JBugs - Replacing a VW Beetle Floor Pan with the body on.

View our complete selection of air-cooled VW parts on the JBugs website: www.jbugs.com/
Rusted out floor pans are common in old VW Beetles, especially under the battery which happens to sit at the lowest point in the floor. Whether it be decades of battery acid leaking or water seeping through the carpet and draining to the back, we can't tell you how many old Volkswagens we've come across with rusted out pans. Fortunately, replacing the pans, even with the body on isn't all that difficult if you have the right tools and a few hours. Follow along with our tech Sam as he covers in depth the steps he takes to replace a VW Beetle floor pan.
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Parts used in this video that are available at: www.jbugs.com/
1956-70 Left Heavy Duty Floor Pan - www.jbugs.com/...
Parts that this video applies to, that are available at: www.jbugs.com/
1956-70 Left & Right Heavy Duty Floor Pans - www.jbugs.com/...
1956-70 Right Heavy Duty Floor Pan - www.jbugs.com/...
1956-70 Left & Right Floor Pans - www.jbugs.com/...
1956-70 Left Floor Pan - www.jbugs.com/...
1956-70 Right Floor Pan - www.jbugs.com/...
1971-72 Left & Right Heavy Duty Floor Pans - www.jbugs.com/...
1971-72 Left Heavy Duty Floor Pan - www.jbugs.com/...
1971-72 Right Heavy Duty Floor Pan - www.jbugs.com/...
1971-72 Left & Right Floor Pans - www.jbugs.com/...
1971-72 Left Floor Pan - www.jbugs.com/...
1971-72 Right Floor Pan - www.jbugs.com/...
1973-79 Left & Right Heavy Duty Floor Pans - www.jbugs.com/...
1973-79 Left Heavy Duty Floor Pan - www.jbugs.com/...
1973-79 Right Heavy Duty Floor Pan - www.jbugs.com/...
1973-79 Left & Right Floor Pans - www.jbugs.com/...
1973-79 Left Floor Pan - www.jbugs.com/...
1973-79 Right Floor Pan - www.jbugs.com/...
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Music Provided By:
Keep It Real by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommon...)
Artist: audionautix.com/
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Videos are intended for entertainment purposes. Factory specifications should be followed when performing any task on your vehicle.

[@jrlopez4585]

Well I just placed my first order with JBugs, Heather Channels and other parts too and enjoy your videos as well ,,, I'm a rookie at this restoration but I'll get it done !!! A '66 at my age 66 OH Yeah !!!

[@Sam_Mebane]

Heater channels are a pretty big task but I've done it, on a Super Beetle. We covered it starting here - kzbin.info/www/bejne/roPblWWda7KIn5I. The Standard Beetle is a little different at the firewall but overall it will give you an idea of what it takes.

[@richgorsuch7331]

Doing the same thing on my 65 right now.

[@13badbrad1]

Thanks for the in depth tutorial on doing this work with the body on! I now now what I have to look forward to. I have a 71 super and believe this the same procedure? I also appreciate the fact that you didn’t use any special equipment. Thanks again. 👍👍.

[@Sam_Mebane]

The nice thing is that short of a welder, which isn't really special, there isn't any thing special needed!

[@goldentrunnell7450]

I really love watching these videos. I started working on VW's before I had a driver's license, my first bug was a 66. I'm 61 now and after many years of raising a family and working I've acquired a 63 ragtop and a 68. Unfortunately they're both Baja which I don't especially care for but I'm having fun anyway. Have you ever attempted to convert a Baja back to a sedan? Keep up the good work!

[@Sam_Mebane]

I have, one of the first cars I helped restore when I started working for JBugs way back in the late 90s was the owner's 1964 Beetle Convertible. It had been cut up into a Baja and required two donor cars, one for the front clip and one for the rear. Our very talented customer, painter and VW restoration expert (and now a good friend of mine) performed a "miracle surgery" and brought the car back to stock.

[@goldentrunnell7450]

@Sam_Mebane I'd love to convert this 63 ragtop back to original although the reality is I'm no expert when it comes to body work. I'm going to look at another older bug a guy I worked with has parked in a field. After the engine seized years ago they haven't touched it. Being more mechanically inclined I'm hoping he'll sell it. Thanks for the response, having KZbin has helped me do a lot of repairs.

[@daveydad]

Awesome to watch this! Always wondered what was involved. Not too bad but I'm glad my bug came with new pans installed!!

[@Sam_Mebane]

It isn't too bad, but I do have a few dozen under my belt. I've learned a few things along the way and I'm glad to share them at this point for those that aren't sure how the process goes.

[@tduncan2746]

Woo! More content! Mjolnir is back! Good advice on the rear crossmember.

[@Sam_Mebane]

Mjolnir is my favorite tool...PERIOD!

[@bonquiquihgii6836]

appreciate this video, just picked up a 1971 super with the floor panels in terrible shape, my first project car.

[@Sam_Mebane]

Haha, we did a full series (almost 100 videos) on my 1971 Super Beetle. It's the blue car in my icon/avatar.

[@garyjones2582]

Good to see you back in the lab again Sam.. I have a really stupid question? Is this the same 67 that you drove to the show recently? I started watching in the middle of the build on that 67 and i just wondered if you were showing some old footage of that build.. Well I did learn enough from watching this video, that i don't want any part of replacing the floorpans myself.. That's an accident waiting to happen..lol.. After all, a man's got to know his limitations and after 70 yrs i know this far exceeds mine..lol.. Sam here's wishing you and your family a Very Merry Christmas and the Happiest of New Year's.. Take care my friend and God Bless....

[@Sam_Mebane]

Hello Gary, yes this is the same 67. We filmed the two videos at the same time with the plan to have a more in depth "how to" video covering the floor pan replacement along with the blog. Merry Christmas to you and yours as well and all the best for the New Year!

[@howardgilbert5008]

Great video!

[@Sam_Mebane]

Thank you Howard!

[@ampstraitor]

Sam the professor and pro vw master. Have to ask if you’ve used an oxyacetylene cutting torch instead of sawzall before? Less of a setup for sure but would you use one if it was handy?

[@Sam_Mebane]

I have but I've never really gotten accustomed to using them. They are fine for demo for sure but at the end of the day, I usually pick up a grinder or a sawzall. If I want a precision torch I go to my plasma cutter.

[@OTTO-1303]

Excellent vid 👍👍👍

[@Sam_Mebane]

Thank you!

[@benkanobe7500]

I would appreciate it if you were to list all the rust stop/converter(s), sealers, seam sealer, ........ in order of use so we know we are purchasing the correct item for the specific phase of the replacement. I have never done it before and need to replace my passenger rear floor pan.

[@Sam_Mebane]

There isn't any particular "bests" of converters, etc. It's all based on what you have laying around as at the end of the day something is better than nothing! I'm sure a professional body work worker would scoff at some of the things I do or use but they have served me well. Personally, for rust converter I use Corroseal. Anytime you are working on metal it is a good thing to have around and it is simple to use. For a seam sealer, I use Loctite Roof & Flashing sealant. Again, there are probably more trade appropriate items, but these work for me.

[@benkanobe7500]

@@Sam_Mebane Thank you!

posting on a family account I'll be using phosphoric acid to kill the rust, then using Rustoleum products from the hardware store. It's best not to stress what you use, because then you never get to the project and it rusts even more.

[@Sam_Mebane]

@ absolutely. Regardless of what you use, use something. Most importantly STOP THE RUST! Then work from there.

[@charlesloar3210]

As a very experienced person. What would you estimate this job takes you per side?

[@Sam_Mebane]

Once the interior is cleaned out, it takes about 2-3 hours per side.

[@garypannone7755]

Great job I have a set of your HD pans sitting here ready to go. What was the first brush on sealer you used sounded like you called it coroseal I am sure I heard wrong.

[@Sam_Mebane]

You heard correctly, Corroseal is what I use to convert rust and “prime” the metal.

[@garypannone7755]

@Sam_Mebane Thank You.

[@idadegerleme9166]

Türkiye den selamlar kolay gelsin

[@Sam_Mebane]

Merhaba ve iyi şanslar mı diyorsun, yoksa bilenlere kolay mı diyorsun bilmiyorum. Her iki durumda da teşekkür ederim!

[@biotopi1309]

Thats the way americans do it.... in Germany we will take the body off, sandblast it and weld it.... this is a small repair, but no restoration, other rusty problems will come very soon... so my heart is bleeding when i see this ...

[@Sam_Mebane]

Fortunately we have the southwest where cars aren’t as badly rusted. This car is pretty solid throughout. I hate sandblasting cars as the sand will always be in the car somewhere!

[@richardcattafi1327]

thats NOT the right way of removing pan's !!!!

[@Sam_Mebane]

If you say so, it may not be the way that YOU do them. I’ve done em this way for nearly 30 years and replaced more pans than I can bother to count. I used to replace pans for side work and would do 2 or 3 pairs of pans a month.

[@richardcattafi1327]

im 62 years old...I was modifying these vw's before you were born !.....I have done it that way and it was NEVER as successful as taking the body off the pan ! @@Sam_Mebane

[@Sam_Mebane]

To each their own @richardcattafi1327. I've done them both ways, successfully, many times.

[@bonquiquihgii6836]

@@Sam_Mebane what would the cons be doing it this way? i watched the jbugs video with the body removed and it seemed like the same process.. in that video he did remove brake lines, shift linkage, and a bunch of other stuff. im assuming that was all done in preparation for something else.

[@Sam_Mebane]

@@bonquiquihgii6836 I am the guy in the JBugs video. I prefer doing floor pans with the body on. It makes lining up the pan to body bolts much easier. Additionally having the pan bolted completely to the body before welding the pan in place assures that the pan is welded in the correct spot. The only "con" is that you can't weld the small section of the floor pan at the frame head or at the rear crossmember. It doesn't matter much as with the pan to body seal in place and sealant at both the joints there is little chance of any water seeping through. Like I said, just because Richard couldn't figure out a way to do it effectively doesn't mean it can't be done. I learned from a guy that had the nickname "Al the Pan Man" who probably replaced upwards of 2000+ floor pans, if not more. He was in his 60s when I met him, back in the late 90s and he was still doing 4 to 5 cars a month.