1955 Oval Window VW Bug Resto (Tons of pics)

[weekendwarrior]

I am a classic VW Bug freak (I HATE the new ones), and personally own a '73. Well, I am a better detailer than mechanic, so I have an agreement with the shop that restored mine, that I polish the ones they paint, in exchange for free labor on my own Bug. It works pretty well, as they have put hours in my personal car over the time that I have had it.

This car is a 1955 Oval Window (rear window) Bug. The oval window, and split rear window cars are currently highly desirable among VW collectors. The owner of this car is going all out, restoring it to the same condition it was in in 1955 (no expense spared, and I'll tell you more about that later).

This car has been at the shop for a year now. The reason it is taking so long, is because the owner is tracking down as many parts from 1955 as possible...down to the wheel cylinders that go inside the drum brakes (you can't even see them, but he wants ones from back in 1955...not newer ones). The color is hideous in my opinion, but it is the original color. It is single stage paint - just like back in 55, and is Glasurit. He spent $900 on a gallon and a half of this paint...not including labor, just simply for the paint!!!

Currently the car has been painted, and the headliner is installed. The seats are being reupholstered, the engine is being taken apart, repainted, new gaskets installed, and will then go back in the car. The wheels are the original 1955 wheels, and will eventually be media blasted and repained.

The car was painted, and there was a good bit of orange peel. We wetsanded the whole car with 1500, followed by 2000. The goal was to reduce the orange peel instead of eliminating it, because there was orange peel in these cars back then. Here are some shots of the car wetsanded:

trunk

fender

Ohers

Fore removing the wetsanding marks, I did a 2 step. I wasn't trying to finish the paint at this point, simply wanted to remove the wetsanding. I compounded with 3M ECC with the Makita, and Purple Foamed Wool. I then followed with the PC, a white 5.5" LC pad, using the KBM method on the PC with Meguiar's 86 (Solo Polish).

Here are some in process photos:

half and half on the roof

trunk

fenders

Here are some photos after the first 2 steps, which removed the wetsanding marks:

TO BE CONTINUED...

 

[weekendwarrior]

Everything in the post above, took me 2 days to do back in February. I finally made it back out this weekend, to do a finishing polish on the car now that they have reattached the body panels.

Today I washed the car, and inspected. I found a few areas I missed back in February.

I started the day with an ONR wash. Here is the car after washing

Here are examples of some of the areas I missed

Someone put this scratch in it while it sat in the shop the past 3 months

For the areas I missed, as well as that scratch, I used the KBM method, on a 4" Orange LC pad, with the PC, speed 6 (M105).

I then proceeded to polish the whole car with M80 (Single Stage loves this stuff), a whitel 5.5" LC pad, at speed 5 on the PC.

Here are some afters in the shop:

That scratch was here

These are the 2 areas I had missed the first time...perfect now

Notice the chrome vertical piece that the vent window latches to. The owner found 2 of these in Germany, that were made in 1955, and have been sitting in a wearhouse ever since. He paid over $300 for just these 2 pieces (once for each door):

TO BE CONTINUED

 

[weekendwarrior]

It was overcast and rainy while I polished today. We got a break in the clouds after I finished, so here are some outside shots. After all the trim gets back on the car, and it is all finished up, I will do a final touch up and polish, and wax.

hood

All of us that are working on this car agree that it isn't a great color. It's just the car is so rare, it is a good idea to restore it to original...not change the color.

Thanks for looking!!!

 

[Old Pirate]

Great write up David, I haven't done of these in over 2 decades, looks great my friend.:thumbup:

 

[imported_Slik560]

Am vorz?glichsten!! Makes me wish that I had kept my '68 beetle. Outstanding work on your part of this downright obsessive restoration!

 

[michakaveli]

Lookin' Good David! Can't say that I've ever seen an oval window bug, looks cool though.

 

[gmblack3]

Excellent gloss David!

 

[imported_Luster]

Nice work!

I had a '64, a '67 and a '71 S/B. I liked the '67 the best because it had the best engine and it was, by far, the fastest!

Who would believe the kind of money these cars are bringing today! I bought my first one for $500, and it was a nice car!!!:smile:

 

[weekendwarrior]

Thanks guys.

Provided it doesn't get too beat up during the remainder of the restoration, my plan is to do a final polishing with either ZPC, or ZAIO on the Flex, and a coat of Z2pro with a Z8 wipe down. The only bad part about a restoration this tedious, is that the car tends to sit in the shop a long time, and is subjected to people touching it (I had to instruct them that they couldn't sit things on it anymore).

 

[hopsgt500]

I wanted to bring this one up again as I have always liked the older bugs. Just a neet little car. You did a great job on this one. Perhaps post some current pics of the restoration. :hurray:

 

[MB Fan]

WOW. The amount of work and the care you had to take to do this right! I had forgotten there really isn't a straight flat surface anywhere on these little guys! Well done!

 

[imported_gewb]

Nice work!

I had a '64, a '67 and a '71 S/B. I liked the '67 the best because it had the best engine and it was, by far, the fastest!

Who would believe the kind of money these cars are bringing today! I bought my first one for $500, and it was a nice car!!!:smile:

Great write up! I've always had a soft spot for the older VW - had a '67 beetle (red), '71 S/B (blue) and '73 Baja (silver - I think that was the year).

Regards,
GEWB

 

[imported_Luster]

Not many of those around anymore!!!:wink:

 

[Zeta Detail]

wow, that's an awesome work! Thanks for sharing. Thread subscribed.

 

[bmw5541]

Very nice work David! It's nice to see someone who cares so much restore a car like that. There was obviously a lot of love that went into that restoration.ancing Dot:

 

[weekendwarrior]

Well guys, unfortunately there isn't anything else to report on this car since my work. I don't know whether there is an issue with the guys running the shop, or the owner, but it has stalled. The car is essentially just sitting right now.

WITH THAT SAID...I do have pictures of another VW Bug I also worked on. Here's the story...1979 VW Super Beetle convertible. Car was shot in metallic blue, then hit with a clear with green pearl mixed in. It came out with a bit of orange peel. The owner instructed me to flatten it as much as possible. I wetsanded with 1200, then 1500, then 2000. I then compounded with 3M ECC/Makita/PFW. I then used the PCXP/white LC 5.5" pad/M86 and the KBM. The shop then put the car back together...reinstalled the engine, convertible top, trim, etc... Today, I finally got to do a finishing polish on it. I used M205/LC 5.5" white/PCXP KBM. I then applied Carnouba Moose Wax (owner requested). Here are afters (that's all I took).

And a couple of pics of my 73 Standard Beetle (lowered 2.5" all the way around, glasspack exhaust, and custome engine bay)...

They are tough cars to polish. I have to use 2 rotaries...1 set up for 4" pads, and one for 6.5". Beleive it or not, I have now done so many, I can do them WITHOUT taping any edges or ridges off, and have yet to burn any paint on one of these (knock on wood).

 

[hopsgt500]

Sorry to hear that the restoration has stalled on your bug, hopefully it will get going again soon. Thanks for sharing the pics of the those two bugs, they look sharp, great work :clap:

 

[Bertoneman]

Gotta love Beetles! Please keep posting more pics when available.



Bert