Left for Dead...The Resurrection Story....(AWD EE-20)

[maxwellvanagon]

I love watching this thread! I'm grafting a westy top on my van as well and am enjoying your techniques. Where in SD are you
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87 vanagon gl 2.1 WBX(westy conversion in progress)

[SyncroNelly]

I have not been on The Samba in a long time...but this is truly an amazing D-I-Y project! I thought my gardening was hard core! It sure has taken a lot of fortitude to resurrect that beast I saw in the beginning. I check in every once in a while, and just want to give you kudos!

[0cean]

[0cean]

I just realized I started this thread two years ago and started the project over two and a half years ago. Time fly's

Next I sanded away the excess carbon fiber for metal exposure.

Epoxy primer

I need to quit working in sandals

Mosterliner tinted with 2016 Toyota Desert Sand

I did have the extra carbon fiber, so why not reinforce the basket. I usually put wood up there and also like to sit up there and watch surf or a sunset. (Later I will reinforce the roof also.)

I truly feel the basket is a large source of wind noise in the vanagon, so a layer of sticky sound deadener was added to the front and then the whole thing was sprayed with lizard skin. Its really not going to allow wind noise at all. You knock on it and its like ???? Dead of sound... more like a soft thud...

This is the first thing I have completed on the Van. Glory Days!!!

Marry Christmas everyone.
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I'm not a mechanic, I just play one on the internet

Cluster Rebuild:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=569920&highlight=

Left for Dead the Resurrection Story Build:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=613669
(Number of Different Donor VW Vans Body Parts Used: 12)
(Number of completely different vehicles parts used: 3)

[pablum]

With that top shelf lipstick, can I suggest you name her Miss Piggy?

Amazingly well done. I'll be using this thread as a reference, probably many times in the future.
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The wise man learns from history, the fool from experience.
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I see [a cat] in the street and i aim for the pest with my car. -- bluebus86

[xoo00oox]

It's always nice to see the updates to this thread. Keep up the good work.

[llilibel03]

Damn! Carbon fiber! That' got to be the strongest and most expensive pop top ever. You can have a few bikini clad girls dancing up there for sure. Did you ever think to vacuum bag to get an even better resin/glass ratio? ( that's the surfboard tinkerer in me talking).

Question- why didn't you put fat mat under the pop top? Only the luggage rack makes noise? Also, in the future can you get the fat mat off? I'm wondering if people who put it on the body panels ever get moisture issues (rust) behind or around the mats?

Anyways, nice work. I'll be following along....

[0cean]

[0cean]

I had a problem with the Syncro shell's steering rack mounting bracket. Even with all the tender loving care the movers used , the mounting rack ends where bent; not the bracket as a whole thank god!

This sucks!!!

First I cut out the bent areas with a plasma. (Should have used a cutoff wheel).

Then my metal philosophy came into play. "Fill hole with metal" 10 gage was used and its much stronger then it was from the factory.

Yeah...that's a lot of pics, but I have a ton and everyone loves pictures.
_________________
I'm not a mechanic, I just play one on the internet

Cluster Rebuild:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=569920&highlight=

Left for Dead the Resurrection Story Build:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=613669
(Number of Different Donor VW Vans Body Parts Used: 12)
(Number of completely different vehicles parts used: 3)

[0cean]

Ok, now I started to look at the gas pedal for the new engine. Drive by wire and will not fit the old VW style. Hummm.... Adapt and overcome (AKA Cut more metal !!!).

Making a plate for the new gas peal to attach to.

Kind of fun bending metal.

Welded in bolts to attach the gas pedal.

_________________
I'm not a mechanic, I just play one on the internet

Cluster Rebuild:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=569920&highlight=

Left for Dead the Resurrection Story Build:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=613669
(Number of Different Donor VW Vans Body Parts Used: 12)
(Number of completely different vehicles parts used: 3)

[0cean]

Ok, I took some time off due to California's rain and to make a couple of surfboards. Now I'm back for a little more madding mods. I always thought the front gearshift area was a little bit of wasted space. What I mean is there is nothing there. So I looked at options other people have done and decided to extend the hump where the heater core goes through.

Here is the weld in replacement being made.

Had to be real careful not to warp the metal. Was not easy.

Hummm lots of room down there....

Sometime you need a little help from a good pry bar.

_________________
I'm not a mechanic, I just play one on the internet

Cluster Rebuild:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=569920&highlight=

Left for Dead the Resurrection Story Build:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=613669
(Number of Different Donor VW Vans Body Parts Used: 12)
(Number of completely different vehicles parts used: 3)

[pablum]

I have read that the extra space under the shifter comes standard on the diesel version to allow greater airflow under the van.
_________________
The wise man learns from history, the fool from experience.
-
I see [a cat] in the street and i aim for the pest with my car. -- bluebus86

[xoo00oox]

So, what's going in the new space you created? New front diff?

[vanagonjr]

What are you doing for the gas tank? Inquiring minds want to know!
_________________
John - 86 Wolfsburg Westfalia "Weekender"
Flint reversed 1.8T W/Passat 5-Speed
LiMBO (late model bus club) www.limbobus.org
LiMBO is on Facebook too! https://www.facebook.com/groups/
FAQ thread: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=525798

[0cean]

[0cean]

Some of you may be wondering why I would extend the hump? Well my friends, for the most important part of the van. The cup holders!!! Yes people, couple holders are a thing of beauty or a thing of be-trail if not located in the right place. But not just any cup holder will do, O-No, only a cup holder that will handle small cans, and coffee cups, and coffee cups with the dreaded handle, and even the mighty Gatorade bottle will need its place!!! (I need to stop watching Dead Wood).

So after the long intronet search I found the proper cup holder for such a task.

Cup holders are ergonomically correct and custom to the Drivers and Passengers positions.
_________________
I'm not a mechanic, I just play one on the internet

Cluster Rebuild:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=569920&highlight=

Left for Dead the Resurrection Story Build:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=613669
(Number of Different Donor VW Vans Body Parts Used: 12)
(Number of completely different vehicles parts used: 3)

[xoo00oox]

I gues you may as well have a drink if you've got no shifter.


What's your plan for that? I like your work.

[0cean]

[0cean]

Ok, I'm not ready to talk about the rest of the inside mods yet, so lets move on to the front bumper... I wanted to add lighting, yet because I'm in a costal area I also need a good fog light also.. An Ebay search come up with a duel white/amber light that would do both colors from one light fixture. Sweeeeet...

Started the weld in housing for the lights.

Bolts are tack welded to stay in place.

Plenty of room for adjusting angles.

Built in the bumper just like the jeeps.
_________________
I'm not a mechanic, I just play one on the internet

Cluster Rebuild:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=569920&highlight=

Left for Dead the Resurrection Story Build:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=613669
(Number of Different Donor VW Vans Body Parts Used: 12)
(Number of completely different vehicles parts used: 3)

[0cean]

Little more bumper building. I added Shackle mounts and a place for the winch cable to pass through the bumper. Little bit later I will start another thread about the bumper winch build because there is nothing out there about it besides Syncro Gregs build, yet this is a little different approach.

About the Shackle mounts. The bumpers are curved and the mounts will not face directly forward and have more angle the further out you go from center. After welding them on, I realized that's going to be a problem with my bumper, who is accully no more then a cover. So now the holes for the shackles in the bumper cover, needed to be bigger then the width of the shackle by a sizable amount due to the angle of the shackle. (Like trying to put a block in a square hole a little side ways. It wont work without opening the square hole) Later I will just add a removable cover to it some how, but I wish I would have done it a little differently from the start.

I did a little trimming of the bottom lip of the crush zone of the vans bumper. Nothing crazy and did take into account for the way it would crumple and did the best I could. Its only the little off the corners anyways.

I did cut off the corners of the bumper because I'm not a big fan of sharp corners on bumpers. Knowing me I would hit someone's car pulling out of parking place and really tear up there little plastic bumpers with my manly bumper forged from steel. Wouldn't want that to happen.

_________________
I'm not a mechanic, I just play one on the internet

Cluster Rebuild:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=569920&highlight=

Left for Dead the Resurrection Story Build:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=613669
(Number of Different Donor VW Vans Body Parts Used: 12)
(Number of completely different vehicles parts used: 3)