As Thing Season Closes

[Kubelmann]

Nice to see the posts increase as the Thing Season (for many of us) comes to a slow down or halt... Anyway, the purpose of this thread is to ask for posts that relate to the dream(s) for your Thing over the next 3-5 months. I remain, K-mann

[MNAirHead]

I'll start.

Over the years have been collecting the ghetto bolt ons for our thing..

• VWoA Bumper Overriders..
  Push Bar
  Rear Tire Carrier
  VWoA Swiss Cheese Mats
  Duck Boards
  W5 Centerlines
  '68 fat back front seats - recovered very smooth like the original vinyl.
  Hood Luggage Rack
  VWoA Tow Kit for stock exhaust location
  Fiberglass Fenders
  Top Kit (new frame and vinyl)
  Side Bars

I won't be throwing out the stock metal fenders or tires.. just storing them for future use.

The biggest hold up has been the bumpers..

Most of us have bunged up bumpers had to come up with a better option. Our fiberglass fenders will cover the bigger centerlines. This leaves few options for the bumpers.

I disassembled the stock 181 factory bumprers (for the mounts and ends) and had some 1/4" plate formed to the same exact dimensions (and radius) of a stock bumper (6" wider).. I'll be mounting the factory brackets after I find a cost-effective method for the 2-7/8 holes to be cut for the stock exhaust.

Front Push Bar
For the front push bar will be modifying with new parts from a monster truck shop.. want something that will wrap aronund the lights and fenders.. finally found these pieces.. will take some work to make them look good.

Restraint doors
Sometime before it's totally redone am planning on fabbing up some restaint doors.. Saw some on a jeep in central america.. basically a Tube frame with hardware to hold you in the car. We do not run doors in our front.



After all's good will be disassembling and redoing the paint.[/list]

[Towel Rail]

Mine's finally going under the knife:







Who the hell knows when I'll get it done, but when I started seeing light through the floor, I knew I needed to start...

- Scott

[MNAirHead]

That's too bad.. looks as if someone recently did a partial job.. then let it fill up with rain water.

[Towel Rail]

Nope, it's just an Iowa car that's been patched and touched up over and over again. Now it's time to do it right.

[Kubelmann]

On my road car I have installed new heavy Danish pans. Now I am removing all body damage of any kind. Have been removing one cancer area around the back seat and taking all the dents out. I am restoring the soft top. I have the frame apart, sand blasted, repainted and now is ready for the Killer bolt kit and new soft top to be installed. I am heading to copper metalflake paint with all matte black trim. NO chrome. Already have Porsche Cookie Cutter wheels but will strip them back to aluminum and then copper anodized them to match the paint. All new trim and hardwood cherry dash. Rebuild front end to include all new ball joints, tie rods and end seals. . Already has new Bilsteins, very nice velour cordorouy seats, 4 wheel 944 Porsche disc brakes with new master cylinder and stainless steel braided teflon lined brake lines . Will rebuild rear diagonal arms using 86 944 Prosche aluminum rear trailing arms. All new Urethane bushings and seals all around Will be getting a 1776 with Zenith NDIX carb trimill through the bumper exhaust and rebuilt trans. Currently has a sour first gear synchro. Am in the process of rebuilding the pedal assembly. New heavy duty cables both clutch and throttle. The car will get paint while the engine and trans are out. Pans will get POR 15 or Rhinicoat coated both sides. I also have a hardtop for this car that will get a matte black refinish. I have all new stainless steel soft top hardware and stainless steel mirror mounts. All body parts will be painted off the car and will be reassembled using new stainless steel hardware to include windhsield frame, door hinges and every other mounting fixture. The bumper are still undecided. But have a nice front overrider and the flag holders and front skid plate that will be included. Lots of work and parts..

[Towel Rail]

Started up a resto thread on the Samba. This is going to get really ugly before it gets better.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=255375

- Scott

[1961bluebug]

new original military paint, new body rubber and all seals, beetle front beam with discs and a beetle 4.12 transaxle with camber compenstor and T3 drums, twincarb 1500 with 010 dizzy and 1.4 rockers to make it quicker in oldschool way

[Kubelmann]

What a beautiful pair. Thansk for the post. Tell us more about both cars!! K-mann

[bciesq]

Thing season is never over in Florida.

[Lowsquare]

Today it's a beautiful 88 degrees here in Phoenix... THING season is just getting into full swing

[vwfleh]

I'm going to finish up my stereo installation and finish fitting the soft top this winter.
If I have time I'll install a turbocharger.

[Kubelmann]

Seriously considering bringing the road car back home so I can get more disassembly done in prep for the final steps of resto. It has been down at a pal's home body shop for a few months welding in new pans asn doing all the metal repair/restoration.

[Colorider181]

Since mine was pretty stripped when I got it, I'm adding/working on (if I can afford it all that is):

Fenders all around
Bumpers front and rear
Bikini top
Stereo installation
Alternator
New rims and tires (just got today)
Some paint/body work

Quite a bit, but at least its running good....