Ed's '71 Super Beetle

[ed]

Here are a few of the "before" pics of my new-to-me '71 Super Beetle AutoStick:








First order of business will be to put primer on some bare-metal-showing chips. I don't think we'll really dig into it until next spring, but we'll probably do some small tear-down stuff like removing the interior. Depends on the weather.

[ghiastein]

Any idea why the roof has what looks like rhino liner? I have heard of people spraying the lower half to protect from rust.

AutoSticks are fun to drive just push the gas and shift very nice for city commuting.

[ed]

According to the seller, one of the previous owners sprayed the stuff on the top to keep the heat down inside in the summer. Before coming to Michigan, it was in Louisiana and Texas, so it's at least plausible.

If the stuff doesn't come off, I'll have to get creative with the paint.

[Dustin]

looks like a good project Ed

[81pumagtc]

Ed:

The stuff was used to simulate vinyl roofs, and was used fairly frequently in the late '60 through mid '80s. The composition is very similar to rhino liner, but it is a lot smoother. It was often used in the south and west when vinyl tops would disintegrate, or when the paint burned off from the sun.

There is also rubberized roofing for mobile homes, steel sheds and the like, which is pretty much the same stuff. I think that stuff is designed to be brushed or rolled on, and levels out well.

As I recall, it was hard stuff to remove, but I'm pretty certain that you can heat it up with a propane torch and scrape it off with a putty knife.

This is why I really hate things like this used on a car chassis or inside. I have friends who have done this with rusty jeeps only to find out that it is very hard to get off the chassis to repair more rust, and if they have put it inside, you are stuck with it. It is easier to sell the jeep and get a new one than it is to clean and fix the old one.

I would imagine it works OK if you have a rust-free body inside and out, but my friends were kids with rusty, nasty jeeps. It looked OK for about a year, more or less. Not so good after that.

Dave