The Life and Rebuild of Dad’s Iceland Green 1955 Beetle

[Dan22]

Prepping and fitting the heater channel on the drivers side. Lots more work done than there are pictures to show. It is all progress though.

The defroster pipe was not long enough, and it was not a perfect match to the original, so I used my good original pipe to extend it. The original also had a nice sweeping bend where it connects to the diffuser.

Had to weld up a gap due to the new pipe bend radius was not enough, and it opened up the spiral.

Painted and ready.

The general fit before welding.

The body is just sitting there but the gap was a bit large on the Napoleon's hat area left side. I tried to pull the body to the right using a fence tightener. It did not work. This will be a focus before welding. I am fighting what could be original problems with the fit of the original heater channel and/or crash damage. I have to think more about how to balance old shape with the new parts. It is quite challenging.

I will hang the door to set the gaps, and with all the new mounting pads in place and bolted down, and the heater channel bolted to the pan. I will report that progress next. I still have the original pan seal in place.

Here is how I hold up the body to slip the channel in place over the pan. I need about 1 foot lift to do it.

Lifting just the front of the body.

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[esde]

Clean workmanship. Looks like you have all the bases covered
The too short heater tubes are a let down, but like you I just salvage the old ones to make them long enough..
The off center issue at the front is weird. If the gap is on the left, is that left as pictured (passenger side)?
Can you loosen the heater channel bolts and shift the channel in the direction you need the body to move? On many cars, I find a few pan bolt holes that need to be opened up with a die grinder, to allow the channel to sit in the right place.
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modok wrote:
Bent cranks are silent but gather no moss. I mean, ah, something like that.

[tehillah1]

[VW_Jimbo]

I can see a body panel bulge on the front bulkhead panel. Right in the middle. Thinking it may be why your body is not resting right up front. Am I seeing that corret?

I will go doctor the picture you posted. Be right back.

Here you go!

Is that a bulge or wrinkle in some way. I think it has become pinched right there!
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Jimbo

There is never enough time to do it right the first time, but all the time necessary the second time!

[Dan22]

I will take a look at that bulge area. It could just be lighting. There 'was' no obvious warp there.

The passenger side is fitting OK. It is the drivers side that has the gap. That is why I was attempting to shift the body to the right. It lines up better with the new heater channel edge as well, if I shift it right.
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[Dan22]

The new KF heater channels had the front ear about 7mm too short so I extended it a bit. This spot welds to the front plate of the front firewall.

I was able to figure out most of the fit issues. Mostly it was this radius where it wraps around the channel. I needed to bump it up. Shifting the channel to the left using clamps also helped. Now the bottom of the channel lines up with the bottom of the firewall. Cannot tell in the photos but when I lift the body up it can be seen. The front beam mounts are nicely centered and set flush to the rubber pad.

I am getting very close to the final fitting and door gap checks. Then tack welding! I am very excited to get this part of the car buttoned up.

The gap is pretty much gone, not being bolted down.

Jimbo, I checked the warp on the front firewall. It was there as you noted so there was some stress there at one point. I am thinking it was there before the wreck but it doesn't really matter. I will pull it out and cosmetically make it nice. You have a good eye, that is for sure!
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[VW_Jimbo]

Thanks! And you are welcome. That Nap Hat (what I can see of it) looks to be sitting WAY BETTER! Nice job jockeying the channel around. Be sure those bolt holes all line up, before tacking & welding.
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Jimbo

There is never enough time to do it right the first time, but all the time necessary the second time!

[Dan22]

The fat lady welder is about to sing on this chapter. I think I have the best fit I can get for this door. This is with all the mounting points bolted down or at least positioned right. Both sides heater channels are anchored. The Nap hat fits tight to the old seal. I have the latch and both rubber door wedges in place.

I had to sand on the new one because it did not fit just right (no suprise) but at least it was too big and not too small.

The front beam mounts are now slid to the rearmost position as a result of pulling the entire front of the car back to make the door clearance. The new heater channel length fits perfectly now. The original position of this fit was all the way forward, confirming the car was stretched from the factory. The way I see it, I am working within the design limits of the body geometry.

I got about 3mm even door gap at the wing window curve and top of the door. The B-pillar is just under a 5mm gap. It is not perfectly parallel but I could not work it any more even. I have some reshaping necessary on the rear corner to widen the door gap a smidge at the lower 8 inches. The ribbed doors only fit one way at the B-pillar and my intention was to make the door position naturally align at the wedges. This forces the upper gap of the door as well at about 3mm.

I made some videos of the door closing. That solid sound of the door is a glorious to the ears!

https://youtube.com/shorts/NHF8YxI3OcA
https://youtube.com/shorts/cKZ1H1GId0o

Tacking it in place today!
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[tehillah1]

Great progress Dan. Door fit has to look better than the last time you drove this car, eh?

[VW_Jimbo]

Awesome work! Door gaps typically fall between 4.7 - 5.2mm. You get on either side of that number range and something is off. Left hand side is always a mm bigger at the B pillar gap. Not too sure why. Seen a few reach to 6 mm!
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Jimbo

There is never enough time to do it right the first time, but all the time necessary the second time!

[Dan22]

Thanks!

I am right in that range then! There is variation just due to imperfect stamping lines but the eye can't pick it up.

I am pleased so far.
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[VWGlassee]

you have every right to be pleased! Great work

Yannick

[Dan22]

Just some views of the tacking job and general fit.

I unbolted the body and checked the door gap again. It had not changed after tacking but the braces are still in. I guess I just wanted to know there was no heavy twist to the body.

Got the defroster pipe poked in place and ready to weld. It looks like the same bend angle as original. Good to shoot some primer behind it too.

How sweet it is!
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[VW_Jimbo]

How sweet it is!
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Jimbo

There is never enough time to do it right the first time, but all the time necessary the second time!

[Dan22]

OK she is welded in. I am still refining my skills on rosette welding. Sometimes they are perfect little flat circles, other times they are goobery messes with gaps. I got it done though with minimal rewelds.

Then I moved on to patching the rust damage at the front firewall. Primed and a patch piece fitted. No time to weld it in yet.

The next repair is just behind this patch where the lower end of the firewall meets the rubber pan seal. I have to lift the body off to fix that.
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[VW_Jimbo]

Looks great!

A lot of the time on the welding differences, it is how clean and shiny the base material is, followed by the ground clamp attachment. The clamp should always be as close to the welding as you can get it. That makes a big difference. I have started cleaning the steel till shiny. That’s makes a huge difference. AND I STOPPED USING WELD THROUGH PRIMER!!!!! That was the most pivotal item I changed, and the results have been superior welds! Go figure.

My experience. Yours may vary!
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Jimbo

There is never enough time to do it right the first time, but all the time necessary the second time!

[VW_Jimbo]

Agreed! The weld through sucks ass! Those Stalagmites were why I researched the hell out of that issue. Everyone of the threads circled around the weld through primers being the problem! I finally gave it up. I just plan on flooding the seams with Ospho, then flooding with water and follow that up with flooding with primer. Screw that weld through stuff!
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Jimbo

There is never enough time to do it right the first time, but all the time necessary the second time!

[Dan22]

Patch panel is welded in period it will need some clean up after I take the body off.

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[Redlabel6]

Looks like you found a good use for old hard drive magnets as well!
d
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1957 Oval Window Beetle
1973 Karmann Ghia Coupe
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[tehillah1]

Nice work Dan. The welding learning curve is a thing to experience. Looks like you're getting a good line on it though.
I agree with Jimbo clean metal, no primer interference is important at least in what I've been doing and then finding that sweet spot in the setting on my welder has made a real difference for me.