|
|
Post by Volktales on Mar 28, 2021 17:47:18 GMT -8
Yes you read the title correctly. This VW belongs very much to Jeff (one of my bosses) wife. She always wanted one, and Jeff bought the one that Reagh had stashed away a couple of years ago. Jeff made it somewhat roadworthy at first, and they drove it in a state of "patina". But a full restoration was always the plan, and now that is underway...  The body is currently with Shawn Cole, and is being completely restored with lots of new metal. The new floor pans are in place, and was returned to Jeff for cleaning, painting, and "modifications".  The repro floor pans came from a US supplier called "The Thing Shop" in Arizona. Shawn was impressed with the quality, and they seem quite nice.  And there is one of the main modifications Jeff is doing. It is going air-ride, and this is part of the welded kit installed.  And some very nice welding too, courtesy of the shop next store who had the necessary high powered welder, and the skill to use it... Continued... |
|
|
|
Post by magikbus on Mar 28, 2021 18:20:47 GMT -8
$$$$? estimate finished? In the early 90s a guy showed up from the states with a big motorhome and a mint green thing as a toad. It looked like it was fresh out of a showroom. He had a sign on it $3200 and talking to him he indicated he was willing to deal. I figured "wow, I'll never get my money back out of that thing. I was that stupid in the early 90s.
Stan
|
|
|
|
Post by Volktales on Mar 28, 2021 18:34:22 GMT -8
 And this mountain of parts will all have to be prepared for reinstallation. Jeff's son made the duck-boards on top of the pile.  Now it is prime time! Jeff used spray cans for this after endless prepping with wire wheels, and a small handheld sandblaster where necessary.  Creativity on various levels was employed. The old 5 ton overhead crane was put to good use as well.  Thing front axles are quite different then a Beetle, with lots of add-on reinforcements. There are also additional strengthening members that connect to the axle under the floorpans.  Now he is ready for final paint. He decided to invest in a HVLP gun and use real automotive paint from Rondex for the final coats. I had to leave so I don't know how things worked out just yet... More updates to come... |
|
|
|
Post by Volktales on Mar 28, 2021 18:40:04 GMT -8
$$$$? estimate finished? In the early 90s a guy showed up from the states with a big motorhome and a mint green thing as a toad. It looked like it was fresh out of a showroom. He had a sign on it $3200 and talking to him he indicated he was willing to deal. I figured "wow, I'll never get my money back out of that thing. I was that stupid in the early 90s. Stan Don't know what the final result will be, but it won't be particularly cheap. The bodywork is charged out at $75 per hour for this job, and it remains to be seen how it goes. Jeff has already purchased multiple repair panels, but there will definitely be some hand fabrication going on as well... |
|
|
|
Post by Volktales on Apr 2, 2021 18:30:36 GMT -8
 Sooo, Jeff has been quite busy. He decided to get a spray gun and use actual automotive paint for the final finish.  And shiny it is too! Note the extra Thing spec reinforcements added to the floorpans for the front axle.  Here the rear bags have been installed.  As seen from another angle. Jeff painted the pan dangling from the overhead crane. And he had only one tiny run so was happy about that...  Looks shiny up close too. He is quite pleased with the finish.  Back on the hoist and ready for more assembly. The rolling chassis is being returned to Shawn to act as a jig for welding on the body.  Lots more parts ready for reassembly. Isn't restoring vintage VWs fun??? |
|
|
|
Post by Volktales on Apr 12, 2021 21:18:25 GMT -8
 So this was last week... As you can see, Jeff doesn't waste any time when it comes to putting VWs back together...  A lot of the individual components had already been replaced or reconditioned before. But now Jeff cleaned and painted everything and reinstalled it.  Here you can see the rear airbags mounted in place. If you look real close, you can see a prominent "Hecho en Mexico" stamp near the chassis number which is kind of neat. The completed chassis is already back with Shawn as he is using it as a jig to replace the various body panels now. So this means that Jeff has brought something else interesting into the shop this week... To be revealed later... |
|
|
|
Post by Volktales on May 1, 2022 21:29:34 GMT -8
Sooo, it has been a loooong time for an update. And here we go...  Look at that shiny paint! The Thing was away getting the bodywork done for quite some time, and is finally finish painted!  The colour is not an exact match for the original shade, but looks quite nice. And it is nice now the body is completely rust free again.  There is a lot of painting required on a car like this. There is virtually no trim inside the car to cover up all that shiny painted metal. At least the re-assembly should go fairly quickly...  And it is going together VERY quickly. Jeff does not fool around and had previously prepared most parts. The body has already been permanently attached to the chassis (missed a picture of that sketchy procedure involving the body sitting precariously on two 2X4s)...  And note he installed the body on the chassis with the engine already in place. Went on very easily...  Everything nice and clean inside. Those are complete new floor pans.  Everywhere has been repainted properly. The whole front end of this car was comprehensively rebuilt.  Another shot of that engine. This was formerly in a Beetle owned by Reagh, and it is a big boy. Can't remember the CC's, but I drove it once in the past, and it was scary fast. We are wondering how long before the transmission goes KABOOM! I expect this car will be on the road quite soon... |
|
|
|
Post by tony on May 2, 2022 9:41:15 GMT -8
Dang that looks like some nice and $$$$ body work! Very nice. 😎👍
|
|
|
|
Post by magikbus on May 2, 2022 15:30:41 GMT -8
Unfortunately it would make a terrible semi-off road geo caching vehicle. I could only imagine how long it would last out in the bush if we parked it at the end of a logging road and trekked off up a trail for a few hours geocaching. It'd be on someone's trailer and off to Alberta before we would have found our first cache.
Stan
|
|
|
|
Post by Volktales on Oct 3, 2022 20:25:30 GMT -8
Soooo, finally an update for this project...  It is done! Jeff did not waste any time and this car is now completed.  Looks fantastic with that bikini top in place.  If the paint looks even better, that is because it is. There were numerous issues with the first paint job, and Jeff knew he would never be happy with the finish. So it was repainted again, by a reputable body shop, and looks fantastic now!  The interior is nice, as Jeff recovered the seats himself with kits from the Thing Shop. And they look very professional.  I really like that custom wheel he chose. He is going for a Vintage Speed shifter as well.  All the front end featured new sheet metal (except the hood). The fenders are very nicely made fibreglass.  Everything is tidy and clean, just the way Jeff wanted it. And it is MUCH faster than it was before, although it remains to be seen if Jeff's wife is going to put up with the stiff high-performance clutch... Nice to see this once rusty Thing returned to fine condition once again... Now what will Jeff work on next??? |
|
|
|
Post by busaddict on Oct 7, 2022 20:43:46 GMT -8
|
|
