Hi all, My name is sheridan and I have a 71 super bettle. Unfortunately Doris caught fire. Fuel line tail leg parted way with carbi. Dad is going to get her resprayed and is having a number of problems I hope you can help with.

New wiring harness for RHD as old one is a birdsnest and has joins everywhere.

Dad has body of floor pan and has found fibre glass wrapped around heater channels. On closer inspection sides of channel have be repaired with thin steel (not very good) but rest of channel appears ok. Should we replace whole channel (have read horror stories about bracing). Dad can weld but wants to make sure he is not going to damage bug when he removes heater channels.

Last the chassis says its a 71 bug but production code is missing so no ideas on original colour. Also there is a plate in front of the spare wheel well on the LHS that is 114113 1026. What does this number mean?

Thanks in advance for the help, just want Doris back on the road and looking good.

Sheridan

Hi Sheridan,

Depends which part of the heater channel is rusty and how bad cos you can just buy replacement sections like the inner sill, outter sill/runningboard mount which is alot easiier than replacing the whole thing

Most resprays aren't that thorough, you should be able to find the original colour somewhere like back of the dash, under the headliner, inside the door/quarterpanel cavitys etc
VW back then didnt have a huge colour line up there was only about 7 common colours on bugs
With the colour tag it was just a sticker stuck to the apron, although my 71 super had it on the panel below the fuel tank.

My super still has the original dulon sticker.
Is that tag in the left of my wheel well the one you mean?
Its just the model/production tag, doesnt mean much

might pay to look for a good doner pan n start without all the hassle of a fire repair job
prolly last longer
goodluck with it

Thanks Joel

Its the outside (where the running board bolts onto) and the the same part on the inside. The bottom of the heater channels and top are fine except for on small section on the RHS rear just before the rear guard.

Yes that is the tag I am talking about. Is there any way of telling if the body belongs to the running gear. Dad has his doubts as the glovebox is rectangular and he fells thats from maybe a 74 bug.

I will post some pics when dad drives me to the his work.

Thanks

Thanks Mr bungle.

Fire damage only destroyed fibreglass bootlid and wiring harness and some conbustables in engine bay. Pan seems ok as dads workmates were quick with fire fighting gear. I think dad want to do this from the start and this is the excuse he has been looking for.

oh sweet having a dad who's gunna be into it
he'll prolly wanna drive it more than you when it's rolling again
nice one

Is the dash metal or a big plastic chunky one?

if your trunk looks like mine inside and your dash is metal you've got a 71 or 72 superbug

Body swaps are more common with earlier bugs but generally not 70s supers

Joel dash is metal.

Pictures of trunk and heater are done how do I upload them? Can't find the upload button.

you need to press the "new reply" button in bottom right

Not jut type in the box

Thanks for that info

Boot picture

Yup she's a 71 superbug

original colour was probably the sky blue in the sills