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

[AsadIshaque]

The RHS front fender's top. Another problem here........

These are 1967 vintage fenders. The hole for the indicator is at the wrong place for a 59. It is supposed to be further ahead (more towards the front).....something like I marked on this picture in red.......

Its your attention to detail that impresses me (Y)

[/quote]

Thanks Retardedbuddy!!


One can go ahead with this project cutting so many corners no one would know about but I want it to be as far correct as I can possibly manage. Therefore I am looking forward to all the input I get from people here so any good ideas and suggestions are incorporated into the project.


The Devil is in the details!! :)

[AsadIshaque]

Btw, I dont know who the heck is Khursheed who has chalked his name on the rear decklid........

young guy, Abdul Basit's helper + relative, can be seen @ Abdul Baist's pits shop, rubbing bugs wid sandpaper

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Oh I see!! I am still not familiar with the chotas yet.....I just know Shahid, Basit's son by name....the rest of the teams names are yet to go down to my lousy memory....

[AsadIshaque]

Me watching silently great going doc

Spectra, its an honor to have you onboard here.

Please dont be a silent spectator as I firmly believe you can be one of the people who are capable of providing great advice at each step. So please do voice your thougths.

[AsadIshaque]

I just went thru the thread again ........ and looked at all the pictures. There is a lot of grafting of material and a lot of welding being done on various parts. I believe this would help loose some of the flexibility in the car. I was wondering what you'd say to the fact that the finished frame will not have the same flexibility as an original one. (Ungrafted and unwelded)? SO in that case what are you going to do about the jack supports? Given the fact that only one jack support is available per side, the frame may not like the original support anymore and you might have to have additional/separate ones installed for the front wheels. If you intend to use the orignal jack and orignal jack support, I think some of the welded in joints may develop cracks and come off altogether and in the finished car they would present a serious problem. It would be very easy to have additional supports installed for the front wheels at this time. Just think about it.

MSK

 Your going thru again gives me the heartwarming feeling that this is one of the threads worth looking at B-). Good.


 You are right about the flexibility issues but what to do??? No choice in this case sadly. As someone once said, originality is like virginity,  once you lose it, its gone :P.  That said, this is a 50 year old car which has survived despite being abused by so many previous owners in one way or the other. Can we really complain????


 Lets see when we come to the floor/chassis rebuild. I do intend to have the original jack supports on the car, preferably they should be in working order. This car has to have the original VW Bilstein jack stored besides the spare tyre. I *would* be nervous about using it though, lest the supports fail. Would do everything in my knowledge to have a good foundation for them. Would ask Basit for his input too. Would consider your idea of having two pairs of supports like the Mercs had :).


Btw a nice 67 bug (ex Parsi lady owned) which got scrapped recently at Shershah (:0despite my shouting on these forums :'( that someone rescue the poor car), donated its jack supports and plates where they mount to my parts stash. Might serve as a replacement or template for this project.

Keep the ideas flowing please!! Im most grateful to you!

[AsadIshaque]

Have Basit paint the insides of the heater channels with rustproof BEFORE he welds them to the body. Once in place you will never see the insides of them again!

 At long last Romano speaks!! :D The Heavens have opened!! :)


 The heater channels are to be fabricated on a press. I plan to oversee the process (and get spy shots too ;) for you guys). Yes its an excellent idea to get them as well rust proofed as possible before installation.


 I hope you speak more often here as Im sure you can provide bundles of great ideas like the one above! :)

[AsadIshaque]

@ Storm Garee tau bach jaey gee naa

Excellent!! I like that!

[NaveedRizvi]

@ Asad Ishaque

When did u shout about the 67 bug at SherShah.
I would love to have an early 60's or late 50's bug in decent condition. Do you have any other in sight at Shershah or any where else.

[AsadIshaque]

I could have sworn I had some pre rain pics which have not been uploaded yet......

Let me dig..........

[AsadIshaque]

@ Asad Ishaque When did u shout about the 67 bug at SherShah. I would love to have an early 60's or late 50's bug in decent condition. Do you have any other in sight at Shershah or any where else.

  I did a few months ago.......dig up the VWCOP thread and you would see. In fact I do shout often on the forums if a car worth rescuing comes in my knowledge.


  Rescuing a car from the clutches of scrappers is a tricky business. They are not keen to sell a car a whole since scrapping is their bread and butter, doubling their investment at least. I have a lot of goodwill with some people there and that helps me earn favors from them. When a deal is about done, they demand the amount they ask and want the cash in full at a very short notice, usually no more than 24 hours.


 If I had my way, I would rescue most if not all VWs from the scrappers. Very few cars I see are actually fit for scrapping, most have limitless potential, waiting to be polished like an uncut diamond. Sadly even cars which run well are actually driven to the yard and hacked to bits in a matter of a few hours :'(.


Stay tuned at the VWCOP thread as I usually announce bugs in distress there......

[AsadIshaque]

Somehow I dont have any pics which were waiting to be uploaded here.....

Anyway, I did go to Basit before the rains....did not take pics.....took my brother along to show him the car and the progress. Major work had not been undertaken.


Went there another time to pick up the body panels which came off the bug and would not be used in the project.....

-- pair of 67 vintage doors.

-- Rear decklid, post 68 type.

-- Front end, post 68.

-- Rear end, post 68.

-- Pair of extra rear fenders of 67 vintage.

-- Maybe something else too......:S

  Here was the rear decklid along with the number plate which I got home in a friends car's boot...

[AsadIshaque]

During the rains, I was in touch with Basit over the phone.

Today (ie 28th July) I went for a visit.......I was in for a bad, bad shock :0

Should have listened to Psyborg.......the car had been out in the open when it rained.......

[AsadIshaque]

Shock, disbelief and anger.......:'(:(:0:o:'(

I wanted to kick myself and all within my sight.......well the rust was nothing serious but it presented as a setback alright.......Spoke to the chief and asked him what would be the plan now....Initially he said the painter (whoever that would be) would remake the ground, then he at last agreed he would remove all the rust and recoat with a layer of laquer once he had the car in the garage again......

Now lets see......the apprentices are still ill, flu, fever and what not. Absenteeism is killing me......and the poor bug...really need to get things rolling once more........

I join work in a couple of days. Would make sure I visit regularly and breathe down some necks!!!:0

[romano]

Is this the best the famous Basit can do? He is a disgrace! I am surprised he is sooo bloody incompetent. And you, Asad, what have you got to say about 'King Basit' now?

[funkycapricorn]

awwww poor bug... The car should have been under a shed... Why dont you ask Basit to apply astar on it... I drove around my bug with astar for as long as I couldnt get paint done on it

[psyb0rg]

[Storm]

sometimes there is not enough time to apply a layer on the car to protect it from the rains. same thing happened to my 1303. at night all was clean and they had planned to put ashter on it in the morning but it rained unexpectedly at night (khalids workshop). the rust was only superficial and with a little chemical abrasive (or was it acid?) and it was as good as new again. had it painted ASAP after that with a base coat.

[NaveedRizvi]

I went to Basits place a few of his WIPs were covered with rust. I asked him Äb kiaa Hogaa" He said "jub tuk Garee humare paas hai humaree zimmedaaree hai" He said he will rub them again and they will be fine.

[Storm]

He said he will rub them again and they will be fine.

now THAT'S the midas touch!

[RetardedBuddy]

I went to Basits place a few of his WIPs were covered with rust. I asked him Äb kiaa Hogaa" He said "jub tuk Garee humare paas hai humaree zimmedaaree hai" He said he will rub them again and they will be fine.

You just can't keep dissolving layers of metal time and time again... It is highly incompetent of them not to anticipate the oncoming rains and take protective measures.

[AsadIshaque]

Is this the best the famous Basit can do? He is a disgrace! I am surprised he is sooo bloody incompetent. And you, Asad, what have you got to say about 'King Basit' now?

Rub it in please! I am only crying now, carry on till I roll around on the ground and kick up dust (AND tear my hair out)!

 I never had anything to say about His Royal Highness......he is the best the city offers. You know how I tried to get Babar to do the project......invitation to the city with free boarding and lodging, what more could I do???? :S