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1951 Karmann Restoration - L71/L72 Chassis # 1-300420
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54ovsemi
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PostPosted: Fri Jul 26, 2013 12:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Very nice Exclamation this is gonna be one nice vert Cool
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bally
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PostPosted: Sat Jul 27, 2013 8:06 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Great work Will - very inspirational. I am hoping to be starting work on mine later this year so this is a great thread to follow and be inspired by Smile

Thanks very much for posting it all up,

Dave
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oldsplitvw
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 31, 2013 1:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It's been way too long since I updated the thread. Tons of work has gone on, and as always I cannot speak highly enough of the work Bryan Nunes is doing. Every time I get an update from him it just blows my mind. Anyway, just a few quick summary pics of the rear clip:

Fitting
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Welding
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Done
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More to come
Will
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oldsplitvw
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 31, 2013 2:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

More cool stuff for all you split window junkies. These early Karmanns used modified hardtop bodies, with some unique stampings from Karmann. On the doors, the outside skin is one stamped piece, but the inside is a hybrid of sedan door (lower part) with a Karmann piece welded on top. Funny thing is, the weld is in different locations on the driver/passenger door! See pics, the finger is pointing to the seam on each door.

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On the rear quarters, the new top piece was lap welded on with hundreds of spot welds, then lead was slathered into the gap

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Lastly, the piece above the decklid was very, very poorly made. You can even see a huge slug of weld where two pieces of metal were crudely welded together, then covered with lead.
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This car is in the #6,000 body number range, after about a year and a half of production. By this time it seems like the factory must have been cranking hard to get cars out as quickly as possible.

Will
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oldsplitvw
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 31, 2013 2:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

So once again, to give credit where it is due, Bryan fabbed up a new rear piece above the decklid. It's welded on in the same style it left the factory, but dare I say, it is much, much better. Won't need a quarter inch of lead to make it smooth.

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No, that is not the decklid that will be used on the car. Just a temp to get the fit right.

So where to we stand now? All the welding is done, the body is razor straight and probably better than it ever was new. The pics in the thread are only a glimpse of what was done to the car, there are hundreds and hundreds more.

Love the front clip, especially considering the condition when welding started.
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The body as it sits now. The door skin and rear quarter are all metal OG to the car. The front quarters are from the same donor car that gave up the rear clip. In this picture the round nuts have not yet been added for the front fuse box.
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At the risk of sounding nauseatingly repetitive, I need to give huge credit and props to Bryan Nunes Restoration for all his hard work and dedication to this project. His work really is just incredible.

Will
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ian macdowall
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 31, 2013 2:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Excellent work thanks for sharing Cool
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johnshenry Premium Member
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 31, 2013 5:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

WOW. Awesome. Thanks for sharing the work pics and all those little details. This is going to be THE cabrio resto thread....

Very Happy
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Grant Reiling Premium Member
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 31, 2013 7:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

ian macdowall wrote:
Excellent work thanks for sharing Cool

I agree; fantastic transformation underway Will (and Bryan), Razz
I'm excited to follow your progress and can barely wait to admire the finished results! Idea
Congratulations, and thanks for the 'play by play'. Exclamation Cool Wink
Grant
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GERMANAIRE
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PostPosted: Sun Sep 01, 2013 5:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Damn! You definitely have Incredible skills you are taking it to the next level with how you are getting this car back together Very Impressive! Cant wait to see more. Again Awesome skills and Knowledge! Congrats, Peter
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bally
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PostPosted: Sun Sep 01, 2013 2:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Great work and interesting info on the Karmann construction process - I am curious to know why your door tops are different - I wonder if that is a common thing?

Keep the updates coming please it is very inspiring!

Cheers,

Dave
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type4split
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PostPosted: Wed Dec 11, 2013 6:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Any updates on this one?
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D. Haviland
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 12, 2013 6:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Looks like the car went to the right guy. I think later ovals had the hole upper section of the door replaced by Karmann. Instead putting a new skin on the outside. Thanks Will.
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oldsplitvw
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 12, 2013 5:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I can't believe I haven't posted an update since September. Plenty has been done, but the progress is slow going. The focus of the restoration is precision, not rushing to meet an arbitrary deadline.

The fenders, hood, body, have all been completed in terms of welding. Now it is on to bodywork, sanding, paint, etc. Here are some choice pics of the fender that seemed by far the worst.

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Ouch

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New pieces fabricated, test fitting

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More fitting

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Baja Split Vert baby!


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Welded

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Finished. Bare metal.

Funny thing, I was showing these pictures to an anesthesiologist at the hospital where I work. He scoffed, and told me that I could have just ordered a new fender from a catalog. "They bolt right on"

Even funnier, he asked me to keep my eyes open for a 23 window. He as always wanted one, and has "$8,000-$10,000 to spend on a nice one".

Will
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oldsplitvw
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 12, 2013 5:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just some fit and finish pictures. The rear tack strip is NOS with the factory part sticker. Fit is better than perfect. It's nice to see something different than sheet metal being worked on for a change.

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Will
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oldsplitvw
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 12, 2013 5:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Bryan and I have had a talk about the early Karmanns. We've all seen the pics of the completed Beetle bodies (with doors and fenders loosely bolted on) being dipped in the big primer tank.

So what about convertibles? They were shipped partially completed in bare steel, where Karmann completed the restoration. From the looks of it we are thinking Karmann did not complete the dipping process. There are some parts where rust is far worse. We had NOS vert support rails for this project. The inside of the rail was bare steel. It's no surprise that the cars rusted so quickly.

Here are a few pics of the split-only hood support. From the outside it looked great, only a streak or two of superficial surface rust. Bryan thought it prudent to drill out the support and fix it right; I've learned to trust him with these matters.

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Believe me, from the outside it was a 10/10

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Blasted up nice

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Back on, spot welded per factory. Yes, it was sealed before welding

I'll look for some "before" pictures, but the hood was very clean from a rust standpoint. I didn't think it would be so bad underneath the supports. It really makes me wonder about my other cars...

That's it for now. I'll try to get another update in before 3 months go by.

Will
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lovethatconvertible
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 12, 2013 6:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yep, I'll bet there's a lot of hidden rust on all our Beetle's. Yours is coming out
Super. That Tack Strip is to die for, what kind of wood do you recon it is, if you don't mind.
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ZwitterND
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 12, 2013 9:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I took the easy way, masked off the exposed areas and either dipped, sprayed or brushed POR 15, even in the heater channels. Used a flexible inspection scope to check where possible.

P.S. Don't get POR 15 on you....especially in you hair.....especially if have gray hair....um...er..... so I am told.
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bally
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 12, 2013 9:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for the update - some really inspiring work (that fender repair is amazing!) and very useful insight into the rust potential.

Are you planning on dipping it to get primer everywhere?

Keep the updates coming please Smile

Dave
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johnshenry Premium Member
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PostPosted: Fri Dec 13, 2013 7:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Shocked
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sunroof
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PostPosted: Fri Dec 13, 2013 9:22 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'd love to see a tutorial on how that fender repair piece was made!

Don
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