Tim k’s 1967 EJ20 powered Volkswagen build

[Timk]

 

Long time follower, First time poster! 
 

Thought I would keep a build thread of my next slow burner, this one is a ‘67 I’ve had since 2017. Looking back it was 1st Jan 2017 my late father and I picked this 67 up from gisborne- dragged it back to Wellington and realised what a state it was in. 

Progress will be slow for a little, but I intend to post up from 2017 to now in coming weeks, months. 
 

cheers !

[Timk]

2016, I just noticed I had the year wrong.. I was 17 the time and when we arrived to pick it up in gisborne, it wasn’t quite as great as initially suggested.. 

 

A deal was made and it came home with us, after all it was a running 1300, live rego on hold, complete car. Just rotten. 
 

Initial inspection suggested new lower 6” all around. Floors. Sills, pillars. Bumper mounts. Aprons. And bottoms and edges of every panel. Was a little gutted, so looked for an easier vw to put on the road. 
 

stumbled across a 67 Beetle  that was averagely repaired, but went with it anyway as it was sound. 4L of red oxide and as many new bits as I could afford on an apprentice wage, I got around in that 67 on and off till 2023. Couple photos of said 67 attached 

[Timk]

So fast forward to 2020, that announcement for a lockdown, and by then, the poor blue 67 had lived outside for a number of years- parts pinched off it and neglected. But I had a few weeks to kick into it, ordered 

-heater channels (sills)

- lower a pillars 

-rear quarter lowers 

door skin bits and pieces (utter rubbish quality) 

- rear end repair sections. 
 

we raced up to levin to collect it from where it had been under some trees, and brought it home. 
 

((I am struggling to add photos as files are too large- someone iPhone savvy able to help me here with easiest method ?)) 

 

As soon as I’ve sussed the photo thing out I’ll update again probably tonight 🤙

[Timk]

Rigggggght here we go ! Successfully file reduced - found a user friendly app.. thank for the help there! 
 

 

Anyway, back to rusty Volkswagen tale’s

 

here she is dragged back via workshop, quick waterblast to reveal the cool blue ratty paint I bought the car for…

 

From here, carried on home, and got to work bracing the body up in prep for cutting heater channels out. 
 

 

[Timk]

Right so moving on from bracing the body up, and setting door gaps/ widths- 

 

Cut the sill out on Left hand side. Not before taking a heap of witness measurements/ marks/ etc. 

Lower firewall section  (front being the firewall?) also cut out. 
 

Now onto test fitting the new repro sills, which are ok for quality, certainly not amazing, as they make them for 50-70s cars which varied in profile/ shape etc but the black panels are ok for the “non purist” restoration. Certainly would feel criminal fitting to an Oval beetle 😀

 

From There, drilled the spot welds out and split the heater channel (heater channel/ sill - I’ll alternate the name 😆)

 

And then properly  welded the captive nuts inside the lower plate. They are known to spin free 😬 

 

Thats it for another days update- this was 26th March, 2020  

[Timk]

Right soooo

 

after welding the nuts in properly, and running a m8 tap through all the holes , I properly painted inside with some epoxy primer,

then welded the two halves back together and ground welds back. 

 

The replacement A pillar was next- same deal, replace the junk captive bolt plate for an OG one and replace the strap that holds it in there to move around to adjust your doors 

And then after some fiddling and such, ready to tack and test measure the heights and things, comparing to my red beetle (handy having a car to measure off)

 

 

 

[Timk]

[Timk]

A pillar tacked in

Then the lower firewall section.

 

((Only have  photo of this fully welded in ))After that, it was onto the inner wheel well where it meets the A pillar..

another low quality black repair panel 🙄And that’s the A pillar welded up. 
 

 

[Timk]

Short update time - 

After that lower inner wheel well was done- for now 

 

I moved into the mounting area for the front guard. Usual stuff, cut junk out, make new piece, rinse and repeat sorta deal.. Rugged old guard fitted up 👍

 

My plan was to repair that blue guard, which I do.. (did) past tense but current tense writing 🤔 - anyway I’ll update on that tommorrow- (28-3-2020) 

[Timk]

New repair panels arrived, usual story need heaps of work to make fit but they are a good start !

[Timk]

Plus old boy had been busy with scraping the factory sound deadner off the back seat area.. 

[Timk]

Time to fix this damaged guard edge up 

 

Thjs guard obviously been replaced during its life has white paint underneath but I like how beaten it is 😅

 

guard edge delete 

 

Then shrinker stretcher action new lip, with holes. Fit to body, clamp guard over and scribe. Cut to fit Welded up and smoothed off Plus repair at the bottom edge. 

[Timk]

Now the headlight bucket surround. The bucket itself was pretty ok, will sandblast up well and use again. The surrounding edge wasn’t

 

same deal as the guard, delete,and make new, scribe and insert 👍

[Timk]

[Timk]

  I’ve realised I’ve not shared why I’m suddenly back into this project and the meaning behind the photo of Dad (Derek) scraping that underseal in that photo above 

 

 

In November 2023, we recieved a diagnosis Derek had cancer, and in June of 2024, we lost him. He was a fighter, and was a best mate to me, we picked this car up together from gisborne back in the day, and he always liked it and told me to hang onto it, that’s why I did. In 2020, when we had that lockdown he did his best to help me (he was a driver, not someone who repaired cars-those who knew him would know what i meant 😅) and it was a great Time. 
 

Dad always wanted this car for himself. With plans for my life involving marriage and moving out etc, it didn’t make sense for me to have it- it got put away for a “rainy day” and 5 years later, he’s passed, and I’m going to tinker away at it (with a kid on the way!!) till it’s done- as he wanted it 😊

 

except 

 

Dad hated Subarus, and Subaru engines.. so I get the laugh there 😬

 

couple photos over the years, I got the VW “bug” from him as he grew up driving them! 

Last photo, there is his 46 pickup we rebuilt the entire underside on in 2021- shiny underneath, junk on top- shiny paint jobs are a waste of money he always said 😆

 

personal chat over, back to rust haha 

[Timk]

Onto LH rear lower quarter panel /attach to sill 

 

repro piece poor fit again

 

also guard bolting section piece made up and welded in no photo of it smoothed off 

 

Then RH lower guard repair using a donor piece 

[Timk]

Next section, Rear bumper mounts/ engine bay sides etc 

 

photis speak for themselves, lots of measuring etc, and one side at a time 

[Timk]

Next up, I repaired the apron. This is going to be removable, so it gets clamped in by side guard bolts x4 and then unboltable inside the engine bay itself with some mounts I made up. Again, photos speak for themselves Plus made side filler plates that hide wiring going to tail lights and other wiring. I’ll likely remake these now different

 

[Timk]

Carb access windows, as in 2020 I was planning on future proofing for twin carbs 🤢 

these will stay, I did stuff up a bit and the bolt holes are way too close to the edges so I’ll have to see what I’ll do here..

Oh and more repair, repaired the Lower firewall (rear firewall??) and engine bay side trays, although these are likely coming out now with the Subaru, I’ll see how I go- at te minimum I’ll delete the spot weld on seal holder all around as not aircooled anymore.