[Rusty-bug-man]

Ok, the time has come for a trial fit of the doors, there's been a lot of disturbance to the area around the door fit, replaced the bottoms of the A and B pillars, the sills have been replaced.
This odd shaped piece is the hinge screw plate, without it you can't secure the hinges into the A pillar. first screw in the cut screw to free up the threads so I can get a smooth action when I fit up the door.

the screw plate is loose and is held in by metal tags, so I've tied it off so if I drop it....it won't disappear into the a pillar box section

the hinges for a 1200 are brutal things, thick steel that can jam up if not maintained.

Resting the weight of the door on a trolley jack, I pumped it up level with the hinge housings and got the first machine screw in. bingo, perfect fit, when the door has it's thick rubber seals this will be weather tight. Pleased with that, I'm a Happy Bunny.

 

[Rusty-bug-man]

the door handles are simple to take off two screws in the edge of the door and a hook in the front that simply slides out.

the handle with it's seal and screws placed in a sandwich bag for safe keeping.

the door outer skin is sanded back and given a coat of acid etch primer to see how flat it is.

 

[Rusty-bug-man]

airgun paint on order, cellulose primer and thinner.

 

[Rusty-bug-man]

the door internal surfaces need keying with sand paper to give a good surface for the primer paint that's coming soon.

unscrewed the lock plate from the B post.

I'll paint strip and polish the lock plate before that goes back on.

 

[Rusty-bug-man]

time to think about a trial fit of the left door, this has been heavily repaired, the bottom of the door having been rusted out.

I expected a struggle, and I wasn't wrong about that, pumping the door up on a trolley jack to the right height and sliding in the hinges into the slots is the easy bit. Getting the hinge screw plates and hinges lined up as the first screws are wound in is a job for a man with more than two arms, or more than one man.

managed to fit the door but the door needs a lot of adjustment to fit right.

the bottom of the door needs further curve added, maybe cut and press it over 10mm then weld it up when I have the right curvature.

 

[Rusty-bug-man]

doors are expensive parts for a 72 Beetle, £700 or more from my Heritage centre, quite a chunk of the Budget, meaning, it's this door, make it work.

 

[Rusty-bug-man]

Back to the problem of the left door fit this morning, had a break from it Yesterday as it was feel good Thursday, where I get to run my 6km routine, after recovering 6 weeks from a Calf strain, been away from running so I'm returning to it step by step, turned 59 years young this June, so I'm happy to take it easy.

The door fit needs some careful analysis before I go on as it's something I haven't worked out yet, what's wrong, why won't the door fit, it should, but something is preventing it locking forward enough. I think I know what it is...

so to explain it fully I need to share some details with you all, starting with this, the screw plate, it's bent. But that's not the whole problem. Note the orientation and screw holes lettered A,B,C,D. This becomes more relevant later.

this plate is from the other side, A and B face the curve of the inner wing side.

the door removed I've fitted the screws and shown them in the order ABC, D has no role. Don't know why it's there to be honest.

looking inside with the screws tight and the screw plate hard up against the hinge housing where it would be if the door were fitted and the hinges screws all tight. This shot is taken through the empty glove box housing looking toward the left side of the car with the removed door in the background, leaning against the wall.

The most important aspect of this image is gap L 40mm

comparison with the right side, L is 35mm, I don't know how to account for the difference but it has made the screws reaching the plate difficult to impossible, and the bend in the screw plate didn't help, that's straightened. see if a careful tap with a rubber faced hammer will reduce the span L. This may draw the door forward into the gap and ease the tight fit on the trailing edge of the door.

 

[Rusty-bug-man]

another snag, is the screw plate retaining tab, spot welded on in it's center with the two bendable arms of the tab top and bottom of the spot welded part. It holds the plate in place, but must have been crushed flat and is off setting the screw plate to take the screws evenly.

the photo above doesn't tell the tale as there are pipes in the way, so I've put my limited drawing skills to use, Here is a basic drawing in my Bovington Tank Museum giftshop notebook. showing the screw plate and the welded tab, I'm sure the use of my note book has made things clear as mud.

Some of the drawings in my notebook are less VW Beetle orientated, some drawings for my Daughters Birthday card, of what I imagine her co workers look like.

So, I need to find this tab and bend it out again to hold the screw plate in position, door off again.

.

 

[Rusty-bug-man]

grubbing about up there by touch only, bit of a spine twist, but got there in the end, eased it up both ends and got a screwdriver tip in there to open it up. Here it is marked H.

Next move, slide the screw plate onto the tab and simply bend over the arms to hold it in place, simple!
If I drop it it won't fall all the way down the box section, or the pit of hell as I call it.

 

[Rusty-bug-man]

holding the screw plate against a Odontology scale and all the hidden spies of my woes showed themselves,

just buy new one's you Numpty!

 

[Rusty-bug-man]

mind you £26 quid each, wish I could straighten it, but to be honest, far less grief to buy a new one and fit it up.

 

[Rusty-bug-man]

today was a step forward in the whole scheme of things, tested my airgun and compressor with a litre of white primer and celle thinner. The gun went through that like a dose of salts, only covered about 90% of the body. I know know it all works so get some more and I want 5/6 coats of primer before I flat back, coat 7 then before I consider any top/colour coat.

 

[Rusty-bug-man]

I thought I had run out of rust for this project, was beginning to think I wouldn't see any untill the next project, wrong....

I want to lighten the weight of the door as there is still much to do to get it to fit right. so out with the lock and winder mechanisms and the glass.. Nuts 1 2 3.

rust dust and three lumps fell out.

out came the winder mechanism with a jiggle, twist and a heave. Glass is ok but the mechanism itself?

 

[Rusty-bug-man]

the mechanism is in quite a rough state.;

this track is supposed to slide, not much chance of that at the moment.

 

[Rusty-bug-man]

Body tags safely back in the front of the nose.

 

[Bohemianjohn]

I consider myself fortunate that the frame head itself is sound, If I had to replace it, the alignment to the tunnel would have been crucial to ensure the front suspension beam, that bolts to it, lines up. Or else no amount of steering alignment adjustment would have helped. It would crab along the road sideways. So I'm lucky.The heavy frame base will add strength to the area.
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I have a Iowa Rusty Bug and had to rebuilt front section repairing part of head . I like the process you went through replacing the pans then hat make sense . Thanks so much