(o\_!_/o) Project: 1959 Ragtop VW Beetle

[AsadIshaque]

Salams to all,

I think my system has a Virus so Id try to post pics and soon asap. I dont want to see my system crash along with all the priceless pics!!

[AsadIshaque]

@ storm

  Thanks for the generous offer, appreciate it very much!

@ Naveed

  Basits place is not spacious as the previous one. He has constraints for keeping whatever parts come off the car so I have to keep up picking up those bits and hauling them home......anyway its better to haul them off since parts do get stolen/misplaced/damaged/sold to other customers......:o

@ storm again

Good to know you went thru the topic!! Makes me want to post more!


Yes the W decklid is a rare item....in the UK you have to cough up around 400 Pounds for a genuine one!


The "popes nose" licence plate light housing was sourced many many years ago on my famous parts hunts......its very hard to come by. Btw this is not a Popes nose in the strict sense, that was the name given to the ons on Split beetles.....however VW circles have started to call it the same lately.....

Yes I wanted to drown that service station walla in their own septic tank! :0

[AsadIshaque]

@ Funky

Glad that you are asking questions! 

Yes that was the heater knob on these early bugs, 64 and earlier to be exact. The early splits had it even more towards the back on the tunnel......wish I had a pic of Mohsin bhais split to show. 65 and later bugs got them with the handbrake lever. Early on one knob was red, later both were black. Does your 66 have a red/black combo or both are black??

The missing rotary knob was taken off my messing kids earlier at the denters shop but thankfully was found under the front seat.......

The two levers on later cars served two functions.....one controlled the heater main on/off function while the other controlled the heater rear underseat function. So, if you switched the heater main on, you would get warm air on the windshield, front footwells (these could be shut off individually thanks to spring loaded metal flaps given on each side).

@ carsaaz

   Thanks a lot!

[AsadIshaque]

Trying to find the load after load of pics on my system.....

Dang! I think Im missing a couple of sets........would post them out of sequence if I find them later......... excuse in advance please!

[AsadIshaque]

Okay......

 A summary of what happened with the denter whose place you have all seen. This guy had never done a VW body off before but I was confident that he can manage if I guide him each step of the way.


I had been arranging parts and body panels over the years (yes, not months but years!) and the collection was growing too large to handle as I was having duplicates/triplicates of each item. This was because early bug parts are hard to come by and I grabbed whatever came on the market/was sniffed out from the most unlikely places! :)


For example I had a total of three front clips, first two from 67 beetles.....I though these would be the closest I can get to the pre 67 look I wanted, the correct pre 1960 being almost impossible to find.


The denter sahab chickened out of the massive project and kept on promising but postponing it to a later date.....next week, this weekend, two days....I heard every story......


I considered the possibility of having the car done up by Babar ustaad at Pindi, but that woudl mean sending the car to and from upcountry at an added expense and not getting to see the action firsthand....... something I dont want to miss. Romano had supported me as always in sending the car up to Pindi....


Even invited Babar ustaad to Karachi for a month with boarding and lodging included but an arrangement could not be worked out due to his personal problems.


Finally I turned to Basit, Karachis topmost VW specialist denter......

[AsadIshaque]

Took an estimate from Basit and then started to count the cash in my pockets :P.... he is expensive!!

As luck would have it, Basit met with an unfortunate accident and was out of action for a couple of months, discussed on the VWCOP pages.....


Last month, I finally got going and planned to move the car t Basit's shop....


18th June 09 I went to the denters shop for some arrangements before the towing. Got the car cleaned up and then asked "Teddy" the chotta/apprentice to take out the post 68 fuel tank.....we were greeted by the famous mousecrap once more :P

[AsadIshaque]

The fuel tank came off soon......above was the under tank area......I had took off the brake master cylinder ages ago before the bug was put into hibernation.


We checked the tyres for safety, one was totally junk so was replaced. Wheel bolts were tightened up. rear axle nuts were checked and one missing lock pin was installed. I didnt fancy a wheel coming off on the road while towing!

[AsadIshaque]

20th June 2009. New history being made for the 59!

The knight in shinning armour, the saviour tow truck :D

[AsadIshaque]

@ funky... indeed the earlier bugs bug had a heater control knob besides the shift stick.... @asad, amazing details keep up the good work!

forgot to thank Razak bhai to be on this thread. Honored to have you here. Please give your valuable input/comments/suggestions...

[AsadIshaque]

On the way to the denter's.....

VW buffs, what do you see in the foreground atop the truck bed???


On the way, we picked up a lot bodypanels stored at my mechs place. Had already made it clear to the tow truck walla that he would have to bear this enroute.

[AsadIshaque]

The list of panels we picked up:

1.Doors complete off a 64 bug.

1. Front bonnet off a 66 bug.

2. Rear bonnet off a 64 bug.

3. Front end off a 60 bug!! (correct for the car, seen in pic above)

4. Rear mudguards, two pairs, one off a 67 and one off a 64. Better pair to go on the car.

5. Rear clip off the 64.

6. Brand new floor pans Made in Rawalpindi (all credit goes to Romano for helping me had those made by the famous Babar ustaad).

7. Heater channels off a 67, to serve as a template/parts.

8. Rear parcel shelf area panel off the 64 to yield a couple of grafts.

9. Front mudguard off a 67.

[AsadIshaque]

Reached the place safe and sound!

Unloaded the stash of panels onto a VW bus there.....a view of some of the parts....

[AsadIshaque]

Asked Basit's son to help take off the remaining ragtop rails. I didnt want to see these damaged in any way so proceeded with taking out the remaining screws which had been stuck before but drenched in WD40.

A good well fiting screwdriver makes the job easier and doesnt damage the screw heads.

[AsadIshaque]

Success!

 All the three ragtop rails came off. The larger of the catch is pictured below. You can see one of the shorter ones too behind it. They are placed onto a dismantled for resto 69 already there.

Went home clutching my prized rails!!

[AsadIshaque]

Now the next trip's events. I went after a day.....saw this!

[AsadIshaque]

I was unable to take a whole load of pics......my digi camera is without its larger memory card so I had to make do with the low res cell phone one.......

 A very important part of the resto!! The semaphore pillars!!! We found neat custom made steel plates atop the two openings for the semaphore indicators. Opened them up by cutting the spot welds. One hole got a bit damaged in the process.....


 So now we have a partially naked/stripped VW with semaphore posts!!

[RetardedBuddy]

Are the rails broken?? You're going to replace this right? Sorry for the noobish questions btw, but i'm a noob

[AsadIshaque]

 Rot found on the roof gutters.....

 Aaaarghh! I knew the pillars were a horror story! Botched repairs, sheet upon sheet!

The RHS rear side window frame had unusual rot. Something i did not expect. LHS was clean.

The LHS semaphore post hole......this was a bit damaged. RHS is cleaner.

[AsadIshaque]

@ RB

 No the rails are not broken, thank God!! Im taking them off to preserve them. These are one of the rare and expensive items. On the internet sites even reproduction ones go for quite a bundle of $$$$

The rails have to be seen to appreciate the quality. They weigh quite a bit. Solid aluminium I suppose. 

Way back in the thread you can see I took off the other ragtop components to store them safely at home. 

Appreciate the questions, do ask what you have in mind.

[AsadIshaque]

Next trip's events........

Some high res pics at last......A nice pic with my daily driven Trusty 68 seen in the background. You can also see Basit's Vespa scooter, the one involved in the famous accident........