What I've been doing

[heliarc]

I've been making some headway on my Beetle.I'm just starting to put the chassis back together.Seems ok so far.I made a video here and I hope a few of you might take a look and help me address a the issues I have so far.Also, if I'm heading in a bad way, please be sure an tell me.

As for the replacement piece on the tunnel, it's already there.If it means the car will fall apart of course I'll change it for something proper, but I think it will work out ok.

Video:

[david58]

heliarc looks like you have your work cut out. I will be watching your build.

[harryset]

Yep, you've got your work cut out for you. However, it looks like you are more than capable of getting a decent result. As far as painting inside of the tunnel, try that Eastwood, internal frame spray, a couple of coats before you start putting everything back through it should work nicely. As far as the gap problem with that front piece, clamps, hammering and tack welds should work great. I would have been ecstatic to find a piece of tin to fit as close as you have there.

One thing that comes to mind, before assembly, would be to get a new brake line run from the master cylinder back to the rear, "before you put the body back on". Getting to that rear tee is a real pain in the a$$. I guess the same could be said for replacing all of the rubber grommets, back there, where all of the cables and such pass out of the body.

[perrib]

Nice job on a major undertaking. To make sure paint is every where inside of the tunnel you could always pour some paint in the tunnel and keep rotating it.

[Leatherneck]

Thanks for the video, helped out alot. One thing you might try with the gaps is cut a overlapping piece of sheet metal to close the gap, weld and grind smooth. On the bottom of the tunnel where it is oval I would again cut a piece of thicker gauge sheet metal to fill in the mound vice hammering it flat. But whatever works best for you. Good luck and have fun.

[heliarc]

Hello again guys, it's been awhile and I've been busy on all sorts of things.I got some time for the Beetle though and things seem to be working out well.I have my replacement metal all attached and the chassis is back together.As Harryset says, I'm getting all the cables, plumbing and seals done while the body is off.New parking brake cables, and clutch cable.I need to get the heater box cables on, and replace all the brake lines, and CV boots.

The gaps I had on the frame head were no big deal once I put some C-clamps on them.At the front there were some good gaps but I filled them easily with the MIG.

I have a video here, doesn't show much but it was fun to make it.Basically it's after I got the engine bolted up and I decided to run it.

There's an earlier vid on my channel ("chassis undercoated" I think)where I talk about trying silicone sealant instead of proper seam sealer.This did not work.The stuff just peels right off so I splurged on some 3M seam sealer and got it done properly.

Anyhow, thanks for the advice and here's the vid.More to come as I get time and get more done.

[heliarc]

Ok, just got a set of rubber lines for all the brakes and new steel for the back two.The rest of it looked good.Also I have four empi cv boots since the old ones are dry rotted to hell.Thankfully it wasn't driven that way except for a little bit after I got it running.I have all the brake lines installed.Broke two bleeders so I think new wheel cylinders all around are in order, but later.The brakes actually worked, but who knows for how long.For now I will just bleed them at the fittings so I can at least move it.Now I'm going to dismantle my axles and put the new boots on.

Sorry if this seems off topic, but I figure I'm talking about what I want to do while the body is off, so it sort of relates.All this stuff is just so easy with no body around it.

Hopefully tomorrow or the next day the body will go back on and I can begin to set the heater channels.

[perrib]

You have been busy. The pan looks great.

[heliarc]

You have been busy. The pan looks great.

Thanks perrib, any encouraging words are welcome and very much appreciated.

I wanted to put the body back on today so I can start on it ala the bug me videos.They seem to prefer repairing the body and replacing the heater channels on the chassis.I can understand that because you have a good template to match things up to, and I don't have a single level spot in my driveway.

Anyhow I couldn't round up enough guys to lift the body.I had my father, his friend(both retired old men who I'm not going to ask to lift)and my dads friends son.So instead of muscle I used brains.I had four oil drums and two 4X4 timbers that worked well, plus a Hi-lift jack.Here are the results.I must say it went smoothly since I was able to let the jack down one click at a time and carefully line everything up.

The Gang, right to left, Me, My Father, Art Jr., and Art Sr.I was scratching my hip, not flipping the bird when the timer went off.


Body is up with oil drums and timbers.


Lining the chassis up with the body.


Here is my take on a VW funny car.


We used a Kawasaki ATV with a winch to help stabilize the body while we were going up and down on the jacks.I had a come-along but Art volunteered the four wheeler.How can I say no to a man that wants to use his tools?


Front view of the funny car.


And the body is again mated with it's chassis.I was so glad for the help I received today.Also the Hi lift jack leaning against it, next time I will bolt a base on it to make it more stable, but it worked out great.My Dad got that jack for $5.I love it.


Front view.I'm actually glad noone else showed up.If we had lifted the body onto the chassis I wouldn't have been able to line everything up as well as I did.It went nice and easy, and mainly, easy.


I did have to unbolt the engine to get the chassis to clear the timbers, but at the end of the day, this job went smoothly, and most importantly noone got hurt.I have some ideas to refine the process, but whatever I do, I think I'll keep using oil drums and timbers instead of having gigantic sawhorses laying around that I cant use for anything else.I still have plenty of work to do on the body besides heater channels.I hope like hell I can get it roadworthy by this winter.Nothing like a bug in the snow, can I get an Amen?

[perrib]

Next time spread out the 4x4s and just roll the pan under the body.

[heliarc]

Next time spread out the 4x4s and just roll the pan under the body.

That's what I did.I didn't have enough young bucks to lift it so we just put it up with the jack and rolled it underneath.