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'75 UK 1303 Build Thread
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Dodgy
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 28, 2013 5:53 am    Post subject: '75 UK 1303 Build Thread Reply with quote

Been toying with starting a build thread here. On the one hand <yawn> another build thread, on the other hand I know I get motivated by reading other threads here (see http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=496142 as a great example) so maybe I’ll be motivated by posting one too!

So a bit of short history. I’ve owned this car since 1989, when I was 15 (you do the maths…) before me it belonged to my uncle who bought it new from VW in 1975, I have the history right back to the original sales invoice.

This was my only car from when I started to drive right up to around 1998, since then it has been stored in my parents’ garage until I had space to bring it home and start work on it. In the meantime I built a 356 Replica and a Squareback – short build thread on the Squareback here:
http://www.vwtype3and4club.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1287

So onwards and upwards – while I was happy with the 356 and Squareback builds, the aim is to improve each time. The 356 I never fully finished as I had to sell it to pay for our wedding, the Squareback I had a clock ticking as I wanted (needed) to finish it before our son was born – just made it with one week to spare!

There’s no clock ticking with this build, although I’m keen to get back onto the road and driving this car again! Work, family and other commitments mean I only get a few hours a week to tinker. I’m about 1 year into the project now.

So here is the car when I started, having dragged it from its resting place in London to Leicester in the Midlands. Doesn’t look too bad! My son was excited to see it!

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Having done some stripping down I decided to start on the rear bumper hangers as an easy job to get back into bodywork. These had been badly patched in the past. I don’t think I was fully prepared for how crap pattern panels are these days…

Rear panels cut away on both sides
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


First fit of the pattern panel. I found pretty quickly I couldn’t get it to fit against the engine side tray correctly without all the pie cuts you can see. You can see by this stage I had removed the bumper bracket from the panel and had to relieve that too, to match the new (correct) shape. Major headache starting!
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


With everything tacked together I trial fitted the wings and the bumper brackets. The brackets were pointing out of the rear at really crazy angles, and also too low for the wing slots. Cue more major surgery. Honestly it would have been easier to beat these panels out of flat sheet…
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

Surgically altered bumper bracket before final finishing and refiting to inner wing
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Rear end all reassembled. Some of the welds will need a skim of filler, but this will all be covered in stonechip so I’m not being too precious. I had to rebuild both edges of the rear apron to reproduce the factory spotwelds as they got shredded undoing the previous repair welds on disassembly. Looks good now, and both bumper brackets exit through the wings square and in the centre of the slots.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


So onto the front end. Both front bumper mounts looking crusty…
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Cut away the outer panel and find the reinforcement is pretty rotten too. Mostly superficial but the centre was crumbly.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Cut away the rotten bits and replace with new steel and captive nuts
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


New plate fitted, horn bracket and the reinforcement piece on the other side of the panel were transferred to the new piece
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Front apron was kinked and pretty crusty on the edges, so off it came…
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Both edges of the quarters needed repair. I got a mate to make up a little press tool so I could reproduce the recess around the captive nuts for the wings for the factory look. No-one will see it but me, but it makes me happy!
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Replacement front panel fitted. I removed the seal clamp as will be fitting a ‘mexican’ type seal.Fit was OK apart from where the latch fits, which was a bit tight. The secondary latch for the bootlid was really flimsy, so I transferred the heavier gauge part from the original panel.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


I found that the new panel was thinner gauge steel than the original (no surprise there I guess…) so had to make a little reinforcement bracket to rigidly support the bootlid latch as it was flexing too much. Tried to make it look ‘factory’ rather than bodged. Not sure whether to leave the rivets or fit it more permanently
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


My son is happy with progress so far!
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


So this is about where I’ve got to now. Opening up the innocuous patch in the front inner wing…
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

Another patch on the bulkhead too. I remember these being done to bodge through another MoT all those years ago… Front crossmember is pretty crusty too.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


So – heater channel and body off time! Undoing the body mount bolts:
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

“It just came apart in my hands” (This was after attacking it with the air impact gun)
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

Hooray for air tools! All but one of the body mount bolts came out in the end without shearing or loosening the captive nuts. One rear mount in the inner wing had a rounded head which I had to cut the head off and undo it after the body was lifted off.

Body braced for the lift and heavy surgery
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Body is off!
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


“The first cut is the deepest…”
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Full horror revealed…
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Thought I’d start at the back, rebuilding the parts around the heater channel before the new channel can go in. This area wasn’t too bad, so I made small patch panels up rather than fitting pattern panels. (Other side of the car is much worse)
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

Done!
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


That’s it so far, now onto the front inner wing & front bulkhead <gulp>
Well done if you read through this far!
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'75 1303 (current project) owned since 1989!
'72 Squareback - full resto completed 2008 - now sold
356 Speedster kit, completed 2005 - now sold
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djkeev
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 28, 2013 6:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Keep it up!
Many of us...... Well me at least like seeing what people are doing!
It does help motivate and encourage..... Yours has me going "I'm really glad I'm done with all of that work!" Wink

I have a Vanagon I need to. Get serious about, reading about people's repairs and trips is the only thing that has kept me from ditching the entire project!

It is also good to look back and see what you've accomplished when you keep a build thread on here.

Applause
Dave
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Ghia
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Volks Wagen
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 28, 2013 9:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Don't forget to take your son out of the boot.
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1973 1303 with AB-motor - sporadic
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Tim Donahoe
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 28, 2013 8:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Looks like another resurrection in progress!

Keep us posted.

Tim
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SCRAF
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 29, 2013 12:22 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Great work. Nice to see another project from the UK and another Beetle being saved!

I have just done the heater channels/floors/bulkhead/nap hat/crossmembers/quarters on mine - and still have lots to do! Very Happy
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Dodgy
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 29, 2013 1:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

SCRAF wrote:
Great work. Nice to see another project from the UK and another Beetle being saved!

I have just done the heater channels/floors/bulkhead/nap hat/crossmembers/quarters on mine - and still have lots to do!


Yeah we need to keep up the number of cars on thesamba with the steering wheel on the RIGHT side! Very Happy

I've seen your build thread, looks good. At least I'm building my car indoors!

Colour of your car / avatar looks the same as mine - L51C Miami blue?
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'72 Squareback - full resto completed 2008 - now sold
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SCRAF
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 29, 2013 4:13 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Indoors would be nice - winter is coming!

Mine is a very poor 20ft paint job by a bodge artist with runs, overspray and stuff not even masked off all over the place, no idea if it is a 'proper' colour or not. Thinking Marina blue when I get to that stage.
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beetlenut
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 29, 2013 12:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Looks a lot like mind did before I decided to save it from the scrap heap. I have a 74 super, but all the same rust out spots as yours. I'm in New England with the same rot-out weather conditions as you have. The longer you wait to do a build thread, the harder it is to get going with all the pics. I ended up replacing the front firewall. Mine looked like yours, but when I got up into the top of it where it was welded into the body by the gas tank, I was horrified to see all the hidden rust. Might want to check that area too. Good luck and keep welding!
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Wetstuff wrote:
... I spend more time shaking it than directing it?! I get a pretty decent blast for 8sec. then have to shake it again.
- Words to live by right there!

My 74 Super rebuild thread: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6507104#6507104
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Dodgy
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 29, 2013 11:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Haven't scoped out the front bulkhead fully yet, but might end up replacing it wholesale as it is so heavily rusted on both sides. Not sure about the quality of the repro parts though, and I know I'll have to make up the inner reinforcements and captive nuts on both sides anyway if I fit a repro panel.

Anyone know if / where it's possible to get better quality Super Beetle bulkheads?
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vwrobert
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 30, 2013 2:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I was lucky enough to pick up a NOS one on Ebay a few months ago, but before i found it i found a company in germany who do some very good work.

I havent bought from them personally the prices are steep but the bulkhead repair comes with the fixing plates already welded in. http://www.feinecabrio.de/cms/front_content.php?idcat=42

Not sure you want to go this route 360 Euro +shipping. But i can tell you forget the UK available repro parts. I purchased a Heritage supplied panel for £150ish for a 1303 and there was less metal in it than one for a standard beetle that retails at around £40 (I returned it for a refund)

Hope you get lucky and find a VW one (Some good rot free being imported) Try Wayne at Volksheaven.
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Dodgy
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 30, 2013 4:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

vwrobert wrote:
Forget the UK available repro parts. I purchased a Heritage supplied panel for £150ish for a 1303 and there was less metal in it than one for a standard beetle that retails at around £40 (I returned it for a refund)


That's useful info, thanks. Looks like it will be a long patching job for me!
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'72 Squareback - full resto completed 2008 - now sold
356 Speedster kit, completed 2005 - now sold
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Dodgy
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PostPosted: Sun Sep 01, 2013 11:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Did some more digging over the weekend.
How does a small rust hole on the outside become such a big hole as you dig to find the extents of the rust? Shocked
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

Getting the inner corner reinforcement bracket off without chewing up everything around it was a sod of a job, but I got there in the end.
At least everything here is simple sections, patching it shouldn't be too horiffic... maybe
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beetlenut
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 02, 2013 10:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Dodgy wrote:
Did some more digging over the weekend.
How does a small rust hole on the outside become such a big hole as you dig to find the extents of the rust? Shocked
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

Getting the inner corner reinforcement bracket off without chewing up everything around it was a sod of a job, but I got there in the end.
At least everything here is simple sections, patching it shouldn't be too horiffic... maybe


I had that same area on my car rot out too! One piece at a time it went back together.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

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scrapyards are for quitters
---------------------------------------
Wetstuff wrote:
... I spend more time shaking it than directing it?! I get a pretty decent blast for 8sec. then have to shake it again.
- Words to live by right there!

My 74 Super rebuild thread: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6507104#6507104
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Dodgy
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 02, 2013 11:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

beetlenut wrote:
I had that same area on my car rot out too! One piece at a time it went back together.


Yeah, I think VW missed sealing around the inner corner reinforcement piece which allowed mud and water to get behind and rot it out from there. This one will be well covered in seam sealer when it goes back together!

As this is a UK car, this is the worse side from splashing in puddles at the (gutter) side of the road. Driver's side is not rotten at all apart from lower edge of the bulkhead, a much simpler repair.

Looking forward to posting a photo like yours with all these holes replaced with fresh metal!
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Geoffffreak
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 05, 2013 10:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I notice you have a front spoiler on the car in the first picture, are you planning on keeping that on the car? If not i could really use one... Cool Also, great work! Keep it up!!
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Dodgy
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 05, 2013 11:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Oh yes, the spoiler is definitely being refitted!
It's a genuine Kamei, not a fibreglass copy. Although the fibreglass copies might be stronger, the real deal is cooler Cool
These things are fantastic - http://www.gerrelt.nl/kamei/kamei_handl04_bigger.jpg
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Joel
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 06, 2013 12:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yeah they make a huge difference to bugs highway speed handling, although I would have destroyed an ABS plastic one multiple times by now.
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Dodgy
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 06, 2013 12:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I remember driving this car once down the motorway in high winds being blown across the lanes - it was about 2am and the road was empty so in the end I just sat in the middle lane and used all the space.

After fitting slightly lowered front springs and the spoiler it was a different car and crosswinds hardly bothered it at all.

Back in the day I did a few rallies in this car (maybe this is why it is so rusty now...), perhaps I was lucky that I managed not to knock the spoiler on anything if the ABS ones are so fragile. Or maybe they have just become more fragile with age?
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Joel
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 06, 2013 12:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Dunno if its just age or not, if they are stored out of sun you wouldnt think they would go brittle.
Brian on SBO had a mint NOS one he found but ran over a piece of truck tyre blow out laying on the road and it just demolished the spoiler, absolutely smashed it to bits.

I'd be terrified of dropping the sort of coin real ones are fetching and have that happen.

I hit a fox or dog with mine a while back, just put a small crack in which a mate who fibreglasses repaired it real easy.
Not sure a plastic one would have held up real well.
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Dodgy
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 06, 2013 12:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Been doing more digging in the quest to get to the extent of the rust - LH side of the front bulkhead is basically all air now, and still more metal needs to be cut away. I think this is way beyond patching and I'll have to bite the bullet and fit a pattern part. Evil or Very Mad

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


The panels available seem to be basically standard beetle bulkhead inner pressings which are altered at the edges where the super beetle attaches to the heater channels differently. Anyone fitted one of these? Does it cause any problems fitting the centre brace to the floorpan spine or the pedals / footrest panels?

As I'll have to do a significant amount of work on the pattern bulkhead anyway, I'm thinking of transferring what I can of the original inner panel upper onto the new bulkhead, and just using the lower part to give me the correct profile to seal onto the napolean's hat panel on the floorpan.
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