The Ultimate 23 Window Restoration?

[Nic B-C]

It amazes me that the one bit you want to use from this bus is the most unsalvageable being the roof. Chassis actually looks great.

As for dating Im sure there is a cut off for the use of the Made in West germany thing saw it on here the other day.

With all those pillars folded in such a way you would at least need to replicate them before attempting the roof swap which would be major measuring and fitting.

There has been at least one full if not two samba roofs for sale in UK in last year so they are not impossible to source, try graham at FBI VW, he posts on here!


Good luck with whatever you decide to do, and by the way i wouls love your DC
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www.durhamoldschooldubbers.co.uk

[Bongo]

Depends how 'original' it has to be. I think there are a couple of firms in the UK that make reproduction sunroofs. They look pretty tight, just remember the belly pans
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1964 Standard
1962 Single Cab
2002 Golf St.Car

[flatfourfan]

Yup Bongo, as much as I wanted to save this bus I guess it just isn't do-able.....

Making a 23 just doesn't sound the same as buying a 23....lol. oh well.

Fortunatly I haven't parted with any money yet as I've been waiting to get my panel man over and get a pro's opinion.......he said it's do-able, but then again, he's never said anything's NOT do-able.....

He's also not fronting the money to do it.


The skylight sections are going to be ok to source from overseas, however, sunroof is not going to be easy..........bugger.
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1957 KCC Porsche Speedster

www.vwsport.co.za
www.aircooledvwsa.co.za/forum

[Bongo]

If you're gonna 'make' a 23, you'd be better off just buying the window sections from autocraft, that all the heartache of straightening that roof-clip. I understand your decision. that 23 is dead.
the thing with the bumper is reason enough for you to back out of the sale and get your money back, because it's big bucks and a pain to source a replacement.
Also by making a 23 out of the fleetline, all the bits you need are gonna be way cheaper than for a 55.
Good luck.
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1964 Standard
1962 Single Cab
2002 Golf St.Car

[flatfourfan]

VIN plate.............I can't make out shit on this.......and it's hardly in the best place to see anything....I got bit twice by something yesterday.

So flame away............lol.
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1957 KCC Porsche Speedster

www.vwsport.co.za
www.aircooledvwsa.co.za/forum

[flatfourfan]

Here are some pics that I took yesterday.

Doors are actually pretty good, deff can save this, the bottom has hardly any rust on them, one hinge pin is missing, but the door's still good.

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1957 KCC Porsche Speedster

www.vwsport.co.za
www.aircooledvwsa.co.za/forum

[flatfourfan]

[Kommercial]

Jackq - you've got a PM

[jackq]

And I was actually going to scrap my 23 window deluxe cause it was a little rusty. After seeing this I'm glad I decided to push mine into my body shop. I stripped it years ago, removed and boxed up the 6 volt gas heater(not going back in...I'll donate it and an idenical one to anyone who wants them). I've been buying body panels, rubber glass and interior so I think its time to start. Good luck on yours....mine feels like a sand a shoot now.

[Douglas Denlinger]

Take some advice, "anything can be restored, for any cost" usually means the final project will never be worth as much as another bus of the same vintage that was not beat down like the bus your considering. Now that the world has seen this pancake, no high end buyer would ever consider buying it "restored" due to all the "work" that may go into it no matter how great a panel/metal man you can find. It's a suspect vehicle.

There are plenty of people that will say that it can be restored when they are not doing the work and never have done metal/frame work.

There are plenty of people that say they can do the work for lots of $$, but I'll quarantee it won't be show worthy.

Then the are those of us that have restored many buses over the past 19 years, that thing is yard art, leave it that way. Your throwing good money after bad if you move forward.
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Transporter Restorations
Upholstery Haus

Active 23 Window Samba Collector/Restorer,since 1986

[flatfourfan]

Hey Mario

Thanks for the advice and encouragement. I knew I was going to hear everything when it came to deciding what I'm going to do about the bus. I didn't think that many people would agree with me to at least try and fix it.

The one thing that initially scared me about the 23 is that my panel man was saying that he's going to have to cut out certain sections and remove others in order straighten it out. The whole "cut out in order to restore" is new to me, I've never tackled anything like this before as has my panel man, but he's keen/ confident albeit a bit nervous. (who wouldn't be)

I'm going over to my friends house on Saterday where the bus is currently stored and I'm going to go around it with a fine tooth comb and take tonnes of pictures. Like I said any advice that can be given to me on this matter. I'm willing to listen to anything except cut it up at this moment.

Thanks

Gary
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1957 KCC Porsche Speedster

www.vwsport.co.za
www.aircooledvwsa.co.za/forum

[Metalwizard]

If you got one that came from here mario show me the pics and the owners name. Because if it was screwed up and he wasn't happy it would have been fixed by me no charge. If your doing the body work and paint then thats different, because that i don't do. If you consider capping a repop battery tray over a rusted out original tray, and the fact that it didn't match the drivers side tray top notch then your outlook is alot different than mine. At Eb 2 years ago you followed me around like a puppy dog, Nosing in my conversations, with oh thats a piece of cake shit. Asking me about us hooking up and you doing the paint work after i do the metal. My answer it was up to the customer, 3 weeks later some friends from Greensboro came by and asked me how it was going teamed up with you. It had to come from you, cause i damn sure didn't mention it. This last year you were whining about no one would sell you parts. Then there's the deal with people calling here asking for you, why would they do that? I guess the last call is the one that set me off, the guy asked for the owner, Mario.
WTF?
You ruined your rep your self with the aircooled.net deal and some other stuff i'll not mention. You have all these accomplishments to your credit as you say but all i have ever seen is before and after pics nothing in the middle, So what's under the paint? Your paint looks pretty good but how good is the work underneath it?I post mine for all to see in the raw nothing hidden. You talk a good game, but i don't think you can walk it because your always trying to hook up with someone else. If your such a great fabber why did you call me about buying my parts?
I been pissed since eb and i have just heard the piece of cake thing one time too many. I'm tired of the bullshit.
Jedi I don't talk much shit about my competition, Mario is not competition in my book. I've had enough of the trying to swing on my nut sack to get back in the game. This will stop one way or another, as to which way it makes no difference to me. As for not being a customer on account of my comments, thats your call.
I'm normally quite and don't get into pissing contests but i've had enough.
Flatfour, sorry for screwing with your thread, If you elect to fix it good luck and i hope it comes out great. i'm done
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http://s461.photobucket.com/albums/qq335/Metalwizard/

Kelly aka
"Bubble & Nut Buster for wannabe BadBoy's of Restoration"
"There is no cure for Stupid"
ITMC "Drill SGT"

[Mario J G]

Hey Gary
forget he negitive and the "you cant do it " My show winning 64 beetle was wrecked in the front so hard it broke the front beam and I did the complete restoration except paint in my drive way. and heres a 67 DC that I did 7 yrs back.

http://www.transporterwerks.com/rustoration/doublecab.htm

I had to fabricate and replace everything 6+ inches down (no repair panels were made for splitty DC) and someome prior had HACKED the nose skin on, which I had to also repair.

In the begining everyone wondered why he would even fix it....bet no one wonders now.

I'm not suprized that your 23 window would scare someone when it comes to restoring it, thats a good thing it will keep the HACKS away.

If you can give me alot of pics I will do what I can to help you.

I have NEVER come across a vehicle that can't be fixed and I have been in the restoration business now for 17+ yrs starting with Street Rods to old Vetts then Salvage cars (have you cut a BMW m3 in half lately) to VWs.

I'm just about to start on a 64 21 window myself , so lets work together and see If we can come up with a few nice splittys.

mario
Vintage Werks Resto

[flatfourfan]

[vwjedi]

My '63 rag needs front clip, rear clip, new heater channels and new floor pans to be sure, holes were hacked under the bonnett and half the seat supports were broken, suddenly it looks like a total jem!

Metalwizard- I have alot of pride in my abilty to lay and repair custom wood floors, I'll tell anyone I'm the best in Gainesville, but I don't sh*t talk the competition. Your comments about others in your craft would keep me from ever being a customer of yours.
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1987 Wolfsburg T25 still riding out. A bunch of other VW's passed on...

[stephenmullens]

[Skim]

Any new pics
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GFK
Samba since before the towers collapsed. Still here.
1953 Kabriolet
1954 Sunroof
1959 Lowlight Ghia vert
1960 Lt Grey Double Cab SMZ LEGIT
1963 Deluxe Turkis Walk Thru 15 Window OG Paint

[Mario J G]

Look Kelly you have nothing over my ability and I have one of your screw-ups at my shop to prove it. I have never said any thing bad about you but if you want to start understand that I'm a full restoration shop start to finish, and yes I have said for years I would NOT go behind your work. I have a standerd of only do top quality work and have saved many old VW's that no one would.

Mario
Vintage Werks Resto

[Metalwizard]

Uhhhh, yep your 55. But you have an advantage as you know what was running thru my mind when i saw that bastid cause i called you and asked WTF have i gotten myself into. It can be done but not easy, and by no means, should a wanna be amature taclke these bad boys. That 55 is by far the most beat down and crusty mofo i'll have done, your 21 is probably 5th on the list as most crusty. Hell my nasty assed DD is looking better all the time.
I know my comments were a bit harsh, but i'm tired of the bullshit, i had a guy call about some parts, knowing i wasn't doing much in parts for now. He informed me i was gonna do his parts even though i had told him i was out of them until i got regrouped. Needless to say that went over like a smelly fart in church. I not so politely informed the sob that i was the HAIC (head asshole in charge) around here, and he wasn't getting shit except hung up on. I don't vent much been when i do ,,look out.
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http://s461.photobucket.com/albums/qq335/Metalwizard/

Kelly aka
"Bubble & Nut Buster for wannabe BadBoy's of Restoration"
"There is no cure for Stupid"
ITMC "Drill SGT"

[stephenmullens]