'69 Beetle Hotrod

hardtail · Post by **hardtail** » Wed Nov 14, 2007 8:55 am

There goes da roof

hardtail · Post by **hardtail** » Wed Nov 14, 2007 8:56 am

Posts

Barry · Post by **Barry** » Fri Nov 16, 2007 4:08 pm

COOL!!!
How much are you taking out of it?
I'm watching this one with interest - wish I was closer as I'd love to help out with it. Good to see you seem to be going about it the right way in terms of planning etc, cutting it up is easy - it's getting it back together that can get. ....uhm......interesting.
What are you going to be welding with? Are you going to be shaping your filler strips in any way, or using a donor roof?
Sorry for all the questions, but we don't see nearly enough of this kind of thing over here.
keep posting your progress

Barry

Post by **Bugger** » Sat Nov 17, 2007 7:45 pm

There was an easier way by way less cuts but you past that now

You are cutting it the yanke style with a shit load of welding and fabrication
should look good when finish and we will give you all the inspiration you need

PLS send plenty pics

hardtail · Post by **hardtail** » Sun Nov 18, 2007 6:55 pm

First, i am using a donor roof on this project, as i decided to use the american approach, and that requires a whole shiteload of measuring and lining up the panels to ensure that everything fits back the way it should.

i am taking approximately 4 inches out of the whole body, and getting the angles correct has proven to be quite a mission.

i think that there will be a lot more fabrication to come still as i am also installing a set of suicide doors, along with a front axle conversion that is dropping the suspension in front to about 3 inches off the deck.

also, the rear suspension is being raised, as well as getting larger rims and tires in order to rake the chassis and body into more of a hotrod stance.

at this point most of the work and time is being taken up by ensuring that the panels and roof posts, front, centre and rear align.
i am having to section quite a bit of the door and front pillars, as they are wider at the bottom than the top.

also at the rear section there is the question of the side window curves that i have to align.

further, i am aware of the other approaches, but settled for this, as this method was explained with much more detail than i found for other methods.

i am using, air saws, grinders, body files, gas torches and a mig welder to do all this work to the beetle.

i have also sacrificed a few liters of blood, several skin lacerations, split fingers, pinched appendages, and several skull contusions....on the altar of this beetle hotrod conversion....

also tell me what pics you want, and i will post or attempt to get these here for you.

to recap, i bought a virtually rustfree beetle, ripped the interior, wiring, equipment, everything out of it....

then i redid the chassis, all fittings, fixed the battery tray rust, redid all the brakelines, cleaned out and primered all the channels, rubberised the bottom, painted the top....

then i started to strip the paint off the body...by hand....(i must be crazy)...

and now i have the body back on the frame, and spent a week measuring and then took three days of staring at it to get my nerve up to make the first cut....

once i started however, things went quite fast....almost too fast...

so, tell me what ya wanna see....

oh, and for the future, i managed to land a 59 splitty....
it is going to be slammed, and fitted with a airsuspension....
but that is for the future....

flatfourfan · Post by **flatfourfan** » Mon Nov 19, 2007 8:27 am

should be good.................

Blitzkrieg · Post by **Blitzkrieg** » Mon Nov 19, 2007 9:00 am

hardtail wrote:First, i am using a donor roof on this project, as i decided to use the american approach, and that requires a whole shiteload of measuring and lining up the panels to ensure that everything fits back the way it should.

i am taking approximately 4 inches out of the whole body, and getting the angles correct has proven to be quite a mission.

i think that there will be a lot more fabrication to come still as i am also installing a set of suicide doors, along with a front axle conversion that is dropping the suspension in front to about 3 inches off the deck.

also, the rear suspension is being raised, as well as getting larger rims and tires in order to rake the chassis and body into more of a hotrod stance.

at this point most of the work and time is being taken up by ensuring that the panels and roof posts, front, centre and rear align.
i am having to section quite a bit of the door and front pillars, as they are wider at the bottom than the top.

also at the rear section there is the question of the side window curves that i have to align.

further, i am aware of the other approaches, but settled for this, as this method was explained with much more detail than i found for other methods.

i am using, air saws, grinders, body files, gas torches and a mig welder to do all this work to the beetle.

i have also sacrificed a few liters of blood, several skin lacerations, split fingers, pinched appendages, and several skull contusions....on the altar of this beetle hotrod conversion....

also tell me what pics you want, and i will post or attempt to get these here for you.

to recap, i bought a virtually rustfree beetle, ripped the interior, wiring, equipment, everything out of it....

then i redid the chassis, all fittings, fixed the battery tray rust, redid all the brakelines, cleaned out and primered all the channels, rubberised the bottom, painted the top....

then i started to strip the paint off the body...by hand....(i must be crazy)...

and now i have the body back on the frame, and spent a week measuring and then took three days of staring at it to get my nerve up to make the first cut....

once i started however, things went quite fast....almost too fast...

so, tell me what ya wanna see....

oh, and for the future, i managed to land a 59 splitty....
it is going to be slammed, and fitted with a airsuspension....
but that is for the future....

Wow!!Kudos to you for doing something like this in South Africa...

Awaiting your further progress and reports and pics with anticipation

Post by **Bugger** » Mon Nov 19, 2007 7:07 pm

Do not be scared for pics any will do we like pics plenty

MINCE · Post by **MINCE** » Tue Nov 20, 2007 9:13 am

hardtail, i like you style!
SLAM IT TO THE GROUND DUDE!!!!!

vuyo · Post by **vuyo** » Mon Nov 26, 2007 10:52 pm

a ZA volksrod thats cool but can you drive it in ZA ? with no fenders ? are you doing your own beem extenshons? if so can you give us plans PIC PIC PIC PICS ! i love customs

hardtail · Post by **hardtail** » Tue Nov 27, 2007 5:39 am

since the basic car i started with is roadworthy, it does not require a re-roadworthy....and anyway this is sa....'nuff said.

i have done a lot of research re beam extensions, and opted to purchase and import a extender....

pics will be coming as i do more work when i get some time again...

Barry · Post by **Barry** » Wed Nov 28, 2007 6:06 am

Hi Hardtail - see you start early too!!
re Beam extender, there is a guy close to me who is building a volksrod too - haven't spoken to him in a while. He had all the plates etc waterjet cut and may be prepared to share the drawings. If you're interested let me know and I'll give him a call or put you in touch with him. No sense reinventing the wheel right?
Barry

Post by **Bugger** » Wed Nov 28, 2007 9:23 am

is this a Hay boy that you are building

No front fenders

hardtail · Post by **hardtail** » Wed Nov 28, 2007 10:53 am

no fenders period!

Post by **Bugger** » Wed Nov 28, 2007 3:43 pm

OK

That was seriously against the law in the old SA no fenders

A mate of mine built one and every cop stoped him and gave him shit