TheSamba.com :: View topic - Vert Down Under

Sat Aug 25, 2012 4:15 pm

How quickly a year goes. August see's the first aniversary of my Karmann Cabriolet coming home...

Australia never saw the Karmann Cabriolet imported in large numbers, only a few to test the market from what I understand. So down under if you wanted a convertible you got out the gas axe and chopped the top of your sedan and made a crapy top to keep the weather out!

I picked up the late 50's vert from a guy who imported it from California. "Rust free" etc etc

Well that was a year ago and I have been battling with rust ever since. But one year on metal is finally being welded back into the vert not being cut out!

Sat Aug 25, 2012 4:22 pm

The vert's going to take a lot of work. How do you eat an elephant... one bite at a time. That's how.

So rather than just a cronological rambling, I though I would share each small victory as they are achieved.

The first new metal to go back in is the rear quarters. The vert has been a victim of a rear ender at some stage of its life and the previous PO's had not treated it well. The rear apron was a screwed in mid 60's job and the rear bumper mounts had been "repaired".

Sat Aug 25, 2012 4:28 pm

So, a rotisserie build later and separating the body from the pan, it was time to start blasting to expose the work ahead.

The rear quaters were a sight to behold. Amazing what you can do with some screws and body filler!

Sat Aug 25, 2012 4:37 pm

So the disassembly begins.. first the bent and twisted engine side tin.

Sat Aug 25, 2012 4:49 pm

So the rebuild can start.

I picked up a 58 sedan shell as a donor but very badly rusted in most areas. The rear quarters were shot as well. From the same bloke I got some parts out of a ex racing 58 that had been rolled. Basically a heater channel cut but the roll over had twisted and bent everything. Unusable but good for bits and pieces of OG metal.

I put the call out on the Aussie VW forum for some OG rear quarters, but no luck. So repro panels will have to do..

Well not really... The Klokkerholm panels are not a good match for the late 50's vert. The bumper mounts are wrong, the fender nuts are wrong and they are missing the fully rolled bottom lip like the original.

Sat Aug 25, 2012 5:00 pm

A trial fit up showed that the over all shape of the repro panel is ok.

I decided to rework the repro panels to make them look more original. The first step was to recover the bumper mount of the rolled 58.

And then remove the repro bumper mount.

This pic shows what a roll over can do.. just a small amount of tweeking required ;-)

Sat Aug 25, 2012 5:08 pm

Then to recreate the rolled bottom lip like the original..

A wooden form using the original quarter panel as a template.

One for each side..

The rolled lip being formed. The kick in the middle needed some cut and fill to get it to work.

Sat Aug 25, 2012 5:20 pm

Then to weld on the bumper mount using the original as a reference for position.

Square fender nuts removed ready for original nuts to be welded back on. The nuts were recovered from the OG panel.

This pic shows how much extra metal the repro panels have. This will be trimmed off once on the body so as to blend in.

A clean up and a trial fit...

nearly there...

Note the OG nuts and that the very end of the panel has been trimmed to match the original.

Sat Aug 25, 2012 5:26 pm

Several points were used to align the panel. The fender bolt holes, the lower edge and the wiring hole.

Starting from the rear the panel was tacked into position. I did it this way so that I would not create a bulge in the panel. This was not my first attempt at welding on the body, the first attempts were not pretty but a long learning experience with the grinder. More on that later.

Sat Aug 25, 2012 5:40 pm

Using butt weld clamps and moving from the back of the panel the new panel is in position.

Continued welding, spot by spot, the panel was in and the grinder was out in force. Even though I used the butt weld clamps the joint still needed some panel beating to get the contours to flow from old to new. But I'm very happy to say the least. Only the smallest amount of filler will be required

Sat Aug 25, 2012 5:44 pm

The next step was to trim the lower and rear lips to blend things back in to the body.

I'm really happy with the result. Not OG but as close as I can make it.

One down, one to go...

Sat Aug 25, 2012 6:20 pm

More Pictures of the car Please. Dash, Under front Bonnet, More, more, more.
Looks like you have a late 63' vert. decklid (if it's real?) only made for a few months. Do you have a Wood main bow or Steel? Doing some nice work down there on what I call the Big Island. Spent a little over a month in Oz. late last year. Very nice country you live in. Saw several VW's cruising around down there. We hit every city it seems except Darwin.

Fri Aug 31, 2012 10:01 pm

I will endevour to put up some more photos of the vert.

Why do you say that it's a late 63 deck lid? I don't think it's correct for the car but finding a replacement in Oz is very unlikely.

Great to hear that you loved your time down under.

Been busy working on the LHS rear quater today. Hope to get it welded in towmorrow and will post some more pics.

Scott

Sat Sep 01, 2012 10:40 am

The Stamping change in mid to late 63' I believe to make way for the new License Plate Light Housing. This is my understanding, some Beetle owners would love to have that Decklid to make their cars correct. :) My eyes might be playing tricks on me but from the picture the pressing doesn't look like it curves down to the bottom of the light housing on yours. Good work on the sheet metal so far. Keep em coming. And yeah I miss the Bay Bugs and Shrimp.

Sat Sep 08, 2012 2:57 pm

Finally got the LH rear quarter on this weekend. Same process as for the RH side. I recovered the bumper mount of the 58 donor panel and removed the repro bumper mount.

Sat Sep 08, 2012 2:59 pm

For forming the roll on the bottom edge I tried a different approach this time. For the RHS I did it on the bench and it was hard to hold and form. For the LHS I did it on the body and I was really surprised how easily it went.

The tight roll at the very end I still did on the bench.

Sat Sep 08, 2012 3:06 pm

As per the RHS I modified the tip of the panel and weled on some recovered fender nuts. Sandblasted clean and then hit the inside of the mount and panel with some primer to help keep the rot out.

Then welded the mount into position. I think it looks a little better than the one that came with the vert ... :lol: :lol:

Scott

Sat Sep 08, 2012 3:12 pm

Another "final" test fit...

Sat Sep 08, 2012 3:18 pm

And then into the welding. The same again, worked from the back to the front. On the RHS I had some trouble with the panels wanting to peak up at the join so I played a lot of attention this time.

Still had to massage the joint a bit but better than before. Next panel I think I'll take it even slower again..

Sat Sep 08, 2012 3:28 pm

I'm hoping that someone on The Samba will be able to give the dimension between the quarter panels. This is my chance to tweek the panels before anything else gets welded back in.

Thanks

Scott