My 86 GL tin top

[Glenn73]

After much work put into the old family van to get i back on the road my parents see my interest in it and they don't really have a whole lot. they decided it should go where it is loved. There was many times where there was ideas of selling it but those never panned out.
The van is now in my possession and undergoing further work to get it back to its original glory. Luckily it has been almost totally original condition and only a few minor incidents. Many of the currently failing or replaced pars were factory originals.
So far I have rebuilt or replaced many things on it to get it going. I definitely learned to avoid cheap parts from working on my 73 Super, only good components and parts are to be used. I even scored a nos set of headlamps to replaced the bad old ones. Sadly not many pictures were taken along the way. Many of the repairs are listed as follows, Rebuilt motor, all coolant hoses, GoWesty pcb replacement on the instrument cluster, Rebuilt and reset odometer, Rebuilt brakes and hydraulic clutch, shifter rebuilt with new ears, bushings, cup and ball. Front wheel bearings and calipers have been rebuilt.

Currently in need of fixing some accident damage to get it to tow a small trailer to get my bug blasted but then there shall be many trips and adventures. Pics will follow.
_________________
1973 Super Sat from 93-2008
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...highlight=
1986 Vanagon thread Sat from 2005-2017 https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=719692

VW Transporter production film https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rceTqDtGgz8

[Glenn73]

Here is how it was when I acquired it. Removed damaged interior panel and slider panel.(Will be repairing them and door panels) Pulled middle seat that apparently was not bolted down at all through my childhood. Shampooed all the carpeting. The calipers were blasted and honed during rebuild. new upper ball joints. Lowers and all bushings will be done in the near future. I slapped the hubcaps from my bug on it as I do not have any others for it. I have replaced the speedo cable and removed the unused and non functioning box that uses the 2 piece speedo cable.
THe rear hatch is bent. Any ideas on how to fix it???

_________________
1973 Super Sat from 93-2008
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...highlight=
1986 Vanagon thread Sat from 2005-2017 https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=719692

VW Transporter production film https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rceTqDtGgz8

[joetiger]

It's great to see it staying in the family and getting the attention it deserves. Nice work!
_________________
Joe T.

'86 NAHT Vanagon GL Syncro/ supercharged ABA 2.0 "Pigpen"
'91 Wolfsburg Carat "Barchetta"
'02 Baja-ish Beetle "Bubbles"

"get metaphysical with it. if it's simply a means to get to and from places, it will let you down. if it becomes your zen, it can't fail you." -dabaron

"Still, it's good to be afield."--VWagabond

Justice for Megan: https://linktr.ee/justiceformegantrussell

[borninabus]

well done!

there was a time (not too long ago) that my passenger van would be the only 7 seater @ a show--and i'm talking "big" shows: BBB, Jerome Jamboree--the only other vans would be westys. nowadays, different story. i think folks are realizing that 7 seaters are a great way to get into a van and not have to pay the camper tax. oh, and by the way, my bed sleeps two with room to spare. enjoy your 500lbs of extra shit that helps you to look cooler than me. you'll know when you see me because i'll be the one waving at your "subagon" from the passing lane

lets see some more
you're going to need some proper late hubcaps to cool those "big brakes"!
_________________
88 Van WBX, A/T - 93 Multivan 5cyl 5M/T - 13 JSW TDI 6M/T - 2012 Touareg TDI Sport

[Glenn73]

Finally got more pics uploaded.
Here is the pics of pretty much the only rust I have found due to the clutch MC leaking. Just three lil holes. Treated the steel with some Rustolium rust remover after a heavy scrubbing with a wire wheel. I covered the holes with small squares of steel that were also treated. I had glued down the pieces with seam sealer and fixed the front panel seam too. Then coated with a rubberized rust inhibitor.

Here is a shot of the motor and what is left of the cruise control.

May need a new throttle soon. It is running pretty good but is idling a bit high. Removed it to clean it as it was starting to require a lot of pedal effort. Question is where should the helper spring hook up to?

And I want to get it set up to tow a small utility trailer and a pop up camping trailer. I have found that the bumper was used as the hitch support so when the van got hit in the rear it bent the hitch and the frame where the bumper mounts. I have fixed the hitch and plan to utilized the bumper brackets as part of the hitch by adding some channel between them for the hitch to attach to.

I do also need a new rear hatch as mine is bent and the window is buckled outward a bit. I don't think it can be saved.
_________________
1973 Super Sat from 93-2008
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...highlight=
1986 Vanagon thread Sat from 2005-2017 https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=719692

VW Transporter production film https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rceTqDtGgz8

[Paulbeard]

[Glenn73]

[leecat]

I swear I have the exact same colour 7-passenger, 'dove blue' LH5U, and I have the same clearcoat peel on the nose AND some of my panels have also faded oddly right to the seams - to the point I swear they missed clear coating some body panels at the factory. I have not seen that weird single-panel fade on any other colour - does anyone know if something was sketchy with the Dove Blue paint jobs?

[Glenn73]

Well I did a bit more digging. I know that there was a leaky battery at some point and I had cleaned the area with baking soda and water during the "just get it running" stage. Now I went back through and cleaned it up proper. Sadly I forgot to get the before picture of the lil mess. Scoured the area and treated with some rust dissolver and converter. Then coated with a rubberized converter and sealer. Replaced the old dead foam with some new sound deadner.

Look at the yummy ground point.

The red wire has its grommet on backwards too for some reason. It has been corrected.

If you are new to these make sure you have the proper size battery and its cover. I removed the tape that someone used to try and prevent it shorting out and you can see two nice little burns.

What is going to be the best way to tackle the middle panel seams??

And just screwin around with the spare for my Corolla.

_________________
1973 Super Sat from 93-2008
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...highlight=
1986 Vanagon thread Sat from 2005-2017 https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=719692

VW Transporter production film https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rceTqDtGgz8

[Glenn73]

Was starting to smell gas quite a bit when I filled the tank. Never filled it full as I couldn't tell how full it was due to a bad sender. Dropped the tank and found a few lovely gems. All the vapor lines were splitting and the ones on the plastic tanks were original I think. All lines and grommets have been replaced and a new sender installed. Now it can be filled with no leaks or fumes.

Also Went and replaced the radiator surrounds. Apparently the bottom one was totally gone.

I dug into a few of the seams as the middle panel was leaky. Picked and scraped out all old sealer and sanded down inside. Treated with acid then masked off and new sealer forced in. I did find more body damage than I thought there was. The rear corner and front I knew about as I had helped fill them 20 years ago. They have been primered since then. Will be stripping off old filler and trying to pull the dents out better.

Any suggestions as to how to correct the buckle in the pillar?? The body contour is gon and it is a flat straight area.

I have been driving it quite a bit since and the speakers were atrocious. Not original but bad. I Installed some new Kickers in the factory grille. I trimmed off the mounting tabs enough that they were self centering and wrapped some 1/8" foam tape around and folded over the front so they were a snug fit and wont rattle. I used some magnet wire to tie them in place cause it was handy and I didn't want to glue them in.

They don't sound too bad either. Plenty loud for highway driving and moderate bass. Will eventually add a subwoofer. Here is a quick little clip.

Link

_________________
1973 Super Sat from 93-2008
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...highlight=
1986 Vanagon thread Sat from 2005-2017 https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=719692

VW Transporter production film https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rceTqDtGgz8

[Glenn73]

Went out on a adventure this week 200 miles round trip. No issues util I was almost home and got stuck in traffic. It started to have a bit of a vapor lock issue when I was barel moving on the freeway. Once off and moving it cooled down and regained power. Still a fun trip. (I wish it had AC)

_________________
1973 Super Sat from 93-2008
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...highlight=
1986 Vanagon thread Sat from 2005-2017 https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=719692

VW Transporter production film https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rceTqDtGgz8

[Buggeee]

Looks to be in very good shape. I have to do the seams on mine and will be taping them like that as I am terrible with a caulking gun. Thanks for pictures of that process. Enjoy the tunes!
_________________
Big Time 1988 Vanagon Westy
Release the Krankenwagen! 1966 Sportsmobile Camper
Dr. Kompressor 72 Super Duper
61 Turkis Pile (adopted out)

[Gnarlodious]

WOW! Super nifty! Really good work!
_________________
Vanagon ’83 diesel AAZ w/Giles injection, 5spd 4.57R&P+TBD and a '78 diesel Rabbit

[Glenn73]

Well long time no post. Started to have a bit of power loss and poor idle. I figured I'd look at the throttle again but it hasn't changed. I did find massive vacuum leaks at the intake manifolds. Lapped them flat as they were pretty bad. New boots and gaskets and all was good again.

I then looked into the body issue and have found it was a lot worse than I had thought. The filler was so thick they sanded grooves in it to make it appear normal.

I am going to need to replace the rear panel as it is soooo boogered up. Kinda looking for a good donor as new metal is pricey. And as can be seen the body is pushed in along that seam.
_________________
1973 Super Sat from 93-2008
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...highlight=
1986 Vanagon thread Sat from 2005-2017 https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=719692

VW Transporter production film https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rceTqDtGgz8

[Glenn73]

Well I am starting to feel better and well enough to get back to work on the van. The bug is waiting for warmer weather to use paint stripper to get rid of the lead paint.
After looking around online and calling local yards I have not found any donors close enough to make it cost effective over new metal. I have decided to try and repair it. I have the motor and trans out to deal with new problems of old parts finally giving up. Fun part is I know when and where they got the damage. The water pump had given out on a trip and we overheated in the Sierra mountains back in 2000. That replacement pump has started leaking bad and the thermostat housing had apparently melted a bit and is now cracked. Those and a leaking oil pump are why the motor came out.
DO NOT BUY FEQ Axles. POS 4000 miles and both dead on all 4 CVs splines wearing badly and making quite a racket.

With it all out I now have full access to deal with the rear quarter panel. I reached up into the body cavity and the buckle on the panel is far worse than what can be seen from the visible side. I have a few new toys to try and get it sorted out. I have a stud welder now and have already given it a go on the back edge and now it is far better than before. With any luck my somewhat dubious plan to pop it all out should get it straight enough to be solid and get the body contour back. Will need to fab up the corner bit as it is torn apart.

_________________
1973 Super Sat from 93-2008
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...highlight=
1986 Vanagon thread Sat from 2005-2017 https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=719692

VW Transporter production film https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rceTqDtGgz8

[Glenn73]

Well got to pulling and hammering. After a few hours I was wondering what I had gotten myself into. But I kept at it and have gotten it pulled out quite well.
Will need a skim of filler but it will be better than the 1/2" thick layer covering rust.
Decided to just fab up the corner. It may not be perfect but will be solid.

_________________
1973 Super Sat from 93-2008
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...highlight=
1986 Vanagon thread Sat from 2005-2017 https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=719692

VW Transporter production film https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rceTqDtGgz8

[Ride-Fly]

Incredible work Glenn! I wish I had your skills!

BTW, you mentioned “feeling better” and able to get back to work on your van. Hope you’re all healthy again for the long term.

Keep updating us on the progress. Thx!

[ricvaln]

Great job on your bus! thanks for the advise on the speaker replacement, I need to redo mine, was it hard to get the original speakers of of the grills?
Keep the posts coming. Thanks

[Glenn73]

Ricvaln I did not have the original speakers. They were some old Blaupunkt from a previous owner install.
_________________
1973 Super Sat from 93-2008
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...highlight=
1986 Vanagon thread Sat from 2005-2017 https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=719692

VW Transporter production film https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rceTqDtGgz8

[Glenn73]

So long time no post but I have been getting some stuff done here and there.
It developed a few issues again
Rear brakes didn"t seem to be working and the wheel bearings were the originals. Rebuilt the brakes and new wheel bearings. One of the stub axles was bent by about .032" and the backing plate on that side was bent as well.
I got new drums as the ones it had were original and about 1/8" oversize. (No wonder they didn't grab) the new wheel cylinders have the spring inside and the no name ones that were on the van were leaky and no spring. I actually remember helping replace the shoes years ago and they had next to no wear for the most part.

The steel coolant pipes were starting to leak and the main one had a few holes and has been replaced with a new stainless pipe. The others were okay aside from some pitting under the hose. They have been cleaned and treated and I filled the pits with JB weld and let it cure for a week before sanding down. I also used the same method on the oil cooler and water pump faces and heads as they were pitted as well. (I know not ideal but its working.)
The clutch was also giving me trouble as it was a bit jerky. Pressure plate was warped and was only grabbing the edge of the disk. Had the flywheel surfaced and installed a new clutch set and slave cylinder as the old one had started to leak. Shoulda replaced it when I did the master.

Did some new panels for the interior and just need to finish them. The bare hardboard doesn't look too bad though.
_________________
1973 Super Sat from 93-2008
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...highlight=
1986 Vanagon thread Sat from 2005-2017 https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=719692

VW Transporter production film https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rceTqDtGgz8