Help doing a front clip on beetle

[Frankysfree]

I am doing a front clip on my '67 as it has been hit previously and it is wrinkled a little on the left side in front of the beam and the front has been pushed down slightly making it hard to close the trunk. I already have the panel on the way but was wondering if there was a writeup or any tips when doing this. If i am correct i shouldnt have to seperate the body from the pan? I am experienced in TIG welding and have a Miller TIG welder that cost alot more than my bug so i should be good there. I know the process of tacking it in and moving to another spot but have never personally done it. I know alot of people overlap panels, like the floor patch panels but im planning on doing it right and butting them up end to end.

Any advice, tips, tricks, links, etc would be much appreciated.
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1967 Bug
1969 Bug thats getting a Hayabusa engine
2008 Harley Nightster

"You can't know where your going until you know where you've been"

[Derek Cobb]

Make sure you have straight fenders and hood when you do your fitting. gas tank needs to be in there too. Before you burn anything in, make sure all your gaps are good.

[Frankysfree]

[Derek Cobb]

You really need them before you start welding anything in, otherwise things can get off. Original stuff is way better. A used original fender with a few dents is much better than a new aftermarket one.

[Frankysfree]

[VintageVulture]

Derek Cobb= Advice guru.
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The best things in life aren't Things
(they're Buses)

[Frankysfree]

Well the front clip showed up today from So Cal Imports damaged so i have to send it back. I am very surprised, and told So Cal the same, that they just stick it in a box with no packing whatsoever. No wrap or anything around the sharp edges, nothing. It just poked holes through the box at every edge of the clip and bent all the edges and there is a couple decent size dents on the front apron. I feel like im getting ripped off considering i payed $75 for shipping on the part... Think they just lost my business from now on.
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1967 Bug
1969 Bug thats getting a Hayabusa engine
2008 Harley Nightster

"You can't know where your going until you know where you've been"

[Mike Fisher]

Bummer about the clip, but good that you teach them a lesson about their shipping practices! I saw a picture Here, where a guy used a Laser Level to project his cutting line on his clip while he sawed it off. Seemed like a good idea. Good Luck with the repair!
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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

[homebrewin]

Derek is absolutely correct. You definitely want to fit everything before welding. In fact, you may find yourself fitting certain parts several times throughout the repair. I work in a collision repair shop and we will normally use small self tapping zip screws to hold panels together while fitting any exterior panels. If you are off even a couple of millimeters, it will cause lots of problems as has already been mentioned, with gaps on the outer sheet metal.

I'm actually about to start the same repair on my long stalled 67 beetle project. I've luckily got a donor clip from another 67, but when I was starting to get my parts together last weekend to start the work, I realized the used fenders I bought 3-4 years ago at a swap have some differences in horn grille location. I didn't look at em close enough side by side back when I bought them. So now I'm on the hunt for a set of 67 fenders again, too. Good luck with your repair.
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[quote="Mario Gavazzi"]And my first shop was in Germany.[/quote]

[Frankysfree]

[Frankysfree]

[Frankysfree]

Still HAVEN'T gotten my replacement front clip from SoCal Imports. They keep giving me the runaround. First time I called them, they said they had to wait for UPS to finish the claim, next time I called they said UPS denied the claim and they were disputing it but they would go ahead and send out the replacement, third time they said UPS approved the disputed claim and they were sending the new one out by the next morning. That was 2 weeks ago. I have yet to receive my front clip or even a single call from them EVER through this whole ordeal...

I will never order ANYTHING from SoCal Imports again. I will give them one last call in the morning and demand the return of ALL my money or I guess I'll have to dispute my CC charges. I really don't understand what's so hard about treating paying customers decently...
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1967 Bug
1969 Bug thats getting a Hayabusa engine
2008 Harley Nightster

"You can't know where your going until you know where you've been"

[Major Woody]

A used OEM clip is going to be a much better easier part to accurately install anyway. Repro sheetmetal is usually bad, with few exceptions.

[Frankysfree]

[volksaddict]

I just un-baja'd my 67 vert. Used oem clips, fenders, hood, decklid. You will def want the good fenders and hood to fit your nose. Since my gas tank area was fine I cut through the spare tire area and made my weld where there is a seam going down from the tank support so my weld had backing for most of the splice. No structural areas cut, just sheetmetal. Took me about 3 days to cut and trim the donors, fit and weld on, front and rear, but this is not my first un-baja.

[Major Woody]

Nice work sir.

[rstrobel]