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Mon Jul 15, 2013 7:47 pm

did some more work on the bus. I had to condition the metal, together with my sweat getting all over and the hot and humid mid-atlantic climate, the bare metal has begun to show light signs of surface rust.

I also ground down all the spot welds from the old floor, conditioned, and primed the passenger area.

Next weekend I plan to craft up some dogleg repair sections and actually weld in the front floor!!

Tue Jul 16, 2013 5:47 pm

Looking good, Dan.
What are you using for your metal conditioner?

Tue Jul 16, 2013 7:50 pm

Nice! Keep chipping away at it Dan.

Wed Jul 17, 2013 7:10 am

Keep in mind that adding primer is just giving the surface a higher mil thickness once finished with a top coat. Easier for the paint to chip with lots of material applied to it...the metal conditioner/phosphoric acid will do just what you need until all is welded and then seal it.

Wed Jul 17, 2013 7:30 am

gatorwyatt wrote: Keep in mind that adding primer is just giving the surface a higher mil thickness once finished with a top coat. Easier for the paint to chip with lots of material applied to it...the metal conditioner/phosphoric acid will do just what you need until all is welded and then seal it.

I've heard stories of phos treated metal reacting with paint/primer products?

Wed Jul 17, 2013 5:48 pm

GLHTurbo wrote: gatorwyatt wrote: Keep in mind that adding primer is just giving the surface a higher mil thickness once finished with a top coat. Easier for the paint to chip with lots of material applied to it...the metal conditioner/phosphoric acid will do just what you need until all is welded and then seal it.

I've heard stories of phos treated metal reacting with paint/primer products?

Thanks for the info guys. We'll see what happens. I only did the tubs and the front frame sections, if all else fails, I sand it down and start over again. Russ is letting me use the rust conditioner you can buy at autozone. It's amazing how much I sweat, sweat gets on metal, metal rusts. Something I didn't think would happen.

Sat Jul 20, 2013 9:47 pm

More work done today.

Decided I needed to do dogleg repair before the floor goes in.

Worked on the beam instead of doing body work. Wire brushed, and painted. Still need to do a few more coats of paint on the beam.

What is this number? Should it match the vin?

Sat Jul 20, 2013 10:17 pm

60vwnewengland wrote: What is this number? Should it match the vin?

No, just the front beam serial #. It doesn't match any other number.

Sun Jul 21, 2013 8:33 am

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/info/chassisdating.php

Looks to be Feb of 59.

Nice project by the way, Can't wait to see it built.

Sun Jul 21, 2013 11:52 am

roberto wrote: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/info/chassisdating.php

Looks to be Feb of 59.

Nice project by the way, Can't wait to see it built.

Ev stated thats the part no. for the beam. the first three digits in my vin are 431*** super early '59. January '59

Sun Jul 21, 2013 5:22 pm

60vwnewengland wrote: roberto wrote: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/info/chassisdating.php

Looks to be Feb of 59.

Nice project by the way, Can't wait to see it built.

Ev stated thats the part no. for the beam. the first three digits in my vin are 431*** super early '59. January '59

I guess there is a little discrepancy in the beam #s on that page as the beam is from 2/59 and I doubt it would be replaced and be so close.

Sun Aug 04, 2013 3:15 pm

Worked on the bus today. Took some nasty panels off the cargo doors to see how they looked. Not too bad.

Question? What size screw is used to attaché the doors to the body? WW and BD sell 4pcks for about $5 each! That's $30 to just screw on the doors! :shock:
The screws must be a common size I can get at the hardware store?

Finished the beam

Redid the front backing plates

Mon Aug 05, 2013 4:35 am

Nice work Dan !!!!! Keep moving foward !
I probably have some of the door screws, you need 8 per door ??
I'll pull as many as I can find from the various bucket/cans/boxes of small parts.

Wed Aug 07, 2013 6:16 pm

60vwnewengland wrote: Question? What size screw is used to attaché the doors to the body?

I measured one:
8mm machine screw, 16mm total length (VW says 18mm), head diameter 16mm, Phillips, Oval head, ~90deg angle.

I have two nice and two decent ones you can have. So maybe between those and crukab's findings you will have enough. I don't think you will find a suitable screw in a hardware store. McMaster-Carr has them, but the head diameter is 1mm too small and you might have to grind the length down (they are 20mm).

Sat Aug 10, 2013 3:58 pm

is this what i'm looking for?

http://www.fastenal.com/web/products/details/VM258...erByStore=

Sun Aug 11, 2013 7:46 pm

60vwnewengland wrote: is this what i'm looking for?

http://www.fastenal.com/web/products/details/VM258...erByStore=

Well, the length is really close, but the head is still 1 mm too small. These will work fine and noone will probably ever notice or care.

Sun Aug 11, 2013 7:52 pm

In case you didn't see these:

http://www.wolfsburgwest.com/cart/DetailsList.cfm?ID=N142881

Sat Aug 17, 2013 6:24 pm

Did some work on my brothers swivel seat today while I was down here on vacation. We hung the doors and tried to set the gaps as best as possible. Hopefully we should be welding and have the underside painted by the end of the week. Thanks to crukab Tom for the door screws or we would still be at square one.

Sat Aug 17, 2013 7:34 pm

crukab wrote: Nice work Dan !!!!! Keep moving foward !
I probably have some of the door screws, you need 8 per door ??
I'll pull as many as I can find from the various bucket/cans/boxes of small parts.

Tom, you are awesome! Thanks to you, my brother and I made so much progress! We hung the doors and guaged the gaps. Now we're working on inner and outer rockers.

Sun Aug 18, 2013 3:02 pm

Installed the inner rocker today on the 59. What a bitch.