Beetle Build - Day Three Point Two

I hate failure. It haunts me. Burns the back of my eyes. Grinds my teeth to nubs and burrows into my jawbone. I spent all last night and most of this morning dwelling  on  yesterday's lack of productivity on the Beetle. And suddenly an idea bubbled up from the depths of my self-consternation. Two words: heat gun.

So I slipped on the cargo shorts, laced up the workboots, threw a couple of tools into the truck, and set off for another attempt to get the tar pads off the floor boards of the Beetle.

Two hours with the heat gun, a scraper, and a belly full of grim determination ensued. Slowly, but surely, one inch at a time. I'd heat the tar, wedge the blade of the scraper under the edge, then force it up. Very tedious work. Not the least bit pleasant. But it was a great deal less pleasant than failing again.

Eventually, with much gnashing of teeth, I was done. Both sides of the car. And the back firewall. Everything scraped down, close to the metal. Ready to be de-greased and re-sealed.

The final picture does little justice to my efforts, but there's a clear lack of tar paper and the grooves are visible, now.