Weld new front clip or straighten old ?!?(pics)

[vwjedi]

I thought I was just going to weld on new front apron and be painting soon, wishfull thinking. I took off the front fenders and found a worse situation than I thought. As you can see next to a replacement clip I got for free the front end took a good smack.

The driver side doesn't look much better.

I have a new WW apron, was thinking I might try to straighten the original metal out with come along or something? You see my OG clip was donated free 'cause it is pretty rusty crusty, I know I could get new tire well too but the seal edge is rotted bad. Any input?

It looks like this all around. Yuck.
_________________
1987 Wolfsburg T25 still riding out. A bunch of other VW's passed on...

[Santos Tamez]

I have the same situation with my 65. I have the clip complete with tire well. I found that my factory stamp indicates the correct body on the correct chassis. I do not want to cut it out to put a replacement in.

[Matt K.]

VWjedi, if i were you i would section out that front clip, if you have the donor clip cut past the gas tank, i would section the front clip through the middle of where the gas tank is. That area is a nice spot to do that, if done correctly it is almost undetectable and what you end up with is a clean, wrinkle free front end.....the donor you have looks pretty rusty so i would opt to find a new donor clip if possible, because trying to fix those wrinkles can be a big pain.
_________________
This is my 23rd year in the Auto Body/Paint Game!
*Take a look at some of my custom paint: http://s110.photobucket.com/albums/n119/mrpaint_2006/ .( NOTE: these are some older jobs but still neat.)

[vwjedi]

You could allways drill out the rivets on the Vin plate and remount, not really my issue here. I have heard horror stories about the after market front clips so only wanted to weld on an OG one, this one is straight but rusty as hell!

Just got back from hardware store with eye bolts, ratchet cable puller, new Saw Zall blades and a big fu*king hammer.



Please call 911 if I don't check back within an hour.
_________________
1987 Wolfsburg T25 still riding out. A bunch of other VW's passed on...

[vwjedi]

Thanks for the input MattK, I have it cut from mid. gas tank, I do have a wrinkle free front end but it is far from "clean".

I am going to see what damage I can do, go to plan B if it looks to shade tree.
_________________
1987 Wolfsburg T25 still riding out. A bunch of other VW's passed on...

[HBRag]

I straightened my front clip and it was worse than that. I'd fix it.

[[email protected]]

come on Jedi, that clip isn't that bad, a little schmutz and she's good as new had it been the correct one for my '60 I probably would have tackled redoing it!

So-how goes the the pulling and hammering??? I would break out the laquer thinner and a bunch of rags and clean off all that undercoating, so it will be easier to work with. Mine was folded back farther than yours on the drivers side (enough to crease the quarter panel) and I got it all pulled/hammered like we talked about, its not cherry on the inner panel but it will do.

Heres some of my "high quality" photos of the latest, yes the fenders DO line up, They are just hanging on there with 2 bolts, safer on the car than loose in my wreck of a garage right now

_________________
Markus

[markm]

Do it right the first time. Cut that shit out and weld in new pieces. Otherwise, everytime you open the frunk, you will see how fucked up the front end is. Just my .02.

[Mario J G]

your Idea for straightening your original front is a good one. It looks like you should be an easy fix if you bolt the come-along to the bottom hole and pull slowly while hammering at the creases. understand there has been a little stretching so you want to hammer both forward and back.

Mario
Vintage Werks resto

[bill may]

go to www.sv2s.com/rafflebug.php we straightened out the front end and it shows how we did it. pyroman was the culprit. i was awol that day.
work day 5 ,but lots of info on repairs to a beetle on /in those pictures. 10 days.
_________________
Admin note: Bill Passed away - July, 2017

1965 panel bus-Kermit
"Camping is cheaper than therapy"
www.sv2s.com
www.steeringboxscrapers.net
SBS #100
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=453617

[vwjedi]

Yeah Bill that pretty much looks like what I was up to this afternoon, thanks for the input.

Markus, glad to see some progress on the Euro, she is looking good! I didn't know WW was pressing Euro aprons too. You guys are giving me plenty of confidence that this will turn out pretty good. In a perfect world I have a spotless and straight OG front clip and a shop that looks like OCC's to do metal work

But reality is I have a rusty clip, a mig welder, a cable ratchet and a well placed tree in the front yard. This is the progress thus far, it actually came along pretty well, the spare clip worked great as a "stencil" to take measurments from amid the pulling and wacking.

Force=mass x velocity squared. Energy=mass x speed of light squared.

Makes me want to build a rat-rod.
_________________
1987 Wolfsburg T25 still riding out. A bunch of other VW's passed on...

[keifernet]

I'm for getting a better clip and doing it right... you could straighten what you have out and maybe make a good one from the rusty donor clip, but you would spend alot less time and have a better job if you get a good clip first.

There are some shots in my gallery of clip jobs.

[vwjedi]

Well I finished it up this morning, the dents pulled out pretty decent, you can tell there has been work done when looking inside spare tire well but looks hella better than b4.

Welds ground down, black primer and hood matches up alot better now.

Driver side hood seam is pretty well lined up too. Black primer helps hide the shade tree body work.

This bug will never win best of show, but the front is done and now moving on to next step for under $50. Thanks for the help/advice. Markus thanks for the clip, can I give it back now?
_________________
1987 Wolfsburg T25 still riding out. A bunch of other VW's passed on...

[[email protected]]

[sovereignsamba]

your clip doesn't look bad to me at all, I would just yank it out & straighten as much as possible with a hammer. You should have seen the clip on my old 64, it had been hit & pounded out so many times that it had numerous cracks everywhere, most of the front clip from the gas tank forwards was being held on mostly by the fenders. I just welded everything up & pounded everything straight. I really should have replaced it though....

[vwjedi]

Shanered- If you need a front clip I have one here with your name on it mang! A little more than a few miles away though.

It is free though if anyone wants it, come and get it, it will be stored lovingly a short toss into the woods across the street.
_________________
1987 Wolfsburg T25 still riding out. A bunch of other VW's passed on...

[sovereignsamba]

damn, I wish shipping wasn't so expensive!!!! I don't have the red 64 with the welded & hammered front end anymore, now I have a black one with a smashed front end with pieces cut out of it! Damn POs! (My grandma) hahaha.

[Bugs'n'Pugs]

[Miichael]

my 65 has similer wrinkles
i am either going to pound them out
or just cut them out and weld in

_________________
From RAMVA to TheSamba.......