pecan tree vs 71 kombi

volkswitt · Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2005 6:44 pm Post subject: pecan tree vs 71 kombi

fianally i can post! i've been unable to regester because of somthing weird with my home network. a few years ago my 71 kombi got smacked down by a large branch during a storm. i ended up selling for parts. well now i'm getting back just as i sold it. i was planning to use it for parts for my 71 westy but i,ve been thinking.........can i replace the bent roof? i mean is it practical? i have never done anybodywork or welding or even used a hot glue gun. any ideas are appreciated this was the bus that i raised my oldest kids in.they hated it ! i would love to have it back !!
[if this is paradise-i wish i had a lawnmower][/quote]

Eric&Barb · Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2005 6:57 pm Post subject:

Hi volkswitt,
Sure it can be done! The cuts required are best done across the window pillars and one must carefully weld in brackets first so the new roof is seated exactly where the old roofwas positioned.
Heck if you want you could weld in a Westie roof with pop-top.
Eric&Barb

steponmebbbboom · Samba Member Joined: May 01, 2004 Posts: 6390

Why are you asking this question after you sold it? Confused

What can you possibly do about it now besides lament your decision?

trackwesty · Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2005 9:09 pm Post subject:

VDubTech · Posted: Wed Oct 05, 2005 4:27 am Post subject: Re: pecan tree vs 71 kombi

volkswitt · Posted: Wed Oct 05, 2005 4:43 am Post subject:

my bus story in brief (or boxers actually) i gotan abandoned bus my family was growing and the bug was too small. it was 71 bay with radio logo (WONG 1320). i got it on the road and it was my daily driver for me and my 4 kids. my ex brother in law hit a deer with it. in the meantime i prcured a 71 westy and 70 kombi (parts bus). i drove the westy. my ex brother in law cooked the westy engine. a storm came and blew down a tree atmy store and it landed across all 3 busses. wife left buisiness closed me and the kids moved and i had to sell busses. now we haved moved back. i have a nice 67 kombi and found a 71 kombi just like the 1 i sold. now i have found the 3 busses i sold and am buying them back! i will have some parts for sale soon as i sort things out. clear as mud isn't it?

TeamSpatula · Posted: Wed Oct 05, 2005 10:09 am Post subject:

IF you have any piuctures ot the damage that would probably help assess the situation. IF it's just the sheetmetal that's dented, that would be a lot easier to fix than if any of the cross braces are damaged...which would still be easier than if the rain gutters are damaged, and so on...but still not impossible...
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steponmebbbboom · Samba Member Joined: May 01, 2004 Posts: 6390

Eric&Barb · Posted: Wed Oct 05, 2005 6:20 pm Post subject:

Hi Volks,
Andym Pmailed us the following Email. We are posting his question and our answer here because if one person wanted more info perhaps more volks out there need more info. Hope this is not a problem for you Andy!

>>Could you describe in a bit more detail the idea of installing brackets first when cutting and welding a roof section of a bus.

I have a 72 sunroof bus with a bad floor/body but it has a good roof and sunroof assembly. I'm thinking of finding a good body and putting my sunroof roof onto it. I can cut and weld and feel fairly competent to do the job, I'm just looking for all/any advice on doing it. <<

The brackets, maybe we should have described them as alignment brackets. They are welded to the body against the old roof. So when the old roof is cut off across the pillars. The new roof sits down on these brackets and the alignment is kept as perfect as possible.
The biggest problem with cutting across the pillars is the two pillars just behind the front doors are doubled skinned for more strength. So removing more of the outer skin would be needed to allow welding the inner steel and then rewelding back in place the outer skin.
Of course one has to assess the amount of roof to be replaced. If one just needs say a 2' square replaced then cutting the roof completely off is doing too much. One must keep in mind how many feet welding to replace a section of roof. EG a 6' x 5' square of roof will require 22' of welding! So cutting all or most of the roof could result in less welding length.
On the other hand when putting on a Westie roof with all the structural roof members it is alot easier to cut across the window/door pillars.
Here is one fellow who did the Westie conversion. Possibly via the harder way, and wether it will hold up as well as stock......
http://www.pottsfamily.ca/westfakia/creation/index.html
Eric&Barb

volkswitt · Posted: Thu Oct 06, 2005 5:51 am Post subject:

thanks for al the info. the damage was much worse than i remembered. oh well back to the original plan. aleast i got a lot of good parts and a needed trans for the 71 westy. pictures ar 11


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