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chassis rust

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trippa842003 Learner Dubber

18 posts · joined Aug 2012 ·

#917674
HELP ! ive just bought a 1971 convertable beetle and theres rust holes in the thing that holds the swaybar on !, it it easier to swap out the whole chassis and are there modds i need because its convertable, or cut off the front of the chassis and weld on anther good one, aslo ive found a 1974 wreck but not shure if that fits a 71 ?!?! any help please !

cam070 Custom Title Time!

1,332 posts · joined Jul 2009 ·

#917725
My understanding is that if it's a full convertible, not just a sardine can convertible, the floor pan should have strengthening members so you can't just swap pans with a hard top beetle.

Yogie Moderator Custom Title Time!

1,608 posts · joined Jun 2003 ·

#917735
cam070 wrote:My understanding is that if it's a full convertible, not just a sardine can convertible, the floor pan should have strengthening members so you can't just swap pans with a hard top beetle.
Not true. A genuine cabrio is a standard floor pan. All of the extra strengthening is in the body. If it is a chop top, who knows how they added strength to satisfy the rego authorities.

Yogie

trippa842003 Learner Dubber

18 posts · joined Aug 2012 ·

#917747
unfortunately it is a sardine chop top, and you can see there is added strength, in the shassis, my guess is it would be easier to chop the front of my shassis and weld on one from a doner car, i have found one on ebay but its a 1974, are these the same as a 1971 shassis?

Yogie Moderator Custom Title Time!

1,608 posts · joined Jun 2003 ·

#917784
Some photos of the area would probably help to give a more informed answer for you.

Yogie

RISKY4LIFE Officially Full-On Dubber

308 posts · joined Jul 2010 ·

#917803
yup worked dose the rusted part unbolt? id say you could but another have it chopped and welded
edit omg you have the body off that was fun hey?

trippa842003 Learner Dubber

18 posts · joined Aug 2012 ·

#917808
nah its not off yet, the second photo is one i can get off ebay but its a 1974 and no i dont think the part bolts off, so im cutting and shutting, so long as someone can tell me that a 74 chasiis is the same as a 71...

Yogie Moderator Custom Title Time!

1,608 posts · joined Jun 2003 ·

#917811
It looks like that 74 will fit but you may find that the car needs to comply with different ADR's if you fit the 74 pan as, technically, it becomes a later model. The bottom plate spot welds of your pan can be drilled out and you can have a new part welded in to fix the rust without too much drama.

Check with some of the sponsors on here as they should stock them.

Yogie

trippa842003 Learner Dubber

18 posts · joined Aug 2012 ·

#917814
oh cool ! where do i find them?

Yogie Moderator Custom Title Time!

1,608 posts · joined Jun 2003 ·

#917815
Where are you located?

trippa842003 Learner Dubber

18 posts · joined Aug 2012 ·

#917817
im in tassie !!

Yogie Moderator Custom Title Time!

1,608 posts · joined Jun 2003 ·

#917818
I don't know of anywhere in Tassie for you but you can also try Mick Motors in Brisbane or Vintage Vee Dub supplies in Sydney. Das Autohaus have a website as do vollks.com.au and a few others. They will all ship to you so you will just need to weld it on or geto someone down there to do it for you.

Good luck

Yogie

trippa842003 Learner Dubber

18 posts · joined Aug 2012 ·

#917820
oh cool thanks !

psimitar Son of Jim - Creator of Good

2,506 posts · joined Jan 2009 ·

#917919
They are both macpherson strut floorpans. Only diff may be the type of fastening at the struts bum but so long as you take the struts from the donor then it won't matter, well if donor is drum and you disc then no as you need disc front end.

Anyway 1302 and 1303 frameheads are all the same as far as I'm aware. To double check looks at the body parts list on VW Heritage. That'll tell you for sure. 🙂
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