quick walk around for a Smyth Performance Beetle Ute build. This was my 10th Beetle build. For more information on the kits, go to: @ for more info on my builds, @
I like your idea for changing how the door jams are handled. Nice work Andy! You are setting the standard for the rest of us to aspire to. Thanks for sharing.
Andrew! Black builds tell no lies! That method you use on the panel to door jam is working to perfection! Soo clean and nice. The tailgate latch is the new standard in my opinion. I'm totally copying the dome light to bed LED concept on my Charger.
That is for sure! black is very telling of body work! On the bed light, I found I had to hook the LED in series to the incandescent bulb or the LED slightly glowed all the time or at least flickered. They light up with so low of a voltage that the slight trickle in the circuit keeps them lit. You could put a resistor in line but I just soldered my wires to the output terminals on the actual light (the tangs that hold the bulb in) so the dome light bulb filters the power to the LED. Not sure what the dome light looks like on a charger and how hard that would be.
@@hestermannmotorwerks actually Id use the rear seat grab handle light as the dome is up front over the shifter. It has 2 functions, on/off rocker by the passenger or as a on/off fader with the front Dome. Might use the hot lead and route to a hidden Marine switch hidden under the bedrail. Thanks as always!
Hey I just ordered the beetle kit a couple weeks ago and can't wait to cut!! Thanks for all the videos, I like the door jamb cut idea a lot. I have a question that I haven't seen you or Mark address (maybe I missed it) but the soft touch coating on my 07 was in good condition other than someone scratched it horribly in a couple areas. I tried alcohol and brake fluid that others have suggested but to no avail. My car has only 38K on it and looks to have been garaged so I'm thinking it isn't degraded to the point those methods will work to remove it. So I removed the panels and wet sanded with 1000 grit and sprayed them with Plasti-dip spray. It looked totally factory but its kinda an icky feel and I noticed it was starting to peel and look bad before I even got the radio back in. I would like to remove all of it and get down to bare plastic and then paint the pieces. Do you have any suggestions for removing the soft touch? I am contemplating using my DA with maybe 240-400 and then follow up with 600 or finer by hand. Thanks, Jerry
There are a few videos and techniques for removing soft touch but anything way you cut it, it’s messy and time consuming. I like “citrus strip” or oven cleaner. Just don’t leave it on too long. 5 min or so. But it might take 2 applications. I’ve heard LA awesome cleaner works the same way. All of them you use like paint stripper.
Actually it is still about 2 months. I really haven't gotten faster, just better! Bodywork and paint is at least half of that time. Its about 10 days to have it built and ready to start bodywork
