TheSamba.com :: View topic

Fri Nov 22, 2002 6:16 pm

I just bought a relatively rust free 66 Kombi, it needs new rubber all around and some minor body work (the only hole is at the drivers side floorboard, the size of a 50 cent piece). There is also some very small cancer in the nose, but I digress....

My dilemma is that I don't have all the money necessary to do the correct body work RIGHT NOW, but the rubber I can afford. If it will be 1 to 3 years before I can afford to do her up right, should I go ahead and replace the rubber (windows and doors) before doing the body work and new paint? Also, the pop out window frames are in not the best shape, should I replace those before new rubber? It is supposed to be a rather wet winter (with the El Nino coming) and I'd like to take her out now and again, but can not guarantee she won't get wet. She leaks like a sive when it rains, because basically she has no rubber....

What to do???

Turbo_g
66 Kombi

Fri Nov 22, 2002 7:32 pm

My take on it owuld be that rubber( while not exactly cheap) is cheaper than the Bus cost and cheaper than body work/ metal rust repairs... If it will really be as long as 3 years, than I vote for buying and replacing the rubber now, and saving what you may be able to when it comes apart. Then buying what you need to again when you get to the paint phase...

Sat Nov 23, 2002 1:31 pm

Your best bet.

First and foremost...stop the cancer. Doesn't have to be pretty but if you are going to wait for three years to do body work keep the rust from spreading. Use wire brush attached to drill to clean up rust areas as best as you can. Use POR15 products:
1) Spray with Metal Ready to stop rust and coat with zink.
2) paint with POR 15.
3) cut their "fiberglass" type cloth and follow instructions to seal up holes in floorboards etc. You will need to grind out repair and fix with metal and mig welder when you go to do real body work but this will keep floor dry and rust from spreading.
4) hit the POR 15 paint with some of the same companies "tie-coat" primer and then use rattle can paint to match close as possible to body so you aren't driving patchwork quilt around.

In a weekend, you can protect from further damage and install your new rubber with the security that your metal under the new rubber won't be eating itself away while you are waiting for the body work in the future.

Restomotive labs web site. They make all these products I mentioned. Their 2 part epoxy putty that works like "clay" is great for filling and fairing and their POR Patch is great for fillet beading your lap seams and such to keep moisture out for now.
Link to their site: http://www.por15.com/

Sat Nov 23, 2002 7:46 pm

Thanks Doug. Sounds like sound advice. Keifernet, i had the same thoughts about rubber cost versus real good body work. I'm no body man, so I want to wait and do it correctly, thus the time lag. If I use Doug's advice with the POR15 and a good wire brush, maybe I'll be okay for 3 years. I took apart my first popout frame today, SHEESH what a mess. Had to drill out one of the screws from the hinge into the frame, and the lower side of the frame (where the two pices come together) was pretty badly cancered, which required more drilling to get the two countersunk screws out. Anybody have a secret way to take apart popout windows with copious amounts of cancer? Should I just bite the bullet and buy new frames?

Mon Nov 25, 2002 11:51 am

Let me get this straight:

No POR15 where I plan to finish coating later? So maybe where there is a small hole in the drivers floor, i should use the POR15, then how to fill the hole? Should I cut and replace the metal (very small hole). In the nose, wire brush the cancer untill smooth and rust free, then prime and paint with close to original color, okay to be redone later (when I have the cash). Right???