A few weekends later

I've been spending every weekend lately holed up in the garage, and I couldn't be happier about it. I managed to score an amazing rear bumper that's now assembled and installed – it looks absolutely stunning! I've also tackled the door gaps and bolted down the body (at least all the main M10 bolts). The doors are closing smoothly now with okeish gaps all around. Next weekend, I'll get the shimmer installed on the right side.

In other exciting news, an original ragtop cover arrived from the UK, and I've ordered material to make a proper reproduction. A tailor friend of my dad's is currently working on creating the perfect copy.

Up next on the list: door assembly, steering, pop-out windows, and finally the ragtop itself. Things are really starting to come together!

That butt is getting into shape

Still not satisfied with it but it is what it is

After a long lasting fight this side looks pretty ok

Some steps forward or there is light at the end of the tunnel

As I mentioned in my last post, I dedicated an entire week to the project—well, to be honest, I spent about a week on it, but I also had to juggle some home office work, so my daily time was pretty limited. Still, it was incredibly productive and time well spent! We installed the other front fender, mounted the pre-assembled front bumper, and got the headlights in place. I made serious progress on the wiring too—the bug now has fully functional lighting, ignition, and dashboard. I also started tackling the doors, which turned out to be quite the challenge. The decklid got its finishing touches, and I managed to sort out the turnswitch, which needed some fixing and patching but now works perfectly and looks great too.

Up next: continuing with mounting the body to the pan and finishing up those doors!

Summer updates

 It’s been a busy stretch since my last post! Here's a quick recap of what we've been up to:

• Pulled the body off again
• Pulled the engine, too
• Swapped out the transmission nose cone (check it out here)
• Reinstalled the tranny
• Reinstalled the engine
• Mated the body back to the chassis once again

With that ordeal behind us, we finally moved on to the fun stuff. It was pretty awesome installing a front fender for the first time in years! The decklid is on, and I managed to pull a brand-new wiring loom into the car (shoutout to JBugs).

Next up: I’m dedicating a full week strictly to the car to make some serious headway. Stay tuned!

After the reunite

Sorry for the radio silence—new career challenges and life, in general, have kept me off the keyboard lately. However, the garage has been busy! Check out these parts my brother powder coated in glossy black; they look incredible. I also scored a 1963 front axle, which will serve as the base for the upcoming narrowed beam and dropped spindle setup.

Just Married

Getting ready for a big day! I've been putting in some serious time on the weekends and after work to get the pan ready for its "marriage" to the body.

It's been a busy few weeks. I adjusted and bled the brakes, fixed the accelerator pedal and wiring, and with a little help, I even got the engine started and tuned. I also gave the pan a much-needed cleaning.

Last Saturday was a huge milestone. We officially mounted the body onto the pan for good and I connected the steering. It's so good to finally see them back together!

Next, I'll be fine-tuning some of the details, like adjusting the M10 bolts for a good gap around the doors, tightening everything down, and tackling the rewiring with a JBugs wireloom. I'm hoping to take it out for a test ride with my dad by the end of September. Wish us luck!

Preliminary check of a front fender

Insulation and brake updates

Alright, so I ripped out the main brake cylinder, pedals, steering rods, and those pesky brake tubes from the front end. It was time to prep the pan for some serious upgrades. Over the weekend, I slapped on an insulation mat. Not only does it look badass, but it's a game-changer for noise and heat. Next up, I dropped in the new dual circuit master cylinder and some shiny chrome pedals. Still gotta sort out the brakes, steering, and clutch before I can drop in the engine and reunite the body. Can't wait!

Body is off again

Over the weekend, we removed the body from the pan. I cleaned up the chassis and took off the single-circuit brake cylinder, steering, and pedals. I did some touch-ups on the paint and started getting ready for the double-circuit setup.

Ragtop mechanism being assembled

I finished the rear querters

Little zinc galvanization

Some minor stuff from the last few weeks

This past weekend, I made some headway on tackling the bug! I focused on a few smaller jobs to get things rolling. First, I installed new engine bay seals and added soundproofing to the doors and quarter panels. I even experimented with some DIY galvanization (fun fact: stay tuned for a future post on that!).

The ragtop mechanism is also getting some TLC. I've already started the refurbishment process, but I needed to order some parts to finish the job. Even though it's not pictured yet, I'm happy to report that it's already functional.

Looking ahead, next week's agenda is jam-packed! We'll be removing the body, installing the new seals and soundproofing throughout, replacing the front axle parts, and then finally, putting the body back on for good.

I have to continue this process on the other half as well

The colors are matching perfectly

I dry fit before disassembly, it opens and closes smoothly now

Some Gucci touch on the interior

Left-rear fender is up

 

Steering wheeeeeeeel

 

Test fit with the original bushing

Some polished and painted parts for the doors

The assembled steering wheel. I like the way it turned out. Not perfect, but way better than I anticipated.