Kenney
Global Moderator
GP Corporal
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 United States
Posts: 166
Leaking Oil in Las Vegas
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« on: January 05, 2008, 06:57:56 PM » |
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Hey folks,
My current project is a '73 standard beetle. This isn't my first foray into body work, but is my first time working on a bug. Not that any other car is 'that' different, but there's some things i'm sure i'll need some advice with.
Firstly, I should mention, this is not a resto. I just want a good-looking, smooth car. I won't be entering it in any shows. I will, however, be driving this thing almost daily, and possibly allow it some time on the 1/4 mile. Maybe toss some autocross in there, too.
First off, my welding skills aren't all too bad, but i'm not sure that I trust them when involved in the safety and structural integrity of something like a car. That's my first hurdle. I'm aiming for some community college courses on welding this year. No problem. In terms of what actually needs to be welded, there's some floorpan repair done at some point involving fiberglass (done very poorly) and now the resin used is showing stress and revealing pin holes. From what I can see, the whole thing doesn't need to be replaced, but there are multiple sections that will need to be cut out and replaced with either sheet metal or sections of another pan. BTW, the car originated in Washington state, but is relatively rust free with all i've seen working on it over the past year and half.
As for the actual body work, there's not much that needs to be done. The front left fender has been struck by 3 different mountain bikers, 3 different times, and 2 of them I was in the car with my buddy (the PO). All of the 3 dents are within an area you could cover with a dollar bill. All the trim holes need to be filled (as i'm not a fan of anything chrome). Same goes for the decklid. Not gonna need a script on there, everybody already knows what the car is. I'll be putting 1.5" or 2 " fenders on the rear to fit my wheels and tires on. Oh, and filling in the turn signal holes. Then, I might just be lucky enough to lay down some paint. Silver Tempest would be my first choice, if I could ever any of the Bentley folks to crack their lips open and give me the paint code.
One of the biggest hurdles I have to contend with is where I can actually do this. As of writing this, my garage is a less-than-suitable environment. Single-car garage, apparently, made specifically for parking an aircooled beetle in.
So, now, I have a couple questions. I've been all over the internet for the last year looking to see how and where to get decent parts from. I've seen people have both good and bad results from the same parts, so it's kind of a toss up on what's good, and what's crap. I'm expecting the worst, but hoping for the best.
What should I do for the floor pans? Should I buy complete replacement pan halves, or just get some sheet metal? No show pan stuff. Interior will be carpeted, etc, etc.
I think I might be able to get away with painting the car outside, in a semi-enclosed environment. I've done 'some' painting for a small company in VA while I was in the ARMY, but never a whole car, and never silver. Any pointers, or things I should look out for?
Sorry for the long winded post, but I just wanna get some feedback and help from some people that have done this before. I'm aiming for April/May-ish to get this thing kicked off. I hope i've provided enough info.
Kenney
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