International Vintage Volkswagen Forums

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Spent all evening trying to get my engine cover to fit without either rubbing at the sides or having a huge gap at the top. Still doesn't fit. I think my brackets must be bent or something, any tips advice on getting it somewhere close? What should the gap at the top be roughly?

Thanks :cry:

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:? I did mine with the motor out .got the lid to fit and locked it.then got under the car and tightend the bolts

The problem is that even with the bolts loose and everything moving about, I have about a 1inch gap between the lid and the car at the top.

I think that the brackets that the hinges bolt to must be bent, if anyone can give me this measurement I'd really appreciate it.  11682.jpg You have insufficient rights to see the content.

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Rob, those brackets are of some significant strenth.It would take some force to bend them.
Has the rear valance ever been off the car?Alot of the time rear decklid fit can be attributed to poor rear valance fit.If you can make it out in the pic this seems to be about the size gap you are looking at,i know it can take a lot of playing around to get this.  11691.jpg You have insufficient rights to see the content.

The rear valence has been replaced, the car has also been hit on the right rear and lost its original engine lid in its hard life. The engine lid doesn't physically move up far enough for a reasonable gap, something somewhere must be bent. :?

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Sorry Mate,only my opinion, and difficult without seeing it,but i think it's probably the rear valance.
I've seen the same problem and the person litterally pulled the valance back into shape using brute strength.

Rob.just tried to take the measurement for you.Unfortunately cannot be done with the decklid in place.
Anyone have there decklid off the car and can help?

Now you mention it... :wink: Sorry to take so long Rob, :oops: but here's the measurement I took. Looks to me to be about 117mm, both sides are the same.

Hope this helps.

 11698.jpg You have insufficient rights to see the content.

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As you can see, both brackets look straight.  11702.jpg You have insufficient rights to see the content.

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That is absolutely perfect!! Thanks :wink:

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Well Rob,are your brackets bent.
C'mon you've had all day :wink:

:lol: well, the truth is - I already knew they were bent because I bent them! :oops: They were bent too far in before I started, I bent them out a bit to try and get a better fit - but by the measurements here it looks like I bent them out a bit too far... Thats kinda why I knew I needed the measurements.

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Blimey!whats happening to your paint during all this 😞

It'll buff out... :wink:

Those brackets come off and fit in the vice pretty well.

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Are you sorted now Rob.
How's the fit looking.

Well, a blind man would be pleased to see it... :wink:

It's pretty good now, much better than it was anyway. The top corners don't really sit flush with the body but I can live with that, this isn't a one-on-one resto for sure.

Got the windscreen back in now as well, after kippering one rubber. The screen went in, but about 2 inches of chrome popped out at the bottom. With all my prying and levering I managed to split the rubber and pull the strip out to about a whole foot. So rather than risk breaking the screen, I just cut the rubber and called Jules for a new one, this time it went in fine.

I feel like I've made some good progress this year!

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Must be that Taiwanese repro decklid i sold you :oops:

:lol: It's a real one, but not the one that was originally with the car  11894.jpg You have insufficient rights to see the content.

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:arrow:  11895.jpg You have insufficient rights to see the content.

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fits look fine from the angles your showing Rob.