A productive 1/2 day. Sliced out the old worn section and gradually reinforced and plated over grinding each time and filling with weld careful not to warp the panels. Two minor fires from the gunk within so I just cleaned it out with the grinder. No more flames.
I’m very happy with the results. It’s not ment to be pretty. Certainly won’t be a show car but all in all the replacement plates folded much easier than I anticipated. Simply tacking in the right spot and tap tap tap with the hammer and punch till it’s all just right. The cardboard templating helped a lot to get everything just right.
Until tomorrow.

After a long break a couple of mates stirred me from my hedonistic ways and came over to motivate me to start body repairs. This afternoon we removed the running boards, wheels, guards and a door. Need an impact driver to get the other door off so that will be Wednesday.
It was nice having Toddy and Paul lend a hand and have a few laughs whilst we fumbled our way around the removals. As usual things were worse than expected with more rust oxidizing around the windscreen. More plating at some future stage.
Some pics of the cancer below. I’m yet to cover over the shelter so at this stage I’ve just got Bunyip living under a tarp as the rain has been torrential. It’s winter here down under so the days a short. Even so I hope to venture out into the back yard over the next few weeks and improve the situation. Stay tuned. If your not subscribed then do so as I’ve resigned from Scouts and even though my budget is zero my time to work on her has substantially increased so more posts to come.

WTB – Type 1 Front Seats.
Seeking cheap seats to suit a Type 1. Nothing flash. Just ordinary seats.
Please contact me at mrhsie@gmail.com or 0411444334. SMS me and I’ll call you back.
I’m located at Lake Macquarie and building a baja on a budget so if you can help me out I’d be grateful.
Appreciate if you could ask around.
Regards,
Bronze. Ref: http://forums.aussieveedubbers.com/viewtopic.php?tid=88309&page=1#pid823171

So Karma paid me a visit. As soon as I had resolved to stop dicking around the lady with poor decimal placement the phone rang. It was a fellow Volks lover nearby who had a couple of spare tombstone seats. Sure there nothing flash but I’m not building a show car and they would have to be better than the wire frames with underlay I had in the Bunyip.

Regardless they are clogging up his shed and the spouse (God Bless her Soul) wants a tidy up of the garage and he’d hate to see them end up in the bin.

So, all I need to do is get my ass over to pick them up.

There’s something to be said for the VW community.

On my meanderings of the digital ocean of selling and buying I came across a 69 Beetle that had ‘Buy it now’ for $4.45. I thought this a totally reasonable price and the only obstacle would be my wifes approval to house a second beetle. So with consent given I purchased it. Within five minutes it was paid for and a receipt sent to the seller.

Conversations post sale chalked the low price up to a gilted bride, full of bog, out of rego, stolen or perhaps an urgent sale as they were leaving this weekend. All the same the sale seemed legit.

An email arrived in the morning blaming the OZtion software for the wrong price. Another email also in my inbox claiming that I had ‘Mutually Agreed’ to cancel the sale. Now I’m a good one for sleepwalking and have in my time been know to scoff down a few chocolate bars and cakes overnight but never sleep surfed the net while under the influence of unconsciousness. Anyway, long story short the lady that way auctioning the 69 screwed up her decimal placement and instead of $4,450 somehow ended up with $4.45.

Now, I’m sure if push came to shove the law would side with the buyer. Certainly discussions with a lawyer this afternoon believed I could easily win following a day in small claims court. The user agreement is very clear and their is a review process prior to listing an item. That all being considered, driving, owning and enjoying VW is my one true love. After many years of depression I’m careful to not shit in the bed I sleep in. It’s not worth wrecking something you love for a bargain. The truth of the matter is that the VW community is a small one and even if I had continued down the road of litigation and lining the pockets of lawyers I wouldn’t have liked driving it after screwing over a fellow VW enthusiast. We all make mistakes and fortunately for this seller I don’t have the time, patience or inclination to have a second beetle. More so the fact I’m enjoying working on the one I have too much. I’m in no hurry and buying the 69 would doom the bunyip to the “To be done one day” pile of jobs around the yard.

I’ve just sent off an email to the seller explaining that she needs to be a little more careful in the future. Correct me if I’m wrong but auctions are a risky affair. Risky for the seller and the buyer. The seller must be happy with what they get in in return the buyer is the same with what is purchased, often sight unseen. Essentially my email was, “If your not willing to lose a car at Auction, don’t sell one”.

Anyhow, were are all attending the University of Life and hopefully I’ve learnt that there are things that are too good to be true. Hopefully when I stuff up in the future the people who benifit from my poor fortune will cut me a break. Also, proof things well when selling stuff and finally, karma’s a bitch so best off to be nice to people that stuff up and things will hopefully work out for the best.

Over the last week I have done a lot around the Bunyip and a little to it.

After selling about 11 things on ebay, most of which went for 0.01, memo to self, must set a reserve I did manage to sell commodore seats for $10, a racing seat for $10, an oven for $6.60 and a Toyota Corolla for $320 so that money went into the following.

Shadehouse in place. Yet to be joined.

• Two front rims, tyres and adapters from iMac up near Nabiac
• Master cylinder and slave cylinders
• Relay boxes (1x 8slot & 1x 6slot) and fuses
• Solder, an iron and insulation
• Mig wire
• Sanding wheels and degreaser.

Sadly I haven’t come across seats and rails as of yet. I’ve found some rail at the local wreckers and will sort them at the beginning of next week.

The picture shows some pipe frame work over the bunyip. This came from my father-in-laws neighbors place. She’s 90 and is done with gardening orchids so gave me the shade house. I cut it in half and put it onto a trailer. A couple of mates helped me get it into the back yard and it’s yet to be joined back together. It gets bloody hot here in the middle of summer so this should offer some protection for this and future projects. Once joined I’ll just put a cheap tarp over and then some shade cloth over the frame and adjacent sheds.

Brakes and wiring are next on the list to be done as well as track down some stock seats. Need to also spend a few house inside sanding the interior cleaning it up for some paint and trim.

In other news I’ve run cat5 cable and power outside so I can use my computer (and the net) from my garage. Great for streaming music which keeps me motivated. I get easily distracted by silence.

1. Replace brake cylinders & pads

An image of the interior after removing carpet.

To make the Bunyip mobile two key aspects need to be addressed. The Brakes and seats. At present there are no front seats but more importantly the brake master cylinder and the four slave cylinders that are actuated by the master cylinder. When you push your foot in the brake through leverage each of the slave cylinders which administer the brakes.

The rule of thumb is: Make it stop. Make it handle. Make it go!

Brakes are pivotal and need to be reliable. I’m reluctant to work on the brakes myself but need to know how they work so will be fixing the brakes myself but having the local mechanic inspect my work to ensure they have been done properly and work as required.

Playing with the motor.

A very good friend of mine has given me disc brakes and these are much better than drum brakes. The authorities look favorably on this modification as disc brakes are now found on most modern cars.

(*v*)

2. Install factory seats & rails:

Seating is an important part of the car. Most people install after market seating which then require engineering. I prefer not to have my car engineered and have opted to stick to the factory seats. The problem I have is that although I have found seat rails at a local wreckers, they do not have seats. Fortunately I received a phone call this morning from a mate who has two front seats for me. I just need to go and pick them up and buy a few other items he has for sale. They will need reupholstering but hopefully I can get this done without too much hassle.

(*v*)

3. Plate heater channel rust.

Rear seat and insulation removed.

This rust is not structural and is cosmetic, however it needs to be done properly so it does not need to be redone. Heater channels allow air from the motor to move up from the engine and onto the front windscreen. If they are exposed air does not affectively pump onto the screen to defog the windscreen.

These appear to have been braised in the past but the surrounding metal has since rusted away. Had the job been done properly then the rust would have continued.

(*v*)

4. Replace wiring and connections.

6 Volt Electrics. Playing sparky games.

Although this is not the priority it needs to be done and it wont be as expensive as the above jobs. Wiring is an ongoing task but for not it needs to be functional and reliable. Two decision face me when it comes to wiring.

To 12volt or to not 12volt. Currently (pun aside) the Bunyip runs on 6 volt. There is really no reason it cannot stay as 6 volt as I’m not interested in car radios, two way radios or additional lighting. That being said the current system is very old and unreliable. Even if we did get it functional it wouldn’t take much to make it unreliable again.

1300cc Single Port Flat Four Air-cooled motor.

So, while I have the time and means we will be converting it to 12 volt with the addition of a new fuse box and replacement wiring.

Fittings will also be reconditioned and bulbs replaced to 12 volt. The starter will remain 6 volt as will the wiper motor for the interim. These will need to be replaced eventually as they will burnout over time. I would like to eventually change bulbs to HID and LED but for now the aim is to get it reliable and functional for registration.  Two good mates, Paul and Toddy are keen to have a go at making it all work so I just need to get the materials.

(*v*)

5. Recondition mechanicals:

Starting project.

This element requires the removal of the motor and transaxle for testing, cleaning, painting and replacement of seals and suspension components. Over time the mechanicals suffer significant neglect. This particular car has had seatbelts bolted in, the drivers seat bolted in and wiring spliced in and bypasses of the fuse system. It would be fair to say a part owner just drove it and didn’t care much for the mechanicals so long as they were working. This said, it is important the mechanicals are made reliable. This is a 45 year old car and over time components wear. I need this car to be reliable for my work and also for the safety of my passengers, not to mention myself. While I have the time I’d like to ensure everything works as required.

(*v*)

6. Blue Slip & Register.

Water blasting the floor and firewall.

The end of Stage I is to see the Bunyip registered in Beetle form without any Baja guards and components / additions added. This will require blue slipping to ensure it is safe and meets, if not exceeds the requirements of the day (1965). Engineers have a responsibility to ensure other road users are safe and will be checking over all aspects of the vehicle. I will be using their checklist to mark off each element. I’ve been fortunate to have had blue slipped two Bajas to date.

(*v*)

Stage II

7. Install Baja kit (guards, wheels, cage).

Toddy having an initial look at the wiring.

Legally when you add Baja guards you are not changing the structural nature of the car. So by changing the guards and adding a cage to the engine you are not impacting on the integrity of the vehicle itself. This being said, in my experience, it is hard to get an engineer to take the time to read over the ADR’s and interpret it this way. So to save myself the hassle I will be modifying it post registration and then having it reinspected to endure tire sizes meet ADR requirements.

The second reason I have decided to do this post rego is that the bending and welding of a cage takes time and I’d prefer to have this all done after I’m already on the road.

Preparing the floor for seat rails.

The actual conversion only takes a weekend and do would prefer to do it when I have all the required parts and people will welding skills available.

(*v*)

8. Improve brakes, clearances and lighting.

Stage I is just getting the car up to registration. Improvements are numerous and can be made as funds become available.

Hunter removing glue and insulation.

Such as upgrading to disc brakes and changing the pad type to suit the weight of the car.

Wheel clearances can sometimes be a problem, especially when off-roading and so the suspension my be adjusted as required. Ultimately I would like an additional two inches clearance but as it is swing axle this can only be done well with reduction boxes. Reduction boxes are hard to come by and also throw out the top speed by reducing the entire gear ratio.

Visibility is important to me. Ultimately I would like the headlights to remain on through the day and have the park lights, indicators and tail/brake lights converted to LED. LED lighting is very robust and can stand significant vibration and water immersion. With 100,000 hours functional use it is the clear choice.

(*v*)

9. Cosmetics

Visually I’m seeking what is called the “Rat Look”. Essentially this means the entire exterior of the car looks old and neglected.

Plenty of help to change the Bunyip.

As if it has been driven from a shed or chook pen and number plates thrown onto it. However, although this is the case externally, mechanically and internally the entire car is A1 and if not in factory condition then better. Suspension, pan, engine, transaxle, brakes, wheels, wiring, seats etc are all detailed and kept in pristine condition.

Rat Look has become popular in the last 5 years and is an extension on “The Sleeper” mentality where an ordinary car may have a hidden turbo or larger displacement motor tucked away ready to blow away V8′s at the lights (on a drag strip of course).  Usually to achieve the ‘Rat Look’ the car is intentionally left to rust and weather but is halted with the addition of a lacquer to protect the body from structural rust.

Chandler giving the motor some revs.

I have a better plan.

I plan to sand back the exterior and lay down an under coat. As the Baja will have fibreglass guards that unfortunately don’t rust, I plan to coat the entire car in a special rusting paint that will look like the car is rusting but isn’t actually. This will also ensure I don’t have to spray the car with a lacquer.

(*v*)

10. Why?

“Why Rat Look.? Why can’t you just be ordinary and paint it like blue or green or something?”

If I wanted to be ordinary I’d drive a Toyota or Commodore, not a VW. Many years ago while at Stockton we were exploring tracks off the back of the dunes. I had my previous Baja and while many of the buggy guys with there flash paint jobs they had to  stop as soon as the track became too overgrown. I enjoyed not having to care that my car was being scratched as it was going to get painted one day anyhow.

The Drop Bear playing in the Mud!

With having it “going to get painted one day” for about 5 years I managed to push my way into some of the most amazing places I had ever seen. The truth is, not only do I not want to spend a $1000 on a paint job, but I don’t want to not be able to drive my car where I want to because of it. For me, Rat Look is the perfect alternative. My car is 45 years old and although I’d like to have modern improvements to the mechanical, electrical and interior elements, I’m most certainly not out to impress.

Volksrod VW (Rat Patrol)

One day, far far away I’d like to build a Volksrod. That will be a different story as it will be a street car and unlikely to be pushing down bush tracks. That may have a better paint job but that a story for another time and another blog.

Volksrod Rat Patrol Build.

Aaron and Chandler removing the interior,

Bunyip has been receiving some loving attention. Mostly cleaning years of grease, oil and road grime. Secondly we have been working on testing the electrical system. This has been found to be very unreliable and needs significant work.

The interior has been completely removed as were the seat belts, roof lining  and side panels.

Removal of 46 years of grease, grime & grit.

Mechanically the Bunyip is in very good shape. The motor has been started and tuned after some minor electrical issues with the points. Transaxle and linkages are all in good condition.

Now to come up with a plan of attack.

The next post will focus on various aspects that need to be addressed. I’m fortunate to have a few friends willing to help out. I would like to have the Bunyip up, running and registered by the Sawtell VW Event which is in the beginning of winter. This will ultimately depend on finances, my motivation and the other aspects of my life such as Scouting and my employment.

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