06/30/2026
We were recently contacted by Bob at Dandini's Servicing VW and Audi in Uptown Westerville, who asked for our help in restoring a 1973 Volkswagen Beetle. When I picked up the vehicle and brought it to our detail studio, it brought back memories of my 1964 and 1970 Volkswagen Beetles, which I had owned as a kid. We thoroughly detailed the exterior, using a clay bar and iron treatment to remove rust, and then applied a one-step paint correction. Since the paint was not the original and appeared to be a budget-friendly, one-stage application, I proceeded with caution when working on the vehicle. Upon completion, the car's gloss was impressive, and I was pleased with the results. To add extra protection and gloss, I applied a System X Ceramic Protection Pro+ 6yr ceramic coating. Next, Caiden worked on the interior, carefully disassembling and steam cleaning the entire area. When working on this vehicle, we had to be extremely careful, as the original 52-year-old fabric and leather were showing signs of aging. Caiden and I were impressed by the fact that the 52-year-old interior, complete with original mats, had held up better than today's quality standards. While it is rewarding to work on a vehicle like this, we often do not get to see the customer's reaction. After sitting idle for several years, the owner decided to drive it again, and Dandinis did an excellent job of getting it running reliably. We then added the finishing touches. The vehicle felt like new again when I drove it back to Dandinis today, and I hope the customer is extremely satisfied.
In this post, I have included the before pictures at the end, showcasing the transformation.