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Sat Oct 10, 2009 4:40 pm

I finally bought a splittie today! I also bought a MIG welder, and from the looks of the bodywork, I'm going to get a lot of practice with it. I've MIG welded before, but not recently - lately it's been all stick welding.

This bus has had a few parts removed and the replacements are tacked in place but not finished. Some of these parts have large gaps - in a few places, it looks like an inch or more, WAY too much to just fill in with weld puddle. Is there any problem with cutting out filler material, tacking it into the hole, completing the weld, then grind/bondo/prime/paint? I certainly don't have the budget to replace the dashboard/bottom-of-windshields section, which is the one with the huge gaps... I kind of stretched my budget to the breaking point already.

The bulkhead was cut out, but included - I'm welding it back in place, as the bus isn't a walk-through, and I want the structural integrity. Unfortunately, the M-code plate is gone from the bulkhead, as is the one in the engine compartment, so I'm not sure what other options I have to get more info about the bus.

It came with a LOT of parts - ten rims, three doors, three bumpers, a 1200 motor, a bunch of Wolfsberg West new body panels, and a lot of bus parts that look like they belong to a Bay window - I'll be selling many of the parts to get the stuff I actually need.

Once I have it welded together again, I'm going to paint it, probably in the same colors as the fire department it originally belonged to in Germany.

The dashboard says it's a 12V, but the dash isn't original... and the wiring harness is coiled randomly around the driver's floor. I suspect I'll be removing and replacing the harness entirely - I've done it to a late-model bug, and was thrilled with the results.

Stray

Sat Oct 10, 2009 4:49 pm

This year of bus wouldn't have a body plate in the engine bay. It should have one on the pass side of the over head vent in the front cab area. Does it have one there? and does the vin # on it match the # stamped on the metal between the motor and battery area. If not, you my want to find another body and use your newly aquired bus for parts for another body.

Sat Oct 10, 2009 4:57 pm

There's a spot in that location where it looks like there was a plate - two holes, where the rivets used to be, just like the one on the bulkhead - darker paint to show that the sun didn't get a chance to fade it there. Where's the VIN located on that year of bus? If it's in the same bottom-of-the-driver's-windshield location like more modern cars, then it's not going to help much, as that section has been replaced.

Sat Oct 10, 2009 5:02 pm

Sounds like all your plates are gone. The only ones on that year are on the m-code plate, the vin plate on the overhead vent. and the #'s stamped on the metal on the shelf beside the motor, at an angle where it meets the rear apron on the pass side. This area, if you're lucky isn't rusted and you can read the #'s. if it's gone, you have a bus with no #'s at all.

Sat Oct 10, 2009 5:05 pm

Hm. That's going to make it tricky to register. The bill of sale has a VIN number, but I haven't seen it printed on the bus itself. I haven't looked in the engine compartment - I'll take a look at that later. Right now it's buried, and I don't feel like hauling body panels out of the way with a flashlight in my teeth.

Stray

Sat Oct 10, 2009 5:18 pm

May the force be with you... and in respect to the good old panel, please immediately remove those 1978 Eldorado seats from the bus... the fucking shit they used to smoke!

Sat Oct 10, 2009 5:26 pm

Those seats aren't installed, just placed in the front, and are destined to be fastened to plywood and placed in front of my playstation. I have the original seats, which (after reupholstering) will be reinstalled. I'm not going for the purist look - but I agree, modern seats look wrong in this bus.

Stray

Sat Oct 10, 2009 6:06 pm

Is that an A/C unit in the rear interior?

Sat Oct 10, 2009 6:11 pm

Yes, in the middle of the roof, on the inside. I'll get better pictures of it, if it helps, but I won't be able to do that until late tomorrow. You can see it in the top picture, through the windshield openings.

Stray

Mon Oct 12, 2009 10:09 am

Are you going to keep or repair those hacked-in side windows?

Mon Oct 12, 2009 10:18 am

I'm going to finish the welding and keep them. This bus is not going to be stock - I don't have the original dashboard, or engine, and I don't have the money to be a purist in any case.

Stray

Mon Oct 12, 2009 4:58 pm

Here are a few pictures of the air conditioning. Looking at the brackets, it doesn't look like a factory job - I'm no expert, but I've never seen any other part of any factory modification that used perforated metal as a bracket.

And here's the wiring harness... I think this will be another "remove and replace" kind of fix. I'll see if I can afford a new harness, or failing that, I'll pull out the old one and repair it, then reinstall. One amusing thing - the wiring currently comes through the same hole as the gas pedal - I'm pretty sure that's not how VW engineers had this planned. :shock:

So, can anybody help me identify this dashboard? I'm not sure what year it's from, aside from "it's a splittie". There are three package trays included - one that's rusted out, so I'm guessing it's worthless, but the other two look good. After I've installed the electrical system, I'll decide which one to use.

Stray

Mon Oct 12, 2009 6:26 pm

Looks like it's from a '67 due to the larger radio opening.
Good luck with this bus! It looks like it needs some lovin'

Mon Oct 12, 2009 6:47 pm

Loving, welding, and lots of attention - but I bought her as a project. When I'm finished with her, she'll be worth more to me than I could have afforded to buy as a turnkey.

Stray

Sun Oct 25, 2009 6:55 pm

This week I was winterizing the house, so I didn't get anything done on the bus. I've ordered some of the parts I need for the engine, and have the MIG welder together so I can practice a bit and start doing bodywork, as weather permits.

Stray

Fri Oct 30, 2009 3:13 pm

One question - I have a 1500SP motor out of a 1969 beetle. Do the splittie buses need the same cross-brace at the back of the engine as the bay window buses, or can I just mount the engine to the transmission like I do in bugs?

Stray

Fri Oct 30, 2009 3:19 pm

the engine mounts in just like a bug but way easier. no need to jack the bus 4 feet in the air or jackstands needed. just pull the bumper and rear apron and the engine will just slide in. easy breezy

Fri Oct 30, 2009 3:35 pm

Excellent - thank you. The bumper and apron are already off, so all the easier. I still have to finish reassembling the motor, but I'd had that brief moment of panic when I realized that it might not fit! Glad to be wrong.

Stray

Fri Oct 30, 2009 3:38 pm

Good Luck!

Sun Nov 08, 2009 4:56 pm

Today I tacked in the bulkhead:

I'm still getting used to the welder, and the learning curve has been a royal pain. I took tomorrow off work, and the weather's supposed to be beautiful, so I'll be getting more done on it. The practice will also help - at this point, I'm glad I'll be grinding these welds, and they're in an easy to reach place. The PO cut the bulkhead out to make it a walkthrough, but I want the structural stability - VW put that bulkhead there for a reason. I'm not sure if walkthroughs are normally done differently, this is the first and only splittie I've ever owned. Hell - the first time I drive it will be the first time I've ever driven one!

This is another place that I can get to easily with a grinder, so the sloppy welds will vanish. I'm getting better, but the first few day's work will be lumpy and inconsistent, at least until I get the hang of it again.

Stray