1962 Deluxe restoration

[sunroof]

Today a new project arrived in my shop. I will be doing the metal work for a friends 1962 deluxe.

As the project advances I will see what all needs doing but to start I will replace the rear bumper bracket mounts.

The repair panels I got with the car look pretty good but of course the test will be once I start cutting

Once that is done I will rip into the heater channels.

One of the things that I may or may not tackle is the damage to the from apron. This will require a bit of thinking.

Also this bit of nonsense here:

Ride along as I cut into yet another beetle.

Don
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Better and better mistakes!

[sunroof]

Any idea what colour this is? I'm thinking maybe L390 Gulf blue?

Don
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[glutamodo]

Gulf Blue is the only factory color anywhere close to what you have here. Except it just doesn't seem to have enough of the "gray" tone that the Gulf Blue I'm familiar with has. It could all be in the lighting and the camera though.The rear bumper mount shots with the undercoating do look like GB to me though.

I once restored a 61 Gulf Blue Beetle. A lot of the colors VW used at that time rather shifted in tone depending on ambient light conditions.

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Andy T.


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[pastellgreen]

This is definitely gulf blue. Have had once an original one, check my gallery. This shade in electrical light, we can see on your pictures, looks correct to me.
Good luck with this project! If you need new channels, I can strongly recommend the Classic Fab heater channels.

[sunroof]

[67ctbug]

Be careful with those bumper brackets. I used them and am having to cut them off and reposition them because my set has the weld nuts in the wrong spot... they just so happen to be what VW says to measure for placement
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'67 Beetle L41
'74 Westfalia
'69 Plymouth "Adam-12"
'63 Ragtop
'73 914
'72 Dodge Wrecker
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[sunroof]

[sunroof]

This looks pretty good so far

I won't know until the fender and bumper bracket show up to check alignment.

Don
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[Busstom]

Dang, working fast.
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My name's Steve and it's pronounced "Bust 'em" (cuz people think I'm Tom) 😏

[sunroof]

That worked out very nicely. The new part is not quite the same shape as the car but a little force made everything line up.

Don
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[sunroof]

That went well. Once the welting is added between the fender and the body the bracket will be exactly centered.

On to the other side

Don
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[sunroof]

Got started on side 2:

Thinking of tackling the front apron next. Does anyone know who makes a good reproduction in case I want to go that way?

Don
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[sunroof]

New and old. Different enough to make me think they got 90% through the design process and figured "Meh, close enough"

Something important missing; they forgot to fold the flange over. A simple enough thing to do during stamping but I guess one step too many.

After abusing the shit out of a pretty expensive tool I have the correct shape. Someday I hope to learn the right way to do this stuff.

Everything clecoed in place and it looks once again like we are on the right track

Don
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[Käfer2]

Hi Don,

perhaps it makes sense to bend over the flange along the entire length like original (at least that how it was on my 63 bug)

[sunroof]

In 2011 I bought a Lincoln MIGPAC 140 from Canadian tire for under $600. For what I intended to do with it, it was going to work for me. Which it did until 2019. In October of 2019 I brought home a 1954 Canadian custom

and started welding on it. A Very Frustrating Experience. From beginning to end I never learned to weld. Either I was blowing holes or leaving huge blobs or warping the shit out of the panels.

When I started on this car

I was having all the same frustrations. Finally I broke down and bought me a new welder. Happy birthday to me.

A new Lincoln MIGPAC 140 multiprocess welder. Holy crap! Suddenly I know how to weld!

This panel was still quite a challenge because it is not the same shape as the car and since both panels are curved and have a lot of reinforcement it took a lot of force to get them to marry. But I took the traditional "shotgun" approach and persuaded them to be together and it seems to be working out.

Don
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[calvinater]

nice work on the welding

if there both migpac 140's , whats the difference ?
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"Albatross"!

[sunroof]

I bought my old welder in 2011 which makes it 12 years old. Welding technology has come a very long way since then. It was a very simple device with a switch for heat setting, A, B, C, D. When welding 1mm steel I was constantly blowing holes on the B setting but not getting penetration on the A setting. As well for doing plug welds, the C setting was too hot and I was melting things and just generally making things just way too hot. A friend of mine had the same welder and he used to adjust the heat by using different lengths of extension cord, a 50 footer would cool the B setting down just enough not to blow holes. I finally got tired of it and went to the welding store to see what they had on offer. I saw the 140 there and said I'll take it.

Old welder with heat switch:

New welder:

Multiprocess with dial for heat. I can shoot some sparks and tweak the heat and wire feed perfectly, suddenly I can weld!

Also I can buy accessories and learn to TIG weld, something I've wanted to do for decades.

Don
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Better and better mistakes!

[SLO-N-LO-69]

I started working on a 62 Gulf Blue Deluxe a few months back as well. It seems your PO used the same "almost gulf blue" paint as mine. Except for the door area mine has just about the same spots to replace. I look forward to seeing your progress.

Welder question: I've been blowing through with my old Lincoln that has the click to set dials. Does that 140 have a smooth dial where I can go half way through?

[sunroof]

[sunroof]

So, on to this bit:

Hmmm, that was easy

Let me see now...

What about this:

https://www.heritagepartscentre.com/us/111809112-f...-side.html

Would it be easier to straighten the original stuff or try to make the aftermarket stuff fit.

OTOH I will buy the Wolfparts spare tire well bottom and know it will fit exactly in spite of it being an incorrect year part. I have done this before.

Here I am replacing the panel in my 1959 Canadian custom sunroof. The repair panel is for an earlier car but it fit so beautifully.

This all looks really nice.

Again should I try to save this apron or buy a sketchy new one that probably won't fit properly.

https://www.heritagepartscentre.com/us/111805591ab...60-67.html

Don
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