bugdust

[bugdust]

OK, I posted a small update in the "what did you do yesterday" thread. I'll add a link in a few minutes. Maybe. OK here's the link: http://www.volksrods.com/forum/showp...postcount=1539

Anyway, I'm collecting parts for my volksrod project. Here's the latest addition:


It came with some extra parts: 041 heads, misc. crap, set of smoothies, etc.


There are a few more pics on photobucket. Search for bugdust69

[bugdust]

OK, a lot happening but not much volksrod stuff. I'm building a 20x20 shop, working on it now.



I sold the yellow dune buggy to a guy in Miami. I bought a 64 bug out of Gainesville. As 57Drag calls it, "the piece of shit"



More soon.

[bugdust]

Just a quick glimpse of what's to come. I got a little more done on the shop today. There won't be much happening to it for the next week.


There's a couple more pics in the "show us where the magic happens" or whatever it's called thread.

[bugdust]

I did a little to the 64 bug today. Check the thread: http://www.volksrods.com/forum/showthread.php?t=13930

[bugdust]

I cleaned the junk out of the 64 and took the outside mirror off the junk 63 and put it on the 64. That's about it. I'm still waiting for the rest of the metal for my shop so I can get back on it.

[bugdust]

A little progress.
http://www.volksrods.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14011

[bugdust]

Most of my pics from the early days were hosted on Starphoto. Since I can't access them anymore and the forum has moved etc I have been trying to rescan some pics to photobucket and update the first few posts in this thread. So, there are some pics at the beginning of this thread again.

[bugdust]

I guess I can throw a couple pics here in the apprpriate place instead of being a post whore on the Cutting Board.

Got the tires/wheels mounted and most of the primer off except the roof because it's pitted.





More later when I've done something.

[bugdust]

Not much going on here. Bugs are still sitting idle. I picked up some bumper blades for the 64 but no brackets. I'll just make some if I don't find a set soon. The shop is almost done, just waiting on power.

My wife is going to have another baby around September. My boys are almost 14 and 7. My wife is almost 35 and I'm almost 37. Hopefully it will be a girl this time.

[bugdust]

OK, here's a couple current pics.

[bugdust]

OK, a little update.

Nothing new on the VWs.

I've been too busy working on the shop and just working in general. The shop is pretty much done except for a few things. I have had the final inspection and I'm just waiting on the electric company to run the power to my new meter. I have to do a bunch of little things to the shop (floor coating, workbench, mount the compressor, trim work, exhaust fan, etc) but that shouldn't take too long. Then it's move-in time!!!

Then, I can start working on the VWs again. I am a little behind on the honey-do list but not too bad. I've been working as much as possible to get some stuff paid down before the wife quits her job to have the kid.

More later.

[bugdust]

OK, I haven't done any of the stuff listed above but the electrical is done and I have sort of moved in to the shop. I never did coat the floor but I will soon, maybe. I might just sell the two kits I bought and leave it bare concrete??

I did get a hair up my ass tonight and pull the body off the pan of the 64. It was already unbolted by PO but still took a couple hours to do by myself. I did it the involved way with a floor jack and lots of wood and blocks. I still have the scars from where I tore a bunch of stuff in my groin 15 years ago lifting a bug body off the pan by myself. so I decided not to do it that way.

Anyway, I took a few pics but I'm not sure if I can get them onto my old computer. I'll try in a few minutes.

Oh, the plan is to do a complete pan of resto on this one with a little lowering job and a few subtle details. Once I get the pan done on the 64 I will start on the volksrod!!!

[bugdust]

OK. I posted an update on the 64 in the appropriate thread in the Cutting Board. Look for it if you want to see it.


My brother came by today and we got the garage doors working like they should. I've put off putting the epoxy coating on the floor for now but I still might when I clean out the garage to build the workbench and some shelves. We'll see. My next projects for the shop are to move, mount and hook up the compressor, build a work bench and shelves, build a cart for my welder and get my drill press, vise, bench grinder, etc mounted.

[bugdust]

OK, not anything to do with cars or whatever. As some of you may know, my wife is 5 months pregnant with our third child. We have two boys now, ages 14 and 7. We really wanted a girl this time but according to the Level II ultrasound yesterday we are having another boy. I was a little disappointed at first but we are thankful that everything looks normal and baby is healthy at this point. It took us five months to agree (sort of) on a girl name and now we have to start over with boy names. To make it worse, both my boys have the same initials as me so picking out another pair of names that start with the same letters as mine that we both like is going to be close to impossible.

[bugdust]

Nothing going on here right now. I bought a roof rack for the red bug the other day. It was cheap and in great shape. The clamps were a little stiff so I took them apart and cleaned the threads. One of the turnbuckles had dead bugs in it. So, I stuck a little wire brush in one and got it stuck, then broke it off, then scraped up the damn thing with the vise. I finally got the broken piece pushed in far enough to use it. I gave up on getting it out. I'd post a pic but it looks like a metal roof rack on a bug. Think hoodride.

I cut up the gray ragtop b/c it was junk and I sold the ragtop clip. I really wanted to weld part of it back together. I have a serious itch to cut on the purple ragtop and start my volksrod.

I have a lot of worked planned for this weekend on the shop...workbench being the main thing. I'll post pics.

[bugdust]

Here's a pic of the bug with the roof rack...woohoo Yes, I actually moved it out of the garage for once.


I did work on the bench for the garage but didn't actually finish it yet. Somehow, I managed to take a few hour job and not finish it in a whole weekend. I'll post a pic when I get back to it.

[bugdust]

Here's a pic of the workbench. It's 42" high, 24" deep and 10' wide, 4x4 legs, 2x4 everything else with 3/4" plywood top & shelf, all screwed together, no nails. It's also tied into the metal bldg. frame with metal brackets. I framed up behind the pegboard with some 2x4s ripped down to 2x2-1/2s. I still have to sand the top, round over the edge and maybe paint the frame & clear the top....maybe. Then I can bolt down the small vise, grinder and drill press.

[bugdust]

OK, the shop looks a little different than above, mostly has more crap in it and I put 3 coats of clear on the workbench.

I bought a 67 bug
Here's when I pulled in the yard:


about 10 minutes later:


about an hour later:


my ramps to get it on the jack:


6" narrowed beam:



next to my 64:

[bugdust]

A few minor updates:

63 ragtop - nothing new

64 red bug - now sitting on the white "chromies" again, have a set of used bumpers ready to go on and it will have the door panels out of the ragtop soon. No roof rack presently...collecting parts for it still, have a 1600dp for it.

67 bug - now sitting on the new empis & tires off the 64 b/b I had a blow out on the rear and the front was on temps. new 145s on the old empis, gave it a tune-up, running decent, been driving the hell out of it, on about the 4th tank of gas. Started doing a little bodywork, will post pics when it looks like I've done something.

I bought a couple buggies...there's a thread with pics about them on the Cutting Board.

My wife had a baby boy 9/27...7lbs 11oz.

[bugdust]

No real updates. Been driving the snot out of the 67, almost everyday to work which is about 60 miles round-trip. The roads here suck when you're in a slammed bug. Lots of bridges and concrete roads with expansion joints, lots of really high new reflectors (well, a few less now) and stripes & arrows that have been painted over so many times that they are an inch thick...seriously.

Had a brake stick on the way home monday so the 67 bug has been parked since and I still haven't had time to look at it. Gotta cut the grass in the morning, kids have had piano lessons and baseball practice in the evenings or had to go with wife to shop for clothes for family pics today. She wanted us all dressed alike so...anyway, the photographer sucked so we will be doing that again soon.

Got a few things up for sale...take a look. family is doing fine, new baby is cute as can be and doing well. My brother just put out his first CD...Christain music, pretty good. More later.

[bugdust]

Still no progress on any of the projects. I sold both buggies CHEAP!! and it looks like the single cab is sold CHEAP!! Between piano lessons, baseball and the new baby I haven't had any spare time to work on the bugs lately. I did go look at another 67 body today (picked up my oldest on way home from work, dropped him off at piano lessons, ran over and looked at the body, picked the kid back up and met the wife & other kids at the ball park for a game, grabbed pizza on way home). The "new" body will replace the one on the 67 now. The one I have has been hit in the front, spare tire well totall rusted out, right door bottom rusted, rear apron and fenders rusted, been T-boned in left side so it needs front & rear quarters and it has a rough 68 door on it, left heater channel rusted, package tray gone, hood rusted, rough earlier fenders. The car runs good with the 1500sp, shifts great, and drives good other than being a little too low. The heater works, too. So, I figure I'll put another body on it and make a decent daily-driver out of it.

I'm contemplating fixing the red 64 for my son's 16th b-day. I have 15 months until then. I may just get him a little Toyota pickup instead. We'll see when it's closer and if he saves up some money.

I'm still planning on chopping the ragtop...just gotta make time.

[bugdust]

Single cab is gone and the 67 body I bought is here!! First, here's the 67 at a local car show yesterday...


Then, last night at the Sonic meet...


...and here's the "new" 67 body (I have it sitting on an old 70 pan - that's why the back is up so high...the body mounts are hitting.




...more later.

[bugdust]

No pics. I did a little grinding today on the tan replacement body for the Reflector Collector. I also did a little hammer & dolly work. I may have to cut the front clip off that the PO put on and straighten the body out. The car was hit in the front hard. Supposedly the guy that wrecked it died in it. Anyway, I put a hood on it and the sides are bowed out on each side. I'm going to try a different hood before I cut anything. I didn't spend much time on the bug today.


I did hook up my compressor finally!! I bought it new 3-1/2 years ago and it's never been hooked up. The warranty expired last summer. I just have it wired piggyback for today but I'll run the other wire for 220 tomorrow and switch the 30a breaker for the proper 20a one. I put oil in it and then realized I never put the drain extension on it

[bugdust]

I rewired the compressor the day after the last update. It is soooo nice to finally have a decent compressor!!

Got the 67 in the garage doing some routine maintenance and overdue fixes. I welded up the holes on the right front fender and some of the holes in the hood tonight. I've got a bit more welding to do on the hood and then I'll post some pics once it looks like I've done something. It got new brake shoes on the front along with adjustment and bearings repacked. The rear got "new" KYB GR2 shocks. I have new shoes for it when I get to it. I've got a page long list of stuff to do to it.

More later.

[bugdust]

Current pics...