My Beetle

[lostalgic-s]

After about three weeks of working on it, here's what I have to show for the next couple weeks until the snow falls or it gets too cold to drive her:





And my '66 $180 parts bug next to the garage.

So far, I've stretched and lowered the front end around 12 inches out and 2 inches lower, free floated the front beam and added air shocks up front, and she's sitting on the bumpstops in the rear. This winter she will probably get the motor and transaxle raised a few inches and a couple inches out of the front footwell (body drop), back half of the body cut off, faux truck bed made around the engine, and I'm thinking a 7" chop to the top. I think that sounds like a good winter project.

[Big Werm]

Lookin good bro. Josh tried to drive his to florida. Dumb!

[greg larkins]

Lookin good bro. Josh tried to drive his to florida. Dumb!

lol..

[lostalgic-s]

Lookin good bro. Josh tried to drive his to florida. Dumb!

I haven't tempted the interstate with mine yet. Got new ball joints today. Today was the first dry day of driving it, man do my front tires squeal around turns and over painted markings on the road, maybe an alignment is in order as well.

I would trust Josh's Beetle driving to Florida more than alot of other lowriders/bagged vehicles I've seen around Hampton Roads in my day.

[Big Werm]

I don't think any suspension problems came about, it was just his engine took a dump in the oil pan. A huge dump! He told me he got a handful of shavings out of the pan.

[lostalgic-s]

I don't think any suspension problems came about, it was just his engine took a dump in the oil pan. A huge dump! He told me he got a handful of shavings out of the pan.

Well, he's never really had much luck with motors now has he?

Did an alignment on my front wheels, they were only a little more than two inches toed in. Now they are about a half inch and now it's not so twitchy and doens't squeal. Drove about a half mile on the highway last night, scary, but it was windy too.

[KurseD]

nice... you ever get on www.volksrods.com ?

[lostalgic-s]

nice... you ever get on www.volksrods.com ?

Yeah, I've been a member there since we built josh's panel bug a couple years ago.

[lostalgic-s]

Some recent pics:

[Lucky]

Looking good, but wheres all the snow?

[lostalgic-s]

Looking good, but wheres all the snow?

It's in the forecast, but they keep pushing it back.

[greg larkins]

well... that certainly looks fugly.

[lostalgic-s]

well... that certainly looks fugly.

You are certainly the only one that feels that way. I can barely get two blocks down the road without seeing someone with a big smile and thumb high in the air. People love it, I get waves all the time too. Maybe you'll feel different about it in a couple months after I chop the top and cut off the back of the body and weld in a '55 Chevy truck cab.

[greg larkins]

You are certainly the only one that feels that way. I can barely get two blocks down the road without seeing someone with a big smile and thumb high in the air. People love it, I get waves all the time too. Maybe you'll feel different about it in a couple months after I chop the top and cut off the back of the body and weld in a '55 Chevy truck cab.

if it looks anything like Josh's bug did, then i will still not be impressed. the only reason imo why people would like your bug is because either you drive it low as heck, or people don't see custom stuff ever so that when they do see custom stuff, you get a big thumbs up from them.

also, you are the one who put up the pics, if you don't agree with my opinion, well, that's fine.

[lostalgic-s]

if it looks anything like Josh's bug did, then i will still not be impressed. the only reason imo why people would like your bug is because either you drive it low as heck, or people don't see custom stuff ever so that when they do see custom stuff, you get a big thumbs up from them.

also, you are the one who put up the pics, if you don't agree with my opinion, well, that's fine.

So what you're saying is custom stuff doesn't impress you, you'd rather bolt on some big chrome wheels and roll around stock height. You'd rather drive around in a cookie cutter truck that looks like every other one on the road. That's cool, do your thing. But you've never seen me post negative comments about your vehicles have you? I keep those to myself, the old "if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all."

[greg larkins]

So what you're saying is custom stuff doesn't impress you, you'd rather bolt on some big chrome wheels and roll around stock height. You'd rather drive around in a cookie cutter truck that looks like every other one on the road. That's cool, do your thing. But you've never seen me post negative comments about your vehicles have you? I keep those to myself, the old "if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all."

custom stuff does impress me. if it looks good. personally i think my old S-10 and your beetle are currently on the same level of ****tyness. my dime was a bucket which is why i am taking so much time with my current vehicle. and i'm glad that you can hold your tongue on the internet, i prefer to voice my real feelings; take it as constructive criticism. currently, your frame looks like straight rust, the front looks ok but the overall appearance of the vehicle is taken down by what can only be described as "fiberglass insulation in the wheel wells." not to say that it doesn't have potential but right now, in my own opinion, it looks like butt.

[lowbody2]

keep up the killer work brian. we are working on trying to get a few bugs up at the shop to do up.

[lowbody2]

definitely one of the coolest bugs in va

[lostalgic-s]

Pulling things like fenders off of a 40 year old car will never yield picture perfect parts hiding beneath them. I know the inner fenders aren't beautiful. There's overspray from a POs crap paintjob and then the factory black inner fender undercoating peeling off, but since I will be cutting them up shortly, I'm not going to waste money on paint to "clean" them up right now. My suspension fab work is still being modified as I drive it so again, not gonna waste money to make it purdy now. Over the next couple months the car will transform quite a bit and as I finish it up for spring, that's when everything will be properly coated and cleaned. These aren't finished photos, just progress shots.

[lostalgic-s]

Just as I suspected, I went a little far with the amount of drop I fabricated into everything, might have to change a couple things, not sure yet:


That's a 1" spacer under the front tires and still touching concrete. I have since accidentally dragged the half inch flange that's holding the pan up in that picture. You know how they say you lose so many psi with so many degrees dropped in air temperature, it works for air shocks too. I was damn near dragging the whole way back from getting dinner last night.

Spruced up my el cheapo headlights last night as well:

Before:


After a little elbow grease and some scotchbrite:


Here's my inspiration corner in the office of my garage:


And a drawing and photoshop I've found doing research and planning:

[greg larkins]

good photochop. i hope to see it transform from what it is today to what you've envisioned. good work on the headlights too. they look like brushed aluminum now rather than chrome, but i like that.

[lostalgic-s]

Didn't get much done tonight, ran out of wire halfway through rebracing for the cut and had to run to Home Depot for more. But on the bright side, I get to drive the Beetle one more day!

[Lucky]

Looking good soo far, I'm always impressed by the number of ways people have built their bugs. For a car that there are millions of and have been around forever its nice to see you can still be creative with it.

[lostalgic-s]

Looking good soo far, I'm always impressed by the number of ways people have built their bugs. For a car that there are millions of and have been around forever its nice to see you can still be creative with it.

They're just so easy to work on as well. I had all but the passenger door glass removed and the full interior gutted out of the car tonight in about 2 hours. For being a 40 year old car (granted, it spent most of it's life in Arizona), you'd be surprised how easily things unbolt and thread right out, even the hardware that looks rusted in place just makes a little "pop" with a ratchet and then usually spins out by hand.

Gutted:







My spare parts collection is growing, there's much more upstairs:

[lostalgic-s]

A little more progress tonight:

[Lucky]

I have that same vice.

It looks like with beetles you should always have room to work on it in a garage. Are they parked sideways across one spot.

[lostalgic-s]

I have that same vice.

It looks like with beetles you should always have room to work on it in a garage. Are they parked sideways across one spot.

One and a half spots probably.

[lostalgic-s]

No turning back now!!!











And my favorite shots:








My heart was picking up pace as I was taping the cut marks, then it was about to jump out of my chest as I finished the first cut. Once I set the roof back on for the final visual my adrenaline was pumping. If I didn't have neighbors who like to sleep and that stupid work thing in the morning I probably would have kept going until it was either finished or I dropped.

[slammed]

holy **** brian, awesome project. I havent talked to you in years, still have the square body? hows that munchin veggies guy? lol send me some recent pics of your truck.

[lostalgic-s]

holy **** brian, awesome project. I havent talked to you in years, still have the square body? hows that munchin veggies guy? lol send me some recent pics of your truck.

Still got the S-10, it's in the driveway under a cover for the winter.



Here's my gallery from last winter doing the bodydrop and steel interior etc.:
http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/inde...lbumId=2232232

I moved back home to Minnesota and Adam is back in New Hampshire, he posts on here once in a blue moon, haven't talked to him in ages.