Tag: damage
DISASSEMBLY – Removing the floor pans
Today I started to cut out the pasenger-side floor pan. First, I made some measurements from the tunnel to the bolt holes alongside the outer edge of the pan, and from the support structures at either end of the pan to the first bolt holes on the side. This will hopefully allow me to double-check that the new pan is installed correctly, both front-to-back and from tunnel-to-side. If I cut the new pan, say, too short in the front, or if I install it too closely against the tunnel (or not close enough) then maybe I’ll have trouble lining up the bolt holes when I go to put the body back on. Or, the seats will not be in the right place, and might interfere with some other structure in the car. I think the pan would have to be off by more than an inch in either direction to cause problems, though, so some moderately accurate measurements should help me keep it close enough.
DISASSEMBLY – Part 6
Started removing the window glass today, beginning with the rear window, and then the side windows. The rubber molding was dry-rotted so it was fairly easy break apart with fingers and careful use of a screwdriver. The glass came out easily; I’m surprised at how thin it is, it seems like my 1970 Beetle rear window was much thicker.
The rear windows and side windows are all marked as made by Sekurit. Don’t know if there’s a way to tell if it’s original glass or not. I’ve been looking for an original front windshield since mine is badly-cracked, but after reading several posts on TheSamba.com about original glass being fragile, I think I need to research it a little more and make sure I choose the safer windshield (if not the rest of the windows glass). Laminated vs. tempered vs. original vs. new.
Once I removed the side windows and rear window, I was glad to see that the rust spots around the windows rims were not bad, or at least they weren’t as bad as I thought they would be. I was afraid I would be welding-in patches or lead-soldering some sections. The windshield damage remains to be seen.
In addition to removing some glass, I also began treating some rusty fasteners with Kroil penetrant to aid in their removal later.
Total time: approximately 40 minutes. Photos follow.
Getting the convertible
I finally got the weather and my schedule to cooperate, and I went back to Alabama to pick up the second of my bugs: a 1966 Convertible. In rough condition. There are some parts here and there to be salvaged (like a motor, maybe, and a transaxle) but most of this vehicle is lost, I’m afraid. I’m going to use it as a practice dummy, and test some repair skills on this one before I work on the ’63.
