Front Clip Input

[louisb]

I am trying to figure out the best way to attack replacing the front clip on my '67. Mostly trying to think this through and get input on what is or is not a good way to tackle this project. The car has been tapped in the front and was repaired crudely. They also patched the lower inside wheel well areas and spare tire area rather poorly. I have a straight mostly rust free '67 front clip from the A pillars forward. It will need to have the lower inner wheel well sections patched but is otherwise good to go. So I figure I have several options:

1. Buy new front quarters and not worry about fixing any rust. This would give the most factory appearance but would cost the most.

2. Fix the rust on the spare front clip and graft it on as one piece. I like this idea, the best but it would still be a lot of work.

3. Cut the clip at the gas tank area and graft that to the original shell and patch the rust in the lower wheel wells. More welding, but less chance of it ending up being crooked.

Any thoughts on this process?

Thanks,

--louis

[Zach Gomulka]

You read my mind Louis!! We will be tackling the same problem on AssHulls car very soon, the spare tire well is HAGGARD! Looking forward to the responses

[Donny B.]

Gary Berg's blue car was clipped and from what I could tell and heard it was cut through the a piller about mid way between the top and bottom of the wind shield and through the rocker/heater channel.  It came out very well and was pretty much undetectable.

[Shubee2 (DSK)]

Hi Louis The Easiest way to Clip a Bug I have Done a Few I change the whole Front Clip Inclueding the Dash The Best way is to cut threw the windshield about 4 inches up from the heater vent and hacksaw threw the Original Weld where the door sill is welded to the door post. this way the only welds that need finished are the windshield posts not much welding or work this way. I had a 63 Hardtop that the roof looked like it was used as a Dance Floor My friend that lived down the street had a 62 Ragtop but He Crashed it in the Front (needed a Clip) but he wanted to keep the rolling chassie so I got the Body from him on a friday I cut the wrecked part off like you would for a Baja then Pulled the Body Put it on My Pan Friday Night got up Saturday morning I cut the front clip off the Ragtop Body then cut the clip off the Hard Top had the Clip fitted in about an hour welded it up finished the windshield post put in the windshield and front fenders off my hardtop and was cruising around with the sunroof open by 5:00 saturday afternoon. the best way to go about this is cut three pieces of 1x2 and fit the into the windshield openingone in the middle and one on each side it helps when fitting the new front clip leave at least a 1/2 inch extra when you cut the clip off that is enough to still fit under the two roof post and then you use the 3 1x2's and you trim the post till you get a good fit also leave the 1x2's in when welding because when welding it  wants to draw the two parts together then you can end up with the winshield being hard to get in and the door gaps being tight. hope this helps Shubee.

[louisb]

Thanks for the input. I guess I should mention that I only want to use the whole quarters and the spare tire area of the spare front clip. There is some rust in the hinge area and the section that forms the floor of the trunk. (Not sure what that area is called.) Guess I could look around for a better front clip. (Or a better shell.)

Thanks,

--louis

[Jon]

I would go for solution number 3. Since it has the least influence on the car safety wise, and you have a much less chance of messing up the door gaps.
If you go with solution 2 do a Z cut in the pilars, with more than 4 inch "overlap"

[louisb]

I don't think I will be cutting the door pillars. I just want to use the front quarters and the wheel well area. Guess I was not too clear in my original post. Sorry about that.

--louis

[Zach Gomulka]

Hmmm...

[danny gabbard]

If the doors still fit or door door gaps are still nice, I like to unfold rain gutter seam in front of door and start drilling spot welds and pull the clip from there. repair is less traceable and clean up is alot less. but a little more time . body shops dont clip cars any more because you cant weld all the inner peices of metal in piller, what that means if the car gets hit in front it won't absorb the hit and could break in the welded repair and cause injury yo passinger. plus if car has not been pulled back to the right length alighnment will be a problem,

[Neil Davies]

I wouldn't want to let a clip in throught the windscreen posts. I'd treat it like a chop-top car and insist on a full cage, as the posts would be the weak spot.

What Danny said is how I'm going to do my '51. I've got a '58 front end to go on it, and the basic plan is seperating off the scuttle with a grinder, drill the spotweld out of the quarters and dash down to the bulkhead and heater channels, and unpick the A-post gutters, let the whole front end in in one go. The '51 will keep it's channels, doorposts and dash panel down to the top of the bulkhead, and the '58 quarters will be held together by the bulkhead, fuel tank supports and wheel well, and will be aligned by the A-posts, beam and bonnet. I'm even going to build it up on the original pan and beam to make sure it stays in the same place. Once that's all done I can replace the heater channels as normal.

Hope that makes sense!
 

[louisb]

Thanks Neil & Danny,

That is pretty much what I had in mind.

--louis

[Germanlkmanx]

http://www.volkszone.co.uk//VZi/showthread.php?t=223478&page=38

I did mine panel by panel.

I used an old repro (but very good) O/S quarter, VWof Mexico N/S quarter, NOS wheel well modified to look like a '62, made my own tank supports to be 'correct' and front panel I'll be using one from Autocraft in Coventry.

Plug welded the lot together.

tom.

[Zach Gomulka]

If the doors still fit or door door gaps are still nice, I like to unfold rain gutter seam in front of door and start drilling spot welds and pull the clip from there. repair is less traceable and clean up is alot less. but a little more time . body shops dont clip cars any more because you cant weld all the inner peices of metal in piller, what that means if the car gets hit in front it won't absorb the hit and could break in the welded repair and cause injury yo passinger. plus if car has not been pulled back to the right length alighnment will be a problem,

The more I look at AssHull's '67, the more I want to fix it this way Both quarter panels have damage almost all the way up to the doors, the spare tire well is hammered, and it looks like the front quarters have actually been pinched together a bit when the accident occured

Any other helpful tips, Danny?? What is the best way to unfold the rain gutter without damaging it?

[Jon]

Any other helpful tips, Danny?? What is the best way to unfold the rain gutter without damaging it?

What I am using on mine is a special tool made by VW germany, it both opens and closes the gutters.

[Neil Davies]

Any other helpful tips, Danny?? What is the best way to unfold the rain gutter without damaging it?

What I am using on mine is a special tool made by VW germany, it both opens and closes the gutters.

Jon, have you got any pictures of this tool, or a VW part number? I'm going to need this!

[Jon]

I have seen it at my friends garage, I will let you know when I get over there to pick it up....

[Neil Davies]

Cool, thanks very much!