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China Clipper's Official 1971 Super Beetle Project page!
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Dodgy
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 21, 2021 10:39 am    Post subject: Re: Borrowed these great shots from Jeremy_G Reply with quote

Chinaclipper wrote:
So I found what I was looking for; this is a posting from Jeremy_G's project. One of my favorites; this guy knows how to fabricate! I WISH I had his skills....

The little corner part in the right front wheel well
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


..and the wheel well repair, they all seem to rust right where don't they? I guess it's just a matter of how high the rust goes.. Mine goes a few inches higher then this one..
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

Thanks again Jeremy. Wink


No, that is not quite right...
The lower edge of the panel is flat from the bottom of the A-post all the way to the area by the suspension tower, when it drops down.
You can see the row of spot welds that have been drilled out in Jeremy's photo above. Jeremy rebuilt the lower edge like this:
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

(Thanks Jeremy for posting these pictures!)

Photo below is from when I was unpicking the welds in the same area on my car. This is all factory metal, no previous repairs.
Note the open area at the base of the A-post for moisture drain. (A bit full of debris here, but you get the idea)
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

You can just about see the seam in the later image when my repairs were complete:
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


My experience was that the pattern repair panels for this area are not great (what's new) especially the edge features if you are trying to accurately reproduce the factory seams. The curvature of this panel is tricky to get right too. Patience is the key.
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Chinaclipper
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PostPosted: Fri Apr 23, 2021 7:24 am    Post subject: Re: Borrowed these great shots from Jeremy_G Reply with quote

Dodgy wrote:

No, that is not quite right...
The lower edge of the panel is flat from the bottom of the A-post all the way to the area by the suspension tower, when it drops down.
My experience was that the pattern repair panels for this area are not great (what's new) especially the edge features if you are trying to accurately reproduce the factory seams. The curvature of this panel is tricky to get right too. Patience is the key.

Hmm. Dodgy, I guess I'm gonna try for function and not worry too much about what the original seam line was. I just wanna get an idea of what to do with that corner. I think I gotta' pretty good plan now; thanks to all who helped. Smile
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MACJELLY58
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PostPosted: Sat Apr 24, 2021 5:20 am    Post subject: Re: China Clipper's Official 1971 Super Beetle Project page! Reply with quote

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.
.

I spent the large part of four hours getting to that point. Didn't have time to install, just ran out of time, but did clean it and POR-15'ed. Hopefully, this w/e, will trim, fit, weld then put in the fender nut (the new style).
Progress.Wink[/quote]

Thanks for sharing how many hours were spent making that Awesome repair patch. I thought it was just me that was spending that kinda time on that stuff! My patience grows thin at my progress and I get frustrated. So, that really makes me feel better. Smile
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Chinaclipper
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 26, 2021 6:07 pm    Post subject: More progress Reply with quote

Macjelly 58; thanks, and no it is not just you. My tools are limited, as is my skill, but it does work out.
In situ...
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

and my very crude corner patches. Crude but effective. Need a little grinding to finish ….

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


And now le grande hole.....

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


.. and ye ol' patch....Again, it took awhile to fabricate but I think it will do. I'll clean up those right and left inside corners before I weld, no worries.....

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Rough but do-able. I will prime it and rust coat it, hopefully get it in this weekend. Brother is coming out, and he's not exactly a fabrication fan, so.....we'll fix some other things around the house, sprinklers, garden boxes, you know, the day to day stuff.. Hehehehe
BTW I am planning to prime the whole underside, frame, and wheel wells with MS silver primer, seam sealer as needed, and another coat of primer.
Not ready for that yet tho Wink
See you all soon...
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VW_Jimbo Premium Member
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 26, 2021 8:39 pm    Post subject: Re: China Clipper's Official 1971 Super Beetle Project page! Reply with quote

Looking good. You are going to need to beat on that lower fender well patch. The lines are off. I am thinking, your race to finish it up won out on the battle with patience.

No biggy, it’s just steel. You can reshape it from behind. I had to do some shaping on the 54, from the backside. I just cut out the interior sidewall at the A pillar, leaving in one side so that I could fold it out of the way, and then back into position, easily.

No biggy! Just a dumb piece of steel! Keep on making progress!
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Chinaclipper
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PostPosted: Tue May 04, 2021 10:49 am    Post subject: Moving up... Reply with quote

Thanks for the hint VW_Jimbo. I tried a quick fender/body mating, and it looked "close", but not perfect. I will see if I can't get it a bit better.
In the meantime, I have continued working on the last few major welding tasks on this body-this one was the patch for the right front wheel well. A pretty common place for nasty rust-mine was no exception. you remember the before----
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


and now the after--

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Not beautiful, but functional. That about describes my welding as of late. Using different techniques, ie plug welding, lap welding, butt welding... It can get a bit ugly. I do realize that practice is the best experience for learning welding, but sometimes I get discouraged when my welds don't look like the ones on youTube. I know it will be grinded, primed, seam sealed, painted, under-coated and and unseen by everyone... but me Crying or Very sad

I'll fix the fender nut (s?), then on to the next side.
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PostPosted: Thu May 06, 2021 1:23 pm    Post subject: Re: China Clipper's Official 1971 Super Beetle Project page! Reply with quote

For replacing the body mount bolts near shock towers i usually use stud and bols after fitting spacers during reassembly. Couple of good threads for this explaining how to get door gaps right.
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Chinaclipper
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PostPosted: Thu May 06, 2021 6:04 pm    Post subject: Re: China Clipper's Official 1971 Super Beetle Project page! Reply with quote

toddgsanford wrote:
For replacing the body mount bolts near shock towers i usually use stud and bolts after fitting spacers during reassembly. Couple of good threads for this explaining how to get door gaps right.

uhhh Thanks for the post. But I am not sure if this is for me?
CC
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PostPosted: Sun May 09, 2021 5:58 pm    Post subject: Could I possibly be at Midpoint? Reply with quote

The title says it all. As I was welding in this last 5" x 10" piece of steel, I thought to myself, "self, this is probably the last of the big rust repair pieces I'll need to replace". I smiled, because I knew it wasn't the last time I'd be welding-I had lots more little "fiddly bits" of welding that still was required, but, yes, I thought....

"This was probably the last big rust repair of the build".

Could I possibly be at Midpoint?

Here it is...first the naked hole (can I say that?)
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

Prepped and ready!
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

First welds and plugs too
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

After I ground it a bit and Ospho'ed it.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

Because of the location of the patch, I have chosen NOT to do the "perfect" look-I think I would probably thin the surrounding metal too much. I am a MIG welder, haven't tackled or even tried TIG yet. (Could it be in the future? Perhaps...)

Anyway, there ya have it. I'm calling it the halfway, or Midway point. (Sounds like a good WWII movie doesn't it? )

Now just a bit more "finish welding", and I will start some serious body work-including some filling, (just a little, but some- I can live with it), and some (tons of) sanding, priming, sealing, and painting.

Did I mention I still need to completely redo my chassis?
Uh yeah. Clean, strip, prime, paint and rebuild. Probably pretty much the whole shebang-brake lines, brakes, front end stuff like ball joints, bearings, you get the drill....
Sigh..
The Midway point.
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PostPosted: Mon May 10, 2021 8:33 am    Post subject: Re: China Clipper's Official 1971 Super Beetle Project page! Reply with quote

Congratulations on the “Midway” victory! (Island hoping in the Pacific in WW2)

Lucky man to be done on the major welding!!! That always feels so good!
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TDCTDI wrote:
Basically, a whole bunch of fuckery to achieve a look.


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PostPosted: Mon May 10, 2021 10:54 am    Post subject: Re: China Clipper's Official 1971 Super Beetle Project page! Reply with quote

"MAIN BODY Sighted!"

(from the movie)
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PostPosted: Mon May 10, 2021 2:19 pm    Post subject: Re: China Clipper's Official 1971 Super Beetle Project page! Reply with quote

Lost69Convertible wrote:
"MAIN BODY Sighted!"

(from the movie)


You got me! Thanks man!
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Jimbo

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

TDCTDI wrote:
Basically, a whole bunch of fuckery to achieve a look.


67rustavenger wrote:
GFY's Xevin and VW_Jimbo! Smile
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PostPosted: Mon May 10, 2021 10:41 pm    Post subject: Re: China Clipper's Official 1971 Super Beetle Project page! Reply with quote

Congrats on reaching an important milestone!
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PostPosted: Tue May 11, 2021 9:18 am    Post subject: Fiddley bits Reply with quote

Thanks everyone for the comments, always nice to realize people are seeing what you are doing.

I had a neighbor come by yesterday; maybe you've had it happen to you. It goes like this... (You are usually working grinding or welding or whatever)

(neighbor) "Hey! whacha' got there?!?!"
(me) "Oh this? Is the grinding bothering you? (even tho it's 11:30 am) (neighbor) "Oh no, I was just curious to see what 'ur workin' on..."
(me) "Oh this is my bug. When I got it, it was rusted out from the ground to about 24" up... literally. So, I am replacing or repairing it, and hopefully will get it out driving again...." (etc etc etc for about 20 minutes...)

Good fun..
But today, it was "fiddley bits" again. I saw a neat way of repairing small holes, so I thought I'd try it out. I think I saw it over there on Fitzee's Fabrication on youtube. He drills out to the good steel, then makes a little patch, welds the patch to a wire coat hanger, then welds it in the hole. Done!

Before
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

Drill to good steel. I know the steel looks bad, but that's surface rust. It's sound and treated with Ospho.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

Make/locate patch with wire hanger
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

Weld 'er in, and grind.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Cool. I am gonna try it for a few more of these little nuisance holes. The trick is making sure you cut out the rusted stuff. You just can't weld to rust.....

I also made a little patch for the front.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Needed to boost the backer a bit, actually made a few plug welds for that crossbar, welded 'er in, then grinded and done. A little filler, she's "golf-tango-golf".

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

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PostPosted: Tue May 11, 2021 10:23 am    Post subject: Re: China Clipper's Official 1971 Super Beetle Project page! Reply with quote

Very nice!

Instead of the coat hanger, you can just use MIG wire. I drop a little weld onto a small circle, then spool out 6 inches and cut it off!

Like this.

Spool out the wire.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Then set up the small piece on another larger piece that you can clamp to for ground.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Then touch the wire to the patch and quickly pull the trigger.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Take that and cut the wire to a usable length.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Then tack weld it in!
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Tack away and grind down to finish. Then prime!
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


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

TDCTDI wrote:
Basically, a whole bunch of fuckery to achieve a look.


67rustavenger wrote:
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Chinaclipper
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PostPosted: Tue May 11, 2021 8:03 pm    Post subject: Re: China Clipper's Official 1971 Super Beetle Project page! Reply with quote

VW_Jimbo wrote:
Very nice!

Instead of the coat hanger, you can just use MIG wire. I drop a little weld onto a small circle, then spool out 6 inches and cut it off!
Good luck!

Nice! Thanks as always fer the tips VW _Jimbo.

As I was looking, I read a nice story about a Canadian guy (Globespotter) who bought a '71 Super, same color as mine, and drove it home via the "mother rode" with it and his daughter.

Sounds fun.

Of course, my original idea was to maybe drive from here in Nebraska where I went to school in the 70's, to SoCal, where I was from.
Kind of a "45 year (or so) anniversary" of the 3 times I made the trip as a college kid with a 71 beetle. (not a Super tho)

'Course, it was a few years ago. This trip would be one way, I'd tow her home with an RV or something, and would be a few more days then the 3-day 2-night trip I made as a kid. Wink
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PostPosted: Tue May 11, 2021 11:03 pm    Post subject: Re: China Clipper's Official 1971 Super Beetle Project page! Reply with quote

I have a simpler method for the small patches. I just use two (or more) small magnets out of a BLDC motor to keep it in place. This way it stays very well aligned edge to edge.
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PostPosted: Thu May 20, 2021 8:26 am    Post subject: Re: China Clipper's Official 1971 Super Beetle Project page! Reply with quote

tzepesh wrote:
I have a simpler method for the small patches. I just use two (or more) small magnets out of a BLDC motor to keep it in place. This way it stays very well aligned edge to edge.

Thanks Tzepesh.

Point of clarification: By mounting/welding the patch on a stiff coat hanger wire, (a rough cut "squarish" patch), I can then place the coat hanger part in my drill, spin it up, and then use my grinder as a "mini-lathe" to shape the squarish rough cut patch into the perfect circular patch.
Since I have already touched up the rusted-thru area making the perfect hole with the step drill bit, it's a nice way to create the ideal patch size. I go for slightly smaller patch size to get the nice fit. Weld that in, of course, and grind off the excess and bada-bing....
Done!
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Chinaclipper
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PostPosted: Mon May 24, 2021 7:15 am    Post subject: Time to Switch Gears.... Reply with quote

Well, not literally, but I need to start doing something else.

Oh, I still am doing the renovating of the 1971 Super, that's a given.
I'm just so ready to start in a new area.

Yesterday, (and for what seems forever now) Wink I spent a LONG time addressing welding issues-little holes (now the big ones are filled), dressing up places, and now, trying to get my fenders "up to snuff"; you know how they get-the "inside edges" up against the car body seem to really suffer. Rust thins the metal, what was once, what, 20 gauge steel seems to be like 30 gauge now-bolt holes turn into bolt crevasses, and you need to dress them up.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


I started patching-I tried to leave the rolled corners intact-difficult to get those edges just right, and the thinned metal was just kicking my butt. I used the copper bar trick to build up holes, but it just wore me out.

I need a change.....

(Snaps fingers) I think I will start with the chassis. The pans are new and in, so.....

I need to steam clean, clean up the tranny (who knows what kinda' shape THAT is in..) then replace all the brake lines, wheel cylinders, master cylinder, shifter bushings, do a pedal cluster rebuild and redo the front end, ie, suspension bars, bearings, you know, everything.

Then prep said chassis for 1) Master Series prime, 2) seam sealer, 3) second coat of primer, 4) base coat of some black semi-gloss paint.

Then, when I am refreshed, (hehehe) I will revisit these little body "fiddley bits" that are just kicking my glutes right now.

Good plan Samba?
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PostPosted: Mon May 24, 2021 4:59 pm    Post subject: Re: China Clipper's Official 1971 Super Beetle Project page! Reply with quote

Awesome plan!

Just do not leave us hanging! I just replied to a build thread who’s author disappeared for 7 years!!!! I had been wondering what happened. But hey, he is back at it!
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TDCTDI wrote:
Basically, a whole bunch of fuckery to achieve a look.


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