V8 Super Beetle Project

[V8 Super Beetle]

Some more body work...

I pretty much have the driver's side rear fender done. Now I just need to remove it and smoothen the edges, but the hard work is over.










Just a little more work and I'll be ready for some high build primer. I'll have to have me a sanding get together and invite my buddy's over to sand down the body to get rid of the 40 grit marks.

[Mock1racer]

lookin good.

[V8 Super Beetle]

Thanks! It's getting there little by little.

[Mock1racer]

About how mine is goin, slowly but surely.

[V8 Super Beetle]

I've been working on mine for a little over a year now. Dang, time flies. I thought I would have this thing done by now, but when I first got into the project I didn't realize just how much more I would end up spending than I originally thought.

[V8 Super Beetle]

Well, I had a few hours to work on the bug this weekend. I removed the driver's side fender, cleaned up the edge that was molded to the car and primed it. I spent what spare time I had to go over to my brother's on the other side of town to get his MIG welder. It's got wire and is ready to go except I need to refill the shielding gas bottle. Next step is to shave the bumper holes on the fenders and to shave the hood latch.

Pics to come...

[V8 Super Beetle]

Shaved the bumpers this weekend, but still more to do.

Tack welded in filler strips. So much easier with a mig.




Then I ground the tacks down flush.




Filled with bondo and block sanded with 40 grit until flush.













I didn't get a chance to finish the rear passenger fender cause my bro showed up ready to drink some beer and play the wii. Sometimes free time is hard to find...but was fun nonetheless. Still have to finish that one fender and remove a couple of them so I can block sand the seam edge flush.

[Mock1racer]

Hey Matt , that turned out real good! what did you cut the fenders off with after the bondo dried, cuttin disc or a razor or what? I think i'll do mine that way, it does make it easier to work on the suspention system. i'm finding that out now that i'm working on those areas.

[V8 Super Beetle]

Thanks! I didn't have to use anything to cut the fenders off. I thought for sure I would have had to use a cutting wheel or something, but once I unbolted the fenders the bond cracked right where they meet the body. I slowly worked them off and they came off nicely. I should have took pictures, but I guess cause the bondo wasn't too thick where it met the body it just crack right against the edge. There were a couple small spots where where it stuck good I had to add a little filler to get the edge flush after removal.

I hope this helps. To me it sure beats paying $320 for some fiberglass fenders and in the end you can say, "Yeah, I widened them". I think I paid $10 for 22 gauge sheet metal and $20 for a gallon of bondo, most of which was sanded off. The straighter / smoother you get the fenders before body filler the better. I think since you're using the earlier style fenders it'll be easier.

I don't know if you've seen this link, but it'll probably be more useful to you cause you have the earlier fenders without the big taillight holes.

carmensbugs.proboards102.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=39

[Mock1racer]

Yeah, i saw that. the fronts i have for the front are perfect, i don't have any back fenders yet.
I thought about using fronts to make a piar of backs, think that would work?

[V8 Super Beetle]

Using front fenders for back fenders will work, think standard beetle fenders, but it just depends on if it's the look you want.

[Mock1racer]

hey Matt, do you still want the sheetmetal to fix these areas?

I dont know how you want it cut, so let me know.

[Mock1racer]

Another thought too, why not just cut the bad out and put some fresh metal back in. Might be easier than tryin to splice a formed piece.

[V8 Super Beetle]

Yeah, I still need them. My only problem would be getting the curve area just right where it has that roof line crease. The section behind the the moon shape vent wouldn't be too much of a problem but I don't have the tools needed to make that compound curve of the roof line. You know what I mean?

[hellraiser]

just find a donor and cut just the pieces u need, then they will be pre formed