Body Tab, 3/8 Hole

OVERVIEW

When you are deep into a custom air-cooled project, whether it is a ground-up Sand Rail build or a rugged Baja Bug conversion, the integrity of your mounting points is absolutely non-negotiable. This A&A Manufacturing Body Tab, featuring a precision-punched 3/8-inch hole, is the gold standard for fabricators who demand a professional finish and structural reliability. Designed with a unique bent-wing "butterfly" geometry, these tabs provide an increased surface area for welding, ensuring that your body panels, skid plates, or accessory mounts stay exactly where you put them, even when subjected to the high-vibration environments of off-road racing and desert thrashing. These aren''t just scraps of metal; they are engineered fabrication components designed to save you time at the bench and provide a clean, symmetrical look to your chassis.

Crafted from high-quality mild steel with a thickness of .085 inches, these body tabs offer the perfect balance between weight savings and sheer strength. The mild steel composition ensures excellent weldability with MIG or TIG processes, allowing for deep penetration into your chromoly or mild steel tubing. At Appletree Automotive, we understand that the difference between a "garage build" and a "show-stopper" lies in the details. By using these A&A Manufacturing tabs, you are eliminating the guesswork of hand-cutting and drilling, which often leads to inconsistent hole placement and sloppy fitment. Whether you are mounting fiberglass bodywork on a Manx-style buggy or securing interior tin work on a drag car, these tabs provide the robust foundation every master fabricator looks for.

FITMENT

As a universal fabrication component, this body tab is essential for various air-cooled VW and off-road applications including, but not limited to:

• Volkswagen Beetle (All Years): Ideal for mounting custom Baja Bug fenders, eyelets for wiring harnesses, or interior panels.
• Volkswagen Karmann Ghia: Used in custom race applications for securing lightweight body components.
• Volkswagen Type 2 Bus / Transporter: Perfect for fabrication of custom interior shelving or mounting external accessories.
• Sand Rails & Dune Buggies: The industry standard for mounting fiberglass bodies to 1.50-inch and 1.25-inch chassis tubing.
• Meyers Manx & Kit Cars: Essential for securing the main body tub to the shortened VW floor pan or tube frame.
• Off-Road Race Trucks: Versatile enough for mounting fluid coolers, GPS antennas, or communication equipment.

SPECS

Every dimension is critical when you are building a safe and functional machine. Here are the technical specifications for the FAB-3036 body tab:

• Brand: A&A Manufacturing
• Part Number: FAB-3036 (Cross Reference: C73-119-10)
• Material: High-Quality Mild Steel
• Hole Diameter: 3/8 Inch (.375")
• Material Thickness: .085 Inch (Approx. 13-14 Gauge)
• Design: Bent Wing / Butterfly Style for increased weld surface
• Finish: Raw Steel (Requires coating/painting after welding)
• Quantity: Sold Individually (Each)

PRO TIPS

1. Proper Surface Preparation is Key

Before you even think about striking an arc, you must ensure the welding surface is surgical. These tabs come in raw steel and may have a light film of oil to prevent flash rust during shipping. Use a high-quality degreaser or brake cleaner to wipe them down, and then use a flap disc or wire wheel to remove any mill scale from the tubing where the tab will be attached. Because these are .085-inch thick, you want a clean "bright metal" surface to ensure maximum penetration without having to crank your voltage so high that you risk blowing through the tube wall. Don''t skip this step, or you''ll end up with a porous weld that could fail under the stress of off-road impacts.

2. Use a Mock-Up Bolt for Alignment

When you are welding multiple tabs in a rowsuch as for a long fiberglass hood or a side panelalignment is your biggest enemy. To keep everything perfectly straight, I recommend using a long piece of 3/8-inch all-thread or a long grade-8 bolt passed through all the tabs in the series before you tack weld them. This "jigging" method ensures that once the tabs are permanently welded, your mounting holes are perfectly concentric. If you weld them one by one without a guide, the heat distortion (warpage) can pull the tabs out of alignment, making it a nightmare to bolt your bodywork on later. Always tack all "wings" of the tab before laying down your final beads.

3. Manage Heat to Protect Thin Body Panels

If you are welding these tabs onto a chassis that already has delicate components nearby, or if you are working close to finished bodywork, be mindful of the heat soak. The .085-inch thickness of these tabs holds heat longer than thinner sheet metal. Use a heat-sink compound or a wet rag nearby to prevent the heat from traveling too far down the tube. Additionally, once the welding is complete and the metal has cooled naturally (don''t quench it with water, as this can embrittle the mild steel), be sure to apply a high-quality zinc-rich primer or powder coat. Since these are raw steel, they will begin to oxidize immediately if left exposed to the elements, especially in humid or coastal environments.