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For some reason, my wife, who took these photos, objects to this arrangement. Does anyone have a step by step list of what I need to do to remove the body from the Duchess?
Thanks!
Jim
Jim,
This might be worth a phone call. It’s a lot to write.
If that’s ok with you, send me a private message with your phone number. Maybe we can get together that way.
Paul Mossberg
Former Owner of a 1981 Classic Roadsters Ltd. Duchess (VW)
2005 Intermeccanica RoadsterIf you own a TDr and are not in the Registry, please go to https://tdreplica.com/forums/topic/mg-td-replica-registry/ and register (you need to copy and paste the link)
Jim, I probably should wait for Paul to answer your question but I’ll list some general stuff that will apply to all VW based cars.
Disconnect and remove the battery.
Disconnect the gas line from the tank and remove the tank,
Disconnect any wires from the engine that are attached to the body
Disconnect the steering column from the steering box
If the rod from the brake pedal to the master cyl goes thru a hole in the firewall ,remove it.
Remove the carpet from the floor.
THERE IS A WHOLE BUNCH OF BOLTS ARROUND THE ENTIRE OUTER EDGE OF THE FLOOR, REMOVE ALL OF THEM.
Remove the front body mounts near the grille
Look carefully for anything that may still be connecting the body to the chassis
There are mounts at the rear of the body in the area of the rear suspension
This will give you something to at least start doing.
OOPS!!! I type so slow that Paul had already answered befor I got thru.
Always follow his advice before mine.He has been there and done that ,I’m still learning.
Thanks Larry – sounds like this might take a while. I sent Paul a PM and will see what he suggests. I have a lot to learn. I had a Beetle years ago, but went deer hunting with it. The deer won.
Wow! I wonder if the last person to drive it did so with that hole. If they had made the hole big enough for both feet it would have doubled the stopping power.
Been a long time since I’ve done VW pans. You should get a lot of great info from this gang. Good Luck.
We are actually looking forward to the “adventure”. I plan to take photos as we go along, and document our learning experience. My wife is almost as psyched about this as I am.
If you need some advice send me a message I redid my migi pan last winter. We did a complete body off restoration. there are some pics of the before and after pan in my gallery and i have tons more i could send you.
Will
Thanks Will – I may take you up on that. I had already looked at the beautiful job you did with the pan replacement. In fact, that is what helped give me the confidence to tackle this job.
Jim. I saw your post about the JC Whitney pans on the other thread. One thing is certain . They will be a big improvement over the floor you have now.. You probably will not be driving your car in the adverse conditions that caused the originals to rust.Hope they turn out ok.
You’re right about that! At this point, a sheet of tin foil would be an improvement. I will miss the cool breeze, though!
Now that’s funny.
Paul Mossberg
Former Owner of a 1981 Classic Roadsters Ltd. Duchess (VW)
2005 Intermeccanica RoadsterIf you own a TDr and are not in the Registry, please go to https://tdreplica.com/forums/topic/mg-td-replica-registry/ and register (you need to copy and paste the link)
You could go all TD-righteous and put in some 3/4-inch marine plywood. I’m not recommending this.
Since we are guessing that this is one of the early Classic Roadsters kits (manufactured in 1979, serial #0064) maybe there are some differences in this kit than later ones?
I am taking my first good look at removing the body. Inside, there are a lot of rivets, not just holding the pieces of the body together, but a number of rivets holding the body to the frame. Under the hood, the strap that holds down the gas tank is riveted to the hump. The main body under the hood and in the passenger compartment is riveted to the hump and cross pieces of the frame. Are the other kits like this, or am I just lucky? It looks like there will be a lot of drilling before the body is ready to come off. I was thinking these were primarily bolted onto the frame.
Jim
Hi Jim,
A lot of this is Duchess specific. I think I mentioned when we spoke over the weekend that the body was bolted and riveted to the frame.
Paul Mossberg
Former Owner of a 1981 Classic Roadsters Ltd. Duchess (VW)
2005 Intermeccanica RoadsterIf you own a TDr and are not in the Registry, please go to https://tdreplica.com/forums/topic/mg-td-replica-registry/ and register (you need to copy and paste the link)
Yep, I remember the rivets but was thinking it was primarily to the other body sections. Do most folks put rivets back in during re-assembly, or replace with sheet metal screws?
I am not familiar with the VW pans or replacement, so I am probably speaking out of my league here, but I had a Pontiac where the floor pans had rusted out. I removed the interior, used duct tape and cardboard to bridge the rotten out sections and holes and then fiberglassed the entire thing as one piece until it was about a 3/16th of an inch thick (over several nights of laying up the glass and resin). I had used the in-place metal pan and cardboard as a mold for the new fiberglass tub. From under the car I peeled off the cardboard after the resin had cured and put in new carpeting. That was in 1978, I still have that car with a never-to-rust floor pans still in place. Eventually more of the old metal pan under the fiberglass disappeared as it rusted away over the years, but the fiberglass has held beautifully and firmly. Back then the cost was about 50 bucks for a couple gallons of resin and a roll of fiberglass cloth. It may be cheaper and easier to replace the VW pans than to fiberglass, I really don’t know. I thought I would just mention it as a possible option and that it sure worked for me, but it may not be the right thing to do for the VW pans. Just a thought.
JamesJames,
I can see your approach working on a unibody car.
But we lose a lot of strength when we take the Beetle body off the pan and replace it with fiberglass body panels.
Because of that, I strongly recommend welding in replacement steel panels.
Paul Mossberg
Former Owner of a 1981 Classic Roadsters Ltd. Duchess (VW)
2005 Intermeccanica RoadsterIf you own a TDr and are not in the Registry, please go to https://tdreplica.com/forums/topic/mg-td-replica-registry/ and register (you need to copy and paste the link)
Paul,
That makes sense. I am not familiar with the construction of the VW Beetle. I do know they are awesome, fun and durable.
Serioulsy, don’t use VW replacement parts from JC Whitney. You will end up with junk that is made in China.
I suggest you join the forum on http://www.thesamba.com (it’s free) and ask about floor pan replacement there. I believe that Wolfsburg West has the thickest and highest quality VW floor pans available. They cost a little more, but this job is huge and well worth doing it only once with quality parts. It’s practically the foundation of your whole car.
I’ve joined a local VW club, Central Jersey Volkswagen Society. The knowledge base there is incredible. Most of the SAMBA forum posters are very knowledgeable too. For anything related to the VW part of your TD, this is the place to get the best information.
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