Questions on bodywork

[VeeDee]

A fine job done by the previous owners and their helpers.

About two years ago I got a compareble candidate for a full resto job.
Pictures (sorry, only german comments):

https://bugfans.de/forum/restaurationen-und-umbauten/65er-schnelldurchlauf-t17400.html



Always Aircooled


VeeDee

[SparksLP]

It's impressive that they were able to fix it up!
_________________
Tom
1966 VW Beetle Sunroof Sedan

[VeeDee]

More funny crispy stories:

https://bugfans.de/forum/restaurationen-und-umbauten/66er-cabriooohohohoh-t13810.html

https://bugfans.de/forum/restaurationen-und-umbauten/cabrio-specials-t18171.html

and a new easy project to start with:

https://bugfans.de/forum/restaurationen-und-umbaut...20037.html


The red 65 was customer awarded on his first two events after completion...


Always Aircooled

VeeDee

[clarkster75]

"Keep Pounding" (at the rust).
You could look at the Harbor Frt. Mig welders too. They are competitively priced, and have a few YT videos you could watch.
One, thing I noticed, is that you may want to "start" on patches you can "get to" without removing much.
The Heater Channels have to be done when the car is off the pan, and you will have to build some door braces to keep the frame straight too.
Anyway, work small to big.
I took a late night welding class from the community college so look into that. Got to use all the stuff: Mig, Tig, etc. and it was not $. The teacher was awesome... 30+ yrs experience.
Also see if you have to set up 220v in your garage, and how far you need to plug in your welder. That caused a minor dilemma when I got started. And find a grinder so you can cut/grind/clean ... a must there.
I just use kevlar gloves, cotton sleeves and sometimes a leather apron, but you dont' need to kill it on what to wear when welding.
Good luck!!

[Mike Fisher]

I wouldn't worry about redoing most of the existing patches. Evil_Fiz told you what gas shielding welder to buy.
_________________
https://imgur.com/user/FisherSquareback/posts
69 FI/AT square Daily Driver
66 sunroof,67,70,71,71,71AT,72,72AT,73 Parts
two 57 oval ragtops sold
'68 Karmann Ghia sold

Society is like stew. If you don't keep it stirred up you end up with a lot of scum on the top! - Russ_Wolfe/Edward Abbey

[SparksLP]

I would likely have to go with a 110v welder whenever I get to that point. Hell, I need to run more plugs in my garage, there's only one outlet in the whole thing. As far as electrical stuff goes, would it be a safe idea to put a breaker box in my garage for stuff like this?

I'm hoping I can get all the mechanical bits working first, then tackle the bodywork. I was considering taking classes on welding, whenever things like that become available again.
_________________
Tom
1966 VW Beetle Sunroof Sedan

[SparksLP]

I just thought of another good question. The way that bodywork looks, would I be able to mount a roll bar in my car? I'm thinking those patches are right in the area that the bar would mount?
_________________
Tom
1966 VW Beetle Sunroof Sedan

[SparksLP]

Bringing this one back from the dead. A fun ankle fracture + house repairs has stalled progress, I don't have the time or skills to fix this myself, I think. New pictures showing all the other "bad patches ". Any guesses on how much someone would charge to fix all this? Is it even worth paying someone?

And if it's cost prohibitive to fix, how much is my Bug worth at this point? 1966, body and pan matching numbers. I don't know what to do at this point, it's been sitting more than it's been driving and I'm losing hope, lol. Thanks for any advice!
_________________
Tom
1966 VW Beetle Sunroof Sedan

[71StandardReduction]

I say your car only needs slightly more than the average beetle does anyway.
If you want to fix it then I say go for it. If you don't, maybe pass it along and find you another beetle that may likely need most of the same repairs... but you won't be able to see them until you dismantle it (that's subjective to my personal experience on now 4 different beetles, one of which had a nice paint job over all the crap fiberglass repairs)

The value of the car seems to be out the window these days. Folks are paying more than the value of the car for just a paint job anymore.

I personally wouldn't pay someone else to do it, I have tried that a few times and ended up having to learn how to do it myself after I payed for it to be messed up.
In my case, I didn't know how to weld, that was my only hold up and reason to take things to places of business to be done for me.
Now I'm learning to weld and have successfully repaired several things.

Just a recap on my opinion here. If you want to fix it, then fix it. If you don't, then don't. Your car is worth what someone is willing to pay for it when you decide to sell it, there is no accurate blue book value available so who knows how much it would sell for.
_________________
One thing I ask from the Lord, This only do I seek:
That I may dwell in the House of The Lord all the days of my Life, to gaze on the beauty of The Lord and to seek Him in His Temple~Psalms 27:4

YHWH NISSI
YHWH SHALOM

64 Pan Buggy
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...mp;start=0

Ruby Red 1966
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=779597&highlight=

https://youtube.com/@SCOFabwerx?feature=shared

[SparksLP]

[bomberbob]

Some of the patch panels I see are not that bad, pop rivets and self threading screws are a problem. If you could remove the screws, and drill out the pop rivets and remove the patch panel, they may still be usable. Some of them. If you take a grinder and clean up whats behind the panel, and clean up the back of the panel, you may be able to just trim it for a better fit, and then butt weld it on. Or drill holes and use rosette welds, and some butt welds or stitch welds around the edge. Take these temporary patches and make them permanent.

If you cannot do the welding yourself, then the car is beyond economical repair in my opinion. I think someone else mentioned previously that if you are in an accident, these panels will provide about as much protection as cardboard. I mean look at the year, no airbags, very primitive as far as crush zones go.

I used a flux core welder I bought at Home Depot, Century brand, I think it has Lincoln guts in it. I had plans to buy a MIG, but when I laid out my budget, buying a MIG subtracted funds from other car repairs (parts). I turned the wire feed speed and voltage down, and use wire stick-out to further control heat. I welded a lot on the bug (heater channels, forward firewall, repair panels in both front wheel wells, replaced door skins on both doors, lower sections in both doors, the entire forward quarter panel on drivers side from apron to door pinch weld) and then used it to weld floor boards in my jetta, rocker panels, wheel well repair panels, etc. Yes flux core spatters more, you just clean it up.

To sum up all this aimless rambling, the car looks nice on the outside, if you are willing to learn a skill and buy some pieces of equipment, you can fix it yourself and be proud of it.
_________________
1968 Beetle (storage)
1990 Jetta GLI megasquirted, burning E85 (currently in heavy maintenance)
2004 Jetta turbo GLI
Marion, Iowa

[71StandardReduction]

[SparksLP]

Thanks for the advice guys. I'd love to keep this one, it's pretty much what I always wanted minus the problems. Most of the patches are rivets or self tapping metal screws. Even the floorpans are put in that way. Not that these cars are super safe, but how much extra "death trap" is my car this way? If I can get away with driving it for a while as is it'd be easier to save and fix it properly.
_________________
Tom
1966 VW Beetle Sunroof Sedan

[clarkster75]

The cost question is so hard to pin down.
In life, you have Good>>Fast>>Cheap.... you get to pick two, and it wont be the third (choice you leave out)

Sounds like you need to find a local club, and really get to know as many people as you can.
From there, you can hopefully meet a welder, AND fabricator. Welding is one thing but fabricating all the sheet metal to make the patch is another.
Being good at both, and having the tools, is a skill for sure.
The $100/hr suggestion is probably accurate.
There is a recent thread, from Germany, and he is doing it bit by bit. He has a mint green 63. Total props to him. Most of the car looks good but he just keeps doing one good patch and paint, after the other.
You don't see that much/often.
There is a lot of work there, good luck, and if you have time you can stock pile parts, cash and connections to get where you want to be.

[toxicavenger70]

[SparksLP]

[SparksLP]

As a related question, how much does it save me to take everything apart if I were to have someone to the repairs? I have the mechanical skills to do all that stuff. Anything else I could do to save money if I went that route? Just a thought.
_________________
Tom
1966 VW Beetle Sunroof Sedan

[jinx758]

Oh wow ... what a dilemma

Sorry to hear about your injury.

FYI - I know a guy that was side swiped by a small SUV at 40mph. His bug was solid, had to be cut out, & now has a bionic hip. He was delivering X-Mas presents with a police escort.

I would consider your bug too risky to drive - unfortunately.

Sometimes when digging into rust repair there is more than just what you see.
I hope that's not your case.
If you jump in with both feet (sorry) it looks like you might not disturb that nice paint job.

Welding is a good skill to have ( which I don't ).
There's a lot of odd jobs available to offset cost of welder & body parts.

Best to you ... stay safe

jinx
_________________
" It's not valuable unless you learn something from an experience. " Henry Ford

It's not unlike the same difference

You can't push a rope


VALVES (cold)
POINTS
TIMING
CARB (fully warmed engine)

SCRAPE ALL GROUNDS

My Craigslist rescued 100 footer :
1971 Standard Bug
1776cc dual port
034 distributor
38mm EGAS Carburetor

[VW_Jimbo]

And the other item no one talks about are all the hidden damages that are not visible. Like when moisture evaporates on a hot day, but the moisture is trapped in the car through several months of the heat to cold cycle. This cycle eventually allows the interior of most of the cavities to rust, including the interior of the tunnel of the pan. There is WAY MORE to “repairing” metal than just welding new steel in. I agree that is about half of the work. The other half is finding the rust and then figuring out how to repair it. Access is sometimes limited. So, you have to invest in tooling.

I am saying there are a lot of auxiliary tools and knowledge needed besides a welder and the desire to repair a car. ALOT! You have to love doing that type of work and be willing to lose money doing it. You will never get back the money you impart to the project. Take that as a fact from a reputable source. But you will get to work with your hands, melt steel together, and eventually (if life allows it) you will get to enjoy it!

If you want to see it all in action, check out my 54 thread in the Oval section. Car was left to rot in the state of Washington with lots of rain! Bottom 6 inches of the car were rust, well more like paper thin rusty flakes held together by a few dirt particles and grease. Be sure to look at the start date of the thread and the current date. Then evaluate the way you want to spend your time. Just some sound information. I am no hater and if anything a bit of an optimist. So, my vote is to go for it, but you should REALLY REVIEW YPUR RESOURCES AND LIFE.

My 2 cents.
_________________
Jimbo

There is never enough time to do it right the first time, but all the time necessary the second time!

[SparksLP]

Thanks gang! Jimbo, I checked out your thread. 2019! I see your point with time investment. Thankfully mine doesn't look *that* bad, lol. But I know if I take it apart it's all or nothing...
_________________
Tom
1966 VW Beetle Sunroof Sedan