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Sat Mar 28, 2009 12:34 pm

Lets try again. Now pics were resized to fit on Samba's host site. Ok now, show me the magic... :D

Got started late, so I'm shooting for front end by summer camping season. I'm doing (having done) the front beam and all body work back through the front wheel wells. Looks like some windshield lip, but that's last on the spring list. Also have to do rear window seal rust.

Here's the deconstruction photos

Wed Apr 01, 2009 6:25 pm

Rust everywhere! Did you completely replace the beam?

Tue Apr 28, 2009 4:46 am

The whole beam is being replaced. Bus Boys left us hanging, saying they had one when we ordered it, but then (without letting us know) they were really waiting for one to come in to rebuild. We cancelled and went for a local VW shop that had one (found one) they could provide (much cheeper and no shipping).

Here are the latest pics. As you can see, the front of the door opening also needs work before the arch can go in. I am removing all the A/C equipment (for weight advantage). The rear of wheel well is rusted through to the cabin, so more work there. May be pulling out carpet and underlayment, unless we can lift and work around, then do that next winter when I get to the back 2/3 of the vehicle.

AS you can see, we need to replace the outriggers here also.

So how much work is it to get the sink cabinet out with all the wires, and pipes that run to it? Wea re crunced for time to be ready for summer camping season, and migth need to work around the carpet, to keep from making this portion of the work grow any more than needed.

Tue Apr 28, 2009 5:23 am

If you want to do that right you really need to pull out the stuff in the back. I guarantee the front edge of the cargo floor is missing and there's probably some good sized holes at the fronts of the rear wheel wells too.
At the very least the fridge and sink cabinets should be out so you don't start any fires while welding. The subfloor and rug went in first and goes under the front edge of the bed, you may be able to flex it up out of the way.
The fridge comes out fairly easy, a couple wires for the fridge, the gas line, 2 nuts behind the passengers seat and some sheet metal screws through the floor at the L brackets. The sink is similar ecxcept you should remove the flange and seal around the drain pipe that is screwed up against the floor from beneath, makes lifting it through the floor easier.

Tue Apr 28, 2009 12:54 pm

Thanks. Actually the cargo floor is fine. We lifted the underlayment and metal is fresh. Even under the rear seat, the paint is a bit scratched, but metal is clear. UNder the sink might be different from possible sink leaks, but more time to work in winter than now.
The rear wheel wells (and quarter panels and all the rocker panels) are slated for next winter. This allows for the aquisition of money for the rest! :D
I am doing all brake lines up front while we're in there, new brakes and rotors etc. I'll even have seat belts that should restrain one in the event such measures are needed.

WOuld anyone ever be looking for A/C parts I'm removing. My guess was that the old freon systems wouldn't be of any real use to anyone, but thought I'd ask while I'm running this thread.

*%^(*&^%$#
Now we are stuck with a beam that is shot, and the sources that said they had rebuilt ones have all changed thier tune. SO where does one go from here? Don't see any in classifieds, so i placed a WTB ad. If anyone has ideas, maybe you could give me a reply.

Wed May 06, 2009 3:20 pm

bump...
to get my update to "resurface"

Wed May 06, 2009 6:01 pm

lostsailr wrote: So how much work is it to get the sink cabinet out with all the wires, and pipes that run to it?

Here is an awesome tutorial thread that EZ Gruv did a while ago for removing late westy interiors,

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=291736

-Nick

Wed May 06, 2009 6:19 pm

Here's a 71 beam in the classifieds, swap on your spindles, brakes, etc, and it's good to go.
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=645028

Wed May 06, 2009 6:22 pm

Very nice. I'm heading right there for interior tutorial. I seem to find a new adjustable available which would save time on installation, and since I'm doing all new brake parts, the whole suspension would be new.
Any thoughts on quality for the new adjustable vs. rebuilding stock equipment?

I think I'm about as far back in teh interior as I'm going for this year (except to ease floor from under what's left) but expect a lot more next year!

Any thoughts on quality of the new adjustable front beams vs. rebuilding a stock beam? It looks like a huge time saver, but I've learned to question everything before commiting to sub standard parts.

Here's more detail of how deeply we've been digging.

The outrigger is out, and we search for a temporary spot to "hold" the jackpoint until I can afford to get to the rocker panels

A small bit of floor needs fixing, but plenty of solid floor

Cabinet out to do the same floor piece on the driver's

Sat Jun 06, 2009 10:32 am

here's the latest. Some delay as we searched for a good beam to replace the bad one..after much scrambling, we had one shipped from Cali. (thanks ProVolks, hope to see it soon). Now front wheel well work proceeding in earnest.

The right arch is fitted and about to be welded in

Is that larger gap under the front portion right? I can't recall how the old one looked (not that it's shape was anything to learn from, LOL)

from under ...

And the driver side is cleaning up nicely, ready for the same treatment. Much faster now one side has been done. The shop is new to VW's but learning as we go together.

Any of you experts have any tips as we move on, please let me know. Sorry the first pic was so big even after resizing them. Guess I'll go smaller next time!

Sat Jun 06, 2009 10:33 am

here's the latest. Some delay as we searched for a good beam to replace the bad one..after much scrambling, we had one shipped from Cali. (thanks ProVolks, hope to see it soon). Now front wheel well work proceeding in earnest.

The right arch is fitted and about to be welded in

Is that larger gap under the front portion right? I can't recall how the old one looked (not that it's shape was anything to learn from, LOL)

from under ...

And the driver side is cleaning up nicely, ready for the same treatment. Much faster now one side has been done. The shop is new to VW's but learning as we go together.

Any of you experts have any tips as we move on, please let me know. Sorry the first pic was so big even after resizing them. Guess I'll go smaller next time!

Sat Jun 06, 2009 10:52 am

look slike u r doing good. make shure to blast an yrust u see.use weld through primer. than wipe exess off with thinner than apply etchnig before anything else

Sat Jun 13, 2009 9:40 am

here's the nice parts fresh from ProVolks out in Cali. My ride should improve (and confidence over bumps and through turns return) with these in there!

So all the reading I have done talks about doing the arms one side a t a time, to have leverage for putting the torsion on the leaves. We are having to do them from scratch. Any tricks one might recommend and should we mount the beam and then attach arms, or work on bench and then mount the whole unit. (the shop has my Bently's so I'm trying to get info through alternate means).
Thanks Guy at Guster's Autobody in Balston Spa NY for keeping it moving.
Can we beat camping season? Time will tell!

Sun Jun 14, 2009 7:01 pm

I've read it's easier to apply the tension with the beam installed. I probably read it here on one of the best bus tech sites.

http://www.ratwell.com/

Richard Atwell has done it all, as have many people, but he documented it as well. Thank you Richard.

Nicksny and I swapped his beam with one from a parts bus and it was not too hard but the best part was being able to POR15 everything above and around it as well as the beam itself. The whole front underside of his Westy looks like black glass now.

Richard says once in a while you will get a beam that is a little too wide or narrow for your bus. If too narrow use shims, if too wide, too bad. Scared me till we fitted the replacement beam. Fit perfect.

Be real careful with the hard plastic brake booster lines. As far as I know they are not replaceable.

It took 3 of us to manhandle it in place, all the while watching that no one was directly under it at any time.

jim

Sun Jun 21, 2009 1:53 pm

Thanks. I'll be sure we take care of those booster lines. WE just had a scare on the arm seals whch seemed to be unavailable anywhere, the usual suspects all replied they didn't have them nor know where to get them, even folks in Germany were at a loss till they recomended.. Wolfsberg west (how we left them off the initial call list I'm not sure, LOL) and we find that they make them. Thanks for that serice. We'd be stuck without them. We are also relying on info and links from Ratwell, Bently and as much of the relevant threads as I can find by y'all good people.

Here's how she looks. Beam is up, ready for torsion arms. drivers dogleg is getting welded in. Booster is going up as well as all new steering box and sway bars. I'm more excited than ever to feel her on the road. Looking at what came out, I felt justified in all the cringing I used to do over bumbs, especially around curves.

Tue Jun 23, 2009 4:47 pm

I replaced the veneer on the sink top. Used mahogany veneer and polyurethane. More photos in the veneer replacment thread, but here's a before and after...

Fri Jul 10, 2009 7:57 pm

So we're on the road, but working on sink. The drain pipe has a fracture, and the pump needed rewiring. One old boat camping trip and I have to get this ready for festival week!

new seal in after metal work. paint to follow rest of body work

The bothersome under cabinet work...

Sat Nov 07, 2009 12:38 pm

well front endwas done for summer fun, now were are onto the rest...

Now for the winter work onset... glass out ready for all rocker panels, rear wheel wells, and rear corners

Any trick to getting to sill and rockers and keeping the sliding door lower track...it looks solid and rather not replace, nor damage it.

Sat Nov 07, 2009 12:43 pm

nice job but a lot of work. You are dedicated to restore that one.

Sat Nov 07, 2009 12:48 pm

how was the rust around/under the window seal??