Help! Fastback Body Removal

[Type1234]

I am trying to split the body from the floorpan on my 1972 Fastback. A previous owner has welded the two together at various points. I have removed all the 13mm bolts on the underside and topside under the rear seat. I have also removed the four larger bolts 17mm and 19mm I think at the underside front and the two bolts under/at either lower side of the fuel tank. I have removed the six 17mm bolts at the rear, four topside and two underside. I have cut through as much of the welding as I can see but despite this I'm struggling to separate the body from the floorpan. Could there be some other hidden bolts I've yet to find? Any suggestions would be very welcome

[Angelo Amato]

done the bolts on top of the shock absorbers in the rear boot/trunk ?

Angelo

[Type1234]

Yes I got them, covered up with little canvas flaps

[Angelo Amato]

I've just been looking at my fasty build photos, I think you've got them all, they chassis/body joint has a real sticky mastic type seal, it may be just this holding it together.

try a trolley jack with a good bit of wood on top and jack up under somewhere like the rear engine mount hangers and see if you split the atom !

Angelo

[Type1234]

Thanks Angelo, That's exactly what I have done. I may not have split the atom but I can get the rear to separate a wee bit but it is still lifting the pan. I may try some heat tomorrow and if that doesn't work I may just leave the torch going and go for lunch.

[broady_6]

Hopefully you wont need heat. It will just be sticky glue as angelo says. I remember spending about 2 hours getting mine apart. It was just a car of slowly slowly and let the glue weaken as your work it back and forth. Good Luck!

[Type1234]

PA140111.JPG (153.12 KiB) Viewed 9262 times

PA140109.JPG (154.27 KiB) Viewed 9262 times

I will attach a few pics to show where I am with the body removal job. My biggest problem is the fact that the body is welded to the floorpan and it's not very obvious where the join is so me and the angle grinder are making a judgement and going for it.

PA140110.JPG (238.66 KiB) Viewed 9262 times

[Type1234]

PA210140.JPG (154.27 KiB) Viewed 9190 times

PA210139.JPG (183.74 KiB) Viewed 9190 times

PA210145.JPG (148.55 KiB) Viewed 9190 times

Finally managed to split the body from the floorpan. Now I can see the extent of the job in front of me.

[broady_6]

Fantastic news! How much work has it added to your list?

[Type1234]

Well, I know I will now need at least one sill maybe two. Definitely repair sections for the floorpan. These were the unknowns until today. I have put a post up in the "parts wanted" section looking for sills and floorpan sections. It was always going to be a big job and it just got a bit bigger but, I was kinda expecting that.

[broady_6]

The panels you are after are available from a few places, VWH sell them, sills are also available on ebay.de I would expect marrio at T3HQ has them.

[Angelo Amato]

Well done, never under estimate the resto on a Type 3 :P

[937carrera]

Random idea !

Alan Schofield make repair panels for Type 2, T25 and T4 as well as Beetle They make many of the parts that others sell.

Have a word with them about expanding the range to include type 3 panels.?????

[sparkywig]

Random idea !

Alan Schofield make repair panels for Type 2, T25 and T4 as well as Beetle They make many of the parts that others sell.

Have a word with them about expanding the range to include type 3 panels.?????

I spoke to them a couple of years ago. Not a big enough market to offset costs apparently.
And they don't make all their own panels.

[Type1234]

PA240141.JPG (198.9 KiB) Viewed 9107 times

PA240140.JPG (142.68 KiB) Viewed 9107 times

PA240134.JPG (157.06 KiB) Viewed 9107 times

Thanks again for the help. I have tried T3HQ and did a comparison with VW Heritage for the same parts and VWH were way cheaper. Here is where I'm at today. Now the real fun starts