Freemananana

iTrader: (3)

I did this awhile back, so I'm just sharing it. I still have some work to do but I'm currently turbocharging my B16A EF Civic, so the bug is staying how it currently is.

Still to come:
Roll Cage
Tubular Front Bumper
Rally Bar with 4 HID Lamps
Install switches (Push to start, ect)
New Tires (Wrangler Wheels, 30 inch)
Winch install (looking at 2 Tons or so)
New Dash (6 Gauge custom dash)

I may end up doing a motor swap on this car if I can find a complete 911 motor. How beast would it be with a turbo charged EFI porsche motor? For now, 52 bhp will get me around town and still look like a boss.

So here's the start of the bug and the progress along the way.

Day one taking the deck lid off of the bug



Jacked it up and removed the wheel to get to the engine bolts.



This is an important picture! Remember those wires and where they go.



Took off the fenders



Cut off a portion of the rear end



Rear end REMOVED



Engine is out! Pain in the butt to get to the engine/trans bolts



Shot of the transaxle



New shocks



Crappy old shock looking dirty



Removed the shock



Threw that crap down the drive way



Prepped the new shock



Installed



Looking at the new stance



Sits with an acceptable camber



Good wheel clearance



Removed the pressure plate to replace the clutch



Clutch was GONE, springs had fallen off and were scraping



Then I removed the fan shroud and alternator from the engine



Removed the carb for cleaning



Put on the new headers



And the stinger tip



Back to the clutch, notice the dust that came out



Replaced the pilot/throw out bearing



New pressure plate is on and torqued down



Cut the fender and rolled it out



Better clearance than stock



Plenty of room for some 30's



Good enough to protect the wheel too



Jacking the engine up for reinstall



Moving in for the mount



And it's too wide



You can always hope it fits the first time



But whats this on the porch!?



New bumper



Bumper mounts



Had to clean the bumper prior to paint



Prepped for paint



Sprayed matte black



Holes drilled for my switch panel



An aluminum backing to attach to the dash



Painted that black too



Switches in



Back to the engine install, walls cut back more



Looking good from this angle



And it's in!



Removing the interior garbage



Marking the mounting positions



Drilled holes



Installed the bumper



Wheels put back on



Dash looking like a good fit



Oiled up!



Cleaning corrosion off the battery cables



Battery installed



Trying to remember where these wires go...Aha!



Got my plate!



Installed the sucker



I forgot how dirty this car was



A before and after shot at once



How I hate this rusty bumper



Now it's black



Installed a tail light and ran the wires



Both lights good to go



Cutting the other fender finally



Looks pretty good with those fenders on it.



Here's where the front end started.



Check out my how to make cheap HID offroad lamps thread. I installed mine rally style on the bumper



The HIDs have a much brighter and more usable light to them



I think the front end will look even better with a tubular bumper, cut fenders, and that rally bar installed



Video List:
The Engine Starts!
Testing my Wiring
Tail Lights working

That's where the car stands today. I will be updating this original post whenever there is a change or update to be had.

speedjunkie_g35

As a air cooler lover and prior owner of a ghia vert, I am a little saddened by this! It looked like such a mint specimen!!!

Freemananana

iTrader: (3)

Ah! Fooled by the poor camera and the distance my friend! I wish it was mint. It was rusted to hell. Still is. The floor boards need to be replaced. That battery is pretty much floating there. The motor has seen better days by far. The tank is rusted out in the inside. I have to replace that. It has no door panels. The windows are rusted and leak so everything inside gets wet. My trans on this is pretty well done. Reverse doesn't work. It just grinds and pops out. The teeth are messed up or something on that gear. The list of problems goes on and on!

I do love my beetle though. As my first car, I can never replace it.

SUB-0 H23

Good work!

speedjunkie_g35

I gotcha. I have been looking for a few years for a old vw that is close to rust free. Kinda hard in Florida. I had a 74 karmann ghia convertible that we restored when I was 14. I loved that car.

My wife has no interest in my honda but told me if I got her a classic vw convertible, she would be in the garage working on it with me. She shouldn't have told me that!!!

Got any side shots? It is hard to tell what difference the shocks made!

Freemananana

iTrader: (3)

Oh, the shocks didn't make a ride height difference. Just a big difference when driving down the street. My shock on the passenger side actually blew and wasn't doing anything. Then one day it sheered the bolts or something and it was gone. I was driving without a passenger rear side shock and I never even knew.

The no rust in Florida is hard. Picked this up from a guy who lived on the beach and it's just nothing but rust issues. The guy painted over the rust. So it looks good but it's not

And I hear you on the wife having no interest in the Honda world. I am boosting my car and she could care less. But the second I start up the bug it's, "whatcha doing?" The classic VW are babe magnets