74 restore IN THE WILD!

[phazor]

I gave the long and short of my aquisition, this thread is going to be the build, and I really need your help. I made a comment in the other thread that brings a new level of irony. I said that I wqas having trouble with the restore because all I had was a barn with no electric, and that I would perservere as I had seen and heard of people doing it outdoors. I added that "This is no game for sissies."
Well, its still not. I am now doing my restore IN THE WOODS!.
It's gonna be awesome! I do have electricity and enough hose to get air there.
So, what I'm gonna do now is throw up some pics, and explain why I am restoring the doner and the car became the donor.

This is one of the "good boys" I refered to who sniff problems out for me, he really is gifted, his name is Bucky.

"You can't restore this fat chick! its been wrecked!

"Who are you callin' fat?"

Not you, the car! Look here! Its been welded at both strut mounts!

"See! Look here.""

"Yep. You'll never be happy with this, the least bit of shimmy will drive you nuts!"

And the heat channels are shot all the way! The donor only needs the driver side front section replaced, and you were gonna do the pans any way. We think you should restore the other car. And you can use this bell housing to make that engine test stand you keep talking about!

"Yep. Restore this one."

We know you're worried about thst section of the rear corner on both sides, but you have a donor that's not good for much else.

So, Samba Sages, what do you think? Are the boys and the chicken right? Has anyone done the rear corner restore around the vents? I can't find a thread about it.
I would also add that the bug me vids are on the way (6 thru10), and am still deciding on what pans to buy, you know the 18 gauge delima.
Please help. And if you need more pics in order to help me, I'll be quick about getting them up. I can trade fresh eggs for info if you like.

[Mack_T]

That's a tough call. With the front strut towers welded, you gotta wonder about potential alignment issues with that first car. It might almost be safer to do the second car? If the front looks good?

Sounds like a very tough job to replace those rusted sections though...

Whichever way you go, I look forward to seeing your progress!

[75smith]

do the second car

here is a post(located in the FAQ's and stickies at top of forum page)

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=259211
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My 1975 Beetle Build Updated 8-21-12

My engine build

[Derek Cobb]

Trust the dogs.

[wbrown45]

Ditto to what Mack T, and 75Smith said. Those towers are probably going to be harder to align, and weld correctly than the vents. That kind of bodywork is not for the faint of heart, but if you go on the body/paint forum here you will get plenty of coaching. I did my first rocker panel, and lower quarter panel replacement on my son's '72 Baja last year and it looks good. Access to a good MIG welder is the most important consideration.
I love how Bucky pointed out the strut tower repair. My dog Buster needs to take a correspondence class from him!
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OK Thang

[EVfun]

Strip them both for parts and find another one? The fat bumper Bugs aren't exactly rare. I wouldn't fix either one!

[Steve22]

I agree with the dogs... but the strut towers are not that tough, the moon vents are even easier... ask me how I know.
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'65 Karmann Ghia 'vert
'73 Super Beetle
'59 Beetle ragtop
'73 Sunroof Transporter

[Jamies74sb]

I would build another FAt bumper bug before I would ever think of building something else .. But I was thinking of getting a oval baja from my buddy & crashing it up sone more for fun !!!

[phazor]

So, this is the bad section to be replaced.

this is the section of the donor that I cleaned up.

I wanna replace the corner all at once, and am gonna unless someone tells me that either I am screwing up or that there is an easier way. I intend to weld a great deal of bracing on both cars before I start cutting

aside from that, my next move is to get the body off, and replace the pan (halves from mid america, already ordered), and replace the forward section (LH Side) of the heat channel.

Not a game for sissies.

I look forward to any advice.

[phazor]

[Steve22]

[wbrown45]

[phazor]

[phazor]

[phazor]

So, Bucky is checking out the rear bumper mounts. He says that I can't use the ones from the '75 super 'cause the apron is different. He says that the whole rear clip is different from the '74 standard 'cause of the muffler (Fuel Injected).

He also insists that I replace the mounts.
He won't leave me alone about it. So any recomendations on where to buy?
I setteled on 20 Ga. steel for the pans, and am tired of "setteling".

Bucky wants me to show you this pic just so he can read your responses and say either "I told you so", or "Argooowellg". Dunno what that means, and am not sure on the spelling, but he says it a lot. German? Dunno.

While we were looking at the rear wheel houses the wiring harness came poking through, and bucky sniffed out a short that the PO must've had to deal with. Bucky says that this explaines all the extra wires comming from, and going to the loom.

Bucky Peels it open and assures me that I am buying a new harness, and a pig ear.

[RDbugger]

Nice. Very creative fella.When is that chic going to be on the dinner table?

[Derek Cobb]

Tell that dog that advice is cheap, it's labor that gets the job done.

[Steve22]

[phazor]

Okay so, we got the body off,

and "Red" the body man wanted to start cutting right away.

We were there in no time.

It's when the fine tuning and clean up of the chasis that the 1st problem arose. The rear support arm that runs under the back wall of the pan, from the torsion tube housing, to about halfway to the center tube, was rusted through, and came away with the old pan.
only a small piece of ot remains on the right side in this shot.

Here's a shot of the other side before I remove this last piece of the old pan.

We have looked everywhere I know to look for these parts, and have had no luck.

Bucky says to just fabricate the piece, so I guess that's what we'll have to do. Any sugestions?

[Steve22]

buying new pans? if so, that piece will come with each pan. If you're fabricating new pans, then yes fab that part as well.
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'65 Karmann Ghia 'vert
'73 Super Beetle
'59 Beetle ragtop
'73 Sunroof Transporter