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So what do I plan to do to my bug. Well I
have thought about it for a while.... and... wasn't that sure at first... After
lots of surfing around the net and going to UK VW shows the choice was between a total resto.. classic and original in every way, or would it be a custom.. I took a few things into account in making my decision, these were:
StyleCustom or resto classic that is the question.
I already have a customish VW bus... they are great, however this bug has all
the original parts. So dumping then would be a real waist and a loss to the
history of the bug. Would it put any longer term value on the bug... probably
not. I could always go from retro to custom, but the transition back from custom
to resto could be a hard one. I have finally decided on a resto classic
look... with some custom. They custom will be the sound system and an adjustable
from beam. Level of finishWould it be a showstopper or a pile a crap? I
don't want the later, and a showstopper would be going a bit too far. Something
in between the two would be the target for the bug. Not a full on perfect
replication of an original Beetle but something near it. Not mint in every area
that I would be unable to drive for fear of scratching it, but a daily driver
that looks nice and clean. BudgetNot wanting to break the bank and leave me
without food on the table, a concourse bug was out of the question. I want this
to be a fun project that does not take every ounce of cash. However, I realise
that money has to be spent. With these facts in mind I set an overall
budget for the bug of £1000. That includes the bug purchase cost.
Well under budget you may think. Well not if you do all the work
yourself, not if you purchase all the materials from trade suppliers, not if you
hunt about and ask a load of questions, and not if you salvage as much of the
original bug as possible. My skill baseNot being an expert in any area of automotive repair, my skill base is far from expert. In fact every part of the restoration would be a learning exercise. As time passes my skills would increase... an example is the need to weld the bug... Start with the area's that cannot be seen, learn how the weld, improve the skill on another area that cannot be seen and so on....Spraying the bug would be very taxing. I have sprayed twice before, first time everything came out great, second time not so much luck... a really crap spray job on my bus... Amount of time and commitmentThe plan is the spend a period of 6 to 8months restoring the bug. Starting in early October 2000 and finish in April/May 2000. In fact it is my wife's Birthday in May... would make a nice present for her... As for commitment... I don't think the lack of commitment is an option.. since getting the bug I have been working on it nearly every day. Last Edit on 25/11/2000
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