I have recently acquired a new project car -a splitty ute. Being from the country, it was at some stage unfortunately used for target practise and has a fair few bullet holes that need repairing.

What do people recommend for repairing the holes?
-cut them out and weld in new pieces or
-try to repair the hole by reshaping and welding it back together?

I am expecting I will need to buy some new tools
and learn some new skills along the way.
What sort of welder would be best to purchase for this job?

I know it would be easiest to pay someone else to do it, but given that this needs to be a low budget resto, unless someone volunteers to do it -it has to be me that puts in the hours.

How big are they?

can you get some photos :P?

Man if i was doing a rat i would deliberately go out of my way for some real bullet holes from some gun-hoe friends of mine than those takky sticker ones.

leave em.. character of the country..

Heres some pictures







I am also trying to work out the weird air scoop on the roof that then has ducts behind the cab running down under the tray into the engine bay. Any ideas? It looks like maybe the cut up another singlecab roof, and stuck the rear portion on top of the cab.

which ever way you go i can see a lot of hot shrinking to do!!!!

matt

Hey David I was also gonna say leave 'em but it's been fairly peppered hasn't it!
What happened to lining up empty beer bottles on the fence?
Maybe just leave some
Good luck with it all!!

Haha, someone was a good shot with the Smiley face...

I love single cab splitties

Hi

I'm no splitty expert but some utes Ive seen have an engine bay air scoop that runs across the top of the cab roof from the winscreen, maybe this one had a replacement cab roof at some stage?

I reckon that the bullet holes look cool.

Steve

When I saw your user name and the question I thought someone must have taken shots at your Beetle. Pleased to see that isn't the case

So apart from the swiss cheese look, what's the condition of the rest like? Plenty of surface rust, but structural? Any engine or gear box?

What's the plans for it?

Cheers
Craig

Craig,
yes, fortunately not my beetle with the bullet holes.

It seems solid structurally overall otherwise it would not be worth doing.
It has spent many years is country NSW where it is very dry. I found it by accident and was offered a deal too good to refuse.
No engine or gearbox -but I would want to fit later model suspension anyway.

Plans -I've got to get it home first. Yes, my wife now knows it is coming.
I suspect a long, slow resto, working on it on the rare occasions that I have spare time.
The bare minimum to get it registered and on the road rather than a full blown showstopper.
But that is what lots of people say at the start before getting carried away!

a) leave them and you have a perfect rat look
b) leave them as you will have more cooling for the motor
c) putty them over (easy way)
d) cut a hole spot weld some replacement metal in then grind it flat. (correct way)
e) you may find that if you get someone to hold a piece of metal to one side and then you hamer outwards you will get a much smaller hole to repair.

I've thought more about this and yes I'm liking the holes.

Problem is obviously the forward facing ones would let a lot of air (and water when it rains) into the cab. Obvious solution: Put a radiator behind there and put a wasserboxer (or dare I say it a suby engine) in the back.

Wax it, drop it, shiny wheels and roll it for the most authentic rat on the roads.

Haha took me ages to find this.. but haha could be worse hey

you must admit this should be a mandatory modification for hi aces and Mitsubishi expresses.

The beer cans are there, in the second pick under the front whel arch, maybe they were lined up on the vw

Yeah, i reckon the bullet holes are aweome, keep them where possible! Will be a great rat, looking forward to seeing the build