damn good i think.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...s.jpg~original
Cut hole where vent was, filling with sheetmetal
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...s.jpg~original
Damn number plate and who knows what holes in the decklid, not bad for free though?
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...s.jpg~original

Also filling vent holes with sheetmetal for the smooth look.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...s.jpg~original

Dying for the stage where i can take pics of my beelte instead of the girlfriends like this...
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...s.jpg~original
that shot wasnt planned or anything either, turned out really good for an ordinary digital camera...
What do we all think? do i take decent pics?

WOW that's really nice the whole pics the background just the whole pics is great nice job :

AusSuper are you from Ipswich? Im sure I've seen your girl friend's car around town.

No but my bug and both families are there so we are around abit, what do you drive? id back that ive seen you at least once, found about 30various vws in the area recently

yeah i saw it twice on the warrigo high way and then one night at the brassall shops, i was like dam ill have to make mine better than that chicks, haha...

no you want have seen mine its at my dads in ipswich. just bought new wheels for it, ill get a roadienext wek or two,then ill register it, and than mod it. just bought my turbo 944 calipers off ebay and waiting for delievery.

maybe you saw my old bug, it was a 74 super, kermit the frog green. i had it about 7 years ago. maybe to long ago.

not just "that chicks" to me, yeah we are around the area abit, got any pics of your dub on here or any other forum? i thought i was the only one doing a rather out there GL round this place. it wont see road for afew more years though, and yeah 7 years ago i wasnt into vws or anywhere near ippy actually.

New Pics Coming in next 10mins!!!! mid week update, nothing amazing tho, just overcame a painful hurdle of getting those (insert offensive word of choice here) trailing arms or irs arms whatever you choose to call them, and afew other small things...

This shot is just to show you how thick the bog was on the front 1/4 area, about 2-4mm damn i hate that.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...3.jpg~original

Will add details later, gotta go home to the girl so im not late for dinner.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...s.jpg~original

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...s.jpg~original

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...s.jpg~original

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...s.jpg~original

Got my sills and one pillar section today!
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...s.jpg~original
Love days off work, gettin some surgery done today!
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...s.jpg~original
If i can get the damn things to fit properly that is...

Slowly trimming the old sections left overs ive missed off, then it looks like the easiest way to do it is trim the lip on the front end to match the front firewall bit, if that makes sence?
HOPEFULLY have these at the very least tacked on in the exact spots its meant to be, again i say hopefully! will update later, doing abit this arvo aswell. cant believe this has been looked at over 1000 times already.
:) :) :) :)

Well they may seem to be on but they certainly are not, squeezed them in there to see if i can make em fit...
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...s.jpg~original
These are the only remaining issues, easy fold on the bottom part, cut and extend weld shut on top.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...s.jpg~original
I have tomorrow then 1 day next week maybe, will be interesting if i get it done by then...

Other side mostly cut out, the section below the rear 1/4 is a pain to remove properly grrrrr
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...s.jpg~original

I wish I had the skills you have. Its gonna be nice.

practise, patience, logic, determination, motivation and asking lots of questions helps alot, then more of the rest, also doing similar stuff for a job helps aswell i guess
Im an apperntice vehicle builder, so thats the work similarities, also the questions part.
I was going to do this with my father, i no longer have this option so im doing it myself as a tribute type thing, thats my motivation.
Im aiming to do every part of the work i can do legally myself, thats determination.
Logic, well you sit back and look at your problem, it may take longer but its less chance of messing it up if you just go for it.
patience, thats the waiting till im capable of doing the work, skills, time and $$ wise
and practise, thats practise at work, and at home on spare panels and other stuff,
Oh and being abit of a perfectionist helps aswell, also a bad thing if it gets to much but i aim to get it right, if not ill do it again, need patience for that aswell, id say anyone thats keen enough and has resources to use could do what im doing. speaking of which, i should go do something on it now!

Oh and ECBug, love the look and the model, not that im biased or anything though...

Not much happening, cleaning out garage like i do infrequently, i hate working in mess, and testing if my sig works aswell...............

Ive hit abit of a dead zone for this, higher priorities etc, now ive got less room, hope to have a big update once things settle down abit, hopefully soon!