Читать книгу How To Restore Your Volkswagen Beetle - Eric LeClair - Страница 10

CHAPTER 3

LET’S ROLL—RESTORATION FIRST STEPS

There’s a whole lot of work ahead to restore a vintage vehicle back to factory condition or better. Before we get started, there are a couple items to address. Then, we will jump into disassembly.

Safety First

Some of the tools, equipment, and processes you’ll use during this restoration project can be dangerous if you don’t follow reasonable safety recommendations. Goggles, gloves, and good face masks are a must. Get a good pair of safety glasses and wear them like your vision depends on it. You’ll also want to use hearing protection when operating noisy equipment.

Some additional safety measures you’ll want to put in place before you get going include:

Here you see a 53-year-old Beetle that has seen better days and is starting to show its wear. A shiny set of rims does not make a restoration complete.

Fire extinguisher(s): Fire extinguishers should be charged and stored where you can access them easily. Get carbon dioxide models if possible because they won’t damage your engine or paint like a standard fire extinguisher would.

Floor jacks and jack stands: Place floor jacks and jack stands properly on a solid, level surface or metal substrate. Never crawl under a car that’s only supported by a jack; it’s dangerous because it can tip and drop your car on you. It’s the same concept as using cinder blocks; they tend to crumble under the weight of a car. The safest way to work under your car is to use your floor jack to lift it and then use jack stands to stabilize it.

Wheel chocks: Wheel chock both sides of the wheel on the floor to keep your car from rolling away. Chocks can be purchased at local automotive supply stores.

Good ventilation: You’ll be using some processes and chemicals that create fumes and dust that you don’t want to breathe. It is important to protect your lungs with proper ventilation and use of a face mask or respirator.

Here you’ll find a basic set of safety equipment for working around automobiles. Be sure to get a quality jack, a set of wheel stands, and a chock. They are invaluable. Gloves, hearing protection, and eye protection are a must while working in the shop.

Safety Habits

Now is also the best time to start building good safety habits, both for you and your project car. One habit to have is to keep your shop and workspace clean. Put your tools away every time you finish for the day, and sweep up after each work session. When you have a storage space for each item and put each item in its space, you won’t waste time searching for tools. You’ll also prevent tripping, dropping tools and other objects on your car, and being injured by objects falling on your head as you work.

Another habit to develop is to unplug tools that are not in use. Some of the equipment you’ll be using can generate some serious heat, and you don’t want to leave them unattended. This is common sense but needs to be said. The last sight you want to see is your garage and Beetle engulfed in flames because you left some piece of equipment on and smoldering to the point where it ignites.

It is important to wear your personal safety equipment every single time. Nothing hurts quite like getting metal fragments in your eye. Protect any body part you’d like to keep functioning properly. Don’t forget about guarding your lungs, ears, and eyes as well.

Finally, read, understand, and follow all safety instructions and manufacturer guidelines that accompany your equipment.

BYOBC: Build Your Own Body Cart

Before you start your Beetle restoration, let’s build a body cart so you can move your car around easily even after the wheels come off. The easiest dolly you can make uses pallets and caster wheels so it can roll in any direction. If you’re into heavy metal, you can get some welding practice in by building a metal body cart instead. We’ll walk you through both processes.

Wood Body Cart

For a wood body cart, you’ll need:

• A Beetle-sized pallet that’s in good condition (Note: If you can’t find one, you could make your own by constructing a frame and adding supports across the top.)

• Four large metal caster wheels, 250-pound rating minimum

• Bolts, washers, and nuts

Bolt the wheels to each corner of the pallet, about 5 inches from the edges. Be sure to test your cart before using it. Beetles can be deceptively heavy, and you probably don’t want to drop one on your foot.

Steel Body Cart

Wood is easier and less expensive to use for your cart; just a quick trip to a home-improvement store will get you all the materials you need. However, wood is not nearly as strong as steel, and because the entire weight of your Beetle’s body will rest on the cart, stronger is better. A steel body cart will hold up better than wood and is the best choice if you plan to undertake more than one restoration project.

For a steel body cart, you’ll need:

• Four large metal caster wheels, 250-pound rating minimum

• Assorted tubing or angle iron

• 1/4-inch steel plate

• Welder

• Grinder with cutoff wheel, or a pneumatic cutoff wheel

• Drill and bits

When creating the cart, first determine the size of it. Once the measurements are in hand, cut the tubing pieces. Cut sections of steel plating to create the four mounting plates. The legs to hold the car up will needed to be cut to size here as well. Make sure they’re all cut to the same size so the car sits balanced atop them.

Once the pieces are cut, use a drill press to create the holes to mount the plates onto the body. Next, the legs are welded to the casters vertically. The supports can then be welded to the legs and casters. Lastly, we’ll weld the body plates to the body.

Creating a Steel Body Cart

1 Measure your Bug from front to back and side to side for the attachment points of the pan to the body. You can use the measurements we’ll provide, but taking them yourself will give peace of mind. You never know what kinds of damage your Beetle may have sustained to take it out of square.

2 Cut the tubing or angle iron to the proper size for the cart. We recommend cutting three pieces at 48 inches long and one piece at 42 inches long to form a trapezoid. The front width of the Beetle mounting points are slightly narrower than the rear.

3 Cut four wheel supports from 1/4-inch steel tubing at 12×2. Then cut 1/4- to 3/8-inch plate steel into four 3×3-inch square mounting plates. These do not have to be perfect. You can use a Sawzall, a right-angle grinder with cutting disks, or a band saw (shown). Remember to wear eye protection.

4 Use a 3/8- or 1/2-inch drill bit and drill two holes 7-7/8 inches on center to each wheel support. We prefer using a drill press to keep the bit from moving as we drill, but you can use an electric drill if you don’t have a drill press.

5 Line up the casters and mounting plates, mark where to drill holes, then drill four holes to fit the bolts. Bolt or weld the four plates to the casters.

6 Determine the height that will be comfortable for you to work on; you want to be able to work without straining. We suggest cutting legs to be 4 to 8 inches if you’re from 5 foot, 8 inches to 6 foot, 4 inches tall. Cut four legs to your desired height out of 1/4-inch steel tubing.

7 Weld the legs to the casters vertically. Here we’re using a MIG welder with an 0.032 wire at a fairly slow speed. Make sure you’ve got good penetration so your welds don’t fail when you roll the loaded cart around.

8 Weld horizontal supports to the legs and casters following the same process as in the prior step. Be sure to work safe. It doesn’t need to be a perfect weld, but it is a great opportunity to practice your welding skills.

9 Weld the body plates in place to bolt to the body, again using the same process as above. Front to rear, your uprights will measure 37.5 inches front to back, 43.75 inches on center on the rear, and 40 inches on center on the front of the post. Double-check your bolts to make sure they line up with the attachment points on your Beetle body.

Body Cart Safety

A couple of safety notes about your body cart:

Never crawl under a car body while it’s up on the dolly.

Don’t roll your homemade body cart around more than needed. ■

Yikes! That’s a Lot of Dirt

Now that you’re sold on safety and you’ve got your handy-dandy body cart, it’s time to roll up your sleeves. It’s a good idea to give your car a good, thorough wash before you start. This is especially true if you bought your project car from a junkyard or if it has been stored for a long time. Spiders, wasps, and rodents adore classic cars, and some may have called your vehicle home for a while. It’s better to find this out with the end of a water hose than with your hands or face while you’re working.

Use a good degreaser and a scrub brush to loosen accumulated debris. Your shop vacuum will come in handy for clearing critters and cobwebs from the interior. Brace yourself and take photos before you go any further.

If you are doing a complete restoration, the next step is taking your Beetle apart, piece by piece. This stage is where all its past sins are revealed. If nothing else, during cleanup you’ll gain a bit of compassion for that poor old Beetle and the fact that nobody before you bothered to treat it right.

Disassembly

The information in this book is based on a 1968 Euro Beetle project car. Your Beetle will most likely have small differences, even if it is a 1968. But you should be able to spot the differences as you work, and while you may have an extra bolt or screw to deal with, the process is the same.

First, a tip that will save your sanity: your camera is your friend. We always think we’ll remember what we see until it’s time to put parts back together. You can’t possibly take too many pictures. Take pictures from multiple angles and distances so you have a visual reference of all the parts and systems you’re about to disassemble. Also, take pictures before and after you disassemble each component. You’ll thank yourself when it’s time to reassemble.

The more organized and systematic you are during the disassembly, the less aggravation you’ll have later. Clearly tag and bag each component as you go to avoid the headaches that come from misplacing parts. Grab a few permanent markers, a couple of boxes of plastic bags with slider seals, and large moving boxes. The name of the game is keeping components together even if they’re no longer usable. Make notes on the bags to help keep track of what you have and what you need.

Old Battery, Fuel, and Oil

Before you start disassembling your Beetle, be sure to disconnect and remove the battery if your car still has one. Dispose of the battery properly according to your local requirements.

A Beetle Is a Beetle Except When …

One reason we love Beetles is their brutally efficient German engineering. That efficiency showed up in all its glory on the assembly line. Beetles vary from year to year and from Standards to Supers, but there are also differences within a single year’s production line. In some cases, the factory ran out of a specific part. In other cases, the engineers came up with mid-year modifications. The long and short of it is, you never know exactly what you’ll find in your Beetle’s construction.

If your car has been restored, repaired, or modified before, you may discover even more mysterious pieces and parts as you work. Some of these surprises will leave you shaking your head, wondering what on earth a prior owner was thinking. Finding cement, newspapers, zip ties, and other interesting body repair tactics is not uncommon. ■

Include Dates

As you tag, bag, and take photos throughout the disassembly process, note the current date on each bag. It will be easier to search through your photo record to find specific photos as you need them. ■

Next, turn your attention to any fuel still in your Beetle’s tank and drain it into an approved container. There are three ways to drain fuel: crawl under your car, cut the gas line, and drain; run a flexible fuel extension line from the engine on the driver’s side and drain; or unbolt the tank and lift it a bit, then clamp and cut the line. Remember, fuel is heavy and dangerous.

Drain your oil too. Pull the drain plug, which is a large bolt in the middle of the oil strainer. The more thoroughly you let your oil drain out, the less messy the next steps will be.

Engine

Whether you plan to rebuild or replace your engine, it’s a good idea to remove it before disassembling the rest of the car. It’s a lot lighter without the engine, and you’ll have better access to the engine compartment.

It’s important to clean your engine before removing it. A clean(ish) engine is less likely to slip or cause your tools to slip, and you’ll be able to see what you’re doing better. You can steam clean it, use a spray degreaser (it’s best if you can do this at a commercial car wash because it will make a mess on your garage floor), or even use a blasting solvent.

If you plan to rebuild the engine, be sure to cover the carburetor, coil, and distributor with aluminum foil or plastic bags before you clean it. You don’t want those parts to get wet. Always follow all manufacturer’s instructions, whichever process you choose.

A dirty, greasy engine is hard to remove because it’s slippery. Whether you steam clean, use spray degreaser, or use a blasting solvent, be sure to read and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

Now that your engine is clean, get your floor jacks, jack stands, some plywood, zippered bags and other containers, and your marker and camera ready. If at all possible, remove the engine on a hard-paved surface. If that’s not possible, get a second sheet of plywood for the floor so your surface is clean and even. Make sure to photograph, tag, and bag each component.

Removing the Engine

1 Ensure that your jack stands are under solid framework. Soft metal can fail, so it’s imperative that you have the car securely in place.

2 Disconnect the air filter hose and any other cables connected to the air filter inlet. Unscrew the air filter housing base clamp and remove the air filter. Keep it upright to prevent any remaining oil from spilling out.

3 Remove the heater choke element, throttle cable, and idle cutoff switch (if you have one), then remove the carburetor. The carburetor is held on the intake manifold by two 13-mm nuts holding the studs.

4 The stock fuel line comes in from the gas tank through a series of soft and hard lines. The intake is on the fuel pump. The output is also on the fuel pump and goes out to the carburetor. For safety, make sure all fuel is drained before you perform this step.

5 In order to remove the engine, the rear engine tin must first be removed. Depending on the year and model, it may be held on by four or six cheese-head screws.

6 When removing the control functions of your engine, keep in mind that there are cables, fuel lines, and electrical connections to remove. Take care so the wires don’t snag.

7 Reach around the carburetors and find two 17-mm nuts that serve as the upper mounting points for the upper transmission to engine bolts. Remove these bolts.

8 After the engine is free of the car, double-check to make sure all wires, hoses, and cables are disconnected. If not, you will have a hard time completing the engine removal.

Place wheel chocks under the front wheels on both sides of the wheels. Jack up the rear of the car by about 3 feet. Place the car on jack stands. Label all wires and hoses on the engine prior to removal. Take pictures too.

Engine removal begins obviously at the rear of the car. At this point, the hood can be removed for clear access. Starting from the top down, we’ll be removing attached items to the engine.

Remove the choke heating element and the wires that control the fuel cutoff. Then, remove the throttle cable and fuel line, and finally, the front engine tin hoses. Remove the carburetor. Under the distributor you will see the oil-pressure unit. Disconnect all the electrical wires connected to it. Also remove the wires on the coil. The generator has three wires that are usually attached with slip-on connectors. Remove them.

If your Beetle has an alternator, detach the multiple wire connector and voltage regulator. If your Beetle is post-1972, remove the fuel injection system wiring, which is in a harness. You can trace its path around the engine, disconnecting as you go. Remove the fuel line.

Go to the back of the engine to remove the rear engine cover plate. Depending on the year of your car, it may be a matter of removing four screws or removing hoses and gaskets. Find the intake manifold. There are two heater tubes with covers that are attached by four bolts each. Remove the eight bolts, and you’ll be able to unscrew the rear engine cover plate and remove it.

Maneuver the jack just in front of the transaxle, not directly under the engine. Find the heater control valves along the front and sides of your engine. Release their cables from their connectors by removing the bolt. A cylinder will come loose as you remove the cables. You may need to use penetrating oil and two wrenches to do this step.

The bellhousing nuts are next. Important: Look for upper bolts and make sure they’re still in place. Then, find the two 17-mm hex nuts threaded onto studs that go into the transaxle. The nuts and washers are on the bellhousing’s bottom corners. Remove them.

This is not applicable to a 1968 Beetle, but if your Beetle has an auto-stick, disconnect its lines. One goes to the automatic transmission fluid tank, and the other goes to the oil pump. Transmission fluid may gush out as you remove that line.

Slide the engine toward the rear of the car while it’s on the floor. Jack it up enough to clear the transaxle mainshaft. Put your plywood on top of the jack saddle, then maneuver the jack so the plywood is under the engine. Remove the bolts and nuts that connect the upper engine to the transaxle. Lower your engine. If possible, get a buddy to help you keep an eye on the engine compartment to make sure you don’t have any remain ing connections, hoses, or wires that will get snagged along the way.

Removing Wires

If you’ll be rebuilding your engine, avoid pulling wires as you work. Instead, pull connectors in order to keep more of the wiring intact. This will make the rebuilding process easier (and less mysterious because you’ll be able to see what goes where better). ■

Body Panels

Disassembling the body panels can be fairly straightforward. If some of the components are rusted into place, it’s wise to have a can of WD-40 near you. You’ll need to remove the doors and lids that attach to the main body of the Beetle. This includes the doors themselves, the hinges and connectors, and the glass windows.

All Beetles came with door panels, door handles, and working glass. Door panels were made of thin cardboard and held in place by small metal upholstery clips. Your first task is to determine if the panel is salvageable or if it needs to be replaced. Remove the panel and examine its condition.

Your door is made up of the materials attaching it to the body and the components inside of it used for the window. If your project is missing some of these components, take note of what is missing.

It’s best to work on the doors and mechanisms while they’re still on the car and supported by the door hinges. You’ll have an easier time with this step with them in place. Label the door shells “driver” and “passenger.” In this section, we’ll remove the door windows, including the wing window and the one you roll up and down, the winder mechanism, tracks, latch assemblies, and rubber door seals. The specific configuration differs by year, so your car may be a little different, but the following is the general process.

Typically, the door latch mechanism is attached to the door shell with two or three bolts. Unbolt the mechanism, tag them, and store them in a zippered bag.

The Beetle door shell should be stripped of its door cards, windows, latches, and seals. By dismantling the door while it’s still on its hinges, you will be able to hold the door steady enough to work. Some of the screws and bolts you will need to remove are not easily visible and may be covered by the weatherstripping. The attachments for the quarter window include one bolt or screw right in the track; the other one is directly down from that point.

Remove the window that rolls up and down by rolling it all the way down, removing the glass from the track mechanism, and then stripping the window seals and chrome trim. Make sure to save the original interior scraper clips because the aftermarket ones are junk.

Remove the wing or quarter window. You’ll see a small screw or bolt right inside the track for the quarter window. Remove it. Go straight down from that screw point and you’ll find another bolt or two in the door shell. Remove them. Slide the window toward the back of the door and maneuver the quarter window out. Be sure to put all nuts and bolts either back into their original holes or tag and bag them.

Overall, it’s easier to disassemble the components and assemblies within the door shell while the door is still on the car. However, it can be done with the door removed from the car as well.

There are several variations among strike plate mechanisms. Some have three flat-head screws; some have four. Some have three or four Phillips-head screws. No matter what your configuration, be sure to bag and tag whatever you remove.

Here is a Beetle door shell stripped of its door cards, windows, latches, and seals. By dismantling the door while it’s still on its hinges, you will be able to hold the door steady enough to work.

Some of the screws and bolts you will need to remove are not easily visible. The attachments for the quarter window include one bolt or screw right in the track, and the other one is directly down from that point.

With the rolling window in its lowered position, unscrew the Phillips-head screw in the doorjamb. You may need to dig the seal out to reach the screw, especially if the seals and other rubber components on your Beetle have dry rotted.

Open the door all the way. Depending on the year of your Beetle, you will either have a door check rod or a strap. If you have a rod, there’s a pin with a C-clip on the bottom that you need to remove. Do not lose the C-clip.

Remove the window track from the door shell, leaving the glass in place (rolled down, detached, and floating).

Remove the door latch. There’s one Phillips-head screw in the inner doorjamb behind the seal. Remove the door handle. Push one end in toward the door while pulling the other end out at the same time, moving laterally toward the back of the car. Then rotate it out.

Push the glass up through the opening where you took out the scrapers. Remove the glass carefully. Make sure to put all nuts and bolts back into the track for safekeeping. Label which window is which by writing the label on painter’s tape and sticking it to the glass. Do not use a permanent marker directly on the glass; it will stain the glass and you will have to replace it.

Remove the window winder mechanism from the back side of the door. The interior latch mechanism should now slide right out.

Doors

Some Beetles have a check rod rather than a strap. When you remove the rod, be sure to save the C-clip holding it in place. If you have the strap, unbolt both locations where it ties into the door and body. As usual, take photos, then bag and tag so you will know where that clip goes when it’s time to reassemble the car.

A number-3 Phillips screwdriver, an impact screwdriver, and some penetrating oil will be helpful. All fasteners should be coated in penetrating oil before you get started so they’ll come off more easily.

There are four screws attaching the car door to the Beetle’s A-pillar. Remove three of the four screws. Loosen the fourth screw but do not remove it. This will help you keep control of the car door until you are ready to lift it off the body. If you’re not comfortable unbolting the door and holding it at the same time, it would be a good idea to have someone assist you for this process.

Start at the bottom of the door. You will find three or four Phillips-head screws along the bottom. Remove all but one. Just loosen the last screw. Support the door or get a buddy to help because the door is heavy and awkward to support as you work.

Remove all four screws at the top that attach the door to the A-pillar. Remove the fourth screw from the bottom of the door. The door will now slide out with its hinges intact. Set the door aside to send it out for sandblasting.

The door is now a bare shell. You can either leave the shells on the body or take them off, which makes it easier to work on the body. If you leave the doors in place, you still need to remove all the components on the inside of the door.

Front Seat Removal

Again, the details vary according to the year of manufacture, but the mechanisms are similar. The driver- and passenger-seat mechanisms are built the same way. Look under the driver’s seat and remove any wiring that may be attached to the seat.

Locate the large return spring between the seat and the track. A Standard Beetle has a two-track system. Slide the seat all the way forward, find the metal tab, push it down, and continue sliding the seat all the way forward to make it come off the tracks. The Super Beetle has a three-track system. There’s a center pin on the track with a metal tab stop mechanism. Push the seat all the way forward, push the tab down, and lift the seat off the tracks.

Backseat Removal

The lower section of the backseat will lift right out. The upper section is held on by two bolts, one on each side going into the body. If your Beetle came equipped with seat belts, remove them by unbolting from the body. Save the bolts to use in reassembly. However, it would be crazy to trust your life to old belts, so don’t even think about using them; they go in the trash.

Interior Removal

With the seats removed, you’ll have more room to work on extracting parts ranging from cards to carpet and seals to straps. The components you’ll be removing change from model to model and year to year. How you’ll remove them remains the same, though.

Cards and Carpeting

To remove your interior trim panel (also called cards), simply remove the metal pushpins that hold them in place. When you remove the cards, the pins come out with them. Unclip and you’re good to go.

Your carpeting may be glued in. The only attachment points on the body would be on the door sills on both the driver’s side and passenger’s side. The rear carpet is tucked into the luggage tray behind the back seat. Once you free the carpet from the door sills, yank it all out.

Front and Back Windshields

Start by removing the rubber seal on the front windshield. To do this, take a knife to the seal and cut it out. Remove the front windshield carefully. It’s easy to replace if needed, but if you can clean it up and reuse it, you will save some money and hassle.

The seat adjusters differ slightly from year to year. However, the basic mechanisms are similar, and the driver-side and passenger-side seats use the same track and spring system.

Without the driver and passenger seats, your Beetle is starting to look rather empty. As a bonus, you get to keep all the pennies you find as you remove the seats. You may even find other treasures prior owners and passengers have lost or unintentionally stuffed into the seats.

Be careful as you remove your front windshield. It’s easy to get carried away and use too much force. While replacing the windshield is easy enough to do, if it’s needed, you don’t want to have to stop your work to clean up shattered glass.

Do the same with the back windshield. If the Bug has a defrost mechanism, be sure to remove the electrical hookups before you remove the glass.

Pop Outs

If the car has pop outs, remove them now. There may be a series of five screws at the hinge point and three at the rear body. If not, you can cut the rubber like you did on the windshield and back glass. The rear latch has three screws attached to the body; remove these as well.

Visors, Straps, Mirror, Courtesy Light, and Headliner

Remove the visors and their latch. Then, remove the courtesy straps from the B-pillars. The rearview mirror is next; twist 90 degrees to pull it out. Remove the interior courtesy light next.

This Beetle came equipped with a rear defrost mechanism. That means there were wiring connections we needed to remove before lifting the back glass off the car.

Here is an interior view of the pop-out window mechanism, including the rear attachment points for the latch. As you remove the hardware from your Beetle, be sure to take photos first, then tag each part (including which side of the car it came from) before bagging and storing.

Cut the headliner out, cutting close to the outside of the body. Leave it intact. Leave the rods in place (they go in a specific order). Just roll it up and store for later. Most of the headliners are one-piece, although there are some multi-piece units out there. For the one-piece units, after you cut out the upper section, remove the remainder of the headliner, which is glued to the body and tucked over the pinch welds where the windows go. An adhesive remover such as Goo-Gone will help you.

The pop-out windows need to come out too. Removing them is usually a matter of removing the screws at the hinge and into the body. Discard the rubber seals. All of the seals will be replaced during the reassembly process.

Front Hood (Trunk)

Remove the handle first by removing the two bolts on the inside of the hood. Then, remove the hood latch mechanism; there will either be four bolts or four rivets on the front upper apron. If there are rivets, you’ll need to drill them out. Carefully unscrew the cable that is in the mechanism. Tag and bag the mechanism.

There are two bolts on each side of the back side of the hood. Lift the hood and you will see four bolts attaching the hinges to the hood. Remove the first three. Get a buddy to help as you remove the final bolt and carefully lift the hood from the car.

These are two of the four bolts you will be unbolting to remove the hood. Do not lose the washers behind the bolts. You will need them for reinstallation, so take photos, bag, and tag them.

Electrical System

Be sure to take pictures of your wiring and connections. You’ll want to replace the wiring harness because the original wiring is likely to be worn out and unsafe. This makes removing the wiring easy because you don’t need to be especially careful.

Early Beetles (pre-1965 in the US market) used a 6-volt system with four basic circuits running everything in the car. Post-1965, a 12-volt system with eight circuits was used. As these cars evolved, their electrical system became more complicated and used relays, double-action switches, and piggybacked electrical connections. The nice thing is that we’re not dealing with a computerized system. Analog systems are much easier for hobbyists to work with.

This locking mechanism for the hood latch on the front valance is a piece of a two-part safety system that keeps the hood from flying off while the car is driven. Be sure to note where the cable attaches to this mechanism. Make a mark at the attachment point for the length of the cable. This will help during the reassembly and adjustment phase.

First, disconnect the electrical system from the back of the dash. Then, carefully cut out all remaining connections.

Dashboard

Beetle dashboards vary widely depending on the year of manufacture. There are padded dashes and unpadded steel dashes, and Super Beetle dashes are completely different. But you’ll follow the same basic process of unscrewing, bagging, and tagging.

Safety regulations in the United States required padded dashboards as of 1968. The 1968 featured in this book was built for the European market, so we have a mix of US and European design specifications.

Removal of the Dashboard Components

1 Unhook the speedometer and all electrical and mechanical connections. Unscrew everything, bag them, and tag them. Pull the speedometer out from the back side.

2 With an unpadded (steel) dash, work from the inside of the car. Unscrew the radio faceplate. There are two bolts under the volume and station knobs. Unbolt them. Then, go back to the trunk and pull the radio out.

3 In the trunk is a strap on the back side of the glove box that is held in with a bolt or a screw. Remove the glove box. Save the pennies you find because you’ll need every cent to put toward your project.