1968 Frame head

[zgmg54321]

I might just be going crazy but I can not locate for the life of me a 1968 frame head, frame head only I don't want a lower pan or Napoleon hat. Do they just not exist as an after market piece????
I can find through a 67 but that is it.

[theKbStockpiler]

https://www.millsupply.com/auto-body-rust-repair-panels/volkswagen/vw-beetle-super-beetle/


https://www.evwparts.com/volkswagen/Bug68upRustRepair.html


_________________
My beetle is not competing with your beetle. I have the yellow beetle in my town. There is a red one, a green one ......
Use all safety devices including a mask.

[BIGMIKEY]

You can get a complete frame head without the napoleon hat part then cut away what you don't need. Check this thread to see what he did.

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=5600060

Mike T
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BIGMIKEY

Deserter Series 1 project.
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=787047&highlight=

1973 Beetle Driver, Marina Blue.

[zgmg54321]

[zgmg54321]

[BIGMIKEY]

Take a look at these 2 pictures:

This looks a lot like yours. The fit is about the same. A gap there.

Now this picture the slot is trimmed out and by the look of the missing paint around the slot I would bet a measured amount of beating took place to get a good fit.

To be sure these frame heads are sold to fit a wide span of years. Typically 1966-1977 is a range you will find. Never saw a single year fitment. I think you are on the right track. just need to make it fit. Clamp it. Tap it, stand back and look. Use some bubble levels to zero in on the fit.

I recently did a bottom plate and that's how I approached it.

Thanks to gorbur for the use of his pictures.

Mike T
_________________
BIGMIKEY

Deserter Series 1 project.
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=787047&highlight=

1973 Beetle Driver, Marina Blue.

[theKbStockpiler]

I saw a remedy where a strip was welded to the inside of the new bulk head that went past the edge , and another was welded to the frame tunnel to close the gap.

http://74beetle.blogspot.com/
_________________
My beetle is not competing with your beetle. I have the yellow beetle in my town. There is a red one, a green one ......
Use all safety devices including a mask.

[zgmg54321]

Now this picture the slot is trimmed out and by the look of the missing paint around the slot I would bet a measured amount of beating took place to get a good fit.

To be sure these frame heads are sold to fit a wide span of years. Typically 1966-1977 is a range you will find. Never saw a single year fitment. I think you are on the right track. just need to make it fit. Clamp it. Tap it, stand back and look. Use some bubble levels to zero in on the fit.

I recently did a bottom plate and that's how I approached it.

Thanks to gorbur for the use of his pictures.

thanks for all the help what has me confused and thinking I had the wrong head was I can only find for sale individual heads that say they work for 52-67, and then full assembled heads that said like 66-77 I figured the reason the full head covered more years was because it had that small piece of tunnel already attached so when installing it you had to cutout the shorter part of the tunnel on the pan thus getting rid of the issue.

Mike T[/quote]

[zgmg54321]

decided the worst that could happen is I would have to buy another head so today I went to town beating the head I have, with a hammer and I am pretty happy with the outcome looks like it will line up decently when I square it up.

[theKbStockpiler]

I only have super beetle experience and have a few standard beetle questions.

Is that cut out just to weld the bulk head to the tunnel and what are those holes inside the cutout circumference for?
_________________
My beetle is not competing with your beetle. I have the yellow beetle in my town. There is a red one, a green one ......
Use all safety devices including a mask.

[zgmg54321]

The holes are not supposed to be there that is from the previous owner using a dent puller where they shouldn't have the cut marks also shouldn't be there, i have to fill those back in with welds.

[theKbStockpiler]

So what about the oval hole?
_________________
My beetle is not competing with your beetle. I have the yellow beetle in my town. There is a red one, a green one ......
Use all safety devices including a mask.

[zgmg54321]

I am no expert but I believe it is there to add another welding point and improve the structural integrity.

[theKbStockpiler]

That's a pretty big gap to be massaging down with a hammer.

Has any one investigated if the frame head having the big gap there throws off the beams location?

I was thinking maybe cutting the bottom off and re-welding it back on to make it shorter would work or not.
_________________
My beetle is not competing with your beetle. I have the yellow beetle in my town. There is a red one, a green one ......
Use all safety devices including a mask.

[BIGMIKEY]

[theKbStockpiler]

From the pictures, it does not look like zgmg54321's bulk head has the same contours as yours. The repair is not going to be visible but I would be concerned if the tubes are going to be located where they should be.
_________________
My beetle is not competing with your beetle. I have the yellow beetle in my town. There is a red one, a green one ......
Use all safety devices including a mask.

[BIGMIKEY]

The OP won't mis locate the height of the beam because the frame head bottom plate has a profile that accepts the cupped stamping of the lower beam tube pocket and positively locates it. I don't know why there is a gap at the top of the replacement frame head beyond it just being a bad fitting part. You see the same bad fit in other frame head threads too.

Mike T
_________________
BIGMIKEY

Deserter Series 1 project.
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=787047&highlight=

1973 Beetle Driver, Marina Blue.

[theKbStockpiler]

On your own car ,the tunnel contour reaches over the the top of the bulk head. You can see where you welded it in the cutout area that the bulk head is curved up to match the tunnel. The O.P's bulk head has to be pushed down to mate with the tunnel. It looks like the O.P's bulk head mates decent with the end of the bulk head but there was actually a space at the top.
_________________
My beetle is not competing with your beetle. I have the yellow beetle in my town. There is a red one, a green one ......
Use all safety devices including a mask.

[BIGMIKEY]

Those pictures are not mine. They are from a thread that I found while researching for my frame head bottom plate installation. I remembered that thread when I saw zgmg54321's thread and his situation. My opinion is if zgmg54321 trims his replacement frame head the same as user name of gorbur trimmed his, then the fit would be the same. he could start welding. I think this because I have had my hands on the parts in question and believe it will work.

zgmg54321, sorry for the confusing back and forth. Just trying to help.

Mike T
_________________
BIGMIKEY

Deserter Series 1 project.
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=787047&highlight=

1973 Beetle Driver, Marina Blue.

[theKbStockpiler]

The O.P's bulk head is too deep and the bulk head from the borrowed images is not deep enough, that is unless my depth perception is deceiving me. It looks like the reason they cut the top off is to get the bulk head to mate with the sides of the tunnel because the top ( that was removed) was stopping it from going down enough.
_________________
My beetle is not competing with your beetle. I have the yellow beetle in my town. There is a red one, a green one ......
Use all safety devices including a mask.