1971 VW Bug Body Parts & Sheet Metal

Follow along with JBugs resident VW expert, Sam as he shows how to properly install a front and rear bumper on a classic VW Beetle.

Chrome products made today don't go through the same preparation and plating procedures they did 50 years ago. Many of the good budget metal prep chemicals contained cyanide and mercury and have been outlawed for environmental reasons.

Front and Rear Fenders on VW Beetles and Super Beetles all look very similar. There are subtle differences between model years. For instance, the shape and placement of cutouts vary slightly between years and there are slight differences in the curl of the fender. Don't get stuck with the wrong fender, check our VW Fender chart to identify the correct fender for your VW Bug or VW Super Beetle.

JBugs resident Volkswagen expert, Sam offers a step-by-step guide on how to install a running board on a 1968-1973 VW Beetle.

We offer running boards for the VW Beetle in a variety of styles, for any budget. Follow along as we highlight our selection of VW Running Boards, explain the differences between them, and help you decide which running board is right for your classic VW.

Installing new running boards is a simple job that can make a big difference in the overall look of your Beetle. There are a few steps, that most people overlook, to make sure that the running boards fit correctly. Follow along with our tech as he shows you how to make certain your running boards fit correctly.

We offer bumpers for the VW Beetle in a variety of styles, for any budget. Follow along as we highlight our selection of VW Chrome Bumpers, explain the differences between them, and help you decide which one is right for your classic VW.

Replacing a clutch cable in a VW Beetle, Karmann Ghia, Thing or Type 3 requires removing the pedal assembly which in our opinion is a poor design. Wouldn't it be so much easier if there was a hole on the other side of the tunnel? We think so, we've done it before and we do it again.

We're going to remove most all of the remaining parts down to a rolling chassis. Follow along with our tech as we near the end of our disassembly!

Rusted out floor pans are a common problem for many VW Beetles and where the driver side pan on our chassis was in good shape the passenger side wasn't. So, while we have the body out of the way, we replace both pans so they match.

While we were replacing the floor pans in our 1971 Super Beetle we also had to repair the front frame head support. This area is often referred to as the Napoleon's Hat understandably. While we could have cut off the entire section as we did have the replacement, our tech prefers patching in the ends.

Whether you are building a Cal Look Beetle, a German/Euro look VW like we are, or you just want to eliminate the body molding holes which can lead to rust, welding up the body molding holes on your Classic Volkswagen is a common modification. We show how to fill the holes simply and quickly with nothing needed but a few tools.

The day is finally here, we're going to split the body and pan for our 1971 Super Beetle. All of our last few videos have been leading up to this point so follow along for this short but sweet video. We pull 34 bolts and pull the body off the chassis, separating a bond that had been together since 1970 (our car was made in October of 1970).

We're finally ready to drop the body back on the pan of our 1971 Super Beetle project. We'll install a new pan to body seal, and then with the help of some coworkers, we can set the body back where it belongs.

Often times when pulling fenders off a VW Beetle, the fender nuts that are attached to the body end up coming loose or had already come loose and been replaced with a standard nut and washer. Our 1971 Super Beetle had both cases so for the one that came loose, we show how to reinstall the factory nut and for the one that was missing, we cover installing a weld in fender nut.

Repairing the front firewall nut plates isn't a commonly needed repair but none the less, here we are. Our tech shows how to open up the bottom of the firewall to remove the nut plates and covers how to free some broken bolts.

Our tech will cover some tips for removing the old dented and rusted front fenders and we'll show what can happen when removing 50 year old fender bolts. Once the old fenders are gone we’ll fit some new aftermarket fenders and show how important it is to test fit everything before painting new body parts.

Now that our rusted heater channel is out of the way we can repair the damaged front quarter panel, rear quarter panel and rear cross member so we can install the replacement heater channel. Follow along with our tech as he covers patching in some new sheet metal pieces on our 1971 Super Beetle.

We've got the old heater channel removed and we've completed some rust repairs completed on our 1971 Super Beetle done in preparation for a new heater channel. Follow along with our tech as he covers test fitting the channel to the body and chassis.

When we first looked at the rear luggage shelf of our 1971 Super Beetle we thought that a small patch panel would take care of the rust issues we had. A few moments into the repair though we found that the rust had damaged far more metal than we could first see. So, the small repair we anticipated turned into a much larger patch.

Modifying the rear apron of a VW Beetle usually involves welding up or shaving the tail pipe openings. We're going in a different direction though and we're going to make the tail pipe openings in our 1971 Super Beetle a little larger and we’re going to give them a custom flare as well. This will enable our slightly modified 2 Tip GT exhaust to clear the apron without any problems.

Now that our rusted heater channel is out of the way we can repair the damaged front quarter panel, rear quarter panel and rear cross member so we can install the replacement heater channel. Follow along with our tech as he covers patching in some new sheet metal pieces on our 1971 Super Beetle.

We're about midway through pulling apart our 1971 Super Beetle and we continue the tear down by removing the rear fenders, running boards and decklid. We'll also strip down most of the wiring from the engine compartment and rear end of the car all in preparation for paint and body.

Our 1971 Super Beetle body is almost completely stripped down and our last few videos have concentrated on the interior and dash. In this video the disassembly continues in the trunk where the various wires, switches hoses, fuel tank and other components will be removed. By the end we will nearly be ready to pull the body off the pan.

We're continuing the disassembly of our 1971 Super Beetle and in this video our tech covers disassembling and removing the doors. The process is the similar for 1965 through 1977 Hard Top & Sunroof Beetles.

Follow along as our Tech shows you how to hook up all the fresh air hoses, and fresh air box. We also install the hood seal, hinges, upper and lower trunk liners, and finally the largest piece of the car apart from the body, the hood itself!

You know that nice paint job on our 1971 Super Beetle, we're going to sand it down! Carefully of course, then we'll polish it back to a mirror like shine. This is all planned and the only way to eliminate the orange peel that all paint jobs have.

We'll install the front fenders, headlights and rings. Then we'll cover setting up and installing an aftermarket turn signal bumper before we get it installed to finish up the front end.

Installing the engine lid cover isn't as difficult as installing the hood as it isn't nearly as big. The brackets and hinges take a little bit more work though as there are numerous adjustments

The folks at BlazeCut came up with a brilliant, simple to install system that really should be in every engine compartment. Follow along as we show how simple protecting your VW can be.

We're going to install the rear fenders, tail lights and rear bumper. Then we'll finish up by bolting on running boards and finish off the complete rebuild with a set of door sill plates