Vanagon 100% electric with Chevy Bolt drivetrain

[mikemtnbike]

First, if you're really good with a caulk gun, I don't think you should have to do any squishing, but I'm not. In fact, I'm terrible for some reason. So...

I found that using a screen installation tool like below to "squish" the seam sealer in did a much much much better job than my finger and produced a clean, professional looking line. 2 years later, still looks great, with no return of the rust I removed/treated.

https://www.amazon.com/Prime-Line-MP7503-Screen-Ro...KHB4V2P69Z
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1991 Vanagon GL 2.1 AT Westfauxlia. "Frankie" Totaled https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=764510&highlight=carnage
1995 Eurovan Camper "Marzivan"
2020 GTI SE manual

[DuncanS]

What door seams? Are you talking about the joint between the outer and inner door panel? I bought an '87 under the tourist delivery program and brought it back to Vermont. With no undercoating, after ten years, the car had to be junked as the rust was beyond repair. Even then there were no issues with the joint between the outer and inner door panels.

[RainierSyncro]

[remraf]

I'm in the process of doing my seams and body work right now. I am by no means an expert but am getting guidance from a seasoned body person. As far as seams go I'm doing the following:

I scraped all old seam sealer from seams

Glass beaded seams

Used a utility knife to probe and verify I couldn't produce any rust dust from seams

treated seams with ospho rust converter

cleaned seams again with a commercial grease and dust remover (can't remember name but it's for paint prep)

sprayed seams with etching primer

van is now getting close to having primer sprayed over etching primer

---couple of notes

If you find rust in seam look on the inside of seam. Often you'll find the rust started behind the seam and worked it's way out. Depending on how deep down the rabbit hole you want to go you may be looking at panel replacement. Luckily for me the only panel replacement was minor behind rear wheels.

The seams have been tedious but there is another syncro west at the shop where mine is. Can't say for sure but it appears to have a less and 4 year old paint job on it and every seam is bubbling with rust. The other paint work looks nice but I can't imagine spending that much money for that outcome.

Good luck! Amazing work you've done on the conversion. I'll keep my 2.1 chugging along with hopes what you're doing will be plug and play someday

[yabert]

5 entire and long days was needed to prepare the van for the primer. What a job it was!!!
Most of the job was to reach the bare metal. Welded repairs and potty was not so complex, but only because my quality standard for this paint job is low.
Plan is to finish the paint in fews days.

Here a interesting fact from this summer.
I had to take some concrete blocks and concrete bags at hardware.
In fact, it was 1300 lbs of conrete blocks on the 400 lbs trailer and 1000 lbs of concrete bags in the van. So around 7500 lbs total.
I was really happy and impressed by the manner the van was moving this around. Everything was fine and climbing a small hill wasn't a problem.
Of course, I didn't tried freeway for 100 km with this.

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My 360 volts Vanabolt: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...highlight=

[charleslabri]

[charleslabri]

wow, nice. Glad the hitch held up!

[yabert]

Here is the van before/after.
Hard to believe there is 80% blue and 20% green in our paint mix, but it's like that.
We expected a result a bit more blue.
The paint is far from perfection as there is orange peel, flies in the paint, some paint drip, some body filler imperfection, etc.
Still, we are super happy because there is way less holes in this van, no more fuel filler and no more opening on driver side center panel because electricity is coming from inside the van (water too).
It look very well at 10 feets and more
Is there the same proverb in english than in french? It a kind of: ''Beautiful from far, far from be beautiful.

No, really it look good to us and we still like to drive it a lot.

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My 360 volts Vanabolt: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...highlight=

[vino de vano]

that looks much nicer, cool color. I've been fallowing your thread and love your conversion. Has the ground clearance been a issue?
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what a long strange trip it's been

[yabert]

[RoryGirl]

It really is a "Green Vehicle" now!
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1991 Double door pop top conversion

[4Gears4Tires]

^ hah, indeed.

The fresh paint looks great, man! The bumpers and grills could use a bit of love too, now. It's pretty easy to scuff the grill and hit it with matte black paint, it makes a world of difference.
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'87 Syncro
Ferric Oxyhydroxide Superleggera Edition

[Jake de Villiers]

Way to go, Yan. The complete lack of gas filler is really going to confuse people!!

And yes, "Beautiful from afar - but far from beautiful."
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'84 Vanagon GL 1.9 WBX
'86 Westy Weekender Poptop/2.5 Subaru/5 Speed Posi/Audi Front Brakes/16 x 7 Mercedes Wheels - answers to 'Dixie'
@jakedevilliersmusic1
http://sites.google.com/site/subyjake/mydixiedarlin%27
www.crescentbeachguitar.com
www.thebassspa.com

[Merian]

surprised it wasn't re-purposed as a charging plug in
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....

[edbee]

Wow Yabert, congratulations on such an impressive job. I just discovered your build thread https://www.diyelectriccar.com/threads/westfalia-t3-with-chevy-bolt-drivetrain.198653/page-9

I admire your creative problem solving ability and many skill sets.

Thank you for sharing the process, it is an inspiration. One day I may be driving an electric vanagon...

thanks!
Ed

PS - any estimate on hours invested in the build.
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1991 Syncro Westfalia - Bostig Zetec
1989 Syncro Doka - Volvo powered
other misc vehicles including a '46 M16 1.5 ton truck (Studebaker)

[jimf909]

Nice bump. I hadn't seen the repaint of this really neat van.

It seems a number of folks are working on e-conversions for Vanagons, at least two in Seattle alone.
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- Jim

[yabert]

As my Van start to move under electric power in june two years ago now, it time for a small update:

-It's still amazing how quick it start from the line, how easy it's to pass on the freeway or how easy it climb a hill. Thanks to the instant 270 lb-ft of torque and 200 hp!
-Still no mechanical problem since our return of 16 000 km roadtrip in 2019.
-Maintenance: Changed two tires and two front upper ball joint

That it. Really, there is no that much to say. We use this van as our only family vehicule and everything work well since more than 2 years now.
We regularly pull a trailler with 1000-1500 lbs of stuff inside (dirt, steel, sand) and I'm still amaze how well it drive.
It's an incredible van. The confort and wind noise are far from what it is in a new car, but except that, we like it a lot.

47 000 km done and counting. Oh! And of course we still continue to pay around 2$ in fuel (electricity) to travel 100 km
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My 360 volts Vanabolt: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...highlight=

[Steve M.]

Sounds great!

Viva la Spark!
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This free advice is worth exactly what you paid for it.

There are seven days in a week. Someday is not one of them.

[rogertj]

Where was I when this was published! Heck im even looking in to buying a Bolt! Awesome contribution!
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Roger
Had a Carbureted ABA after engoing the heck out of it now going for ABA 2.0 Jetta EFI ill put a garrett in to the tin can later or maybe go electric?
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...mp;start=0

[VicVan]