TheSamba.com :: View topic - Patricks 21-Window Resto

Mon Jan 14, 2013 1:16 pm

Hi guys, Here is some more updates. We are into the painting stage but first going to bring you up to date on what were doing for the last couple of months.

The door was mounted but we had cut away metal as the door was hitting the sill. Will try to massage the lower door frame up a little to get the center belt lined upwith the cargo doors. Looks like the hinge pillar drupped down a little.

Just as well we cut. Looks like that rust needs some work.

Got a good case the rusties here on the bottom.

And also on the bottom of the inside. Look like we are have to gets some inner and outer door bottoms.

The Lower pin and mirror arm are well worn will have to be replaced.

Rot be gone.

Inside sandblasted and ready for a transplant. You have to be careful here,the door is now very weak and will sag a lot, and there is not much holding the hinge on.

Now getting the inner panel fitted.If any of you attempt this just remember to take your time and tack weld one spot at a time then fit again and again. Everytime you make one adjustment another will change ( just like murphys law). I have never seen a replacement panel that didn,t need some degree of massage VW or otherwise. So fit, massage, tack repeatedly till you get it right before you weld it up solid. This goes for any panel or panels, do them together. there is always headaches, just try to avoid them. And get rid of that green primer, it has no worthwhile adhesion.

Inner panel is tacked and fitted with the outer so now we can weld up the inner.

Everything is fitted,gapped and welded up solid including center belt mldg screw holes. The holes probally won't match new mldg and it will make a better refinish job. We did manage to get the bottom door massaged to get a good gap and weld on a new fabricated bottom in 18ga metal.

All stripped down and ready for refinish. We also worked on that rear panel but more on that later. And now were going around the corner and tackle the other door.

Mon Jan 14, 2013 2:34 pm

Thanks for the update! Back to the real meat of the thread, love it. The work put in looks awesome, and the gaps are about as consistent as they get from what I can see. Keep up the great work! 8)

Tue Jan 15, 2013 8:02 pm

Ok guys,Were now working on the drivers door.

After hanging this removeable it was evident there were some problems that needed to be sraightened out so we started with removing the partial repair panel that is barely tacked on.That was easy to remove as it was not folded over to the inside either.

Man look at all the rust hiding behide that repair piece.

Took off that tiny piece of repair panel and it looks pretty obvious we,ll have to get a couple of full size repair panels. I didn,t known you could buy such tiny pieces.

Under that piece we found another tiny piece welded to lower hinge and surrounding rust and painted with a rattle can.

The lower hinge pin was pretty much seized so had use a good dose of heat to get it out.

Atfter cutting away all the rust and sandblasting what was left we now have a new full size panel in place.

Checking all the gaps and clearances on the inside.

Checking again with door open.

Tacking on the outside panel.

Welded all the inside and out side of lower section nice and solid.

Unlike the the right door we could not massage the lower frame on this side so we had to cut and shorten the inside lower door frame about half an inch to get a good gap along the lower edge. Then installed a prefabricated pre bent panel. Again using 18 ga metal.

Adding a piece to get a good gap on dog leg.

Triming that piece for a nice gap.

Working on the gap at the long panel.

Left door mostly welded but have to start straigthing and jacking out the B pillar first. that will be my next post coming soon as I can. Hope you enjoy.

Gary Enjoy your day.

Tue Jan 15, 2013 8:58 pm

Very nice work Gary! Looking super solid now! 8)

Tue Jan 15, 2013 9:21 pm

Now were working on the drivers B pillar and before we weld up the left door completely the pillar needs some work. With the window frame installed and the door closed, the gaps and flushnish checked, it shows the B pillar is in about 3/4 inch in at the center belt mldg line.

We started to grind out the bondo on long panel and saw how much bondo is in here so we went to the inside to have a look.

Things didn't look good here either, also pushed in, so we cut out a section so we could get at the inside and jack out the outside skin and out side of pillar

Definetly going to have to make this look better, right now i'm afraid to see what might be behind that painted over bondo.

Finishing clean out all that bondo and getting ready to massage the pillar a little more.

A couple of smacks with the hammer and out comes a hunk of bondo revealing a rot hole in the bottom of the inside B pillar. Photo is little fuzzy but you can see it in the pic above it. Guess camera man Patrick was a little dizzy.

Went back inside to weld the inside of the B pillar for good.

Things are fitting pretty good now and can finish welding up the door then move on to the nose.

That is it for today more comeing up. Gary

Tue Jan 15, 2013 10:45 pm

Couldn't sleep yet so here are some pics of the nose of Patricks bus.

The lip on the left side of the nose panel did not fit the left door properly so we tacked on a small strip.

After welding up the strip and grinding to match the door better it was refinished for primer.

Here all the mldg holes have been welded up.

Now the nose has been massaged to get all high spots off and a little pink filler added where the other, dark green and white filler,and primer was not finished correctly.

Next will be all the rest of the refinishing photos Thank for following the progress. Gary

Wed Jan 16, 2013 11:39 am

I don't even want to know how much this is costing the owner. That bus should have been cut up and used for parts. I mean it is cool someone is trying to save it and it is even better that you are showing the amount of work required to save something like that. But anyone thinking about taking on a project like that and hiring a pro better have some deep pockets.

Wed Jan 16, 2013 11:50 am

Braukuche wrote: I don't even want to know how much this is costing the owner. That bus should have been cut up and used for parts. I mean it is cool someone is trying to save it and it is even better that you are showing the amount of work required to save something like that. But anyone thinking about taking on a project like that and hiring a pro better have some deep pockets.

now you won't be able to cut it up for parts anymore... all new metal :)

Wed Jan 16, 2013 7:40 pm

Unreal work going on. That B Pillat was a mess.

How did you guys re attach the lower hing on the drivers door?

Great save on work already done.

Phillip

Wed Jan 16, 2013 8:31 pm

Hi guys, trying to get you caught up on progress as fast as I can. Here are the photos of the refinishing and filler.

For doing any long panels your going to have a nice long board file if you want the panels anywhere near striaght.

Here all the mldg screw holes are welded up. Ground out some bad bondo work around the the rear air intake. The started to shave off a lot of the exsiting bondo to get it as flush as possible.

With the B pillar straightened out metal is preped for some fresh filler.

Work on getting the long panel and left rear corner all smoothed out.

The B pillar all smoothed out.

The right side short panel before any refinishing was done.

Started with welding the mldg screw holes then shaveing down some excess bondo and found some very low spots.The darker coloured primer.

Grinding out bondo on right side corner and massaging a high section.

Checking out the flushness of corner panel to side panel.

All the rear smoothed out and refinished for primer.

All the outside just about ready for primer.

The engine bay getting some finishing touches.

Left inside panel before refinishing.

After refinising.

Refinishing the new metal around the skylight windows.

Wed Jan 16, 2013 8:43 pm

[quote="type47fan1"]Unreal work going on. That B Pillat was a mess.

How did you guys re attach the lower hing on the drivers door?

Great save on work already done.

Phillip

Hi Phillip.
Very carefully.When all that rotten metal is removed the door becomes very weak and sags.With a new pin in the hinge and nicely sand blasted it was careful fitted, tacked, fitted again and again ckecking all gaps then welded up with some extra hidden reinforcement.

Thanks Gary.

Wed Jan 16, 2013 9:03 pm

Well here are the primer pictures of Patricks bus. The poor guy was slave driven by me for several months to get his bus to this point. He wore his finger tips down till they dripped blood. It is now time for some paint. Pictures will be coming soon

Wed Jan 16, 2013 9:10 pm

trikerboy wrote: Well here are the primer pictures of Patricks bus. The poor guy was slave driven by me for several months to get his bus to this point. He wore his finger tips down till they dripped blood. It is now time for some paint. Pictures will be coming soon

Woo hoo paint! Can't wait to see how it looks all dressed up.

Wed Jan 16, 2013 9:59 pm

Very nice! Woohoo almost time for wheels.

Wed Jan 16, 2013 10:10 pm

trikerboy wrote: Well here are the primer pictures of Patricks bus. The poor guy was slave driven by me for several months to get his bus to this point. He wore his finger tips down till they dripped blood. It is now time for some paint. Pictures will be coming soon

That says it all! Good job! And what some of the samba whiners don't get is that it takes blood and sweat to get work done. Well done and props man! The bus is nice, but what's better is you're putting in WORK!

Wed Jan 16, 2013 11:58 pm

trikerboy wrote:

^^^That is some very welldone welding, right thar. One day I hope to have similar mad skilz.

Thu Jan 17, 2013 5:14 pm

Looking really nice!!! I cant wait to see it all come together!!

Sat Jan 19, 2013 8:50 am

Here are some more photos of the progress on Patricks bus,

After a good clean up, bit of bodywork and a lot of caulking the underside and engine bay is ready for some fresh paint.

There's the underside and engine bay painted. more painting soon

Gary

Sat Jan 19, 2013 9:00 am

That underside looks fabulous!

Sat Jan 19, 2013 12:35 pm