Pan Half Replacement

I've decided it's time to get going on the pan. The rusty floors we starting to bother me. I wound up using the halves off the 59 pan that was under the car when I bought it. They did not have a rust pit anywhere on them and they are original VW sheet metal. Next up was to cut the rusty pans off so they could be replaced. Once I cut them off, I had to grind down the remaining spot welds and spray the area with a weld through primer.

The new pans have been tacked in place. I need to get some help setting the body back on top to make sure everything lines up before I weld it all up. It's not every day you see a 69 pan with 59 pan halves in it. But at the same time, you can't buy pan halves like this either. They are thick and fit perfectly. There was no shaping or pounding of any kind to get them to fit.

Rear Apron Reconstruction

The skin of the apron is done and the seal retaining strip is welded back on. If I was to do this again, I would start by marking the center of the strip and the center of the curve at the bottom of the apron. Match up the 2 marks and work my way back up from there. Starting on one end worked too but I ran the risk of running short on one end and long on the other.

The decklid is mounted but has not been fit yet. It does not look too bad, but the curve of the lid is not right. Next up is to remove the hinge strip so I can do some clean-up and remount it so the curve of the lid matches the curve below the back window. You would think for $500 they could get it right!

Rear Apron Reconstruction

This time around I have decided to construct the rear apron on the car rather than welding it together on the bench. This will allow me to ensure the decklid fits as it all goes together. I have the apron tacked to the car and the H pattern tacked into the apron in this picture. I have already set the decklid in place and everything fits perfectly.

Now the finish welding is almost done. The first pass has been finished and ground down. All that is left is to fill all the pinholes as well as the 2 slits I had to cut to make the apron lay flat. Next up will be to weld the decklid and engine seal retainers in place.

Wheel Well Repair - Part 2

This picture shows the driver side of the engine compartment. I have removed the shelf that sits between the wheel well and the engine because it was damaged along with the rear edge below the bumper bracket. I was able to fix the damage so I can reuse the original piece when I put it back in.

Not only have I gotten the missing metal replaced, but the shelf has now been welded back in too. The body is now ready for a new rear apron. Since that will take the better part of a day, I will more than likely not be able to work on it until the end of March or the beginning of April.

Wheel Well Repair - Part 1

As you can see, the driver side wheel well is a bit of a mess. It looks like the car was driven off-road at some point in it's life. the missing metal is not due to rust but bottoming out on something. There are a few cracks as well as the missing metal, but they are not too bad and I was able to just weld them up.

The new bumper bracket, purchased from Wolfsburg West, has been welded in and fits quite well for an aftermarket part. While it is not truly correct for the car, it will hold the bumper and it's actually stronger than the original, so what the heck.

Rear Apron - Second Attempt

I found a good used rear apron last weekend for $40. It came off a '71 but because all I need is the part outside the smile, it will work well. As you can see I have filled the exhaust cutouts. The new apron is just clamped on the car at this point to ensure fit. Next up I need to do some repair on the driver side where the bumper mounts to the car. Once that is fixed I can finish the apron.

Rear Apron - First Try

I just finished welding the H pattern into the new rear apron I bought. Don't look too close cause it's crooked. I'm also not at all happy with the way the apron fits on the car. The aftermarket aprons just aren't rolled as well as the originals. I'm going to start looking for a good used apron I can weld this H into this next week.

Final Grinding

The top is finished! All the welds have been ground off and the pin holes filled in. There will be some additional work to do on the bullet hole still. I will also wind up cutting part of the corner above the windshield on the driver side free and redoing it. But I want to move on to the rear apron first. I'm getting a little worn out on the top at this point.

Final Welding - Part 3

There it is... A '57 rag top. I've wanted one of these since I was 16. It's taken just short of 20 years, but I finally have one.

The welding on the passenger side and the back both turned out very well. I still have a ton of grinding to do, which is the part I have always hated. Once that is done, I will have more than just a few pinholes to go back and fill.

When butt welding 2 pieces like this, if you miss 1 hole moisture can get between the body and the paint. When that happens, the body will rust and the paint will blister up from the under side. The best way I have found to get them all is to use a flashlight from the back side. Make sure to look at the weld from all angles, cause those little buggers will hide from you.

Final Welding - Part 2

The front of the top has been welded up and ground down. There are a few waves but nothing too bad. The corner over the driver side did not turn out as well as I hoped it would but the passenger side turned out quite well. I still need to go back and weld up the pinholes but I will wait until all the other welding is finished before I go back and do that.

I have not welded down the passenger side yet, but you can see how well it will fit when I do. There is still some grinding to do on the front corner, but I don't think I will have time to do it today. I may try to get out to the shop tonight, but we'll see if the wife will let me.