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Tue Nov 19, 2024 2:31 pm

Some work on the decklid, need some time to come back to my metal work skins...

-Christian

Tue Nov 19, 2024 4:14 pm

Great to see how much crown you put in the lower engine lid panels.
It's easy to think of a Transporter being a tin shoebox on wheels, when it is just the extreme opposite of that. hardly a straight line or flat spot on a bus, except the glass. It is what makes an early VW stand out from many other vehicles, there is a crown shape, curves and finesse to most all of the bus body panels. That is exactly why they are so beautiful ! 8)
i
btw I wonder if you are renting out parking lots in front of your shop, Christian.

I guess you could. Most perfect Fremdenzimmer in the area, for VW guys...hahaha

Wed Nov 20, 2024 2:29 pm

djfordmanjack wrote: Great to see how much crown you put in the lower engine lid panels.
It's easy to think of a Transporter being a tin shoebox on wheels, when it is just the extreme opposite of that. hardly a straight line or flat spot on a bus, except the glass. It is what makes an early VW stand out from many other vehicles, there is a crown shape, curves and finesse to most all of the bus body panels. That is exactly why they are so beautiful ! 8)
i
btw I wonder if you are renting out parking lots in front of your shop, Christian.

I guess you could. Most perfect Fremdenzimmer in the area, for VW guys...hahaha

Yes, you are right, but at this one every part is bent, it's difficult for me to weld a straight panel to that bent decklid, but anyway i try to keep as much as possible, and as old as possible.... maybe.

And yes, we plan to open a camping place here, the natural authority is against it but we will see!

Today I worked ~8hours on the decklid again.:

-Christian

Wed Nov 20, 2024 2:39 pm

I'll be the first to rent a spot :D I hope to find some time again to visit you, when you have time. I'll be driving to Bavaria in Dec. but days are so short and nights cold now and sleeping in the car is out of question.
I'll bring your favorite cold beverages. It seems, I should visit AFTER my trip to Bavaria.... :wink:

Your 52 is a great project. I don't know why, but of all the buses you have stashed away at the barn, this one was the most interesting to me. Well maybe the other BD that's only panels in the old farm house... haha

Wed Nov 20, 2024 2:39 pm

Wed Nov 20, 2024 2:41 pm

beautiful ! 8)

Wed Nov 20, 2024 10:42 pm

Fantastic work Christian!

Thu Nov 21, 2024 6:02 am

Nicely done

Fri Nov 22, 2024 3:32 pm

Thank you guys, i give my best for now, but could be better, still have a lot of ideas and things i want to try and things i must learn!

Today i start to reproduce the inner engine lid reinforcements:

Fist panel was a fail, second could be used:

-Christian

Sat Nov 23, 2024 3:55 pm

Finished the other side panel.
Notice the holes were hammered in a Baywindow brake zylinder!

-Christian

Sun Nov 24, 2024 1:09 am

Perfectly clean work, always nice to look at

Sun Nov 24, 2024 2:13 pm

Ring-Free wrote: Perfectly clean work, always nice to look at

Thank you!
I hope the "ringfree" and my 52 will meet anywhere in the future!

Today i finished the "Barndoor" ...but only the hatch.

Only thing on this is to change the hinge, but the other side on the car is terrible rusted....

-Christian

Mon Nov 25, 2024 3:44 pm

Started to repair the next rusted part:

As my buddy erich would say: grauslig....

-Christian

Erich reused the cutout panel's for pictures of me thinking about how to repair that part... =)

-Christian

Tue Nov 26, 2024 3:31 pm

Some work from today:

Started to make the hinge panel fit, looks to small from corner to corner and to big from seal channel, so need some adjustment as every panel.

Made a pice for the rotten post, and cut out the horizontal firewall for repair, it's very bad so i hope i can get a new one anywhere?

Did anyone install that part in one pice? How? Cut out the corner and sidewall?

-Christian

Ready for the conversion: :lol:

Wed Nov 27, 2024 3:59 am

This section is normally in two pieces of metal, like these I've reproduced from orignal ones.

Here you can see them,hope it's help.

Wed Nov 27, 2024 5:24 am

I like to watch this excellent work :wink:

I have drain holes on lower and upper part of my engine lid but mine is 54 model
they look like original holes and only one hole on driver side of outer skin
NOT sure if this was on 52 , when it was changed - added
took pics of all 4 corners on my 54 lid for your reference

Thu Nov 28, 2024 5:52 am

^wow, nice detail pics. pretty sure that early lids do not have the drain holes.
Christian, is it possible to repair the original package tray and put it back in the bus? Personally I would try to do it. Reproduction panels have limited originality.
Interesting fact about the completely different design of the repro rear lid hinge channel !
Can we talk about the 55/6/7 lid ? is it og paint and would you be willing to sell/swap? I have a very good 55 lid, but it has one repaint ( I may be able to strip back, but not sure yet).

Fri Nov 29, 2024 8:49 am

Kasten68 wrote: This section is normally in two pieces of metal, like these I've reproduced from orignal ones.

Here you can see them,hope it's help.

Yes, thanks!

Fri Nov 29, 2024 9:07 am

djfordmanjack wrote: ^wow, nice detail pics. pretty sure that early lids do not have the drain holes.
Christian, is it possible to repair the original package tray and put it back in the bus? Personally I would try to do it. Reproduction panels have limited originality.
Interesting fact about the completely different design of the repro rear lid hinge channel !
Can we talk about the 55/6/7 lid ? is it og paint and would you be willing to sell/swap? I have a very good 55 lid, but it has one repaint ( I may be able to strip back, but not sure yet).

Yes very good engine lid picture ms, that holes make total sense to me, maybe a later change? The other early and late hatches i have here don't have that holes...

The package tray is dead, it is rusted thin like paper and have holes everywhere, i hope gerson is still making parts!
I an still confused how the tray is installed, i had to cut and bend it to get it out.

Some more work from the last hours:

Where the hinge channel meets the pillar the metal is very thin so i had to change that for strong welds there:

That part have a light curve to follow the pilar, not easy to bend this:

Also the outside need a patch.... reminds me to all that little patches from tha Sparsamba...

Then i started ti make the hatch fit, new hinge and new part over the hatch, i had to cut it in the wide and have to drill out the nuts.
It's also to deep, we will see if i can get that fit, but there is only this way forward!
I want that this one close smooth.

-Christian

-Christian

Fri Nov 29, 2024 10:19 am

Huetti_1989 wrote: The package tray is dead, it is rusted thin like paper and have holes everywhere, i hope gerson is still making parts!
I an still confused how the tray is installed,

There is a post somewhere that shows rolling up the rear of the tray to put it in. It definitely did not look easy. I also remember someone having a replacement panel that was a little wide that caused some issues. Another cut it in half but I think it would be easier to bend and fix any damage after it is in there.

EDIT: Actually I think it was the forward edge they bent up to install. Maybe put you original back together and experiment.

Have browsed every BD thread I could find but only retain about 5%. :)

I will build a new panel for mine. Should be relatively easy to press in the ribs with my widened hydraulic press. I get satisfaction from building my own parts. Much better than getting annoyed by incorrect replacement parts.