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Mon Aug 25, 2025 8:55 am

Kb65single wrote:
There is a rubber pad inserted in the bus corner sheet metal about 6 inches from the bumper bracket. Not sure why it's there it just is.

To keep painted metal part from rubbing against painted metal part.

Mon Aug 25, 2025 9:41 am

The rectangular one I've usually found ribbed side up. However, that may just be because ribbed side down ones fell off due to less surface area to adhere. I'd guess the ribs are for drainage - but then why make them on just one side? The mysterious minds of VW engineers...

Mon Aug 25, 2025 6:12 pm

I put mine ribbed side down so water gets out where it's against the bumper bracket top.

Tue Aug 26, 2025 4:15 pm

Quote: To keep painted metal part from rubbing against painted metal part.

Some of us do not have this issue. :)

Mon Sep 08, 2025 2:11 pm

Back to the rear bumper.

Started adjusting the AB, BC and CD angles by sectioning (partial) and tack welding where needed. Ended up cutting 3 of the 4 BC, CD angles.

You can see by the hammer marks that the PO did a reasonable job of straightening the bracket. The metal is pretty thick so changing the shape was best done by cutting and rewelding.

Cutting the plate end of the rear bumper bracket off and adjusting the BC and CD angles let me get things aligned properly. There were multiple try ins, but the final product was repeatable, and nothing was torqued out of shape. The blade and slash ends were parallel to the load bed, and it was centered in the bus. After the cuts and tack welds the brackets ended up looking the same but they were not interchangeable. Definitely a driver's side and a passenger's side. I closed the 3/4-inch gap between the splash pan and the bus corner sheet metal to 1/8-inch.

There were other adjustments needed at the same time as the brackets especially to the splash pans. Had to cut off the tabs that screw to the slash end of the bumper blade and align them properly. Left a gap for rubber washers to eventually protect the final paint.

There are these strangely shaped pieces of thick metal that go behind the bus sheet metal corners. They help support the slash end of the rear bus bumper. One end uses a small 5mm nut and bolt. The other end is an 8mm bolt. There is a left and right to them. Had to change the hole location of the bus corner sheet metal on one side of the bus. Had to change the hole location on one of the strange, shaped pieces on the other side.

The WW kit has a little rubber pad that attaches to the bus corner sheet metal on the bottom ledge. I enlarged the hole in the metal because it was too difficult to install the way it was.

So, after all the adjusting I wanted to see if the splash pans ended up mostly level and parallel to the load bed.

Kept the pass and driver's side bumper bracket tight to the frame on the inside while fitting things so I would have a repeatable location. Also started with the brackets in the most rear position. I did end up moving them just a nudge forward.

Added round rubber washers to pad the corner sheet metal on the side and bottom near the slash ends. Might have to blow up the image to find them.

That rubber pad does keep the painted metal parts separated.

Splash pan at the d-pillar has a small gap.

Unfortunately, you can't bolt the splash pans to the bus and rear bracket and slide the bumper under. It just won't work. Loosely assemble is the best approach.

Had to change the location of the 5mm bolt holes connecting the splash pan to the bracket on top. The rubber gasket that fits on the curved outside of the splash pan made that change necessary.

Final pictures. Sorry for all of the pictures, that is the most complicated and frustrating part fit that I had on this bus. Glad it's done. Moving slowly forward. I love a good fit on any front and rear bumper.

Oilspot and Buckly were right; your fingers might get pinched.

Mon Sep 08, 2025 4:36 pm

Never apologize for too many pictures, especially when they convey so much detail. For instanc, I did not know of these

and doubt they are on my truck. Gotta look now.

No disrespect to E&B, but I think these

didn't fit because they don't go there. There is nothing in my OG VW parts manuals showing them. They are shown in Beetle manual. Doesn't mean VW didn't adapt them from somewhere later. Or my parts manuals being a year they left them out. Or the OG part is no longer made and everyone just uses the Bug one?

It's also fantastic to follow along on the journey of making old fit new and vice versa. Even if I had the skills, I wouldn't have your patience. This thing should goto the VW museum when you are done having fun!

In any event, hurry up and get them wheels on!

Mon Sep 08, 2025 6:17 pm

70bus wrote: No disrespect to E&B, but I think these

didn't fit because they don't go there. There is nothing in my OG VW parts manuals showing them. They are shown in Beetle manual. Doesn't mean VW didn't adapt them from somewhere later. Or my parts manuals being a year they left them out. Or the OG part is no longer made and everyone just uses the Bug one?

FWIW our project MAR62 built SO-34 still has the one on the left side, the right side has rotted away from battery rust. Have had that bus since the early 1990s.

Have found a few original VW factory parts that are not listed in the parts manuals. Would guess that the rubber stops were not included in the parts manual since any VW mechanic and body worker could ID that part due to being so ubiquitous.

Mon Sep 08, 2025 6:21 pm

Well, that's what I'm saying - they were specifically called out in the T1 parts manual, and I saw some on a diagram for a pancake motor. It makes sense that's what those holes would be used for (tho a drain also makes sense); I just find it odd they left it out in this one example.

If my tin was close enough to rattle I'd try em out. :0

Mon Sep 08, 2025 6:24 pm

70bus wrote: Well, that's what I'm saying - they were specifically called out in the T1 parts manual, and I saw some on a diagram for a pancake motor. It makes sense that's what those holes would be used for (tho a drain also makes sense); I just find it odd they left it out in this one example.

If my tin was close enough to rattle I'd try em out. :0

Took a quick look at the parts manual for those plugs being listed in the type 2 floor body section where that area had several of those plugs,and not seeing them listed there. Maybe just missed them....

Mon Sep 08, 2025 7:15 pm

Who has a body work manual? I just have the 'estimated time' book. Maybe I'll see how much time they estimate to find these plugs and stick them in!

I guess we can let kb65single get back to his work. Or maybe he wants to say to hell with it and weld all these pesky holes up.

Tue Sep 09, 2025 7:31 am

70bus wrote: Who has a body work manual? I just have the 'estimated time' book. Maybe I'll see how much time they estimate to find these plugs and stick them in!

I guess we can let kb65single get back to his work. Or maybe he wants to say to hell with it and weld all these pesky holes up.

I saw a picture in one of the 13 pages of bumper info in the forums and it, (the rubber plug), was there. It was included in the kit, so I assumed it was correct.

Tue Sep 09, 2025 9:41 am

There's an image in the 63 shop manual section on splash pans that MIGHT show shadowy circles in 2 places under the quarter panel. Or it might be an artifact of printing process. I'm just amused there's no documentation anywhere. Maybe it was a verbal thing on the production line - "If you zee ein hole you fill it!"

Wed Sep 24, 2025 7:51 am

After getting the bumper fit I wanted to find a solution for preventing the crushing of the rear bumper towel bar ends. It was easy enough to pound the crushing back out but repeating the same thing over and over again is insane. Road trip to the Ace Hardware to find something that would slide inside the pipe and prevent that from happening. Ace Hardware had a small selection of non-plated metal cylinders. They were a little long, but that was good. Slowly rounded the metal to match the inside towel bar. Sandblasted the inside to guarantee a good weld. Cut a slot across the bar and welded the two pieces. Added another weld on the inside. You could probably glue them in if you were preserving the paint. I have the same problem on the front bumper towel bar.

Today 4:56 am

Decided to sandblast the headlight bucket areas where it joins the nose skin. Don't know of a better way to get into those tight areas. Plastic and a lot of tape over the entire bus then outside to blast it. Eastwoods Afterblast applied after blasting.

Before

After

When I bought the bus, it was brush painted grey (not a vw color). Underneath that was grey primer and underneath the primer was an ivory color. I thought that was the original color. It was not. Previous past owners did not remove the front VW emblem when they painted the ivory color. I started sanding that area and found the original light grey. Brush paint was really thick, so I used a sharp chisel to slide underneath the primer coats to get to the light grey. Found a bunch of rust via stone chips on the nose skin. The brush paint was hiding most of them.

While I had the plastic on, I chiseled off the roof paint. Paint chips everywhere.

Today 9:35 am

Quote: original light grey

Yup

414183

Be fun to keep the roof OG, but considering you need to paint the rest, probably not worth it.

Today 1:19 pm

414183 Thanks for the hint 70bus.
Did a little research.
That explains everything: idea: : roll:
I remember you sent me a PM about that a long time ago.
The only problem was that's the first time I found the original paint layer. Found a lot of rust and Bondo during this adventure. Sanded on the doors, treasure chest doors, engine lid and various places on the body and all I found was that damn ivory color. Should have sanded more but I didn't. I'm glad it's light grey; I hated that ivory color.

Today 3:48 pm

My truck had been sprayed in parts with that ivory as well; must have been a popular color in the day. Maybe your PO did a proper sand-to-metal-and-prime job in spots? Mine came off with acetone, luckily, as did the flat white paint on top of it.

Most of the bottom 1/4 had to be replaced. So OG paint can't always be saved. You didn't really have the option.

If you don't mind the chips in the roof, I'd keep the original paint on it, but if you do a pro-level paint job like you are the metal, the difference might bug you. You can always leave the roof as-is, and paint it later if the shiny rest-of-bus makes it look weird. Barely any prep and mask work to do...

Anyways, your bus; your call!