Proudly introducing Brewster - 1972 Squareback

[5thPhantom]

Some of you have seen him already in general chat, but I thought I would start Brewster his own thread to keep up to date with the work that will get done on him over time.

Here he is - 1972 Square currently handpainted some fairly eeeeky turquoise colour and looking a bit dusty after 5 years in a garage!!!






The love affair began last weekend, when I spotted him for auction on Ebay. Come the end on Wednesday evening, it turns out I upset at least one or two members on here by being the winning bidder (sorry guys, but I promise you he will be SO loved here! ), and began making arrangements to transport him from the garage he has lived in for the last 5 years in Croydon, back home to Stoke-on-Trent.

He has two previous owners - from 1972 to 1980, and then the most recent owner from 1980 until this week. Sadly the gentleman is now in ill health, and Brewster has been garaged up for the last five years and now reluctantly passed on - I hope he gains comfort in knowing that his pride and joy will be loved and treasured.

Brewster is one hundred percent original and stock, and has obviously been maintained to a massively high standard. The engine burst straight into life when asked, and it is hoped that with a good clean up and a service when he arrives home tomorrow afternoon, he may just go straight through his MoT this coming Tuesday. Fingers crossed!!

First job after that is rear seatbelts to be fitted to keep my two youngsters safe in the back, and then will get on with enjoying him for a while!

Can't wait for him to arrive ... likely to get no sleep at all tonight!

[furrytom]

Good work mate, I saw that on ebay.

I look forward to seeing how it turns out for you.

[Grenade Girl]

Interesting colour Cracking car though!

What are your plans for it?

[5thPhantom]

Interesting colour Cracking car though!

What are your plans for it?

I had a gorgeous Beetle in VW Turquoise a while back, but I think this is a rather mangled attempt to produce the same colour ...!!

Anything aircooled that lives here is stock, stock and more stock.

I will spend the next few months collecting various period "trinkety-bits" until he has a completely period look - he shouldn't really be too far off already, but I think a fair few of the bits and bobs may need replacing for a smarter look!

Bodywise he sounds in spectacular condition (I have yet to see him for a real as a friend viewed him for me before I bid on the auction), and should need very little to get through MoT, hopefully on Tuesday. There are a few bubbles of surface rust on some of the panels, but nothing major - the short term fix will be a good rub down and some primer (which will make his look even more biarre for a while!), with the intention of then taking him off the road next summer for a couple of weeks for a full respray. Much as I want to make him one hundred percent original, I can't *abide* his original colour (Sumatra Green), but I will go with another original T3 colour from 1972 - probably Kansas Beige.

He's never likely to be a show winner, but he will be a beautiful stock daily driver to love and cherish for years to come!

[5thPhantom]

He's here!!!!!!!!!!!

Arriving home earlier this afternoon ...




MOT preparation underway already!




The first job - VZi stickers in place!!




38 years old - can you believe it?!










The only spot of welding that is needing - after 5 years in storage!!




Welding in progress ...







Still shiny after 38 years!




Can't get over how mint the interior is ...!





I'm done now ... honest ...!

[5thPhantom]

Passed MOT first time today - woooohoooo!!!!

[Editor]

Well done.

Please send me your new email - I can change it on the admin page. At the moment you're not getting reminders of threads you are trying to follow, or pmail - they're all piling up in the forum email account! dave@hallvw.clara.co.uk is best.

[5thPhantom]

Sorry Dave - have just replied to your PM now that I've seen it!

Have been out in Brewster for the first time today - its been about 3 years since I've driven anything aircooled, so there were a fair few bunny hops and ungainly swerves, but I had an absolute blast, and its already starting to feel familiar once again. I've missed the experience so much!!

Rear seatbelts will be arriving here tomorrow, so that is tomorrow afternoon's job. Next on the list will be to rub down and primer the worst of the rusty spots on the bonnet and rear wings, which I am sure I will find a rather therauptic task next weekend!

[Danny Lord]

Awesome congrats on the MOT

[5thPhantom]

Rear seatbelts all in place - not too much swearing in the process, and I was actually useful to my poor long-suffering and hard-working husband instead of standing around looking like a spare part!

The kids (4 and 6) get their first ride tomorrow to school - they can't wait!

[5thPhantom]

My girls (4 and 6) are already in love with Brewster - the youngest one in particular is going to be such a petrol head when she is older!!!








Random photo of Brewster in the carpark where I am lucky enough to work - probably one of the nicest photos I have of any of my dubs!!

[5thPhantom]

Brewster has had a bit of a tidy-up today to start getting rid of a few surface rust spots until we have him resprayed next year. Its nothing hugely exciting, but its the first ever work I've done on one of my cars (under the watchful guidance of my husband! ), so I'm feeling very proud!

Rubbing down to begin with ...










The rust-eater stuff doing its thing - yuck!






And the first hand-painted coat of primer in place before we ran out of daylight ...




Unfortunately it seems that Brewster was last painted with a non-cellulose paint, so there has been a bit of a reaction with the cellulose primer where it has touched the top coat in a few spots. I think we will end up rubbing down the entire body bit by bit over time and putting primer on it for now just to keep it protected until next summer when we do the full respray. Or can you get some kind of barrier to put on first before the cellulose primer to stop the reaction? Its only a few tiny bubbles, but after working so hard to flat it all down first, it was a bit disheartening!

[rustydubs]

a ha! i so nearly won this car. lucky you. i ended up buying a white square 1 owner from new (ebay).

its looking good, keep the pics coming.

[5thPhantom]

So many people have tried to lynch me after the win - I couldn't believe he had been so popular! To be honest, I was astonished the auction didn't go higher in the end, and would have been prepared to not far off double what I got him for. He'd still have been worth every penny!

Congratulations on your new ride!

[blueridge]

Barcoat sealer stops most reactions.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BARCOAT-SEALER-AL ... 41507aeaf8