this 1958 vw bug that was towed from california to newHampshire 35 years ago, at the time they were trying to get it switched over from 6 volt to 12 volt but never got it to work, after leaving it in the woods for 35 years we came along and dragged it out. now lets see what the weather, critters and time has left for us to work with.
Hey guys how's it going, we are on the hunt, we'll lead on an early vw bug that has been sitting. I think, for 30, something years good. We brought chainsaws with us to go clear, a path getting it to the car. There is a tree on the right hand, side we may have to go clip out of the way, but as far as the brush is concerned, we may just try pulling it right out of the swampy area that it's in and deal with it more up on The lawn and go from there it's a quick release type.
I guess this will be a good test to see whether the bumper stays on the beam stays on too. Okay hammer good, so missed it by that much go ahead. So, okay, oh, it pulls like a dream like it was 1958 roll. Just oh the window, the window! That's pretty sad! If that fell out of the front, it's going to fall right through it sitting since 1985.
came from california went to go, swap an engine went from six volt to 12 volt. They never got the 12 volt to work, and then it sat till we came along. Let's see if it'll run a little aftermath of uh dragging around, let's go see if we could find any remnants other than the floor where the floor was and she's definitely stuck in the mud for a little bit there's the floor. What's that that's the tie down, i think, for the battery, maybe part of the engine.
That's a nice shot right. There didn't even have to cut the tree down. We brought two chainsaws with us too, and a hedge trimmer didn't need any of it. This part or something there you go we're gon na go, hunt down some.
What we got uh tires rims and uh. We got some tires. We got some rims, an extra bonnet for it. Car came out of a creek bed in california.
The people who brought it here stripped the second car to bring it for parts and then, when they got it here, they went to switch it from a six volt to a 12 volt system and it never ran again and how that was again from the sticker. That was on 85., it was from 1985. yeah, it actually drove over the rocky mountains and then, when they got it over onto the other side, then they hit the trailer. They could be uh, they were towing it behind a camaro and the camaro wouldn't tow.
The thing over the mountains so they'd drive the car over the mountains to get it here. That's a funky color too huh, california sure it's was nice shape. Actually cool i've been knocking the scissors in the front. A couple.
Other goodies are a couple of wheels. Now this is early, these are later snow tires there you go. You never know in california, you're gon na need some snow tires. We're coming here.
True good point: it may not work from back there all right now that we're back at the office. You can get a better idea at what we got can't open the doors very well, because this thing's so low it is going to hit the fenders on the trailer. I think the first thing we should probably do is either try to get some air in the tires or get them changed out to something that will hold some air. I'm not giving much hope for that, one that one maybe three of them. Maybe so, let's go get air check. Try throwing some air in them, see if they'll inflate up and then we'll get into opening the doors in the hood and start seeing what's hiding underneath who's gon na run out door number one. I think it's got a tube in it. I think we'll get over competent.
Had i known they were going to take care of that easy. I would have done it there that one going yeah we go. I am quite surprised yeah. We won't push her luck.
She better get that door open. Now there we go, she definitely smells as good as she looks. I have a few dates like that and definitely mother nature has taken its toll on anything and everything nothing left at the headliner. I wonder if this was a economy model.
It only has one sun visor just got a funky seat on the pattern pattern on the seat, that's different, the batteries in the front core. I don't know what there's a carburetor on the floor there. It has the block off plate in the dash, never had a radio. So that's what i'm saying it might have been a uh, a lower trim model, but it shouldn't have the chrome money outside.
I think all u.s spec had chrome on the outside, but not sure of that stuff we got. Is that a stash? What is that in the seat like somebody put that there on purpose, wouldn't be a vw without a stash in it? The passenger seat is in the back seat. We got a tow bar back there and then the other seat, i'm going to try to get a floor jack in the other corner, we'll get that corner up. Maybe we should get that door open on the other side and we'll start getting this stuff out of here.
That's the jack point on the body. Usually they are rotted off. I'm gon na give her just a little bit yeah she's, not gon na stay. I have to get her by the i had the front chains undone and the slack in the winch.
I shouldn't find out. That's pretty good. I'm gon na go buzz that tire off there, we'll get a look what's happening inside that wheel. While we look rust and making a mess, that's who we got it actually does not look terrible, that's a go to confidence or what usually it's like.
A lot of these areas are all gone, see. What's behind the undercoating huh, some shiny metal, usually there's big holes here again you never really traveled insults, oh yeah, that's nice, and then we traveled in salt weather just got look at that. That is just hey shiny. I don't know if there's paint or bare metal.
It's not hard to tell right now either way it looks like it's in fairly decent shape, good, hopefully the rest of it starts to prove just the case and just wherever it touched the ground you can see where the engine was touching. That's the thermostat. Underneath there all that pains, rotted out there was exhaust on this side. That's missing altogether, whether they unbolted it or it's just rotted off it's hard to say bumper brackets, all rotted the uh. All this was in contact with the ground. So all this is kind of blown out all right. Let's get that door open and get some of the goodies out of it and then we'll try to get a better look what's happening underneath i know the pants are all gone and everything but be curious to see what kind of shape the heater channels are in. I already see it blowing out here, but difference between whether they're, repairable or you have to replace them.
I think this door's bound up pretty good. Let's go give her just a quick something in the hinges. I don't think we're going to mess the paint up. We have to do that from the inside, so so it smells bad.
I can't hold my breath that long nothing's working because that tire's not liking it there we go. Those hinges are not moving, i don't know. Maybe we should throw some heat on them right now. There they go.
Oh boy, we got a might be a 40 horse. You can see the number right now, the six volt. I don't know if that's the original six volt that was in it and it blew up and they took it out so yeah hardware, jack linkage, so the carburetor a tube, a bicycle tube heater channels. Yeah, it's gon na, be interesting to see what we got.
Then. I'm switching it over from six volts to twelve volts, probably all the six volt bulb, maybe or from another car that they were going to go put into this one yeah. Let's read that, let me go push in the sand. I started trying to get that seat out of there or the toe barbers, whichever that crown hold that pop a windshield try to get it out of there.
Oh the smell of ammonia, nothing like the smell of ammonia. First thing in the morning mix: no! It's really tomorrow, that is for any and every beetle, except for super beetle. Try with the total here with goes onto the front frame head prom dress. What's left of a box of goodies, i think we got the california plates in it.
Look at that all right got a number 63. I don't know if that's for year 63, what else do you got carolina? Gasket set? I don't know and a bunch of foundation. Okay, there's no key in it all right, we'll get all that to the side. We'll keep digging and we'll pick through that stuff later generator clutch, both of those more license plates brackets reno laconia new hampshire.
I have a feeling these are from a bunch of other stuff pda. I think they stored all their license plates in here. I wonder if they are off of that camaro. They were talking about that one, a starter, another starter, not to get done.
Another starter. I don't know a 2x4 kick panels. New fuel filter, an oil filter wrench for a car that doesn't have an oil filter fuses. A relay more the prom dress, i don't want to know a fresh battery charge new in the box, and i need here we're getting.
There might go grab a couple of cardboard boxes. We got to get that passenger seat out of the back. There hey was that our old registration, maybe a reggie right there. It looks like it's a normal registration. I won't get that close to hide their information. That might be a reggie might be for another car, though all right we go dig over there and i'll just get that seat out of there put a mask on. I think we're just going to rip some of this crap right out of here. That's hanging you're, getting the glove box and the hood i cleared it behind us.
A little bit gives a little bit more foot narrow. It's like a steering box. Carb early looks like they got two by fours or two by eight holding the engine up didn't fall through the floor, yet that's a good sign digging that crap out. Yet let's get that passenger seat out.
I think that's what i said i was going to do anyway right a jack brush empty can of oil. I think rotted out green. All right, you just give me the funny ones. There were some funky seat covers it's a better shot.
I, like the pattern, actually a bill, another battery yeah that one's six volt a wheel parts i think the rest of it needs a shovel and a shop vac. Look at that crap out of the front there. I think uh we've got most of the big pieces out. There might be some stuff behind the seat.
Yet too, let's see if we can get under the hood. I haven't opened that yet yeah, i don't think it's going to play, might be two well on that. One nope except a rod, hyperextension holds it stay all right. I don't know another generator, another steering box and a tow ball and a huge nest.
I got a little bit of light on it. It's been home to somebody for quite a while. Let's get the front spare tire out of it and see what kind of rot down the entire wall. I do not see daylight already, so that's a good sign.
Here's the original color of it all right guys, instead of me just picking away and turning the camera on watch it i'm going to take a bunch of time not break my neck on some metal pieces, clean out and vacuum out, a bunch of the crap and I'll bring you back i'll show you, the aftermath is what we have to work with. Well, the good news is the apron area where the spare tire is is awesome, shape and the body tags are on it, which is nice everything's, pretty complete. All the tins are on it, the one that's for the beam in the center there is there, that's where the rod where it comes out. The steering uh shift rod, but it was in there.
Unfortunately, looking up here, i started vacuuming out some of the crap on the top. I could already see a hole blown out through the center where a nest was. Let's go mount the camera up, go pull this away and see what we got left for that area. This shouldn't be messy at all, don't break on me.
I wouldn't say it's great, doesn't say it's terrible either it's kind of an easy patch to repair you guys are shaking around. Unfortunately, it's in a simple area, it's time to go flip back to the shop vac and do a little scraping a little vacuuming i'll bring you back. Well, if there's any paperwork in that glove box, i don't think it's going to be very good. Vacuum started slowing down wonder why that's just from the hood, the strap's already busted on that. Let's go see if we just pull that away yeah, i think we'll do our best to deal with that somewhere else solid. I think we've done enough cleaning under here just kind of a good idea. We got a bunch of rot all down in there again, all just from nest. Material really has nothing new from sitting just the uh, the mice and the rats getting to it pressure.
Washer should do uh wonders on cleaning some of this crap up, so that's about as good we're gon na get it as long as all the heavy stuff out of there to get a general idea. What we got i think from now from now. For now, we should go back to the main compartment, we'll start cleaning this area out. We got to get that engine out of there.
I'm not looking forward to trying to wrestle that thing out of there vacuum all this crap out and get a good idea. We got for heater channels, boy, i'm giving myself very low chances that that's going to work when i was a younger, lad rip that thing right out of there not exactly how he cleaned it. Smooth spiders aren't happy more digging and post vacuum about what i expected got a decent amount of rotten floors. It's that's common! If, on a beetle, let's go pull this up in the front, get a corner on it.
That'll have some sound deadening underneath it actually looks. Pretty good, it's called the napoleon's hat in the front there yeah that's pretty rotted out checking the heater channels on the side, we're gon na vacuum. Through there see what we got and the driver's side probably actually looks. Pretty good.
Chef's hat looks okay, napoleon's hat youtube channels. I do not see anything obvious which would be like right in this area all blown out. They actually look fairly decent. You know it's a little crusty, but nothing.
A pillow looks decent. This lip is gone somewhat, but a carpet pinches into it, but the bolt holes where the running boards attach actually look fairly decent, a little bit of funkiness right there, nothing terrible though it'll blow out right there and then just the normal. This is where i was all contacting the ground. So, of course, all that's gone, i don't know if we can get away with just rear floors, possibly on both sides until you start whacking on it with a hammer really see what flakes up a little hard to tell.
I say we flip that seat down, get that area cleaned out and see what the package tray looks like surprises that we have back here, a couple of engine tins belts, dirt yeah. Let's see if just pull that right back so far, so good get your hands in here. We're gon na go clean this out vacuum it out i'll bring you back when we have a good look at it good view, get rid of that back seat, just get better look at what we got and get it cleaned out the rest of the way packaged Actually looks pretty good, and most of the higher up issues is just right in that area. Everything else pretty much looks like it's just going to be in the floors again it it's always worse than what you see as you start taking stuff apart and whack it with a hammer, there's going to be holes and stuff that open up more than what's uh Already visible right now, but for a preliminary it's actually looking pretty good. Sometimes the back window blows out loses the seal runs down the back. You see a stain right there in the middle of the glass there's a little bit and it runs down all the water sits in there and takes out that package tray, especially convertibles. You know they they fail very quickly. It's probably what caused that damage right there.
The body was probably leaning a little bit that way and all the water just pulled down that spot. Well, we got the main cabin done. Cleaned out under the hood is cleaned out. I say now we move over to the engine bay and see what we've got going on in there and who can stay up now looks like it's missing a support.
Rod we got ta go find ourselves, a piece of wood hold that we got ants running over there, they're all crawling around coming out of somewhere. Let me go get some kind of bar to hold that up. That's better biggest thing i see being an issue is had no air cleaner on it, because, where this motor is going to turn, they're not turns yeah. So that might have to be a video for another day, because we're not getting anything out of that again that that could have been put away already.
Screwed up who knows fan of generator turns kinda, just not the motor i'm gon na do a little bit of vacuum. Vacuuming out of that, and uh really want to hit it with a pressure, washer and kind of get a bunch of the funk off of it. That we can inside and out, i think you just took a vacuum to it, and then an air gun plugs are in it. There's no wires going a couple of them.
Other might just ate them more. It was a problem. One more shot got no tins around the back, possibly what could have happened to it could have run to the point where it overheated and locked up. Just who knows you know just too much guessing on my part chokes closed that helps, but you never know what it got for green going down inside of it.
This deck lid is kind of busted up, but the water was getting around. I know there was the large gap on the right hand side, so whether the gap was enough of the hood sitting away a little bit. Water did get in it anybody's guess, but it did come with another engine. Let's go give a quick look at that.
Sometimes it's better just to abort and go with something else right. Ah there we go well screw it. It does turn that's a good sign, so that might be a better candidate just to go play with right off the bat i feel like they had rags stuffed in the uh the ports at one point at least one of them is so so so uh. I was hoping that the pressure washer would take off more of the bleach, probably take off more of the mold that is on it. It didn't do very much so i'm gon na go hit it with some bleach and water and we'll see what that does for it. Let that sit up for about about 15-20 minutes maybe go over the whole car. You get the idea right. It's already working see you changing color that'll.
That should make a d a decent improvement for us. Well, it looks like good spots you do a before and after so that's the before, we'll see it's right there about 10 minutes later to use a little bit of help with a scotch brite should knock the rest of it off. That's more like it. I'm just gon na give that a once over one more time around the whole car and i'll run around scotch brite give her a little uh little cuffing.
You know hit it with the pressure washer one more time and after makes a big difference. Doesn't it you think the pressure washer would just knock it right off of there, but not so much so we are finally away from smelling like mouse, piss and crap just smelling like bleach one's a little bit better than the other. Just saying i don't like the way it looks uh brian and i we're coming back with it and we decided on a name of fruity pebbles and i think it fits pretty good if you're in the wheel. Well, i see this.
Let's go peel. Some of this back and see what we got look at, that that is, nice already have the moisture made, so it pulled away, but no salt ever was a car, never really driven in the salt. So that's amazing, that's usually all blown out in there. Maybe a little bit right there.
That's awesome! The car's back in and drying out. I'm gon na go put the big fan in it for tonight and let that run just kind of get air circulating through and dry it out. Unfortunately, it has to be done. That's it.
You also just submerge the car in the lake i know, but the fact that everything has had so much mouse piss over everything. If you don't get it all out of there, it's just every hot day, it's going to smell later on on the car. So it really needed to have that heavy wash done to it and there's really nothing in the car. That's not going to get taken apart and or replaced that got wet.
That's going to be an issue, the regulator's rotted right out through the side of it. All the wiring will be fine, that'll dry out. I tried to stay away from the speedometer. Everything else is really not much to the car electrically electrical wise.
This is all the bits and pieces that were in it. Seats are pretty hammered. Those are seat covers that were put over. That's the original is right, there is the white they're beat, but the frames are good for rebuilds and or just try to find other used ones direction to go with this car. My opinion is just to kind of leave. It like a patina or rat rod style and have fun with it. You can go you're going to end up replacing everything if you're really going to end up chasing to make it a really pristine car you're, going to put 30 000 into a 20 000 car. When you're done so it's kind of cost prohibitive.
That's what you like to do fine, but for me i'm going to keep an eye out, i'm going to make a shopping list of things i need and as that kind of comes along when i go to the swap meets i'll gather parts for it, i'm not Looking to go jump on this car right away, i have other projects that are in process and there's nothing worse than starting another one and not getting finished. But i want to get an idea what i had body wise. It's got two of those california plates. What is the deed on that one 73, 74, 73 to 74.
and all bits and pieces, but again all this stuff needs to really be kind of gone through and cleaned out and take through those are bus, those look bigger, they might be bus. You never know what you're going to go find too. You see i'm just going to throw that out, but then you're going through it you find stuff like no. No, i need that got enough.
Lug nuts yeah, so that's the smaller scale. There's don't show any difference. See the difference between the two might be the later beetle too. Again.
We need that ignition switch. That's good! It's like body, there's a body uh pan hardware, so somebody really did strip another car. Everything that was good valve cover gaskets from whatever carolina plates 81 jersey ones. We got and california ones those that are probably the original from this car.
California. I believe the plates stay with the car for us. We every time you re-register a car, you get a new set. Three starters i'll, keep those the generators, probably boogered up and junk that clutch is junk to the mats.
Look like they're, okay, the passenger side mats might be all right, actually that one driver might even come back to after it gets cleaned, and the generator is done that bearing and shaft is shot that clutches junk. The jack should be able to get cleaned up. The oil can is kind of cool the tins look like they're decent, and i really do not feel like going through that glove box with all the nesting material. That's in it, but i'll pick through that too.
So that's what i'm gon na do. I'm gon na take a few minutes, go through all that and i'll relocate them in a new container and put that in the stash, and these were in the garage. These are the containers just had some miscellaneous things in them from the vw's not from this car. That's too early a couple of tail lights, part of the shifter hubcap 67, a headlight that will fit the car horn ring.
That's not for the car and it's a couple: more lights down below lights, that are for a trailer or something, and then a modern beetle. Tail light down below you go painting for gold, we'll shake all the dirt out and pick out the nuggets. That's for a distributor! That's not gon na! Do i'm gon na go take a few minutes, just kind of sort through get rid of all the garbage. That's for a distributor too! That's in there keep out the good stuff and put it up in my stash because you never know when you're gon na need it right. So wow, nothing! It's kind of california hip you own! This thing, oh boy, we even want to look just in case there's a set of keys or something in there. I have to you know, let me um it's nasty. Let me dump this, give you some room. You know crap on top of this fluff part of something that's a pencil and they eat all the wood.
Except for the lid. We got a pen. Let's go work with a pen. I'm wished out see we're going to find a carcass money's falling out some stuff in the back.
Let's go empty that again, i don't see anything in there, but there's some bits and pieces a box or something right there and some metal strips or let something get a good screwdriver. It's a little more stout. You know i can dig and pry that's a it's! A grill, a wiper blade there better be something good in here. That might be a tail yeah.
That might be a tail, and i don't know what that is it's in that box brake parts. You want them. How bad do you want them? I don't think they're going to be much salvageable, all right, just in case you know later on. If you didn't wiper arm more pencils, how about a key come on that was money, more money, i'm calling it and if we didn't look, it would have bothered me.
The whole time pencil sharpener more coins. You know you want me to check the date, all right. That was gross enough. I think there's nothing left in there worth pillaging two 74s and a 59 half inch swivel, no name hey and the bottom of that dirty rotten box.
I was ready to throw out there's the body tag, not sure if it's for this car for another, one, probably for the other one that the parts came off of and unfortunately you know, if you'd be able to see it. It's for 72 volkswagen orange 72 vw. That was done in new hampshire. That's the car that a bunch of the parts were taken off of that i got the taillights and stuff for maybe one of the motors too.
No, that would be a dual port 72. anyway, not good for this car. Oh well! So that's the key pile a little bit more organized and defog. Yes, i kept the oil.
Can those tins are going to go upstairs where the other tins i have and just go in my stash and i'll use them as needed. Starter starters, in that one generator same thing: two steering boxes same thing, box of carburetors upstairs i'll, throw that with that batteries will get uh junk for cores and get used over seats are just you know, pretty much cores that they're only good for but they're for The car, so those four are good. Everything has a home i'll, keep the mats until i do find other ones. If not i'll have those, and then the engine is ready for i will it run. Probably at some point she does look like it needs a little bit of love, but it does turn a little bit all right, guys it's getting late, so i'm gon na try to wrap this one up, but it worked out pretty good. We got it cleaned out, figured out what we needed. I kind of like the look of it. It's a tad bright, but that's all right mix it up a little bit right now we need and the list isn't small, it's a let's say.
But again it's not a total rust bucket. Some people may be disagreeing with me, but needing floors and a little bit on the back of the heater channels. It has a lot of good spots in it that are not normally good on any car on the east coast again just coming from california and then just being parked. Never had the salt water splashed up into the wheel wells, so all that stuff that we peeled away these areas are usually always gone and look at them and pull the yummy coating back and nice and clean that had a nest right there.
So that's what took that out and then the floor pans got a cool look to it. I, like it growing on me, fruity pebbles. It now smells like bleach. Look at that package.
Tray, no damage all right, guys with that. I think we're gon na go sign off on put the fan in there. Let it blow through all tonight, try to dry out the interior, and i'm gon na go put this one in my stash until whenever i'll put this one on the bucket list, i'm already working on a couple of other ones up there that are in mid process. Right now that i do not want to start on another one, but i just want to go clean out, get an idea.
What i had hope you enjoyed hanging out with me and uh doing a little bit of uh hunting on this one and if i have any more i'll try to do the same with this those if this goes over well all right, guys till then i'll see You bye.
I am reminded of my first car when I was 18 in 1978 an Austin A40 Farina wirebrushed the rust out of the floor cut up a couple of kerosine tins then rivetted them into the floor a couple of coats of bitumen tanking compound out of Dads shed and viola the shagin wagon was born 🙂 it was better than that mechanically but the body only looked better,
They CALL TO ME!
You NEVER overcome the Addiction. They have just gone out of my price range now.
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I must admit that Mustie1 is a braver man than I for looking through that glove box without gloves. I would have gloves and a supply of Tetanus vaccine and syringes handy.
Package tray is what covers the area behind the back seat! Who got to clean the windows on the building after you power washed it? 🤣
Why do I find it so damn satisfying to watch someone wash a really dirty car even when it’s completely rusty ?
thank you so much, it was really interesting to see you go through it in such a methodological way, so much more sensible than others I've watched where 'stuff' is just disguarded. I wish you well in your rebuild when it takes place.
Vw Beetle story, Two musicians from the 1970s permanently disappeared after driving off in their Vw Beetles, see my latest up load about that on my chnl, September 2021
or you could use it to make a Dune Buggy that would be cool a friend of my fathers use to build Dune Buggy Bodies and Fiberglass boats , one time I fixed a friends of mines Volkswagon Van it had rusted out rear quarters , batterie tray gone built new one out of fiberglass ,and i repaired the quarter panels with fiberglass, you could even do that bugs entire floor pan out of fiberglass, there are tricks , or you can get new floor pans but the engine compartment is the worst place for rust on bugs .
those old bugs can be a real problem when they get rusted like that engine could fall out lol ,from what I see its a parts car for sure, floors pans rusted out rockers probably not that great , plus the batterie trays always rust out , to fix that you will need BODY PARTS, or you could just push it back and let it RIP .
No salt exposure to eat the fender wells (I agree) — but yet it is fitted with snow tires on the rear?
You should wear gloves when going through what's left of the glovebox. I was once cleaning out nests in my garage when suddenly mites began burrowing into my wrist — the gloves didn't actually help me much. It was the start of an agonizing problem that took a long time to get rid of. I now avoid rodent nests like nuclear waste.
Hello from Arizona. Watching this rescue That was found in the woods, seems to be were many of the cars back east are found. We’ll always find interesting is that folks pull them into there nice clean shop we’re all the Mices and other potential rodents not to mention all the sludge and dirt get all over your shop. Would it not make more sense to do your initial clean out and may be a spray down before coming into your shop. I don’t know that’s just me thinking. I like to keep my garage on the halfway clean side and we’re not enjoy hauling in a mess like that if I could avoid it. Just like to hear your thoughts on the subject potentially. I look forward to seeing how this vehicle progresses as time goes by. So long from Arizona