Has anyone out there ever removed the body off of their beetle or super beetle?How hard is it.How long did it take?Did you need special tools?Did you need help?I am not a newbie but I have never been involved in this type of procedure.Any help would be great.Thanks.
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Lead with courage.HOOAH!
Removing the body
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Evil Oval
Removing the body
Removing the body is really easy and also the best way to restore a bug.
You will however need four friends to help lift it safely and clearly off the pan.
The first things to do that make it easier and less of a lift height are:
remove front seats, shifter, motor(optional)
Start by removing the gas tank(drained empty), unbolt the two bolts found under the tank. They hold the body to the beam. While you are there, unbolt the steering shaft from the steering box coupler. You will need to remove the rear tires as there are ,one on each side, body mounts inside the rear wheel wells behind the wheels. Now you can slide under your car and locate the pan bolts. Apporimately 9 per side as they follow the length of the car just beyond your running boards. At the front of the pan, just under your master cylinder area on both sides will be four more bolts (2 per side) undo these as well.
You can now go into the car, under the back seat you will find 6-8 more bolts into the pan. Depending on year, just keep looking for mounting bolts. Keeping in mind how it all went together, and unplugging and untangling wires that will interfere with your body removal. MAKE SURE YOU UNBOLT YOUR STEERING SHAFT! MAKE SURE ALL WIRES ARE UNDONE!
Now call your freinds over to help. With the bumpers (if not weak) or fenders, grab hold with two strong people at each end. ( front/rear)Lift straight up and walk the body to your ALREADY set up saw horses or other trustworthy body holder. I made a 4x4 wooden body craddle with caster wheels to move to and from anywhere. Bodyshop Loves this Idea!
It may help to pry body a little with very ample floor jack pursuation. just place jack under heater channel area and jack SLOWLY, keeping an eye for movement. You will know when it's free. DO NOT FORCE!! Check all mounts for COMPLETE Disassembly!
Double check everything and take your time. I have this process down to 25-30 mins with a show car, trying NOT to scratch it. It helps when the VW is not a rust bucket.
Good Luck and Happy Resto. http://hometown.aol.com/blown63baja/FASTBUGS.html
Darryl
You will however need four friends to help lift it safely and clearly off the pan.
The first things to do that make it easier and less of a lift height are:
remove front seats, shifter, motor(optional)
Start by removing the gas tank(drained empty), unbolt the two bolts found under the tank. They hold the body to the beam. While you are there, unbolt the steering shaft from the steering box coupler. You will need to remove the rear tires as there are ,one on each side, body mounts inside the rear wheel wells behind the wheels. Now you can slide under your car and locate the pan bolts. Apporimately 9 per side as they follow the length of the car just beyond your running boards. At the front of the pan, just under your master cylinder area on both sides will be four more bolts (2 per side) undo these as well.
You can now go into the car, under the back seat you will find 6-8 more bolts into the pan. Depending on year, just keep looking for mounting bolts. Keeping in mind how it all went together, and unplugging and untangling wires that will interfere with your body removal. MAKE SURE YOU UNBOLT YOUR STEERING SHAFT! MAKE SURE ALL WIRES ARE UNDONE!
Now call your freinds over to help. With the bumpers (if not weak) or fenders, grab hold with two strong people at each end. ( front/rear)Lift straight up and walk the body to your ALREADY set up saw horses or other trustworthy body holder. I made a 4x4 wooden body craddle with caster wheels to move to and from anywhere. Bodyshop Loves this Idea!
It may help to pry body a little with very ample floor jack pursuation. just place jack under heater channel area and jack SLOWLY, keeping an eye for movement. You will know when it's free. DO NOT FORCE!! Check all mounts for COMPLETE Disassembly!
Double check everything and take your time. I have this process down to 25-30 mins with a show car, trying NOT to scratch it. It helps when the VW is not a rust bucket.
Good Luck and Happy Resto. http://hometown.aol.com/blown63baja/FASTBUGS.html
Darryl
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Toms Bug
Removing the body
Hey Darryl
Thanks for the blow-by-blow on raising the VW body. Best summary I've seen yet. Checked out your page and enjoyed. Next time you have the 4X4 body rack unloaded, how about putting up a photo of the rack alone??
Tom in Pocatello
Thanks for the blow-by-blow on raising the VW body. Best summary I've seen yet. Checked out your page and enjoyed. Next time you have the 4X4 body rack unloaded, how about putting up a photo of the rack alone??
Tom in Pocatello
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rob_d
Removing the body
One problem, Super and standard body removal are similar to remove but not at all the same, I have done both, and if you have a super,start drinkin early. http://www.innewtown.com/Beetle/
there is a bit of info here.
there is a bit of info here.
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Tarnx
Removing the body
As I intend to do this shortly I approached my local Guru. I was concerned with putting the body back on, would it still align.
If the heater channels are gone repair them first before attempting to remove the body as they help hold the shape of the body. Leave the rear seat front support bar in the body to strengthen the middle of the body. If the doors are on the car keep them closed while lifting as they will help maintain the structures shape. Other than that it appears to be pretty straight foward. The pan is the hardest structural part to work on if the body is on it. You can replace all the brake lines in the tunnel gas lines, clutch tubes, heater cable tubes, floor pans or what ever with the body off. If would be so much easier with no body. After every thing was finished I would POR 15 every thing on the pan at least 2 coats so you won,t ever have to do it again.
With the body off it would also be a good time to reenforce the frame horns if you are running any kind of horse power or plan to in the future. See Muffler Mikes page.
If the heater channels are gone repair them first before attempting to remove the body as they help hold the shape of the body. Leave the rear seat front support bar in the body to strengthen the middle of the body. If the doors are on the car keep them closed while lifting as they will help maintain the structures shape. Other than that it appears to be pretty straight foward. The pan is the hardest structural part to work on if the body is on it. You can replace all the brake lines in the tunnel gas lines, clutch tubes, heater cable tubes, floor pans or what ever with the body off. If would be so much easier with no body. After every thing was finished I would POR 15 every thing on the pan at least 2 coats so you won,t ever have to do it again.
With the body off it would also be a good time to reenforce the frame horns if you are running any kind of horse power or plan to in the future. See Muffler Mikes page.
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frwent
- Posts: 51
- Joined: Tue Mar 06, 2001 12:01 am
Removing the body
Evil's description is very good, (I have done this also) but several additional items need to be addressed. You might be very careful about lifting the body by the bumpers, my bumper mounts needed replacement and I removed the bumpers first. Also if your heater channels are bad, you may be in danger of literally bending the roof because these heater channels are a major part of the car structure. If your channels are bad, I highly recommend welding several braces inside the door openings to prevent this in case your channels are almost completely gone. I had this problem. Also, to lighten up the body, you can remove the doors (get instructions for this!) and remove the glass. Be careful and have enough warm bodies to handle the weight and move slowly. Make sure all the bolts are out. Good luck!
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Bug Bite
Removing the body
You need to buy the "Bug me Video" volume 6-floorpan repair. they show you how you can remove the body by yourself. All you need to do is build two over-sized saw horses.