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Fri Oct 25, 2024 4:48 pm

I removed the shag carpet from the front of my '69 bus and on the passenger side I found a very un-SoCal-bus sight:

There's some black goo that was placed over the hole, and there's some on the driver's side also. The hole on that side is minor, like a bolt-hole.
From below:

That's mostly undercoating, not rust, the rust seems to be pretty limited. The bracket wiggles a bit and I'm sure it's not safe to use. I've found some replacement pieces that can be welded in, with a huge variation in price - from $31 to $129. None of them state the thickness of the steel used in the part.

Since the damage seems to be limited, this piece looks like it would cover the area nicely. Now I need to find someone who is qualified to weld it in. Any thoughts on this and/or suggestions on finding someone to do this work?

Fri Oct 25, 2024 4:52 pm

call Brian at Washburns in Orange John . they fixed by bug pan . thats what they do is weld VW and Porsche !!! they dont do cheap work , they do good work LOL

he might like to source his own sheet metal as not all venders quality is the same , he will know . i was gona buy new jack ports but he had originals cut out of bad pans to re use .

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=2564870

you may get buy with a smaller repair than the whole piece if you could find a welder . Washburns likes BIG jobs LOL

Fri Oct 25, 2024 6:45 pm

looks like you'll be welding in some stock seat rails after all :wink:

Sat Oct 26, 2024 9:17 am

I'll give Washburn's a call Monday morning, that sounds promising. As for the rails...that is a good idea, but not sure yet. Original seats are not cheap, and I kind of like the Scat seats with a head rest.

There's more of the black goo at the edge of one of the steel plates that were welded in, I'm wondering if that may be hiding more corruption.

The carpet in the main floor is mounted on plywood, but I'm worried about what might lurk below a leaky window. I should remove all of the carpet before going to Washburn's.

Sat Oct 26, 2024 12:42 pm

what your wanting to repair there may or may not work with the after market seats your thinking about . not sure a stock seat belt would fit n work in the same spot with after market seats .

my 57 bug had no seat belts but i added some and used large fender washers above and below the floor pan holes to give more strength .

i think you need to decide on what seats n go from there ??? i duno ???

i dont know whats gona be needed to hold/attach the seats down .

Sat Oct 26, 2024 2:20 pm

Well, what's in there are after market seats. There are 4 bolts inserted into the sliding rails on the bottom of the seat that then mount on the steel bars that have been welded onto the seat stands. I don't know how the Scat seats mount, they're "semi-universal" mounts.

I have modern style after market seat belts from Jbugs in there, they mount nicely into the existing mounts.

I suppose I can find a set of VW seats, order the replacement VW seat rails from buttysbits.com, grind off the steel bars and have the new rails ready to weld in place. Like it's all that easy. I found some old seats at the OCTO event (but didn't buy them), and a guy who will fix the springs and reupholster them, it'll cost about $1300 total.

Sat Oct 26, 2024 6:53 pm

StanDahl wrote:
I suppose I can find a set of VW seats, order the replacement VW seat rails from buttysbits.com, grind off the steel bars and have the new rails ready to weld in place. Like it's all that easy. I found some old seats at the OCTO event (but didn't buy them), and a guy who will fix the springs and reupholster them, it'll cost about $1300 total.

A pair of leather stow and go seats were $250 cdn for mine

Sun Oct 27, 2024 9:14 am

Yes, a friend of mine has a 2015 Chrysler T&C with a blown transmission, I'm working on possibly getting those seats. How did you mount yours?

Sun Oct 27, 2024 9:55 am

They come with the slides built in, you would just have to adjust for height, since the slides are set in from the seat bottom
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...p;start=40

Mon Oct 28, 2024 7:02 am

Another option is to just look up "recaro seat sliders" or "OMP seat sliders" or "Sabelt seat sliders". They are used in racing but pretty much the seat sliders recaro used for aftermarket seats for years. There are a few different models.

As for that seat belt mounting, we use these in racing when we need to mount seatbelts in a racecar, because only one factory threaded area exists that we can use. So the crotch belt and right belt (on the drivers side) need something to mount to.

https://www.pegasusautoracing.com/productdetails.asp?RecID=29945
https://www.pegasusautoracing.com/productdetails.asp?RecID=28535

I tack weld them in just so it's easier to deal with.All I can say is that I've dealt with many racecars that have been destroyed but never a seat belt issue.

Maybe just cut out the whole seat belt mount, then weld in a new piece of steel, drill a hole and tack weld the back.

Tue Oct 29, 2024 12:53 pm

StanDahl wrote: Well, what's in there are after market seats. There are 4 bolts inserted into the sliding rails on the bottom of the seat that then mount on the steel bars that have been welded onto the seat stands. I don't know how the Scat seats mount, they're "semi-universal" mounts.

I have modern style after market seat belts from Jbugs in there, they mount nicely into the existing mounts.

I suppose I can find a set of VW seats, order the replacement VW seat rails from buttysbits.com, grind off the steel bars and have the new rails ready to weld in place. Like it's all that easy. I found some old seats at the OCTO event (but didn't buy them), and a guy who will fix the springs and reupholster them, it'll cost about $1300 total.

I managed to purchase a set of post 1976 seats with headrests over here for £40 a pair at a swapmeet. I was amazed how cheap they were. The covers were basically gone and there was quite a lot of rust.
Some welding and a lot of wire brushing later where water had damaged them, a set of WW seat pads for about £200, some covers for £150 and rails from Buttys bits for about £100, as I only had fit rails to the drivers side as the passenger seat just needed the little brackets at the back to hold it down.

For the repairs to my seatbelt fixing points, I used steel sheet and motorsports rated seatbelt attachment points that can be bought quite cheaply - a square of steel with the correct nut welded in.

Wed Oct 30, 2024 2:28 pm

It seems like I'll be going with whatever system fits the seats I find first. I saw some 1979 seats in the classifieds, but the rail system is apparently different than the 68-76. So I'll keep looking for either a set of original seats or if a set of alternate seats appear, maybe I'll go with those. First order of business is to get those seat belt mounts addressed.

I contacted Washburn's about the holes and they're pretty booked up, but they might be able to fit me in. They say is should only take a few hours and I don't need to provide any parts.

Mon May 05, 2025 3:11 pm

Follow-up:

I was able to take the bus to Washburn's and Brian got it fixed up beautifully. He even welded in the seat rails that I had riv-nutted in place.

Next, I need to bring it in to get all of the screw holes in the main floor welded up and maybe have him look at the surface rust (hopefully) on the front floor.

(There's still some grinding residue on the passenger side that I haven't swept out.)

It seemed weird bringing my working bay window bus to a shop filled with nothing but old split window buses, oval window bugs and Porsche 356's - all gutted and in primer, getting major work done.

Wed May 07, 2025 5:46 am

StanDahl wrote: I removed the shag carpet from the front of my '69 bus and on the passenger side I found a very un-SoCal-bus sight:

That degree of corrosion around seat-belt mounting points, would have resulted in an instant failure of the British MOT roadworthiness inspection several years earlier and a requirement to have the vehicle properly repaired before it was allowed back on the road! :shock: :roll:

I wonder what other features this vehicle has, which would also result in a British MOT roadworthiness inspection failure!?!

Wed May 07, 2025 11:01 am

That's really the extent of the rust on this bus. There's some surface rust under the floor mat up front, but the body and frame are nearly rust-free. I'm guessing it was caused by the carpet holding moisture there, although others have said that that's a common place for corrosion to happen even in California. It's a small sample, but I looked at at least three other 1969 buses in Barry's Boneyard and they were not rusty there.

Fri May 09, 2025 4:27 am

StanDahl wrote: That's really the extent of the rust on this bus. There's some surface rust under the floor mat up front, but the body and frame are nearly rust-free. I'm guessing it was caused by the carpet holding moisture there, although others have said that that's a common place for corrosion to happen even in California. It's a small sample, but I looked at at least three other 1969 buses in Barry's Boneyard and they were not rusty there.

That's good, but keep in mind that a vehicle sourced from a "bone yard" or anywhere else in North America, has a HIGH probability of faults which would result in it being deemed "unroadworthy" if subjected to the type if rigorous roadworthiness inspections & certification, that are the norm in Great Britain, Europe and elsewhere, for which intervals vary between 6 months to 2 years.

Fri May 09, 2025 7:17 am

I think the citizens of the UK can sleep well at night secure in the knowledge that Stan's bus will not be terrorizing thier roads any time soon. :wink:

Fri May 09, 2025 11:30 am

NASkeet wrote: That's good, but keep in mind that a vehicle sourced from a "bone yard" or anywhere else in North America, has a HIGH probability of faults which would result in it being deemed "unroadworthy" if subjected to the type if rigorous roadworthiness inspections & certification, that are the norm in Great Britain, Europe and elsewhere, for which intervals vary between 6 months to 2 years.

My bus wasn't sourced from a "Boneyard", but from an estate, and it's very solid. If you'd like to spend a horrifying evening examining the rolling zombies that can crawl the U.S. roads (especially the northern rust-belt roads), check out the YouTube channel called "Just Rolled In".

Sat May 10, 2025 5:31 am

NASkeet wrote: StanDahl wrote: I removed the shag carpet from the front of my '69 bus and on the passenger side I found a very un-SoCal-bus sight:

That degree of corrosion around seat-belt mounting points, would have resulted in an instant failure of the British MOT roadworthiness inspection several years earlier and a requirement to have the vehicle properly repaired before it was allowed back on the road! :shock: :roll:

I wonder what other features this vehicle has, which would also result in a British MOT roadworthiness inspection failure!?!

You might say so, but my bus passed the MOT a few months before I pulled the seatbelt
reel fixing straight out of the wheel arch by hand, along with a sandwich of about three rotten sheets of steel.

Sun May 11, 2025 8:18 am

StanDahl wrote: NASkeet wrote: That's good, but keep in mind that a vehicle sourced from a "bone yard" or anywhere else in North America, has a HIGH probability of faults which would result in it being deemed "unroadworthy" if subjected to the type if rigorous roadworthiness inspections & certification, that are the norm in Great Britain, Europe and elsewhere, for which intervals vary between 6 months to 2 years.

My bus wasn't sourced from a "Boneyard", but from an estate, and it's very solid. If you'd like to spend a horrifying evening examining the rolling zombies that can crawl the U.S. roads (especially the northern rust-belt roads), check out the YouTube channel called "Just Rolled In".

I would much rather watch them being impounded by the highway police and either repaired to proper roadworthy standard or sent to the crusher.

Driving an unroadworthy vehicle is a serious motoring offence in itself, resulting in hefty fines and licence endorsement, but causing death or injury as a result of said offence would be even more serious (e.g. culpable homicide, criminal negligence, etc), no matter who owned the vehicle!