Death Foam??!! :(

[75Flamebug]

Boy I wish I knew about death foam before I bought my flame bug!

I don't have the time or the money to do extensive work for atleast the next 4-5 years because I'm going to college.
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1975 (Standard) Flame Bug
YouTube - KlutchKyle
Instagram - 75FlameBeetle
----------Since Oct 2014----------

[Zundfolge1432]

Just start calling it patina and you'll be alright

[Dwayne1m]

The sad part is that it will only get worse, so if you plan you keeping the car for a while I will offer this suggestion.

1-Go in through the engine compartment and remove the foam. There are articles on this site on how guys have done that. It might also help to remove the bottom rear seat and the interior rear quarter panel because you can access some of the foam that way as well. Here is a pic of what you will be tackling.

2-Once you have the foam removed try and get a wire brush on an extension in there and try and clean it the best you can, then get some kind of rust preventative spray and spray it in there.

3-Pop off the plastic vent on the outside with a screwdriver. As you can see in the pictures that plastic vent sits in a pocket and there is a seal between that pocket and the outer quarter fender, and you can see that the seal leaks and that is how much of the water leaks in and then it is trapped between the foam and the outer quarter fender. With the plastic vent out and working from the outside try your best to put some kind of sealant in that pocket to help seal it from water leaking in.

While doing this will not fix your death foam rust, it just might prolong the rust from spreading faster, and you can do this for very little money.

[Volks Wagen]

[75Flamebug]

I know a real good welder. My uncle does it for a living. he's actually helping me do my door project. I'll post pics on a different topic. Just need to find donor metal. I just need this to last a few years while I finish schooling. hahaha. Thanks for the replies!
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1975 (Standard) Flame Bug
YouTube - KlutchKyle
Instagram - 75FlameBeetle
----------Since Oct 2014----------

[60ragtop]

From the FAQ's

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=480886
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=437975
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Rick
Certified Mechanic by the State of Michigan in 1977
ASA certified in 1987
Certified Hunter Wheel Alignment Master Technician 1986

[75Flamebug]

[Horance]

Well Fluff Nuggets.

That looks just like the place I have some small rust bubble on my 73.

Looks like this summer I am going to have to do a little surgery on my beetle. (see attached photo, sorry about the resolution)

On a related note has any one tried the POR15 putty? on pin holes?

[Q-Dog]

You can put anything you want on the outside, it won't solve the problem. The car is rotting from the inside.
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Brian

'69 Dune Buggy
'69 Beetle Convertible
'70 Beetle

[Horance]

[Horance]

[quote="Horance"]Well Fluff Nuggets.

That looks just like the place I have some small rust bubble on my 73.

Looks like this summer I am going to have to do a little surgery on my beetle. (see attached photo, sorry about the resolution)

On a related note has any one tried the POR15 putty? on pin holes?

quote]

ok now I am just plain upset. I know I have to cut in this area and that the best way is go from the inside.
After removing the rear seats and having a good hard look at the interior of this area I know I have to do it.

does any one have an idea for saving the fabric and padding?

[Dwayne1m]

Unfortunately the 2 rear quarter windows and the rear window must be removed. I have never done a headliner job so I don't know if you will be able to save it. The luggage area carpet will have to be removed too along with the rear seat. It's a dirty job to cut away those inner panels and weld them back in, so as much of the interior you can remove the better off you are.

[bvd]

I have a '74 Standard. After seeing some of the photos above, I think I got lucky as far as crescent vent "death foam" rust goes, but here is a thread from awhile back when I made this repair to both sides of my car, briefly chronicling removal of foam, etc: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=568790&highlight=

As you'll see, mainly the outer skin of metal was affected. My inner sheet metal still appeared to be be pretty solid. I couldn't find any donor sections, so my dad and I did our best to cut out the rusted sections and fabricate new patch panels. We used primitive tools: "C" Clamps and 2x4s to make the sharp bend, and a piece of plastic pipe to partially roll the metal to shape.
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"I paid 2000 for my MR2 with the back quarters rusted out, 900 for the bug. So rice is more costly than kraut."--doc1369

[beetlenut]

Here's a few shots of the shit-show I encountered when I ripped into mine.

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scrapyards are for quitters
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[Horance]

Started to look at my rust, it is not as bad as it could be but also not as good as I hoped. going to open it up from the out side pull out foam wire brush the dickens out of it an his it with por 15 paint and past (the same as the paint but like tooth past in a tube)

[Frodge]

Is this foam confined to just the bugs with that rear vent? If not I'd like to see if that junk is in mine.

[Horance]

[Danpa]

My 70 had the foam and no vents, luckily the rust was confined to just a few tiny spots. I dug out the foam and then used my home made sprayer to get Ospho in there to kill the rust.
Was the foam just for sound deadening, or some evil plot to kill off the bugs quicker.

Maybe someone who worked on the Chevy Vega "rust prevention program" suggested it.

Dan

[Frodge]

So have all you folks ripped this stuff out?

[Beetlebaum]

I'm glad to see this whole post--not because I'm happy about the death foam, but because mine also has this problem. I'm thankful for the information contained in this thread; I've got some work to do!
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1973 Super Beetle
2003 New Beetle
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