During the fall and winter of 2021, I restored a 1962 Volkswagen Beetle. I rebuilt most of the systems in the car, including the brakes, electrical and wiring systems and did all the paint and body work on the car. I also rebuilt and upgraded the engine with standard heat riser tubes, a Solex carburetor and an original Volkswagen air filter. Below you’ll find a gallery of the finished car, along with a few photos of the ‘before’ condition.
The (mostly) finished car, with newly painted wheels and new tires and a rooftop luggage rack.
The interior and carpets were replaced and upgraded. I decided that a crimson red with white piping and accents would complement the pearl-white exterior nicely. The driver’s side seat was replaced because the springs were broken. I also installed a bamboo parcel shelf under the dashboard for some extra interior storage.
Engine and brake work in progress. With faded blue and gray paint, missing parts, and no interior, this car was in poor condition when I bought it. I changed out many of the engine parts for new or used original parts. For the brakes, I changed out the drums, the brake shoes, the brake fluid reservoir, the spring assemblies inside the drum, and pressed new wheel bearings and bearing races on all four wheels. I finished all this work with an oil change and a full-system brake fluid bleed.
Above: Driving to work on west Burnside on a snowy morning in February.
Below: How it all started.
Overall this was a very stimulating project. It increased my attention to detail and I was able to relearn some various paint and body working techniques, along with gaining a wealth of knowledge about these cars. A carbureted engine is quite different from a modern fuel injected engine, and carbureted engines are still in widespread use in aeronautical applications. It was also quite fun to drive!