Rear floor pan insulation or?

[Sherm]

Here are some photos of "something" I think is covering the rear floor pans on my '69 type 1. I have never seen this before and I suspect that previous owner has added something. Or at least I hope that is what it is. Has anyone seen such a covering before? I've not pulled the rear carpet yet and checked the pan however I was told by local VW repair shop that the pans had been replaced. All thoughts are welcome, and thanks.

[HippyTom]

It looks like a rubberized undercoat that is coming off.

If it were mine, I'd clean it all off to see what the metal looks like then paint it with POR15, marine paint, or whatever you prefer. I have an aversion to rubberized undercoating. Too often people use it to cover up crappy temporary repairs or rust.

[Daddy o's 67]

Looks to me like the floor pan is rotted out. Better pull the seat out and the carpet or vinyl floor mat up to see what is going on.

[vwoldbug]

If the floor pans were replaced it was decades ago .

[CWAVE]

My vote is to strip off the rubberized coating (that appears to be letting go in many places), grind it down to bare metal, and POR-15.

I did that on mine (granted I'm doing a body off restoration of my VW) but the idea is the same. I too am not a fan of those coatings, as it can hide things you'd want to know about. POR-15 is a good solid finish, and you'll be able to spot problems before they become real issues down the road.

This isn't a replaced pan. This is the original 1973 factory pan after being cleaned up and POR-15'd. Yours could look like that too!

CWAVE

[bluebus86]

The failed under coating should be removed as it can act as a water trap and thus promote rust. Sometimes dealers or aftermarket vendors, or owners add undercoating such as this.

Bug On, With a Clean Bottom!
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[AlmostHeavenWV_VW]

I'd get the old coating off and address the underlying issues- coatings/paints don't usually fail without an underlying problem.

Once you have repaired/addressed the issues on the pan, you can do a number of things:
1) Grind to bear metal then use PO-15/MasterSeries Silver

2)Get fixed, use a rust converting primer over surface rust, then paint with other paint
(Eastwood Extreme chassis black/ Eastwood 'rust-encapsulator' paint)

3)Get fixed, then use a Rust encapsulating rubberized coating (Eastwood brand one option)


I would not use a plain 'rubberized undercoating' that doesn't have rust-addressing compounds for the previously mentioned hiding or trapping of issues (water/rust/rot)
_________________
1973 Standard Beetle
1600DP AK case
Solex 34PICT3 Carb
Bosch DVDA 205AJ Distributor

[mukluk]

[TDCTDI]

I don't know what everybody else is seeing, but those pans are shot. Judging by the sheet metal screws protruding through the pans, whatever "repair" was done looks like it was screwed over the top of the rusted out original.
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[scdevon]

Insulation?

Those pans are rotten from the inside out.
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1970 Beetle 1600 DP

[GArBa]

the black stuff on the underside of the pan is undercoating some hack smeared over the rotten pan from the bottom of the car. the rubbery stuff coming out of the rot is the sealant some hack smeared over the rotten pan from inside the cabin.
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cars:
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'22 type C1 T-Cross
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-------------------------
moped:
'82 Benelli Magnum 3v

[SBD]

In the POs last pic it sorta' looks to me like there's a seam going across the left pan right in front of the light brown colored dirty area. I agree that some major work needs done. Reminds me that my battery is on its way to dropping through the floor in the foreseeable future.
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[Sherm]

My appreciation to all that have responded to my post. I will be removing all of the "substance" covering the rear pans and will also look under the carpet. Chances are that the pans are history. Gives credence to the saying "buyer beware." I appreciate all of your responses.