How to visualise your future Dream Car

Hello everyone, welcome to my first "VW Related" post, I hope you like it.

So I was outside working on my bug the other day as you do, just minding my own business. Scratching my head, trying to show the neighbours that I can at least look like I know what I'm doing.

 I see a guy across the road who I've never spoken to before but obviously lives opposite me. (We only just moved in 3 months ago.) And he is walking straight towards my house holding a bag of something. 

"Hi, my name is ..... (I can't remember...I know that's really bad, but whatever)... I used to have a VW type 3, but I wasn't able to find the time to give it the attention it needed so I sold it. Anyway I'm clearing out my bedroom and I've got about 2 years worth of 'VolksWorld' magazines if you want them?"

"Err...Yes! Now get off my Property!"

"When you set out to build any car, the most important thing is to have a clear image of what you want to achieve in your head. It doesn't matter what style you are going for, you just need to know what it is that you want...as one of the main reasons that restored or modified cars end up as unfinished projects is because people change their minds partway through." - Volksworld April 2011, Pg 7.

That was the very first thing I read as soon as I opened the first of about 20 magazines. It immediately caused the doubt in my own head "Would I ever finish my Bug?" It was hard to think what I wanted to achieve as an end result.

So I did a bit of snooping around and found a couple of resources on the internet to help visualise a project.

Here is a short-list of what I came up with:

#1 BusSelecta - http://www.busselecta.com/ - This is really good website and has plenty of options for whichever car or bus you have and want to pre-visualise. There are plenty of options for customisation, especially for the beetle. Pretty much anything you can think of, you can achieve a rough idea using this website.

   

#2 Beetle Generator / Bus Generator - This is an app currently only available for the iOS series (iPhone, iPad, iPod). First, the Beetle Generator, is currently a little more limited to customisation options. You can mix up any colour you choose using the colour sliders and there is also an ageing option, so that you can get an idea of rattier versions of your project. You can fit the car with a variety of after-market wheels and rubber, as well as modifying the stance of the car before saving the image into your . I have heard that the creator/s are looking to update the Beetle Generator soon, but that still proves to be seen.

For 69p, you can't really go wrong, and it really is beneficial if you are like me and find it hard to see the light at the end of the very long tunnel! Also, as you can see, the quality of the pictures is amazing!

You can get Beetle Generator from the app store by following this link:

Next, Bus Generator is exactly the same as Beetle Generator, except, you guessed it; it's for buses and campers! There are plenty more customisations for the Campers (windows, side doors etc) but at £1.99 it is up to you. Put it this way, I have both and I don't even have a bus/camper.

    

Again, you can get Bus Generator from the app store by following this link:

Thank you for reading!

I would love to see some pictures of how you visualise your project/s.

As always, comments are welcome don't be shy.

Peace!

Recommended Website #1 - www.Volkszone.com

www.volkszone.com

Hey folks.

So, for the next update in my recommended reading blog, how could I possibly mention anything other than the very website that spawned my passion for classic volkswagens.

Volkszone is an amazing website, full to the brim with awesome people who would help anyone   with pretty much anything (Providing it has some relation to Volkswagens!).

I have spent many hours on there and have learnt a lot of what I know (Very little) from reading the posts on this website. This enabled me to feel confident enough to buy this beetle in the first place.

I think it is fair to say  that if it wasn't for Volkszone, this blog would probably not exist!

So don't hang around here, go check it out and sign up if you haven't already!

GO!

Greg

www.volkszone.com

Image©volkszone.com

P.s. I hope volkszone don't mind me using this image, contact me if you do!

You can access all the restoration posts from the links below if you wish to skip any other nonsense!

#1 - From the top.

#2 - The difficult second post!

The difficult second post!

Hey, so I have finally managed to get some more pictures taken for your viewing pleasure!

I had a bit of a fiddle over the weekend (with the car obviously...) and took the oil bath and the Carburettor off ready to receive a hosing down. No, not literally, I'm not that much of a newbie. Oh wait, yes I am.

Here are some pictures anyway, Enjoy....

I've added a few captions just in case anyone is less knowledgeable than I am. Doubtful.

Engine bay with the Oil Bath.

Without Oil Bath!

You can see where the Carburettor needs unbolting from the intake manifold (Two Bolts. Simple!)

Fuel Tank Unbolted and Pipes removed

An example of the clips holding down the fuel tank. There are four in total. Just unbolt them completely.

Whip it out! Don't forget to disconnect the fuel line!

Finally, take the alien drone out of it's box (Batteries not included). This is the sender unit for the tank for gauging fuel levels, etc
It should twist out fairly easily.......NOT!
Get some huge pliers on it, or ask a grown-up / professional (see below)

That's all for now folks, please be sure you click follow at the top of the this page to ensure you receive updates when I add new things!

Will be adding a new post soon regarding some recommended reading material, etc

Peace!

From the top.

Hey Everybody and welcome to Fix My Dub.

I feel I should give a more in-depth introduction as to why I wanted to start this blog.

I have been wanting to get into the Classic Volkswagen scene for a while now. I started, as I suspect quite a lot of people do, by wanting to buy a van, bus, camper, etc.

After a painfully long process of searching and wishing I could generate enough funding to buy (and maintain) one, I finally decided to put that idea on the back-burner for a while.

I had always liked the style of the beetle as well, so I went through the same process of spending hours and hours searching for one at a price I could afford that wasn't going to disintegrate into a pile of rusty crumbs the first time I got a spanner out of my toolbox!

Eventually, my hard work paid off (I think...) and I managed to find a 1972 1302s "Super Beetle" 1600 stuffed away in a garage not too far from where I live.

So me and mechanically minded friend went to go and check the car out and it turns out the car is in pretty good condition.

Personally, I think I paid an amazing price for it, but that's not too important. What is important is that the car is mostly rust free as far as I can tell, apart from in a few places. It has spent the past 16 years or so in a dry garage, which means it isn't running, it has leaked its oil contents over the years and the rubber fuel piping has perished causing the 16yr old fuel to gush out all over the place.... Nice.

So I arrange a price with the seller and arrange to pick it up on a recovery truck. After a trouble-free journey home and after coating the truck in flammable liquid, I am the new proud owner of this.............................

My initial apparent list of things to do/my current state of affairs is:

- Read John Muir's How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive: A Manual of Step-by-step Procedures for the Compleat Idiot (Click the link to get yourself a copy)

- "Read" the Haynes manual for the car. Volkswagen 1302S (Super Beetle) Owner's Workshop Manual (Service & repair manuals) (Again, click the link to get yourself a copy)

- Spend a few weeks looking at the thing (Done.)

- Give the engine a full tuning (provided there are no further problems when I delve a little deeper).

Parts I have purchased So far:

• New Spark Plugs.
• New Fan-belt.
• New Oil & Gaskets.
• New Points & Condensers (Distributor cap and rotor arm seems fine)
• New HT Leads.
• Rebuild Carburettor and replace any necessary parts.
  
  Also, I will rebuild and service any other parts that may have perished during the stretch inside. 

- Get four new tyres

- Give the brakes a full service

- Get a new exhaust/tailpipes

- Take the tank out

• Drain the Fuel (Done)
• Get it cleaned make sure it's sound
• Replace rubber fuel piping and clips where necessary.

- Also need a new battery as inevitably, the old one is flat.


OK, I think that is pretty much the extent of my knowledge.


I'm hoping to update this blog pretty much every time I get something done on my car.


Any comments or anything will be greatly appreciated!


Thanks for looking!


PEACE!