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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
 
#2 · (Edited)
Well, I'm still cutting back, hoping to find good metal soon.
Parts have arrived from machine7.
Looks like one of the previous owners had used some dodgy repair panels in the past, having to cut them out. And had welded parts of the frame head to the body, a real pain to grind out.
Seems that the bottom six inches all around the car is rotten!
Have been looking at how to align the heater channel into position without the floor pan in place. The old one is already out and had been fitted badly so is no use for aligning.
Back to it I suppose.
 
#10 · (Edited)
Cheers for the advice guys,
I will pop the floors in before the heater channels.

Am getting started again this morning.

Dilemma...
One of the previous owners has welded plates across the frame head to the napoleons hat at the front. With similar bodges at the rear. It doesnt look like they had properly cut out the previous rust. To split the body from the chassis will mean attacking these welded plates and could result in more repair work, but would mean I can get the body off and get more access to the repairs.
Should I go for it and try and split the body off, or let sleeping dogs (or welds) lie?
Cheers
Steve
 
#13 · (Edited)
Dilemma...
The previous owner has welded plates across the frame head to the napoleons hat at the front. With similar bodges at the rear. It doesnt look like they had properly cut out the previous rust. To split the body from the chassis will mean attacking these welded plates and could result in more repair work, but would mean I can get the body off and get more access to the repairs.
Should I go for it and try and split the body off, or let sleeping dogs (or welds) lie?
Cheers
Steve
Steve, I think you know the answer to this but if you need anymore convincing...

I recently got hold of a 1303 that was in an accident resulting in the framehead being bent. When the bodyshop cut the sparewheel well to gain access they found the framehead had already been replaced before but was only half welded on as they couldn't get at the top side. It was amazing it didn't come off in the accident which doesn't bear thinking about.

Like yours, my car's body is welded to the floor but it won't be staying that way- its coming off as the framehead will be replaced and welded on properly this time!

By the way, don't throw out the small piece of thick steel that your pedals were bolted too (or should have). People forget about it and have bolted the pedals to the new (mega thin) floor half- big no no. And yeah don't take the body off til you have the heater channels in or some bracing instead.

chris
 
#12 ·
Finished for another day.
Had a right got of a time marrying up new heater channel with new floor, it is a good 10mm out across a diagonal!

Will be pleased when I can work on the car without the floor getting covered in rust droppings from his underside.

Got a new air tool that pops hoes and creates perfectly bent flanges (wot a time saver)

Decided not to 'body off' yet, think that without the floors and one heater channel, the entire structure is a little unstable, want to get the floor tacked in and the heater channel also before reconsidering.

Will look again tomorrow with renewed spirit. Now speaking of spirits - I may have a festive drink ( or 2 )
Steve
 
#14 ·
Thanks Chris, and others for advice and comments

I have kept all the old bits and had noticed a few pieces on the original pans that are not on the replacements. The replacements are so much thinner. I would have tried to salvage some of the originals, but the rust seemed to have taken hold everywhere.

I do want to get the body off! I am working in a single garage. I cannot leave anything metal on the outside drive or it would get nicked for scrap value. So I many have to rig a hoist and maybe lift it just half a meter up. The car is sat on 600mm axle stands. Or as I write this it has just dawned on me. I could move the stands to support the body and drop the chassis to the floor. Should work I think.
Cheers for all advice and comments
Steve
 
#15 ·
Started plug welding the floor into position, after aligning it with the new heater channel.

Seemed they were both out by 'a bit' resulting in no holes lining up.
Took measurements before I began so after a few wacks with my mallet and a trolley jack finally got a screw in at each end, Thank goodness I took the door gap measurements and lots of pics! otherwise i would have been scr**ed.

The mig welder seems to be working but not convinced the gas is flowing properly, feel sure I should at least here a hiss at the nozzle, but the welds seem to be penetrating fine. Even in this cool weather, wearing the protective gear is making me bake!

Now I have tacked in the floor I am going to tack in the heater channel, then hopefully I can get the body off the subframe.

My frame head bottom plate has just arrived, a week later than all the other bits but luckily it did not hold me up. Will check the quality of it and report back.

Hopefully once I separate the body it will let me see that the top of the frame head is beautifully preserved and most of the repair work will have already been done, but less of the xmas fairy stories. I have no doubt that when i separate the two it will be the nightmare before xmas!

Well finished my cup-a-soup break, back to it.

Steve
 
#16 ·
Finished now til after Xmas!

The gas bottle was not working. Had bought two and the second made a reassuring hisswhen I pulled the trigger. I have found that a few of the bits i have bought from machine mart have been faulty - namely:
Compressor hose: the end fitting came off when I bolted it to the compressor.
Mig welder: one of the buttons did not operate.
Mig gas bottle: not letting the gas out!

Let's hope the new year give me a bit of luck.

Got most of the bolts out to remove the body, but there are one on each side on the rear suspension that have deteriorated so I cannot get a spanner onto them.
Looks like one of them had been welded too! Tried my usual techniques (hammer and cold chisel) but to no avail.

Time for lots of WD40 and see what it is like after boxing day. Lets see if patience is really a virtue. Otherwise, its hammer time! (showing my age) cutting off the head, drilling out the bolt and retapping once the body is off.

Have a merry xmas.

Steve
 
#18 ·
Hi all
Advice needed, is it worth putting in a new wiring loom in a 38 year old bug??
Cheers
Steve
Depends on the original's condition.
On my 1302s I decided to replace all the headlight and rearlight sections.
I went through the fuse box checking every spade, replacing where necessary. All earth spades where also cleaned up and replaced as required.
Not really had any electrical problems since.
 
#19 · (Edited)
Well, mice pies out of the way now and the cold turkey begins.

Back to work on my 1303.

Finally managed to split the body from the subframe. Lots of grinding and hammering. Found that also a really sharp cold chisel helped a great deal to rip off the previous owners attempt at repairing the heater channel closing plates by welding them to te torsion bar end plate. Those two bolts, i had mentioned in an earlier post, did not budge so had to be drilled through the head to weaken it, then a cold chisel to cut the top off. Why is it always the bolts that are protected from getting a spanner on them are always the ones that rust the most!

The body is split now but as my garage is only small so having to be resourceful to get some access where I need it. Going to try using wooden blocks to hold the body work evenly off the frame using the nap hats at the front and back. Worried that is I put too much pressure on the bdoywork middle it will just buckle.
My friend put my project into prospective this morning:

"more rot than not!"

When the frame was lifted off the sound of rusty metal from the heater channel end plates sounded like the titanic splitting in half as it sank. Got some replacement closing plates and they look nothing like what is currently on the car, I think they are a poor quality repair panel and i will have to make them fit with a mallet!

Well, tea break over, back to it now.

Steve
 
#20 ·
Well second day after Xmas over.
Wedged the body up with 6" wooden blocks. Gives good access to the frame etc.
So much more rust ended up on the floor. Hope there will be some car left.
Took the front suspension off to give me better access to the frame head bottom plate for its repair panel.
Need to replace all the rubbers and the brake lines.. The master cylinder looks to be leaking as does the steering damper - you should never leave a car standing for three years.
Now I have all the bits separated tomorrow morning is time for te review and planning.
Think I have decided on
1) review repairs/replacements
2) repair frame structure - floor pans, nap hat, frame head, brake lines, suspension.
3) repair bodywork structure - heater channels, inner wings, front valance, rear valance, rear quarters, door hinge post bottoms.
4) engine out and refurb
5) doors repair.
6) bodywork and re paint.

This is my first pass at a plan. Advice anyone?

Done for the day.

Steve
 
#25 ·
Just checked the link and it seems to work.
Some of the pix are just to help me remember where my measurements were taken from and wire positions etc.

Reviewed the frame head this morning. Thankfully the upper section looks savable. Just some rust on the two rear feet where they hit the floor pans. Hopefully now i have the bottom cut off I can execute a weld repair from the inside so I do not end up with unsightly floor pan welding to the nap hat.

Got my delivery fro Frost so once the bottom plate is totally off then will rust treat and paint the inside of the head.

Advice sought:
Trying to decide what to do with the bracket that is attached to the bottom plate that supports the training arm of the front wheels. The new bottom plate is from VW heritage and is a good thickness but it does not include this bracket. I am wondering wheter to leave the bracket in position and then cut the repair plate to butt up to this bracket at both sides and weld it into position. I am woried if i try to cut off this bracket I will create more issues for myself in the long run.

Will keep cutting the old bottom plate off and leave the bracket par tof it til the end when hopefully i will have a eureka moment.

Wish I had a bigger gargage!

Advice sought 2:
I have supported tha car on four big axle stands two on the rear torsion bars and two on the from of the frame headbottom plate. I have lifted the bodywork about five inches up using wooden blocks placed around the frame to keep support on all sides. It all feels sucure and should not land on my head.

My problem is that I am now cutting off the bottom plate and the front axle stands are in the way.
I am running out of places to support the car whist I put on the new bottom plate. A lot of the sub frame is quite badly corroded as you can see from the pix.

Steve
 
#28 · (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.
The previous owner 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
but i never touched this bug on the welding side,all i done was new wing x 2,rear bumper..oh and brand new washer pump.
 
#29 ·
Hi Andy

Nice to have some history on the bug.

How long did you have it? Any engine issues etc? would be a great help if you can give me the lowdown. Do you have any other pix from its past?

Spotted the new wings etc, but wonder where the welding was done, found an awful lot of rust behind the repairs, the frame head had been repaired with quite thin metal. It has obviously had a lot of repair work done to keep it on the road. Nearly started going that way myself. But once i started reading this forum and other literature realised that if I do not do a half decent resto then i will be back to square one within a year or two. So decided to cut out the rust. Just hope i can stop cutting soon.

I have split it from the body (a big job for my first restoration i know) just grinding off the old bottom plate to get ready for the new one. Then repair panels all round.

Hopefully by the summer will have it back on its feet (wheels) then will post some finiished pix.

thanks for the advice on the pixs.

Steve
 
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