Justin & Muttley
Well-known member
What a great story! 8)
Please also congratulate Vlad on his amazing sideburns!! 8) 8)
Please also congratulate Vlad on his amazing sideburns!! 8) 8)
1968 Campervan conversion
- Thread starter joaonar
- Start date
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Thank you, bluebay 8)
So, after taking the frame to vlad's bodyshop, I began to disassemble the old wooden frame and wooden pop top. The old interior wooden frame was used to support the upper bed and the mechanism that served to raise and lower the roof (in many ways similar to the original system).
and some pictures from the wooden pop top:
So, after taking the frame to vlad's bodyshop, I began to disassemble the old wooden frame and wooden pop top. The old interior wooden frame was used to support the upper bed and the mechanism that served to raise and lower the roof (in many ways similar to the original system).
and some pictures from the wooden pop top:
as you can see, there's no rust protection :shock:
Here are some pictures without the frame and pop top:
and the wooden pop top, minutes away from being dismantled :|
(a friend came to help me on the job)
some pieces of wood to be reused....
and the tools used...
... while Vlad was cuting the rest of the original frame...
Here are some pictures without the frame and pop top:
and the wooden pop top, minutes away from being dismantled :|
(a friend came to help me on the job)
some pieces of wood to be reused....
and the tools used...
... while Vlad was cuting the rest of the original frame...
Next day, Vlad had already cut the rest of the original roof:
and he took away the upper bus frame (I'm missing the name of this part in english )
and use a steel bar just to prevent be bus laterals to colapse...
some anti-rust treatment....
and again, some rust anti-rust treatment....
and already welded in place....
and he took away the upper bus frame (I'm missing the name of this part in english
)
and use a steel bar just to prevent be bus laterals to colapse...
some anti-rust treatment....
and again, some rust anti-rust treatment....
and already welded in place....
I then took the westy pop top to vlad's bodyshop...
There was a lot to be done in it :mrgreen:
and my second hand seats, ready to be fited in place....
total chaos :mrgreen:
the new look....
... and getting something to lunch :mrgreen:
This is being done as Westfalia did... or at least, it's very similar and totally different from what the Canadians (previous page) have done and which served as the incentive for this adventure.
8)
There was a lot to be done in it :mrgreen:
and my second hand seats, ready to be fited in place....
total chaos :mrgreen:
the new look....
... and getting something to lunch :mrgreen:
This is being done as Westfalia did... or at least, it's very similar and totally different from what the Canadians (previous page) have done and which served as the incentive for this adventure.
8)
next day:
we started to put the fiberglass pop top on top of the van to start measuring.....
after bolting the rear hinges to the pop top and seing if verything was on the right position, we started taking measures.... always following the ancient popular saying: measure twice, cut only once :mrgreen:
after, vlad's drilled only one hole (the rear one)....
and after bolting both sides, we realized everything was well measured :lol:
even the lock was in the right place
then, two more holes in both sides....et voilá!
However, when we tried to raise the poptop, it broked on one side :mrgreen:
some parts needed to be replaced....
and this skylight as seen better days (and it was already broken :roll: )
some more anti-rust treatment on the interior rear hinges reinforcements....
we started to put the fiberglass pop top on top of the van to start measuring.....
after bolting the rear hinges to the pop top and seing if verything was on the right position, we started taking measures.... always following the ancient popular saying: measure twice, cut only once :mrgreen:
after, vlad's drilled only one hole (the rear one)....
and after bolting both sides, we realized everything was well measured :lol:
even the lock was in the right place
then, two more holes in both sides....et voilá!
However, when we tried to raise the poptop, it broked on one side :mrgreen:
some parts needed to be replaced....
and this skylight as seen better days (and it was already broken :roll: )
some more anti-rust treatment on the interior rear hinges reinforcements....
Next day.
The original roof had some holes, made by the first owner tu support some kind of roof rack. When we puted the rear hinge interior reinforcements we realized that fortunately they covered those holes
... then we bolted the reinforcements to the holes made the day before
... and we puted the welding machine inside the van....
... so Vlad could started weldind the reinforcements to the bus (but first, some adjustments)
(Patrick, a well known German harley-davidson mechanic here in Portugal)
... after some adjustments, Vlad started welding)
(some more welding spots just to be sure everything is really in place :mrgreen: )
The original roof had some holes, made by the first owner tu support some kind of roof rack. When we puted the rear hinge interior reinforcements we realized that fortunately they covered those holes
... then we bolted the reinforcements to the holes made the day before
... and we puted the welding machine inside the van....
... so Vlad could started weldind the reinforcements to the bus (but first, some adjustments)
(Patrick, a well known German harley-davidson mechanic here in Portugal)
... after some adjustments, Vlad started welding)
(some more welding spots just to be sure everything is really in place :mrgreen: )
and after the reinforcements were finally in the new place, Vlad started welding the final parts:
and after everything was welded in place, Vlad started bending the original roof over the new welded parts....
and after everything was welded in place, Vlad started bending the original roof over the new welded parts....
next day :mrgreen: :
All the parts were already welded in the right place when I arrived to Vad's bodyshop.
The upper bed was almost ready to be fited in the correct and new place.
After bending the original roof sheet metal over the welded parts, Vlad decided to start welding it....
All the parts were already welded in the right place when I arrived to Vad's bodyshop.
The upper bed was almost ready to be fited in the correct and new place.
After bending the original roof sheet metal over the welded parts, Vlad decided to start welding it....
.. then some grinding
... and all done.
Some more work to do....
more grinding :mrgreen:
and the final look.....
some parts left to be done later...
And the final look.
A later westy poptop on a earlybay.
For me, a lot more functional than the first ones with a fully functional two person bed.
8)
... and all done.
Some more work to do....
more grinding :mrgreen:
and the final look.....
some parts left to be done later...
And the final look.
A later westy poptop on a earlybay.
For me, a lot more functional than the first ones with a fully functional two person bed.
8)
thanks gninnam....
But as you will see a lot had to be redone. :mrgreen:
Next day, when I arrived to Vladimir bodyshop I had my first glance of what would happen in the next 4/5 years :mrgreen:
With all the drilling, grinding and hammering around the bus roof, one of the areas that had been previously "fixed" by my father in law ended like this. when I saw it, I just couldn't believe it. I had to go and take a walk around the bodyshop to relax :evil:
With a help of a screw driver we started to remove all the small pieces of dried putty.
and alreay without all the "small stones" :evil:
Here I started wondering about the quality of all the work done by my father in law :roll:
But as you will see a lot had to be redone. :mrgreen:
Next day, when I arrived to Vladimir bodyshop I had my first glance of what would happen in the next 4/5 years :mrgreen:
With all the drilling, grinding and hammering around the bus roof, one of the areas that had been previously "fixed" by my father in law ended like this. when I saw it, I just couldn't believe it. I had to go and take a walk around the bodyshop to relax :evil:
With a help of a screw driver we started to remove all the small pieces of dried putty.
and alreay without all the "small stones" :evil:
Here I started wondering about the quality of all the work done by my father in law :roll:
While Vladimir was working on the other side I was still removing dried putty and rust,
... and trully sad, I kept opening more holes on the bus
... and then, cut a litle more to try and solve this...
On the opposite a litle better...
There was still some more putty above....
and we decided to close the holes and leave it for later years if necessary....
once cleaned, I used some anti-rust chemical product.. in fact, I used a lot...
... and trully sad, I kept opening more holes on the bus
... and then, cut a litle more to try and solve this...
On the opposite a litle better...
There was still some more putty above....
and we decided to close the holes and leave it for later years if necessary....
once cleaned, I used some anti-rust chemical product.. in fact, I used a lot...
I sprayed a lot inside this huge hole.
And after I used a lot of Dinitrol cavity wax. The idea was: where's grease there's no water (so, no rust).
I slid the gun tube into the hole....
And after a while I decided to see if there was wax appearing inside the van...
and there was... So I decided to stick the tube through the holes inside and sprayed a lot more wax...
And after I used a lot of Dinitrol cavity wax. The idea was: where's grease there's no water (so, no rust).
I slid the gun tube into the hole....
And after a while I decided to see if there was wax appearing inside the van...
and there was... So I decided to stick the tube through the holes inside and sprayed a lot more wax...
