Tallulah Beetlebug

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Dash Pad Install

As I mentioned previously, the new dash pad appears to be very high quality, but at a glance, you can see it's not an exact match to the old one. When I got started installing it today, it became very apparent this was not going to be plug and play. First, I had to cut off a b...

Defrost hoses

I picked up this washing machine drain hose at Lowes (Lowes link) and it fits perfectly without the need for clamps. I cut both ends off, then cut it in half. It's an 8 foot hose, which is way more than I will need, so I can cut each side to fit. Since Dupli-Color engine ename...

Kick Panel Speakers

When I ordered the new vents for the dash install, I also added fiberglass kick panels to allow me to install front speakers. Because I have spent so much money already, I did the sensible thing and ordered Pyle speakers (Amazon link). I have had nothing but good experiences w...

A Few Easy Wins

With all the failing that has been going on since I dismantled the dash, I felt it was high time for some easy wins. When ordering the new padded dash, I added a few other parts as well. My ash tray face doesn't have the shift pattern printed on it, as I have seen in lots of p...

Fresh Air Fail

The overnight rain that was supposed to finish up around 9AM lasted until noon. Once I was able to get back outside to start piecing together the guts behind the dash pad, the first thing I noticed were these two plastic hoses, all cracked and broken. They run from the center...

The New Padded Dash Has Arrived

As we saw last time, I had to order a new padded dash and it has now arrived. The new padded dash seems to be very high quality, metal reinforced, and made in USA, which means different things to different people (re: PT Cruiser). It is not an exact match to the one that came...

All Hopes (Padded) Dashed

I have been putting off recovering this padded dash for a while. Knowing that I tend to overthink things and that my man hands aren't well suited for this type of project, I asked my sister to help. She is super crafty and much better at those types of things than I am. I had...

Just a quick one

One of the pile of interior tidbits I ordered was a new gas pedal rubber (jbugs link). The old one was in pretty bad shape. On my way out to the grocery store, I decided to pop in and replace that real quick-like. I struggled a bit at first, trying to figure out how the new pe...

Rear Seat Part 2 - The Backening

In what I promise is the last post about refinishing the seats, we move on to the rear seat back. Disassembly It is closed back, kind of a fiber board material with a vinyl coating on the outside. There are metal trim pieces screwed on to the top and bottom edges. They unscrew...

Refinishing the Rear Seat

The Spring Tease has passed and we're back into cold, wet weather, so I moved the seat refinishing operations from the front porch to the basement. I laid down a silver Harbor Freight tarp to catch some of the mess and over spray and began the process of refinishing the rear s...