Keepers Bond Bug

This auction-bought project was a proper challenge, but the result speaks for itself

‘The Bug appeared in a

Classic Car Weekly news item back in 2015 because it was part of a collection being auctioned by Mathewsons. I decided to buy it because a friend owned one back when we were teenagers, but it also looked like a challenge and I liked the rarity and quirkiness, too.

‘There was trouble getting it out of the barn where it was stored, but luckily it appeared at the auction as planned, although I had to pay a bit more than I intended – my wife encouraged me to keep bidding! It was in a sorry state, though, with the car in pieces and just full of parts in boxes. There was no steering and the engine was fitted but had no ancillaries.

‘I started work pretty much straightaway, taking the body off so damage could be repaired and the old paint stripped off. The chassis was pretty much new and just needed cleaning and painting, so I could get on with repairing or replacing just about everything else, re-building the front and rear suspension, overhauling the engine, gearbox and back axle and fitting new brakes. I also refurbished the petrol tank and replaced the wiring loom.

‘ With the chassis done I could concentrate on the glassfibre bodywork, which needed quite a lot of repairs, and although it had been re-painted before, I was fortunate enough to find an original section so I could get the paint colour exactly right. I used to be a paint sprayer, so doing the paintwork was easy, although using a small compressor meant doing the inside first and then the outside separately.

‘My friend Paul helped me get the glass back in and final touches on the outside included LED lighting – although the Bug is bright orange, it’s still very small so they help to make it more visible on the road.

‘I was quoted £500 for new side screens, which was a bit pricey, so I made my own using new vinyl and aluminium for the frames, and although I hadn’t done any trimming before I did it all on my wife’s sewing machine, including new seat covers.

‘The restoration wasn’t done continuously, and there was an 18-month gap when I was a bit unwell, but I’m proud to say that I did all of it myself. It was completed early last year, although it’s a bit of a shame that plans to enjoy it were spoiled by the lockdown.

‘I’ve already had someone wanting to buy it, but I’ve not had my fun yet so I’ll definitely be keeping it for a while.’