TheSamba.com :: View topic

Mon Jul 28, 2025 2:14 pm

Back on that doors, I continue the work on the recreation of the inner frame.

Anyone else see this one part when they changed from 29 to 211 part number? :lol:
-Christian

Tue Sep 30, 2025 4:54 am

After I repaired my “new” bay window camper and did a 3-week testdeive/ road trip — 9 countries through the Balkans (Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro, Albania, Greece, North Macedonia, Serbia and Hungary) — and drove about 4600 km, I’m now back on the Barndoor project.

I finished the work on the cargo door frames and put the doors back together.
Then I repaired the B-pillar and, with a lot of bending, twisting and pulling, I welded it back to the car.
After that, while still pulling on the roof, I welded the rear side panel back in.

A lot of detail workarounds are still necessary, but the door gaps are looking better every time.
Still a long way…

— Christian

Tue Sep 30, 2025 4:57 am

Amazing work!

Wed Oct 01, 2025 12:22 am

Welcome home Christian, I'm sure I'm not the only one missing your updates. Excellent fabrication work...very inspiring!
Mark

Fri Oct 17, 2025 5:55 am

Thank you guys! Glad you like it!

I’ve been working from back to front on the right side, on the inner parts of the sidewall and the B-pillar.
Still not finished, but it’s getting better and better.

The big folds in the roof are getting smaller the more I pull on the car and work with the hammer and dolly wherever I can reach with my short hands.
So I decided to fabricate the next meter of repair panel for the roof and weld it in place.

— Christian

Fri Oct 17, 2025 9:10 am

Always enjoy updates in this thread! Excellent work. =D>

Fri Oct 17, 2025 1:35 pm

Some hours later:

-Christian

Mon Oct 20, 2025 12:22 pm

Next little step forward:
I used a piece of the left cut-out roof section from my Sparsamba build for the next part.
With a lot of wheeling, it slowly took the shape I wanted.
-Christian

Fri Oct 24, 2025 1:09 pm

It took me a lot of time to shape that front roof section the way I wanted it — pay attention to that slight crease above the B-pillar!
Then I welded it in place.

Now the gap and the bend in the roof are closed and mostly straight again.
Once the tinnitus from hammering on that drum goes away, I might continue with some hammer and dolly work on the roof.
And of course, the other side of the roof has its problems too…

— Christian

Tue Oct 28, 2025 1:45 pm

For the next step, I made the dogleg longer in some areas that I had shortened a few weeks ago.
Amazing how much the measurements changed while pulling the car on the bench.

— Christian

Tue Nov 04, 2025 1:26 pm

continued the work on the passenger side dogleg.
Using a later NOS part as a template and a lot of bending, I welded the outer part in place, then fitted the inner section.
What a time-consuming job!

— Christian

Wed Nov 05, 2025 2:54 am

amazing skills!

Fri Nov 07, 2025 7:29 am

D-train wrote: amazing skills!

The tools doing all the work, not me :lol:

Passenger dogleg is finished now!

-Christian

Fri Nov 07, 2025 7:57 am

Superb work. Those door gaps look spot on!
Have fun 8)

Sat Nov 08, 2025 1:31 am

felix ehrhardt wrote: Superb work. Those door gaps look spot on!
Have fun 8)

Yes, i am also very happy with the front door gaps, looking back where it starts.

I try to see it as many little problems so i start to make a little panel for the wheel well, maybe i can save it.

-Christian

Sat Nov 08, 2025 3:32 pm

Finished the patches on the lower front wheel arch and fitted them together with the NOS floor part to get a good fitment.

Unfortunately, the wheel arch with the X-section is far beyond saveable...
I think I’ll need a KlassicFab panel here…

— Christian

Sun Nov 09, 2025 2:50 pm

Today I tried to make my own repair panel for the wheel well instead of ordering a new one.
Spent the whole day fighting with it, and it’s still far from finished
but I hope I can get it close enough to weld it into the bus.
Hopefully…

- Christian

Sun Nov 09, 2025 3:39 pm

I as going to say you could just make one. Haha

Did you press the X? I 3D printed a die for mine.

Thu Nov 13, 2025 2:46 pm

sgellis wrote: I as going to say you could just make one. Haha

Did you press the X? I 3D printed a die for mine.

Yes, you were right!

I used the X-section from an old part. I was thinking about your die, and I want to order a printer, so maybe for the next piece I’ll try it with your help, please!

After many hours of cutting it apart and welding it back together to make the new sills fit to the old panel, it’s getting closer and closer.

-Christian

Fri Nov 14, 2025 7:10 am

Huetti_1989 wrote: I was thinking about your die, and I want to order a printer, so maybe for the next piece I’ll try it with your help, please!

Sure.

Quick suggestion on printers. An enclosed printer form Bambu Lab will work out of the box without needing to learn a new skill. We have a X1E at work and it does a great job at production parts. A P2S would probably do everything you want at 1/5 the cost. I have a cheep ender3 at home and as with most cheep printers it can be quite frustrating at times.

If you don't have a CAD preference try Autodesk Fusion. It has a free Fusion for personal use license. It is extremely capable but you can ignore that and work just with simple part modeling.

Feel free to contact me directly.