Refurbishing the wanderbug

Week 50 - 19th December '99

Refurbishing the Wander bug

Now it has come to that part of my weekly write-up, where I am going to tell you that my car needed repairing.

But meaningless to show you the repair process. So I would take this opportunity some back ground on this very nice and reliable jalopy that served me so well. For so far and travel so long distances

1 From the previous owner

Many pictures of this wonderful Beetle had been posted up. It about time that I make a record of how this car was like, while I slowly refurbish this poor little jalopy in 1995.

This was how the car looked like when I bought it over from a lady teacher in Klang..Sexy pink it was called.

2 Engine

It had a very conventional 1.3 litre engine. Up to 1968, the car had a very reliable 1.2 liter engine.

There were complains about the lack of power. This new engine was introduced and also starting the decline in popularity,

The engine was striped refurbished. Many components chrome-plated to make the whole compartment tidy and shinning. Fuel pump were striped and converted to electrical. Whatever power the engine generated was devoted to driving the car alone.

3 Transformation from "Pink" to "Dalmatian"

The car was painted in very good 2k solid white. What made the car so attractive?

Its innovative design? Not my idea or creation. I took the pattern of the actual Dalmatian dogs that we kept.Keeping consistent the spread of the black patches. It varied design, sizes and co-relation with one another.Nothing can be more beautiful than what nature had created.

4 Hospital for Beetle

Fenders - all 4 of them are cracking at the mid points. Chassis frame cracked, due to metal fatigue and vibrations over the few thousands kilometers. Constantly for hours, we were at high speed. The conditions off road also have cracked the Chassis in the front and rear.

This week, it would be all about welding. Lots of spots. Then there would be some paint touch-up on those parts repaired and cracked.

On the mechanical side, the exhaust system all the way up to the manifold needs to be renewed. The problem would be, a couple studs for the manifold was snapped off. Got the sunken end on the cylinder head. The engine had to be removed, dismantled for the remnants of the stud removed and replaced with new ones.

Gets more technical and not of a travelogue. OK, I stop the rattling here.

Rather tight schedule for one week. But honestly, this site is about the year. So the car could remain in progressing stage of been attended to, the week's program could go on with another car.

So much the excuses for not being out this week. To myself I mean. I had to be around to co-ordinate

5 My epic Journys

This was not my first "Beetle". I had another on way back in 1982. We too had whale of a time with the car in the open tin mines and forest without roads.

This time, the car took part in sanely type of traveling and beauty contest. Most of it appeared on a website dedicated to the car. Picture right - a couple of garages near my house specializing in refurbishing "Beetles"

Then in the last couple of years, it went on extensive journey. It has broken down in Surat Thani, Kanchanaburi and Lampang.

The many broken roads had also torn many a place on this car.

Then the many hours on high speed. Notably, Kuala Lumpur-Bukit Kayu Hitam was 6 hours. Then Hat Yai - Nakhon Pathom was a 10 hours non stop drive. Talking about adventure. One solo car, a 1969 model pictured here in Golden Triangle. Picture taken in 1997.I did not move in the safety of a pack.

7 My tragedy while on the road

The many broken roads had also torn many a place on this car.