Project: Thor

I recently moved in with a friend and in looking for a job, I’ve landed a new project car to build for said friend. And having done my initial review, I figure sharing some generic key points (as well as specific VW Type 1 points) wouldn’t hurt. 

But before you open a barn or lift a tarp, there’s some mental preperation you need to do – one of the easiest ways to waste money is by jumping at the first car you see and spending months or years trying to find your way to get the car back off your hands. A year and a half ago, looking at a 1983 BMW, another friend and I made that mistake and that car cost as much as its sell price in parts… That afternoon. So, despite any emotional reaction or sense of nostalgia, taking an objective perspective comes first. A basic Bug restoration has cost someone nearly $10,000, after thinking the total project would be half that. (We also figured it could be done in 3-4 months.. It’s been 6 and the new motor isn’t even in yet.)

Second, be aware of market conditions. New car prices are down right now, because used car prices are up in general. And in the case of air cooled VW’s, the price for parts and whole cars has been, and will continue, to rise. Mark my words. You should just scope out used car ads of what you’re looking for. Not just local classifieds, either. Every car has its own online forum and community, and those communities have classifieds, and that will give you a better idea of what people who know those cars will pay for them. 

To recap – Objectivity and Awareness are worth much more than the time taken to gain such objectivity and awareness. Do your homework first, and then you’ll be ready to look at the possible new member of your family.

So, you know what you want and you aren’t going to get attached at first sight. You’re ready to look at the car. 

Call first and ask for pictures of the car via email or text messaging, and study the pictures. Study what they’ve taken picturs of, and not anything they haven’t. The seller will probably provide a description as well, but take what you’re told with a grain of salt until you can actually go to the car. 

And when you do go to see the car, no matter what age, take a look at the tires. Every time. They’ll tell you how the car has been sitting. Are they flat? Are they bald? Are they cracked? Dirty? Tires are an easy thing to look at and gives you an idea of the present condition of the car. 

Next, look for rust. Any surface rust can be delt with, but severe rust will require removal of the surrounding metal and replacing. This takes a knowledge of crafting metal and isn’t something you can just do. 

A note on rust concerning Volkswagens, on later models, the C-Collumn is prone to rust out below the air inlet. Also, something I noticed on this car is the passenger headlight trim ring was covered in surface rust. This was an immediate source of questioning the history of the car, and my suspicion was confirmed that the fender was replaced. A lot of aftermarket VW parts are built in Mexico or Asia, and chrome trim from those places do rust much much easier than the original German pieces. 

Look at the body panels themselves – they should be straight from front to back (Or if contoured, they should have an even contour both sides) and nothing should seem “out of alignment”. Check panel gaps for the hood and doors, they should be even. At this point, open and shut the door, make sure it works properly, and that all the others do as well. Get underneath the car and check for rust holes in the chassis or pan, any corrosion should be dealt with, especially on a Bug, on which the floor pan is vital to the structure. While you’re down there, check for fluid leaks. Check the engine, where the engine and the transmission meat, check any mechanical joints between the transmission and the differential, any of these gear boxes that have leaks will need to be addressed, as the heavy gear oil required for them keeps them from wearing out. Check the oil in the engine while you’re at it, and if you’re savvy, in the gear boxes. 

Any wetness around the wheels or hubs could indicate an open brake line, by the way. So if you could take the wheels off, do so. 

Moving on, all the lights should be intact, athough lenses do tend to take beatings. Same with bumpers, and then any glass. Pop the hood and check out the engine bay, etc.

When you get to the interior, smell for dampness. Feel for dampnesss. Look for dampness. Doors should always have a rubber seal that keeps moisture out, for the most part, and any dampness means you should investigate the metal behind it for rust. Always. 

Moreover, seats can be replaced but check the condition of them, it’ll tell you a lot of the history of the car. Look at the dash, feel the pedals, check the e-brake, and note any potential issues. If you can get a key, test the electrical system (turn key to ON, but do NOT start at this point, and NEVER attempt to start the engine if there’s any question about it’s oil quality or quantity) and look for dash lights, try the signals, headlights, etc. Try the horn, try the radio, but then turn all that off and just sit in the car, because this next part is important. 

I tend to take a zen-ish approach with any car, closing the doors and closing my eyes and feeling it. John Muir, author of a VW book from the Sixties, said this was the biggest part of purchasing a used VW but it works with any car. Ask the seller to let you be alone with the car for a few minutes, and just feel it. You’ve inspected the car, hopefully objectively, but this is where your emotions come in. Imagine driving the car home as it is, do you want to? Imagine driving the car after it’s restored, or rebuilt, or whatever your intended purpose is. Can you see that final product? You’ll have a start and finish, the car as it is now and the car as it will be. Now based on everything you’ve inspected… Can you see the steps necessary to getting from initial point A to final point B? How does this impending journey make you feel? Are you confident? Do you have the time, energy, and money to make it happen? 

This meditation should bring together your heart and your mind, and help you determine how to move forward. Is it worth to you the asking price? Or are you seeing things differently with the owner? Now is the time for a test drive, if that’s possible (and safe) to get a feel for how the car drives, which is the sum of all the potential issues you’ve seen and should show you how the car *is*. Another John Muirism, a running car is constantly telling what its doing and what it needs, and driving is a spiritual conversation if nothing else. Make your decision on the car, decide whether or not it’s worth bringing into your family… Hopefully it is. 

PS. 

I can’t emphasize enough how important the FEEL of the car is, as the feelings you get are directly correlated to how much you will love it. And any car project requires love and dedication to the car, to it’s final result, as what I believe to be the top priority. You can learn anything, but you won’t if you don’t love anything. Cars are built out of minerals and scrap, and nothing is not fixable/replaceable. But you need to know in your heart that this car needs to be treated like your family, or your friend, at the very least, and you follow through accordingly. Forgive its faults and focus on making it right, because your heart wants to bring your new car into new life. Anything else will set you up for failure.