TheSamba.com :: View topic - **Koerspiloot's 65 Panelvan ** full resto project

Thu Jul 12, 2007 5:26 pm

vw-in-neptune wrote: keep the pics coming!!!

X2^^ Very inspirational!

Fri Jul 13, 2007 8:33 am

=D> veryw well done, great job.

Would you fly over to Malta and do mine next? :roll: :wink:

Sat Jul 14, 2007 2:03 pm

amazing, i now where it came from. just amazing.

Wed Jul 18, 2007 1:52 pm

More updates:

Last week, i took care of the noseclip. This one's ready to weld.

But first of all, i'll finish my cabinfloor + headlight supportpanel.

She's looking like "real" van :D

4 days ago:

Today:
8)

Tricolor raamrandjes :D

sweet:

cheers

Wed Jul 18, 2007 9:36 pm

It is nice to see a bus get saved through shear hard work.
I got a free 1960 double cab, with title, and someone had wrecked it many years ago, and did terrible repair work on the front and the front right side. I'm replacing the front right frame rail, B-pillar, right dog leg and seat pedestal, and the whole front clip, with both A-pillars, dash, window sills, nose panel, and most of the front floor. I lucked out and got a good front clip here in Chico, with a good dash and pillars, great sills, and most of the floor, for $175.
When I looked at the picture of your nose panel, it was obyious that you had bent back the crimps on the sides to remove it from the A-pillars, and the middle post was cut clear through. Above the top of each side of the nose panel, did you just remove the outer skin on the pillars? It looks like you did. My problem is that where I cut through the A-pillars on the truck, it is double-walled, with a gap in between the sheet metal. Do you know how I would go about welding the A-pillars on the replacement clip to the upper A-pillars left on the truck body?
Also, the measurements have to be just right so when the welding is done, the window openings are the right size. Do you have any tips on doing that? Cheers

Sun Jul 22, 2007 2:02 am

what's next?: continuing the cabfloor works:

As you probably read/saw a few pages ago, I still had to adapt the curve of my handmade cabfloor. For that, i needed the headlight supportpanel.

I drilled it out of the recently bought frontclip.
This part might need a sandblast job, and little welding ;)

It was quite a timetaking job to make the correct cuve, so it took me about 6 hours to cut and grind/file the cabfloor. I made a lengthwise border which I'll weld on the supportpanel.

I took my Dremel to make the brakereservoircap -hole, which is finished as well :)

Sun Jul 22, 2007 11:38 am

HOLY CRAP!! I'm looking into airfare prices right now... feel like taking a vacation to Hawaii?? I have a nice house and sweet '63 panel for you to work on! :lol:
Awesome work!

Tue Aug 07, 2007 1:59 am

Ok, I guess it's time for another update 8)

Welding the passengerside dogleg (it took me quite a long time to make it fit with the cabdoor-bottom.)

Next job was the frontvalance:

Tue Aug 07, 2007 1:59 am

my previous headlight support panel was in a too bad shape so i had to use the panel from my "new" frontclip. This one was also damaged but i had no other option than restore this one because you can't buy this panel in vwshops.

more...

the lower wheelarches where rotted away so i had to make a piece of sheetmetal to weld in.

seems to fit :)

Driversside:

Inside (needs finishing)

Tue Aug 07, 2007 2:00 am

Finally, my homemade cabfloor was ready to weld in :D

Some before-afterpics.
Jan 2006:
8O

Aug 2007

Yesterday, it was time to finish the nose transplant!
jan 2007:

aug 2007:

Cabin pics

next job is welding the roof,
more pics to come :)

Thu Aug 09, 2007 2:58 am

Several hours later of grinding & welding. The frontclip is almost ready

Pics:

She's becoming a bus again!

Thu Aug 09, 2007 3:14 am

That's just amazing. You've encouraged me to tackle a bit more on mine now, and I'm now considering replacing my side panel how you've done yours.
Great work, keep the pictures coming!

Thu Aug 09, 2007 3:25 am

Wow.. I am also looking to do a front clip on my 63 panel... I am just wondering how you removed it from the two side seams and the bottom seam. It looks like you removed it right at the seams... any close ups of those welds and how you removed and reattached it? Thanks!

Great work! I am still looking into those tickets to Hawaii... your coming over right? :lol:

Sun Aug 19, 2007 3:04 am

I noticed the previous owner used alot filler on the left part of the dashboard. After removing it, i saw his weldingskills were very poor!

Look at this :roll:

New sheetmetal:

Borders rotted away:

2 hours later:

Sun Aug 19, 2007 3:05 am

next job:
the roof transplant.

326 plugwelds later :D

The endless job: grinding those plugwelds 8O

Sun Aug 19, 2007 5:03 am

Wow I should toss my bus in the trash.

Sun Aug 19, 2007 10:11 am

nice work!
keep going...

Mon Aug 20, 2007 10:50 am

Almost done :-)
Cant wait to see your bus running on street.

ppp

Thu Aug 23, 2007 9:00 am

Excellent work indeed.. Amazing metal wizards in action.
Bravo. :wink:

Thu Aug 23, 2007 9:12 am

Wow, that is some serious dedication right there. Beautiful work!