Maartens Beetle Convertible gets a new lease on life

Maarten had been a proud owner of his Beetle Convertible for many years. When he stopped by VW Airhouse, it was to ask if we could do some welding and repaint the car. The Beetle was suffering from rust in several places, and Maarten wanted his beloved classic to be clean again.

It soon became apparent that the project would be bigger than expected. What started with addressing a few bad spots grew into a full restoration: the car was actually much worse than it appeared. Together we mapped all the damage spots and discussed the options.

Body-off restoration

Finally the decision was made to let us completely tackle the Beetle convertible – a true body-off restoration. We were able to reuse the tunnel, but all the floorboards, struts and other parts were renewed. Then the next phase began: making the sheet metal tight again, getting everything to fit perfectly and making sure the bodywork regained the strength and solidity of an original Beetle Convertible.

When the bodywork was completely sanded bare – bare metal – we re-tinned in the classic way where it was done in the past. That provided the perfect basis for further treatment.

Rust protection and paintwork

After tinning, we applied a rust-preventing primer, followed by a coat of epoxy. We roughened this up for optimal adhesion with the next layer: the spray putty. All seams were carefully sealed, after which the car was sprayed in a beautiful red paint. Thanks to this multi-layer treatment, the Beetle is now excellently protected against rust, even in the long term.

Final result

The brilliantly shiny body was reassembled on the overhauled body. The chassis and engine needed only minor modifications. In consultation with Maarten, we also renewed most of the interior and put a new hood on it, completing the result.

The wait was well worth it: not only does the Beetle Convertible look like new again, but thanks to extensive treatment, it is even more resistant to rust than the original.