Winter Project - Dad, Daughter and a Bug

[deadbird]

Well, here's the deal. My daughter, Julia loves old VWs. So I made her a deal. We would work on a restoration project together. She has to bring home A's and B's on her report cards and she gets the car. Bad grades mean the car gets parked. No exceptions.

I traded some of my cast off Model A parts to a friend who had this 71 Super Beetle convertible. Once we got it home I began to wonder who got the better deal, but Julia immediately fell in love with the bug. She even named her Miss Bee, for obvious reasons.

The project started last year and it's become a two winter project so far. It's got to be done this year, because I want to work on at least one of my own projects. All three of them are on hold until Miss Bee is done.

We've made a little more progress since these pics were taken. I'll keep the PhotoBucket album up to date. Spring is coming. Got to have the convertible for the summer breezes.

I'll let Julia say a few words here and post the pics. Check out our PhotoBucket album for a bunch more photos. You'll find it here:

www.photobucket.com/juliagoolia


when we first got her

this is elvis, the doner car (due to too much rust in the convertible)

proof that i actually work on her

scraping off seam sealer (i also had a torch that burnt some of my hair off)

the combo of elvis and miss bee
(dad says i should call her miss beevis)

thats me and dad plus mikes head

my 16th (illinois was dumb and didn't let me get my license)

Hey all who are reading this, Its Julia, I'm 16 and can't wait to get this car done. Like my dad said I love VW's. I'm a real genuine hippie I guess, my friends say so. I'm into art and music and love the Beatles and the Beetles haha. My best friend Ali loves my car and sometimes I think she wants me to get it done more than I want to, mostly cause she has to share a car with her sister, but any way I hope you enjoy it and I guess thats all...

k bye

 

[autoist]

Dad & Julia...congrats! I know from whence you're coming. &, Julia, keep us updated on your progress!

My daughter & I did the same thing when she was soon to turn 16 (she's 36 & a mom now) to a '71 Karmann Ghia.....same rules - all A's & B's to keep the car; otherwise, the big cheese wagon to & from school.

Everything was great until she got a C..."but, Dad, I still have a B average!" "Nope, keys, please." & mom has to back you up dad....it only took that 1 grading period for her to understand words have meaning.

Oh, she went own to graduate the top of her class in college; graduated law school & won a full scholarship to get her master's degree in law in England.

& we're beginning another restorationon on that little car!

 

[3 at 8]

Dead bird, Your a kick *** dad hands down. Mines only 1 1/2; maybee someday I'll get to experience the same thing. Good work and God bless..

 

[tdkkart]

the big cheese wagon

You've got/had Cheez wagons too??

Our daughter's first was my cast-off Hyundia Excel, then she got a Neon(old but LOW miles) that she still puts up with, and I now have an old Jetta that I keep threatening will be her next car if she doesn't graduate college and get a job.........

 

[nissan_crawler]

Awesome father/daughter project. Great bonding experience, plus it builds valuable skills for later. When that car battery dies in the middle of nowhere, or the starter quits, you'll know what to do.

 

[bugdust]

Nice to see another team effort. Keep up the good work.

 

[mad57]

Awesome!!! i hope that when my twin daughters (now3) get old enough they will want to have a classic car, the wife has a bug allready so it looks good great build lots of luck and fun later mike.

 

[goodfellow]

You' have my sincere respect. Taking time with your daughter on a project like this -- mine couldn't care less about these things, but she does take time to visit her old man in the garage regularly just to "shoot the breeze".

It works for us -- also the fact that I'm restoring a 69 XKE may have something to do with her sudden interest in the garage. All her friends ask her if she will give them a ride when it's done

 

[deadbird]

When that car battery dies in the middle of nowhere, or the starter quits, you'll know what to do.

That's at least part of the idea. She's taking a lot of pride in knowing how everything goes together in this car. We're installing the new wiring harness now. We watched the bug-me video together. About half way through it, Julia turns to me and says, "I have absolutely no idea what he's talking about." We're both learning as we go.

Last summer she was talking to a guy friend of hers (senior in HS) about the project. He couldn't believe she knew how to do some of this stuff and told her that he hadn't even changed his own oil before. She told him to pop the hood and she would show him. When he couldn't get the hood open she told him he was hopeless. We don't hear much about that guy anymore.

Her schedule has been a little tight lately, so not too much shop time these days. It's too freaking cold anyway. Once the wiring is all done, insulation, carpet and upholstery come next. She'll have a big part in all of those tasks. Keep watching the PhotoBucket pics.

 

[sam 8]

Right on, deadbird.
I have hundreds of pics of our family in the desert with the quads and the sandrail, my sons still do it but my spine is trashed so I cannot. We have the shop, tho, and a couple of projects. The boys, now 21 and almost 25, talk to their friends and tell me how lucky they were to do the things they did when they were young.
So many come from broken, (in way or another) families that don't do anything together other than sleep in the same house. You, and all of us who take the time to nourish the bond in some way with our kids are doing the right thing.
I spent 25 years in law enforcement and can tell you without a doubt that the youngsters who have that bond have a leg-up on the world and those who grow up without it.

 

[bugdust]

I just checked out all the pics. You guys have done a very good job on the vert. We're not as far along as you are but we're getting there...slowly. My little 20x20 shop is all metal and not insulated so we're not out there much this time of year. It was 15* this morning...this is Florida!

 

[nonhog]

Great stuff you both have going on there! I told my 11 y.o. if he stays out of trouble, (drugs, attitude) and gets good grades and keeps them . That we will build up a 68 Dart for his 1st car. (My 1st car too) I did warn him it may be his 1st car but may not be the 1st driver. (depending how rough the project is )

 

[NO1SMAD]

Great team project, dad thanks from one father to another. This is a rare thing today. Built one hot rod with my son when he was 16 and had a great time. But my oldest daughter is my mechanic Kelly..do a brake job, Kelly..pull the shaft, Kelly..drop the pan, you get the idea. As a new school teacher I cant seam to get her back in the garage with me to many freinds to many projects for her students. So dad enjoy every minute you have in the garage.

 

[JCQuick]

Very nice project I was in the VW business for over 20 years and still have a 69 that I bought over 30 years ago. I'm sure you will enjoy the convertible when your done

 

[deadbird]

I just checked out all the pics. You guys have done a very good job on the vert. We're not as far along as you are but we're getting there...slowly. My little 20x20 shop is all metal and not insulated so we're not out there much this time of year. It was 15* this morning...this is Florida!

Just hang in there man. You two are making great progress on your bug. I don't get much done either when it gets below freezing. After a full day at work and a 30 minute commute home it doesn't leave much time for my little salamander to heat up the garage. Weekends are about the only time we're very productive. At least we can bring the little parts into the basement to hit 'em with the spray paint during the week. The wife loves that!

Oh, by the way, the low this past week was 2 degrees with a gentle 30 mile an hour breeze outta the north.