1968 Volkswagen Beetle Is Done

[Ballroad]

On my 73, I had a rattle and buzz from the shift lever to rod, drove me nuts, I can't remember what I did for it....

[mrmike]

Thank you guys!  When it came to VWs, this perhaps is the one thing that stands out in my mind from those days back then.  One thing I have learned over the years is that the harder you play with a vehicle, the more they wear out.  VWs were no exception!  They were meant to be nothing more than utilitarian transportation, but when they got turn into Baja Bugs and dune buggys, they wore out quickly.  I pulled this picture from Google Images to illustrate what the shifter looks like.

[Foxer]

The chassis and engine look exactly like my '68 did.  ))

[mrmike]

Then that tells me that I am on the right track with this VW!

[mrmike]

The Story

Business at the hardware store has been dropping off a little since a big box home improvement store had opened in the next city over.  Not scheduled to work, young McNally needed a distraction from his research and decided to work on the Beetle.  He was able to find a Hurst VW shifter for the Beetle real cheap and he spent part of the late afternoon installing it into the car.  He bought it used and some of the hardware was missing from the box and he was able to find the appropriate nuts and bolts in the garage to finish the install.  He takes the old shifter and tosses it into the trash. 

With his Junior year in high School coming to a close, he hopes to have the Beetle on the road before school lets out for the summer.  Right now, he needs to replace the brakes on the Beetle and check over the front suspension one last time.  Then the picture comes to mind again and he starts to wonder what is in store for him in his research.  After dinner, he goes to his room to study and he picks up his file on the Tomlinson picture and he starts to look through it.  He stares at the picture again and says out loud to himself, "Who are you people?"

The Build

I rummaged through my parts box last night and found a shifter and a piece of chrome plated sprue and drilled a hole in it and flattened one side of it, glued it to the shifter and now I have a Hurst VW shifter with reverse lockout.  The side panels were masked and painted and now are waiting for detailing.

McNally will return...

[Foxer]

That shiftier does the job. Looking good!

[mrmike]

Thank you Mike!

The Story

Feeling a little frustrated, young McNally approaches his Father, Officer Raymond McNally on his day off and he asks for some help or support.  His Father says to just throw the picture away, but young McNally can't do that.  He has spent a lot of time doing research on the picture and the family of the Tomlinson's and he doesn't feel right about abandoning all his work.  His Father says he'll think about it and he walks away from his son, not wanting to be bothered.  He thinks that maybe his father is right and he should just toss the picture away.

About an hour later, a plain Ford Crown Victoria with a whip antenna on the back trunk lid stops at the curb and a tall heavy-set man gets out of the car and approaches Officer McNally who is sitting on the porch.  Ray calls his son down to the porch to meet Det. Brentsen who wants to see the file that Young McNally has made on the Tomlinson's.  Det. Brentsen is impressed with the file and evidence that is in the file and he says that he has to verify everything before he moves ahead with his investigation.  He thanks Young McNally for his work and to Officer McNally for calling him.  Youong McNally then thanks his father for his support.

The Build

I applied a black wash to the seats of the Beetle and to the side panels which I also detailed.  I also detailed the dash.  I'll apply some Tamiya X-22 Gloss Clear to the speedometer as a lens.

McNally will return...

[Ballroad]

I really like the dashboard, are those decals on the speedometer and radio?I believe the L is for longwave, M is for medium wave ( our AM band,,) unsure what the others are for,? Can't wait to see the finished product...!

[Slotto]

Great Beetle! Love the interior

[mrmike]

13 hours ago, Ballroad said:

I really like the dashboard, are those decals on the speedometer and radio?I believe the L is for longwave, M is for medium wave ( our AM band,,) unsure what the others are for,? Can't wait to see the finished product...!

Thank you Perry and Steve!  Yes, there are decals for the speedometer and the radio.  I never looked at the radio decal until now.  This must be one of the little things that makes this a European spec car.  Once the body is on, you really won't be able to read the radio face.

[Ballroad]

I'm also an Antique radio person, have a house  full of treasure's, I notice stuff like that, I really like your color choices...

[mrmike]

Thank you Perry!  I can understand how you can notice things like this.  I use to collect antique radios as well including an old multi-band receiver that was a from the 1930's.  It had an AM band and several shortwave and long wave bands.  Now I have several CB radios including a telephone style that my father once owned and several Police/Fire scanners.   

[mrmike]

The Story

Friday afternoon and young McNally is leaving school and heading towards the school bus when he sees his father standing next to it.  His father wants young McNally to witness the takedown of Richard Tomlinson as he feels he is owed that right.  All the research young McNally did on the Tomlinson's has checked out as reliable information and a warrant was issued for Richard's arrest for Embezzlement and Lying to a Police Officer.  They get into Officer McNally Ford LTD Crown Victoria and drive over to meet up with another officer and Det. Brentsen.  When Richard get home, they will all head over to Richard's house and make the arrest.

The word is given and the three Police Cruisers head over to Richard's house just around the corner from where they had staged themselves.  Det. Brentsen parks in the driveway just behind Richard's car and the two Cruisers were parked on either side.  Young McNally watched as Richard was read his rights and handcuffed.  This made the teenager feel good about all the work he had done.  But, that all changed when he looked over at the front door and watched with horror as Richard's wife and young daughter was watching from the front steps of their house.  Now he didn't feel so good.

Richard was taken down to Police Headquarters to be questioned and processed.  Young McNally sat on a bench in the hall waiting for his father to come out of the Detective's Bureau.  Around 8:00 PM, his father comes out and takes his son to dinner at the Comet Diner, just down the street from HQ.  Young McNally asks about the arrest and if Richard's family knew about the embezzlement and Officer McNally says he doesn't know.  Officer McNally says there is a point where the investigation should end, either with the investigating officer or hand it all over to the detectives and let them deal with the investigation.

The Build

I gave the Beetle another coat of paint after a good wet sanding.

McNally will return...      

 

[mrmike]

The Story

It is Sunday night and young McNally is in his room reading.  He hears the doorbell ring and his Mom answering the door.  His Mom calls him downstairs and to bring the picture with him.  Downstairs he is introduced to Mrs. Clara Tomlinson, Richard's older sister and she would like to see the picture and he shows it to her and she smiles.  The older man and the young girl in the picture is Everett's best friend Clarence Jenkins and his granddaugther, Lisa. 

Clarence had passed 10 years ago and Lisa is married with three children of her own and living in Colorado.  Young McNally says she can have the picture which is a copy of the original which the Police have and Clara thanks him for the picture and offers to pay him for his time and research.  He says she owes him nothing for the picture or his time spent as it was an education for him.  Clara thanks young McNally and his Mother, zips up her overcoat and leaves the house, getting into her car and driving away.

Young McNally's Mom congradulates her son on a fine job done and he says he needs to talk to her about something...his future.  When he graduates high school, he is going to join the US Army and study Criminal Justice instead of going to a Community College and studying Finance.  His Mom says that whatever field he chooses to go into is fine with her and that he has her full support.  This make young McNally very happy, but his last year in High School was very difficult on him as his parents split up and eventually divorced while he was in the Service, his Mom disappeared into Boston's High Society, his best friend Johnny thought he was jealous of his girlfriend and got mad and stopped talking to him, and his father became a drunken Police Officer.  Life can be so unfair to a teenager. 

The Build

I have finished my '68 VW Beetle and it is posted in Under Glass.  I would like to thank all those who have taken the time to view and to comment on my WIP.