1966 Beetle Rallye Car

lurch

Teched where is 'up here'? I am from northwestern wisc.

Oakland County Michigan... about an hour north of Detroit. I'm a retired engineer from one of the German auto brands... you know, the one with the round logo 

You worked for Opel?  

Michigan is a wonderful state . I was there when I was a kid many, many years ago. Dont remember where only that I liked it. Lets see a round logo? Wellthat could be several makes depending how you look at it. Well you are retired now so enjoy life and relax.

Lon:

        Talking about Opel? Remember the OPEL-GT? We had one in the shop that was my paint mule (The front was toast!). One Day I got a bug, you know where! I pulled it out of the Bay adjacent to the Paint Booth. I cut it back to the Firewall. Found another that an 18 wheeler removed the back from!

       Put them Both together and when she was done, I kept her for my advertising vehicle. I learned that little trick from my Police department jobs! The whole trick was locating a spot that helped Hide the welds and doublers. If it had a frame we usually bought an intact frame from The salvage yard. So Fords and G.M. makes got new frames if the bodies were Joiner Jobs!

 Unlike Models where you can use a ruler on, I had to have a Frame Jig and Alignment machine. If It didn't meet optimal Measurements It was stripped! Those were how my guys were taught the trick. Some got so good they left me for the dealer shops. I paid better, but, they wanted the Attention I guess!

Yes, I remember the mini-Vette GT.  My very first car was a 1977 VW Dasher Wagon.  Somebody had wrecked the front end and welded it back on.  I had some great adventures with that car - it weighed next to nothing and somebody had removed the 1st Generation emissions controls.  It had 85hp but moved like a scalded dog.  

You're giving the term "going the extra mile" new meaning with this one. 

Aint it fun playin' around with the 1:1 cars? Got any pics of that Dasher Wagon? 

I don't have any pictures, alas.  But it was a cute li'l wagon.  

Mustang1989!

      My swan song in that business was outstanding. The SecondGen, Riviera By Buick. I had one come in and when the insurance totalled it I bought it from them. The back end (From the rear door pillars) to the Bumper was toast. I salvaged the interior parts and the front. No Computers then remember! I got on the "Red Phone" hotline and found a rear end that came off a car right in the middle of the Door Jambs. Down in New orleans!

     When the Rear Clip arrived I got a total surprise! It was the same color inside and out as the front parts I had. Sooo! I wound up with a completely rebuilt Buick Riviera Gran Sport, With the factory performance package and no one knew it was two wrecks put together to Re-Create one of the most Beautiful Machines( I Thought) that G.M. ever made in Steel! I wish I still had the photos. Wifey had a New one and It was Cocoa Brown Metallic, it too was the Gran Sport performance version. Mine was Light Pearl looking Mint Green. Original mileage on the front Half? 685, that's all! Mileage on the back Half, 155! Both were wrecked before that year was one quarter over! 

Hey! I remember the Dasher

        Cute little car for sure! I even wound up with a wrecked (First Year, Honda)  And I thought that Fiat 500s were small!

Got a mild case of Covid last May, but started sufferring badly from long covid afterwards. the Brain Fog made focusing on this project all but impossible (hence my abscence here). Been improving lately, so we'll see...

Before Covid, the clear coating adventure turned into an orange peel nightmare. More wet sanding and polishing of the non-decal surfaces and finalizing the holes and pins for the side mouldings are my next challenge.

Hope to post an update soon.

J.