Thought I’d create a post covering the recently started renovations to my Beetle.
Following last year’s MOT there was some rust between the chassis and the body in the front left wheel arch. I thought it should be fixed before the problem got any worse.
So I removed a lot of the trim and took it along to my local body shop. Here it is waiting for the work to start.
My VW Beetle parked at Impact Accident Repairs, Cirencester
Closer investigations proved that it wasn’t just a small job – on one side it didn’t even have a heater channel (the previous restorer preferring to fill any holes/gaps with some kind of builder’s expanding foam!). Great!
So – the body had to come off………something that I had wanted to try and avoid.
A system of levers helped get the body away from the chassis – plus a few sheared bolts to make sure it came away
Once the body had been raised using a long piece of 4 x 2, the chassis could be rolled out of the way and the body placed on a simple little trolley so that it can be moved around easily.
Chassis and body separated
Anyhow, with the body off it gives the opportunity of doing a much better job. I have new heater channels, new jacking points, new front inner wings, new wheel well, new front and rear valences – plus a few other assorted repair panels.
So that’s where the engine is! This picture show just how simple the construction of Dr Ferdinand Porsche’s little Käfer is.
Currently, the chassis is being ‘fixed up’ with some neat repair work on all of the areas which have rusted over the years. This sort of thing is way beyond my skills so I’m just doing a few bits and pieces to tart up the parts around the engine – tinware, air filter etc. As this work goes on I may even take the engine away and replace some seals that are leaking a little – we’ll see.
More later…….
. But I needn’t have worried. The driving went like a dream.
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