61 VW Interesting Cleanup Followup

kustomsol

New member
Thanks to all those who responded to my original post requesting advice and expressed an interest in this 1961 VW (with 36 k on it) which had been left in a shed since 1970. Here's the first set of followup pics after we washed it!



Here's before:



http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b271/HRP/PackardsFeb2005013.jpg



Here's after the wash with diluted Purple Stuff (it didn't clean the license plate):



http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b271/HRP/21July003.jpg



http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b271/HRP/21July004.jpg



The mechanicals are being repaired and/or replaced now.
 
Wow, that is an awesome find. It is in incredible condition considering its been stored for so long! Doesnt look bad at all, mind telling me how much you paid?
 
The car is (was) actually pearl white. This is the original paint. Wash took around an hour. Fortunately, in our area, there is a very active VW group (goodolevolks.com) to which two of my sons, my daughter, and son-in-law belong. Their access to original and cheap parts is amazing.
 
HRP said:
The car is (was) actually pearl white. This is the original paint. Wash took around an hour. Fortunately, in our area, there is a very active VW group (goodolevolks.com) to which two of my sons, my daughter, and son-in-law belong. Their access to original and cheap parts is amazing.



Now comes the hard part - I wonder how much a good polish would do?
 
I'm sure interested in this thread... !



I'll be surprised if more paint is not needed.



More pictures will follow, I'm sure.



Jim
 
Thank y'all for the interest and encouragement. I'm passing these comments (even the dynamite it) along to my son. Currently, all the work is mechanical; brakes, bearings, repair gas tank, new brake and gas lines, drop and essentially do an engine rebuild. New tires (165x15) this weekend @ $29 each mounted and balanced. Seats and mats are all out for the repair and treatment of the rust and corrosion around the battery site (under the back seat in the old beetle). Current plans are to keep the 6 volt system. 95 degrees here tomorrow with hellacious humidity, so we do only shade work. I'm one of many kibitzers and gofers. My son is doing all the work himself. He plans on driving the car back to Rhode Island around 1 August. The holdups are collecting the parts and waiting for things to dry. He has a friend who is going to fabricate new heater boxes to replace the rusted out ones. I want to get the PC out and go to work to see how the paint cleans up. Updates will be posted; pics when you can see a difference. Thanks for the comments, suggestions, and encouragement.
 
HRP said:
Current plans are to keep the 6 volt system.



Be sure he knows how to push start it, then. I got really good at it in my '66 that I had in high school (so did my friend, who had a '58). It got to the point that I always parked it on a slope of some sort.



I finally found some VW guru that installed some kind of a kit that removed the voltage drop of the ignition switch (probably just some relays) and it would start every time after that.



The candle light headlights and super slow wipers were great fun, too, as well as trying to install an aftermarket stereo.
 
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