It is currently Thu Mar 28, 2024 2:36 pm

All times are UTC - 6 hours




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 7 posts ] 
Author Message
 Post subject: 1963 L380 Turquoise Green Bug
PostPosted: Tue Nov 03, 2020 10:46 am 
Offline

Joined: Mon Aug 12, 2019 6:48 am
Posts: 23
Just picked this up back in September. It's a '63 seemingly very original bug. A police officer in my neighborhood that knew I was into VW's stopped by and offered it to me for sale. Long story short, i was on the fence whether to buy it or not, the passenger side seat recliner accessory pushed me over the edge. Since owning it I have got it running really well (its a much later 1600CC), rebuilt the headlights, fixed all of the electrical (horning ring too) put the front bumper back on, etc.

In the pics you can see I started to strip off the crappy white re-spray to reveal the OG L380 turquoise color. My initial plan was to go with the patina OG look but I hit a roadblock. The body appears to have been prepped using a scotch brite pad to etch the old surface for the white re-spray paint job (no problem at all getting to the OG paint). However the fenders were clearly prepped using a DA sander because once I started stripping the white I was hitting bare metal in several spots hence the OG paint is probably to thin or there's not enough left for me to preserve. Additionally I can see why the car did not have the bumpers on it when i bought it. It appears to have been hit (mildy) on the driver's side rear quarter at some point in its life and the rear bumper mount is kind of messed up. the rear clip and apron appear to be fine and the decklid lines up properly. But both back fenders are crappy repros. So i am not too sure what I will do for paint and body for now.

Regarding the interior it has the OG headliner and door panels. I'm going to pop off the door panels and attempt at cleaning them with some OxyClean. I've ordered new period correct seat covers that I will install once I get a chance to pull the seats and clean up the frames. The car's front clip is perfect and never been hit, the electrical and pretty much everything is in really original and complete condition. I'm pretty sure none of the OG glass has ever been taken out of the car.

Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: 1963 L380 Turquoise Green Bug
PostPosted: Tue Nov 03, 2020 2:14 pm 
Offline
Der Luft Doktor
User avatar

Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2008 3:31 pm
Posts: 7220
Location: OC CA
Wow, congrats! Looks like a very solid starting point! What are your long-term plans? Stay stock, restomod, low and slow, Cal Look, etc?

_________________
-Brian
IG: @mkzero55vw
'55 Outlaw Oval- 231 hp daily driver :shock:
'56 Oval Vert- Okrasa 36 hp
'52 Standard Split Window
1953 Fleetwood Travel Trailer
2010 FJ Cruiser- The Mountain Goat
30 Ford Model A Pickup Hotrod
Conklin Performance & Engineering


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: 1963 L380 Turquoise Green Bug
PostPosted: Tue Nov 03, 2020 4:10 pm 
Offline

Joined: Mon Aug 12, 2019 6:48 am
Posts: 23
I'm really torn on what to do. I like the fact that it is 12V and has a later motor, it makes maintaining it and getting parts that much easier. However, it is so ugly with the crappy paint job it really needs to be repainted. But then you get into if you want to paint it you should probably pull the body, soda blast and really doing a top class job. I only have a 2 car garage and my wife is one that insists on parking in there and on the other half of my garage is the '58 sitting there with the ass in the air waiting on a motor rebuild. For the short term I will not take the '63 apart until my '58 is back up, running and de-bugged. I'm committed to always having at least one driving aircooled VW of the two.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: 1963 L380 Turquoise Green Bug
PostPosted: Thu Nov 05, 2020 12:33 am 
Offline
dLk Redneck
User avatar

Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2008 5:58 pm
Posts: 10199
Location: Spring
looks solid!! :beer:

_________________
Ethan Dunlap
Spring, Texas


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: 1963 L380 Turquoise Green Bug
PostPosted: Mon Dec 07, 2020 12:58 pm 
Offline

Joined: Mon Aug 12, 2019 6:48 am
Posts: 23
so I think I have decided I will keep both my latest purchase, my really original 1959 capri blue bug (there is a separate thread for) and the subject 1963. I will eventually pull the body of the pan and send out for some metal work, right rear-fender area has some issues, and re-paint the whole car. Before I do that I want to replace my door's hinge pins. When I pick up the doors I notice slop in both door's bottom hinges and I can see the body line just above the trim are slightly off. I figure before I go through the trouble and expense of a paint job I want things like my hinges sorted. Any of you guys have feedback on the replacement hinges from Wolfsburg West? On thesamba it seems like the recommendation is skip the 1st oversize and go straight for the 2ndoversize. Any experience or thoughts on this? Also, before I go and buy the reamer, does anyone already have one they want to rent or sell?


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: 1963 L380 Turquoise Green Bug
PostPosted: Tue Dec 08, 2020 3:48 pm 
Offline
dLk Redneck
User avatar

Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2008 5:58 pm
Posts: 10199
Location: Spring
I have the tool to remove the hinge pin as well as all the over sized reamers. I have never just jumped 2 sizes, and I would also add that in a few cars I didn't even have to ream to a larger size, just installing a new standard size hinge pin took all the slop out.

_________________
Ethan Dunlap
Spring, Texas


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: 1963 L380 Turquoise Green Bug
PostPosted: Wed Dec 09, 2020 9:41 am 
Offline

Joined: Mon Aug 12, 2019 6:48 am
Posts: 23
I think you've talked me off the two sizes up plan of attack. I will just order one size up. Shoot me a PM with whatever you want from me to buy or rent the puller and reamer.

Switching gears, over the weekend I stripped down the interior to get everything ready to send out for powder coating. Do any of you guys have recommendation on powder coaters? Note I am in Houston.

I also pulled the OG door panels. I really got to this car just in the nick of time. The window scrapers both outside and in are bad shape to say the least. They've let in dirt and water. The bottom of the doors were filled with nasty damp sludge. When i pull the doors for hinge pin replacement I will power wash them because there is only so much a shopv-vac can do with mud. Although there is surface rust in the bottom of the door they're still really solid. I do see the drivers door bottom corner closest to the A pillar does have filler that once the car is blasted will need a patch panel.

I also pulled of the Volmac seat re-cliners and cleaned them up a bit. Note seeing these on the car is the only reason why I bought the car to begin with.


Attachments:
01.jpg
01.jpg [ 262.88 KiB | Viewed 210 times ]
02.jpg
02.jpg [ 174.83 KiB | Viewed 226 times ]
b4.jpg
b4.jpg [ 97.54 KiB | Viewed 203 times ]
aft.jpg
aft.jpg [ 125.62 KiB | Viewed 232 times ]
recliner.jpg
recliner.jpg [ 175.07 KiB | Viewed 6933 times ]
Top
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 7 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 6 hours


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 14 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
cron
Powered by phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group