Guru's, Please assist with some advise.
My 67 Beetle has rust in the A Pillars and Heater channels. I have new replacement heater channels and lower sections of the A Pillars.
The body is off the floor pan as I have already replaced both floor pans halves.
Also have new replacement panels from the A Pillar to the front bulkhead and connect onto the heater channels .
I realise it is a lot of work but convinced that I will make the beetle stronger than original.
The advise I require would you tackle the A Pillars and inner guard replacement panels first or the heater channels first.
Further I intend to put intrusion bars in the rear quarters (25mm square ) and 50mm X3mm mild steel in the doors and across the roof evenly spaced from the A Pillar.
I realise it will be a bit heavier than original but the idea is to bring it up to modern crash test standard.

Guru's, Please assist with some advise.
My 67 Beetle has rust in the A Pillars and Heater channels. I have new replacement heater channels and lower sections of the A Pillars.
The body is off the floor pan as I have already replaced both floor pans halves.
Also have new replacement panels from the A Pillar to the front bulkhead and connect onto the heater channels .
I realise it is a lot of work but convinced that I will make the beetle stronger than original.
The advise I require would you tackle the A Pillars and inner guard replacement panels first or the heater channels first.
Further I intend to put intrusion bars in the rear quarters (25mm square ) and 50mm X3mm mild steel in the doors and across the roof evenly spaced from the A Pillar.
I realise it will be a bit heavier than original but the idea is to bring it up to modern crash test standard.

Guru's, Please assist with some advise.
My 67 Beetle has rust in the A Pillars and Heater channels. I have new replacement heater channels and lower sections of the A Pillars.
The body is off the floor pan as I have already replaced both floor pans halves.
Also have new replacement panels from the A Pillar to the front bulkhead and connect onto the heater channels .
I realise it is a lot of work but convinced that I will make the beetle stronger than original.
The advise I require would you tackle the A Pillars and inner guard replacement panels first or the heater channels first.
Further I intend to put intrusion bars in the rear quarters (25mm square ) and 50mm X3mm mild steel in the doors and across the roof evenly spaced from the A Pillar.
I realise it will be a bit heavier than original but the idea is to bring it up to modern crash test standard.

I don't think it would matter which part you did first. If they weld to each other in any way, then you really would have to do both at the same time. The only thing I amaware of that you really need to take care with is making sure you dont let the body sag or open up when the heater channel is cut off.

With the intrusion bars, be wary about how you design them as it would be very unfortunate if one of the ends of the bar comes off and it pivots and becomes like a spear.

The extra weight from what you are putting in will not be noticed very easily. It wouldn't weight more than half a tank of petrol.

Her's some pictures of the bracing that is required when you are removing the old and welding in new heater channels.
Rob...

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If those pictures are too big could someone make them smaller instead of deleteing them, I am sure some PPL would benifit from seeing them.
Rob...

Looks like it's going to be a racer with all the bar work