I think he ought to weld the arches first anyway. Sorry to sound like a dad Para, but I'm prob old enough to be yours.
Yeah you are lol Ill get them welded up once the house move is complete and this biblical rain stops Nowt wrong with asking questions and gaining knowledge before hand though
Too right - make your plans and keep eye out for bargains that fit them - much better and cheaper than " I want it now". I looked out for some steel "above the engine" soundproofing tins - the ones with all the holes in. Took nearly a year to find a pair for £20. Buggers don't fit my bus! My engine bay roof is 100mm wider so I suppose the air intakes must be each 50mm narrower - there's one for the differences thread. I'd have got karma for that. They're late bay ones - anyone want them?
In defence of uk buses, you can still get good ones. I'm doing some work on a really straight '73 westie at the mo. you can also buy a restored van. If it's done properly it'll last just as long as an import. The key thing with restos is asking for proof. There's no excuse in the digital age for not having pics of everything that's been done. If you look at a 'restored' van and the seller can't show you pictures, walk away.
Please don't be fooled by the magnet test - all this will find is really, really dodgy filler only repairs. I've tried it on a bus that has filler from repairs and no paint so I knew where the filler was. The magnet still stuck everywhere. If you are really looking for filler with a magnet, take the weakest one you can find - one of those homer simpson fridge cartoon things or the like - one that barely sticks.
At the end of the day, the bus is going to be like a woman. You are going to fall for her without really knowing what her undercarriage is like or if previous owners have revved the engine too hard. If you love her, go get her. We all know we will spend time and money on them but the simple pleasure of owning a VW is what its all about. Now, i'm looking for passage to Alderaan. Myself,the boy, two droids, and no questions asked....
This one isn't hiding much: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VW-WESTFALIA-1973-RHD-CAMPERVAN-type-2-NEW-RESERVE-3K-/120896505240?pt=UK_Campers_Caravans_Motorhomes&hash=item1c25fe4598#ht_500wt_1202 I mean - its shouting in big words I NEED WORK - even in areas that were probably solid....
Sounds like a plan. In the nineties I had an old volvo estate that had to meet it's maker in car heaven. Scrap was at a low. I took it to the scrappy - he looked at the tyres and the lights. The lights were all cracked and the tyres had seen better days. He gave me a tenner so me and my mate who gave me a lift back spent it in the pub on the way home. Couple of pints and a bag of crisps and that was that.
I'm not sure i'd pay too much attention to the magnet test, any van which has been restored will have filler in places, you have to to get the shape correct with some of the poorly pressed panels you get. As Zed said, use a weak magnet if you have to, but I still think you're best asking for photographic proof for all claimed work. If you can see a solid well fitted arch in a photo, that beats the magnet test everytime. I've been helping a friend put an Aston Martin DB6 back together after a respray, apparently it's worth half a million quid anyway, I spoke to the sprayer and he said the whole car is filler from back to front, they got a specialist in and paid him 3 grand just to do the filler work.It has to be filled because the aluminium has flexed/warped slightly in its 40+ years and to get it all flat you have to use filler. I guess originally they would have used lead to fill imperfections. Filler is your friend, as long as everything is solid underneath.
the filler thing is true, you only have to watch overhaulin on sky, chip foose bondo's and flats back all over to get mirror flat paint.
