TheSamba.com :: View topic

Mon Feb 19, 2007 7:40 pm

Here's what the dc looked like when I first towed it home. Was a long trip to San Jose Ca. and back to Nogales Az,.(in two days) Didnt have enough time and too tired to inspect it well, and have been making the best of the situation ever since.

Mon Feb 19, 2007 7:50 pm

Put it way up on jackstands with the intention of sanding the underside and repainting the underside. Replacing the front clip, and straightening out what was bent, then shoot it red.

Ended up replacing this piece after a failed attempt to save it.

Mon Feb 19, 2007 7:54 pm

Started to sandblast and strip off the bondo and this is where the project started looking like it may be more work, but still manageable.

[/img]

Mon Feb 19, 2007 7:58 pm

All hope of it being a fairly quick project ended with removing the one plus inch of bondo, sheet metal and part of a toyota fender complete with vin # off the rear corners.

Mon Feb 19, 2007 8:02 pm

Found the early rear corners off the site with the help of a few people and started to mark out where it needed to be trimmed measure and re measure.

[img][/img]

Mon Feb 19, 2007 8:09 pm

Welded on the new corners. Was nice to see solid metal here rather than air and bondo!

Right side

Finished welding this section.

Mon Feb 19, 2007 8:13 pm

Started sandblasting the side of the bus to see what was under there.

Mon Feb 19, 2007 8:17 pm

Hey Tim those corners came out nice.

Mon Feb 19, 2007 8:18 pm

Both sides needed the rockers replaced. I used wolfsburg rockers as they were readily available and just made them fit as best I could by keeping the original body lines/seams and butt welding them in.

One down.

Mon Feb 19, 2007 8:18 pm

Timo great job wow you made a lot of progress great to see.

Mon Feb 19, 2007 8:20 pm

Skim wrote: Hey Tim those corners came out nice.

Thanks Skim for finding the right side corner for me. Early Og sheet metal was not easy to come by!

Mon Feb 19, 2007 8:24 pm

I tried to do the rockers that were the easiest first hence the lack of order in doing them. Next was the drivers long rocker.

Mon Feb 19, 2007 8:25 pm

TimGud wrote: Skim wrote: Hey Tim those corners came out nice.

Thanks Skim for finding the right side corner for me. Early Og sheet metal was not easy to come by!
I bet damn bus parts.. I am looking forward to seeing more progress buddy.

Mon Feb 19, 2007 8:28 pm

Sandblasted and painted five 15" bus wheels but ended up using them on a 60 singlecab pickup that I had no choice but to purchase. :lol:

Mon Feb 19, 2007 8:30 pm

Thanks Don for the props. Theres a lot more to come.

Mon Feb 19, 2007 8:31 pm

Next was the other drivers side rocker.

[/img]

Mon Feb 19, 2007 8:36 pm

Looks good. Always nice to see another commercial being brought back.

Mon Feb 19, 2007 8:38 pm

Passenger side rockers.

Wheel well on passenger side was swiss cheese and bondo so it had to go. Metwiz made a real sweet panel to replace it.

Off all the panels to this point this was the hardest as this side had been hit down it and warped badly. It was the hardest to get straightened and came out the worst IMHO. But a skim coat of filler will still make it smooth looking.

Mon Feb 19, 2007 8:46 pm

This was part of the damage from the dent down the side, which took out the wheel well , dented both doors and mangled the lines on this C- pillar. I cut it out, sand blasted it, but put off repairing it and moved on to other parts of the project. Will get back to it later.

More blasting:

Mon Feb 19, 2007 8:54 pm

Passenger rear door was too mangled to save. Found a nos pair of high hinge door hinges, and a nice replacement high hinge door to use. Cut off the old hinges to try and use them to straighten the lower part of the B-pillar later.

Finished up the last bits of blasting and cleaned it up some, then some more, and cleaned some more......That stuff gets everywhere!

Shot a coat of self etching primer on it , then a coat of red oxide primer over that.