I was asked about making the rear panel of a beetle removable to make engine swaps easier. After a bit of a think I came up with what I think is a simple way to do it without it looking too different. It took a day, as being the first one I've done I did a lot of double checking.

Here's the car when it first came in.



First thing to do is take off the rear wheels and guards.



After looking around the engine bay, I decided where I wanted to remove the rear panel. I chose the point where the top of the rear panel meets the decklid (when it's closed). This will hide the new panel gap. Also, if I cut the panel further back, the engine bay narrows at the back so the engine wouldn't have fitted through the hole anyway. Another reason was the bumper mounts. I've cut it where it can still use the stock bumper mounts.



Measure 1000 times if you have to, before you start up the grinder. Make sure both sides are marked out the same. When that's all sorted, chop it off : )



I then made up 4 flanges from 1.6mm sheet metal. These not only allow for the two panels to bolt together, but also to join the inner and outer panels together, giving its strength back. Make sure the flange doesn't protrude where the rear guard bolts on.

You can see where the welds have penetrated where the inner and outer panels are. Joining the panels like this make the flange a lot stronger.



I'm no fantastic welder, but try to make the welds as strong as you can. Vibration is the enemy of weak welds and these little cars are good at vibrating : )



I did the same with the rear panel by welding the inner and outer panels together with the flange. It's a much cleaner look too. I welded the bolts into the flanges on the rear panel so it's a one spanner job to remove and install, plus they make it easy to line back up.



Once all the welding was done I cleaned the area and blew a bit of etch primer on just to stop it getting surface rust.



Here's the rear guard re fitted so you can see how much room there is around the flange making access for removal really easy. Once it's painted I don't think anyone would even really notice it.

Again, with a bit of paint this seam would go pretty much unnoticed. Another thing I like about doing it this way is how strong it still is. There's not just the 4 new bolts holding the panel, there's also 4 rear guard bolts holding it there too.



This is all that's visible with the decklid closed. The etch primer makes it a bit noticeable, but with paint I don't think anyone would notice it at all.



Well that's it. Job done. I'm sure there's been lots of these done before, but I haven't seen them, so that's why I posted this. I might be useful for some newbie like me : )

Good work, I like it. Also if you took a photo from the same position as the very first photo, I think it would be less noticeable.

Great to see someone helping others and not hiding their work

Kev

Hiya Tim,

Thats a very interesting way of doing a removeable valance. I like it. You're lucky that the year of bug you did this too had a double skin so that you could weld the flange to. If you take a gander through my resto thread you'll see how I did it for a 59 body, as only single skin.

Oh btw how's me beam coming along? I got my floorpan painted last weekend. Came out pretty well though needs a bit of a rub down here and there for air bubbles.

Laters,
Mike

im sure ive said it before but it was by far one of the best mods ive done to my bug

i went a more conventional method and just unpicked the valance, so that there was no welding or cutting needed
i did it that way more so that i didnt have to disturb the bumper mounts

but your way gives more working room
theres pics of mine floating around on here

Hi guys. We discussed unpicking the outer skin like you say Joel, but this way just seemed easier to me. Yes, I am cronically lazy : ) Also, that inner panel wrapped right around the back, so would have been in the way anyway.

i got to do it to my bug, really appreciate the pics and also the others that replied so i can look at theirs. thanks again

Just a quick thanks for working on my car. The way it comes out is easy as... Took it off today to paint and the motor slips out with minimal jacking up of the car, as i have always wanted.

Now i'll slowly get on with the rest of the car.

Cheers
Mike

Now that is much better than the fibreglass removeable rear valance....

much much stronger and easier to put back on...

the fibreglass ones are a pain to put back in....

thanks for the pics

Lee

ahh..... the wrong photo's in there now.....

Yeah, photo bucket is to blame. OK, I renamed a heap of pics, so I am to blame hahaha

It should be all back to normal now I hope. I think I put the same pics as last time in there. Close enough anyway.

Hey Mate, cheers for putting the right photos back up. looks solid.

do you have an email/phone number i can catch you on?? Are you able to do this for other people? Im interested in sending you an email with photo's of what i want to do.

Great stuff mate, thanks for the how-to!

[size=5]BEST INFO WAS.. MEASURE 1000 TIMES...LOL

this idea is EXCELLENT...

COULDN'T BE BETTER....I LOVE IT...]


MUCH BETTER and stronger THAN FIBREGLASS...

Lee

[/size]

No worries guys, I kind of hoped it might be useful to someone.

I can be annoyed/contacted on either timbojohnston@bigpond.com or 0423 818180.

Cheers.

Cool, will be contacting you this week some time.

You have email.