My VW Beetle Restoration-DREAM COME TRUE

[croonneck]

now thats a real beauty! i love it that you've kept everything in almost the original condition including the part where you imported spares.not everyone has your kind of patience!
cheers

[PAVAN KADAM]

Guys here are some pics that i found.

After the car was got over to the workshop, my immediate requirement was to get the rims.

My luck or co incidence as i would call luck. I got hold of 4 rims made for the same model with our good old gujjri.

I went like a mad dog sniffing through the yard in search of these, finally our man (Mr GHEE BASHA) who stores some old car spares gave them away after no bargaining for Rs 3000/-.

I could not help as i wanted them badly in order to make the car movable within the workshop.

The bare body lay at the workshop for 3 days till i got some old used tyres on them and to my bad luck i never got the bolts, had to wait for 4 more days to get them from the same man, seeing a potential repeat customer he obliged and gave me them for Rs 100/-(All 20 bolts).

Finally my BUG was mobile.

The car went in for complete tapping and tinkering.

New floor pans were hand made and laid,

Just look at the way the tinkering is done on the vehicle. My tinker is just 25 yrs of age.

After all this a new problem arose,What to do about the Front Bonnet, i had only the half piece.

You wont believe i've spent 15 sleepless nights thinking about one,

The problem was that i never knew anyone in Bangy who had a Beetle nor did i find at Guj.

Finally after 20 days someone informed me that theres a junk car lying at Nandini Layout.

Took my tinker and mech at 10 in the night to the owners place and brougth the front half of the car for Rs 15000/-.

That person never budged a rupee down guys,

My bonnet arrived and the restoration work started again.

My Engine was not working, my mech is a young guy.

He recollected that his guru had redone on Beetle engine long ago, at that point my mech was 15 yr old chap, now he's 29.

He boldly remove the engine started dismantling them.

My god what mind blowing job he did on my engine.

I found all spares at wolfburg Germany for my engine repair. and 1 month the whole engine was DONE.


This was the tear down process.

He did a splendid job guys. I dont have the pics of engine after it was done.

Will upload some more pics once i find them guys.

Till then see you soon.......

[PAVAN KADAM]

guys i have uploaded some new pics, pl let me know if u want some more

[Sideways]

ofcourse .

[Porky]

Pavan - well done! You have really achieved something here! Well done. I absolutely LOVE Beetles, the first car I bought with my well earned pennies was a 1971 VW Camper Van which I adored and then a 1967 VW Beetle. Both motors allowed me thousands of miles of "smily" driving. Even now, whenever I am near a Beetle I open my window - rain or shine and listen to that fabulous flat 4. Even it in good heath! cheers:

[hemanth.das]

please put more pics.. great job man hats off to you. put the pic's and narrate the trails you went through.

The your whole experience just gets goose bumps to my skin lovely man lovely.

[desigNation]

pavan-amazing restoration work, congrats.

[PAVAN KADAM]

Hemant and Designation Thank you very much.

Am still searching for some more pics of my restoration, Will post some more pics at the earliest.

[71Convertible]

Pavan,
Great persistence in bringing that car back to life. Hopefully will see it this weekend.
Byas

[V-16]

Pavan,
Great job. I am looking at a beetle also needing the same kind of restoration but the problem lies with my Tin man. If i give him another project like that, he'll probably commit suicide (he has two of my cars with him already)
Love the labour of love you did on your car.
It shows. Will probably need the contact to get the parts sourced as you did, if i get my hands on the car.

[Jaggu]

brings back some good ol memory fiddling with the bug, friend had 2, 1 running and 1 spair car, had 2 engines to plug and play lol... we used swap engines over weekend just for the heck of it and once had to do a complete overhaul of one engine also.

one thing bugs are really good fun to work on, interesting job was replacing accelerator cables well that used to take half a day and hard part was only rear engined auto had cables that long, and the college student budget and being in Trivandrum didnt leave us with much options.

and no they are not with him anymore :( but he is pursuing his passion working at Reva cars

[PAVAN KADAM]

V-16 Thank you very much.

Will be glad to give contacts, pls feel free to do so.

Dont be surprised if i tell you even Hyundai and PAL spares match exactly with the VW Beetle.

Its just mind over matter.

Actually this car grows over you once you have them.

[karlosdeville]

Originally Posted by PAVAN KADAM

Dont be surprised if i tell you even Hyundai and PAL spares match exactly with the VW Beetle.

Oh yes, a lot of parts are interchangable. Im told a Minidor or Tata Ace mastercylinder is a perfect fit for the Beetle, depending on LHD or RHD.

[PAVAN KADAM]

Yes karlos,

There are lot many that i have found, will share it sometimes.

If i dont get into this R&D, its quite difficult to run this beauty 6 days a month.

The wheel bearing for Santro fits as OE and with the same product number as the ones which comes originally.


There are some more, i'll share this on this forum sometime else.

[the mole]

Originally Posted by V-16

Pavan,
Great job. I am looking at a beetle also needing the same kind of restoration but the problem lies with my Tin man. If i give him another project like that, he'll probably commit suicide (he has two of my cars with him already)

then why not give it to me tera gaadi mera gaadi ek hi baat hai nah
my tin man has plenty of time.