TheSamba.com :: View topic

Tue Dec 01, 2009 7:58 pm

I think I would be pretty proud of saving that car..what are your plans for it when the rust repair is done? Are you going custom or stock?

Tue Dec 01, 2009 8:23 pm

Thanks for all the kind words guys. Plans right now are bone stock with a dp 1600. I am going to powder coat the tin red. Not 100 percent sure though. May go gloss black on the tin.

Wed Dec 02, 2009 3:52 pm

Well, today I did some powder coating. Needed a break from welding, so I tackled the drivers rear brake drum backing plate:

The inside was severely pitted so it didn't come out as nice as the side you'll actually be able to see when it's on the car. Looks damn good though.

I also cut out the rusted engine compartment shelf. Need to buy some metal to fab the rusted area behind it so I can patch it. I trimmed down and started media blasting the replacement I bought for it.

On the left is the new one, and on the right is what's left of the old one. There was a rodents nest between it and the tarboard. That's what caused it to rust but not the other side.

There you can see the area I need to clean up and patch. I'm going to buy one of those small media blasters meant for doing a small area. Blast it clean and patch it.

CIP1 sent FedEx today to get my heater channel that was the wrong one. I didn't have it packed so they are coming back tomorrow. Once they get it, CIP is sending the correct one out to me. Should be able to get that channel in over a weekend at some point.

There is a guy who lives about 45 minutes away who is going to show me how to line the replacement pieces up around the master cylinder so I can get my floors done too. I am planning on trying to go there this week sometime.

Wed Dec 02, 2009 6:40 pm

Sweet, keep it up man. I didn't get anything done today, it's raining again and had too much other stuff to do. Plan on probably doing some stuff this weekend.

Thu Dec 03, 2009 10:24 am

Great pics of this build! =D>

I've got a 67 that I'm going to have to replace the heater channels on also. Do you have more pics on what you had to do to get them in? I thought you had to weld a brace in the door opening to keep the body from flexing, but didn't see that in your pictures.

Thanks again for the motivation. I've got some of the same areas of rust as you, but not as bad. Now if I can get some $$$ and get of my rear end to work on mine. :oops: :D

Thu Dec 03, 2009 5:48 pm

swhitcomb wrote:

OOOHH! Beetle Porn! Gotta love it! Uh, excuse me, but your backing plate is showing... :lol: :lol:

Somebody should put the brakes to this sort of thing... :shock:

Sat Dec 05, 2009 4:20 pm

Working on some welding. Pics soon.

Sat Dec 05, 2009 7:26 pm

Well, as promised, here are the pics. I welded some more on the heater channel, trying to fill in some of the missing a and b pillar sections. Also tackled the quarter panel.

The begining. A few rust holes:

Also a broken fender captive nut:

New panel tacked in and test fitting the fender:

Replicated the factory spot welds along the bottom:

Sun Dec 06, 2009 8:42 am

vwbyoy88 wrote: Great pics of this build! =D>

I've got a 67 that I'm going to have to replace the heater channels on also. Do you have more pics on what you had to do to get them in? I thought you had to weld a brace in the door opening to keep the body from flexing, but didn't see that in your pictures.

Thanks again for the motivation. I've got some of the same areas of rust as you, but not as bad. Now if I can get some $$$ and get of my rear end to work on mine. :oops: :D

Sorry should've answered this before. To remove the channels I very carefully drilled all the spot welds. Then I raised the front of the body slightly using the method in the bug me video. A little careful air chiseling and the old one was out.

http://rides.webshots.com/album/575496563bRpcvC

That is a link to every pic I have taken so far.

That's the method I used to lift the front end. It made lining up the holes in the pan really easy. Put the new channel in place, moved it around until the bolts fit correctly through the pan the started tacking it. It did weld a brace in. It's in really low so it may be hard to see in the pics.

Here it is visible

When I do the other side, I will weld the brace higher. It was in the way a lot when cutting the old channel out.

Thu Dec 10, 2009 10:35 am

I showed my wife this and all she said was, if you bought one that bad it would be your bed.

Due to the heavy rust I would suggest fully dismantling it and work on the pan without the body on it. I bet you if you remove the body you will find more rust and it will make it easier to work on.

I bet you are going to have alot of work on your hands. Good luck.

Thu Dec 10, 2009 11:25 am

Yeah as soon as I have all the pieces to fix the pan I'm going to pull the body over a weekend. I think I have found all of the rust in it, now it's just a matter of putting it back together.

Btw, got a package tray free. It comes tonight.

Thu Dec 10, 2009 1:21 pm

Sean are you going to change out the package tray with the body still on the chassis? If so that is what I am going to do with mine. That way you know it lines up with the rear pan bolts and lower body mounts (this is if it has the crossmembers attached)

Thu Dec 10, 2009 1:47 pm

EMPIImp69 wrote: Sean are you going to change out the package tray with the body still on the chassis? If so that is what I am going to do with mine. That way you know it lines up with the rear pan bolts and lower body mounts (this is if it has the crossmembers attached)

Yes that's the plan. Also the reason I left the body on when I did the channels. I was able to put about 5 bolts in through the pan and get it all lined up. Once everything is repaired on the body, I'll lift it and work on the pans and framehead.

Thu Dec 10, 2009 5:49 pm

Well, Tom just dropped this off:

So I am very carefully going to cut the package tray, and some other assorted pieces out of it, and weld them to the 67. Great score.

Thu Dec 10, 2009 5:52 pm

swhitcomb wrote: Well, Tom just dropped this off:

So I am very carefully going to cut the package tray, and some other assorted pieces out of it, and weld them to the 67. Get score.

It is nice to have that much to work with. You can use the extra metal for other patch work.

Fri Dec 11, 2009 4:23 pm

Well, my front backing plates arrived. I had asked the guy if he had any 67 backing plates. He said, yeah sure. He's a VW dealer here on the Samba. I sent him his money right away. I ordered from him because he's in Severna Park MD, so it's a day shipping and they'd be here. That was last week. Today, after a few emails and a phone call, my 68 and up backing plates showed up. When I finally called him on Wednesday he said he hadn't even pulled them off of the car. AAARRRGGGHHHH. Not going to send them back, but over a week to get the wrong part is angering.

Fri Dec 11, 2009 6:30 pm

swhitcomb wrote: Well, my front backing plates arrived. I had asked the guy if he had any 67 backing plates. He said, yeah sure. He's a VW dealer here on the Samba. I sent him his money right away. I ordered from him because he's in Severna Park MD, so it's a day shipping and they'd be here. That was last week. Today, after a few emails and a phone call, my 68 and up backing plates showed up. When I finally called him on Wednesday he said he hadn't even pulled them off of the car. AAARRRGGGHHHH. Not going to send them back, but over a week to get the wrong part is angering.

Do you still need '67 backing plates for the front? I should have a set that I pulled off of my '67 when I converted to disk brakes.

Fri Dec 11, 2009 9:18 pm

How much do you want for them?

Sat Dec 12, 2009 1:10 pm

If you end up needing a "back up" packing tray for one reason or another, you can still have mine.

Sat Dec 12, 2009 4:02 pm

I would brush rust sealer all over that package tray since you have such good access to it before it goes on.