Body work/ seam rust southern Ontario/Quebec

[Pascal4c]

Hey there, owned my westy since 2012,
And I adresses the seam rust when I got it,
But it’s about time she gets looked at properly, as it’s coming back in full force
I was wondering if anybody had any recommendations for bodywork in this part of Canada?
Everybody says they can do it,
But I’m looking for somebody who has Done it.
Thanks!
-pascal

[MarkWard]

Canada is a big country, but if I needed a vanagon restored, I would check with Ben. www.benplace.com

[metropoj]

Although I have no direct experience with Eurotek Motors in Almonte, they took over Frank Condelli's mechanical type stuff.

They seem busy enough and maybe they can do it or help guide you to a proper resolution.


To be honest, I'd totally start from the inside out first if I were you, strip it and go inside out.

Almost all my rust issues in seams started inside out. After prepping the inside and attacking the rust, I then moved to the outside. The process took a few years.

I had a local company in Port Hope media blast my seams, however if you have nice paint, these guys were not finesse at all, they blasted a 3 in wide swath around every seam.

After blasting, rust proofing, Rust bullit / seam sealant , NAPA spray bomb, I've been 3 years without rust returning and the paint is actually not too too bad. I'll fix it some day nicer ...
_________________
John.
86 TiiCo powered Westy.

[metropoj]

Also, search up 'Body by Chrome' out of Newtonville.

Volker is a very busy hard working fella and has piles of Vanagon experience. Has done pretty well anything to a Vanagon you can think of.

If you're not in a hurry, he may be the answer for you. I cannot voutch for his workload or current jobs in the queue but I've seen his work over the years and he does the odd mechanical for me ( I prefer to do my own as much as possible ).

It's cool to drive up to his shop and be surrounded by at least 6 Vanagons, Bays, Mercedes, Porsches ...
_________________
John.
86 TiiCo powered Westy.

[Pascal4c]

Thanks for the tips! Greatly appreciated.
Was Definetly planning on doing some of the prep work myself.
Some of the blasting and trying to stop the rust,
But when it comes times to actual metal/body work,
I rather not have it done half butchered again, as was done by the PO
As well as myself when I first got it.
Managed to keep the rust at bay a good 5 years tho.
Scared of what I’m going to find, first time scraping rust away I found way more bondo that anybody would like.
But those areas are still looking pretty solid.
Minus the cosmetic blemishes.
I’m just afraid of a that rust turning into full blown rot back there behind the kitchen.

[metropoj]

You may certainly get a surprise once you open it up back there but rest assured that if you don't do inside out, you're screwed long term I'd say I suspect PO did it outside in.

I was lucky in that almost no bondo was done and my van, was 98% original paint but tired, rust started in the seams. My rust was in odd places ( to me anyways ), the little indents that the vapour tanks sit in behind the front wheels were almost completely gone ( I used a Donor and cut out the circled areas and inserted them, around the bolts that hold the Westy seat into the floor and around the ECU plug.

The more common areas were light perforation behind the sink ( rust stains from the outlet boxes and window seams carried rust down and into the sill ), the area directly above the rear wheels. Every window seam has rust in it, in the corners of the front windscreen too, around the front heater box.

I tackled each one in different years of ownership. I would say mine is under control now since I've had no staining or reappearance over time ...

Here are some pics. Rust work started in 2013, 2016 and 2017 ...

And a pic outside of Volkers shop a few years back. It is nice to see like minded vehicles in a shop you're trusting to work on your van ...

Last years road trip out to the Center of Canada ...

_________________
John.
86 TiiCo powered Westy.

[The Carrot]

http://volkerswagens.ca
_________________
1990 Orly Blue Carat

[metropoj]

[dobryan]

X3 on the inside out approach to seam rust. Be sure whoever you choose is on board with this or has a great explanation why they don't.
_________________
Dave O
'87 Westy w/ 2010 Subaru EJ25 (Vanaru) and Peloquin TBD

"To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive." Robert Louis Stevenson

MD>Canada>AK>WA>OR>CA>AZ>UT>WY>SD
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=620646

Building a bus for travel in Europe (euroBus)
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=695371

The Western Syncro build
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=746794

[Ride_On]

Absolutely no experience with them, just know of them - Last Chance Auto Restore north of Kingston.

Good luck!
_________________
1977 Westfalia 2.0 FI Skills EJ25 w SubaruGears 5sp
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=687254
2018 Golf Sportwagen 4MO DSG (Dieselgated 2013 Golf Wagon TDI DSG)