A Lust For Rust

When a few of my options for an April feature car fell through, I got a few mates to make some suggestions and they were all good ones and ones I’ll keep in mind for future months, however during the same time span I received a message from a good guy on the oldschool.co.nz forums, by the nickname of Raizer, asking whether I would be interested in featuring a VW Beetle on my site that belonged to a friend of his.  The timing was perfect.  I needed a car and what’s not to like about a Beetle?  So I got him to send me some info and some photos and here we are now and here is the car itself;

The Garage, filled with Beetle

The Beetle belongs to Kev his plans for it include a 1600 twin port engine with twin carbs utilizing either a Skat racing or Bosch 009 dizzy, lowering catered for in typical dub style with a beam adjuster up front and turned down splines in the rear to keep things evenly slammed.

Blanks

Centres

The rostyle looking wheel centres will be fitted to 14×7 blank rims, it should give the Beetle a fairly sweet and almost period look.  One would hope keeping in theme with the rest of the car and perhaps giving the rims a bit of a scuff and allowing them to grow a little surface rust in places,  maybe an oil spot here or there to keep it patchier than your average bear.

The interior will remain stock/as it was found, leaving it’s used look available for all to see.

Stock interior

The roof, the roof, the roof is missing pieces.

As you can partially see in the dash photograph, the rust is being dealt to and there will simply be no worrisome rust, anything and everything of importance has been repaired and the car will always be to warrant of fitness standards.

Partial Frontal Naked Shot

Patch Repaired Panel

More Patchwork

For a vehicle of it’s age, what has been patched is entirely understandable and it’s quite the wonder there’s little more to do, the main structure of the car though is actually in really good shape;

Underside

As you can see.. dry and well taken care of for quite some time it would seem and despite outward appearance in the future, likely to be so for many years to come.

The final product will be adorned with a visor from a 1957 small window bug that spent years sitting in a farm paddock as well as a few other choice period accessories like a roof rack, headlamp eyelids and an old, rusty exterior but usable chillybin from days gone by which should look suitably amusing and entertaining placed upon the roof-rack.

Visor, Rack & KUSTOM aerial

Are you Sleepy?

Oooh, it's chilly!

Sounds will be modernised but kept away as to not ruin the classic and used look of the interior, best of all is that the Beetle will be used as his daily driver.  Brilliant, cars are made to be used as transport so you best be using them!

You can see all these pictures and a few more in higher resolution on the RC flickr account, here;

http://www.flickr.com/photos/retro-classics/sets/72157616407373640/

We’ll keep you up to date with the progress of the car and with any luck in the near future some completed shots.  I hope you’re looking forward to it as much as I am.  It’s something you see on overseas forums a lot but seems to be lacking entirely in an NZ environment.  Big ups to Kev for his crusade in keeping the Beetle legal and used and cheers to Raizer for sharing.  Thanks guys.

-Michael