The Body Comes Off!!!
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The one piece fiberglass unibody is fastened to the chassis by about 25 carraige bolts that connect to the perimeter of the beetle floorpan. The first step once all the interior upholstery and carpet was peeled away, was to disconnect all the bolts and pry the body up just enough to break the rubber seal that is sandwiched between the body and the chassis.
Once the body has been separated as you can see here using small wooden blocks, the next step is to disconnect all the electrical wiring from the chassis. Most wiring is contained on the fiberglass body, but there are several key harnesses including power from the battery and the all important grounding wires.
Looking toward the front, there are 2 more blocks.
I laid sawhorses on each side of the car front and rear. Then, 4x4s were run under each wheel well and lifted onto the sawhorses.
Now the body has been lifted onto the sawhorses. It needs to be high enough for the chassis to be rolled from under it.
Another view with the chassis rolled out. I will repeat the roll in, roll out procedure many times.
Now the chassis is free and rolled out for a closer look. As my assistants look on, I realize that the VW is a very simple vehicle.
The front view shows the smooth floorpan. You can see why this frame is chosen as the "donor" for many kit cars today.
This site maintained by Bob Thagard