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wcfvw69 
Samba Purist
Joined: June 10, 2004
Posts: 13389
Location: Arizona
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 Posted: Thu Jun 09, 2016 8:04 am Post subject: Re: My 1970 Westy/Sportmobile hybrid build |
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As I looked through this thread, I thought "I love the smell of burning mig wire and grinding disc's in the morning".. lol
Wow.. you've done a LOT of work saving that rusty bay. Nice work.
Folks who complain about rust free bus prices from the SW USA only need to look at threads like this and grasp how much work it is to fix the rust. Imagine what it would cost for a shop to do all that work. I shutter thinking about the price quote. 
Having burned through rolls of mig wire and a gazzilion grinding discs on my vert, I feel your pain. 
Keep up the good work!
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Contact me at [email protected]
Follow me on instagram @sparxwerksllc
Decades of VW and VW parts restoration experience.
The Samba member since 2004.
**Now rebuilding throttle bodies for VW's and Porsche's**
**Restored German Bosch distributors for sale or I can restore yours**
**Restored German Pierburg fuel pumps for sale or I can restore yours**
**Restored Porsche fuel pumps or I can restore yours**
**Restored Porsche distributors or I can restore yours** |
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killerbee2003
Samba Member
Joined: August 19, 2011
Posts: 63
Location: nashville tn
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| Posted: Thu Jun 09, 2016 8:37 am Post subject: Re: My 1970 Westy/Sportmobile hybrid build |
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Wanted to share some of the problems and changes I've made up till now. It seems that just when you think you have something licked on these old buses they present a new problem.
One of the big problems I've really faced is welding this old rusty sheetmetal. It's hard enough welding thin metal ,but when it has a little surface rust on it,it likes to melt like butter. After I put hours into repairing the dented up rear corners that had a 1/2" of body filler in em, I ended up having to cut out the strip where the battery tray seams against them. Of course there is no patch panel that has the metal above the taillight so I had to hand form them.
rotted battery tray
new panel formed using rotted piece for pattern
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The past is history, the future a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why they call it the present!
70 westfalia bus |
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killerbee2003
Samba Member
Joined: August 19, 2011
Posts: 63
Location: nashville tn
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| Posted: Thu Jun 09, 2016 8:44 am Post subject: Re: My 1970 Westy/Sportmobile hybrid build |
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| wcfvw69 wrote: |
As I looked through this thread, I thought "I love the smell of burning mig wire and grinding disc's in the morning".. lol
Wow.. you've done a LOT of work saving that rusty bay. Nice work.
Folks who complain about rust free bus prices from the SW USA only need to look at threads like this and grasp how much work it is to fix the rust. Imagine what it would cost for a shop to do all that work. I shutter thinking about the price quote.
Having burned through rolls of mig wire and a gazzilion grinding discs on my vert, I feel your pain.
Keep up the good work! |
Thanks man! I've looked at your thread a lot. Guys like you who "get it" are what inspired me to do something I never do, post on the internet.
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The past is history, the future a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why they call it the present!
70 westfalia bus |
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killerbee2003
Samba Member
Joined: August 19, 2011
Posts: 63
Location: nashville tn
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| Posted: Thu Jun 09, 2016 8:49 am Post subject: Re: My 1970 Westy/Sportmobile hybrid build |
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In goes the new piece
after another 2 or 3 small patches due to rusty metal, the corner is all metal again!
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killerbee2003
Samba Member
Joined: August 19, 2011
Posts: 63
Location: nashville tn
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| Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2016 6:32 am Post subject: Re: My 1970 Westy/Sportmobile hybrid build |
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Here are some shots of the floor board repair. This was the typical rust on a 40 year old vehicle. I used the Bus Depot repair panels for this. They fit pretty good.
here are the before pics
Then cutting out the rusted panels
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The past is history, the future a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why they call it the present!
70 westfalia bus |
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killerbee2003
Samba Member
Joined: August 19, 2011
Posts: 63
Location: nashville tn
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| Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2016 6:40 am Post subject: Re: My 1970 Westy/Sportmobile hybrid build |
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The real tricky part here is trying to save the accelerator petal base and the holes for the other pedals. I was able to use some of the left over metal from the panel to form a patch.
Then I had to rebuild the lips for the spot welds. No fun!
Here they are all welded in.
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The past is history, the future a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why they call it the present!
70 westfalia bus |
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wcfvw69
Samba Purist
Joined: June 10, 2004
Posts: 13389
Location: Arizona
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| Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2016 6:52 am Post subject: Re: My 1970 Westy/Sportmobile hybrid build |
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Nice job on the floor repairs and rebuilding the flanges the floor panels rest on in the back and sides.
Looks good.
_________________
Contact me at [email protected]
Follow me on instagram @sparxwerksllc
Decades of VW and VW parts restoration experience.
The Samba member since 2004.
**Now rebuilding throttle bodies for VW's and Porsche's**
**Restored German Bosch distributors for sale or I can restore yours**
**Restored German Pierburg fuel pumps for sale or I can restore yours**
**Restored Porsche fuel pumps or I can restore yours**
**Restored Porsche distributors or I can restore yours** |
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khalimadeath
Samba Member
Joined: June 24, 2014
Posts: 768
Location: Reno, NV
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| Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2016 7:58 pm Post subject: Re: My 1970 Westy/Sportmobile hybrid build |
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Nice welding. Keep up the good work.
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1970 Bus Westfalia
1964 Kombi |
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killerbee2003
Samba Member
Joined: August 19, 2011
Posts: 63
Location: nashville tn
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| Posted: Sat Jun 18, 2016 10:22 am Post subject: Re: My 1970 Westy/Sportmobile hybrid build |
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So here are some pics of the last couple of metal repairs. Just when you think you got 'em all, another one reveals itself. But in the end , a rust free bus is worth it, right?
This one was particularly tricky due to the three different layers of metal the rot got into.
Rear window sill. Luckily this was the worst of them
Bottom or rear hatch
And this is what you can't see. The inside of the panel
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The past is history, the future a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why they call it the present!
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killerbee2003
Samba Member
Joined: August 19, 2011
Posts: 63
Location: nashville tn
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| Posted: Sat Jun 18, 2016 10:27 am Post subject: Re: My 1970 Westy/Sportmobile hybrid build |
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This is my artsy pic of all the rotted metal that came out of the ol' girl. Kind of crazy to look at it all in one pile.
46 years of decay. Hope my insides don't look like that!
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killerbee2003
Samba Member
Joined: August 19, 2011
Posts: 63
Location: nashville tn
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| Posted: Sat Jun 18, 2016 10:32 am Post subject: Re: My 1970 Westy/Sportmobile hybrid build |
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So this should bring this story up to date. Last weekend I wire wheeled all the rain gutters and the window sills, and any other surface rust I could find, then applied POR 15.
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The past is history, the future a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why they call it the present!
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killerbee2003
Samba Member
Joined: August 19, 2011
Posts: 63
Location: nashville tn
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| Posted: Sat Jun 18, 2016 10:33 am Post subject: Re: My 1970 Westy/Sportmobile hybrid build |
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And a nice top coat of epoxy primer.
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killerbee2003
Samba Member
Joined: August 19, 2011
Posts: 63
Location: nashville tn
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| Posted: Sat Jun 18, 2016 10:35 am Post subject: Re: My 1970 Westy/Sportmobile hybrid build |
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Hope to try and finish up the bodywork this weekend. Sounds like a good way to spend Fathers Day. In my garage!
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The past is history, the future a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why they call it the present!
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killerbee2003
Samba Member
Joined: August 19, 2011
Posts: 63
Location: nashville tn
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| Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2016 6:40 am Post subject: Re: My 1970 Westy/Sportmobile hybrid build |
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And now we come to the part of the story where we do a conversion from Westy to Sportmobile. The bus had the original pop top removed when I bought it so I've always been looking for a top of some sort. I finally came across a great Sportmobile top that I got from a really cool VW guy I met at a show. He said it sat in a barn for 15 years. I got pretty much the whole Sporty interior. I'll probably put what I don't use on the classifieds eventually.
start of the pressure washing
all cleaned up
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The past is history, the future a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why they call it the present!
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justcruzin
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Joined: July 31, 2005
Posts: 1493
Location: United States
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alman72
Samba Member
Joined: October 09, 2014
Posts: 2573
Location: MICHIGAN
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| Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2016 4:09 pm Post subject: Re: My 1970 Westy/Sportmobile hybrid build |
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| what kind of welder are you using? glad you are saving that bus. great work. |
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khalimadeath
Samba Member
Joined: June 24, 2014
Posts: 768
Location: Reno, NV
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| Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2016 5:34 pm Post subject: Re: My 1970 Westy/Sportmobile hybrid build |
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Nice work.
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The United States Constitution
(c) 1787. All Rights Reserved
1970 Bus Westfalia
1964 Kombi |
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killerbee2003
Samba Member
Joined: August 19, 2011
Posts: 63
Location: nashville tn
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| Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2016 7:57 am Post subject: Re: My 1970 Westy/Sportmobile hybrid build |
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| alman72 wrote: |
| what kind of welder are you using? glad you are saving that bus. great work. |
Thanks. I use the Miller 211 autoset. Best investment I've ever made! I've been welding for many years now as a hobbyist and it's been all I've ever needed. It will run on 110 or 220 volts. Running on 110 is particularly good for welding sheet metal.
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The past is history, the future a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why they call it the present!
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killerbee2003
Samba Member
Joined: August 19, 2011
Posts: 63
Location: nashville tn
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| Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2016 9:15 am Post subject: Re: My 1970 Westy/Sportmobile hybrid build |
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So I've been making a little progress on the bus. I decided to go euro style with my dash since it had rust under the pad and on the inside.
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The past is history, the future a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why they call it the present!
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killerbee2003
Samba Member
Joined: August 19, 2011
Posts: 63
Location: nashville tn
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| Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2016 9:24 am Post subject: Re: My 1970 Westy/Sportmobile hybrid build |
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Also fit the Sportsmobile top on her. Made sure everything was figured out before paint. I've learned that lesson before.
I'm having a new top made by the Countryholmescampers people thanks to alman72 for the contact.
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