There are plenty of things that can go wrong with a car, especially those as old as an aircooled Volkswagen. Of those things, rust is the most feared, and people spend countless dollars fighting it. Some would rather crunch a fender than have to do rust repair, but if you've set your mind on restoring/rebuilding your car, then there's nothing you can do but to work through it.
There are several places on this Beetle that have spots of rust, but none more evident as behind the back seat, otherwise known as the package tray or luggage compartment. Original window rubber gets old (as does the cheap aftermarket stuff, only more quickly), and when it does, it becomes cracked and porous. After that, there's not much keeping metal's mortal enemy, water, from coming through the holes. Proper care of your rubber parts is all it takes to avoid this whole situation, but once you can easily reach the starter from inside the car, it's way too late.
There are three ways you can fix this problem: One, pay a lot of money to have someone else do it; Two, tack a plate over the rusty holes and cover it with the rear carpet kit (nobody's going to see your dirty little secret...at least until the old rust comes through the new plate); Or three, cut out all the rust and weld in a replacement panel yourself. We chose the second option. Sure, it'll be a lot of work, but at the same time, it can be done by anyone right in their driveway with tools found in most home garages.
Our package tray replacement comes from JP Group A/S, an exhaust and sheet metal company based in Demark (www.jpgroup.dk). It is a full package tray piece (Part Number 951088-0 for all Super Beetles), complete with the horizontal firewall and rear engine seal housing.
You'll need a reciprocating saw, a grinder, a hand drill and a wire wheel, along with a chisel, hammer and a wire brush. Most important, you'll need a welder, much like our Hobart Handler 135 model, specifically designed for 110 home and light shop use. We're using 35-guage wire good for this thickness of sheet metal. However, the most important thing you'll need to do a quality job is a good friend, because it is twice as fun to do a difficult job if you're not doing it alone. Since my wife finds welding as exciting as I find drapery swatches, my friend Chris Miller was nice enough to stop by and help with the project.
Start by laying down a tarp on your driveway. Small rusted particles that fall onto your driveway become small rusted stains. And if you spent as much time pressure washing your driveway as I have, you'll thank me. Since we're working with welding equipment, there are several safety measures you'll need to realize. First off, keep a fire extinguisher nearby. Second, protect your eyes. If you don't want to wake up in the middle of the night blinded as if your eyelids are 60-grit sandpaper, you'll shell out for a welder's hood. While you're there, get some gloves...and a welder's smock wouldn't hurt either.
Now that you're ready, drag your rusted car out to the driveway and follow along.
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