1303 Super Beetle Project

[sbrayshaw]

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

[bernie564]

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

[sbrayshaw]

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.

[sbrayshaw]

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

[sbrayshaw]

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

[sbrayshaw]

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

[andycoco]

great work steve!!

[sbrayshaw]

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.

[sbrayshaw]

Oops, out abut 5mm. Going to bolt body to frame and see if it changes the shape of the bug.

Will see how that works out tomorrow.

Hope u r having a great bank holiday Monday

Cheers

Steve

[andycoco]

loads of work needed and been done already.soon be on the road tho steve,your the right guy to do it and attitude spot on.again good work and good look.plenty of coffee in i take it?