VW TYPE 3 & 4 CLUB FORUM

Bought a 73 fastback and I am starting to plan and purchase parts for a complete rebuild (interior, floor pan and paint).

I've done some bit of bondo before and sanding to metal and other prep in my day, but this one has some sheet metal rustouts. I am picking up a fender or two on some to reduce down some of the body work to be done BUT I have the dreaded cancer in the trunk on left and right (which I think people call the wings). Literally a hole there with previous ineffective attempts to repair. This is around the gas tube area.

Question: I am thinking about buying a small stick welder and start the learning process of doing sheet metal repair. Online I can't seem to find any replacement sheetmetal being sold for this area of the car (you see floorpans and even lower parts of fenders etc).... Has there been anybody out there who has experience in doing this? Do I need to search junkyards to cut out of a junk or do people create their own?

Thanks in advance,
Stuart

Hi Stuart,

Nothing available new off the shelf for that area I'm afraid. From your terminology, I'm guessing you're in the US, in which case you have a much better chance of picking up a rust free used section than we would here in the UK.

There's a couple guys who advertise such sections in the classifieds on samba, http://www.thesamba.com or failing that, its fairly flat - so not too difficult to fabricate from sheet.

I would rethink the stick welder... Its not easy to get a good result and they are too powerful for vehicle bodywork.
A MIG welder is more suitable, a small fan cooled machine would do the job brilliantly and is much easier to learn and get good results quickly.

All the best with your project.

Mike

That's ACE!! Thanks a lot Mike.... It is such an aggro to gen up.... and I might have been arse over elbows and had to buy it rust and all.... I hope it doesn't cost a bomb...

That is great advice... I was just searching for which type of welding outfit to get for the job but I am sure it is mostly horses for courses yet I've praying not to make it all wonky...

sorry to be so cheeky but totally American.

Best of Britain to you and Cheerio,

Stuart

(btw that was totally fun to write)

Yes... on "thesamba.com" I was able to find them rust free doing a search for "metal" under the type3 parts section. This gives me a good place to start.

Thanks again Mike

Stuart

No problem Stuart.
I bought some rust free sill sections off there from a guy called Joel (Boo-Koo-Z) and had them imported in a friends car.
He was very helpful (cut them down exactly as I asked to reduce the shipping cost and did a great packaging job) and the parts were excellent - I would recommend him if he has the sections you need.

Mike