'66 Panel Project - NH

4Doora · Posted: Sun Mar 30, 2025 11:36 am Post subject: Re: '66 Panel Project - NH

Hey folks, it's been quite a while since I last updated this post. There were some health issues that slowed progress, but my father has been chipping away at The '66 Panel over the past decade. He completed the IRS conversion. The most time was spent on sanding & bodywork. We painted it last summer, and it's all finally coming together.

Here's some shots from paint:

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

Here is the drivers seat my dad reupholstered himself:

After paint, my dad wasted no time getting everything bolted back on!

She runs and drives, and the new paintjob came out nice!

Still a few loose ends to tie up. Windows need to be rebuilt, and we're still looking for a rear bumper.
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'69 Bug,'71 Bus,'61 Bug ,'56 Bug, '66 Panel

Prafeston · Posted: Thu Sep 12, 2013 12:19 am Post subject:

Dude, you and your dad do some serious work! I just read through this thread and your one with the 61! P.S. You sent me here from the CT90 forums. I've been a member here for awhile too. Love those old VWs and my GF recently picked up a '72 Super Beetle.

4Doora · Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2012 12:54 pm Post subject:

It's been a while since I've given any updates on the panel, but it has been moving along! We got it back in the garage after I finished my '69 that was in dire need of rust repairs. Check it out here

Got the floors all welded in, and the cargo doors repaired with some new metal. for whatever reason, the repair panels for the doors fit like shit, and needed a whole lot of work to get them to work right and the strikers to line up

There's still a few pinholes to fill in the skin, but they close nicely

You may recall one of the many parts hacked out by the previous owner was a few of the louvers for the engine compartment. On the driver's side there was an oil cooler mounted, and on the passenger side... well, I guess it was just for continuity, lol.
Here's what the driver's side looks like, and what the passenger side used to look like. Luckily they were only cut on the sides, and not in the middle of the louvers.

I got a vent section off the classified for a few bucks and cut out what i needed.

Lined everything up, welded it in place, ground it smooth, and threw some primer over it all

Still need to fill those 1/8" holes left over from those rad side scoops. I'm going to wait to do the ones on the other side because the gap will serve as a nice access hole to fix the rot on the wheel well.

I've been working on the window frame, trying to get it perfect. there's still some rust repair that needs to be tended to on the dash before I can fit the repair panel. Here's a picture of it in place

So, it is coming along. My dad is wicked excited to get going on this. He's just waiting on me to find the time to do some welding, haha.
Up until recently, I've really just wanted to restore this bus to stock, and have a nice panel van. My dad has different plans, he wants to lower it and do a custom interior. It's wierd, because our veiws have always been vice versa, lol. Well I'm coming around to the idea, and I'm getting excited about this project now that my car is finished.
For the past few months my dad's been researching lowering and suspension. He wants to do an IRS conversion. I mentioned if we're going to go through with all that work, I'd be interested in taking it a step further and just putting the whole damn thing on air bags. He likes the idea, and I'm confident in my fab skills, and I'm up for the challenge Cool

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'69 Bug,'71 Bus,'61 Bug ,'56 Bug, '66 Panel

south_island_surf · Posted: Thu Sep 06, 2012 8:41 pm Post subject:

Nice work, brother! It must be nice sharing the hobby with your dad... I bet it helps with motivation having two guys chipping away at such a substantial project.

Bookmarked, and looking forward to the progress.
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Art

My '65 single cab project:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=491474

4Doora · Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2012 6:18 pm Post subject:

My dad and I got back in touch with the previous owner via email. He wanted to keep track of the bus's progress so I linked this thread to him. Here's what he had to say:

4Doora · Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2012 3:39 pm Post subject:

Progress on the old panel has been steady this summer. I'm trying to help put it together along with building my '69 a new chassis. lots of vw stuff going on.
Thanks to the new welder I'm finally enjoying doing body work (the right way!)

Here's some things we've been up to:

Got the lower nose panel all welded up

It very well could have used a complete nose skin, but finding one would be impossible, so we made due with what we've got

Driver's side rocker welded up

There's a little more that needs to be welded up towards the front where the metal was pretty thin.

Before we got the dog legs in, the doors were test fitted. My father was unhappy with how they lined up, so the front parts of the frame were chopped, repaired, shortened a hair, and replaced. After fitting the doors, and getting everything lined up, all was welded back in place. Before everthing went back together, the steering box mount was raised Wink

I got the B pillar welded in, along with the right rocker. The rocker was a little too long, so fitting it all together was a pain in the ass. The floor is just sitting in place, not welded in

Here's the passenger side all together with the beautiful $75 door we picked up at transporterfest last year and the shitty cheap dog leg

Here's the driver side all together with the shitty original door and the beautiful gerson dog leg

After pulling the nose in a touch, when the time came to fit the floor in, it fits pretty damn good!

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'69 Bug,'71 Bus,'61 Bug ,'56 Bug, '66 Panel

4Doora · Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2012 5:00 pm Post subject:

The bus is back in the garage, and has been receiving our full attention. Lately we've been repairing the cargo floor supports and all that fun stuff.

Rather than replacing the whole support, we just did the rough ends.

Having lots of vise grips really helps, haha

I got a little bit of work on the nose skin done... it's still in need of a whole lot more work

Filled in all the cracks caused by the front mounted spare

Started tearing out the rotten metal below the windshields

If we keep at this pace, maybe she can make it to transporterfest, haha
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'69 Bug,'71 Bus,'61 Bug ,'56 Bug, '66 Panel

4Doora · Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2012 9:01 am Post subject:

Well, it's been a while... last fall I convinced my dad we needed to finish his '61 Bug before going any further into the bus. So the bus sat idle until we finished the '61, and decided to get back to work on it. in that time we did manage to accumulate a lot of funky green & other repair panels.

Panel doors waiting in the rafters:

After getting fed up with our shitty little MIG, my dad decided to go out and buy a real welder... solid investment, and I'm stoked to get to use it to piece this thing together.

Here's a look at what's been accomplished so far this spring

Who knows, maybe we'll have it in one peice by the end of the summer? Smile

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'69 Bug,'71 Bus,'61 Bug ,'56 Bug, '66 Panel

60vwnewengland · Posted: Sun Jan 22, 2012 7:41 am Post subject:

any updates?
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77 Westy - Cape Cod Sage
70 Beetle
71 Super Beetle
RIP TheWalrus (Big Jack) 1988-2024

4Doora · Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2011 7:24 am Post subject:

Got the motor out, got all the doors off, and got the floors out!

We're inching our way along, waiting for the day we can order some funky green panels. I'm going to build a dolly/ rotisserie for it, and hopefully get it sandblasted. Right now the '61 bug occupies the garage, so our attention has been diverted back to that (for a little while).

-RJ
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'69 Bug,'71 Bus,'61 Bug ,'56 Bug, '66 Panel

60vwnewengland · Posted: Sun Oct 16, 2011 7:38 pm Post subject:

any progress?
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77 Westy - Cape Cod Sage
70 Beetle
71 Super Beetle
RIP TheWalrus (Big Jack) 1988-2024

Quintus · Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2011 7:09 pm Post subject:

Cool project.. Looking forward to the progress..!
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2005 VW Lupo
1970 Pontiac GTO
2008 VW Golf R32
1959 Karmann Ghia 'Low Nose'

1low65 · Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2011 6:11 pm Post subject:

i see metal work in your future my friend. lol. its a good project bus though. and i would leave the key impression, it gives it character.

4Doora · Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2011 6:06 pm Post subject:

Everyone loves that key... You'd think it was an image of the virgin mary or something Laughing

btw, Ev uploaded a high-resolution version to the background section if you'd like to download it
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'69 Bug,'71 Bus,'61 Bug ,'56 Bug, '66 Panel

LittleThunder · Samba Member Joined: May 21, 2006 Posts: 1015

You've got to save that key impression on the dash.

4Doora · Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2011 4:34 pm Post subject:

I got a little done this afternoon, nothing major

Bumper off, and what was left of the splash pan

I got the glass out, and found some much expected rust in the window frame

What's left of the right side cargo floor

I found what was left of that key on the floor

Looks like the guy used a can opener to cut open the roof... ugh

There's a cut out like this on the other side for an external oil cooler. why there's a matching one on this side, I don't know... symmetry? Oh, also, it used to sport side scoops. Sorry New Jersey, they're long gone Laughing