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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
 
#118 ·
Cheers, thought it might.
Maybe I will do some other bits today on her, and wait for the cold snap to break.
May get some new lighting, as my current setup is making life difficult.
Dark green floor, strip lights above, halogen lights on the floor = can't see a bloody thing, LOL.
 
#120 ·
Hi Paul

Thanks for the tips.

I have cleaned off the shipping paint and punched holes to plug weld every 15mm along the edge, however, my local garage told me I would need to seam weld the pan and it is trying to seam the edge that is giving me hassle.

I may revert to just plugging it and seam seal over. I am getting convinced this should be fine as I am not repairing, I am replacing the entire pans and they were only spotted in in the first place.

I do have an argon/ co2 mix canister, so might try that also.

Cheers for the advice. Gonna fit some new bulkhead lights in the garage to give me a better view.

Steve
 
#123 ·
Floor pans done! Took my time it would seem. Really happy to get them in.

Tomorrow.... Probably time for the second heater channel, or time to replace the brake lines.. Will decide in the morning.

New white floor and lighting works really well, I can see under the car.

Off for a beers or two.

Steve
 
#125 ·
Hi All
Had a few weeks off (whilst the cold snap hit)
Back to it this weekend.
Had a bit of a nightmare getting the body back on the frame. Ended up having to jack between the centre spine and the dashboard. The body had shuffled forwards by 20mm and it was a bugger getting it back into position.
Started repairing the body still hopeful for getting her on the road by summer.
Will take some pix and post later.
Steve
 
#126 ·
Hi All
Have been at it again. Working on the drivers heater channel, drivers door pillar & drivers side front inner wing. Having to do all three together as there was no datum point existing tat I could leave.

It feels a bit hit and miss, but I have been checking the measurements and alignment etc, so hopefully it will work out.

Need to use some filler where I have welded the door pillar, any suggestions.

Done five hour on her today so decided to stop before I began to bodge it.

Gonna try and get this side finished tomorrow.

Here's to a quick beer or two.

Steve
 
#129 ·
Cheers Andy.

Had half a day off work yesterday. So managed to get the new inner wing front drivers side bumper repair panel in. Just got to weld up the thicker steel to the chassis, not gonna be easy as it has poor access.

Then once that I'd done going to start on the rear repair panels, quarter panel heater channel end plate and rear bumper mount.

My repairing seems ok. Seen better versions on here where you cannot tell a repair has been made. I'm not so fussy on inner wings etc, (or just not that good!) lol.

Well, gonna get set up.

Steve
 
#131 · (Edited)
Cheers for the comments. This one needs a lot doing to it, but when I sorted the frame head bottom plate it gave me confidence.

Nice now the weather is warming up, I have noted how I backed off when it got cold in the garage.

I do like the 1303. From when I was young I always thought the massive rear light clusters had a certain tongue in cheek appeal.

I have noted whilst doing this work that this car has had a large number of repair panels already, but don't think they must have protected them properly. This is making the datum points difficult to establish, so much of this is hit and hope. Though I know if, when she's back together she is out of alignment I can still force through some adjustments in the shape.

Well suppose I should get going, was waiting for the neighbours to wake up before starting.

Steve
 
#132 ·
Phew, a good first start. Managed to get the bumper bracket welded to the chassis. It doesn't look nice, but it is strong.

Cleaned up a few of yesterday's welds on the inner wing.

Now coffe and a sandwich, then going to start on the rear quarter panel and heater channel end plate. Going to sit the body back on the frame first.

Hpe you are having a good Saturday.

Steve
 
#133 ·
Well, done for the day.

Got the rear quarter trial fitted, just trying to work out where the heck the heater channel end plate is supposed to fit and which one is the drivers side!

Hope to get everything ready tomorrow for a weldathon next weekend.

Bath, then beer is the task now.

Then off to a Volkswagen show tomorrow, hope for sunny weather.

Have a great Saturday night.

Steve
 
#138 ·
Nice work Steve, my son and I are just getting into gear to do a full restore on ours <-

I've certainly picked up a few tips from yours - especially the chassis support & trailing arm bracket - there's me thinking I'd just change the bottom plate - don't know now! Might just change the ends with the repair panel heritage sell, guess I won;t know until the grinder comes out - anyway I think it'll be a good project to learn to weld on :D

good luck mate!
 
#139 ·
Cheers mate.

If you can leave the bracket in position and it's not rusted through, my advice would be try and keep it in position.

The other thing is to look carefully at the bottom plate when you buy it, as some of the support bracketry that holds the upper section of the training arm support is missing from the repair panel.

Hope yours goes well I'm working on the rear wheel arch now trying to see what's rot and what's not. Lol.

Gonna make some repair bits tonight.

Steve
 
#140 ·
thanks Steve - I think I might be able to - it's just the brackets with the two bolts onto the heater channels that are gone and the channels themselves are pretty holey (still passed it's MOT ast week tho! :D) but I think the time has come to do a proper job on it, just scared to start :D
 
#141 ·
Hmm, mine was much worse than that and when I split the body the two upper bolts sections in the napoleons hat were rusted to pieces.

I was scared to begin too but bought a compressor with an air hammer, a dealt angle grinder and just attacked it.

Still spend some time just looking at parts and wondering what to do with them fr te best. But then I realise it's me or the scrapyard! And anything I get wrong isn't so hard to fix, just more cash lol.

I'm trying to fix the rear wheel arch now. Though where the Bakerlite vents go through te body is totally gone, working at it one piece at a time. My timescales are lengthening at the moment, wanted it mot'd for Easter but no chance of that now.
Adjusted my target to summer!

Hope yours goes well

Steve
 
#142 · (Edited)
Love this thread, just discovered it and spent an hour reading it. I have an '03 (Bonita) that i bought just for the engine in '96....plans changed and i plated up to get it through the MOT it flew through for 3 yrs then failed majorly...
I started rebuilding it then had to move house and had no garage so the project stalled...just started mine again in January after getting a roof over her head.

I have been keeping a wiki log of it.. link here : http://www.thebughaus.co.uk/wiki/doku.php?id=bonita

It goes from bottom to top for ease of updating but it's a great record (for me) and keeps me motivated!

For the record...the strengthener plate under the pedals is 5mm steel. I ended up with some 6mm and got a 1mm machined off in the mounting area. Rock solid now! My old one looked like deep sea salvage!

I have a (some would say slightly sick) thing about 03s too...they are cast aside by the greater(?) Vdub community and a lot have already gone to the great scrapyard in the sky. Yet they are great to drive and still have the bug thing going on...it;s almost like a cross between a bug and a Type 3 from inside!

Anyway good luck with the build, look forward to seeing her at a show in the future...maybe i will have finsihed mine too!

Mine was pretty unmolested when i got it so ref points etc should be good. I have found that these aftermarket heater channels are not wide enough at the front...as seen in your pics. The remains of my old one flares out more to fill that gap against the inner wing.
Also if you need any advice on the bulkhead area, i've been rebuilding all of the individual panel pieces in mine...slow going but satisfying!
I binned those closing panel repair pieces and bought the whole rear outriggger pieces from VWH. Much better, heavier gauge, double skinned too as per the originals. They have the holes for the bakelite pieces but not the captive nuts/holes so you need to add those.

Cheers

John
 
#143 ·
Hi John

Cheers for the message.

I have a week off and am two days in to sorting out the drivers side of my 1303. Just finishing the rear bumper mount.

Under the rear seat looks like frankenstein! I have found I cannot make big shaped pieces, but can make smaller shapes and weld them together.

Have found that the repair panels I have bought are ok, but very thin. I am using 1.5mm thick sheet steel for my made up bits and this is so much better.

I will follow your thread with interest. My 1303 is not intended to be a show car, just one that will last 5 years before it needs anything else doing to it. But tie will tell.

Have just bought tonnes of stuff from machine seven to replace on the suspension and bushes etc, as everything is rotten! A word to the wise bugs should never be left standing!

Hope you have fun and get your bug going. Will keep in touch.

Steve.
 
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