Bus anatomy 101

[satchmo]

This is for all you folks who have done major rust repair on your bus (and who hasn't?).

On the back of my 73, there are two holes in the body just above the bumper on either side of the engine door. In fact, they are just above where the bumper brackets mount to the chassis rail. These are a rusted out wasp haven on my bus.

Now, I could see a use for water drainage out of this area, but the hole I'm talking about is up from the floor of the cavity, and the only drainage route I see is through the mounting holes for the bumper bracket (should have a couple of bolts there, right?) or out the rear where there is a little hole in the folded seam in the sheet metal.

I guess I have two questions. One is what are these holes for? The other is: How many pieces of metal are there behind this area? Is there a thicker piece of metal that forms the end of the chassis rail, then a piece of sheet metal? Or just sheet metal? How do they all fit together? What is attached to what? Oops, that's six questions.

Sorry, this surgeon is just too gutless to start the operation without boning up on the patient's anatomy beforehand.

Thanks, Tim

[agropic]

Hi there;

I have the same question: what are these holes for? What I did: I insert NOS plastic caps, I have to get back to you with the part number. But I'm pretty sure that I ordered from The Bus Depot.
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1965 Karmann Ghia (Sold)
1972 Super Beetle (Sold)
1978 Bus (Campmobile) (Sold)
1970 Standard Beetle
1974 Super Beetle (Sold)
1974 Standard Beetle (Sun Bug)

[DurocShark]

Mine's missing one cap.

I have no idea what they're for, but they don't seem to do anything.
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No boom today. Boom tomorrow. There's always a boom tomorrow.

[satchmo]

What??? They actually came with caps?

Tim

[[email protected]]

The caps are the same ones used in the westies above the windshield next to the visor clips.
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77 Champagne Edition I
78 Champagne Westy II
67 Squareback
69 Single cab
88 Wolfsburg Vanagon
2001 Golf TDI 354,000 and running strong

[ratwell]

The original caps cracked over time and fell off. These are what they looked like originally:

http://homepage.mac.com/ratwell/.Pictures/MoreParts7/64-RearPanelCaps.jpg

I'm still trying to guess what they were for on the rear. drainage? assembly?

The part number is 211-813-395 iirc. I should have written it down and added it to the photo.

Removing the ones from the interior without damaging them is tricky so take care.
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'78 Westfalia CDN
'76 Doublecab
Read the Baywindow FAQ

[Amskeptic]

Those are access holes for the VW wax undercoating. There are many such holes all over the car, check out the three per rear wheel well, facing the tire. If your bumper captive nuts tear loose, open up the hole and you can place regular nuts over the bumper support bolts coming up from below.
Colin
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www.itinerant-air-cooled.com

[ratwell]

Mystery solved, thanks.
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'78 Westfalia CDN
'76 Doublecab
Read the Baywindow FAQ

[2k2tii]

I have this cap for sale if anybody needs one

[SGKent]

Thank you Conner. They are the real mccoy. I'll post in feedback.
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“Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin

[Gregg in the 603]

I saw this post and then saw who commented. Then saw that Ratwell hasn't visited The Samba in 6 years?!! I know being the mayor is demanding. But Damn!!! Thank god (Ratwell?) that his site still works. He's the best.
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1979 Mexico Beige Westy auto
Dirty Dover, NH

[jtauxe]

This is a complex area, in terms of bus anatomy. This photo dump shows what is involved:

_________________
John
"Travelling in a fried-out Kombi, on a hippie trail, head full of zombie..." - Colin Hay and Ron Strykert
http://vw.tauxe.net
1969 Transporter, 1971 Westfalia, 1976, 1977, 1976, 1977, 1971, 1973, 1977 Westfalias,
1979 Champagne Sunroof, 1974 Westfalia Automatic, 1979 Transporter, 1972 Sportsmobile, 1973 Transporter Wild Westerner, 1974 Westfalia parts bus, 1975 Mexican single cab *FOR SALE*, 1978 Irish 4-door double cab RHD

[alman72]

my caps are black.... pretty sure they are og

[SGKent]

[rsbadura]

[busdaddy]

[alman72]

no part number. must be PO hardware store special. I do kinda like the black. still looks like a hole.