Removable Apron on Steroids -or- Sedan to Baja and Back to Sedan

[rayjay]

Boon or boondoogle ?

I hate things that are a pita to work on and the bug engine bay definitely qualifies. I foresee leaving the panel off until the motor is installed and test driven a few times. Kinda a Baja rat rod look . I will eventually make the front apron assy removable for a wide eye Baja kit. Then I can do a sedan, a rat rod and a baja.


I still have some more tabs to add up high. Probably add 2 more fender mounting bolts on each side of the cut.

[quiksilver571]

let me know when you start making kits

I would wager that OG types won't be a fan, the high performance/Suby swap guys will think it's genius.

lol, I grafted a 57-63 ragtop into a 69 with wide fenders and early headlights. So I'm pro Frankenstein all the way as long as the final product looks like something that could have rolled off the factory floor.

If it makes your life easier, and it doesn't present a danger of falling/rattling off for whoever you sell it to down the road, then I say go for it and be proud of it.


what kind of fenders do you plan on running? That might really be your only major hiccup
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1969 Standard
1969 Standard with ragtop graft

[modok]

Neat idea

[66brm]

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=726062
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Aust. RHD 66 Type 1
Aust. RHD 57 Type 1 Oval

[madmike]

all held on with Dzus fasteners
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'Black Ice'Drag Buggy 'Turbo'
Rail Buggy 1915 turbo
76 Drag/Street bug 2180cc 'Turbo' 11:85 @113 mph"If I go any faster I'll burn up the Hamster" ,gets 28 mpg. also 10/09/22 11.90 @115 mph
"If I'm ever on Life Support,UNPLUG Me, Then Plug me back In see if that Works"

[rayjay]

[rayjay]

This also works pretty well on my car which is a 74. When they went to the crash bumpers they radically enlarged the double panel. It runs all the way from the rear of the body up to the vertical body mount that bolts to the shock tower. On an older body you would need to weld in larger doublers to spread the loads of the fasteners. Otherwise I would worry about stress cracks around the bolt holes.

[rayjay]

[oprn]

Give some thought to structural integrity in the event of a collision. That structure is not all for looks...

Especially if you have plans to do the front end in a similar fashion.

[UK Luke 72]

Mines very similar except I cut it slightly lower so the join is covered by the deck lid.

Makes working on it so much easier for sure.

Maybe dzus fasteners on the wings would be a nice improvement.
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2276 Beetle build https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=670744&highlight=2276+beetle+daily
2276 EFI Conversion https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=689172

[spencerfvee]

[spencerfvee]

[esde]

However you do it, it makes pulling the engine a breeze. I drilled out the factory spotwelds, welded up most of the holes, and I have a few bolts holding the thing together. You can hardly tell, and it doesn’t compromise the fender and bumper mounting. It is a bit more of a chore to get in and out, but for the few times I’ve needed it.. no big deal.
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modok wrote:
Bent cranks are silent but gather no moss. I mean, ah, something like that.

[Rome]

You put some thought into this method. The bottom L channel accurately locates the apron so that all you need to do is position it between the fenders, put the front bottom edges of the apron into the channels, and push the apron forward until it stops. This lines up the apron quickly and easily.

Will you weld matching nuts to the inner surfaces of the apron so that you only need to feed the bolts up in the wheelwells, and not mess with holding a nut and wrench in the engine compartment while you still have your other hand on the bolt head?

You could glue or otherwise fasten most of the engine compartment side panel insulation onto the apron side to hide the welded-in nuts.

How about grinding the tips of your bolts into a cone shape (like the body to chassis perimeter bolts) so that you can angle the bolt in slightly until it grabs the threads?

Additional tabs near the top of the fenderwell are wise. Your rear bumper mounts to the apron. If somebody puts their foot on the top of the bumper or you lean on it while doing engine work, you want the apron and the body to resist the bending torque of that force that works through the bumper mounts.

[Stripped66]

[mark tucker]

the nose on my baha was set up for either baja or the std style. I never got around to doing the rear and putting on the 4" wider rear fenders before I sold it. I did get another ass half to do what you did..just never got around to it.

[gprudenciop]

[rayjay]