Finally done with the left heater channel :-)

The rear quarter panel shows the typical vw-sign of wear and tear....so it had to go as well. I did not manage to finish it all up tonight, but the new part seems to align up quite nice. Some small adjustments next time, and then the lower part of the channel will be up next! =)

The heater channel has been bugging me for quite some time now, and today was the time to start sorting it out. Oval57 had recently brought me an excellent piece from one of his vw-journeys, and this was carefully welded in place. I felt a bit sweaty when cutting out the rotted old metal, but the reinforcements held....and the door gap still has the same measurements as before =)

Tonight there were some parts to pick up, so I only managed to finish up the welds on the channel from last time. Next up is butchering the rusted parts of the channels, so I also reinforced the body with some steel bars.

With very good help from Fürsten, I managed to get a good start on the rear left heater channel/inner fender tonight. It's funny how you always have to cut out more metal than you anticipated in the first place.... The end result looked quite good, I have to say. Still some more to finish it up, but it kept me smiling all the way home :-)

One of the last evenings before new years eve, I spent an fruitful afternoon in the 6v garage toghether with Oval57. After welding the rear bumber mounts, we separated the chassis and body, mounted the body in oval57's "body-roll" and tipped the -50 upside down. The welding will now be much easier....and a good thing that is, because the lower side of the heater channels looks a little "moth-eaten".....

Not much to report lately - have been using the last several evenings in the garage to make some kind of order in all my parts and junk...Ordnung muB sein, right?

The preparation of the -68 1300 "F" engine from 12V to 6V as a spare engine is also nearly finished. After a thorough cleanup, painting, some new gaskets and fittings, a power pulley and a bugpack muffler, it should provide a good daily driver for a 6V car. =)

Before and after pictures tells it all....?

Not much progress to report on the '50 lately....

But time is spent weekly in the garage on other things though.

This week we primed Oval57's 52 split. I had consultant help in the garage also, she brought out freshly baked buns, jam and also a white table-cloth "to make things around here a bit cosy" as she put it... =)

The priming went okay - and we look forward to the final coats next week!

Mid-july....and the rainiest day ever this summer....

Hitting the wet roads with the -56 is quite okay, though.....larger engine, big tires and wet "tarmac" makes driving both funny and challenging....especially in roundabouts =)

I'm lucky that my old man also enjoys driving vw's - he drives '63 1200 - converted to a american roadster cab.

Earlier this summer, he shod the cab with new whitewall biasply tires - drove up to the vintage race "flåklypa grand prix" in Gudbrandsdalen and back again - a hefty 1000 kilometers in olny 36 hours.

With only a original 1200 engine and no cab - I call that hard core. He finished 5. in his class also, by the way.

RESPECT =)

All sun and summer at the 6V garage.... I want to have the wheels and rims ready when I start to work on the '50 chassis this winter. So yesterday I spent some hours in the sun grinding and prepping the wheels for paint. I'm going for original wide-5 wheels, just had the rears widened to 5,5". The new, 5.5" rim parts are of course original Kronprinz stuff.... =)

Started to prime them as well... =)

Thanks to oval57 for giving me two "NOS" spare wheels!

The summer has so far left little time in the garage – this is anyway the time for driving…
Let the kid handle the steering wheel on an empty parking lot the other day – he was thrilled.
We might have a future vw-nerd here =)

A little check with both fenders, decklid and bumpers on....the parts seem to fit together good :-)

Celebrated part of the national holiday in the garage this year :-)

Replaced some sheetmetal behind the left rear bumpemounts - and trialfitted mounts itself and "the dolly". Looks good so far - next time I will trialfit the rear fenders and the correct split bumper. That's gonna be fun! :-)

Sunday service... =)

I'm going to lend Oval57's "garage-dolly" in order to weld my heater channels....but before I can attach the body to the dolly, I have to repair the rear bumper mounts...they are completely missing!

Managed to get a good start today - the mounts itself will be added next time - I need some further reference points before I weld it in place...

Collecting more parts...

The other low-voltage boys are starting to get their rides together, and I kinda start longing for getting there myself...especially as spring are coming these days.

Yesterday in the garage, I swapped these little guys with Oval57 - correct parts for the old -50... He got a well used pair to match the captain instead.

Not being able to do welding in the garage this last week because of winter vacation at school, I just had to do some shopping....

I try to not shop things for my split before I need them, but just had to have this when I saw it advertized by a fellow vw nut here in Oslo...

A NOS Indy Hurst gear shifter for VW =) Looking at the box will make my soul be at rest until the car is finished and my right hand can work on this beautiful piece of vw history!

Report from last night in the garage!
My first shot at welding the heater channels....
This side required some small pieces welded in, it now appears to solid and strong. Some grinding will make it look a bit prettier as well....I hope... ;-)

And on the more "fun" side.... Yesterday I completed welding on the left inner front fender. Also started to work on the heater channel, as it is kinda moth-eaten... Will continue this later this week, I hope.

When the engine was finally dismantled and cleaned and ready to fit the 1600 ccm set....it would'nt fit!! Turned out that the engine was in fact a D-engine...which translates to a 1200 ccm 34 HP Sparkäfer engine....bad luck really - as we pulled it out from a -69 deluxe, and Sparkäfers aren't that common i Norway... So i had to start all over with a 1300 "F"-engine, pictured here. Boring, boring....!!