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Clatter
Samba Member
Joined: September 24, 2003
Posts: 7537
Location: Santa Cruz
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 Posted: Thu Nov 26, 2015 7:09 pm Post subject: Where to Cut?? |
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Introducing Project Rat Shit...
A November '74 Sorry-Ass pile of a deluxe sunroof...
Now, before any of you guys start saying it should be saved, or condemn me for killing it, know that this thing is done.
Like Stick a Fork In It done.
Too many reasons to list. This post will already be too long.
It came from here:
http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/general-news/2011...ith-county
See that guy?
That guy is a tweeker.
(He didn't actually design the Prius)
There were a bunch of other tweekers there.
And rats. Lots of rats.
So,
If any of you guys start saying 'Save this thing!' Go ahead and PM me, and I'll send you my PayPal address.
It needs to be gone this week.
(cue crickets...)
Anyways, this post could be titled "Get a Wiper Motor and Steering Box the Hard Way".. 
After five days of work, it's finally here, and stripped enough to cut up.
As it's final steward, I want to make sure it gets cut up in a way that doesn't make someone cuss later about how it was done.
(Never cut up a bus, or even done any major structural work to one, so learning here.)
First off, it has a really nice sunroof section. Luckily, it was siliconed shut long ago, (last registered in 1985) and ended up well preserved.
Because it was stored in a damp, dark redwood forest, the plastic parts are likely to be mostly intact.
(The dash pad was actually really nice.)
So,
This makes for a conundrum as to the best place to cut.
The rear corners have drains for the sunroof, but luckily they are really short, and they dump into the air intakes at the top.
It would be easiest to just cut the pillars, however, it seems prudent to cut all along between the top of the window opening below the drip-rail, thereby preserving the window opening as a section, useful later to patch a window bottom that typically rusts out.
Makes sense?
Some window opening top sections would make good patch sections to repair rusted window bottoms..
What do you think of my suggested cut line here?
Anybody ever save an intake vent?
Maybe just easier to just cut thru the vent opening?
Shore would be easier to just cut the posts... 
Front cut seems pretty obvious...
The front sunroof drains run clear down the "B" pillars.
If someone was converting a standard bus to sunroof, they would need the whole "B" pillar??
Anybody ever do a whole sunroof section?
How hard to fish the drain tubes?
Here is the drain opening at the bottom..
Maybe I'm just out of my tree to think that anyone would do a sunroof graft on a bay bus... 
But,
Beetle and Split guys been doing them for years, so, I guess it's just a matter of time?
Not that I really have a place to store a whole roof for years....
About the nose...
It's marginally worth saving; never been hit, save for the few little dents, never had a spare screwed to it, and cars are typically going forward when they run into things.
The way some of these aftermarket panels fit sometimes, a nose section like this might just be worth it..?
Because the bumper support piece to a big hit, maybe good to cut along under the seam like here?
Maybe the bumper support could be straightened; therefore better to cut along the floor like here?
Guessing that this long-side rocker doesn't have any holes, so probably just cut the length of the floor an inch back from the wall on this side?
Sucks that the hindquarters got mangled like this...
Many of the type 3s I encounter have a problem with rust in the rear load floor.
Busses ever have this problem?
Thinking it might be best to cut away the corner/duct parts, and make a rear deck/load floor section here, only because the outside is so sorry, and the inside is fine.
Anyways, if anyone has any experience patching together bay busses from sections, and has any cutting tips for me, let me know.
And, if you think it should be saved, PM me...
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What’s That Noise?!?
Last edited by Clatter on Thu Nov 26, 2015 7:26 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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skills@eurocarsplus
Samba Peckerhead
Joined: January 01, 2007
Posts: 16853
Location: sticksville, ct.
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| Posted: Thu Nov 26, 2015 7:20 pm Post subject: Re: Where to Cut?? |
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| Clatter wrote: |
Maybe I'm just out of my tree to think that anyone would do a sunroof graft on a bus...
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try me 
I would cut the roof right in the center of the windows, perhaps the very bottom of the window sills.
the bitch with a bus roof swap is always the rear corners. a die hard would drill all 58,000 spot welds in the rain gutter and remove the skin
drain tubes= pvc hose. I wouldn't bother trying to save the drains.
as far as the nose, SOP seems to be clip the whole deal off just behind the gas pedal area. let new nose owner deal with the skin.
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my reason for switching to subaru is my german car was turning chinese so i said fuck it and went japanese....... |
| Jake Raby wrote: |
| Thanks for the correction. I used to be a nice guy, then I ruined it by exposing myself to the public. |
| Brian wrote: |
| Also the fact that people are agreeing with Skills, it's a turn of events for samba history |
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airschooled
Air-Schooled
Joined: April 04, 2012
Posts: 12721
Location: on a bike ride somewhere
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| Posted: Thu Nov 26, 2015 11:52 pm Post subject: Re: Where to Cut?? |
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| skills@eurocarsplus wrote: |
the bitch with a bus roof swap is always the rear corners. a die hard would drill all 58,000 spot welds in the rain gutter and remove the skin |
I thought as buses got cheaper over time they spaced out the spot welds more, so a '74 bus would have something like 37,500 drill spots instead…
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Amskeptic
Samba Member
Joined: October 18, 2002
Posts: 8568
Location: All Across The Country
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| Posted: Fri Nov 27, 2015 8:49 am Post subject: Re: Where to Cut?? |
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| asiab3 wrote: |
| skills@eurocarsplus wrote: |
the bitch with a bus roof swap is always the rear corners. a die hard would drill all 58,000 spot welds in the rain gutter and remove the skin |
I thought as buses got cheaper over time they spaced out the spot welds more, so a '74 bus would have something like 37,500 drill spots instead… |
Not only that, but the robots got sloppier with their indexing. The BobD has a series of spot welds across the "deformation element-to-nose" seam where you can see the welder started to drop down. The final four welds on the right side are half off the edge.
I am sorry to see that bus get cut up. It does not look like it is ready to die.
Colin
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grandpa pete
Samba Member
Joined: July 06, 2008
Posts: 6426
Location: St. Petersburg, FL
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| Posted: Fri Nov 27, 2015 9:06 am Post subject: Re: Where to Cut?? |
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I bought a 68 poptop that didn't have ANY of the pop top pieces . A friend had a tintop that he was parting out .
we were able to hack up whatever we wanted and after several minor exploratory surgeries we figured out the " best " way to TOP OFF the bus .
The roof tin is one piece . It is welded to the gutter which is welded to the side panel .
If you put a disc grinder into the side below the gutter and use a sawsall with a long blade , cut up at a 45 degree angle you will end up with roof that has the gutter attached AND some of the OUTSIDE wall . remove the wall pieces and cut the outside vertical lip off the gutter
I chose to cut across the bus from the top back corners of the front doors ;giving me one straight line to weld..
As SKILLS has already said ; I drilled 200 holes in the new roof tin gutter lip and plug welded the top on .
However crude you may think this method ; It WORKED ; The " NEW " top is still in place .
If you would like to talk to someone who has done this successfully ; pm me 
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cdennisg
Samba Member
Joined: November 02, 2004
Posts: 20263
Location: Sandpoint, ID
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| Posted: Fri Nov 27, 2015 9:40 am Post subject: Re: Where to Cut?? |
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| skills@eurocarsplus wrote: |
| Clatter wrote: |
Maybe I'm just out of my tree to think that anyone would do a sunroof graft on a bus...
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try me
I would cut the roof right in the center of the windows, perhaps the very bottom of the window sills.
the bitch with a bus roof swap is always the rear corners. a die hard would drill all 58,000 spot welds in the rain gutter and remove the skin
drain tubes= pvc hose. I wouldn't bother trying to save the drains.
as far as the nose, SOP seems to be clip the whole deal off just behind the gas pedal area. let new nose owner deal with the skin. |
Agreed. Just cut through the windows at the halfway point. If anyone needs the top of those window frames for patch panels, you can remove them later. Cargo floor sections can be used by split bus guys looking for good solid metal, too.
The rest of your cuts look to be right. You can never save every piece, so it will never be a perfect job. The problem is in the demand. How long are you willing to sit on these parts? Finding a willing buyer locally might take some time. And do not expect to get much for the parts, either. What you are doing is being done for the cause, definitely not for the money.
Fire up that sawzall and get to choppin!
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