Frame bench in Raleigh area

[PoPorsche]

I have a ‘71 Super Beetle that I’m restoring. I took the floorpan off the body and had stored it leaning against a shed. A large tree limb fell onto the right rear frame horn and bent it. There was some other relatively minor damage to the left floorpan side, which was on the ground at the time of impact. I’ve tried to pull out the damage, but it seems pretty obvious that what I need is a frame rack/bench to do it. I’ve checked with many body shops. None of them want to do it. Most say they’re production oriented, and don’t do restoration work. I know some shop somewhere can do this, but I had no idea it would be so difficult to find.
Typically, I will see Porsche restoration shops boast about their Celette frame benches and the awesome restorations they’ve done with them. I’m looking for a shop like that, but one that is willing to do a VW. I’m in the Raleigh, North Carolina area. Anyone know anyone, a shop or an individual, who can help me?

[962porsche]

your going to be hard pressed to fine anyone any place with Celeste fixtures for a VW bug and then a super beetle.
I have a few Celeste benches for about 10 years they rent fixtures after 10 years Celeste sells off the fixtures. that's when I would buy them.
I would only buy the fixtures that are for rare and high dollar cars because they are the cars you make money restoring.
a shop isn't going to make money restoring a VW bug in fact if a bug was hit hard enough that it would need to be bench on a Celette it would be a total. simply because to put one on a Celeste the hole front and rear suspension has to come out.
what you need to find is a shop with a build bench / table.
what I had to do for the TR6's and bugeye sprites was make fixtures for these cars to bolt the cars to my build table. it was worth it for me because I do some many of them.
what your probably going to need to do is find a VW restoration shop with fixtures and a bench.
or make your own bench then instead of pulling the damaged areas get chassis measurements and new or good used pieces and cut off the damaged parts and weld in the new pieces.
one problem a shop with a drive on bench is going to have is how to clamp just the pan down on a bench.
with the bug and the pans that just bolt to the bodies is there is no real pulling strength to just the flat sheet metal pan. any amount of pulling will twist the pan then your really screwed!

[jjeffries]

Maybe call J-3 Restorations in Columbia, TN. They do P-cars and VW’s and apparently have a Celette with fixtures for both.

Maybe you’ve already done this but I’d also be asking on Samba and your local VW club folks. Safe to assume you’ve already looked for a replacement floor pan/chassis?

Best of luck,
John