pasty smasher my 1972 panel van

Discussion in 'Restorations' started by tommy, Apr 21, 2013.

  1. time to sort the bulk head out

    got a panel but their was that much rot to cut out i had to do some fabrication work, if you can call it that :eek:
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    tacked in not fully welded yet
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    getting their
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    finished it off with seam sealer but it was dark bye then
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    next day pic in the light
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    i wanted to replace the whole cargo floor but due to funds I'm just putting replacement sheet on until i can afford the full floor :(
    lots of welding
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  2. got the floor painted and didnt think it came out to bad saying its just panels. happy days. this work was done before christmas and it was starting to get dark early and cold

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    then the really cold weather came so i just hid away from the word on the boat in front of the fire
    i was really rubbish and didnt work on it for 3 months.

    and even worse in February i decided to grow some balls and go work on it took my cover off to find this

    not happy

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    so spent all day removing the glass and cleaning it up

    week after got back on it and started on the cab and passenger seat

    on the passenger foot well their had been a plate welded on but when you pressed it , it flex up and down can imagine it was a fun game for the passenger tho

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    so it got the chop plus i wanted to see the condition of the front chassis legs
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  3. Broken screen's a bummer :( I have to say though I really love the name of your bus, it makes me chuckle every time I see it :D Keep up the good work :thumbsup:
     
  4. cab getting sorted.

    putting new passenger floor in and fixing under passenger seat

    rust removed
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    clean up front chassis legs and surprisingly their good whoop whoop and new plate made and welded on top
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    made two plates up for under seat as its double skinned and welded on
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    next cab floor
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    then started on the a post
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  5. Thats starting to look a bit more solid now.:thumbsup:
     
  6. as the door was off i thought i would start to repair them. thought it needed a few bits chopping out the bottom and new steel welding on ooo how wrong was i
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    not looking too bad
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    and then found out its all just filler with rot under it balls. really didnt want to get new door but i think their just to far gone. so if anyone has any half decent door or know someone could you please pm me be a big hep to the bank
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    this is the bit of filler a chipped off
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    i also made a bit of a boo boo. i replace the panel that closes the gap between the front and side step when the door was off not thinking about the gap between the door ooops so that coming back off to be redone but we do learn the hard way :oops:
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    had good look over the front panel and it also has alot of filler and fibaglass in it so going to replace the whole front when founds allow me to get one also it seems like a big job so going to leave it till last. scares me a little.

    but on the up side i got my van truned around ready to start on the other side was nice to see it moving. got my dad to give me a hand pushing it in and out. i wanted to sit in it and pretend i was driving but dad was having non of it he he.
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    took the tail gate off and the window just fell out as where the rubber sits on the lip around the window to keep it in was rotten but for xmas i got a new one so that will be fitted soon
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    trail fitted rear corner just to see what it looked like
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    this work was done last week not to far off being up to date now. just a few more pic
     
  7. this was done last saturday. only spent about 2 hours working but got a lot of rot cut out

    measuring where the new panels are going to go
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    and the big chop
    at lest my tubs are ok
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    cut along sill to look what lurks behind it
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    this was an interesting repair. one battery tray was just not enough
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  8. got to the rear chassis rail and was gutted

    not really alot holding the engine up this side
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    also not seen any other vans with the 3 bolts for the engine mount. is this because its a 1972???
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    cut back to good metal and order rear chassis rail for alan scofields. nice bloke to chat to and really helpful.
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    and their we go fully up to date at last so post will be alot slower now.

    did pop over today after work to see my new chassis rail part that had come and thought id get a few hours in but took my cover off and it started to ******* down.
    so had a shower came out and it was sunny tipitcal but was well inpressed with the quality of the chassis rail part.

    hoping to get on it tomrow or monday depending on weather.

    time for a beer i think :beer:
     
  9. Zed

    Zed Gradually getting grumpier

    Looking good!
    I bet you look back at the A post and wonder how you lost the line without noticing. lol Easily done. I was going to coment but I thought you probably did it months ago and sorted it by now.
    Rear floor looks good too, but just to annoy you, you fitted the under supports maybe 8-10mm or so too high at the sill, so I'd leave that. If you try and fit a floor half now you'll kick yourself because it won't fit, but what you've done is good anyway. :)
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    There's a lot of filler on your van, the cab door's a sign you can't trust any of it. Back when these things were worthless junk (not so long ago) it wouldn't have been worth doing proper resto and if you can't weld, filler is your friend to squeeze a few more years out of it. Just how it is and not a bad thing at the time when the alternative would have been to weigh it in for £20. :(

    Is it tax free? It has the features of a "maybe it is, maybe it isn't"...
     
  10. cheers dude. its getting their just taking a long time. but shall all be worth it when its done (i hope)
     
  11. bum, good job i didnt get half floor pans then,
    see what you mean as my supports are level with the top of the sill,
    in the long run it will get changed as i want it done properly.
    zed can you be my mentor ;) your knowledge is vary wide when it comes to vw

    yes its tax free

    it will get saved just might kill my bank at the same time

    just the filler on it alone would probley weigh in at £20
     
  12. Zed

    Zed Gradually getting grumpier

    ...spotted your welds to the sill. It's difficult when all you can see is previous bodge-ups through a misty veil of crumbling flakey rust and filler.
    Wanna see an original A-post? Ok you twisted my arm. :D
    Arch removed...
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    Just ask on your thread if you want to see what a bit looked like, you'd be surprised how many people are watching and many of them will be other restorers because this stuff is a wee bit dull if you haven't been there yourself!
     

  13. ha ha so thats what it should look like. big help as normal zed cheers buddy
     
  14. didnt finish work till late today but got a hour worth of work done today

    made a small plate for the rear support
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    then started to cut back to clean metal for the rear chassis rail to go in

    has anyone got any tips for lining this up??? i was thinking measurer the other side and work from that and also get the engine support bar and fitting that to give me a idea.

    off tomorrow so going to spend a full day on it.

    ive slotted it in place but its just resting their at the moment hoping to get it fully welded up tomorrow

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  15. Zed

    Zed Gradually getting grumpier

    No worries, I remember trying to piece my first one together - took off the arch and nothing!
    Now if I come across an original bit I get the camera out. Though I'd worked it out already, I waited 5 years for that!
     
  16. Zed

    Zed Gradually getting grumpier

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    That upright post should carry on down to the bottom of the valance. ;)
    When you put the skin on there should be a gap between the two - a couple of mm's like it is on the part you haven't chopped. I think you plug welded the two together on the other side? - no need.
     
  17. ops my bad put the wrong pic up before the panel was on. if you look at the second pic its down to the valance. my bad.
    cheers zed you really are my mentor :p
     
  18. Zed

    Zed Gradually getting grumpier

    Ahh - so it is - the second picture was a small square with a cross in it when I looked. :rolleyes: Tried to refresh and same, thought you'd done a dodgy link, but I can see it now. :)
     
  19. Zed

    Zed Gradually getting grumpier

    Is that a Schofields chassis repair? Wash my mouth out with soap but the last one I bought was absolute rubbish, the halves didn't fit together and were 5mm wider than the chassis. By the time I'd done I might as well have made them myself. :mad:
     
    womball likes this.
  20. yes its a schofields one. know what you mean about them not fitting together right ive already cut and reshaped it so it fits right. mine was 5mm too short in width compared to my chassis rail so cut and added 5mm on. any tips zed in getting it lined up perfect?? looking forward to getting full day on it tomorrow.

    its like being a apprentice again doing all this body work. do enjoy it tho
     

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