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Mon Apr 26, 2021 9:31 pm

So, here it is with bumper installed, just to check the gap with the fenders.

I am happy of the result, things looks symmetric !!
I just installed and bolt it in place with no adjustment needed nor banding.

now I can move on with paint prep.

Mon Apr 26, 2021 9:35 pm

Mon Apr 26, 2021 9:35 pm

Sat May 01, 2021 5:00 am

to get a very smooth transitions among the various curved profiles on top of the fender I had to do some final lead work.

this Marks the end of the metal work of the front end. I will now be able to continue with surface prep for paint.

Sat May 01, 2021 11:04 am

Absolutely beautiful work! Love that head on shot! Speaks volumes of the time and attention to detail work that was expended.

Keep it going! That is one GIANT hurdle you just jumped over, and looked good doing it!

Sun May 02, 2021 9:01 am

What he said.

Don

Sun May 09, 2021 7:49 am

Here is the latest progress I have made,
I am mostly complete with the 1st phase in that body prep,
I applied a small amount of filer on all of the welds and next will be metal glaze and epoxy. more to come.

Here are the 6 steps I am going to proceed up the final paint. I am currently at #1.

step 1- mini fibe that is what you see here on all of the welds, and area needed.
step 2- metal glaze from evercoat - will be next step after I complete #1
step 3- Epoxy primer
step 4- High build primer (around one 1 week after epoxy to let it cure)
step 5- sanding + and check for remaining low spot
step 6- single stage paint in my case

Sun May 09, 2021 10:14 am

Excellent!

I am trying to remember but cannot. I tried going back through the last few pages but did not see it. Have you bolted the front beam in with the hardware, along with all of the other connection bolts between the body and the pan? I say this (not sure if convertibles do the same thing) because standard Bugs will dramatically change in body shape as they are bolted back down. It is really obvious at the A and B pillars but also at the front apron area, due to those 2 bolts at the beam. Those 2 actually pull the entire body forwards. This gets pulled to the rear from the 4 bolts at the rear torsion tube assembly.

Well worth the time to get it all bolted back, along with new rubber, just to see how it sits.

Sun May 09, 2021 10:58 am

VW_Jimbo wrote: Excellent!

I am trying to remember but cannot. I tried going back through the last few pages but did not see it. Have you bolted the front beam in with the hardware, along with all of the other connection bolts between the body and the pan? I say this (not sure if convertibles do the same thing) because standard Bugs will dramatically change in body shape as they are bolted back down. It is really obvious at the A and B pillars but also at the front apron area, due to those 2 bolts at the beam. Those 2 actually pull the entire body forwards. This gets pulled to the rear from the 4 bolts at the rear torsion tube assembly.

Well worth the time to get it all bolted back, along with new rubber, just to see how it sits.

I had all of these concern when I welded the fronted back together.
So all of the front end has been spot welded with the front beam and those 10mm hard ruber seals between body and beam + all hardware and bolts that keep the body bolted on the beam. So I should not expect any problem at all when re-assembling back everything.

but good catch here what a shame if you weld everything back together but cannot install the beam :-)

Mon May 10, 2021 2:08 pm

grailoc wrote: VW_Jimbo wrote: Excellent!

I am trying to remember but cannot. I tried going back through the last few pages but did not see it. Have you bolted the front beam in with the hardware, along with all of the other connection bolts between the body and the pan? I say this (not sure if convertibles do the same thing) because standard Bugs will dramatically change in body shape as they are bolted back down. It is really obvious at the A and B pillars but also at the front apron area, due to those 2 bolts at the beam. Those 2 actually pull the entire body forwards. This gets pulled to the rear from the 4 bolts at the rear torsion tube assembly.

Well worth the time to get it all bolted back, along with new rubber, just to see how it sits.

but good catch here what a shame if you weld everything back together but cannot install the beam :-)

Exactly why I am asking - been there one time!

But you need to bolt the back 4 bolts down also, when you check. Those four actually will pull the body down back there, which pull the top down, which pulls the front towards the back and so on and so on. It all has to be bolted down to check. Sorry man, I have never found a short cut. Wish there was one!
I had all of these concern when I welded the fronted back together.
So all of the front end has been spot welded with the front beam and those 10mm hard ruber seals between body and beam + all hardware and bolts that keep the body bolted on the beam. So I should not expect any problem at all when re-assembling back everything.

Mon May 10, 2021 9:27 pm

as the body is already fully bolted on the frame, I just have to bolt the beam in place (4 bolts) + 2 on top for the body to the beam

here are the picture I took this evening:

Mon May 10, 2021 10:23 pm

Very nice!!!

Doors work correctly? Good gaps?

Tue May 11, 2021 6:47 am

It should be interesting to see if my car changes shape when I bolt it down. When I was welding, I always had the heater channel bolted down tight but everything else was just resting in place. One thing about my car, in spite of how beat on it was, it was never hit, so it is straight as a pin and sits on the pan in perfect alignment. I had a '57

That had been hit really hard in the right A pillar and in the rear left (you can just see the bondo in the picture). When I unbolted it from the pan it sprung free and was twisted out of shape. I had a hell of a time bolting it back down. I had no idea how to straighten it so I sold it, let someone else figure that out!

Don

Tue May 11, 2021 9:17 am

VW_Jimbo wrote: Very nice!!!

Doors work correctly? Good gaps?

I checked the door gap on both side, with the fronted fully bolted and unbolted and it does not change anything at all, gap stay the same with that specific door "lock sound".

Also I checked the distance between the body and top of the beam bolted and unbolted and distances looks the same, so there isn't that much flex happening.

Tue May 11, 2021 9:21 am

while checking all of this,

I also tested the beam with those spacers to be installed at the bottom and that came from my narrowed beam.
I saw somewhere these spacers can also be used on original beam to improve the driving comfort.

Anyone using them and have feedback?
I am looking to use them for my rebuild.

Tue May 11, 2021 11:36 am

The spacer is called a "Caster" shim.
They help with high speed stability. Especially in windy conditions.

The down side is that low speed, think parking lot maneuvering. The steering feel is rather heavy. But you get used to it after awhile.

Tue May 11, 2021 1:03 pm

sunroof wrote: It should be interesting to see if my car changes shape when I bolt it down. When I was welding, I always had the heater channel bolted down tight but everything else was just resting in place. One thing about my car, in spite of how beat on it was, it was never hit, so it is straight as a pin and sits on the pan in perfect alignment. I had a '57

That had been hit really hard in the right A pillar and in the rear left (you can just see the bondo in the picture). When I unbolted it from the pan it sprung free and was twisted out of shape. I had a hell of a time bolting it back down. I had no idea how to straighten it so I sold it, let someone else figure that out!

Don

if it is straight and bolted on something I do not believe it deforms in any sort after you complete all of the welding job

Tue May 11, 2021 1:05 pm

67rustavenger wrote: The spacer is called a "Caster" shim.
They help with high speed stability. Especially in windy conditions.

The down side is that low speed, think parking lot maneuvering. The steering feel is rather heavy. But you get used to it after awhile.

high speed and vintage vw sounds 2 thing incompatible :-)

thanks for the answer BTW.

Tue May 11, 2021 5:01 pm

grailoc wrote: 67rustavenger wrote: The spacer is called a "Caster" shim.
They help with high speed stability. Especially in windy conditions.

The down side is that low speed, think parking lot maneuvering. The steering feel is rather heavy. But you get used to it after awhile.

high speed and vintage vw sounds 2 thing incompatible :-)

thanks for the answer BTW.
It really depends on the VW :D
A little more info to help you choosing caster shims.
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=753753

Wed May 12, 2021 11:31 pm

Typically, caster shims come into play when the front end ride height changes and the rear is higher than the front. So a “rake” stance. Dropping the front end causes the front tube to move forwards and the lower tube to move rearward. This causes a change in the caster angle. Stock caster degree is 3.33 +- 1.0 degrees. Dropping the car can get you up to 15 degrees of change. To offset this fixed change without cutting and pasting steel, most use caster shims and longer bolts.