Hood Fresh 1962 Euro Rag

[thekera]

The rear quarter panel on the passenger side looked ok from the outside, but once I started poking around I started poking through in places. The rear quarter panel is one of those places that is very visible and needs to be done right. I went with a Klassic Fab replacement quarter panel. For the most part it is spot on, it does need work in a few places.

The project, is starting to feel like it is really coming together. Keep posted and thank you.

GOT RUST?

[thomas.]

My driver's side is done on mine also and have moved to pass.side. I've been watching your impressive build from the beginning. I was wondering how you're going to install the defroster hose. The Wolfsburg west one only fits the top outlet. What I did was cut off an old section of the original hose for the part connecting the heater channel. The W.W. hose then fits inside that section. I then used aluminum tape to connect the pieces. It might seem like a hack job but it's a really tight fit.

[thekera]

Thomas, I know exactly what your talking about when it comes to the defroster hose. I searched high and low for that hose. I have some photos in the thread of what I did. I ended up ordering two different size hoses from WW, then I cut a 3" section from the smaller OD hose and slid it in the upper part of the larger OD hose and dipped it in some rubber epoxy. It actually worked well and fits great up top. Right before I was ready to weld the channel in I attached the hose at the channel then had my wife help guide the hose up the A pillar when I was ready to locate the channel a final time.

[thekera]

Hey, for anyone that might be watching this thread, Im in need of some panels. I have been looking from the beginning of the project for a few pieces that I cannot seem to locate or ones I did find were to far gone. If you can help I would really appreciate it.

WTB/TRADE:

- Fender buckets/bowl qty 2

- NOS fenders. I know its a long shot lol

- Good condition german fenders

- Front clip/front quarter

- Front clip approx.: FWD fender nutsert to 6 aft fender nutsert

-1962 front hood. One year only

- Interested in NOS panels or good condition german metal

If anyone knows or has any of these items let me know please. Or if someone might know a good place that re-pops the fender bowls. Thanks for checking in.

[thekera]

I made some more progress on the passenger side rear quarter. I welded in where it wraps into the wheel well and also finished most of the grinding. Pretty happy with how it's coming along.

I also took some time to square away some loose ends that have been bugging me. First was on Mika's front quarter sections I wanted to replace the fender nutsert with a correct style nutsert.

Then on the drivers side rear quarter panel, I went ahead and cleaned up a corner that I wasn't happy with.

Slowly but surely it's getting there. Keep posted for some new panels I found. Thanks for checking out the thread and keep coming back.

[thekera]

Found a new panel I have been looking for! I really want to try and restore the OG front fenders, now that being said the PO had it so slammed that the front tires ate through the fender buckets. It also looks like he might have cut them away here and there. I found these fender headlight buckets/bowls. The quality looks pretty good. They will need a few tweaks to make them completely factory correct.

[charliesnyder]

Top notch work as always! Your lower fender mount stud looks new. How did you go about replacing that?!?

As a impatient teen I thought it was a bolt and cut it when it wouldn't move. Now 15 years later I'm getting to deal with it...

[thekera]

Charliesnyder, Yea Mika's panel is for 1960 and earlier Beetles, It works for later Beetles, the only difference being the fender nutsert being the earlier style. I was gonna leave it the early style but over the months I kept looking at it and it was bugging the hell outta me. I went ahead and replaced it with the correct nutsert. Pretty easy job, just use the replacement nutsert as a template/ cut line.

[thekera]

When I started this project over a year ago the area that I started working first was in the front section specifically the front clip. The OG front clip area was in poor shape. It had been tapped in over the years and was also badly rusted.

I had picked up a donor front clip a few years back from a 1965 that I figured could be cleaned up and made to work. I picked up an Auto Craft Engineering Front apron that I will be using. I will be replacing the bumper mounts with a NOS VW set I found, as for the spare tire tray I planned on using the one from the 1965 donor but after inspecting it, it's feeling a little thin along the FWD edge and would be better to replace. The spare tire tray will also be the only panel in this whole project that I wasn't able to source from a quality panel supplier such as Mika at Restoration panels, Klassic Fab, or one of the other more reputable panel suppliers. So, I will be heavily modifying the Klokerholm panel I had to go with.

OLD PHOTOS, FROM START OF PROJECT:

CURRENT PHOTOS, BACK TO THE FRONT END:

NOW CAN ANYONE GUESS WHAT THE HELL IM DOING IN THESE NEXT FEW PHOTOS? HINT: the devils in the details.

Thanks for checking in and keep posted.

[Mikko N.]

I'm thinking you're flipping the hole 90 degrees to make it symmetric?

[thekera]

Mikko, you got it! Now, I believe early 1964 models were the last to have matching inspection holes in the front. In late 1964 to 1965 VW changed to have the drivers side changed so the inspection hole is flipped 90. I have always wondered why the change? Anyone know? Better access to the steering box? Nice Mikko! More photos soon.

Thanks and keep posted

[thekera]

Inspection holes are now matching and correct for the 1962. Still no one know why VW switched the drivers side hole in 1965?

Keep posted and thanks for following the metal work.

[thekera]

The next panel to tackle in the front end is the spare tire tray. The OG tray that was on the clip looked pretty good, but looks can be deceiving. It was very thin and brittle along the FWD edge. I almost tried to make it work based on the fact that none of the quality panel retailers make a replacement for early 1960's. I ended up having to go with a klokerholm panel reluctantly. Time to make that panel correct.

OG PANEL

Corrected flange on replacement panel

Replacement panel needed a lot of trimming and match profiling.

OG PANEL, matched AFT edge dimples.

At this point the inspection hole on the replacement panel had been bugging me for a few reasons: wrong size hole, wrong hole location, and wrong stamping just to name a few of the obvious lol. You can tell in this photo when I went to check locate the panel.

I ended up cutting out the inspection hole on the OG panel and welding it in the proper location on the replacement panel.

Getting the replacement panel located per my scribe marks from the OG panel took some creative clamping lol. I also made sure and hit all mating surfaces with weld thru primer before burning the panel in with my spot welder.

Keep posted, more to come up front. GOT RUST?

[thekera]

It has been awhile since I have put up a new tool. When doing any kind of welding especially with sheet metal there will always be warpage caused by the metal stretching. Now, in the final stages of metal working a panel there is many different techniques to shrinking the metal back into shape.

I have seen and heard of shrinking discs, they almost seemed to good to be true, so I had to go ahead and purchase one to try. Basically it's a stainless steel disc that attaches to your grinder. You then run the disc over the stretched metal and then either hit it with water or air to promote shrinkage.

Im very happy with the shrinking disc. Im amazed at how well it has worked for me so far. Defiantly worth checking out.

Keep posted and thank you

[Allan Buc]

Very impressed by your work . I must say amazing work!
Question... Or did you find the channel parts for the heater slide?
Do you have a plan or this part or dimensions?

[thekera]

Allan Buc, thank you for the question. If you are referring to the heater channel FWD heat slide doors, Klassic Fab heater channels come with the lower wire installed and the upper track also installed. Basically you just need to provide your own door/ sliding vent cover. I will be using the OG ones from the 1962. I hope that answers your question, if not let me know.
Thanks

[TinCanFab]

I've always thought it was strange they clocked the inspection cover 90 degrees, very cool mod.
_________________
Check out my truck brought back from the dead... http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=420762&highlight=sprayed+blood

They're never really ever finished 58 rag build...
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=658092

[thekera]

Roachdub58, yea, I'm not to sure what VW logic was behind flipping that inspection hole. No one else on here has given their thoughts on it either. I thought maybe something to do with going from link pin to ball joint maybe?

Had to change it so that it was correct to 1962. It was buggin me.
Thanks

[thekera]

So after the spare tire tray it was time to move onto the bumper mounts. I had scribed where the OG ones had been. The mounts were sprayed in weld thru primer and Zero Rust.

At this point, it was time to install the new front apron. I made sure and hit all mating surfaces with weld thru primer first. It took some time cross referencing the Bentley manual and another Beetle to make sure the apron was located just right. Once everything looked good I began burning in the sides with the spot welder. Now the extremely hard part was spot welding along where the apron meets the spare tire tray. My wife gave me a hand as it took everything I had to hold the spot welder in some of those positions. Spot welders weigh about 30 pounds!

I had also removed the horn bracket to remove any hidden rust under it. After, I reinstalled with the spot welder also.

GOT RUST? Thank you for checking out the thread and keep posted.

[thekera]

Another area in the front end that often needs work and is also often over looked is the seal channels. These channels often rust and get bent and banged up over the years. I had removed the OG ones when I started the front end work. You would be amazed at the amount of rust under there.

Once removed I hit the area with a spot blaster. Then I decided to get fancy with the taping and hit the vertical leading edge with Zero Rust and the mating surface with weld thru primer. I hope all this corrosion resistant measures I'm taking will stand the test of time. From here the seal channels were spot welded in at their factory spot weld locations.

Hope everyone watching this thread is enjoying the progress. Thanks and keep posted.