I commend you for taking on the project. Don’t jump in too deep and try to restore the car. Imo, floor pans, patch the tunnel, engine, brakes, patch the wiring for now and put it around. Then once you’re driving it you can prioritize what needs to be done next and budget accordingly. Reach out if you have any questions, the VW community is awesome.
To keep from being too overwhelmed, I suggest you purchase the best quality (thickness gauge metal) floor pans, transfer those seat pedestals over to them, and weld them in (after carefully removing what's left of the old ones). I think you will start to see the light at the end of the tunnel if you do that right off the bat. The car has "good bones", and just needs someone to give it some TLC.
$350.00 for that car was a nice score! That’s the kind of money we were paying for a solid yet very needy, usually not or barely running VW Bug when I first got into them back in the late 1980s! Old VWs definitely had their shortcomings but, since there are only two types of people in this world; those who love old VWs and fools, the shortcomings are just part of life and you learn to deal with it! Welcome to VW engine align bore issue! The evil monster that eats up VW engine rebuild budgets! It’s all downhill after the case gets cut and you find yourself back on track again! You’ll get through it, your drive it, you’ll make memories with it, and life will be better in an old VW! Just keep and you won’t have to regret selling it later and you won’t have to go out and find another one later in your life and pay 20 times more for it!
Welcome to the VW family! I've just watched both of the videos about the Beetle and read some of the comments, and I agree, you've got a long way to go. Engine first. The dual port engine is the better one of the two to rebuild. It may be rusty inside but the case is magnesium, so that wont matter, and its got a better oiling system than the H case. The dual port heads are far better too, but what you described as head bolts are actualy head studs and should stay in the case. The other reason for rebuilding the dual port is that it looks like its never been apart, meaning nobody has messed with it, unlike the H case one! Floorpan next - yikes. I've owned well over a dozen Beetles but I've never seen a spine rot like that! Its seriously thick metal so not an easy repair. As someone else said, get the best floorpan halves you can - I've used the new Taiwanese ones that Heritage Parts Centre here in the UK are selling, and they're nice and solid. Get a load of box section and make up some jigs - you will end up taking the body off, I'm sure, so when you do, make an inverse jig to replicate the position of the heater channels and their bolt holes so you can get the new floorpans lined up properly, trust me on this! If you can, do one for the body too, it'll make doing the heater channels easier... Good luck!
Makes me happy to see you're getting into the VW lifestyle it's not a hobby it's a lifestyle now I am not a fan of anything 71 or newer but I don't discriminate I love all of you W's I've been doing them for 27 years if you got any questions feel free ask, I sell parts for international air-cooled parts so if you got questions about what's good what's not fire away buddy, but I got to say it would be better off getting another pan from somewhere and putting a new heater channels the problem is the resale value on the car isn't much but my question is where are you located?? The harsh reality is you have a parts car you'd be money ahead finding another one , but if you're passionate and got people giving you money why not save it
I am a newbie to the vw. In many ways similar to whats going on here . we are of German ancestry and my daughter has always said she would like to have a Beetle as a first car. I bought one and am currently rebuilding it as a graduation gift without her knowledge. Mine is nowhere near this bad however I am deep into it and slowly making progress. Mine is a 1974 and I saw your negative comment about post 71 Beetles. Is there something about mine that I need to know about being after that date? My entire lifetime has been in the American musclecar genre ( Mustangs , Camaros , Mopars etc. ) However I am appreciating the simplicity and ruggidness of these little Tanks. I would compare it to a modern Model T. Did I make a mistake buying her a 74? I live in the country and have no community to go to for advice. Just asking.
I still know these cars when they were new in Germany. It always hurts to hear an American say Vokswagen or VW because we pronounce it completely differently^^ volk swaa gn comes close. Here, good Beetles now cost almost 9,000 euros, convertibles around 15,000 euros Greetings from Germany
Welcome to the VW community. I am in the minority, as I prefer the 73' and up because of the larger tail lights (elephants foot). Good luck with the build!
The good thing is, you CAN weld! I've been kicking around the idea of getting a Bug myself. I've never owned a VW Bug or even been in one but there has always been something about them that I liked. My wife might not like the idea but when she was a kid her families daily driver was a VW Bug so maybe nostalgia might win her over, maybe?
Its a cheap education and you will understand so much more. Not just material reality, but politics, history, psychology and finance but mostly discipline and patience. Dr. Porche was a genius. Un, look to the offroad roots because you should build a buggy, don't restore that one.
Nothing on a bug is not repairable. All I can tell you is take your time and have fun. I have a 73 Standard and a 73 Super. I love them both. I chose 70's bugs because neither is getting restored to original. One will be me street car and the 70 standard I'm turning into an off road / on road pickup set up for off-road. Significant Ground Clearance .
Great find!! I think thats perfect for you .get it safe first and then drive it you'll love it you will be hooked like me and so many others.....then.. your young get a loan and put some money in that barn insulation, garage doors windows, plywood, heater..you will thank me later in life you got what so many want, use it..thanks for the video, like so many others we will like to see more videos
Just found your channel. It’s not often to see a rusty tunnel. That’s really bad. I see rot in the channels as well. But since you can weld, it’s time for an adventure! Thanks for sharing!
You could most likely find another rolling pan or full pan setup. It would be more economical than the time invested to repair the current pan/tunnel and front section.
That's an ambitious project, but anything is possible as long as you have the time and money to back the project. Good luck, will be following this project.. :)
A 1974 for 800 dollars was a deal in 1988 and sold it in 1996 by 1998 I knew 4-bangers were not 21st century road worthy and sold my 74 Camper vw bus in 1998...now its a YT money hole hobby and metal worker gold mine.
man that seems like lots of sand blasting, painting and welding. So stay strong ! And for blasting methods using aqua blasting would be a much better ; )
Bro, i'm in the same as you, couple months ago i bought a 71 vw bug, my first bug. Same idea as you, restore it on a budget; you will get a lot of bad or disappointing comments but. never give up, i'm not regretting on my decision of buy my piece of junk and turn it into my treasure, so same on you, don't lose interest in it. here you have a new sub, and i don't know maybe an international friend to share tips and tricks for the build haha, greetings from Mexico
Your alot more motivated then me.... I in last 9 years took things off my bug sold the engine and just piled garbage on the poor car.... your inspiring me to go un dig the poor car and just start making progress again....
Nice car! Love the patina! Your gonna have to life the body off of the pan. Much easier to fix the floor/pan. If you are not comfortable driving the Prius in snow or ice, wait until you get the big in the snow! (Lol!) Great traction to get moving, but stopping is fun. (I had a 69 which was my daily driver in Winnipeg in the early 1980s). It is going to be a fun car and conversation pieced everywhere you go.
If you can afford it get Wolfsburg west floor pans.they are really good.use west coast metric seals,also have your rotating assembly on engine balanced it will help the engine bearings last longer..do full flow too
buying a turn key motor would probably be your best bet. Better plan on about 15 grand to finish it. because... well wow you got a really long way to go.
I'm really liking the way you are presenting this project. But blimey that bug has so many holes. That rust needs to be fixed otherwise its a death trap. The floor pans are knackered. And the heater channels, jeez. Sorry to be so negative. Wouldn't it be easier to take the body off and really sort out all the rust. I really want to do a project like this and watching engine dismantle was a bit alarming. So many bits and so many problems with it. I'm looking forward to the next episode and wish you all the very best with the progress. Really hoping it works out and you prove me wrong. As other people have mentioned the VW community is massive and really helpful.
So honestly for $350, none of this is actually "worst case scenario" all of this is really "average case scenario" with one of these cars. Get the case bored out, slap the engine back together, you'll be driving it in a few weeks. Make sure there are NO leaks in your heater boxes if you plan on trying to use the stock heating system or you'll get exhaust in the car.
Make sure ypu put on all new ethanol resistant fuel hoses from the tank to the carb, clean out your fuel tank completely and blow compressed air through the fuel pipe that runs through the central tunnel from front to back with all the rubber hoses disconnected to get all gunk out. Then add a new fuel filter up above where the drive axle is.
If you’re in oregon I have a 1962 bug front tunnel section, free. I don’t know if that would be correct for your year of bug for a patch or not. We chopped the tunnel from the shifter area back off to use for a dune buggy but we don’t need the front section that’s rotted on yours
It's not as bad as you think it is! You chose the most simple car out there, the one that was most produced ever and that has the cheapest and most available parts for. It's a complete project but a simple one. Don'tget discouragesanddon't maker the mistake of workingoneverything t thesame time. Do the body one piece at a time until you prime it then go to the next. If you atart everything at the same time, you'll run out of steam and will not see the end, same for ther electrical system, interior, engine, etc. How do you eat a whole elephant? a bite at a time. Good luck. By the way the floor pans are easy to do. If you need youtube videos I can give you many, My favorite though is the full restoration that MaxWilson did.
Thanks for sharing, and saving another beetle. Look, here’s the deal, you COULD have bought a nicer car, and never learned about how it all works and goes together. Jumping right into this? I congratulate you. Yes, it’s going to be miserable. But you are going to learn so much. Disregard the nay sayers, and look at the comments for tips and positive reinforcement. Here’s some tips with what I see. 1. It’s going to be necessary to remove the body from the chassis, in order to cut out the rot and replace metal. Currently I am doing just that on my channel. Check out my jig for lifting the body. 2. Buy an orange Bentley book, and follow it EXACTLY when assembling your engine. Remembering, to use original German parts when available. Carb, dizzy and FP…..all work together. Anyone telling you different has a car that runs like crap. JTLYK….all 3 pro rebuilt units will cost you upwards of $800. Buy Chinese, and your car will run like ….a Chinese car. 3. Here’s something you can do right away. On top of your hinges is a plastic plug, pry those out and squirt some penetrating oil…then light oil. To oil your hinges. Also, there is a plastic plug on the end of each door, just above the latch. Pull that out and run some penetrating oil, followed by light oil….3 in 1…..That, oils your door latch. Got any questions….ask me on my channel. Congratulations!
This will give you a really good education about these wonderful machines, however this one looks too far gone to be practical. Too much welding time and money involved. Good luck.
I'm invested in this series but i have to say something. I think it's very much a bad idea to sell your actual car to build a rather terrible car. I love the early Beetles but they were never know for their reliability but at the end of they day it's your car, so you do you
You don't know what you're doing. Buying that piece of junk with that amount of welding needed. That chassis needs to get on a wig and the nap head needs to be replaced completely. Boy boy, dont waste that time and money on this. Its NOT worth it. Buy a decent complete bug for around 4 to 7k and spend 5k to a car like that and you are the winner. Much easier and smarter. If you like it or not, see ya in 4 years and you will tell me i was right about it 😂 hopes up high. Sell this junk and buy another one.
I commend you for taking on the project. Don’t jump in too deep and try to restore the car.
Imo, floor pans, patch the tunnel, engine, brakes, patch the wiring for now and put it around. Then once you’re driving it you can prioritize what needs to be done next and budget accordingly.
Reach out if you have any questions, the VW community is awesome.
I fallow you here. On the Tube. isn’t his enthusiasm authentic he is great 👍 I hope he looks you up and absorbs all your knowledge. 🔧🔧🔧🔧🔧
With the look of that wireing I would put it on the list of things you do before you start to daily the car. Magnesium engine cases and fire are bad.
To keep from being too overwhelmed, I suggest you purchase the best quality (thickness gauge metal) floor pans, transfer those seat pedestals over to them, and weld them in (after carefully removing what's left of the old ones). I think you will start to see the light at the end of the tunnel if you do that right off the bat. The car has "good bones", and just needs someone to give it some TLC.
$350.00 for that car was a nice score! That’s the kind of money we were paying for a solid yet very needy, usually not or barely running VW Bug when I first got into them back in the late 1980s! Old VWs definitely had their shortcomings but, since there are only two types of people in this world; those who love old VWs and fools, the shortcomings are just part of life and you learn to deal with it! Welcome to VW engine align bore issue! The evil monster that eats up VW engine rebuild budgets! It’s all downhill after the case gets cut and you find yourself back on track again! You’ll get through it, your drive it, you’ll make memories with it, and life will be better in an old VW! Just keep and you won’t have to regret selling it later and you won’t have to go out and find another one later in your life and pay 20 times more for it!
@8:00 passing the knowledge down to a new generation. Great to see!
Been there, done it - several times. 👍🏼
Welcome to the VW family! I've just watched both of the videos about the Beetle and read some of the comments, and I agree, you've got a long way to go. Engine first. The dual port engine is the better one of the two to rebuild. It may be rusty inside but the case is magnesium, so that wont matter, and its got a better oiling system than the H case. The dual port heads are far better too, but what you described as head bolts are actualy head studs and should stay in the case. The other reason for rebuilding the dual port is that it looks like its never been apart, meaning nobody has messed with it, unlike the H case one!
Floorpan next - yikes. I've owned well over a dozen Beetles but I've never seen a spine rot like that! Its seriously thick metal so not an easy repair. As someone else said, get the best floorpan halves you can - I've used the new Taiwanese ones that Heritage Parts Centre here in the UK are selling, and they're nice and solid. Get a load of box section and make up some jigs - you will end up taking the body off, I'm sure, so when you do, make an inverse jig to replicate the position of the heater channels and their bolt holes so you can get the new floorpans lined up properly, trust me on this! If you can, do one for the body too, it'll make doing the heater channels easier...
Good luck!
Great video, I just wish it was longer.
I would recommend trying to find the John Muir, “The Compleat Idiot” book on keeping your Volkswagen Alive.
what he said
Makes me happy to see you're getting into the VW lifestyle it's not a hobby it's a lifestyle now I am not a fan of anything 71 or newer but I don't discriminate I love all of you W's I've been doing them for 27 years if you got any questions feel free ask, I sell parts for international air-cooled parts so if you got questions about what's good what's not fire away buddy, but I got to say it would be better off getting another pan from somewhere and putting a new heater channels the problem is the resale value on the car isn't much but my question is where are you located?? The harsh reality is you have a parts car you'd be money ahead finding another one , but if you're passionate and got people giving you money why not save it
I am a newbie to the vw. In many ways similar to whats going on here . we are of German ancestry and my daughter has always said she would like to have a Beetle as a first car. I bought one and am currently rebuilding it as a graduation gift without her knowledge. Mine is nowhere near this bad however I am deep into it and slowly making progress. Mine is a 1974 and I saw your negative comment about post 71 Beetles. Is there something about mine that I need to know about being after that date? My entire lifetime has been in the American musclecar genre ( Mustangs , Camaros , Mopars etc. ) However I am appreciating the simplicity and ruggidness of these little Tanks. I would compare it to a modern Model T. Did I make a mistake buying her a 74? I live in the country and have no community to go to for advice. Just asking.
I still know these cars when they were new in Germany. It always hurts to hear an American say Vokswagen or VW because we pronounce it completely differently^^ volk swaa gn
comes close.
Here, good Beetles now cost almost 9,000 euros, convertibles around 15,000 euros Greetings from Germany
Welcome to the VW community. I am in the minority, as I prefer the 73' and up because of the larger tail lights (elephants foot). Good luck with the build!
I've completely restored 2 VWs and know what's involved. You are braver than me to tackle this job.
I'm driving one in worse condition than that. brakes? who need brakes, it's a bug....
The good thing is, you CAN weld! I've been kicking around the idea of getting a Bug myself. I've never owned a VW Bug or even been in one but there has always been something about them that I liked. My wife might not like the idea but when she was a kid her families daily driver was a VW Bug so maybe nostalgia might win her over, maybe?
Good luck 👍🏴
Its a cheap education and you will understand so much more. Not just material reality, but politics, history, psychology and finance but mostly discipline and patience.
Dr. Porche was a genius. Un, look to the offroad roots because you should build a buggy, don't restore that one.
Nothing on a bug is not repairable. All I can tell you is take your time and have fun. I have a 73 Standard and a 73 Super. I love them both. I chose 70's bugs because neither is getting restored to original. One will be me street car and the 70 standard I'm turning into an off road / on road pickup set up for off-road. Significant Ground Clearance .
I would keep the original fenders and leave the patina . The earlier tail lights do look better but matching patina is perfect on that car
Nice, congratulations with your project, im 22yo from Mexico, i started searching some info like you 3 years ago, today I own a VW bug restoring shop
Great find!! I think thats perfect for you .get it safe first and then drive it you'll love it you will be hooked like me and so many others.....then.. your young get a loan and put some money in that barn insulation, garage doors windows, plywood, heater..you will thank me later in life you got what so many want, use it..thanks for the video, like so many others we will like to see more videos
Just found your channel. It’s not often to see a rusty tunnel. That’s really bad. I see rot in the channels as well. But since you can weld, it’s time for an adventure! Thanks for sharing!
You could most likely find another rolling pan or full pan setup. It would be more economical than the time invested to repair the current pan/tunnel and front section.
That's an ambitious project, but anything is possible as long as you have the time and money to back the project. Good luck, will be following this project.. :)
A class 10 or 11 beetle would be great for that model year. IRS rear end and ball joint from beam is perfect for off-road driving
A 1974 for 800 dollars was a deal in 1988 and sold it in 1996 by 1998 I knew 4-bangers were not 21st century road worthy and sold my 74 Camper vw bus in 1998...now its a YT money hole hobby and metal worker gold mine.
You can pretty much put any year tail lights on them. Might have to do a little filling first.
...chop saw and crocks, a brave man!😅 keep up the good work, bugs are the best car ever! going to subscribe now.
You do have your work cut out for you, but I will be watching to see how it goes, as I have 5 project VWs to work on in the near future! Good luck!
man that seems like lots of sand blasting, painting and welding. So stay strong ! And for blasting methods using aqua blasting would be a much better ; )
Phew. Good luck 🤞🏼
Bro, i'm in the same as you, couple months ago i bought a 71 vw bug, my first bug. Same idea as you, restore it on a budget; you will get a lot of bad or disappointing comments but. never give up, i'm not regretting on my decision of buy my piece of junk and turn it into my treasure, so same on you, don't lose interest in it.
here you have a new sub, and i don't know maybe an international friend to share tips and tricks for the build haha, greetings from Mexico
Your alot more motivated then me.... I in last 9 years took things off my bug sold the engine and just piled garbage on the poor car.... your inspiring me to go un dig the poor car and just start making progress again....
Do it!
and, do ONE thing a day for it, and you will get it done.
@@DanTheManIOM See this is what the world needs more of.... people motivating each other thank you
Awesome project! I picked up the same car a couple of years ago and just recently got it on the streets again. Can’t wait to see how yours come along.
Lovely bug dude + really well edited ❤
Looks like you may need new hinge pins for the doors as well.
Nice car! Love the patina! Your gonna have to life the body off of the pan. Much easier to fix the floor/pan. If you are not comfortable driving the Prius in snow or ice, wait until you get the big in the snow! (Lol!) Great traction to get moving, but stopping is fun. (I had a 69 which was my daily driver in Winnipeg in the early 1980s). It is going to be a fun car and conversation pieced everywhere you go.
If you can afford it get Wolfsburg west floor pans.they are really good.use west coast metric seals,also have your rotating assembly on engine balanced it will help the engine bearings last longer..do full flow too
Please upload the follow up Video. I also own a 66 to be Rebuild soon.
Samba, has plenty of information, parts, etc, available.
buying a turn key motor would probably be your best bet. Better plan on about 15 grand to finish it. because... well wow you got a really long way to go.
As you found though, you will need some specialty tools.
check the second engine case
I was gonna say the same
Looking forward to seeing more ..I know from experience. Its gonna take a lot of patience.....and time but you can do it ..Good luck
I'm really liking the way you are presenting this project. But blimey that bug has so many holes. That rust needs to be fixed otherwise its a death trap. The floor pans are knackered. And the heater channels, jeez. Sorry to be so negative. Wouldn't it be easier to take the body off and really sort out all the rust.
I really want to do a project like this and watching engine dismantle was a bit alarming. So many bits and so many problems with it.
I'm looking forward to the next episode and wish you all the very best with the progress. Really hoping it works out and you prove me wrong. As other people have mentioned the VW community is massive and really helpful.
awesome video.. just focus on the wiring and getting an engine in there at first..
I'm new to the channel, old to the volkswagen community. Glad to see you bringin' one back alive, quite the project though...😅
Damn that patina goes fucking crazy dawg. Ive got a 70 and i love it so I think you’re going ti have a good car once you get it up and running.
Love this❤️✌️
So honestly for $350, none of this is actually "worst case scenario" all of this is really "average case scenario" with one of these cars. Get the case bored out, slap the engine back together, you'll be driving it in a few weeks. Make sure there are NO leaks in your heater boxes if you plan on trying to use the stock heating system or you'll get exhaust in the car.
Check for local vw clubs, sometimes you can borrow or rent those one time use tools.
Make sure ypu put on all new ethanol resistant fuel hoses from the tank to the carb, clean out your fuel tank completely and blow compressed air through the fuel pipe that runs through the central tunnel from front to back with all the rubber hoses disconnected to get all gunk out. Then add a new fuel filter up above where the drive axle is.
If you’re in oregon I have a 1962 bug front tunnel section, free. I don’t know if that would be correct for your year of bug for a patch or not. We chopped the tunnel from the shifter area back off to use for a dune buggy but we don’t need the front section that’s rotted on yours
I’m in TN, otherwise..
Good VW, New Subscriber.
Once you get the engine all back together it shouldn't be too difficult to get it in the car and running.
Great video! Just discovered your channel. You’ve got a new Sub! 😊
They're rustbuckets and death traps, but then Herbie.
It's not as bad as you think it is! You chose the most simple car out there, the one that was most produced ever and that has the cheapest and most available parts for. It's a complete project but a simple one. Don'tget discouragesanddon't maker the mistake of workingoneverything t thesame time. Do the body one piece at a time until you prime it then go to the next. If you atart everything at the same time, you'll run out of steam and will not see the end, same for ther electrical system, interior, engine, etc. How do you eat a whole elephant? a bite at a time. Good luck. By the way the floor pans are easy to do. If you need youtube videos I can give you many, My favorite though is the full restoration that MaxWilson did.
Thanks for sharing, and saving another beetle.
Look, here’s the deal, you COULD have bought a nicer car, and never learned about how it all works and goes together.
Jumping right into this? I congratulate you.
Yes, it’s going to be miserable. But you are going to learn so much.
Disregard the nay sayers, and look at the comments for tips and positive reinforcement.
Here’s some tips with what I see.
1. It’s going to be necessary to remove the body from the chassis, in order to cut out the rot and replace metal. Currently I am doing just that on my channel. Check out my jig for lifting the body.
2. Buy an orange Bentley book, and follow it EXACTLY when assembling your engine. Remembering, to use original German parts when available. Carb, dizzy and FP…..all work together. Anyone telling you different has a car that runs like crap. JTLYK….all 3 pro rebuilt units will cost you upwards of $800. Buy Chinese, and your car will run like ….a Chinese car.
3. Here’s something you can do right away. On top of your hinges is a plastic plug, pry those out and squirt some penetrating oil…then light oil. To oil your hinges. Also, there is a plastic plug on the end of each door, just above the latch. Pull that out and run some penetrating oil, followed by light oil….3 in 1…..That, oils your door latch.
Got any questions….ask me on my channel.
Congratulations!
nice luck with the build just sub!
You bought a Flintstones car!
This will give you a really good education about these wonderful machines, however this one looks too far gone to be practical. Too much welding time and money involved. Good luck.
I'm invested in this series but i have to say something. I think it's very much a bad idea to sell your actual car to build a rather terrible car. I love the early Beetles but they were never know for their reliability but at the end of they day it's your car, so you do you
The Car i junk-sell the parts and find a good one.
I won't eat chic fil a, I might if I didn't know their politics... but they had to tell us...
I’m open to suggestions! I don’t know anything about it lol
they are anti everything fun and deep right wing Christian nationalist cross burners
You don't know what you're doing. Buying that piece of junk with that amount of welding needed. That chassis needs to get on a wig and the nap head needs to be replaced completely. Boy boy, dont waste that time and money on this. Its NOT worth it. Buy a decent complete bug for around 4 to 7k and spend 5k to a car like that and you are the winner. Much easier and smarter. If you like it or not, see ya in 4 years and you will tell me i was right about it 😂 hopes up high. Sell this junk and buy another one.
Dump it