A bus (and vw) newbie....

[Pinetops]

Impressive fab skills
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"A rolling bus gathers no rust."

[nlorntson]

Check to be sure all the control cable tubes are open and not in need of replacement.

Put some insulation on the center heater tube if you care about heat to the front.

Be sure you have a pull wire for the main wiring harness to the back in place.

Get the hard brake line to the back installed,

Get those belly pans installed before you flip it over.

[chgrec]

[chgrec]

Been working on the topside of things lately. I got the bus upright again and the bottom covered up.

My cargo door bottoms are all a mess so I am working through those now. I am also mixing in some of the metal fab just to keep thing interesting and varied from de-rust, weld & grind….

As for the doors, I tried making my own lower inner frame but that failed miserably…So I bought 4 from Gerson @ klassicfab and I must say I am very impressed with the new web site. And he now calculates shipping real time! No more extra emails, yay! I ordered the door frames on a Tuesday @ 11 am….By Thursday they were at the house, remarkable….

I am however making the exterior skin myself and that does seem to be going much better than the frame. It is taking me 2 or 3 nights per door so maybe by thanksgiving I’ll get them all done….maybe

The metal fab I have started is adding trim across the cut line to top off the edge cleanly. The top edge hangs over the lip and just covers the single cab tie downs I added. Then over the rear engine compartment there will be a trunk lid for lack of a better term (or perhaps boot lid would be more appropriate). I haven’t quite decided how or what to do with the rear door yet but I'll get to that.

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Life's to short to drive a boring car!

Follow my latest project: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=668542&highlight=

My previous project: http://www.mgexp.com/journal/chgrec/

[chgrec]

So it’s been a while since I posted….Still making progress it’s just that life has gotten in the way of the documentation aspect of this project.

I have still been working on doors….soooo many doors….The front doors took a lot longer than expected since when I stripped them, all the hidden holes all came out to play. I initially tried to make my own lower front door skins. When that came out poorly, I bought some instead. I found that keeping the proper curve to the door frame and keeping the door gaps even was quite the challenge. They are pretty much done with the main rebuilding, now I just need to do my touch up welding & grinding.

I have also been taking intermittent breaks from doors to do other things like finishing the rear trunk lid, etc. One of the things I have been putting off is the stripping of the many layers of paint. I had been watching Eastwood for sales and discounts and one finally hit around Christmas. So, my gift was one of their barrel sanders. And boy does that thing work. Took about 20 mins to completely strip a cargo door down to bare metal. At least 3 paint jobs since its birth; original Turkis, white, and then finally red. (4 if you count rust as a layer). The metal doesn’t get hot either so no warpage like from other stripping methods. The entire driver’s side was done in 2 hours, pretty impressive…

Now it’s on to the rear engine cover & rear hatch…..Which is the last of the rust, finally!

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Life's to short to drive a boring car!

Follow my latest project: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=668542&highlight=

My previous project: http://www.mgexp.com/journal/chgrec/

[Skim]

Looks like you have been putting in a lot of work in the past few months. Most people won’t comment because it’s not their cup of tea but I can appreciate the fact that you are out there putting in time and work on your bus. It’s not what I’m used to but I give praise to you or anyone who I see putting in work on their bus.
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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

[chgrec]

Thanks. I know that many here do not approve of my modifications and realize that my bus will likely end up in the “Frankenbus” thread at some point. Even though I am trying to do really good work and stay as original as possible (or as original as one can with a build like this), I am ok with all that. I believe deeply that people need to have their own opinion. Diversity of thought is a very good thing as long as we are all polite about it and respect each other’s ideas.

I thought long and hard before posting my build thread because of the passion folks here have about these buses. But I figured if I could show that an IT guy with limited skills, a desire to do good work, and enough patience to do something 2 or 3 times can complete a project bus, then more buses & old cars might get saved.

Besides, if I didn’t take this on, this bus would likely have been parted or junked...

Thanks again.
_________________
Life's to short to drive a boring car!

Follow my latest project: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=668542&highlight=

My previous project: http://www.mgexp.com/journal/chgrec/

[Skim]

Yeah man right on. Keep it up. 🤘🏼
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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

[aa390392]

I for one appreciate your work and integrity.... waiting to see finished project..keep it up
Thomas
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.
getting grumpy & less tolerant!


55 ragtop
56 delux sedan
56 Kabriolet

[crukab]

[Black hound]

Nice work. Your plans wouldn't be to my taste but I enjoyed the read.
Way to go on origeonality of modification, your design is interesting and different, not something copied over and over again like lowered to the street with porch wheels and the rust falling from it excused as 'patina'!
your repairs look brilliant and I look forward to seeing the finished product.
Nice to see something different and I wish you the best of luck with it.

[type2rescuemaine]

[chgrec]

Now that the rust is all gone, I have moved to some of the fun stuff and some of the needed small stuff. I found that one of the cargo doors had a sag/tilt to it. After a bit of investigating, I found that the section of metal that holds the top hinge captive “nuts” (not really nuts but a strip of metal that has 2 threaded holes) had cracked and split apart. That caused the door hinge anchor to wobble and the door to drop about a ¼” on the top. The rest of the metal is solid with no rust or damage, so I couldn’t justify the replacement of the entire section.

But no matter what I could come up with, I couldn’t avoid removing the center section of that pillar. Besides, I figured if I couldn’t make what I needed, I could always just buy it after I failed (that has happened a few times so far!). After a bit of cutting, bending, drilling & spot welding I came up with a suitable replacement. All I need to do now is pop the captive anchor plate in, weld the tab and put it back in. That won’t happen until Monday evening, so I won’t know until then if my attempt has really worked or not.

I also started work on making a hard top for the new convertible. I want to have the bus look as normal and original whenever I can, so I bought a roof section from a single cab. It appears to have been rolled at some point, so I got it cheap (he even delivered it!). I needed the rear window panel to be intact since that is something I knew I couldn’t make and no one sells reproductions. I already had the top metal & side sections from my bus to use as replacements for the bent & dented metal of the cab top. The goal is to make the single cab top a suitable looking hard top for those rainy Atlanta days. I will also attempt to make a soft top & frame but that will come later. I think it will look pretty good once I get done, which will likely be several weeks out.

Between making the top & prepping all my welds and body panels for paint, I have a lot to keep me busy to hit my goal of shooting paint by August...
_________________
Life's to short to drive a boring car!

Follow my latest project: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=668542&highlight=

My previous project: http://www.mgexp.com/journal/chgrec/

[KombiMadness]

Hey great work and skills, mate. As others have said, not really my cup of tea. I would've been happy with the DD panel. However, your bus - your choice. That bus looked pretty bad in any case.....

I always enjoy watching somebody with skills, dedication and passion. You get 10/10 on all three!
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My brother & I on the roof of Dad's Splitty circa 1967 - I'm the half pint with the skinny legs!

[chgrec]

Hit a milestone a couple of weeks ago. I got the bus off the wooden rotisserie and back on its wheels. The front end rubber parts & brakes & RGBs still need rebuilding but the beam is cleaned up and repainted with all new bolts. Even got my first new bling, shiny new bolts for the rear torsion bar caps.

I really needed it more mobile again to get it rolled out of the garage so I can clean up the space. The garage is covered in grinding & sanding dust and is no place to shoot primer. It’s also driving me nuts being so messy.

I still haven't gotten the hard or soft top made but I have a solid plan for both and about 75% of the hard top done. The other thing to do is getting the new trunk lid latch system figured out and in place as well. I pretty much have it figured out and I plan on using use as many original or VW Bus parts where I ever I can though some in different ways than originally intended. For the trunk latch I am using the rear hatch & striker from a 68 bus. A modified version of the original T handle in its original place will operate the release. On the outside, the handle will look stock and lock as well.

I have also been finishing up the metal touch ups & little dents to get it all flat and ready for primer. Every time I think I am all done with a section, I find another spot I am either not happy with or where I think I can do better. My goal is to start shooting epoxy primer & high build beginning the last week of May. Then a month (or 2) of block sanding and color goes on by August...or so I hope...

.
_________________
Life's to short to drive a boring car!

Follow my latest project: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=668542&highlight=

My previous project: http://www.mgexp.com/journal/chgrec/

[chgrec]

I have been making pretty good progress and I have gotten to the part that starts to pay off a little. I was able to get the main interior painted in its final surface and I got several layers of primer down on the main body as well. I shot the interior with a tinted bed liner using L-289 pale blue. It really looks white and should go nicely against the Turquoise of the lower half when that day comes. I used bed liner on most of the interior because it is very robust and should hold up really well when this bus moves to the beach one day….I think it will be more durable & less slippery on sandy feet when that day comes.

I shot 2 coats of epoxy primer then 4 coats of high build sandable primer on the exterior body. I still need to shoot the doors & other removable parts but that should happen next week, depending on our 4th of July plans that is…. Once that’s done, the long process of sanding and tweaking the surface to get it flat and true for paint begins. Long board & finish sanding is a tedious process but it's key to getting abshiny finish.

I was also able to figure out the rear latching mechanism for the reversed direction hatch that is now a trunk access door, folding down instead of up as it was originally built. I tried several types of VW hinges but after several failed attempts of using hidden ones, I settled on exposed rear engine lid hinges from a VW Thing. They will work well and though exposed, are in keeping with the age & look of the bus so I can live with it. I created a mechanism to release the new trunk lid using the old exterior handle & a late split/early bay catch & latch. When you see if from the outside it looks original but when rotated, the trunk lid releases. You can also fold down the rear hatch for more access to the trunk using a modified version of the hatch prop lid to limit downward travel. It is still lockable as well so that’s a plus.

Even more fun, after a ton of research, I discovered that the soft top from a 2 year only (89 & 90) factory made Dodge Dakota pickup convertible should be pretty close to the dimensions of my newly chopped top. I took a chance and ordered one and it is so close, it's almost like it was made for it. I will need to make a few modifications but not near as many as I expected. Since the top was made in North Carolina, I was able to buy some extra fabric from them, so my changes will match exactly. That’s a huge relief and now all I need to do is make a foldable metal frame.

Depending on our schedule in July, I am still on track to shoot the exterior color in August and then start the interior rebuild (seats, door panels, etc) & drive train toward the end of the year. Hopefully spring time 2019 in ATL will bring flowers & completed buses
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Life's to short to drive a boring car!

Follow my latest project: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=668542&highlight=

My previous project: http://www.mgexp.com/journal/chgrec/

[chgrec]

Wow…..I cant believe it has been since July since I posted an update. A lot has gotten done and a lot still needs to be done. Life also got in the way every now and again, but I am still plugging through.

Most of the skim coat has been finished with the exception of the tailgate & the engine cover so I should be able to put the last thick primer coat to start the full block sanding soon. I got tired of sanding and was looking for non-sanding work so I started on the soft top.

And all my shop time lately has been spent on the top frame and convertible top material. 3 months (8 hours p/week on average) have been spent so far. I started with a Miata top frame (yes, I know its not VW) since they are cheap and plentiful, a lot less than a used VW top frame, and it would help ne with the geometry. I did need to widen it and add a lot of length, but the real challenge was making the header. I used sheet metal vs the wood of the bug conv since I am not much of a wood worker. I got the header finished up and welded to the extended top frame.

However, I just couldn’t get the Miata top to fold right and the sides curved too much for my liking and to fit the top material (more on that later) so I ended up scrapping the miata top and just made my own from flat steel & steel poles. Lots of changes & adjusting until I ended up folding back nice like bug conv. I will add some ball lock pins to make the folded frame easy to remove if not needed or to put the hard top on.

I used Thing top latches and an early vw top handle and it took a while (over 60 hours so far) but I am happy with it overall. I just really needed to prove I could do it as planned before I moved into the paint stage. I’ll pull it off now and put it away until after the body is painted and ready to go. I do still have a few things to do on it later (like side cables) but I’ll finish that after I get the bus painted. For now, it’s pretty much done.

I’ll post some photos of the finished top when we get home. We are in the N. Ga mountains for few days to rest and deal with the passing of my wife’s brother & my friend. He was only 65 and was taken down by ocular melanoma after a 4-year battle. He is survived by his wife, his sister & his mother (91) and will be sorely missed. Hug your loved ones often, you never know how long you have them.

_________________
Life's to short to drive a boring car!

Follow my latest project: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=668542&highlight=

My previous project: http://www.mgexp.com/journal/chgrec/

[chgrec]

I did get the soft top all finished with the exception of the side cables, a few snaps & rivets and some final smoothing of the edges. But now that I took soooooo long on the convertible top, I have missed my painting window a bit since my work shop isn’t heated. So, I have been working on the hard top and started rehabbing the seats.

I am also working on the door windows & wing windows. I needed to add 1 ½” inches to them to extend to the new soft top along the side. That also means custom glass & wing window frames but I’ll deal with that later. I have been working on the door windows too. I will use the existing window frames when the hard top is on, but they will be modified to be removable. I needed something different (and taller) when the soft top is on. I am thinking I will do side curtains like the Things use (and old British cars or jeeps).

On the body, I finished the trunk lid and the rear hatch. I used the same rear hatch but cut in half side to side. The goal is to allow the rear hatch to open downward like a truck tailgate. I experimented with several hinges trying to hide them, but I couldn’t get the geometry to work. I went through multiple hinges off various VWs but nothing worked on the inside.

Since my goal is to use only VW parts where possible, I ended up with a set of hinges off a Thing engine compartment mounted on the outside. Not quite what I had hoped but still a vintage look & VW part. The rear handle that would have allowed the hatch to open is now used to trigger the latch on the trunk lid using a cargo door rod hidden inside the new tailgate. I am using a cargo door latch to keep the tailgate closed and a modified version of the original door prop rod to keep the tailgate flat when open. An inner cargo door handle will then allow the tailgate to unlatch. Still need to do a little work on the sheet metal but overall, I am very happy with the way it came out.

The hard top will be a combination of the single cab top rear panel for the window & the original top. The edge of the original top is a little crispy along one side but that’s fine since I need to recreate the top edge to mate with the modified wing window frames and removable door windows. I am also going to take the overhead vent out of the single cab roof and mount it into the removable top. I left the front overhang vents so it would be functional for air flow and because I think that overhang is a big part of the split front look.

I started on the seats by disassembling what was left of the original front seats. My plan is to use leather and stay true to the original shape by using reproduction horsehair but layering over some jute & sew foam under the leather. Instead of using the panel van grey, I am using a dark green with white piping and I will add some accent sew lines. Should look nice and since I am also adding seat heaters, they should also be comfy.

All of this work should give me enough to do until the weather warms up a bit and then I can get back to the paint prep & shooting some color…
_________________
Life's to short to drive a boring car!

Follow my latest project: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=668542&highlight=

My previous project: http://www.mgexp.com/journal/chgrec/

[chgrec]

My main focus since Dec has been on the hard top. I took the crusty top front off my bus and the rear window section off a rolled over VW single cab top to start the process.

Since the edges of my top were very rusty, I had to start out with replacing a lot of edge metal. And since I was (keyword here is was) planning on using custom door windows & frames, I needed to make new top edges for the door window tops to meet. This was to deal with a shorter edge on the soft top.

Once I had actually gotten the shorter sides made, I didn’t like the shorter side look and went back to factory door window frames and put the factory metal back on the hard top sides. I will have to adjust the soft top later to match up to the shorter window frames now. I'll do that when I get out the sewing machine to start on the upholstery.

I did have to make one side upper frame since the factory part was like swiss cheese and not usable. Took several steps but I am happy with it as well.

I needed to bridge the gap between the rear window section & the crusty top since the old cab top had been pretty much destroyed. That mean a long section of compound curves. This took quite a bit of time and planning to get the curves & shapes made from flat steel. Not exactly as the factory but close enough to look nice, once I ground it all down.

Still lots of sanding, touch ups, edge fixes and other fixes but I was able to get some of the skim coat done and the first layer of high build primer.

Hopefully, it should be all ready for final primer by the end of next week. After that, I'll finish the interior of the top and then back to the skim coating & surface prep for the body of the bus.....

This is what I am going for in the over all look, a single cab at first glance. (pardon my very messy shop, been way too rainy lately to clean up much).

_________________
Life's to short to drive a boring car!

Follow my latest project: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=668542&highlight=

My previous project: http://www.mgexp.com/journal/chgrec/

[chgrec]

Now that the welding & grinding is all done, it’s time to get back to the prep & prime of the body. I got the body & parts all as smooth as I could with the metal replacement, hammer & dolly, & grinding work so now it was time to get the primer coats on and then some thin skim coats to smooth it all down.

This is the tedious work (that and post paint color block sanding) and takes up so much more time than expected. Every time you touch a panel it seems like you find more small flaws. Fortunately, they have been minor surface defects and not anything that require reworking of the metal.

I was able to get the bus out of the shop to do a big clean up so I could assemble my paint booth. It’s made up of painter’s plastic & PVC pipe plus a couple of filtered fans. Last time I used ropes & pulleys to make it like a Roman shade to raise and lower it easily. This time I felt the effort required for all that was more time than it was worth, so I am just raising it from each side as needed. Keep it simple! My fans are identical ones with the inlet fan runs one speed faster than the exhaust to keep a positive pressure on the booth. I don’t want it sucking in any dust particles.

I got a fresh double coating of epoxy primer on and 2 more layers of high build primer. For this stage. I left it all assembled since I already had several layers of epoxy & build primer on it all and it made it much easier for this coat with it all assembled. After the skim coat, I will have it fully disassembled for the last high build & blocking layer before I shoot color. I then got busy on the glazing...The downside of these things is the square footage of all panels. So much bigger than my previous 2 seaters and even way more than the Mustang I did a few years ago, even after I cut half of it off!

I did all the doors, hatches & removable stuff first before I moved onto the main body. They are all done and waiting in the wings along side the pile of other bus parts.

I will hopefully finish up the body skim & block this week and shoot the final high build primer on by the end of next week. Then one final block sand by the end of the following week and the first color goes on the top half! (at least in theory)
_________________
Life's to short to drive a boring car!

Follow my latest project: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=668542&highlight=

My previous project: http://www.mgexp.com/journal/chgrec/