New Project-not a Mopar!

[pauly]

Well, the Duster is gonna have to wait for a while. Just picked up a 1971 VW Beetle. Have known if this car my entire life, as it was in my parent’s garage as long as I was alive! It was totaled with 1045 miles on it-hit in the drivers side front, including the A pillar. Yes, actual mileage! Original plan was to build a fiberglass buggy on the floor pan, but that never happened. Although, dad did build a Meyers Manx that will be going to my sister. The Beetle was pieced back together about 10-15 years ago but never finished. So, it’s now my project, as dad passed in December. Should be a fun project! It’s interesting because it has cloth seats in it-anyone ever seen that on a Beetle before?

 

[d5667]

Nice! But yes I have seen cloth seats. Sorry but don’t have a number on how many or how rare

 

[CFD244]

My dad's first new car was a 1971 Super Beetle. Horrible for heat in the winter...........If the heat exchanger cracked, you'd get CO into the passenger compartment. Some fine German engineering right there. Lots of fun to drive though! Enjoy the build.

 

[JDMopar]

I've seen cloth seats in them too. I had 3 of those Kraut cabs back in my younger days. They were cheap beaters. You had to drive them like you were mad at them....lol

 

[Sublime one]

Yep I remember the cloth seats, they were miserable in the summer with shorts on. Super scratchy. Great build, have a blast!

 

[joel d. snyder]

my first car was a '69 bug. looking forward to your project.

 

[Princess Valiant]

Subscribed. Very cool old car.

I considered making a project out of a 2002 beetle that was wrecked with very low miles. Kinda the same situation.

But then I bought the aspen wagon.

Looking forward to seeing your progress

 

[pauly]

A quick update! Starting to dig into what I have to work with here. Found the original maintenance manual and see the car was serviced at 600 miles on 11/25/70. Car was bought 11/11/70. She got totaled at 1045.6 miles. The original title in my dad’s name is dated 4/29/71 ( which I have). Those are the original rubber floor mats and the speedo out of the car showing actual mileage. And, my dad always lost his tools-I know where I got that from!!!The pile of tools on the floor are what I found going through half of the Bug! More to come! Love putting the puzzle pieces together, even with smell of mouse piss in the air!

 

[75slant6]

Sorry to hear about your dad passing. But I do look forward to following this build!

 

[abdywgn]

 

[dart4forte]

I thought about getting one. There’s a complete hot rodded bug here for 13k I may be interested in.

 

[pauly]

So a little update. Have cleaned up more bug parts but also got my dad’s 1955 John Deere 40 C crawler tractor. It does run but needs some love. Water pump and radiator leaks, hydraulic tank fitting leaks, only steers in one direction. But, we’ll get it figured out! Love you and miss you, Dad!

 

[Steve welder]

Very sorry about your father
My first car was a 1957 VW with a whopping 36 hp engine, ive had several after that. Had a 62 when I was 18 on the highway pedal to the floor up to about 65 when I threw a rod through the side of the block
Later on after I was married I owned a 74
Great cars
Thats a special car you have there
Great thread

 

[pauly]

Cut the headliner out of the Beetle yesterday. Two huge mouse nests and three mummified mice. One was stuck to the foam under the headliner. Sprayed the inside with water and got it drained. Hope to pull the door panels and a few other things out and power wash the inside tomorrow. Smells musty now, as opposed to mouse piss! Did scrub the outside quickly and looks a bit nicer!