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No major cutting or anything. I pulled the engine out of the 67 to do a few things and clean everything up. I have a new exhaust (losing the heater ) and figured I'd do a quick clean and paint of the tin along with a new engine compartment seal. Got under there and noticed both axle boots are trashed as are both rear trans mounts. There is crud all over everything, assuming from the leaking axle boots and the dirt road I live on. Anyway, I cleaned the engine about four times and have started cleaning up the tin and painting it. I have to go get the boots and mounts tomorrow. I'll run all new fuel hose from the pan to the engine as well. I'll post a pic when it is finished.

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Pulling the tin to clean it up and changing the muffler sure as hell snowballed!! Once the engine was out it became painfully obvious that much more had to be done. I have never had such a dirty engine in all the VWs that I have owned. No wonder it never left any oil spots in the garage...all the crud was soaking it up! It may leak like a sieve now. I pulled the heads to find oil under the cylinders and crud caked in the cooling fins, RTV sealant everywhere, just a mess. I cleaned everything I could. It turns out I have a replacement case and 85.5s so I have a 1600 instead of the original 1500. With the non-doghouse oil cooler and the newer case I didn't have the adapter seals so I put the old ones back in there. They are still relatively soft but I will change them when I pull the black body off.
New parts:
rear tin (no holes)
air cleaner
fuel filter
braided fuel line
main seal (& o-ring)
pushrod tubes & seals
valve cover gaskets
oil screen, gaskets, washers
cylinder gaskets
intake gaskets
exhaust gaskets (heat-risers, too!)
muffler (tips point down a little...unsure if it's supposed to)
breather hose
axle boots
rear trans mounts
engine compartment seal (not in yet)
carb gasket
muffler clamps

Painted:
all tin except the little deflectors under the cylinders, just cleaned them
j-tubes
pulleys (w/nut, bolt, etc)
intake
gen. backing plate
coil & bracket
valve covers & bales
dip stick handle
oil filler tube & cap

I plan on cleaning up the heater boxes and shields and stock rear tin and putting them back on at some point. I still have a few things to do tomorrow before I can put the engine back in. I have a busy day with other obligations so I'm not sure if I will get everything done. Hopefully I will have it at Jax Beach Sunday...we'll see.
Before:

This morning (pic taken the other night before I came in):

Now:



I cleaned almost everything by scraping the crud off with a screwdriver or chisel, hitting it with an old wire brush, then either 777 cleaner (purple stuff-ish), degreaser, simple green, carb cleaner, or brake cleaner, wire brushing again and rinsing with the water hose. Parts that got painted I took to bare metal with a wire wheel on my 4-1/2" grinder and then sanded the corners, etc. by hand. Red yellow & gloss black are all Krylon out of the rattle can. The j-tubes are semi-gloss Rustoleum bar-b-q paint (we'll see, probably won't last) and the black "hammered" (tin) and silver "hammered" are both Rustoleum, again, out of rattle cans. I wire-wheeled the generator and blew it out while it was apart.

Since my crappy impact wouldn't loosen the gland nut, my wife went to Sears and bought me a new one while I was at work the other day. It's actually the same as my old one except it actually works great!! She bought me a DigiTork torque wrench, too!


I also cleaned & repacked the fuel pump. I bought this bug back in September and all the tune-up stuff has been replaced since then except the plugs, so that's all it needed as far as that.

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It runs!!

My buddy Cason came over today and we got it back in and it's ready to go. The new muffler sounds great.

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Nothing major. I built a dolly to roll the tan body around on so I can get rid of the old pan it was sitting on. It sure makes moving the body easy.


Here's the engine I got last weekend. I'm not sure if it will end up in the 64 or in the ragtop. Probably the ragtop.

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A little update...
I had to make a panic stop about a month ago on the way home from work in the bug. The brakes didn't stop me as well as I would have liked them to. I had new rear shoes on the shelf in the garage and had already put new shoes on the front. So, when I got home I jacked the bug up and put it on stands. My bug is so low I have to drive up on home-made ramps to get the front up and then I can get a jack under the rear torsion bar cover. But, I have to put the front on stands or the bug will sit on the front apron as soon as I start to lift the rear. So, when I lifted the front I noticed the beam needed a little help.

It looks like the PO didn't weld up the 6" beam when he built it. I decided to just weld this beam up on the car for now and build a new beam when I switch out the body. 57Drag came by and we boogered it up so it will hold.

I got the drums off and found this.

The shoes were a little thin on the left side and coming apart on the right. The retainer spring was cut in half and the pin gone.


It looks like this now except I switched out the top spring for the correct one.



Ended up with new bearings, axle seals, wheel cylinders, shoes and springs. 57Drag did the bearings and seal for me and made fun of me for painting the other stuff.

Got wheels?

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Last time I saw the 67...



I've started on the 64 again. I cut out the right side pan and started chiseling the leftover parts. I got all of it off the tunnel lip and front. I still have a little to cut off the front outside corner and some at the rear.



I should get the rest of the pan cleaned up and the new half welded in this weekend. I'm also switching the drums on the ragtop to wide-5 and I have to go get new bearings for the lawn mower deck so I can cut the grass.

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The mower got fixed last weekend but that's about it. A couple health issues have kept me out of the shop lately. Then I promised my 8 year-old that I'd fix his atv before I worked on the bugs again. It's an 86 Yamaha YF-60 quad. I have the body off and I had it running briefly for a couple minutes earlier but it won't start now...carb issues I think, keeps fowling the plug. Anyway.


Oh, I might have a new project this weekend. If the deal works out it will get more of a restoration than a customization. If I get it I will have it here Friday evening. Here's a hint...it's a VW.

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see the SCORE thread.

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I have a plan. Think black 67 except it's a 62 vert and not as low.

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I haven't had time to get on the vert yet or really work on the 64 much but here's an update.
The vert is registered and legal, not running worth a crap and still no brakes but it's registered & legal. I even have the title back from the DMV.

I had to make it "mine" so here's a few pics.




and one of the wheels painted. I'm going to blast it once I get the tires off and repaint them.



Been going a little slow lately so the 64 pan still isn't finished. I haven't touched it in a while now. Both halves are welded in...have a few spots to finish up and a little grinding to do. The plan is to pull the beam and trans and blast the pan then coat it with some of the good stuff.


junk all over it! I usually keep the shop clean but not lately.

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I took the carb off the vert last night and disassembled it. It soaked in the carb cleaner can all night and I put it back together this morning with a rebuild kit in it. The bug started right up and runs much, much better.

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No real progess but I am trying to do something to the bugs every weekend.

The 62 vert...
Nothing done. I did paint the stcok shifter the same color as the wheels will be. I haven't stripped & painted the wheels yet. I did finally get matching wheels all around. I have drove it around the yard a few times. I have the $$ for the brakes but I haven't bought the parts yet. I had hoped to get a parts car this weekend but the guy flaked and never sent me pics like he said he would. Then he got all pissy when I said something about it. Oh well, didn't really need it anyhow.

The 63 ragtop...
I did get the rear drums switched over to wide-5 so it's rolling on wide-5s like it should be. It's still a 69 IRS, b/j pan but it looks right now. I will lower it soon and start getting it ready to drive.



The 64 hardtop...
I finally got all four polished 5-spokes on it. Both pans are fully welded in. I do have to weld a few holes from where I drilled out the jack mounts. Then a little grinding before I pull the beam and the tranny. I want to blast the pan and coat both sides before I put it back together. Just a little primer on it now to keep it from rusting temporarily.


oh, it got a new hood too.

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My yard looks like a VW graveyard.
the 63 ragtop

my 62 vert & 64 body

a friend's 66 (being stored here) and another friend's 68 that I'm working on

the 68 is rough...rust everywhere

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A quick update:
62 vert - nothing really. I've bought a few small parts for it but haven't done anything to it.

63 ragtop - SOLD! It's well on it's way to becoming a volksrod. see dragnbdy's posts

64 bug - see Build Thread for updates

The burgundy 66 has left to stay with the owner. The blue 68 got the framehead cut off, pans cut out, new parts bought...then the owner bought a 62 ragtop and the 68 is now cut up going to the scrap bin.

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No real updates. The 62 vert is still the same. I've bought some parts for the 64. Keep checking the thread on it for updates. The owner of the 68 bug shown above bought a 62 ragtop and decided to scrap the 68. It is all cut up in my yard.

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I just found a disc full of old pics so I will be updating the early posts in this thread soon.

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No real progress on the 64. I've done a little on the vert. It has all new brake shoes, hardware, cylinders, etc. The pedal assembly works now. I switched some 165s onto the painted chromies for the front. I started playing with the wiring but have made no progress.

More soon...with pics.

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top latches now.

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I've got most of the new brake lines in...metal and rubber. I put on the new belt and plug wires...collecting more parts now.

The new heater channels came in for the 64 so maybe I'll start back on it shortly. All the new brake parts should be here Monday.

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I always seem to forget to update this thread. Let's see...
The 62 vert got dropped off at a buddy's house because of lack of time trying to get it ready for the Lakeland show. He built a sweet 4" narrowed beam for it and switched it out, finished up the brakes and even played with the wiring some. The rear lights quit working again already but I've got a "new" fusebox to put in it. The one in it is broken in a few places.
The beam is all the way up and I'm still running 165s on the front.


I drove it down to the Lakeland show last weekend with no major problems. I put almost 400 miles on it.


I also bought a 67 bug a couple weeks ago. It has a 1776, 110 cam, 009, dual Dell'orto 45s, Berg linkage, built trans, Berg shifter, etc. It's pretty solid and a good 20 footer.




Now, if I can only keep it running long enough to enjoy it. The carb linkage came loose the day I bought it...twice. The generator strap kept coming loose. I have both those fixed. I've shortened one rod on the linkage so I could adjust them equally, changed the exhaust (had some homemade crap on it), changed the steering box and then the fan broke. So, I'm going to pull the carbs and engine this weekend/next week and put new gaskets/seals in it, clean everything, paint what can be painted and hopefully I won't have any more problems for a while.

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The engine is still out...but looks a little different.

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I picked up my next project (after the 64 for my son). It's a 62 ragtop...going to be my volksrod. I have a plan and a fair amount of the parts to get started. I may leave it full fendered, not sure yet.



Porsche 912 guages

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OK, here's a quick update.

62 ragtop - started to work out some details and even drew a few lines on the body. I will start cutting soon.

64 bug - bolted the new 4" narrowed beam on, still have to put it back together, make tie-rods and put all the new stuff on the rear. Then, I will sit the body on it and put it outside under a cover. I may build a carport for it. I'm not stopping on it, just wanting to get the volksrod started.

67 bug - been driving it almost daily. I'm not 100% happy with it but it is running decent...still has a slight miss and is not a good low-rpm engine.

I have installed the BRMs and 155/60s & 195/65s. I also put in some H4 headlights.

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A few pics of my 67.
Before:



After:



Before:

After:


4" beam, drop apindles, 1 outer spline

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I keep forgetting to update this thread. Check A pile of parts for the 61 chop top updates or The Southeast Corner for general updates.