How to chop, drop and tweak the tail of a super beetle?

[Templar603]

I am looking for some information. I am building a rat rod and want to chop and drop the roof and tweak the tail out a bit on a 72 supper beetle I am parting out. Here are two pictures that have started me down this road. As you can see they have been chopped and it looks like the tails have been pulled up a bit. This could just be the angle of the pictures but I like the look. I have my own ideas on how to achieve this but I was hoping not to have to reinvent the wheel. Any guidance would be appreciated.

Jared

[chrisflstf]

Drop the body and raise the tranny

[Q-Dog]

The one in the desert has the engine in front. The blue one is a photoshop.
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Brian

'69 Dune Buggy
'69 Beetle Convertible
'70 Beetle

[Templar603]

Ya I am planning on doing my engine in the front I just like the lines on the both bodies. However how do you know it was photoshopped?

[oldskool]

I can tell from some of the pixels and from seeing quite a few 'shops in my time.
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-chris
www.primer3d.com

[Templar603]

So any guidance on how to get the Body Lines like the beetle in the deser?

[oldskool]

I built 'The Chopster' about 12 years ago. Here's the (backwards) build log:
http://chris.chemidl.in/category/mechanical/the-chopster/
It started off as a 63 that somebody cut the roof off of. I added a 65 roof, 55 window, 63 ragtop hole, etc.
It was never really done, but I daily'd that for a while.

Don't take this as a dig, it's just an observation: just by the questions you're asking, it sounds like you've got some studying to do. Time to do a ton of reading and decide what you want - *then* to figure out how you're going to proceed. You can't make it front engined without basically creating a new chassis. The taillights that look 'pulled up' are a set of motorcycle blinkers on one, and Ford taillights in the decklid on the other. Besides, your biggest issue will be getting the chop proportions right. Most bug chops suck and make the car look like it was stepped on. If you pie-cut the car, you'll preserve the roof's curvature. If I was to do it again, I'd pull an extra 3" out of the body rather than extend the roof.

I had very little welding experience before that project, but I got better along the way. You will burn a ton of hours, but learn some cool stuff during the build.

By all means, don't let me discourage you. Please go to Volksrods.com and read everything. Like really, everything.[/url]
_________________
-chris
www.primer3d.com

[Templar603]

thanks for the information I really do appreciate it. as I said in my first post I have an idea in mind but I was just hoping not to have to reinvent the wheel. I have done a lot of research and I found the three main ways to chop a roof and was looking for some opinions. but maybe I should tell you little bit about my background I am a seven-year veteran CNC and manual Machinist now working at a company that makes optics for NASA in the military. geometry and cutting metal are my bread and butter this however is my first attempt at a car. as far as Volksrod.com I have tried several times to open up an account there and for some reason it never works.so once again thank you for your post

[oldskool]

Sweet.
With a machining background, build a really clean one. A lot of them are hacked together junk like mine was.

That brown hebmuller-stye one that was at the 06 Classic with me was a really solid build. Do one like that.
_________________
-chris
www.primer3d.com

[Templar603]

Ya this is going to be a little bit of a good enuff job because this is a practice run for another rat rod I am building. I have a 1929 model a four door sedan that I want to do but I figerd I would get some experience on this beetle seeing how I picked it up for 600 so if I screw up I don't care.

[Q-Dog]

[oldskool]

^
|
Oh so old. From the late 90's?
_________________
-chris
www.primer3d.com