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1303 Super Beetle Project

61K views 373 replies 28 participants last post by  sbrayshaw 
#1 · (Edited)
Hi All
Just starting a super beetle project.
My motivation is to save it, too many old cars on the scrap heap and this was heading that way.
It is a 1303 1973 M reg. Bought it on EBAY a week ago.
Currently it needs:
Floor pans, heater channels, frame head bottom, inner wing repairs.
Started cutting out the old rusty stuff.
One of the previous owners had butchered the car with repair welding. They have welded parts of the body to the frame! Seem to be going through grinding wheels pretty fast.
The car has been stood for three years, all of the rubbers have deteriorated.
A lot of the interior will need to be replaced, smells musty.
Will post some pics soon
Steve
 
#144 ·
Hello.

Still not finished rear drivers inner wing. Removed a old repair and found another batch of cornflake rust behind it. It went right through into the engine bay and the area under the rear seat, after a lot of contemplation, out came the grinder.

I have rebuilt two out f the four pieces that come together here and welded them back in. Though this has put my plan back a day.

If I were to do this again it would have been quicker to remove the entire inner wing but hindsight is, as they say, 20/20,

Will post some pix soon, though by looking at the other 1303 threads, they all have he common faults.

Still trying to cut out all the rust and stop the cars decay in its tracks, but wow it is rusty!

Wish I could start now, 4am but I think the neighbours would kill me!

Hope you are having a nice Easter.

Steve
 
#145 ·
Hmmmm.

Still not finished it. Found mor of the demon rust as I removed the old headliner!

Not in the best farm of mind to sort it today :-( so off out to keep my spirits up, speaking of spirits may have a glass or two.

Hope your Easter is going well. I intend to return to it refreshed tomorrow.

Steve
 
#146 ·
Return of Frankenstien

Well had a good day today, though we needed a phot update so here goes.

This rear wing has been a biggy. First all of the inside under the rear seat where the heater channel pokes thorugh had all wasted away.

I made each pice to fit and began welding. As you can see it lloks a bit frankenstien's monster, but my thoughts were that as long as its solid you aint gonna see it.

Then the inner wing was knackered and had a few old repairs that needed cutting out.


The inner wing inside the car bahind the rear seat had rusted through so another day was spent doing this.


Then I removed a bit of the headliner and found another hole.


This had a matching hole in the body work and under the engine cover there was another load of rust so i made up a repair panel.


So now I am still repairing the rear drivers side inner wing and i will be probably for all tomorrow.

Hope u r having a nice easter. Off for a glass of wine.

Steve
 
#148 ·
Cheers Andy.

I am trying my best to finish this side of the car today. But grrrrrr.
Seems to be taking ages, then I am noticing I am getting annoyed with myself and want to go faster.

Hmmm. Think I will refit the drivers door and check the clearances, this may give me a little boost, make the old girl look like a car for a bit.

Will let you know how much the door space has crept out later.

Steve.
 
#152 · (Edited)
Wow!
Sometimes things really work well.
Got the drivers side completed, moved the bug to the other side of the garage and cut out all the rusty bits from the passenger side.
Got a real head of steam going, the first time in ages.
Really chuffed. Yippee.
Hoping for another good day tomorrow.
Beer? Don't mind if I do!
Cheers
Steve
 
#154 ·
Hi all
Had another good day today 9 hours worth.
Got the passenger side heater channel in, together with a rebuilt passenger side nap hat top piece and a passenger side door pillar repair, was flying! Easier second side around.
Hoping for a good start tomorrow fixing the passenger side inner wings.
Though on the down side, I have cut my hands and forearms to ribbons, this metalwork plays havoc with your skin!
Off to bed now. Early start tomorrow.
Hope you are all well
Steve
 
#155 · (Edited)
One step forwards.....

Got cracking early today to start on the near side front inner wing. But found more of the demon rust. When I pulled off the repair patch tha was under the fuel tank the section that runs from the left to the right of the car is peppered with hole, also where the wiper motor lives I found some fibreglass, and as I pulled it off I found it went behind te dash!

So, what to do?...... Dash out ( that's remove the dash, rather than run for the hills lol) spent much of the day threading the wiring loom back to the dashboard then entire dash and loom our of the car in one go.

This showed me where the fault lay. Unusually for vw there is a design fault in the 1303. Where the wiper motor lives is open at the top to the rain. This box is sealed from inside the bonnet and has a drain hole at the back of it, under the dashboard just above the fuse box. This drains the water out of the wiper motor box, into he car via a pipe and then out above te frame head via a plastic section of pipe. What has happened on my bug is this box has rusted away at he corners where water settles, this has meant that the rain gets in under te fuel tank.
 
#157 ·
One step forwards.....

Got cracking early today to start on the near side front inner wing. But foud ore of the demon rust. When I pulled off the repair patch tha was under the fuel tank the section that runs from the left to the right of the car is peppered with hole, also where the wiper motor lives I found some fibreglass, and as I pulled it off I found it went behind te dash!

So, what to do?...... Dash out ( that's remove the dash, rather than run for the hills lol) spent much of the day threading the wiring loom back to the dashboard then entire dash and loom our of the car in one go.

This showed me where the fault lay. Unusually for vw there is a design fault in the 1303. Where the wiper motor lives is open at the top to the rain. This box is sealed from inside the bonnet and has a drain hole at the back of it, under the dashboard just above the fuse box. This drains the water out of the wiper motor box, into he car via a pipe and then out above te frame head via a plastic section of pipe. What has happened on my bug is this box has rusted away at he corners where water settles, this has meant that the rain gets in under te fuel tank.
yep. mine was totaly rot, but someone decided to try to use silcone sealant to plug the holes. Which didnt work. in the end I made a totally new section for the water to drain through. I made sure there were no sections for any water to lay and it all drains back through. and then coated it all with por15.

I am surprised there arent any repair panels for this section as I think quite a lot have rot here.
 
#158 ·
Cheers Jason.

I'm going to have to rebuild the bottom of the box and the front area behind the dash where the pipe used to jut out. I knew the area was covered in silver paint and had some repair paste in there, just wasn't expecting the amount of rot.

The wiring loom looks pretty shagged too, looks like it has been near a welding rod at times, may change it whilst I have everything out, in for a penny!

Hoping to start rebuilding sometime soon.

Steve
 
#159 · (Edited)
What a day!

Had a few bottles of wine last night an still managed to start by 9:00am. but had a banging headache. No sympathy expected as was entirely self inflicted.

Wanted finish the dash and wiper box today but not managed it. took some pix of the repairs up to now.

Got the metalwork behind the dash fixed. Was so fiddly. The 1303 certainly has some design flaws. Had I known how big this job was going to be I am not so sure I would have started. As I look around the car every panel has had a repair and there is still loads to do before I can get her on the road.

All around the bonnet seal there are rust bubbles, not sure how to tackle them yet. Will look at other blogs and find out the most successful methods.

Had a good tidy around the garage so it is ready for tomorrow.



you can see the inside of the wiper motor box here. Twas a bugger where the three sides met.



The front of the dash has had a repair too, even though non of it will be seen I wanted to get rid of the rust. Still got a bit to do behind the dash but that is going to have to wait until Sunday.

Off out into London tonight for a mates birthday celebrations. Will have to resist the temptation to get plastered. The thought of this mornings headahce is still with me. So bath and beer (not necessarily in that order)

Hope you are having a great weekend.

Steve
 
#161 ·


you can see the inside of the wiper motor box here. Twas a bugger where the three sides met.



The front of the dash has had a repair too, even though non of it will be seen I wanted to get rid of the rust. Still got a bit to do behind the dash but that is going to have to wait until Sunday.
I thought I was looking at my car! those repairs are almost identical to mine.

good work :cool::cool:
 
#160 ·
Well, did nothing today. After spending two weeks on the old girl I flaked significantly today. Was so tired had to take a day off. Must be my forty three years catching up with me.

So had a restful day, looking at machine 7 bits and vw heritage etc.

Will return, hopefully full of energy next weekend.

Bed then work.

Hope you have had a great weekend.

Steve
 
#165 ·
Well, another week done. Time for a 1303 weekend. Going to try and get finished on the welding on the passenger side of the old girl. But not going to hit it hard this weekend as my old bones are not up to it :-(

Been thinking hard about the respray. Would really like o do it myself, but I have never done anything other than rattle can repairs before.
I am also not very patient! Who'd have thought it eh?
So my dilemma do I spend a couple of grand for someone else to make her look pretty, or do I have a go myself, knowing I cannot get he same finish, but at least I did it? - answers on a postcard, addressed to: 1303 super beetle madness, po box 99.

Hope you have a great weekend.

Steve
 
#168 ·
Hi Steve,

Great thread, and you've done some amazing work so far. Been reading with much interest. Well done. :)

Regarding painting car yourself, just remember that the top coat of shiny stuff is just a pretty layer. 95% of a good finish is in the prep as your colour coat will show up shoddy or rushed preparation. ;)

However, well within your limits I would guess by your work so far.

Craig.
 
#170 ·
Hi Steve,

Great thread, and you've done some amazing work so far. Been reading with much interest. Well done. :)

Regarding painting car yourself, just remember that the top coat of shiny stuff is just a pretty layer. 95% of a good finish is in the prep as your colour coat will show up shoddy or rushed preparation. ;)

However, well within your limits I would guess by your work so far.

Craig.
Hi Craig.
Nice to hear from you. Very kind comments, thank you.
I am trying my best, tho don't be fooled into thinking I know what I am doing feel consistently out of my depth lol.
Not tried any respray stuff since early twenties with rattle cans but I am tempted to give it a go.
Hope you have a great weekend!
Steve
 
#172 ·
Hi all
Had a bad start. Just got going and an axle stand upper arm dropped on my little finger. Now I am the proud owner of a 2cm v shaped cut on my little finger knuckle. Bugger.

A trip to a & e, stera strips and bandage and I'm back at home.

No car work today.

Word to the wise - those tabs on your axle stands that say " bend in once assembled" stop the upper arm trapping your skin. Think I will do that before starting again.

Hope your weekend has started better than mine.

Steve :-/
 
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