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posted on June 16th, 2016 at 09:22 PM
'71 Super top hinge area
Hi,
I'm starting to work on my beetle and found a broken metal piece at the top hinge on the passenger side.
Just wondering if I can attempt to weld it as it is or should I cut it out and redo it.
Also there is a dent running down the left side of the dash in the same pic. What is the best thing to do about this?
Thanks.
Neil
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71 super in progress.
helbus
A.k.a.: Pete S
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posted on June 16th, 2016 at 09:35 PM
It has definitely had a smash into the door near the hinge in the past. A Beetle is very light by cleverly using light panels in shapes that make it
rigid in strength. Instead of using door pillars that are like railway tracks, they are engineered better. The downside is that when they are damaged,
the damage transfers easily to other areas. The cracks in the hinge plate area would indicate that the face of the top plate is not aligned with the
bottom plate. This indicates that the misalignment over time has caused the metal to slowly crack to relive the pressure. Welding the crack alone will
temporarily fix it, however getting a straight edge like a builders level, and using it to measure any misalignment, and then correcting that by
pulling the hinge face plate accordingly. The dent in the dash is not a major concern if it is just superficial, and I would not have any problem with
filling it. The alignment of the hinge is a concern however. It takes a bit of skill and patience to get that right.
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posted on June 16th, 2016 at 09:53 PM
Thanks Pete.
Are the measurements to be checked between the top and bottom hinge? I notice on the removed doors that where they bolt on the bottom curves out and
the top in. Should I check the drivers side and compare? The drivers side looks fine.
