1968 Campervan conversion

[joaonar]

While I was around the roof, Hugo was making fast progresses:

I then decided to flip the roof so I could treat the other side the same way:

Mine Metal Ready isn't in the most perfect condition, however it worked the same way:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ig1iyHuEcy8[/youtube]

In the meantime, Hugo was almost done:

at the end of the day, only a small part remained to be welded:

 

[joaonar]

next day, before going into Hugo's bodyshop I went to a shio where they sell, cut and bend sheets of metal. I went there because I needed to get new parts that were going to replace the original ones from Westfalia:

Hugo's was fixing this part that came from the westy:

 

[joaonar]

While he was working on that part I realized that the "new" frame was completely welded:

But since the day was almost over, there wasn't more time to do anything else.
I ended leaving Hugo's bodyshop to go to a Celtic/Folh summer festival, some 50 km's away.
On the way, it was possible to see a huge smoke cloud from another forest fire.

.... and half way there, the cloud was getting bigger:

On the festival, ashes were falling as if we were near an volcanic eruption :shock:

When we were leaving the festival, flames were coming down the hill and getting closer to the village. I supose that it was a terrific night for all the villagers.
Some 15 km's away from the village I stoped my car in the road, turned back and took a picture of the flames. Although the picture as a really poor quality, you can see the flames. They should have dozen of meters high.
What a caos!

It must have been a night of terror for firefighters and residents :roll:

 

[joaonar]

on the following day, when I got back to Hugo's bodyshop I saw that the front roof support was already in place. That part had been already sandblsated the day before:

meanwhile Hugo was already taking out some parts for the central bed support:

 

[joaonar]

during lunch hour, I sandblasted the remaining parts:

- the central bed support
- the inner reinforcements for the late bay westfalia pop top

But before welding the bed support in place, Hugo decided to make some changes in it:

Meanwhile the fire from the last night was still burning and getting bigger.
Heavy fire-fighting helicopters, flew over us constantly.

The smoke cloud was so big that we could feel it although we were 50 km's away from the fire....
:roll:

 

[joaonar]

Inside hugo's bodyshop, progresses were being made.
With the central support already welded in place, we started positioning the longitudinal roof reinforcements in place:

Then he started welding it... and a couple of years later, let's make this a second time :mrgreen:

 

[joaonar]

and some 1.000.000 welding spots later, this part was almost welded in place:

But it was getting late and both Hugo and the welding machine needed a break to cool off... but that's not suprising since it was so hot:

 

[T2-Nate]

Great progress Joâo, really really good work going on in Hugo's shop.
How dreadful these forest fires are, it's unimaginable the fires were mostly started on purpose.
All those trees & wildlife gone up in flames

 

[joaonar]

thanks nate... there are some more pictures to share :mrgreen:
... and yes! These forest fires have been a nightmare. This one last for almost a week and now, there are few more burning large areas of forest. Almost all are man made :evil:.

Well, some more developments :mrgreen: :
To proceed with the task I had to take the Westfalia poptop to Hugo's bodyshop.
There are still a lot to do in it.

I had to unbolt all the supports for the luggage area:

... and a bit more of the original roof to recycle:

 

[joaonar]

meanwhile Hugo had already welded both reinforcements:

and he had already made the holes for the rear inner reinforcements and rear "hinges":

 

[joaonar]

time to weld them in place:

and after this task, we started working on the front area:

... and the necessary holes:

... and bolting the supports:

.. just to check if everything is in place:

 

[joaonar]

Since I have some small cans of POR-15 paint, I then decided to use them to paint all the areas treated with Metal Ready and others where I didn't use it:

... but always being aware of the welding areas.

 

[joaonar]

after dried to touch, we applied the Wurth Aluminum Spray in all the welding areas:

 

[joaonar]

Hugo then decided to paint all the interior of the roof frame with a primer and using the holes he had made previously:

While he was doing this, we kept earing the same helicopters flying over us.

... and once inside, we realized that the primer Hugo was spraying spreading inside the hole bus:

a few minutes later, the helicopters were flying over us again, this time already filled with water and heading to the huge forest fire:

 

[joaonar]

meanwhile, while the primer was drying, we went back to the luggage area.. and this time, to the rear bolts (again) that will make the task of removing it, a lot easier:

After we made all the holes, we fliped the roof so hugo could start welding the nuts:

 

[joaonar]

but before, we bolted the screws and nuts in place:

.... and then he started welding them in place .....

meanwhile, we started earing a huge sound aproaching... far more loud than the usual. We went outside and realized that the sound was a Kamov helicopter flying a lot lower than he should:

3x optical zoom :shock: :

 

[joaonar]

Then it was time to put the roof in place, to draw the curvature on the rear bed support:

... and while Hugo was working on that bed support, I used POR-15 paint on the roof:

 

[joaonar]

While por-15 paint was drying we then decided to make another change.
This will help us to keep the roof curvature while bending it over the reinforcements.

.... and the cut:

.... ad rust treatment:

....and after we tried them out, with the roof again in the right place, Hugo started welding them:

 

[joaonar]

After welding it in place, Hugo started cleaning the area where the roof will be welded because some POR-15 paint dripped into that area. That was not an easy task :

... and with these parts in place, we hope we keep the roof curvature. But there was still 3 more pieces of metal to weld:

 

[joaonar]

some welding action :mrgreen: