The Restoration ...

With Carl working his magic, October - January was quite the transformational period. To call this phase of the restoration "grunt work" is an understatement. Surprises seemed to pop up when least expected and created some definite challenges that were unforeseen.

From the moment of purchase, I knew that Eleanor had rust issues. Once we had pressure washed the chassis, it became apparent that the rust was much more severe that we had thought. At the front of the car is the front frame chassis support. Because of its unique shape, it is often referred to as "Napoleon's hat." With the years of gunk and buildup gone, we discovered that there was no support, as the rust had eaten clear through. Off to JBUGS I went to purchase the new chassis support. 

Once the support arrived, we had to cut off the original. With that done, Carl got this look on his face that told me things were going to get much more complex. Although the bottom of the central tunnel panel appeared solid, the inside of the tunnel revealed that it was rusting from the inside out. Carl decided that we needed to remove the bottom tunnel panel so we could get the entire tunnel repaired.

Although the inside of the tunnel looked really bad, once the bottom tunnel panel was removed, we discovered that the tunnel walls and ceiling actually had no rust damage. It was just surface rust that was easily removed. After a thorough cleaning and brushing, the area was treated and it was good to go. HOWEVER, all of that rust was coming from the bottom tunnel panel. Although it felt very solid to touch, when we started the brushing and cleaning process, we discovered about a hundred small holes that were caused by rust.

Carl posed a question to me. "Jim, we have reached a point where you may want to consider getting another chassis. I have called around to the different metal shops and cannot find anyone that is willing to recreate this crucial piece. What do you want me to do?" I explained to Carl that the chassis is the most important piece, as it is the only item on the car that actually identifies the VW with a stamped in VIN. Plus, with the cost of VWs, the amount of money I would have to spend for the chassis would not be feasible. 

Carl said he would call a few more places. He said that he could do the job, but it would take a lot of time, as he does everything by hand and the process would be time-consuming and difficult. As luck would have it, Carl was able to locate a fabrication place in Lodi that said they would be able to do the job. Carl provided the specs, showed them a sample of the tunnel panel and explained in detail what we needed. Their response was, "No problem."

Sadly, it was a problem. When they notified us that the piece was completed, Carl went over to collect it. They used thinner metal and their completed work looked nothing like what we provided them. The grooves that are built into the original design are structural. What they did was no where near that. As Carl put it to me, "these guys are huge, yoked out, MC dudes. If they would have told me the sky is red, I would have agreed. Besides, the metal work they did was not that expensive and I can use it for other parts of our project." I will not name the business on this website, but I just hope that they provide better quality work for their other clients than they did for us.

With that, Carl set on his mission to fully restore the original tunnel piece. Much like Steve Austin in the Six Million Dollar Man, Carl knew that he could rebuild it. Not only did he rebuild it, he rebuilt it stronger. He spent countless hours grinding, patching, and bending. Once everything was patched up, he reinforced it. While it may way a little more than the stock bottom panel, the stability it will provide will last another 50+ years.

With a little more touch up to the internals of the central tunnel and replacement of the gas, brake, and clutch lines, we were ready to button her up. The work Carl does will never cease to amaze me.