Report on 1973 Super Beetle Replacement Body Panels

[green1303]

I have had a Sumatra Green 1973 Super Beetle since my sophomore year in college (1995). I delivered pizzas in it for two years, and I drove it from Virginia to Wyoming. People backed into it twice in parking lots, and I hit a deer once. The quality of the resulting body work and paint varied from one shop to the next. The car has not been a daily driver since late 1997, and its last state inspection was in 2006. Around that time I rebuilt the engine and replaced the transmission, but some eye-opening cost estimates delayed the body-off restoration. Now I'm able to do it, and the car came out of the barn under its own power. It runs like new.

After spending a lot of time sourcing replacement body panels, here is a report with some information that I could not find elsewhere (at least not in one place). Parts suppliers, stocks, and prices change, so this information is just a snapshot in time. These are mostly large items, and shipping may cost less from a source near you, so I include the locations of some retailers below. I’m not a professional restorer, and I can’t say yet how much modification will be needed to fit these parts. Hopefully other members will comment on any errors or alternatives.

FLOOR PANS

Floor pan halves stamped from 18 to 21 gauge steel (18 was the original) were advertised for 1972 and earlier years. For 1973 and later, many people had commented on 22 gauge floor pans made by Zito Pereira in Brazil. I bought a pair of Brazilian IGP pans from California Import Parts (CIP1). When they arrived, I used an OEM digital caliper (accuracy: +/- 0.02 mm) to measure the metal thickness at 0.8 mm, which is 22 on the U.S. Standard Gauge. Klokkerholm in Denmark also manufactured 20 gauge floor pan quarters, with Key Parts in Lynchburg, VA, as the wholesaler. You had to weld two quarters together to make a full-length half, however, before welding on the seat pedestal and jack point.

After ordering the Brazilian IGP pans, I learned that Klokkerholm had just begun producing both 18 and 20 gauge floor pan halves for 1973 and up, as well as ones for the 1950-70 and 1971-72 models. The 18 gauge ones were available from M&T Manufacturing, BugStuff, and Mid America Motorworks for $170 to $200 apiece, plus shipping. Others may have them by the time you read this post. I got mine within that price range from my local restoration shop with lower shipping costs. The jack point and rear cross brace are not welded on, but the seat pedestal is. Then Wolfsburg West posted 18 gauge 1973-77 floor pan halves from Kaeferland in Germany for $250 apiece, but again some welding of the smaller components is needed. A separate jack point is useful for convertibles, where it welds to a body support rather than the floor pan.

QUARTER PANELS

The online conventional wisdom held that no new rear quarter panels were available for late-model Beetles. In fact, Mid America Motorworks and many European retailers had VW of Mexico 1600i rear quarters stamped from 1 mm (20 gauge) steel, and I ordered mine on sale from VW Heritage in the U.K. They came labeled with VEWIB as the German wholesaler. These panels must be modified for Super Beetles, because the crescent moon behind the rear quarter window is stamped but not cut out, and the engine bay horizontal side panels are curved for fuel-injected engines. The bumper mounts have holes for both 1971-73 and 1974-79 bumper bracket bolts, but only the two holes used by 1974 and later have captive nuts. One of those nuts is used for 1971-73, so you have to add two.

I also bought a right front quarter panel from CIP1, and it came in a Simyi box with JP Group (Denmark) as the wholesaler. Simyi is a Chinese manufacturer, although the JP Group label said that Italy was the country of origin. VW Heritage told me that their Street Style & Power (SSP) front quarter panels came from a Taiwan company, and Paruzzi in the Netherlands listed the source as NAN-JHI of Taiwan (some online searching suggested that NAN-JHI and Simyi may be related, but I will leave it for others to investigate Asian supply chains). This panel is 0.8 mm thick, although the structural reinforcements are thicker. The stamping appears very accurate, and the bumper mount has captive nuts for both the 1971-73 and 1974-79 bumper brackets. If you want original metal thickness, then you need a NOS or used front quarter panel.

FENDERS/WINGS

Original German fenders may need work, but they may fit better than Italian replacements, which are thicker than Brazilian ones. I had only one somewhat rusty German fender left, with a dent from when the bull broke into the barn. VW of Mexico parts and Brazilian replacements are typically for Standard Beetles, and body panels from the lower A pillar back are the same for Standard and Super in any given year, whereas most of the Super Beetle front end is not available as a new VW part. Rhibo/Maxicar in Italy manufactures Super Beetle front fenders, and CIP1 sold me a pair on sale. I could not find Italian rear fenders posted for a 1973 Standard/Super Beetle in either the U.S. or Europe, although Rhibo listed them as a product. CIP1 also offered VW of Mexico rear fenders for 1973 at $140 apiece, but they have 25 mm rather than 20 mm straight bumper bracket slots and thus require a special grommet. Volkswagen Classic Parts had only the right rear original 1973 fender with the 20 mm slot. The VW of Mexico and IGP rear fenders are 0.8 mm thick (22 gauge), whereas my original German and Rhibo/Maxicar front fenders are 1 mm thick (20 gauge). I used the Mexican rear fenders, because they are a perfect fit for my Mexican rear quarter panels.

REAR CROSS MEMBERS

The Klokkerholm rear cross members are each composed of two overlapping spot-welded plates that are both 0.8 mm thick, compared to the 1 and 1.2 mm respectively of VW (the outer end where they overlap welds to the heater channel). However, only the right rear VW crossmember was available, and for the left side I used a Brazilian Centauro replacement, where both plates are 1 mm thick. It is no longer made, and I found mine on The Samba. You have to drill holes in the Klokkerholm cross members (two in each cross member) for the four bolts that connect to the rear cross braces, which support the rear of the floor pans.

OTHER BODY PANELS

The Klokkerholm front inner firewall (cross panel), small rear splash panels, and rear quarter panel or wheelhouse repair sections are all 0.8 mm thick, except for a 1.0 mm structural reinforcement on the front inner firewall. The firewall stamping looks almost nothing like VW's (it is normally hidden under carpet), but more importantly it does not have the captive nut plate for bolts that connect it to the front chassis support (Napoleon hat) and frame head. See this post: www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=423999. Memminger in Germany makes a much more accurate front inner firewall with thicker metal and captive nuts for about $500 plus $100 shipping to the U.S.

Klokkerholm advertises a 20 gauge package tray, which I did not need and have not compared to the VW ones posted on various websites. For a comparison of Klokkerholm and JP Group - Dansk heater channels, see this post: www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=503306. I could only find Dansk heater channels posted as such at CIP1, but many shops could probably get them from the JP Group wholesaler. Memminger also makes them, but they were much more expensive at $875 apiece plus shipping. Virtanen in Finland makes 1.25 mm splash panels (actually the thicker reinforcement plate that is part of the cross member) at $176 for the pair, including shipping to the U.S. They are for 1956 and later Beetles and appear designed to accommodate the old two-hole rubber shock pad under the rear seat.
_________________
1973 green Super Beetle

[green1303]

U.S. ONLINE PARTS SHOPS (not exhaustive)

There are plenty of sources for Beetle parts, and I looked at every website that I could find for every major part that I needed. When buying parts, most VW owners want to consider the manufacturer before the price. My frustration was that most retailers named the manufacturer for very few if any of their items, and when they gave any information at all, it was just the nation of origin. A few U.S., British, and Dutch retailers were much more transparent, but even they did not say where everything was made. CIP1's website usually explained the difference between their good and less good alternatives, where they had more than one choice in stock, and their Christmas sale prices were mostly the lowest that I found. Shipping was free if you bought more than $100 of parts and everything on the order was eligible for free shipping, so divide your order and save. Bugcity had a lot of NOS and used body panels. West Coast Metric and Wolfsburg West make rubber parts, and they emphasize quality in their broader stock. Bughaus and Jbugs have reasonable prices and helpful websites. I do not recommend specific retailers here, because I have bought from few of them, prices change from time to time, and their respective distance from you may affect their shipping costs.

Aircooled.Net, vwparts.aircooled.net (Murray, Utah)
Airhead Parts, www.airheadparts.com (Ventura, CA)
Andy's Auto Sport, www.andysautosport.com (Morgan Hill, CA)
Appletree Automotive, www.appletreeauto.com (Mears, MI)
Bugcity, www.bugcity.com (Berlin, CT)
Bughaus, www.bughaus.com (Tulsa, OK)
Bugstuff, www.bugstuffonline.com (Brownsville, PA)
Bus Depot, www.busdepot.com (Perkiomenville, PA)
California Import Parts, www.cip1.com (Blaine, WA and Langley, BC Canada)
Chuck's Convertible Parts, www.chucksconvertibleparts.com (Manakin Sabot, VA)
Econo International Supply, www.eisparts.com (Los Angeles, CA)
eVWParts, www.evwparts.com (Severna Park, MD)
Jbugs, www.jbugs.com (Oceanside, CA)
M&T Manufacturing, www.mtmfg.com (South Kingstown, RI)
Mid America Motorworks, www.mamotorworks.com (Effingham, IL)
Pierside Parts, www.piersideparts.net (Huntington Beach, CA)
So. Cal. Imports, www.socalautoparts.com (Long Beach, CA)
Texas Air Cooled, www.texasaircooled.com (Houston, TX)
West Coast Metric, www.westcoastmetric.com (Harbor City, CA)
Wolfgang International, www.wolfgangint.com (Redding, CA)
Wolfsburg West, www.wolfsburgwest.com (Corona, CA)

SOME EUROPEAN ONLINE SHOPS

These three websites name the manufacturer for most of their body panels.

VW Heritage, www.vwheritage.com (U.K.)
Just Kampers, www.justkampers.com (U.K.)
Paruzzi, www.paruzzi.com/uk/ (Netherlands)

For German shops, search for “kaefer ersatzteile”
See Memminger, www.feinecabrio.de/cms/front_content.php?changelang=3 (Germany)

VW Heritage, Paruzzi, and several other shops can also get VW Classic Parts from Germany, which has a list of international partners (www.vw-classicparts.de) and a way to search their limited inventory (www.vw-classicparts.de/bestand/index_e.html). Note that their "Classic Parts" are German or Latin American VW, whereas their "Classic+ Parts" are reproductions.

SUPER BEETLE REPLACEMENT BODY PANEL MANUFACTURERS

Manufacturers distribute parts through wholesalers to retailers, who sell to the customer. Where websites named the manufacturer of a 1973 Super Beetle body panel, I included it below. Although I list only Super Beetle panels, the list of manufacturers will be useful for any year Beetle.

Volkswagen, www.vw-classicparts.de (Germany)
See also www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=84077

Memminger, www.feinecabrio.de/cms/front_content.php?changelang=3 (Germany)
Heater channels, front inner firewall, front quarter panels, some smaller parts

JP Group - Dansk, www.jpgroup.dk/uk/jp-group-as-automotive/ (Denmark)
Heater channels and exhaust

Klokkerholm, www.klokkerholmusa.com (Denmark)
Many body panels

Rhibo/Maxicar, www.rhibo.com/index.php/en/ (Italy)
Fenders, hood, front apron without louvers

Group Harrington, www.groupharrington.com/en (Vietnam, British management)
Stainless bumpers

Specialist manufacturers of parts mostly for older models, some fit Super Beetle rear. Most will ship directly to the customer.
Alan H. Schofield Ltd., www.alanhschofield.com (U.K)
Auto Craft Engineering, www.autocrafteng.co.uk (U.K.)
Hooky’s Panel Shop, www.hookyspanelshop.com (U.K.)
Kaefer Nostalgie, www.kaefer-nostalgie.com (U.S.)
KlassicFab, www.klassicfab.com (U.S.)
Virtanen Restoration Panels, restorationpanels.com (Finland)
Wolf Parts and Metal Restoration, www.wolfparts.com (Sweden)

Shanghai Simyi, www.simyi.com/english/ (China)
Super Beetle front quarter panels and hoods. This company may be related in some way to NAN-JHI Automobile Enterprise Co. of Taiwan and to Shanghai Jitai.

Centauro, www.centaurobrasil.com.br/ingles/ (Brazil)
Many body panels, mostly for Standard Beetles - download catalog, see Fusca

Estriguaru Indústria e Comércio, www.estriguaru.com.br/ (Brazil)
Orange/red floor pans for 1972 and earlier Beetles (two sites advertised 0.85 mm and 0.035” thick, both about 21 gauge); A pillar sections, lower door sections, standard front quarter areas

IGPECOGRAPH Indústria Metalúrgica (IGP), igpbr.com.br/prod_vw.html (Brazil)
Many body panels, mostly for Standard Beetles - download catalog, see Fusca

Zito Periera, www.zitopereira.ind.br (Brazil)
Floor pans reported to be 22 gauge, front end panels.

WHOLESALERS

Some wholesalers are listed online as sources of parts, although they are not the manufacturers.

Foreign Parts Distributors, Inc., www.fpd.com (Hialeah, FL)
IAP, www.iapperformance.com (Rancho Dominguez, CA)
JP Group, see above (Denmark)
Key Parts, www.keypartsonline.com (Lynchburg, VA) for Klokkerholm etc.
Sherman, www.shermanparts.com (Washington, MI)
VEWIB, www.vewib.com (Germany)

OTHER RESOURCES

Floor pans: www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=452506
Heater channels: www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=503306
Metal gauge: www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=438072
Front inner firewall: www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=423999
Part numbers: www.partsbase.org/vw/vw-1200-1300-1302-1303-1200-us/
_________________
1973 green Super Beetle

[green1303]

Gauge : mm : inch
18 : 1.270 : 0.050
19 : 1.111 : 0.044
20 : 0.953 : 0.038
21 : 0.873 : 0.034
22 : 0.794 : 0.031
_________________
1973 green Super Beetle

[green1303]

To retailers I should add:

ISP West, www.vwispwest.com (Carson, CA)
Kaefer Nostalgie, www.kaefer-nostalgie.com. I had listed them under specialist manufacturers, but they are a retailer that is based in Argentina and ships most things from a warehouse in Louisiana.

Add to wholesalers:

Pacific Parts International, www.pacificparts.net (Canoga Park, CA)
_________________
1973 green Super Beetle

[Mike Fisher]

[mouser98]

what gauge is OEM sheet metal?

never mind, i see that the OP tells us it was 18 gauge

[theKbStockpiler]

I have a 72 super that is being worked on. All is original and has no major work done to it prior to now. There is some gas welding done on the front, not just spot welds. Also the front wheel housings are brazed onto the panel that the windshield attaches to.

The tirewell , firewall ,wheelhousing part that acts as wheel tub are all approximately 22gauge or .025".
_________________
My beetle is not competing with your beetle. I have the yellow beetle in my town. There is a red one, a green one ......
Use all safety devices including a mask.

[green1303]

Several gas welds were used where the front inner firewall, heater channel, and front quarter panel come together on a Super, so you're right that removing the front quarter panel involves more than just spot welds, the A pillar, and the seam to the windshield frame.

I recently bought a NOS German right front quarter panel, and it was 22 gauge like the Simyi reproduction. CIP1 used to advertise the Simyi one as "original German quality or equivalent", and Custom & Commercial includes it in their "German Quality Range", so I can't argue. My VW of Mexico rear quarter panels measured 1 mm thick.

I will post some measurements from my car as I do the metal work, but it appears that different sheet metal gauge was used in different places. The floor pans (18 gauge) are thicker than the fenders (20 gauge) and the front quarter panel (22 gauge), for example.
_________________
1973 green Super Beetle

[wcfvw69]

What a great post illustrating some very nice information for others to learn from. It's nice to know that there are some nice reproduction panels being made again for bugs. When I did my 69 vert restoration around 2000, the quality of replacement metal was lacking to say the least.

One thing I did learn back then was NOTHING fit like original VW parts that were made back in the day. Now, when I do body work and need panels, I always look for good used VW panels, even if they need some body work, the fit and quality is worth it.
_________________
Contact me at [email protected]
Follow me on instagram @sparxwerksllc

Decades of VW and VW parts restoration experience.
The Samba member since 2004.

**Now rebuilding throttle bodies for VW's and Porsche's**
**Restored German Bosch distributors for sale or I can restore yours**
**Restored German Pierburg fuel pumps for sale or I can restore yours**
**Restored Porsche fuel pumps or I can restore yours**
**Restored Porsche distributors or I can restore yours**

[green1303]

Very few classic VW retailers name their parts manufacturers, although some shops are much more transparent than others (e.g., Bughaus in the U.S., VW Heritage in the U.K., Paruzzi in the Netherlands), and some name the source for a small portion of their inventory (e.g., CIP1). Custom & Commercial in the U.K. lists “German Quality Range” parts that are of particularly high quality, but no manufacturers are provided. Wolfsburg West, West Coast Metric, and Airhead Parts/Ventura Warehouse Group have their own product lines in addition to parts from other sources, and the latter parts may be the best available but are rarely named. In some cases, this problem may originate with a wholesaler. For example, JP Group’s extensive wholesale catalog lists “heavy duty quality” bumpers for 1968-1973 Beetles in “OE style, chrome plated according to original standards.” The catalog has a separate section for “standard quality” Brazilian bumpers, but they don’t name the manufacturers for either type. I strongly advise everyone that if a shop doesn't tell you who makes an item, then buy it from someone else.

This lack of information makes it very difficult to select the best available quality and price, so below I list all of the manufacturers that I could find for every major VW Super Beetle body panel that is currently available. Smaller patch panels are not included yet. I have not worked with most of these parts, so my ordering of manufacturers is based mostly on secondhand information, including online comments by retailers and customers.

Similar lists for older Beetles or 1971-1977 standard Beetles would vary by year. For example, higher-quality aprons are made for ovals, but I am not aware of any reproduction complete quarter panels for those years. In general, there is a substantial price premium on high-quality panels over low-quality ones.

Some retailers use different original part numbers for the same reproduction part. The numbers below are from www.partsbase.org, except where most retailers used a different part number. Alternative numbers used by a few retailers are given in parentheses. Where VW is listed as the manufacturer, it may be Latin American production, particularly from the A pillar back.

WELDED BODY PANELS

Super Beetle Only

Front apron or cowling, 111805591G no louvers, 113805591A (111805591F) with louvers
Klokkerholm with & without louvers, Rhibo/Maxicar no louvers

Front quarter panels L/R, 135809021B (...A), 135809022A
Memminger, Simyi/NAN-JHI (“German Quality Range”)

Spare wheel well, 111805397C
VW (few remaining), Klokkerholm

Spare wheel well cross member, 111805391
VW, Klokkerholm

Front cross panel or inner firewall, 111805451L
Memminger, Klokkerholm

Heater channels L/R, 111801045K, 111801046K (133… for both)
Memminger, JP Group - Dansk, Klokkerholm
Bottom plates L/R are 111801171C and 111801172C

Standard and Super Beetle

Rear cross members L/R, 111801201AD, 111801202AD
VW (R only), Klokkerholm

Rear quarter panels L/R, 113809087C (111809087E), 113809088C (111809088E)
VW (for fuel-injected Mexican Beetles, modification needed for late model U.S. Beetles)

Rear inner quarter panels L/R, 113809061P, 113809062P
VW (only found in Europe)

Luggage tray, 113813111BH
VW, Klokkerholm (20 gauge)

Engine bay bulkhead corner L/R, 111813151B, 111813152B
Hooky’s

Engine bay side panels L/R, 111813165, 111813166 (…B)
Auto Craft Engineering, Hooky’s, Schofield

Rear apron, flat 111813301K (…J, …KA), rounded 1975 up 111813301P (133813301)
Klokkerholm, Centauro, IGP, Zito Periera

WELDED CHASSIS PANELS

Frame head, 133701037
VW (Klokkerholm bottom plate needed 133701313A), Klokkerholm (complete)

Front chassis support (Napoleon hat), 133701131
Klokkerholm

Floor pan halves L/R, 111701061Q, 111701062Q
1973-up: Kaeferland (18 ga), Klokkerholm (18 & 20 ga), IGP (22 ga), Zito Periera (22 ga)
1971-72: Wolfsburg West (18 ga), Estriguaru, and most of the manufacturers above

REMOVABLE PANELS

Many people have reported issues with many of these removable panels and prefer to restore used German parts. The Wolfsburg West bumpers and running boards have been called a close second to the originals, and German reproductions are also available for both. My Italian Rhibo front fenders have the same metal thickness as the originals, but nothing fits as perfectly as a VW part. The reproduction engine lids for late Beetles are Brazilian.

Bumpers F/R, 113707103D, 113707303C
Memminger, Wolfsburg West, JP Group, PTT / Group Harrington (stainless), Latest Rage (aluminum), Belfex/Belflex, Wolf/Wolff, some bumpers are branded as Euromax or Empi
NOTE: Memminger offers 2 mm thick (10 lb) bumpers for 450 Euros each and describes the chroming process on their website. The well-regarded Wolfsburg West 1968-1973 bumpers are Brazilian metal that is chromed in the U.S. CIP1 offers OEM Brazilian triple-chrome bumpers that are 1.5 mm thick (8 lb) and 35% thicker than their JP Group and two Brazilian alternatives (6 lb). However, CIP1 and VW Heritage prefer the chrome on the JP Group version, and they do not warranty their two cheaper Brazilian alternatives against rust. VW Heritage and Paruzzi warn about rust on the Brazilian Belfex and Wolff chrome bumpers for 1968 and up, and one shop reported no manufacturer warranty on the Euromax bumper.

Front fenders L/R, 111821021P, 111821022P
Rhibo/Maxicar (20 ga)

Hood or bonnet, 133823031A
Simyi/NAN-JHI, Rhibo/Maxicar

Doors L/R, 111831051AC (…Q, 113831051), 111831052AC (…Q, 113831052)
VW (later window lifter or mounting bracket & guide channel needed for 1973)

Running boards L/R, 111898509B, 111898510B
Wolfsburg West, “German”, “Mexican”, Centauro, Empi aluminum or louvered stainless

Rear fenders L/R, 111821305M, 111821306M
VW ...306M (1973 with 20 mm slot), ...305R and ...306R (1973 with 25 mm slot that takes a Mexican grommet, 22 gauge metal); otherwise only IGP (22 gauge); Rhibo claims to make them, but no retail listings were found

Engine lid or deck lid, 111827025AD (113827025AD)
Centauro, IGP
_________________
1973 green Super Beetle

[green1303]

A number of shops have their own product lines, and I mentioned several above (Wolfsburg West, West Coast Metric, Airhead Parts/Ventura Warehouse Group, So. Cal. Imports). Some others are:

Custom & Speed Parts, CSP, www.csp-shop.com/index.php (Bargteheide, Germany)
Hoffmann Speedster, en.hoffmann-speedster.com/ (Viersen, Germany)
Just Kampers, www.justkampers.com/ (Hampshire, UK)
Kaeferland, www.kaeferland-shop.de/ (Frankfurt, Germany)
Mofoco, www.mofoco.com (Milwaukee, WI)
Topline Parts, toplineparts.com (Anaheim, CA)

Here are some other wholesalers:

BBT, www.bbt4vw.com/en/ (Belgium) (also a manufacturer)
Century Distributors, www.centurydistributors.com/ (Visalia, CA)
Empi, www.empius.com (Anaheim, CA) (also a manufacturer)
J&L Automotive Industries, www.jlint.com (Sunrise, FL) (Euromax)

Other retailers:
Avery's Air Cooled, www.averysaircooled.com (Kelso, WA)
Bug Eyed, www.bugeyed.net (Fort Valley, GA)
California Volks Shop, volks-shop.com
Cars With Character, www.carswcharacter.com (Colorado Springs, CO) used
Chirco, chircoestore.com (Tucson, AZ)
German Supply, www.germansupply.com/home/customer/home.php (Etobicoke, ON, Canada)
Interstate Used Parts, interstateusedparts.com (Lake Elsinore, CA)
Kustom 1, www.kustom1warehouse.net (Santa Fe Springs, CA)
OldVWs Restoration, store.oldvws.com/default.aspx (Green Bay, WI)
_________________
1973 green Super Beetle

[Busdepot]

I should mention that we are Just Kampers (UK)'s U.S. distributor and can supply anything on their site. Most of it is also on our site, but there are some items that are not so it's also worth looking their site over if you need a particular item and then we can give you a quote. We get shipments from them roughly once a month, so the lead time may vary depending on whether you order just before a container leaves or just after one left.

While JK will also ship directly to the U.S., this can be very expensive, as in addition to the shipping cost there is import duty and brokerage fees plus currency conversion surcharges charged by your credit card issuer that are not calculated into the cost. It will generally save you money (sometimes a lot of money) to let us bring it in for you and then you only pay our U.S. dollar price plus shipping from Pennsylvania - no import taxes, no surcharges, etc. (Also, in the event that you need to return something for any reason, you are sending it back to PA rather than England.)

Just Kampers offers some geniune VW metal that is very difficult to find in the U.S. While most of it is Brazilian or Mexican made these days rather than German, it is a huge step above most aftermarket alternatives in both fit and quality. It is generally very hard to get in the U.S. because Volkswagen of America is very protective of its turf and won't allow imports directly from other international VW subsidiaries (even though they also will not sell the items themselves). This leaves getting the items "sideways" (i.e. Brazil to Europe to the U.S.) as the only way to get them, but the quality is worth it, and the cost is often still quite reasonable. (By the way this is not limited to metal. We sell a lot of genuine VW product that nobody else has, thanks to our close ties with UK and German affiliates.)

In addition you will find Italian made product on the JK site as well as Danish made Klokkerholm. But since we are a Klokkerholm dealer and also can get Italian made metal from U.S. sources, we can often supply those items quickly and cheaper through our own sourcing.

If you have any questions about about the source or availability of a part, don't hesitate to email Fred at [email protected] and he'll be happy to give you the straight scoop.
_________________
- Ron Salmon
The Bus Depot
www.busdepot.com

[green1303]

Here's a comparison of VW (gray) and Klokkerholm (black) right rear cross members. Each is composed of two panels that overlap at the wide (outer) end and are spot-welded together, but both of the panels are 0.8 mm thick on the Danish part, whereas they are 1.0 and 1.2 mm thick on the VW version. Note that on the Klokkerholm part, you need to drill out the two holes where the cross member bolts down to the rear cross brace. On my 1973 Super Beetle, the original cross members did not have a hole to bolt them down to the rear suspension (a body pad goes in between), but the new parts do have the hole, so you can add that pad and bolt easily. Holes are also included for the bakelite heater tube and to inspect the back end of the heater channel. In both parts, however, you need to drill holes for the bolts that hold the bakelite tube on and add captive nuts on the inside per the originals. Plugs are available for the inspection hole, either as a Classic Part (VW) or in stainless steel (EMC) from Paruzzi.

Two versions of older-style rear cross members are available. Kaeferland in Germany makes a part for models through July 1967, and Wolf Parts in Sweden makes one that they say is for 1955 and earlier models. I haven't worked with either one, so I can't comment on any needed modifications.

http://www.kaeferland-shop.de/index.php?action=sho...8.13938602

http://www.kaeferland-shop.de/index.php?action=sho...8.13938602

http://wolfparts.com/?product=rear-crossmember-left

http://wolfparts.com/?product=rear-crossmember-right

_________________
1973 green Super Beetle

[green1303]

This is the right front quarter panel that Simyi makes for Super Beetles. I did not notice any quality issues, but I found a good price on a NOS VW quarter panel and used that one.

_________________
1973 green Super Beetle

[green1303]

The Klokkerholm front inner firewall or cross panel doesn't look like the original, but it's hidden under carpet. It's common to cut off the lower four inches of it to make patches for this common rust area. The part is composed of two panels that are 0.8 and 1.0 mm thick. Memminger in Germany makes a more accurate one, but it's much more expensive.

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1973 green Super Beetle

[Dodgy]

Nice work!

Just to add, the front bulkhead / firewall reinforcing brackets have recently come available from http://superbeetlesolutions.com

(I have no connection to this company, but having just finished spending ages making my own, it would have been great if these had been available last year)

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'75 1303 (current project) owned since 1989!
'72 Squareback - full resto completed 2008 - now sold
356 Speedster kit, completed 2005 - now sold

[green1303]

The German manufacturer of running boards is Hubert Schlieckmann GmbH.

http://www.schlieckmann.de/english/index.php
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1973 green Super Beetle

[green1303]

Retailers:
Aircoolin, www.aircoolin.com (Kent, WA)
AutohausAZ, www.autohausaz.com (Tempe, AZ)
Bill and Steve's, www.billandsteves.com (Downey, CA)
Car Craft, carcraftstore.com (Riverside, CA)
CB Performance, www.cbperformance.com (Farmersville, CA)
Dubber's Toy Box, www.dubberstoybox.com (Stanton, CA)
German Parts and Restoration, www.gprparts.com (Santa Maria, CA)
Import Parts Connection, www.ipconlinestore.com (Hawthorne, CA)
Kaddie Shack, www.shop.kaddieshack.com (Pasadena, CA)
Monkey Nut VW, www.monkeynutvw.com (Charlotte, NC)
Moore Parts Source, www.mooreparts.com (Anaheim, CA)
Parts Place, www.partsplaceinc.com (Warren, MI)
Pacific Customs, www.pacificcustoms.com (Corona, CA)
Powerhaus, shop.powerhausvwparts.com (Torrance, CA)
SE Car Part, www.secarpart.com (Gainesville, FL)
Small Car Connection, www.smallcarconnection.com (Hesperia, CA)
Wagen Werks, www.wagen-werks.com (Victorville, CA)

Wholesaler:
Interamerican Motor Corporation, www.imcparts.net

Manufacturers:
Norbert Bruns, www.kaefervwrostfrei.de (Velen, Germany)
Fast Fab, www.fastfabonline.com (La Habra, CA)
Scat, www.scatvw.com (Redondo Beach, CA)

Carburetor rebuild:
Volksbitz, volkzbitz.com (Yelm, WA)
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1973 green Super Beetle

[Merovex]

[green1303]

Yes. On a Super Beetle, the front bumper bracket bolts to a structural support on the front quarter panel shown here:

https://www.vwheritage.com/shop/beetle/111809319A/...StartRow=1

https://www.vwheritage.com/shop/beetle/111809320A/...StartRow=1

That support in turn is welded to the front firewall panel, which contains these brackets. These seldom seen but important parts are located between the back end of the support and the front end of the heater channel, which is also welded to the front inner firewall. A threaded plate in these brackets receives the bolts that fasten the frame head up to the body. These bolts pass up through the frame head bottom plate, the heater channel bottom plate, the front inner firewall panel, and the bracket before they grab threads in that threaded plate.

The consequence of this design is that the heater channels, which are the strongest part of the body, reinforce the front bumper in a collision. In a larger collision that crumples the front end, the crumple plate that is bolted to the front of the frame head absorbs some of the energy. The chassis tunnel in turn supports the frame head. The bolts that fasten the front inner firewall to the frame head and chassis tunnel also help to reinforce the lower end of the body against the chassis.

All of this engineering depends on hitting something that is fairly low to the ground. Anything higher badly crumples the front-end panels (my car had some impressive damage from a deer). The vertical pillars and the long box section along the edges of the roof help to strengthen the passenger compartment.
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1973 green Super Beetle