1973 German Look.....?

Well I picked this car up in a trade a while ago. Didn't really need another car but...... I have had it up for sale for a while now with only two or three nibbles so I decided to start piddling on it. Maybe if it is running and driving it will make for an easier sale.... If not then I should at least have another fun car....hahaha

The plan is:
- put it together for as cheap as possible <$500
- kind of German Look

Exterior
- Satin paint w/ stripes.....? Quick spray and go I will fix stuff later if I still have the car
- Wheels....? 8 spokes have to go..... I have some BMW wheels......
- Lowered for sure! Adjustable plates and the beam has adjusters but still need spindles and maybe narrowing
- find some bumpers!

Interior
- Clean, grind and coat pan
- No dash pad, it was cracked up any way
- new front seats....?
- bed liner the engine compartment

Mechanical
- Wiring! After getting in it and looking around it might just get a re-wire....
- needs an ignition switch
- Brakes need to be checked but it has a good pedal
- Wheel bearings need to be repacked and maybe replaced
- Check cv joints
- 1600 dual port for now... Fat boy exhaust....
- all new fuel lines


How I got it







Started sanding



Five cans of satin Ivory

It will look cool, on that color and the BMW wheels.

Finished the rattle canning. Still have to put the front fenders..... Sorry for the crappy pics but it made the car look better that way so I didnt retake them....

So I finally pulled the motor that I got with the rail buggy out from under the tarp today. Still spun over good with no clunking and good endplay.

So I started busting it down a little to check some things out. Well at least see how the heads and valves looked and replace all the seals... One head looked almost brand new....


Also temporarely put the front fenders on to see how the car looks....

Going to a good home.....

hahaha, that didn't take long, lol.

With luck it should be on the road in a couple of weeks.

Well, it's home. Going to need a little more work than I was hoping. Work began today. I'll try to get picks up tomorrow. The first thing I'm doing is getting the engine bay sanded, primed and painted so that I can put my engine in, work on the wiring and get it running. I think the issue with the front end is wheel bearings. The ball joints do seem to be bound a little as the adjusters are all the way down. I'll bring it back up a bit and put the new bearings in Monday.

The engine bay should be primed and possibly painted tomorrow. Already got it sanded tonight. gutted the interior and put the pop-outs back in (correctly with the screw plate I had for my '65) to keep the water out. Stopped at summit on the way home and picked up some POR15 for the floor pans on the way home. Boy that stuff is expensive.

Bryce if you see this. Did you have a key for the locking gas cap? And do you know if a '73 had dual circiut master? Cause it has brakes, but one of the rear lines isn't even hooked up.

My '72 has a dual circut system...

I also have a brand new set of '73 only rear fenders,
your's look pretty good, but one never knows...
Keep us informed.

KC

Pics!!!!! We need pics!!

39coupe wrote:Bryce if you see this. Did you have a key for the locking gas cap?

If it has a key it is in the car somewhere other than that I dont know....

Attorney Isaiah Loophole wrote:

39coupe wrote:Bryce if you see this. Did you have a key for the locking gas cap?

If it has a key it is in the car somewhere other than that I dont know....

Figured that. Not a big deal, I'll get it off.

Also just wanted to thank you again. I can't believe how rust free the car is. The wiring is a little scary like you said, but I'm still shooting for a couple of weeks to have it on the road. As long as we get some nice weather so I can work on it outside. I have my '39 in the garage and my '65 beetle is stripped down in the garage.

This weeks plans are get the engine bay cleaned and painted, get some tires and replace the wheel bearings. Install the ignition switch that I already have for it. Next week fix a couple of fender nuts, paint the inside and touch up some of the outside, use my old fender beading from the '65 and start putting the fenders on.

And hopefully be ready to roll to Renolds with the club in March.

2 and a half hours and I didn't even get the rear apron in primer before the game started.

On the way home.



Also meet this guy from Missouri at Tangers, on his way to Florida.


Striped her down yesterday and sanded the engine bay.



Sanded down the rear apron to fix some bondo cracks.


Also got the front tires off so I can try and find some smaller ones tomorrow. Tried to get the front drums off but can't get the brake adjusters to loosen enough to get them off. They are socking in knocker loose now, hopefully tomorrow.

Nice progress!! You should be ready by Reynolds, no problem!

Was the guy from Missouri headed to Winter Jam?

that was my little brothers 1st car,,it looks great

One rear fender sanded down tonight. All the factory undercoating removed. Sprayed some rust inhibitor on some surface rust around the edges.
Also sprayed truck bed liner in the engine bay. I'm going to undercoat the finders and wheel wells with it as well.

Didn't get anything done last night and probably not tonight. Thinking of pulling my '39 out of the garage and pushing this in there for a little bit so I can put some paint down. It's too cold to do it outside. I just hate putting the '39 out, other than the little ran it saw at the Sugar Hill show that car hasn't seen rain in the 21 years I've owned it.

Both rear fenders sanded and undercoated. One painted.

Hope it doesn't get too cold tomorrow (looks like mid 30's to low 40's). Big work day planed. Got my new front wheel bearings and seals to install, going to Stockornaut to pick up some tires for the front. Then working on the engine swap from the '65 to the '73. And if time allows work on some of the lights.

Had to do a bug selecta for it.

Undercoating on rear fenders:
Before:


After:


Visited Stockornaut today and picked up new tires for the front of the '73. It had 205s on the front and with it being lowered you couldn't even get the front fenders bolted on.

Nice job Eric and your making great progress. What are you going to do with the other bug?

56HAVOC wrote:Nice job Eric and your making great progress. What are you going to do with the other bug?

The '65 is my baby. It's getting the full body off treatment. I'm just trying to throw this one together so I have something to drive over the next few months while I work on the '65.

Kool I know how you feel got to keep something on the road. Well good luck and keep up the good work.

yep- theres so much i want to do to mine- but i know once i tear into it it will be off the road for a while.

Anybody got a loaner for me?