Gertie the 72 crossdresser. Full resto....and it needs it!

Got this beauty after finding it in the local Loot and viewing it at night. Not at all promising eh?

Sorry about all the pics but I started this one a while ago.



Towed it home and give it a wash. Not much better really.




Made a start ripping off the rotten front cleaning up the stuff underneath.








Made a start cutting out the cargo floor and the sills (not much sill left there really and not much across the lower 8 inches of the whole offside.







I really need a centre panel to get my body lines right really before stitching the sills etc into place.

 

You do like a challenge, don't you?

 

You're not wrong. Not much option really. The wife has TOLD me it's getting finished. :-X She initially gave me 6 months to finish it. I told her I'm an electrician not Paul bloody Daniels. ) )

 

Can anyone give me some mearurements before I start welding my inner sill in place?

Due to the fact I have nothing along the bottom of the A,B and C pillars, I cannot gauge where the sill needs to come to.
I have repaired a couple of I beams and Top hats and have he front one and rear most one left to repair. I have clamped the inner B pillar repair panel in after cutting it using the indentations as a reference and think that it is in the correct place but until I get a centre panel repair carried out, I cannot guarantee that the line is correct.
I have slotted the inner arch repair panel so that the 3 x sills come through and can be welded when the repair panel is tacked in place.


I have the inner sill clamped in place and the "dropped head" part of the sill upper return lip is sitting on top of the I beam and the both top hats fore and aft of this are sitting around 10mm away from the upper return lip on the sill. Is this correct? (I assume it has to be due to the formation of the sill and that there is no need to cut the sill so that it drops down any further).


I also need to know the distance from the outer face of the main chassis rail to the inside edge of the sill (the dog leg bit where it kicks in) where it goes through the inner arch panel (above the front jacking point)as I still have to repair that top hat and need to find out the distance between the sill and the chassis rail. so that the sill isn't bent in too far.

 

Wow what a project from what i can see so far your fabrication skills are excellent will follow the build closely


Dale

 

Cheers fella. Not had MUCH chance to wield the torch really as there is so much fabbing to do first. The problem is everything from the rear corner behind the OS wheel right around to the NS 'A'pillar is rotted away so I have to put many panels in place loosely to gauge where it all goes. It's hard work trying to see how the jigsaw goes together, it really is.
Places like this are a massive help tho.

So, anyone have any measurements for me?

 

Fair play mate for taking that on, should keep you out of trouble for a few months
The work you've done so far looks spot on
karma coming your way

A copy of this would help you out for knowing what bits should look like and it gives some measurements too
http://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Restore-Volkswagen-bay-window/dp/1845840933

 

Cheers dude. 8)

 

A big shout out to yourself for recommending this book. Just got it and it will be a real help. O0

Karma added

 

omg good luck

 

jeepers! i hope it was cheap there isn't gonna be much of what you actually bought left.

 

:laugh2:

Cheers both....I think!

Only paid £825 and at least it's honest. I've seen as bad on other sites where the OP has paid upwards of £4k only to find the same damage but covered in filler and fresh paint. At least I'll know whats been done to this when it's complete.

 

fair price then and tax free you'll soon be quids in then.

 

I hope so. I'm struggling for space in the garage and want a unit so I am currently on the look out for somewhere I can spread out a little. Then it may go at an increased pace.

 

Good work mate. Was under my van tonight and I've come to the conclusion I may have to do a lot of what you're doing so I'll be watching with interest.

 

I've been working away for the last 2 weeks and the last time I did anything I managed to burn out my grinder so ordered a new one today from Clarke (900w and mini magazine best buy for £26) so with a little luck and some fresh wire for the welder, hopefully I can carry on next week. I need to get some welding done.

Can anyone give me the measurements between the outside edge of the main chassis rail under the top hats to the dog leg at the end of the sill Pretty much the distance the jacking point takes up) so that I can cut my last top hat to length before stitching on the sills? Pretty desperate so I can get on next week.

 

Right, thanks to 75Tintop, it appears from the measurements that I am good to go so after calling into machine mart for wire and clamps yesterday I can steam on with tacking my sills and top hats into place. Looking at the cut I took out of the B pillar where it had rotted out, that I may be able to manufacture the door post, as the item schofield supplies is just an inner post and a small cap.
Has anyone tried to manufacture one? They come in 3 pieces to make up the post, although due to the rot, I am not too sure how far down the lock receiver post comes. Does it only go as far as the seat belt mount above the arch?
Heres a few piccys showing my rotted cut and the card templates so I can attempt to make one.
Any ideas / suggestions?

 

Great work, good to see you making an effort to do things properly, I think your better off buying a rough bus for a grand than paying 6k for the same thing buried in 5ks worth of filler

Your doing a brilliant job.

If your needing any help or advice making parts a great website for info and inspiration is www.allmetalshaping.com some good info on there for us rust busters..

 

Cheers fella.

I looked at the lower B pillar cut and found the majority of the outer is complete apart from the lowest few inches so I decided this morning to drill out the spots and remove the cap so there's only really a small section against the door shut )the part which retains the lock striker) which needs to be fabricated as I already have the inner from Schofields.

I have my grandaughters birthday tomorrow so probably won't get a chance now until Sunday to do a bit.

 

Just had a quick half hour because the I knew I could progress the stripping of the pillar with a little effort.

Cut the outer cap and dissected the schofield cap to make a one piece repair. Still needs welding but I'm reasonable happy.


Offering it up, I think the angle of the lower schofield cap looks wrong but as this is my first camper I have nothing to compare it to. Does anyone else think the run of the outer black cap is incorrect? I am sure the curve is wrong!



Without an arch or middle panel, I cannot gauge anything!!! HELP!

Also the repair section for the door edge of the post looks a little complicated, I can see it has 3x90 degree folds but I would assume these folds run out to nothing where the arch fixes to the pillar. Does anyone have any pics of the lower pillar to confirm this and maybe give me an idea.

The section I am referring to is to the right side of the pillar, ie where the arch welds to the B pillar.