In this article, Brian Washburn of Washburn's Metal will demonstrate the proper methods to go about this installation. We will be using a Wolfsburg West floor pan set on a stripped down 1966 Beetle chassis. The majority of the process will be the same for all years. However, this pan, being a '66, has a few year-specific nuances to account for. This article will provide you with a solid overview of how we undertake this repair.

Prior to removal of the old floor pans, you have to measure all mounting locations. Accurate measurements ensure the body mounting hole locations, jack points, battery tray hold downs, and any other year-specific details are in the correct location, allowing the best possible fit at the end of the installation.

With all our measurements recorded, we are ready to remove the old pans. Our preferred method at the shop is using an air hammer with a cutting bit to remove the bulk of the floors. This leaves the outer edge still connected to the chassis. We then go through with a flat chisel bit in the air hammer and break the spot welds of the remaining floor material. If done properly, the remaining strip of material begins to coil as the spot welds break away from the chassis.

Removal of the old pans

After complete removal of the old pans, we will use an electric grinder with a 60-grit flap disc to remove any remnants of the old floor, as well as to prep the top and bottom of the chassis. This ensures a clean, bare metal surface that will result in strong, long lasting spot welds.

With the chassis done, we can move onto prepping the pans. Using an 80-grit flap wheel on the air grinder we remove the primer finish approximately 1 inch inward from the edge both top and bottom of the pan.

Fitting the pans

With our mating surfaces ready, we can fit the new pans. We set the floor pan sections in place, butting them up against the tunnel. We clamp the pans to the chassis so that we may check our fit. Using the measurements we took as reference, we can now check the body mounting hole locations to insure they are in the right position. This is critical, as it determines whether or not the pan will bolt back up to the body. Once we're sure that everything is in the correct location, we are ready to begin welding.

Spot welding

At our shop, we use a Pro Spot PR-10 spot welder to bond the new floors to the chassis. This is the same welding process used by Volkswagen at the factory. The end result consists of clean, uniform spot welds that are structurally sound, ascetically pleasing, and require no grinding. We prefer to begin welding along the tunnel. We place spot welds approximately 1 inch apart from each other, moving the locking clamps as we go to assure a tight fit between the panels. Once both floors are fully spot welded, we will MIG weld the seam on the front outer portions of the pans, just as the factory did.

Now we are ready to install the jack points. New jack points are included in the Wolfsburg West floor pan set. Just the same as with the new pans, we have to remove the paint from all welding locations. We do this in our media blasting cabinet to remove the appropriate amount of paint prior to welding. Returning to our measurements taken before, we will locate and clamp the jack points in place. Once satisfied they are in the correct location, we will begin welding. From the factory, the jack points were installed using both spot welding and MIG welding. We recommend you do the same.

Rear seat belt mounts

Now we move on to the rear seat-belt mounts. These are not provided in the Wolfsburg West kit; however, the originals are in good shape and can be reinstalled. After separating them from the old pans, they will go into the blasting cabinet to remove all unwanted surface rust or grime, leaving them with a clean and weld ready finish. Returning to our measurements, we will locate the rear seatbelt mounts, marking the mounting hole locations. First, we drill a hole of matching diameter as the factory did, then clamp and weld the mount in place.

Battery tray strap

As we near completion, the next step is to install the battery tray strap hook and strap hook stud, so that the battery may be properly mounted after the installation. Once again referencing our measurements, we locate the hook, clamp, and weld in position. Next, we locate the strap stud. As the stud is installed through a hole in the pan, we will mark the hole location, drilling it slightly bigger than the stud. Finally sliding the stud upward through the hole, and welding it in place.

The last step

Here we arrive at our final step. The installation of the rear heater cable tubes. These are also not provided in the kit. However, just like the seatbelt mounts, the originals are in usable shape and will be reinstalled. Again, a quick blast on the media cabinet provides a weld ready finish. Just as throughout the installation, we reference our measurements, locating them in place, and finally welding them on.

As with all repairs, we do a final check of the finished product. Thanks to our measurements we can confidently send it on to continue its restoration journey.