we have all picked up that beetle guard at a swap meet that is other wise straight except for a minor defect/rust. I have found that the best guards to repair are the original german guards but you must find one that has straight unbent channels on their edges as if these are damaged it is almost impossible to straighten and stop it flexing. have attached some photos of a front guard i repaired recently. hope it is helpful to some one.

inner lower corner drivers side front

first trim a section smaller than the patch you will fit. this will allow patch to slide over area to be repaired for accurate measurements.

rusty donor guard being cut for patch

patch piece ready for fitting.

patch cleaned, area trimmed to suit. make sure you trim back at least 20mm larger than rust perimiter to eliminate all rust and make welding easier.

[Edited on 25-11-2004 by eirecooled]

full penetration welds (using gaslees mig for all the techs that said they are useless)

patch welded and ground smooth. minor warpage if you move the welding around the patch and do not concentrate heat in one area. better to warp lower than to have raised area for painting.

guard repaired and ready for etch priming.