Metalic green 66

Here's the spot to show off your 1966 Beetle Restoration projects
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RobM
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Joined: Wed Oct 24, 2007 1:18 pm
Location: So Oregon

Metalic green 66

Post by RobM »

My wife and I past the old '66 parked next to the local auto shop numerous times before we stopped and took a look. It had a beautiful 'metallic green' paint job and wide chrome wheels. It was listed at $1,500 dollars--which we thought was reasonable--and we really weren't looking for another car. However, my daughter would need a car and the price was low . . . so . . .

Well, my daughter and her husband now have the use of our '99 van and my wife and I are completely enthralled with the bug. The first expense was to get all the electrical repaired. That cost more than the $150 my wife talked the owner down when we bought it, but everything was running smoothly.

Then it was something close to $1,000 to pull the engine and replace all the seals--no driveway drips--and clutch and miscellaneous 'fix-it's' and new brakes. Then it was working perfectly.

Until the old girl broke a clutch cable at our local grocery store in the middle of the night. A quick walk home and a tow didn't make my wife happy. Me, I was just glad it was only a $6. part + labor to fix.

Then came the problem when I replaced the points but didn't grease the distributor shaft. She worked fine for a week or two, then began backfiring and failed on my wife right after she dropped me off at work.

Another tow and $15 for me to replace the points. I found a fine white powder inside the distributor that was the plastic knob off the former points, worn to powder by the shaft. (I check the grease now).

Then came the morning I was dropping my son-in -law off at work and I pushed the clutch pedal down and it did nothing! Another tow. However, the (new)clutch cable hadn't snapped, the piece that hooked it to the pedal had failed. It had been welded at some point in time and failed under load.

The new replacement part was only $10. + one hour's labor to install. (which makes me wonder why someone ever welded it in the first place???) :roll:

Then there was the morning my wife was driving me to work and the gas pedal came apart. We were only a block from an auto repair shop at the time so I pushed her on in and we both walked (Her to home, me to work.) That was $35 for a welding job to repair the pedal.

You'd think we'd have had enough of this car by now . . . not at all. Our '66 is great fun to drive and simple to work on. There's plenty of room and it gets good gas mileage. We love to tour the local mountains in it--it has a great field of view--and commute together. We're replacing old parts as we find them and look forward to the time when we've sorted out all the jury-rigged pieces people have installed over the years.

This morning my wife noted a bad spot on one of the tires so, after I dropped her off at work, I stopped by the local tire shop to get it replaced. When I picked her up tonight with the custom, chrome, wide tires replaced with standard-sized beetle rims and tires, she was ecstatic. I didn't even have to explain that putting on the proper sized rims and tires cost less than just replacing the custom tires someone had 'upgraded' it to.

Now her real complaint is . . . she wants another beetle!

I'm a happy man! :wink:
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jmartini
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Post by jmartini »

Hi Rob! Just think - now you know all the spots that you won't have a problem with :wink: .
I had the same sort of experience with my first 66, but I never gave up on her either. Sounds like another bug is on the horizon!
RobM
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Joined: Wed Oct 24, 2007 1:18 pm
Location: So Oregon

Post by RobM »

jmartini wrote:Hi Rob! Just think - now you know all the spots that you won't have a problem with :wink: .
I had the same sort of experience with my first 66, but I never gave up on her either. Sounds like another bug is on the horizon!


- Oh yeah,

- The beautiful metal/green paint that someone took the time to lavish inside and out . . . scrapes off the brown primer with a fingernail :? It's a great color, but I'm afraid it's going to have to go. With the rain gone for the summer, I'll probably be taking her apart to strip, re-prime and paint. I don't know how long till I get around to that job, but I've spot-painted the raw/bare metel and hammered out most of the dents. One section on top was bondoed over rust and was cracking off so I gouged it out, sanded down to bare steel and re-bondoed the dent. I'm afraid the old metallic green is now speckled with Forrest and/or tractor green (anything to protect it from the Oregon rain.)

I'm truely amazed by all the little things that are missing. Why would someone take out the windshield washer head and leave a hole for the rain to run into the trunk? Lots of missing bolts and screws, handles and knobs I've had to replace. Stuff's gone to an amusing extent. It's almost like she was parted-out then re-built (mostly).

I'm not expecting to restore her to 'Original' show condition. But I'm getting the original look back--even if it's one piece at a time.

Learn-as-I-go would be easier if I had another one to mirror.

I'll see if I can't get some photos of the project as it progresses.
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jmartini
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Post by jmartini »

Sure, it's always easier if you have another one handy to look at, but just think how much you'll learn! :lol: Sounds like you've got your work cut out for you but I bet she'll be a beaut when you are done!

I've restored a few vintage Yamaha's and run into the same thing...missing parts, pieces put together wrong etc..always a surprise right around the corner.
Blue Baron
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Post by Blue Baron »

Rob, the firs thing you need to do is learn how to drive the car without a clutch! That would have saved you two tow jobs and some headaches.

And I hear you on the small stuff. I'm lucky in that I've accumulated parts for a number of years, so when I find a car like yours I can play the scrounge-the-part game.

The car sounds cool. Post some pictures when you can.
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