Hi, Ray, The body not only should be braced, but, if at all possible, you should have a top installed and CLOSED to the windshield before trying to move the body off the pan. Even if the door gaps look "ok", any errors will be multiplied if the top is not latched and tight. At the least, the factory adjusted frame should be latched tight. If you have moved the frame or removed the top, you will lose the tension that normally makes a Beetle soft top nice and smooth when latched - and the body WILL flex. After the braces are secure, you can remove the top - and don't forget diagonal braces from side to side.
This I know from experience - I took the body off my old '56 vert years back and replaced the pans and the reinforcement channels - and when it was all back together, the top missed closing by about half an inch. Fixing that was "interesting", to say the least. Chuck Kuecker [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > Hey All, > > Spring has sprung here in Pa, and I am finally getting around to restoring > the 68 Bug convertible. Has anyone done a body off on a vert? I did a body > off on my standard and welded braces in the door opening when I cut out the > heater channel in it and all came out ok. My question is do I need to do > more > bracing than that for this vert? I need to weld a lot of metal into it, as > heater channels and reinforcement rails are bad among other places. I do > know > to only do one side at a time. When I started jacking the body off the pan > of this vert, I could see the door gaps flex a bit. Thinking perhaps I > should weld braces in even before lifting the body? Thanks > > Ray > _______________________________________________ vintagvw site list [email protected] http://lists.sjsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/vintagvw
