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deathman68 Samba Member
Joined: May 06, 2005 Posts: 339 Location: Atlanta, GA
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Posted: Sun Mar 29, 2020 2:36 pm Post subject: Progress Continues...undercarriage time (pic heavy)! |
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Decided since we’re still in the thick of it with the gradual tear down and rebuild of every single removable part it was prob a good time to properly tackle the undercarriage to keep it rust free for another 40+ years. After reading a multitude of forum posts, searching body shop forums, and talking with pros I landed on the following for Annie’s undercarriage: 2 coats epoxy primer, 3M seam sealer on top followed by 3M body schutz on top. Waxoyl will be sprayed in all the frame cavities afterwards. While I’m sure there a prob a million ways to skin the proverbial cat including POR-15 etc, this is the way we chose to go. To each his own!
Step 1: Break out the heat gun and start scraping old undercoating off.
After a couple days of trying this as well as oven cleaner, stripper, lacquer thinner etc, I decided this is for the birds. While I probably could have spent a solid week scrubbing, rubbing, and sanding every last inch, wisdom took over...
Step 2: In three hours, a combination of sand (frame only) and glass beads made the front third clean as a baby’s bottom
Not shown: tented the bus which allowed me to collect and properly dispose of all the residual material
Step 3: take leftover sand and let the kid build sandcastles while I DA sanded a couple of spots. Hence her ear protection
Step 4: donn my best breaking bad/new grocery store suit and shoot some epoxy primer
That’s as far as we got this weekend. Next week we will drop the engine/trans
and blast the remainder of the undercarriage and epoxy primer to take advantage of the limited low humidity weather down here. Then we will mask off and seam seal followed by the body schutz. Stay tuned. |
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mwallace Samba Member
Joined: September 06, 2016 Posts: 53 Location: Ottawa
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Posted: Sun Mar 29, 2020 3:49 pm Post subject: Re: Progress Continues...undercarriage time (pic heavy)! |
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Looks great! Did you use a spray gun to spray the underside? It must have been tight down on the ground? |
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cmonSTART Samba Member
Joined: July 15, 2014 Posts: 1915 Location: NH
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Posted: Sun Mar 29, 2020 3:57 pm Post subject: Re: Progress Continues...undercarriage time (pic heavy)! |
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That's great progress! Plus, you're protected from Coronavirus! _________________ '78 Bus 2.0FI
de K1IGS |
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deathman68 Samba Member
Joined: May 06, 2005 Posts: 339 Location: Atlanta, GA
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Posted: Sun Mar 29, 2020 4:40 pm Post subject: Re: Progress Continues...undercarriage time (pic heavy)! |
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mwallace wrote: |
Looks great! Did you use a spray gun to spray the underside? It must have been tight down on the ground? |
Thanks! Yes I used my new Concours 2 HVLP from Eastwood. Surprisingly capable little gun that made me feel like a pro in spite of not having painted anything for the last 20 years. Also it did great with my little 20 gallon portable compressor. Win win!
The height was ok. About 2 ft off the ground in the front. I shoot with the Dekups system which lets me turn the gun sideways and upside down while continuing to spray evenly. Done shamelessly plugging products now...just happy I didn’t screw it up after so much prep work. |
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pioneer1 Samba Member
Joined: February 11, 2008 Posts: 2068 Location: Ontario Canada
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Posted: Sun Mar 29, 2020 4:54 pm Post subject: Re: Progress Continues...undercarriage time (pic heavy)! |
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Wow.
A suggestion from experience...clean out the tubes that house the throttle cable,etc before you procèed _________________ "Always waiting for tomorrow ruined everything"
'85 Porsche 911 Targa
'76 Westfalia project |
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busdaddy Samba Member
Joined: February 12, 2004 Posts: 51121 Location: Surrey B.C. Canada, but thinking of Ukraine
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Posted: Sun Mar 29, 2020 5:22 pm Post subject: Re: Progress Continues...undercarriage time (pic heavy)! |
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Wow!, THAT'S SERIOUSLY AMBITIOUS!, impressive work!
Bet you'll think twice about doing that job ever again
And as Pioneer suggests clean out those cable tubes, and the heat tubes too, first time you are up to speed and turn on the heat you'll get sandblasted by the defroster if you don't. _________________ Rust NEVER sleeps and stock never goes out of style.
Please don't PM technical questions, ask your problem in public so everyone can play along. If you think it's too stupid post it here
Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery!
Слава Україні! |
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deathman68 Samba Member
Joined: May 06, 2005 Posts: 339 Location: Atlanta, GA
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Posted: Sun Mar 29, 2020 5:36 pm Post subject: Re: Progress Continues...undercarriage time (pic heavy)! |
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busdaddy wrote: |
Wow!, THAT'S SERIOUSLY AMBITIOUS!, impressive work!
Bet you'll think twice about doing that job ever again
And as Pioneer suggests clean out those cable tubes, and the heat tubes too, first time you are up to speed and turn on the heat you'll get sandblasted by the defroster if you don't. |
Good call guys on the tubes. The smaller tubes I plugged with orange ear plugs so material/sand intrusion is minimal. The bigger ones I’ve already blown out a desert worth of sand. Regardless I’ll shoot them with some compressed air and degrease again. I’m going with a 2.5 Subaru swap (gasp) so not too worried about the heater tubes. Funny enough when I disconnected the front tubes I found a pencil, three rats nests, and a pen from a hotel in California (before area codes were used). So I’m guessing some PO had some minor heating issues which throwing objects into the heater tubes couldn’t resolve.
I am DREADING doing the back 2/3 of the bus next weekend but at least the results speak for themselves. |
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Jody '71 Samba Member
Joined: July 16, 2005 Posts: 2842 Location: Manassas VA
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Posted: Sun Mar 29, 2020 6:20 pm Post subject: Re: Progress Continues...undercarriage time (pic heavy)! |
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Amazing work so far Jeff!! I need to come down and get in the way/make annoying comments like years ago when we were doing bus work together in my driveway/garage!!! I don't think I'll be traveling anywhere anytime soon however. _________________ '66 Beetle
2011 Hyundai Elantra Touring |
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aeromech Samba Member
Joined: January 24, 2006 Posts: 16959 Location: San Diego, California
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Posted: Sun Mar 29, 2020 6:25 pm Post subject: Re: Progress Continues...undercarriage time (pic heavy)! |
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Hi Charlie _________________ Lead Mechanic: San Diego Air and Space Museum
Licensed Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic
Licensed Pilot (Single engine Land)
Boeing 727,737-200-300-400,757,767
Airbus A319,320,321
DC9/MD80
BAe146
Fokker F28/F100
VW type 1 1962,63,65,69,72
VW Type 2 1971 (3 ea.) 1978, 1969
VW Jetta
VW Passat
Capable of leaping tall buildings in a single bound |
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orwell84 Samba Member
Joined: May 14, 2007 Posts: 2536 Location: Plattsburgh, New York
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Posted: Sun Mar 29, 2020 6:48 pm Post subject: Re: Progress Continues...undercarriage time (pic heavy)! |
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You didn’t sandblast that with a 20 lb portable compressor?!? If you did, I want one just like that. |
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igotta40 Samba Member
Joined: February 21, 2014 Posts: 113 Location: Texas
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Posted: Sun Mar 29, 2020 7:16 pm Post subject: Re: Progress Continues...undercarriage time (pic heavy)! |
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That’s some awesome work! We scrubbed and recoated our undercarriage a while back, but not like you’re doing. Good for you! 👍 |
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Glenn Mr. 010
Joined: December 25, 2001 Posts: 76897 Location: Sneaking up behind you
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Posted: Sun Mar 29, 2020 7:20 pm Post subject: Re: Progress Continues...undercarriage time (pic heavy)! |
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Wow... just wow. _________________ Glenn
74 Beetle Specs | 74 Beetle Restoration | 2180cc Engine
"You may not get what you pay for, but you always pay for what you get"
Member #1009
#BlueSquare |
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airschooled Air-Schooled
Joined: April 04, 2012 Posts: 12721 Location: on a bike ride somewhere
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Posted: Sun Mar 29, 2020 7:33 pm Post subject: Re: Progress Continues...undercarriage time (pic heavy)! |
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deathman68 wrote: |
Good call guys on the tubes. The smaller tubes I plugged with orange ear plugs so material/sand intrusion is minimal. |
Stealing this idea, thanks!
Robbie _________________ Learn how your vintage VW works. And why it doesn't!
One-on-one tech help for your Volkswagen:
www.airschooled.com |
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SGKent Samba Member
Joined: October 30, 2007 Posts: 41031 Location: Citrus Heights CA (Near Sacramento)
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Posted: Sun Mar 29, 2020 7:40 pm Post subject: Re: Progress Continues...undercarriage time (pic heavy)! |
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there could be lead in that paint. Remember that when your kids play in it. _________________ “Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin |
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deathman68 Samba Member
Joined: May 06, 2005 Posts: 339 Location: Atlanta, GA
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Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2020 3:23 am Post subject: Re: Progress Continues...undercarriage time (pic heavy)! |
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orwell84 wrote: |
You didn’t sandblast that with a 20 lb portable compressor?!? If you did, I want one just like that. |
No. I’d still be out there if that were the case. I know a guy with an industrial media blasting rig used to strip boat hulls. That said, I do use my 20 gallon to media blast smaller parts and it takes me forever but produces good results. |
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orwell84 Samba Member
Joined: May 14, 2007 Posts: 2536 Location: Plattsburgh, New York
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Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2020 8:04 am Post subject: Re: Progress Continues...undercarriage time (pic heavy)! |
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deathman68 wrote: |
orwell84 wrote: |
You didn’t sandblast that with a 20 lb portable compressor?!? If you did, I want one just like that. |
No. I’d still be out there if that were the case. I know a guy with an industrial media blasting rig used to strip boat hulls. That said, I do use my 20 gallon to media blast smaller parts and it takes me forever but produces good results. |
That's a good person to know. I have a 30 gallon compressor that keeps up fairly well for smaller jobs. When I do the undercarriage of my bus, I will probably use it for hard to reach areas. |
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RalphWiggam Samba Member
Joined: February 02, 2018 Posts: 906 Location: SouthEast
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Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2020 8:32 am Post subject: Re: Progress Continues...undercarriage time (pic heavy)! |
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The sand/grit being everywhere and in everything is part of the reason I went the manual / super shitty route.
In addition to there being no way in hell I have the time to completely disassemble the entire bottom half of my bus... |
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bigdaveb Samba Member
Joined: August 13, 2004 Posts: 53
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Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2020 3:36 pm Post subject: Re: Progress Continues...undercarriage time (pic heavy)! |
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Deathman68,
One of the issues I had when I did my undercarriage after sandblasting was getting sand out of the framing members. I removed certain plugs (where I wanted the sand to exit) and found an opening where I could stick an air compressor nozzle in (also used nozzle extensions) and tried to blow out as much sand as I could - until there was no more sand coming out of the opening I was blowing towards. I would then take another seal out, in the opposite side of the same member, and blow out sand until no more would come out. I went back and forth on each side until no more sand was coming out. It took a good while to blow it all out. I think the worst was the front member under the nose.
The problem with the sand being in there is that it will absorb moisture - which will start the rust process within the framing members. It's very tedious work to remove it all, but it really needs to be done. Once you're done, you have the option of using something like an internal frame coating to arrest any existing rust in the members.
The work looks very good. Keep it up - it's worth it in the end.
Dave |
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deathman68 Samba Member
Joined: May 06, 2005 Posts: 339 Location: Atlanta, GA
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Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2020 5:06 pm Post subject: Re: Progress Continues...undercarriage time (pic heavy)! |
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bigdaveb wrote: |
Deathman68,
One of the issues I had when I did my undercarriage after sandblasting was getting sand out of the framing members. I removed certain plugs (where I wanted the sand to exit) and found an opening where I could stick an air compressor nozzle in (also used nozzle extensions) and tried to blow out as much sand as I could - until there was no more sand coming out of the opening I was blowing towards. I would then take another seal out, in the opposite side of the same member, and blow out sand until no more would come out. I went back and forth on each side until no more sand was coming out. It took a good while to blow it all out. I think the worst was the front member under the nose.
The problem with the sand being in there is that it will absorb moisture - which will start the rust process within the framing members. It's very tedious work to remove it all, but it really needs to be done. Once you're done, you have the option of using something like an internal frame coating to arrest any existing rust in the members.
The work looks very good. Keep it up - it's worth it in the end.
Dave |
Hey Dave. Thanks for the advice! I blew out at least a sandbox equivalent of sand from the front frame member as you mentioned and also from the little plug areas at the rear of the front wheel wells. Took forever but finally managed to get it blowing out nothing but air. Next step I will use my long nozzle extension and waxoyl those hard to see/reach places.
It’s so great to see all the different methods samba members have employed to achieve good results. _________________ 1973 Riviera “Annie”
Build Thread: 1973 Riviera+Subaru 2.5+5 Speed
EJ25+5 Speed Conversion Part/Cost Tracker |
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orwell84 Samba Member
Joined: May 14, 2007 Posts: 2536 Location: Plattsburgh, New York
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Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2020 6:37 pm Post subject: Re: Progress Continues...undercarriage time (pic heavy)! |
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I had some success with the needle scaler today. I tried it out on the pan that goes under the pedals. I had the undercoating off in about 20 minutes but left the grey factory paint in decent condition. Easy when it’s on the bench and I know in places it’s way thicker.
I will post some pics. |
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