Arrived today!

[Sporty59]

Plenty to do on her but can drive as is while I’m working on it. The plaid has got to go. Need a trunk lock, some issues with horns and turn signals. But a real issue is I can’t get the top to go back up!!! Any suggestions?

[Faulkner]

Matthew! Are you still in Hershey? Stop by on your way back to Maryland and help out a fellow '59-er!

[william0431]

She's a beauty! Sounds like just a few minor things and she will be perfect!

[Sporty59]

Thanks guys! She is definitely a 20 footer. Very solid and dry but with quite a few touchups, a few dents and several dinged trim pieces. I've located a front valance, rear bumper guards, golden commando air cleaner and proper trunk materials, but there will be plenty to do over the winter months. The lower trunk trim piece is beat up the most. Someone added a manual choke, and as of last night I could not get it started so I have to see what that is all about. I really need to get the top up!

[Sporty59]

Today allowed some time to really look the new addition over closely while doing some detail work. After recharging the battery overnight and filling the tank with ethanol free gas, she fired right up after adding a little gas to the carb. A few coolant leaks developed pretty quickly, most of which were loose hose clamps. Another may be a freeze plug, although it stopped leaking after driving. I took the car to the notary to get some plates and was promptly surrounded in the parking lot by several gents curious the year while drooling over an Exner masterpiece. There was one fellow that wanted to buy the car as I was putting the plates on it!
A closer inspection under the sporty '59 revealed previous cancer repairs, some yet to be repaired, as well as missing frame to body mounts. Curiously the worst of the rust is on the drivers side. I'm counting on some input from Matt and Ron for proper mounts before enlisting a body shop. I've got to get this repaired before too must driving. Frame is super solid. Body has been massaged in places including the trunk so it's strange the body mounts weren't dealt with at the same time. The driver quality paint cleaned up very nicely, but I am most pleased with several of the chrome pieces. The window frames and bumpers must have been rechromed at some point as they are in incredible shape. The inside window sill chrome has not been rechromed but polished very nicely. Much of the body aluminum has small dents as is not unusual for a 60 year old car, the trunk piece is in the worse shape and would be best to replace...if I can find one!
I've been driving classic volkswagens for over 40 years and they draw attention, but this finned work of art was a crowd stopper on my few Lancaster County stops today, as well as folks yelling "cool car" from their vehicles several times. In short I'm very pleased with the purchase as I knew it was not a show winner but a car that could be brought to the next level over time while enjoying its ride and 361 rumble.

[william0431]

You can buy the rubber body mount kit for a 57 chevy and all but the front mount (under the radiator) will work. It does take a little work to make them fit, you have to grind off a little raised rubber piece off the top of them but they will do the trick.

She is stunning, not surprised she draws a crowd

[big m]

Looks good!!

There aren't a whole lot of convertibles out there to choose from, looks like you did well.

Hard to tell from the pics, but it looks like parts of the floor reinforcement channels were removed when the patches were put in. If so, you'll need to remedy those before the body mounts are installed. There is also a special body mount that only the convertible used, just behind the front wheel opening on each side. On my rebuild thread, Getting a start on the convertible project, there are photos of the underside while the car was on a rotisserie. Those may help you to figure what you'll need.

You'll need to locate the correct metal cups that serve as body mounts, convertibles use only the steel mounts, and not rubber like other models. I'll have to see if I can find one for an example.

---John

[Sporty59]

My picture shows where the mount is missing and if you look closer at the one in the rear you can see it's rusted through and there is no bolt in the bottom! So there is an additional re-enforcement piece also missing? Sounds similar to my old VW convertibles. I take it there are no re-fabricated copies of these pieces out there?

[Sporty59]

John, I can not find your rebuild thread and pics of the chassis / frame on this site. Please post the link, sorry this site gives me great difficulty! Thanks!

[Faulkner]

If you haven't read about John's rebuild, you're in for a real treat! You can read all about it here:

viewtopic.php?f=47&t=986

[Sporty59]

Thanks Dan! Still getting used to navigating your website!