1973 Classic Beetle - Rusty Tunnel, need advice!

[Raindog3030]

Oh my, here's my first post...

We just got our first classic car and first project...a 1973 Beetle!

I was elated (or so I hope I still am) to find a mostly rust free Beetle in Florida, the car is even an original Florida resident, like myself.

She starts, runs, and stops...but definitely is in need of an interior and now some rust repair. So I'm looking for reassurances that this is repairable and not a death sentence to my pan.

I haven't found any major rust elsewhere. Body, fire wall, floor pans, heater channels, rear cargo area, and the under carriage are all solid. Surface rust on the passenger floor pan, but nothing some sand paper and a wire wheel can't remove.

So hit me, how bad is this? Am I replacing the tunnel or welding in a patch?
I've already poked a good bit, the tunnel seems solid around the affected area.

Thanks in advance for any help or advice!

[TDCTDI]

The pans have already been replaced, that rust should have been addressed before they were installed. Repairing that is crucial since the tunnel is effectively the backbone of the chassis, & this rust has mostly separated the top from the bottom that completes the “box section”, thus weakening it substantially.


To do it correctly, the pan halves will need to be removed, which more than likely, will mean destroying them.


It is repairable, but you will either spend lots of money for a shop to do it, or you will get lots of experience learning to do it yourself.
_________________
Everybody born before 1975 has a story, good, bad, or indifferent, about a VW.


GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!


An air cooled VW will make you a hoarder.


Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it.

[tpinthepack]

It is hard to make out the welds of the new pans, and that damage almost looks like it was done with a torch or a stick welder that went a bit off course and blew that hole in some thin rusted metal.
I am thinking you could fix this with some donor sheet metal from another tunnel, and I agree with the post above, this should have been fixed before pans which is why I wonder about the welds.
In Clearwater there is a few guys who may have parts and who could fix this if you wanted someone to do it for you.
Good luck.
Tony
_________________
TP in the Pack (I am a cyclist)
1968 Manx N.O.S. w/ Barrett Chassis
1960 Single Cab 1914 w/ 40 DLRA's
1990 Vanagon DOKA
1972 Super Beetle
1979 Super Beetle Convertible
2011 Porsche Cayenne

[Raindog3030]

Thank you both for the advice!

I took her up to my body shop yesterday (been using the same place for over a decade, and I finally have a classic to bring them, their specialty!)

After the inspection, I was told "no big deal!" They're going to cut, fabricate, weld, and paint for an amount I am able to stomach... and was actually pleasantly surprised by.

Yeah, I should buy a torch and learn to weld, but this is also my daily driver and I can't let it turn into a weeks long project of me dorking things up even more so than they already are. Considering the importance of the tunnel's integrity, I'm going to leave this repair to the professionals and tackle the surface rust as I previously intended.

I'll keep to my strengths and let others make up for my weaknesses. Gotta know your limits, based on skill, time, and budget.