Convertible with excessive and progressive door gap. Top issue.

[chrisarnt]

1977 convertible beetle.
The door gaps are fine at bottom, but get progressively wider as you get higher up.
The top closes, but doesn't cover the windscreen lip as it should.

The pans were replaced at one point or another.

My question is this:

Could removing the rails allow the body to return to its original shape?
I would obviously put them back on.

Thanks.

[c21darrel]

seen this?
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=664908
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[chrisarnt]

So, I'm finally getting back to my convertible.

My doors fit have a gap that gets wider the higher it goes. To the gap at the top is just shy of an inch.

The front lip of the top also does not go over the front of the windshield frame, it sits just behind it.

The previous owner restored the body and I think he didn't support it correctly when he replaced the pans and extra support rails that a convertible has.

I'm wondering if removing the rails weighting down the center of the car and replacing them will help?

[Q-Dog]

You can adjust the gaps by shimming the rear body mounts (under the rear fenders) and/or the front body mounts (on top of the front suspension).
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Brian

'69 Dune Buggy
'69 Beetle Convertible
'70 Beetle

[chrisarnt]

[Q-Dog]

OK, I need to correct myself. You have a Super Beetle (I keep forgetting those exist) so the front is different from what I am familiar with, but the rear is the same.

The body mounts in the rear are under the fenders. Shim the mount to raise the rear and close the gap at the top. Oh, there are also some bolts under the rear seat that may need to be loosened.

Check your service manual to see if the procedure is shown there.
This link may help. Somewhere in there is a section about adjusting door gaps.
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/manuals/looklisten_9/looklisten9_body_leaks_vwsedan.pdf
_________________
Brian

'69 Dune Buggy
'69 Beetle Convertible
'70 Beetle

[chrisarnt]

[Q-Dog]

[Teeroy]

You cannot loosen the support rails, they are welded to the bottom of the heater channels, they are not part of the floorpan
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[Streetsweeper]

I had horrible gaps on my ghia and I welded tabs on either side of the door jamb on the inside and pulled them together with a threaded rod... once I got the desired gap I welded 14 guage reinforcement plates around the bottom from the front corner to the rear... of course to do this, you will have to unbolt any body mounts... and yes you will have to shim it once it is locked in...

This is the best thing I could have done for this car HANDS DOWN

It holds its shape and the door will never ever sag again... since I have done this, I have fixed other volkswagens by doing this and I am a believer... this is a permanent fix period.

[bomberbob]

Can you post a photo of your permanent fix? I have replaced a lot of sheet metal on mine. If there is something I can do to make this car last another 40 years I will try it.
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1968 Beetle (storage)
1990 Jetta GLI megasquirted, burning E85 (currently in heavy maintenance)
2004 Jetta turbo GLI
Marion, Iowa

[andk5591]

Deja vu all over again. Fixed this a few years ago. FYI the big blue Bently talks about shimming rear mounts to correct this problem. Did not look to see if the car I was working on was referenced in the post link. I'll tell you that its scary when you shim and jack the body, but it works. The top was way short and the door gaps were a mess.
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D-Dubya Manx clone - 63 Short pan,1914.
Rosie 65 bug - My mostly stock daily driver.
Woodie 69 VW woodie (Hot VWs 7/12).
"John's car" 64 VW woodie - The first ever
Maxine 61 Cal-look bug - Cindy's daily driver.
Max - 73 standard Beetle hearse project - For sale
66 bug project - Real patina & Suby conversion
There's more, but not keeping them...

[chrisarnt]

[andk5591]

I unbolted the ones across the rear floor pan and the ones by the shocks. I am pretty sure I used a long block to allow me to lift the body below where the bumper brackets attach with added blocks to clear the muffler. I made square shims with a hole drilled through for the rear shock mount areas. You may end up almost lifting the rear of the car and you will just take it a bit at a time and see what you have - install the shims and repeat.

If you are worried about the bolts not lining back up , take a couple long bolts and cut the heads of or use threaded rod to keep things lined up.

I had seen an article where Buddy Hale eliminated the rubber shock mounts and just used solid shims. Very curious if your top seems short at the windshield currently. This one was. and the pins were not even close to lining up.

And yeah, gonna be scary. Happy Halloween.....
_________________
D-Dubya Manx clone - 63 Short pan,1914.
Rosie 65 bug - My mostly stock daily driver.
Woodie 69 VW woodie (Hot VWs 7/12).
"John's car" 64 VW woodie - The first ever
Maxine 61 Cal-look bug - Cindy's daily driver.
Max - 73 standard Beetle hearse project - For sale
66 bug project - Real patina & Suby conversion
There's more, but not keeping them...

[chrisarnt]