TheSamba.com :: View topic - Restoration of a former '65 firetruck (21F)

Tue Jul 02, 2019 12:44 pm

It's time to do an update.

I finally finished the center section of the van. The new cargo floor is installed.

Haven't made a picture of the completed floor from the top.

I also patched a few spots on the passenger side:

The repair section for the right front wheel-well did not fit at all :shock:

First I cut out the rusty part:

And modified the repair section to make it fit:

And then I made a repair section for the floor and welded it in:

and two more little patches:

Yesterday I started to remove the front valance:

Lots of work to get it all out without cutting into the parts that don't need replacing.

Thu Aug 01, 2019 9:25 pm

Any updates?

Thu Aug 01, 2019 11:17 pm

John Ghia wrote: Any updates?
Thank you for asking.

I am currently on a road trip to Sweden.

The week before I left I finished the second dogleg and got everything ready for installing the front valance. I will continue on that next week.

I will also follow up with the photos.

Thu Aug 08, 2019 12:14 pm

I decided, that the old doglegs were not worth saving after all. Therefore I replaced both sides. I don't understand why they bother to put them together. I find it much easier to install the outer part first and then the inner part, especially when using a spot welder to assemble them. The main reason for taking them apart is, that you cannot weld about 6" of the seam to the b-pillar when it is in one piece.

Then I installed the inner part of the front valance including the parts which connect to the a-pillars.

Thu Aug 08, 2019 12:23 pm

Have you seen this slideshow of a California-based, former German firetruck?

https://1drv.ms/u/s!AmhOW3ckxMVHgmDBl9v2hy_Ewjvn?e=uHVbyG

Thu Aug 08, 2019 12:28 pm

No, haven't seen that one. Thank you for sharing.

First double door firetruck I remember seeing. It's kinda cool.

Thu Sep 05, 2019 12:23 pm

Its time to continue on this thread.

In the mean time I scored some NOS spring plates. They were not advertised as such but looked good on the pictures. They still weren't cheap but it was a pleasant surprise to see that they had never been installed on a car.

I decided it would be a good idea to paint the cargo floor from the bottom before the weather gets bad. I gave it two coats of Brantho Corrux Nitrofest. the first coat I chose black and the second coat is red RAL 3000 the original color of the van, before it faded.

Since the front is done except for the front valance, I decided to move on to the back of the car. I need to replace the battery tray and fix some old not so good repairs I did back in the nineties.

I pounded the patches with a rubber mallet on a bag of sand to give them the correct 3D curvature. I am really happy how it turned out so far.

I did not finish the front valance yet, because I still want to sandblast the wheel wells and I figured I would not be able to get the blasting media out of the closed front valance.

Mon Sep 09, 2019 3:58 pm

Keep up the great work, =D> =D> =D>

mdege wrote: Its time to continue on this thread.

In the mean time I scored some NOS spring plates. They were not advertised as such but looked good on the pictures. They still weren't cheap but it was a pleasant surprise to see that they had never been installed on a car.

I decided it would be a good idea to paint the cargo floor from the bottom before the weather gets bad. I gave it two coats of Brantho Corrux Nitrofest. the first coat I chose black and the second coat is red RAL 3000 the original color of the van, before it faded.

Since the front is done except for the front valance, I decided to move on to the back of the car. I need to replace the battery tray and fix some old not so good repairs I did back in the nineties.

I pounded the patches with a rubber mallet on a bag of sand to give them the correct 3D curvature. I am really happy how it turned out so far.

I did not finish the front valance yet, because I still want to sandblast the wheel wells and I figured I would not be able to get the blasting media out of the closed front valance.

Thu Sep 12, 2019 12:51 pm

@LAGrunthaner: Thank you for the kind words.

Finished the right rear corner today.

Wed Sep 25, 2019 11:01 am

I finished the sheet metal work on the body for now. The only thing missing is the nose which I am waiting with until if finish blasting the bottom. I don't want the blast media trapped in the front valance.

Today I did the last bit of grinding and welding on the left rear corner.

Blasted the main rail before I installed the new parts.

Wed Oct 16, 2019 10:26 am

Some more progress. I pulled out the rear hatch seal and blasted the rust in the seal channel and I straightened out the warped rear apron:

On Monday I took the bus to a place which does media blasting and had the undercarriage blasted:

On Tuesday I took a day off from work to spray the first coat of paint. It was supposed to rain and it did rain. I dragged the bus over to my farmer neighbors and used their shop to do the work:

First layer is done, this will keep the rust from coming back:

Sun Oct 27, 2019 2:02 am

Some more updates on my van.

I closed the front valance. I had put that off because I was sure I would not get the blasting media out once it is closed. I definitely think that was a good idea. I still have crushed glass coming from all kinds of places. Every time I move the van or tip it on its side more of the stuff comes out of the crevices.

I did add more spot-welds on the top, but didn't take a picture. The spot-welder had to cool off, therefore I postponed the upper welds.

Then I installed most of the heater tubes. I let out the long center section because the tube I bought is a bit too small. I need to make some adapters.

Yesterday I took advantage of the really nice fall day to spray the second and in most parts last coat of paint on the under carriage.

Tue Oct 29, 2019 11:12 am

You are doing a great job on that bus.

Tue Oct 29, 2019 11:50 am

Major Woody wrote: You are doing a great job on that bus.

Thank you!

Today I started to weld the last panel to the body.

Tue Oct 29, 2019 12:40 pm

I love the detail in terms of how you keep documenting each step. Thank you for sharing and getting this thing back to show quality!

Tue Oct 29, 2019 3:07 pm

I couldn't agree more.

1970PAKombi wrote: I love the detail in terms of how you keep documenting each step. Thank you for sharing and getting this thing back to show quality!

Tue Oct 29, 2019 10:08 pm

LAGrunthaner wrote: I couldn't agree more.

1970PAKombi wrote: I love the detail in terms of how you keep documenting each step. Thank you for sharing and getting this thing back to show quality!

Thank you!

I read a lot of build threads before I started. I feel now it is time to pass on some of my experience to the next ones who start on such a journey,

Fri Nov 01, 2019 4:19 pm

I just read your whole thread - great job you’re doing 👍🏻

Sun Nov 03, 2019 10:31 am

bus guy wrote: I just read your whole thread - great job you’re doing 👍🏻

Thanks!

This weekend I spent some more time touching up places I couldn't reach with the airgun. And I tinned the weld on front panel. It didn't turn out great but I guess I filled enough with tin to get a reasonably thin layer of epoxy putty.

And layer of primer to keep the rust away. It is getting really damp at night.

Thu Nov 21, 2019 12:52 pm

I can't really do much to the body at the moment because it is too cold for the epoxy filler. Therefore I started putting some parts back. I started with the clutch pedal. The seal is no longer available. I decided, that there must be a solution and I think I have a greatly improved version.

I made a ring from PA6 plastic on my lath and use a standard o-ring.

And I also reinstalled the brake pedal.