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My VW burned down - what should I do with the body?
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jkassab
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PostPosted: Sun Feb 28, 2021 6:11 pm    Post subject: My VW burned down - what should I do with the body? Reply with quote

Considering making it into a garden - or an art work. But would alo love to hear everyone's thoughts in terms of the body being reused / salvaged?
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anthracitedub
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PostPosted: Sun Feb 28, 2021 6:48 pm    Post subject: Re: My VW burned down - what should I do with the body? Reply with quote

I’d scrap it.
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PostPosted: Sun Feb 28, 2021 6:53 pm    Post subject: Re: My VW burned down - what should I do with the body? Reply with quote

It didn't have to happen.
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PostPosted: Sun Feb 28, 2021 6:56 pm    Post subject: Re: My VW burned down - what should I do with the body? Reply with quote

Everything I have read says the body metal is junk now due to the heat.

If you can salvage any parts - do that.
Recycle the rest
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PostPosted: Sun Feb 28, 2021 8:14 pm    Post subject: Re: My VW burned down - what should I do with the body? Reply with quote

Looks like the metal in front of the b-pillar is probably still good. Steering box and beam may be too. Depending on how hot and for how long the fire burned will determine what else is salvageable. Your fan shroud looks melted, so over 1200F in the engine compartment. Was the decklid on before the fire? Looks like the FD put it out with foam? Put a straight edge on roof and other panels to see how bad they warped. If the foam didn't cool the metal down too quickly it may not have warped too bad. I don't think it can be made safe for the road again but some of the body panels can help someone else's bus live on. Where are you located?
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PostPosted: Sun Feb 28, 2021 8:37 pm    Post subject: Re: My VW burned down - what should I do with the body? Reply with quote

Truly sad, hopefully no one (human or otherwise) was injured.
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PostPosted: Sun Feb 28, 2021 9:47 pm    Post subject: Re: My VW burned down - what should I do with the body? Reply with quote

Judging by the dogleg rust and the fire damage- body is done, however...Good beam/steering ,good front doors, trans is probably Ok, even the engine might still serve. I'd be looking for a decent shell and start wrenching. Good luck!
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PostPosted: Sun Feb 28, 2021 10:44 pm    Post subject: Re: My VW burned down - what should I do with the body? Reply with quote

anthracitedub wrote:
I’d scrap it.


x2

looks like it was a handicapped bus? what's the deal with the dropped floor/box looking thing under the slider?
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 01, 2021 12:03 am    Post subject: Re: My VW burned down - what should I do with the body? Reply with quote

It would make an awesome business sign/attention getter.

Strip it down to just the body shell, bumpers, and wheels. Fill in all the windows, head lights and tail lights with sheet metal. Weld the bumpers on and weld the doors shut. Then paint whatever art work makes you happy. Put business signs on sides of roof rack.
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 01, 2021 7:14 am    Post subject: Re: My VW burned down - what should I do with the body? Reply with quote

I vote chicken coop
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 01, 2021 8:32 am    Post subject: Re: My VW burned down - what should I do with the body? Reply with quote

Get yourself another bus project, and swap over as many useable parts as you can.

Front doors look ok, bumpers, rear hatch maybe can be blasted and saved, front end parts as was said, etc.

After that, if the body isn't too badly warped in spots you could chop off parts like the rear corners and sell them, etc. Lots of work, but there are options.

Good luck. Bummer about the fire.
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 01, 2021 5:45 pm    Post subject: Re: My VW burned down - what should I do with the body? Reply with quote

It’s gone let it go.
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danfromsyr
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 01, 2021 7:18 pm    Post subject: Re: My VW burned down - what should I do with the body? Reply with quote

cut the nose off and make it into a bar
https://www.google.com/search?q=vw+bus+bar

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1971Lou
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 01, 2021 7:19 pm    Post subject: Re: My VW burned down - what should I do with the body? Reply with quote

If you're in CA, or are willing to ship it out, don't let it go until you talk to this man. Shaun Scott at Slow Ride Garage in Hesperia. My '71 T2 burnt up in August of 2020. He worked with my insurance and specializes in VW restorations. Got mine back in Dec and it looks as if it didn't happen. My burn doesn't look as bad as yours, but Shaun would at least give you some free initial expert advice. I sent him pictures and he got back to me with analysis within a day. https://www.instagram.com/slowridegaragevw/ Private Message me and I'll give you his contact info. Below is before and after... Best of luck!

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PostPosted: Tue Mar 02, 2021 8:15 am    Post subject: Re: My VW burned down - what should I do with the body? Reply with quote

The fire and resulting heat would have softened the metal some as in - taken the work hardening out of the curved panels that forming them produces. As to making the vehicle unsafe? That is pure BS! It is no more unsafe structurally than the rust made it before the fire and you see lots of badly rusted VWs on the road now! Those are the unsafe ones.

If it had high tensile structural chassis members in the frame and suspension areas like a lot of the newer cars do today then yes it may be compromised but the VW type 2s were not that technically advanced.

Your biggest problem will be warpage on the open flat areas but with a good body man and some time it's reparable.
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 02, 2021 12:25 pm    Post subject: Re: My VW burned down - what should I do with the body? Reply with quote

The frame may not be a super fancy steel, but the torsion bars, spring plates, torsion housing and any captive hardware that the transaxle/suspension bolts to sure is. That fire burned hot enough to melt aluminum, the melting point of aluminum and the annealing point of spring steel are right in the same neighborhood temp wise. I would bet that the whole of the rear suspension is soft as cheese by now. I mean you can cut out and/or replace all the rear suspension components, but at what point does the cost outweigh the gain? Also the fire has accelerated the oxidation process so unless you can get to every nook and cranny that the fire did, the rust is going to win in no time.
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 02, 2021 12:36 pm    Post subject: Re: My VW burned down - what should I do with the body? Reply with quote

Yes, it would be good for an art project or yard art & that’s about it. Check with your local zoning ordinances first.
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 02, 2021 2:32 pm    Post subject: Re: My VW burned down - what should I do with the body? Reply with quote

Ship,it to skills and ask him for a quote. Make sure it’s firm.
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 02, 2021 7:36 pm    Post subject: Re: My VW burned down - what should I do with the body? Reply with quote

FarmerBill wrote:
The frame may not be a super fancy steel, but the torsion bars, spring plates, torsion housing and any captive hardware that the transaxle/suspension bolts to sure is. That fire burned hot enough to melt aluminum, the melting point of aluminum and the annealing point of spring steel are right in the same neighborhood temp wise. I would bet that the whole of the rear suspension is soft as cheese by now. I mean you can cut out and/or replace all the rear suspension components, but at what point does the cost outweigh the gain? Also the fire has accelerated the oxidation process so unless you can get to every nook and cranny that the fire did, the rust is going to win in no time.

It did not get that hot down by the frame and suspension and springs. If it had effected them you would see it right now. The Bus is sitting at a normal height. A melted part up in the engine compartment is miles away from having destroyed the frame and suspension.

The hardest part of fixing that one is the wiring and interior. The metal work is very doable. I'm not talking through my hat by the way, I'm talking from a 15 year career in the body trade. This is not the first burnt car I have seen.
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 02, 2021 7:56 pm    Post subject: Re: My VW burned down - what should I do with the body? Reply with quote

Pull the rear torsion caps and see if the rubber cushion has melted. I bet they haven't. The sheet metal damage is serious, no easy fix there.
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