As a result of rust appearing here and there on the body we decided that it is time to take the car to repainting before the problem gets any worse. As we have decided to keep the car as close to the original as possible the only color option is the original Ruby Red. More about the original body colors and color codes in the previous posting. The rims will be light greay as described in the Tyres and Rims posting.
The biggest challenge with repainting is to find a painter one can trust the work with. We ended up choosing a painter from Centurion who has lots of experience in painting bugs, and in the related bodywork in general. there is always an old car or a bug standing at shop's front yard. For us that was a good sign. We have now met the shop manager, gone through the car inch by inch and made the paint and needed bodywork plan.
We will take the car to the shop at the end of July and expect it to be ready in two months time. While the car is in painting we will concentrate on fixing the engine, sourching rubbers and rechroming the front bumper.
Thursday, 21 July 2011
Beetle Paint Colors and Codes
One can check the original color of one's Beetle from the chassis number plate which in our case was located in the front, under the bonnet behind the spare tyre. Please however keep in mind that the code printed to the plate might not always be the same with the actual body color. There are lots of reported cases where the paint code on the plate is different from the original color on the body. These things just happened way back then. Our case is also alike. The code written on the plate is 14 (VW Blue) even the original body color is 100% sure Ruby Red (code 11). So it is always a matter of cross checking the plate and the body. One can analyse if the body is repainted or if it is original color. In our case there is no doubt that Ruby Red is the correct original color.
The 1967 original Beetle body color options that we've fount are Black L41 (code 10), Ruby Red L456 (code 11), VW Blue L633 (code 14), Lotus White L282 (code 42), Java Green L518 (code 20), Zenith Blue L639 (code 08), Savannah Beige L620 (code 02) and Fontana Grey L595 (code 09).
One can find original colors from old Volkswagen brochures. TheSamba.com has a great archive of old original brochures for different years in their litterature section. We found ours from 1967 brochure "It Comes in 7 Colors" and "1967 VW Beetle Sales Brochure" which also included the interior options. The brochures are lacking actual codes so those we found from TheSamba.com Type 1 Color Combinations Chart which includes Beetle Paint Code Listing. The list also includes original interior color combinations used with any particular body color. Wolfsbürgwest has also highly recommended Beetle Color Charts on their web page where you can search colors according to the particular production year. We also found a Glasurit Vintage Color Recipe Book ie paint mixing instructions from TheSamba.com discussion forum.
The 1967 original Beetle body color options that we've fount are Black L41 (code 10), Ruby Red L456 (code 11), VW Blue L633 (code 14), Lotus White L282 (code 42), Java Green L518 (code 20), Zenith Blue L639 (code 08), Savannah Beige L620 (code 02) and Fontana Grey L595 (code 09).
One can find original colors from old Volkswagen brochures. TheSamba.com has a great archive of old original brochures for different years in their litterature section. We found ours from 1967 brochure "It Comes in 7 Colors" and "1967 VW Beetle Sales Brochure" which also included the interior options. The brochures are lacking actual codes so those we found from TheSamba.com Type 1 Color Combinations Chart which includes Beetle Paint Code Listing. The list also includes original interior color combinations used with any particular body color. Wolfsbürgwest has also highly recommended Beetle Color Charts on their web page where you can search colors according to the particular production year. We also found a Glasurit Vintage Color Recipe Book ie paint mixing instructions from TheSamba.com discussion forum.
Finding Parts
Finding Beetle parts around the Pretoria area wasn't such an easy task as one would think. After all there is thousands of Beetles on the road in every day use in South Africa. There is however Volkswagen and Beetle specialised shops such as Volksparts. The main problem is the availability of restoration parts. Shops have lots of fancy new shiny bling bling parts for pimp my ride kind of Beetles that at the end of the day are far from the original look. There are also lots of restoration parts available by order but the delivery times are very long and usually shops cannot even confirm when the parts will arrive. Shops usually seem to have "keeping no stock" policy and everything is ordered from Europe. They order one or two pieces of each part and when they arrive after weeks of waiting period they also are sold almost immediately and we are back in the waiting game.
We have used the local shops but in addition we have also ordered parts directly from Europe. Fortunately we are in that position that our European friends can bring parts to us as they are visiting South Africa relatively often. By this way we have access to parts and accessories that are more challenging or sometimes impossible to get from South Africa. Please note if you order parts outside South Africa there most probably will be tax added at the customs.
It is also advisable to visit scrap yards in order to find parts one is missing. For example we were told that it is close to impossible to get a trim for the front window but a visit to the Pretoria Volkspares' scrap yard proved the opposite and we walked out with a perfect trim.
One can also find parts from Junkmail.
We have used the local shops but in addition we have also ordered parts directly from Europe. Fortunately we are in that position that our European friends can bring parts to us as they are visiting South Africa relatively often. By this way we have access to parts and accessories that are more challenging or sometimes impossible to get from South Africa. Please note if you order parts outside South Africa there most probably will be tax added at the customs.
It is also advisable to visit scrap yards in order to find parts one is missing. For example we were told that it is close to impossible to get a trim for the front window but a visit to the Pretoria Volkspares' scrap yard proved the opposite and we walked out with a perfect trim.
One can also find parts from Junkmail.
Tyres and Rims
First things first, getting new tyres. Ours are bought from Hi-Q. In the beginning we wished to purchase white wall tyres fro the bug but they turned out to be almost four times more expensive than normal tyres so it didn't happen.
There are also white wall imitation parts available that are added between the tyre and the rim. They look relatively good and the price is reasonable. We've seen them on sale at the Volkswagen and old car events and they most probably can also be ordered from local VW part shops such as Volkspares. We however decided not to go to that direction; it is real white wall tyres or normal tyres. No imitation parts.
There are also white wall imitation parts available that are added between the tyre and the rim. They look relatively good and the price is reasonable. We've seen them on sale at the Volkswagen and old car events and they most probably can also be ordered from local VW part shops such as Volkspares. We however decided not to go to that direction; it is real white wall tyres or normal tyres. No imitation parts.
When replacing the tyres we also had a change to take better look at the rims. We've got 6 rims which all but one is in relatively good condition. They are just a bit mix match when it comes to color; metallic silver, white and light grey. Even according to the original Sales Brochure the correct color combination for the Ruby Red body paint is white rims we decided to go with light grey. For some reason it pleases our eyes more as the white just seems to be too white and shiny. The interior is black, white and grey combination so in that respect the grey goes well with the rim as well. The rims will be fully light grey without any different inner/outer stripes.
Plan for Restoration
From the very beginning it has been clear that our motto is to keep our Beetle as close to the original as possible. Therefore also all restorations are done in a way that first we will try to use the original parts, and if that is impossible we will try to find eighter an old similar part or to purchase a new equivalent. Also the body paint color and interior will be remained as they are. the only thing that we will add is another side mirror to the left side as we've discovered it to make the driving in the traffic much easier and safer.
The overall plan is:
1) Repaint the body and the rims
2) Fix the stepping boards
3) Replace the rusted bottom plate with a new one
4) Overhaul the engine
5) Check and fix the electrics
6) Rechrome the front bumper
7) Replace some of the damaged parts with new ones
8) Repaint some parts of the interior (gear shift, hand brake, metal frames of the seats, ...)
9) Clean and polish
The overall plan is:
1) Repaint the body and the rims
2) Fix the stepping boards
3) Replace the rusted bottom plate with a new one
4) Overhaul the engine
5) Check and fix the electrics
6) Rechrome the front bumper
7) Replace some of the damaged parts with new ones
8) Repaint some parts of the interior (gear shift, hand brake, metal frames of the seats, ...)
9) Clean and polish
VW Logo Day 2011
Beetle & VW Club Johannesburg arranged the VW Logo Day on 28th May 2011 at the Riversands Farm, Johannesburg in order to raise funds for the SA Guide Dogs Association. Anyone could bring their Beetle, Kombi, Karmann Ghia, Type 3, Buggy or any VW based kit car in any condition to the event. The cars were parked to the field in a VW logo shape and captured from a helicopter above. It was a great day to see lots of vintage Beetles and meet other enthusiasts. Thank you Beetle & VW Club Joburg!
Finding Information
As a first time old car owners we've found it to be crucial to find information to get the restoration done correctly. Easier said than done but luckily we live in the age of World Wide Web. The best place for us has been TheSamba.com which has lots and lots of old brochures and technical information. Highly recommended!
There are also quite many related books available. One good source to search litterature is Amazon and here in South Africa Kalahari.com. We ended up purchasing Haynes Repair Manual for Beetle & Karman Ghia from a local book store. The manual provides good basic information how to repair the bug but unfortunately we've not fount it to fulfil our expectations to be as detailed as we would have needed it to be.
There are also quite many related books available. One good source to search litterature is Amazon and here in South Africa Kalahari.com. We ended up purchasing Haynes Repair Manual for Beetle & Karman Ghia from a local book store. The manual provides good basic information how to repair the bug but unfortunately we've not fount it to fulfil our expectations to be as detailed as we would have needed it to be.
The best source however is always the other Beetle enthusiasts. They've seen it, done it and got the T-shirt; they know the best places to go, can answer the questions that puzzle you and if not, they know who to turn to. So go to Volkswagen meetings and old car events and get together with the other fellow old car enthusiasts. They've all faced the same problems and challenges that you are going through and most of them are more than pleased to share their knowledge.
And She Found Us
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