Volkswagen Beetle
*A Work in Progress*
This is my dream car, a 1956 Ragtop VW Beetle. For six months of the COVID pandemic, I lived in Modesto, California, putting thousands of hours of work into restoring it from a crusty hunk of junk into a car prepped and ready for paint. From metalwork to bodywork to tracking down the right parts, every step brought it closer to its former glory. While there’s still work to do, the vision is finally coming together.
First, I had to separate the body from the chassis, so I could work on them independently. Using rudimentary equipment, I was able hoist the body up and roll the chassis out from under it.
Next I built a rotisserie out of tube steel and an old bed frame to be able to roll the body on its side, to avoid getting showered in fire while welding on the underside.
When I started on the project, it had a "Flintstones-style" floor, having rusted out long ago.
The lower body panels had met a similar fate.
...and the engine was just a pile of parts
By the end of my time in California, the chassis had solid floors with all new suspension components; I also retrofitted newer disc-type brakes.
All of the rust and body damage was replaced with new steel.
And I built a new 12-volt 1835cc motor, with thicker cylinder walls, fly-cut heads, and bigger valves, balancing performance with fuel economy and reliability.
Many spare parts and patch panels came from this donor 1966 beetle that a friendly farmer gave to me.
While doing this project, I camped in my cousin's backyard under an orange tree. I would frequently get clocked in the head by falling fruit, but I ate at least 20 oranges per day.
My uncle and cousin are expert fabricators, and put in countless hours of hard labor to help me with this project.
The beetle is now is storage, waiting for me to return to Oregon to give it a paint job. Upon my return, I also intend to do a similar overhaul to my '67 VW Bus.
