VW Beetle project - Our Shed

By: Glenn Torrens

Date: 05.01.2020

This is one of GT’s future VW projects, a 1974 Bug. It looks okay but the rusty driver’s side sill will need replacing during its restoration

This specially designed spot weld drill is a great asset for the home-based car restorer. Get one!

Off to the metal recyclers with this lot

It only took a little effort to get the sills roughly cut from the rusty Beetle body

GT saved the dash panel to be cut down into a cute shed shelf for the obligatory radio that is a must for when he is in the shed

In a totally different setting some might consider this to be art

This is one of GT’s future VW projects, a 1974 Bug. It looks okay but the rusty driver’s side sill will need replacing during its restoration

This specially designed spot weld drill is a great asset for the home-based car restorer. Get one!

Off to the metal recyclers with this lot

It only took a little effort to get the sills roughly cut from the rusty Beetle body

GT saved the dash panel to be cut down into a cute shed shelf for the obligatory radio that is a must for when he is in the shed

In a totally different setting some might consider this to be art

With an eye for a bargain, Glenn Torrens makes a worthwhile investment for the future

There are two VW Beetle projects in my backyard: One has a rusty left sill, the other a rusty right. So, when my mate Deano offered me a free Bug body after he’d taken it from its chassis to build a 70s-style beach buggy, I jumped at the chance to grab a pair of good sills for my two projects.

This specially designed spot weld drill is a great asset for the home-based car restorer. Get one!

An hour’s work with an electric reciprocating saw by my mate Dodty resulted in the two sills sitting on my driveway and the remainder of the 1970s Bug hacked down to bite-sized chunks ready for scrapping. There’s a queue of people I know who want cut-out body sections to help restore their Bugs but unfortunately, there was nothing more than the sills that were useful from this old body.

Off to the metal recyclers with this lot

These sills weren’t pristine, but they were much better than the swiss-cheese ones of my two project cars. Being factory-made VW, these chopped-from-a-real-car components will be better-fitting (and cheaper) than the sometimes-dodgy aftermarket replacements.

It only took a little effort to get the sills roughly cut from the rusty Beetle body

My next task was to give the sills a good clean. I pressure-washed them, inside and out, using truck-wash detergent. As with many cars, decades of dust and muck congealing within body cavities – and then soaking-up moisture after rain – is a major cause of rust.

Finally, I removed the remnant pieces of bodyshell using a grinder and a spot-weld drill. This left the sills naked, as they were 45 years ago before a brand-new Bug body was built onto them. Both sills had some rust – one a little more than expected – but by welding-in patches they will be easily repaired.

GT saved the dash panel to be cut down into a cute shed shelf for the obligatory radio that is a must for when he is in the shed

With just a few hours’ effort, these VW sills have been hacked and stacked ready for installation into my cars. I’ve saved a wad of cash and being ex-factory, these ones are guaranteed to fit.

Win-win!

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