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| Okay, it was really Benjamin Franklin who said this but whutevs, it's still true! |
In order to greatly enhance my chances of success in this endeavor, I want to make a bit of a plan for what I am going to do to my bug. I have some general ideas but I haven't really written anything down. That's the basic purpose of this blog.
I was thinking the first thing I wanted to do was to get the engine running. It was running perfectly well when I parked it so after giving it a tune-up, it should run just fine now. I still like that idea although there is no practical benefit since much needs to be done before the car can go anywhere.
Roughly, here is what needs to be done before I can drive the car. A much more comprehensive restoration is for the future as is the list for what that will entail.
- Body off.
I know there are the holes in the floor and the right rear quarter panel but there may be more that I don't know. Body off is necessary for a good inspection and other things that need to happen. - Patch floor.
The holes under the seats and the battery tray need to be patched even if I don't need to replace the entire pan. - Brake overhaul.
I think new wheel cylinders and a drum turning would not be a mistake. Eventually, I think I want disk brakes and a dual master cylinder but not now. - 12-Volt conversion.
My biggest problem with this car has been the charging system. I had a 12-Volt battery that I kept on the other side under the back seat just to jump-start myself for when the 6-Volt battery ran dead which it did in about a week if I didn't keep the charger on it at night. I tried a new battery but no luck. Since I want LED lights and a stereo in my future, 12-Volts is necessary. - Repair quarter panel and whatever else I find.
I have NEVER done any welding or anything so I will practice by patching the holes in the floor and then perhaps take care of this. I might just pay someone else to do it ... I don't know.
Be sure to 'bag and tag' everything you disassemble. Take a ton of photos (the more the better). Don't throw anything away, no matter how rusty, as you may need to reference it at a later. Lastly, I would encourage you to get stuck in and take it one small problem at a time...
ReplyDeleteSounds like great advice! I am definitely going slowly. It was raining last weekend so I just got it up on jackstands and took some pictures of the underside.
DeleteYes - jump in with both feet and learn / figure it out as you go. I recently took a welding class at a local hot rod bike shop - $175 for 5 nights, 2 hours per night! My first experience with a TIG machine.
ReplyDeleteA hobby MIG machine can be had from Horror Fright for about $350-$400, less if on sale - grab a bucket of cut-offs from Metals SuperMarket (~$30) and just start welding random pieces together. You'll get the hang of it pretty quick.
Have fun and always use the safety gear. Nothing takes the wind out of your sails like getting hurt in the garage!
Thanks! I think it'll be a bit before I get to welding anything, though.
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