I spent some time tonight drawing some lines on the bug and I think that maybe I've got a possable plan of attach. I can't wait to see what you guys think. It looks like we may have to remove and get rid of the sunroof. Have any of you ever removed one in one piece and if so how is it in there? It would be nice to just take it out but as a last resort we will cut it out by the roots.  It would be kinda nice to have a pair of door tops to patch in but again that would be cheatin. I've got a few dimensions if there is anybody that can photoshop it. Or better yet somebody who could sketch it (Blackie)  So far I've got 5" straight down on the windshield which is about 6" on the slant. At the door post and quarter window it will go down about 4 1/2" and at the rear of the quarter window it will go down 4". Yeah I know That's hammered. I know that this sounds like a lot of work but if everything is laid out right (My Job) and we cut on the lines it will fall back together. (Trust Me) to ad to the work and (don't worry it will be fine) we will remove the firewall completely and narrow the rear quarters 2 " and we will cut through the dash and firewall and narrow it 1 3/4" and with a 2 3/4" strip through the top from side to side which will lenghten it and the top will set perfectly back in place. 
I think that we will need two guys working on the chassis and the other two guys will do the cutting and welding on the body. I really think that this is a do-able thing and it should knock their socks off.

The way that I've figured to cut the pillars is to move the roof straight down. In doing this there will be 2 problems. 
1) The roof will end up 2 3/4" too short.
Solution) either cut accross the roof and add a 2 3/4" strip. Or slant the "A" piller to meet.
2) By lowering the roof straight down the back window will remain stock, and the top of the roof at the vent area will come down and possably hit the motor.
Unfortunatly I don't have a good solution for that problem except to cut the rear window and raise that section back up like I did in the photoshop pic, which may make the project too much for one day.


If you want a fenderless car.....In my opinion this is the easiest way to chop the car. Here are the measerments: "A" pillar cut 6 3/8" "B" pillar cut 4 3/4" and the last measurement would be at the rear-most area of the quarter window cut 4" vertically. Then the whole car needs to be narrowed by 2 1/8" and the roof and tops of the doors need to be lengthened 3 1/8".
The starting point of the chop would be at the B pillar. It's very important to always remember that the top is going to drop straight down at that point. That's why you need to be able to cut the rear portion of the quarter window at exactly vertical points and remove 4 " there. It gets a lot harder to describe the cut at the end of the drip rail at the back but I'll try. (Deep breath) You need to find the spot, below the drip rail and above the edge of the quarter panel where the fender/ fender-welt would be, that is exactly 4" vertically. This will establish the point of the lower cut. If you connect the points from there to the lower point at the rear of the quarter window, that will be you bottom cut line. The top cut line will be from the top point on the rear quarter window and project a line to the very end of the drip rail at the back of the car. That will be the top cut line and provide for the wedge needed for the tapered chop. 
I don't know about you guys but I've got a headache.  I hope this either answered your question or convinced you to restore your VW.  


If the rear piece (package tray) is in good enough shape you can just cut and section out the same 2 1/8" out of it and weld it back together. On my car I've opted to remove it completely so that I can do some other mods back there but it's not necesary.


It doesn't bolt back onto the stock body bolts...if thats what your asking notched. As of right now the body is just resting on the pan until Walt redrills some holes and supports for the body-pan matchup....if he hasn't done it allready


 would think trimming the inside of the pan halves and reattaching to the tunnel, would give a clean and virtually unrecognizable install. 


Dan and Justin are right....All that I'm going to do is to drill and install nut serts into the heater channels at the bolt holes in the pan. If I had more time I'd do like Dan said and do a channel job at the same time. 


Yes.... we narrowed the hood and body 2 1/8" to make it the same width as the roof at the cut line. The deck lid stayed stock width because it matches the roof which was still stock width. 


**Rear Measurements**
Measure back from the top cut line on the rear of the quarter window about 16 1/2" at a downward slope just below the drip rail and then go straight down about 2 1/4" to just above the edge of the recessed part of the body where the fender well is and then back to the lower cut line at the quarter window. That should put you pretty close to where you want to be. Good luck and let us know how it comes out. Walt