Background The top overhangs of the bedside walls are stabilized by the flying buttress and rectangular wheel well to bedside braces. Refer to tailgate preliminaries discussion. Before installing braces, put the two aluminum tailgate parts together — the inner frame and the outer skin — with the bottom hinge and top...
Continue reading...Front wall reinforcement
Background After the truck bed assembly is installed with all supporting braces and plates, the front wall is reinforced with fasteners including 8M flat head bolts. The flat head bolts are designed to be flush with the top surface, and to accomplish this, the hole must be bored to match the...
Continue reading...Sunroof drains
Background Sunroof Beetles have drains at the front and rear corners that are connected to tubes running down the A- and C-pillars. When the rear section of the Beetle roof is removed, a new drain setup is required. To maximize sunroof movement, the tube outlet must be moved 90-degrees from back-facing...
Continue reading...Stepside space
Background Once the fiberglass quarter panels are permanently mounted, there is very limited access to the space below the stepside. Thus, it’s important to complete all wiring and components in this area first.
Continue reading...Floor reinforcement
Background The truck bed floor is supported by front and rear trays, and by two C-channel cross bars. C-channel L-braces use a plastic spacer for added strength.
Continue reading...Tailgate mechanisms
Latch handle The latch mechanism supplied by the Smyth Performance kit functions well but the latch opening method — a simple Biothane coated webbing runs through slits in the aluminum instead of an actual handle — can be improved. One option is to adapt the handle used in the 2005-09 Polaris...
Continue reading...Panel fitment step 1
Background At this point in the build, all the aluminum pieces have been installed except 1) the rear roll pan bottom bracket, 2) a spacer that fits between the front wall and the fiberglass cab surround, 3) side rail top caps, and 4) the truck bed floor. The tailgate has also...
Continue reading...Gas filler lid
Background The right fiberglass quarter panel is designed to incorporate the original gas filler lid assembly. This assembly includes a remote lid release latch and a rubber surround for the filler pipe/gas cap. The fiberglass lid seat profile is close to the plastic original, but not quite. It is difficult to...
Continue reading...Side marker lights
Background The Smyth Ute kit does not specifically address the side marker lights. Pre-2006 models can re-use the elongated oval side markers because their contour is close to the curve near the end of the Ute quarter panel; later Beetles switched to curved parallelogram-shaped lights that are more difficult to incorporate...
Continue reading...Roll pan brace
Background The gap between the rear tray and fiberglass roll pan cover is filled by the aluminum roll pan brace. The brace mounts from the inside of the tray side and then attaches to the top of the fiberglass roll pan cover. Rivets can be used, but a better installation method...
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