Bolting down body to pan....

I know the waterproofing aspect of this has already been covered but this is a different question :)

I have an old CMC kit, the steel subframe does not follow the profile of the VW pan .....

If I use the original pan mounts, I will have to drill and tap the subframe at the back, in the middle I'll bolt thro the funny wee plate that is welded to the subframe and at the front I'll need to weld on some tabs.

Was this normal ????

Front and rear of the pan, everything is fine, its just the edges that have me confused.

Cheers
Gerry

Something is wrong with your pan, are you sure that the pan has the correct cut for a Speedster? Where did the pan come from?

Pan came with the kit.....It was an unstarted project...

Front of the pan is unmodified, wheelbase is as intended and the alignment is exactly the same on both sides....

Looks like this is the way it came from the factory !

[EDIT] Just re read the manual in the library section....This IS how they came from the factory !! It clearly states that I will be drilling into the subframe.....
https://www.speedsterowners.com/library/cmcmanual2/images/cmc51.jpg

You'da thought they would have built the frame to the pan dimensions...

Local SO guys (Bill P and Dale S --- and oops BERT) just helped me bolt my CMC to pan week ago. I had previously glued an OEM pan gasket to floor pan. We used 4 tubes of GE Black Silicon from HD. And put a good 3/4" (or better) bead all around. Used 12 1.75" long SS bolts for front and about 6 self tapping screws in the back area. Had to cut fiberglass a little on either side where the two nuts went about where seat would go on either side. Looks like 1.5" bolts might have been better. We used the original VW "U" shaped pan washers under 12 front bolts. I still plan to fiberglass over but it apppears to be a very tight seal. Just hope I never need to get to the shift rod coupler inspection plate -- as it will take cutting a door in the rear seat area.

Cut the "flap now Greg...you'll need to get in there sooner or later and it's easier to do it now. ~Alan

I drilled up through the pan hole into the sub frame and installed Pem nuts (sometimes called "clinch nuts") into the sub frame. They're designed to press fit into the material (sub frame, in this case) and then get even tighter as you screw the bolt in. Nifty little buggers.

I used the original VW "U" washers, too.

I also remember doing some messing around with holes here and there and moving some fiberglass here and there, too. It comes with the kit, I guess.

gn

Gerry--congrats on the project! I am suggesting that NOW is the time to start your waterproofing efforts. See what others here have to say about this aspect and what should be done as you mount the body.

--Keep us up to date with some pictures too!---Jacck

Hi Jack,

I bought a stock Beetle sealing rubber and plan to bed this in Sikkaflx, (a powerful, flexible sealer). Hopefully this will help in keeping it a little bit drier....We do do get the occasional rainshower here :)

Wow Gerry; Sikaflex is high tech stuff; it's used as sealant between precast concrete panels....very good stuff....

Weird this should bounce back to the top ....I just collected the Sikkaflex an hour ago !

I dropped the body back on the pan for alignment a few weeks ago....I'll need to raise it back up to get to all of the bits that I forgot to do :)

Glad I had not done the bonding yet !

Cheers
Gerry

Gerry,
Sikaflex will definately keep the water out, for sure. It just means you might need to use dynamite if you ever need to remove the body in the future, as that stuff sticks like sh*t to a blanket!!

Good luck with your project.