There's one thing we hate at this magazine and that's rust, nature's way of returning everything to the basic elements of the universe: oxygen, hydrogen, carbon and iron. This combo would be just great if it wasn't for water, as iron would stay iron forever and our VWs would keep their shape until the end of time. Philosophically speaking, we only rent this life, and this is true for our possessions. That doesn't mean we can't preserve what is ours now for those that we give them to after we are gone.
Since rust is the Grim Reaper of cars, we spend a great deal of time and money to eradicate it whenever it is found because once it is there, it won't go away on its own.
This brings us to our subject at hand, the Volkswagen Super Beetle you may recognize from our Super Project '71 series, as it has seen better days in this department. You may remember in the October 2003 issue, we tore out the package tray and replaced it with fresh metal. At the time, the fender wells were nicely hidden by a thick layer of undercoating, so evidence of the rust in that area wasn't clear until we had a chance to remove it all. Upon doing that, rust again reared its ugly head and, at this point, it was too much to blissfully ignore.
So, off to the paint and body specialists at Deuce Kustoms, a one stop, all inclusive restoration shop for nearly every kind of old metal out there... if you can carry it to them in boxes, they'll make sure you can drive it home. After pulling apart the body and pan (see Page 72), expert bodyman Jerry "Chopper" LeMieux assessed the situation and concluded that the job wouldn't be too difficult. If you plan on doing this at home, and there's no reason why you shouldn't, you'll need a reciprocating saw (or some such metal cutting device), 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 the Hobart Handler 135 model, specifically designed for 110 home and light shop use. We're using 35-gauge wire good for sheet metal. Speaking of sheet metal, all replacement panels for most all Beetles can be found at BFY Obsolete Parts in Orange, Calif.
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 and feeling as though your eyelids are 60-grit sandpaper, you'll expense a welder's hood. While you're there, get some gloves.
Now that you're ready, drag your car out to the driveway and follow along.
>>> See the online videos of this rust-repair job <<<