AirSpeed VW Community Forums

Technical => Restoration, Preservation & Body work Forum => Topic started by: '64cal lookdub on August 08, 2004, 03:50:12 PM

Title: Heater Channel Bottom Plates
Post by: '64cal lookdub on August 08, 2004, 03:50:12 PM

How do I replace my heater channel bottom plates? :huh:  

Title: Heater Channel Bottom Plates
Post by: silas on August 08, 2004, 04:29:04 PM

if you're sure it's just the bottom plate, order one of these

http://www.wolfsburgwest.com/cart/DetailsL...m?ID=111801171C (http://www.wolfsburgwest.com/cart/DetailsList.cfm?ID=111801171C)

and cut out the old and weld in the new.

however, you may discover that there is alot more damage to the heater channel when you open it up. if your car is a west coast car, i'm guessing there will be alot more rust than is visibely noticeable.

pull out the back seat, take off the drivers rear panel and pull up some carpet. how is that corner down on the floor where the rear crossmember meets the end (rear) of the heater channel? how about the frontwheel well? look at the front firewall where the heater channel begins and look for signs of rock chips, holes, p/o repairs, etc.

i'm not trying to scare you my friend. just warning you that the heater channel in a west coast bug can be a world of ugliness the deeper you dig.

Title: Heater Channel Bottom Plates
Post by: '64cal lookdub on August 08, 2004, 04:42:41 PM

Texas and the car has its body off and the only rust is on the bottom plate.  Im preping it for paint so I need to get all the replacement panels replaced before winter.

Title: Heater Channel Bottom Plates
Post by: silas on August 08, 2004, 09:57:35 PM

Quote

Texas and the car has its body off and the only rust is on the bottom plate.  Im preping it for paint so I need to get all the replacement panels replaced before winter.

excellant.

order your parts from airspeed.

cut out the old, weld in the new.

if you need someone to do the work, contact matt from automattic autobody. he's a local and a forum regular and could probably help you out.

Title: Heater Channel Bottom Plates
Post by: '64cal lookdub on August 09, 2004, 09:00:22 AM

So do I just cut it out and leave a lip to weld the new one to or what?

Title: Heater Channel Bottom Plates
Post by: silas on August 09, 2004, 05:29:30 PM

actually, now that i think of it.

you probably want to drill out the spot welds that hold the bottom plate to the h/c. clean up the lip really good so it's smooth. coat the inside of the h/c w/ some sort of rust proofing agent. drill holes every 2-3\"s in the new plate where it will meet the lip. and rosette weld the holes in the plate to the lip on the h/c.

i dont have a h/c in front of me to reference, and i have only replaced the whole h/c on my car and not just the plate. but this should work.

hopefully someone will chime in and add to this or correct me if i'm wrong.

good luck.

 

Title: Heater Channel Bottom Plates
Post by: '64cal lookdub on August 11, 2004, 08:11:48 PM

Thankyou for the advice, I might order them from cip1.com so it will be a little cheaper.  So I can put rustbullet in the heater channels?  All I have is a cheap arc welder so this will be interesting.

Title: Heater Channel Bottom Plates
Post by: James Buchan on August 11, 2004, 09:57:50 PM

Cheaper? Airspeed is almost always the same price. Call them they'll do you good.

Title: Heater Channel Bottom Plates
Post by: silas on August 11, 2004, 10:43:05 PM

exactly what i was thinking james.

'64 cal-look dub. support the guys that support this site and our hobby.

shop at airspeed.

end of story.

Title: Heater Channel Bottom Plates
Post by: Matt on August 11, 2004, 11:00:38 PM

Amen. After all this isn't CIP1 forums. Airspeed put this together for us, show the support.

Title: Heater Channel Bottom Plates
Post by: '64cal lookdub on August 12, 2004, 04:28:31 PM

who do i talk to?  How much?  Quality?

Title: Heater Channel Bottom Plates
Post by: silas on August 12, 2004, 05:21:30 PM

the phone # is in the logo at the top of this page. but i'll make it easy for you and give it to you right here.

604-881-2233

talk to geoff or jim.

quality? just as good as anywhere else. the difference is you get to talk to knowledgeable people that can help you out by answering some questions, you get to check out all the cool s#!t that they have in stock/in store, and you support a couple of honest guys who are helping support all of us and our hobby.

btw. are you local? surely you know about the big weekend. what a better way to check out airspeed and meet some folks by going to the dvkk sponsered open house/pankake breakfast/show and shine this saturday.

http://forums.airspeedparts.com/index.php?...t=ST&f=8&t=2245 (http://forums.airspeedparts.com/index.php?act=ST&f=8&t=2245)

be there, or be the only guy not there. ;)

Title: Heater Channel Bottom Plates
Post by: '64cal lookdub on August 13, 2004, 03:18:46 PM

I'm in Texas.    

Title: Heater Channel Bottom Plates
Post by: silas on August 14, 2004, 05:14:40 PM

Quote

I'm in Texas.

well damn, you coulda said that 3 or 4 posts ago.

anyhow, it's cool to have you here on this forum. the more people from out of town/province/country the better.

try this

http://www.tvwdra.org/homepit.asp (http://www.tvwdra.org/homepit.asp)

it's a little closer to your home. i know its a vw drag racing site, but i'm sure you'll meet a bunch of folks who know their stuff.

good luck.