TheSamba.com :: View topic - Ethical Question: Cutting up a restorable bus...

Thu May 06, 2004 11:21 pm

Here's my dialemma, I have a '56 Sand Green / Palm Green Standard microbus shell, that I got for nothing, and have had for years... and I need some metal for my 58 Deluxe. Here is what I'm thinking of cutting out.. the entire cargo floor, some metal over the engine area and a chunk out of the front floor.

The 56 is just a shell and front end. Entire bus painted school bus yellow. Nose is mint. Rust in both rockers, doglegs good, bondo in rear corners, with trailer lights cut out. Bit of rust in the front floor... much better shape than my 58 deluxe...which I am restoring.

Anthing wrong with cutting it up? I could sell lots of good metal...to save other buses..!

Thu May 06, 2004 11:26 pm

i wouldnt cut it up. i dont believe in it. they sell all those parts dont they??? why not sell the shell bus and get some new metal? sure it costs money, but at least you will be saving another bus from getting hacked. hell, try metwiz for parts, i heard he is real good with it, and i think jeremy makes front floor sections. thats just my opinion.

Thu May 06, 2004 11:35 pm

I also forgot to clarify that I want good original VW metal for the 58 deluxe, the repro cargo floors don't match as well as the originals. I would want the grafting to match exact..

Thu May 06, 2004 11:48 pm

well, still, dont cut up a restoreable bus. at least (i cant believe what i am about to say!!!) cut up a bus that is WAY too gone as in, its rusted out, or it has been in a major wreck or somethin.

Fri May 07, 2004 12:24 am

It sounds like it needs lots of work but it's a 56 so I would say NO because someone might want to restore it. Then again you are trying to save your 58. Kinda rides the line... Cut one to save the other or the other gets repro parts. :?

BTW VWJosh you have a link to Metwiz's site?

Fri May 07, 2004 12:28 am

lets see some pictures of it.

Fri May 07, 2004 12:32 am

Quote: BTW VWJosh you have a link to Metwiz's site?

yup, here it is: www.metwiz.com

Fri May 07, 2004 12:39 am

you would most likely be able to find the sheetmetal you need out of a bus that has already been cut on. there are a lot of ads in the classifieds for buses being parted out, might want to check there before you go hacking on a 56.

Fri May 07, 2004 3:55 am

Sell the delux and save the 56 with the money!

Fri May 07, 2004 4:29 am

I went through the same dilemma with the 62 DD I cut up although it was given to me knowing it was going to be cut up. Granted it was a 62 and not a 56 but ... MY opinion on the matter is that you have to weigh the factor that a shell would be very expensive to find all the parts for. Repo sheet metal is never as good as the original. I could have bought doglegs but they were for 63 and later and I didn't want to modify them because the ones I have seen just don't look right. If you need the metal cut it up. When I cut the 62 I made sure that what I didn't use could or will be used by someone else. That bus will provide good metal to many buses. Those who don't do metal work may not understand. I am not for hacking all buses up but sorry they can't all be saved. Just make sure if you cut one up that it is not wasted. I took very little of the 62 to the scrap yard. Everyone will have a different opinion on which one to save because everyone likes different buses.

Fri May 07, 2004 4:33 am

WharfRat wrote: you would most likely be able to find the sheetmetal you need out of a bus that has already been cut on. there are a lot of ads in the classifieds for buses being parted out, might want to check there before you go hacking on a 56.

62 earlier doglegs go for $200+ each if you can find them. Front floor for a 58? Nope, no way you can find a good one. That the first part to go except for the battery tray. Cargo floor halves is a big one too.

Fri May 07, 2004 5:13 am

I couldn't bring myself to cut up a 56 for parts if it was saveable, there must be another way to fix up the 58 with original metal?

Fri May 07, 2004 6:07 am

vwjosh67 wrote: well, still, dont cut up a restoreable bus. at least (i cant believe what i am about to say!!!) cut up a bus that is WAY too gone as in, its rusted out, or it has been in a major wreck or somethin.

This defeats the purpose. If it is rusted out or wrecked than it wouldn't have the pieces he needs.

Fri May 07, 2004 6:10 am

Scotty wrote: I couldn't bring myself to cut up a 56 for parts if it was saveable, there must be another way to fix up the 58 with original metal?
Maybe if someone has a good floor and the other peices he needs from a previously cut up bus that would trade for the body.

Fri May 07, 2004 7:30 am

how much of the cargo floor do you need? I have some pieces (rust free).

I feel with you on this one... you look at the bus longingly... oh my bus could really use that (insert part here) but cutting up is real death to that poor 56. After refusing to part out my 59 project S0-23 westy that I decided not to restore, and it taking so long to find a good home for it, it is frustrating... I can't take them all home, can't fix them all myself, it can be hard to find good homes for the beasts. Still... I'd hesitate on that 56...

Fri May 07, 2004 7:44 am

dammit, here i go being all contrary again, and i say this without seeing pics and basing it on my idea of what a shell is, but..........

cut it up.
i could use some metal out of it. much of the repop metal is shit. properly removed original metal is much better. hell, i'll even come by and help you cut it up.
i do feel that if it were more complete, it may be worth keeping intact. but think of it, really. unless you spend a ton of time in the swaps or junkyards or you have an incredible parts stash, you're gonna have to have a parts bus (or 3) just to get all the things it would need to get it back on the road. and alot of time too. not financially realistic, but then which refurbishment is???
now i do have a soft spot for 56's, especially if it's a wolfsburg bus (by the way, what's the vin??), but ***here we go again*** not everyting can or should be saved. so what if others already have some metal cut out. it may not be cut out the way you ned it or the size you need, and then you have to worry about shipping/getting it. you already have a "donor" that you can remove exactly what you need, and then offer the rest to those in need.
then you'd also have to deal with selling the shell and getting rid of it if you were to keep it. more time investment......

so please, lets see some pics, and maybe i'll change my mind. but please let me know if/when you cut it up, especially if it's a wolfsburg bus, and i'll send you a list of some metal i could use. of course what'll happen is i'll see pics and what to buy the bus!

Fri May 07, 2004 7:47 am

hazetguy wrote: dammit, here i go being all contrary again, and i say this without seeing pics and basing it on my idea of what a shell is, but..........

cut it up.
i could use some metal out of it. much of the repop metal is shit. properly removed original metal is much better. hell, i'll even come by and help you cut it up.
i do feel that if it were more complete, it may be worth keeping intact. but think of it, really. unless you spend a ton of time in the swaps or junkyards or you have an incredible parts stash, you're gonna have to have a parts bus (or 3) just to get all the things it would need to get it back on the road. and alot of time too. not financially realistic, but then which refurbishment is???
now i do have a soft spot for 56's, especially if it's a wolfsburg bus (by the way, what's the vin??), but ***here we go again*** not everyting can or should be saved. so what if others already have some metal cut out. it may not be cut out the way you ned it or the size you need, and then you have to worry about shipping/getting it. you already have a "donor" that you can remove exactly what you need, and then offer the rest to those in need.
then you'd also have to deal with selling the shell and getting rid of it if you were to keep it. more time investment......

so please, lets see some pics, and maybe i'll change my mind. but please let me know if/when you cut it up, especially if it's a wolfsburg bus, and i'll send you a list of some metal i could use.

if this is a decnet shell, why not take all the parts off of one of your 56's, put them on this bus, then cut up yours?

Fri May 07, 2004 7:51 am

well, one of my 56's is from texas and needs no metal (just has dents/dings). runs, drives, and it pretty much complete minus some interior stuff.
the other 56 is a Westfalia, and i doubt very much i'm gonna scrap a vehicle that they made very few of (1000 Westfalias up to 1959, you do the math). you can see pics of it at:
www.westfaliaregistry.com
http://www.westfaliaregistry.com/147257.html in particular.
BUT, if it were a Westfalia, and in better shape, believe me, i'd be tempted, since mine needs much metal, which i have been sssslllllllllloooowwwwllllyyyyy collecting original metal to replace the rusted parts (if at all possible).

Fri May 07, 2004 7:55 am

point being, from someone who has been down the resto road several times, i would rather buy tail lights, doors, suspensions, seats, etc, than replace metal. you are spending the $$ either way, whats the difference? might as well have easy work (i.e. finding shit), than hard work (i.e. welding and grinding).

Fri May 07, 2004 7:58 am

i agree with you totally on that.