Just bought a 72 Super

[Rome]

The 8-spokes (usually 5.5" wide) appear to be much narrower than the wheels from the PO, and have less of a "deep dish" effect. That's why I wrote that the 8-spokes might now tuck under the original fender edges even if you have the same tire sizes. 8-spokes are very common for Beetles, and I'm used to seeing those wheels and no abnormally wide tires not protruding from stock fender edges. At least in the rear... the SB front suspension/track is wider than the rear, so that your front 8-spokes might stick out slightly.

[r6kid]

Understood Rome. Thanks for the insight. Until I get the old tires of the old wheels I'll not know what width the old wheels are in comparison to the 8 spoke. With how this disassembly is going I'm just going to have to wait and see. My intention was to go wide fenders regardless as I really like that look. So, when the wide fenders are mocked up with everything in place I may have to make some new decisions. Not how I like to do things but I gotta keep this moving along while I have the time and the budget. If I can go wider tire I can easily sell these brand new tires and get back at it.

[Rome]

OK. When you reach the next stage of the mock-ups, pls share some photos here.

[Millertime610]

So I too am working on a 72 Super and noticed the Generator issue... Mine is 90 deg out as well? I don't have to pull the whole thing, I can just pull the four bolts and loosen the strap and turn it yea?

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08' Rabbit
72' Super - "Oscar" He's a bit grouchy...

[r6kid]

Hey Millertime! To be honest about the generator, I don't know. Rome told me a while back about how mine is sitting and I just don't pay it any mind at the moment. Sometime this coming week the engine is coming out so I kinda don't care. But for yours...I can't answer your question until I put my face in a manual. sorry bro.

[r6kid]

I'm at another stand still. I have weather coming in all week. I'm at a point right now where I have a few questions.
-Can I remove the body without removing the engine first? I ask because It looks like it may be easier to remove the engine without the body on. I could be wrong. Hence the question.
-Do I need any of the front steering components attached to have a rolling chassis? According to the videos I'm watching from JBugs.com it appears not. I'm just trying to figure out what all I need to have on before body removal so I can move it around a little bit. Once blasting and protecting is accomplished I need to get the whole chassis put together and ready to mate with the body after body work and paint.
Overall, some of the work I have left requires some assistance. I have to wait for my brother's availability...and weather.

[Cusser]

[Rome]

Yes you can lift the body with the engine still in place, but you'd have to lift it much higher for the rear apron to clear the fan shroud. You can also leave the front seats and shifter in place, but those are easy to remove and vastly reduce the lift height.

Suspension: for a rolling chassis you need to stabilize the tops of the front struts after you remove the body. Once the body is removed, the struts will flop down. A connecting brace can be as simple as a 2 x 6 board reaching across between them (or scrap angle iron like from a discarded bed frame), with another board/bar going down to the chassis to provide lateral stability. For steering- although I've never taken a SB body off, I've seen clamping a vise grip to the steering box input spline is sufficient.

[r6kid]

2. That would be TONS MORE work than removing the engine the typical way. Every owner of an old VW should know how to R&R the engine, in my opinion.[/quote]

Thanks for the comment Cusser. Can you clarify it for me though? Im a little confused. Are you saying easier to remove engine after body but a ton of work to get there? Considering everything else is torn apart I'm wondering what "a ton" would be. Thanks for your help!

[r6kid]

Rome...thanks!!!

I've already removed shifter and all the interior. Considering my brother and I will freehand lift, I'm pretty certain we can get the body high enough. (I recall lifting inflatable boats over my head, onto my head and running down a beach with it. I think I can handle a VDub body. LOL!)

I suppose since I don't have much dunnage laying around I'll nix the "rolling chassis" for the moment and continue tear down so I can get the chassis to the blaster. I'll get it rolling later.

[Cusser]

[Buggeee]

I really like the eight spokes in chrome. ALOT.

Some people cut access holes in the rear quarter under the fenders to get at dual carburetors for installation, removal and tuning. That would be my guess. I'd fill them too. I've got dual carbs, bloody knuckles, and solid quarters.

The one piece windows in the doors required the cutting out of metal that would have supported the vent wings, in order to allow for the full length glass going up and down. My research leads me to believe the consensus is that it's easier to source original doors than to repair the old ones. It's the reason I'm hesitating the one piece window look, as it seems to be a one way street. Your rust issue in the bottom of the door channel seals the deal on replacing the doors In my opinion. I have two doors sitting in my shed, and I am not unique. Keep an eye on craigslist for vw beetle parts and ask them if they have other parts, you will find some before too long. Also I have had some success with fenders and what not on the Samba classifieds you might find some there. Some dude named Ron Burgundy (lol) dismantles in California and I've had good luck with him. Maybe send him an email with what you need. Good luck on that quest.
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1966 Sportsmobile Camper https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...mp;start=0
72 Super Duper http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=672387
(adopted out) 61 Turkis Pile https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=728764

[Buggeee]

[r6kid]

OUT OF BODY EXPERIENCE ACHIEVED!!!

Other than a ton of epoxy holding some areas together and ONE body bolt that needed to get cut (rearmost body bolt on passenger side. The one you can't reach with fingers.) it was pretty easy to get off. I knew I had to lift higher than the engine but that was fine. I've lifted higher and heavier before.

I got my brother and neighbor on one end, my wife and i on the other, lifted right up.

The day prior i had my daughter back out there with me. She removed the rear brake drums for me. She's becoming a pro!

With any luck I can get everything off the chassis this week. (I'm FINALLY returning to work this week!) If I can get an appointment the chassis will go to media blasters next weekend.

All that being said, i may be interested in some aftermarket parts. Specifically transaxles. since I intend to throw a much more powerful engine in the back I think I need something much stronger than stock. Who has links???

[Buggeee]

Congratulations on going back to work.

...and Congratulations on finding such a solid bug. That chassis looks great.
_________________
1966 Sportsmobile Camper https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...mp;start=0
72 Super Duper http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=672387
(adopted out) 61 Turkis Pile https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=728764

[r6kid]

[Turnswrenches]

It sucks being on the East coast when everything VW comes from the left coast.

I have 4 different orders in with Jbugs right now, some a couple weeks back... and nothing has hit my doorstep yet.

Getting frustrated here myself.

Several other vendors have gotten parts here in just a couple days.

If you want a nice quiet driver... consider putting dynamat in strategic areas for noise control. I dont have any carpet in mine yet and these are unfinished pics... but the difference is amazing.

[r6kid]

Dynamat is definitely going in the car!!!

[r6kid]

Today I'm trying to get all the steering off the car. The ONE bolt that is holding up progress (front left bolt that holds the tow bar to the frame via the front chassis crumple guard) was rounded off. I couldn't get any wrench or socket to do anything. I decided it needed to be cut and the remnants drilled out. This has been a 3 hour process. The angle is bad so I can't get a sawzall in there. I used my oscillating Dremel and have gone through $30 in metal blades and only got halfway through. This is some bull$h!t!!!

Once that bolt is out I can get the entire steering component group into the garage and tear it apart. Ya know...where there's some shade!

Any suggestions?

[Buggeee]

I might weld a nut right onto the top of that bolt head, feeding the mig wire into to the center of the nut. Then I would take a map gas torch and heat that f***er till it was cherry red all the way through one end to the other and then I would use the air impact to unscrew that nut with the bolt welded to it it'll turn right out. Heating it to cherry red combusts the iron oxide rust, chemically altering the rust into Oblivion, not just expanding the metal. I learned that from my daughter who is in high school.

If I did not have a welder and all I had was a hacksaw blade for my sawzall, I might cut that captive nut off the top of the assembly and have a friend tack weld a new captive nut in its place before por-15. This will necessarily also cut a slit into that flange of the sacrificial energy-absorbing box. If I was going to damage something in the process that would need to be repaired, that captive nut is only attached to the sacrificial energy-absorbing box that is bolted to the front of the chassis. I'd rather bust part of that thing and not bust part of my chassis.

edit: or have you tried a cut off wheel on an angle grinder? You can get an angle grinder and a cut off wheel at harbor freight 4 less than a fast food lunch. if you use a cut off wheel coming at the side of that bolt head it might get through it just enough to knock it off the shaft or at least enough to where a chisel and 3 Pound Hammer could finish the job
_________________
1966 Sportsmobile Camper https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...mp;start=0
72 Super Duper http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=672387
(adopted out) 61 Turkis Pile https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=728764