superbeetle restoration heater channels super beetle

kassybug is a 1974 vw superbeetle parts car. it had already been picked over before i recieved it, as you can see from the missing windshield and lights. there is no engine or transmission. the heater channel bottom plates and running board fastening plates are badly rusted, but the doorsills are intact and body rust is otherwise minimal. no motor, no tranny, and the wiring is a mess too. kassybug is suffering from frame rot so bad it could only be used as a parts car - but that was before wikked got it. hey, we can save any beetle!

"kassybug"

Purchase Date/Price	4/25/02, free
Condition	F - no drive train, unrestorable frame rot
Goal	Daily Driver
Money Spent	$30 Brake line kit $50 bumpers + carb (used) $50 (aprox) por-15 paint $100 (aprox) sheet metal $20 tranny mounts $50 rear shocks $200 paint + bodywork supplies $500 maaco paint job (home paint failed) $100 misc. expenses (wiring, etc)
Completion Date	in progress

The Rebuild.
i suppose i could call this a restoration... but its not really since i'm not trying to make the car original - only back to a daily driver. the car will not get new heater channels, only the surrounding metal. i replaced the heater channels with PVC piping. it is not worth it to spend $200 for heater channels when the patch plates can be had for about $50 - especially for a car rusted this badly. the patch work will be fiberglass.

these pictures & tips are chronological to help you do your resto...

Patching the Heater Channel and Quarter Panel areas
TIP! don't remove more metal than you have to. only remove the rot - surface rust is okay, it can be painted. remember, the more you remove the more you'll have to patch!
cut out the bad metal on the drivers side
TIP! be sure to paint any metal behind the patch areas BEFORE you weld. if you don't use a rust treatment on these areas you're wasting your time. the areas you fixed will continue to rust and ruin your work. i use por-15 on all rust areas.
test fit the new patch panel (running board fastener plate and quarter panel pre-welded)
weld in the new drivers side metal
TIP! cut the floors out of the way to do your patching in the heater channel area (if the floors need replacing anyways). it will keep the body straight while making your job much easier!
cut out the rust on the passenger side
welded in the new passenger side metal.
TIP! don't remove the body if the heater channels are gone! once the door openings are out of whack you'll NEVER get them back square again. trust me.

Body Removal
car ready for body removal
TIP! don't superbeetle front ends are HEAVY! make sure you have at least 3 friends to lift it, or use an engine hoist. hook the chains of the hoist to the outside of the strut towers (you'll have to remove the fenders). i used the hood latch tab to lift, but make sure that area is solid before doing so.

TIP! even if you unplug everything, you'll forget something somewhere. remember the brake lines from the resivoir, the brake light wires to the master cylinder, the speedometer cable, and the wires to the seat belt buzzers. lift the body slowly so you can see if you missed anything.
rotted frame with front suspension (note rot in master cylinder area)
TIP! the easiest way to remove the superbeetle suspension is to remove the tie rods from the spindles, then unbolt the tops of the struts. (you can try to remove the spindles from the control arms but this usually involves a lot of hammering and swearing) you'll have to lift the body relatively high so when you slide the frame out the body will clear the struts. i had the body 2 1/2 to 3 feet above the ground to do this. the front of the frame was on a furniture dolly to make it roll easy.

Reassembly
body back on frame, no front suspension
TIP! if replacing the heater channel bottom plates, bolt them to the frame FIRST, then place the body on the frame. then weld the bottom plates to the running board mounting plates. if you weld the bottom plates onto the body first, you risk the body not lining up with the holes of the floorpans.
TIP! if your neighbors are assholes, take as much time as you need before reassembly. it will drive them nuts to see beetle parts all over.
front firewall area patched with fiberglass
TIP! never underestimate the power or fiberglass and POR-15. fiberglass doesnt rust. paint any rusty areas with por-15, then fiberglass. your beetle should last for ages!
new "custom" heater channels made from PVC piping
these are the wheels i am planning on using... they need sandblasting and powdercoating.

so, what happened? well for my first attempt at painting an entire car, it did not come out that bad. unfortunately i got a lot of "fisheye" or bubbling of the paint because oil from my hands was on the body when i tried to paint. there were also a few runs, but nothing hideous. live and learn i guess. unfortunately, since kassy is picky about how her bug looks, this means re-sanding and repainting is in order. after seeing the color, my buddy dan climan has re-named the car... she is now known as the raspberry special.
TIP! wash the car after primer and before painting to avoid fisheye.
TIP! neighbors love paint fumes. if they come over and ask "what the hell is wrong with you, why the hell arent you painting in your garage," tell them to "get the f*ck off my property." its also a good thing to be nice to the cops when they come visit, even though you haven't done anything wrong.

Painting (round two)
sooo... the car sat for a few months. kassy didnt feel like sanding off all that fisheye, so the ol raspberry special disappeared under a tarp to wait for maaco's annual winter paint sale. so for $225 +$150 (doorjambs) and $100 for extra sanding, the project is now back on track. wish i had done it myself but... oh well. here are some current pictures. i have reassembled most of the body by now. the windows are in, most of the lights installed. the doorhandles, front handle and headlight trim has been powdercoated black...

yes, the car is dirty... from being towed home from maaco in the winter...
rear view

The Motor

finally got the motor installed in november 2003. its a 1600 with dual kadrons... i have yet to fire it up after its rebuild but we'll see what happens as far as that goes..