My 1959 Euro Bug

Glad to see you getting Wilma back on the road.

Drove the old girl to work a few times, put over 500 miles on her in the last 10 days. Ran great on I75 and 285, just kept the speed around 65 mph. I have a 40 mile ride each way to work. Since there's no gas gauge, I filled up after running 160 miles, took 4.85 gallons = 32.98 mpg. I filled the 2nd time and covered over 200 miles and used 6.1 gallons.

However, the problem I had with the belt slipping on the alternator has not gone away. I have changed the Gates belt 2 times and have 5/8" of belt deflection. Once you start the engine the belt looks fine, then it begins to flop at idle then goes smooth? Rev it up above 2K and it smooths out until you slow down and it slips? I suspect a pulley problem with the alternator pulley and not the CB pulley.

Well I haven't updated in a while. I decided that I would like my turn signals to actually work, so I bought new 12 volt semaphores. Tried to install them tonight, but apparently the 12 volt solenoids coils are wider than the 6 volt versions. So they don't fit through the opening in the B Pillar. Spoke with Tech support about it and he has never heard of this problem before?? I took some photos and e-mailed them to him at CIP1 to show him the problem. All I wanted to do is have turn signals that worked, sometimes I wish I had a regular US Version of this car. I also ordered new Rader wheels, I hope that goes better than the semaphores!

Well I got the new wheels and tires on Wilma. The fronts are 165/60/15 and the rears are 205/65/15 Cont ProCont AS. Got them through Tire Rack for $394 shipped. Had to pay GA Sales Tax, shipped from the Midway, GA warehouse. The tires ride real nice and are balanced. I installed wheel studs, but had to get different lugs. The lug tamper and size were wrong and sat too far into the lug holes. The wheel construction is nice, but the Clear Coat and the paint are OK, very soft. The 1st lug I tightened chipped the paint around the lug nut and the rest all did the same thing. You can't really see it, but you know its there. The tires clear the headlight buckets nicely, but the beam needs to be narrowed 2 more inches. Its currently been narrowed 3" and the tires hit the outside of the fender in turns. So I will pull the front end out this week for that operation.

I replaced the wrong year headlights with some new WW ones with the adjuster screws at 5 o'clock and 7 o'clock and replaced the fronzen shocks in the rear with new lowered oil shocks. The cars rides way better than the Monroe Magnum "Truck" shocks that someone put on it.

Nice!

Thanks, the wheels and staggered tire sizes really change a vehicle!

I drove her almost 250 miles last Saturday following Tim Baker in Ed's '58 and she never missed a beat. Checked my fuel economy when I got home and it was 31 mpg.

More little things, grinding off the headliner tabs, going to make the interior like a standard model. Started welding up some dash holes too. I can only do little projects since I will be moving soon and don't want to have to move with the car in pieces. I will take a chance with the beam to narrow it more. Luckily the heater channels are nice and solid, but need to do the front and rear clips with the correct ones and a set of pans. They aren't really rusted out except by the battery, but are dented upwards from her days as a Baja.

looks killer danny!

Nice coming together, likin the wheels !

I was going back and forth between Radars or BRMs. Decided to go with Radars since I noticed a lot of cars and buses with BRMs lately.

Well a small update.. Tim Baker narrowed up my beam from 3" to a total of 8". This was done since the wheels were rubbing on the outer edge of the fender openings. Between the CB disc brake dropped spindles and the Raders have made it more like a 4" narrowed beam. I may go with longer control arms to center the wheels in the wheel well openings after I drive it a while. I have also upgraded to a dual circuit brake MC, bent new steel lines and modified the original MC reservoir for a larger feed line. I managed to get all the headliner tabs cut off so now the interior is looking like a standard car. I will try to get a few pictures up later this week.

Sorry I had not posted any pictures, was in the hospital for a few days and not able to work or do anything for a week. Test drove the car today, CB performance brakes are nice and really stop well. Front tires hit the headlight buckets, but will install the longer front control arms in another month or so.

Brad shortened his headlight buckets a little to keep the tires from hitting- might want to consider that as well

Well the 1600 is starting to show its age. Getting blue smoke almost at every start up, puffs when I shift and eats a quart every 400 miles. I think its time for a new engine. Going old school this time with a 1385 cc.

I tore down the 40 horse that Tim Baker gave me last year. It was all original, still had VW bearings in it and the rods had never been loosened. Took my '62 40 horse case to Steve at Pro-flow to get it align-bored, full-flowed and cleaned. I am sending the crank, rods and pressure plate to Jose at DPR machine shop. He will modify the original German crank into a CW crank, rebuild the rods, turn the flywheel down to 14 lbs and modified the 40 horse crank so a 12 volt will bolt on and use the later o-ring flywheel. I ordered some parts today for it today.

That should be a sweet little engine.

I hope so, maybe Steve will be done in the next week with the case.

Well here's an update that has been long over due. The uncompleted 40 horse was traded in a business transaction with Tim and now have a 1968 cc (92x74) engine for the '59. I have been driving the '59 as a daily driver and feel the need for more power then the 1600 has. So for the next few weeks I will be collecting, cleaning, blasting cooling tins and painting for the new engine as well has figuring out the throttle linkage for the carbs.

That linkage was done for a bay. You will be happy with the motor.

Ought to power that 59 down the road good.

bakertim2 wrote:Ought to power that 59 down the road good.

No kidding.

will b nice

Well here's today's update. Pulled the 1600 out, need all the cooling tins for the new 1968 cc engine. Got my new Bug Pack header and ceramic coated hide away muffler. Cut the heat risers off the header, using OEM VW of Mexico small pulley stock rear tin. There are no cut outs for the risers in this tin since those engines are FI on those down South. Cleaning up both sets of heaterboxes and welding flanges on to both exhaust systems to get rid of those gasket/clamp things. Also got a nice 1959 rear clip to replace the later model one.

Update, engine plans have changed. Now Wilma will be running a 2276, the CB Performance case is being cut with Steve at Proflow for 94s. The CB 82 mm crank and 5.4" H rods will be in Friday and I already have the 044 Magnum heads. Going with an FK-44 cam with 1.4 ratio rockers. The late model rear clip has been cut off and the '59 H clip is in place ready for final trimming and welding. I will have pictures this weekend of the current work.

Any updates?

No updates really, the CB bubble top case is at Proflow for machining. Steve found a crack in the #1 cylinder opening due to some really bad case saver repair and had to have it tig welded for me. He is cutting the case for 94 mm and has to deck the case to make sure of the centerline is correct. The car is at Tim's waiting her turn to have the rear clip welded on.

Wilma is home!! Worked on her some this week and got a few more things done. Tim welded on the rear clip "H" apron and it came out nice. The finished welds only need a light skim coat of filler and I just painted it black for now until the restoration starts next year. I also installed a conversion kit that lets you install a late model clutch throwout shaft and T/O bearing on a early transmission.

"H" apron rear clip the '67 backup lights are my actual turn signals


Weld line on left side


Late Model Transmission Sheetmetal


Bronze T/O shaft bushing


Late Model T/O conversion Sleeve