A good view from the side as the floorpan replacement continues. The driver's side floorpan has now been bolted to the heater channel. Don't forget to seal it good! There are gaskets and sealers available. The next photos I post should show it welded in. :)

Posted by Jim W Coleman at 4:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Here is a view down the tunnel with both floorpans in place - the one on the right has already been welded, sealed and painted - the one on the left is just sitting in place as I'm making small adjustments to make sure the bolt holes line up.

Posted by Jim W Coleman at 4:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

From underneath the 1974 VW Beetle, you can see the driver's side floorpan that has been welded in already. Today, I'm putting in the passenger-side pan.

Posted by Jim W Coleman at 3:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Once your floorpan is welded in, it's important to seal it to protect it from moisture and road debris. Here, the floorpan has been coated with POR-15 and I'm applied seam-sealer all around the lip. It's also very important to seal the bottom as well. (Hint - wear gloves when working with POR-15. I didn't, and had that stuff on my hands for a week and a half. It does NOT come off.)

Posted by Jim W Coleman at 7:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Finally! At long last, I am flying solo, welding my floorpan into the 1974 VW Beetle.

Posted by Jim W Coleman at 7:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I delayed this project for two years because I was afraid to weld, thinking I would ruin the floorpans. So they sat in the house for two years until I was ready to tackle the job. Welding is not rocket science, but it does pay to do it right and practice a lot with scrap metal. If you have never welded, it helps to find a buddy to help. Here, Scott Hitch works with me, demonstrating the finer points of surface preparation and welding.

Posted by Jim W Coleman at 7:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In the last photo I stressed the importance of clean metal-to-metal contact. Another part of that is making sure your floorpan is properly fitted. Don't be afraid to bang on it, because that's what it may take to make sure it is snug and ready to weld.

Posted by Jim W Coleman at 7:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's critical that you have only clean, metal-to-metal mating surfaces where the floorpan will be welded. What you are seeing in this photo is not correct - I had to remove the pan and grind the paint from the TOP of the floorpan edges as well. The cleaner the bare metal, the better. You don't want paint or other foreign matter to get sucked into your weld.

Posted by Jim W Coleman at 7:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The hardest part of doing a body-on VW Beetle floorpan replacement is actually getting the floorpan into place. There is a certain over-under element to it as the pan rests on top of the tunnel lip, but bolts underneath the heater channels. It took some trial and error but with patience and a bit of trimming, it will eventually fit nicely.

Posted by Jim W Coleman at 7:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Your new floorpan won't just "fit" in your Volkswagen Beetle - you will have to trim parts of it off and prepare the metal. Here, the floorpan sits awaiting the next step. Notice that the paint has been removed from the metal all the way around.

Posted by Jim W Coleman at 7:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)