Here are some photos of the rear body mount I had to move up so I could use the 68 pan with my 63 body. You can see the rear mount on the early body is too low for the late pan (big gap between the pan and body).

[Edited on 14-7-2003 by Baja Wes]

Get the grinder and chop chop....little air cut off tool is useful for the awkward tight spots.

Here is the mount cut off at the right angle where it is spot welded onto the body.

The problem I ran into was that I couldn't align the body back far enough for the pan to body holes to work - I had to grind the corner off the shock tower trying not to remove too much material. Grind....fit....grind some more....fit.....etc. Bolt the front beam up as well to make sure the two bolts that go into the beam line up as well.

Here is the mount tack welded in place using some high tech spacers to get the vertical alignment right - just slightly thinner than the rubber pad that will sit in there.

Here it is welded in place - excuse the crappy welds (I am happy they will hold but I am sure I could have done better with a stronger mig - couldn't get enough penetration) - minds out of the gutter please. Now all aligns, happy days again.

Hope this helps someone - took about a full days work (spread over the weekend).
Alan

Thats an interesting way of doing the mount.

Much easier than the way i was thinking of. Much neater as well

JOB well done

:thumb
Great work there. Good people sharing stuff like this, makes others less worried about having ago !!
Great pics shows all.
I know it will come in handy for me in the future......:bounce

Alan, have you used a IRS pan? (sorry Im not sure if IRS started in 68 or 69!) Thats how mine has been done!

N!

Sorry N, just saw your reply...it is a swing axle 68 pan with ball joint front end. I would have used an IRS if I had my time again but I already got a super diff and heavy duty side plate in from the states so I didn't want to sell them for a loss, then buy new IRS ones.

Its still looking good... keep it up.

that's a much simpler way than i was planning to do it.
thanks, you've saved me hours of stuffing around.

Great work and self explanetary photos too. a job well done...
Congratulate Yourself...
As a haphazard welder Myself, Your welding looks great... My welding is usually as strong as the flux!!!!
I usually get My qualified Son to do it nowdays... Lee

This is very helpful, good on you for sharing what you have learned
Is there much more involved in doing an IRS rear end pan under, oh lets say a 62 ragtop for hypothetical reasons
Cheers Tony

Thanks guys, I'm glad it will be useful for someone (start up that grinder Tony) It is not all that hard, trust me!

Hunting around the net trying to solve my problem of fitting a 67 body to a 72 IRS pan. Will this simple step work, or is more involved?

The trouble is a 72 is a Super beetle

Not worth it.
Either get a 76 pan or a 68 semi auto and put a clutch in or just convert to IRS

Oh, it's a 72 standard - cool. Didnt know they made a standard in 72

not a super(never wolud I curse myself). - careful. I have killed for less :o

LOL!!!!

Heh its not very hard to swap the pan, but the most pain is rebuilding a chassis from the ground up

so apart from the rear chassis mounts a 58 should fit on a 68 semi-auto irs pan converted to a manual?

this is what you need