flossie's facelift

[busdiver]

thought i would start a thread for my endeavours to give our crossover bay a bit of a face lift, we've had her about six years and not really done much body wise to her. built an interior as she was bare when we got her, had to do the windscreen bulge repair on both sides and i think some of the rot in the lower front panel came from before that was done

As she was pics i took for assured value
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i did both windscreen corners a few years ago
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does,nt look to bad
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then you start taking bits off
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a random 10p that got lost down the dash and found it's way here
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more soon,but thought i would make a start.

 

[Mark6455]

I'm hopefully gonna start mine after Xmas so ill keep an eye on this
Good start dude

Mark

 

[busdiver]

more pics of the tear down, that step that looked ok when the bumper was on
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before wirebrush
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and after
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[89Rallye]

Always amazing what lurking underneath a solid looking bus, keep up the good work.

I'm hopefully gonna start mine after Xmas so ill keep an eye on this
Good start dude

Mark

Watch and learn mark, it's never just the front arches.. It ends up lower a posts, b posts, arch tubs, arch closing panels, cab floors and that's not even mentioning the front panels inner and outer!

 

[busdiver]

today i mostly cut stuff off my pride and joy, spent a coupla weeks wussing about putting off doing any real cutting but there comes a time when you if you want to get it done just do it, the other side hopefully won't take so long now i know how it fits around the A & B posts

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not all doom and gloom though whipped off the lights and pretty solid behind and apart from a small bit on the back of the A post to patch looks ok at the front.

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[busdiver]

right an update, well i say update more of the same really cutting bits off and bricking myself at yet more bits to repair.

No1 apprentice, my lad cutting out drivers arch
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slightly worrying after the arch came out will need further work there to see if it is just the ends of the sill etc or all the way along
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floor on nearside/offside cut out by apprentice. steel reinforcement web is fubar as is the outer beam section on the offside
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nearside beams all good
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offside not, don't ask where the soil came from

got no replies from mcj or fbi on bodycuts for A post bottoms so started marking up to fabricate myself :shock:
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quite pleased with myself, no pics yet but just started making the the return bit for the front skin to wrap around, it''l need a fettle but its solid and you are not really gonna see it
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i feel better for just making and welding this little bit rather than keep chopping bits off, and can't fit front apron or skin until both sides are fixed.

and after the big debate i had on here about the pros and cons of argoshield etc, i have to say from doing little bits over the years "no gas" to welding with argon its amazing the difference

 

[lemonyellow]

looking good

 

[Whistler]

got no replies from mcj or fbi on bodycuts for A post bottoms so started marking up to fabricate myself :shock:

Strange that, me neither! As I am in exactly the same spot as you are at the moment (posted on your other thread and took Sparky's advice). I did phone NOSVW and VWClassics today (both very nice guys!), but basically the bottom A Pillar is not available because it is either looking like ours, or it is sound and sold as the complete pillar.

As much pics as you take would be great, if you don't want to post them all, can you PM me a link, or PM me and I will give you an email addy to send em to. I think I figured out how the A Pillar should look (and was almost right after looking at your most recent pics), bit I am stuck with is the corner section as details here. Could come in handy for you as it has done me this evening? http://forum.earlybay.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=44361&hilit=inner+valance+repair

 

[busdiver]

mmm, i hope i have mine right, wish i had seen this thread before i made that part will have to make some additional bits/mods to where it wraps around the back of a post and joins the chassis outrigger, mine was so fubar i could not make out how it went together originallly and the is no pics i could find of original vans that showed "step by step" build/breakdown of areas like this that are as obvious as flat panels especially if the are just one yuccy rusty mash up of OG and old repairs.

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wish i could afford/justify metal benders and formers would be easier flat bends like these are ok but making stuff that is curved with lips etc is not so simple, after doing this bit all by hand i have now borrowed an old fly press to help me with forming parts you get a more even/controlled pressure with one, i think i might even build a small sheet metal press brake to fold 90degree bends etc.

 

[Whistler]

It's looking good so far!

I am in the same boat as you, mine are rusted a lot more. So your rusted one is more complete than mine, so I have something to work from! The problem I have is that the PO's cut some of the rot out already, so I don't have the original shape to work from, kinda have to put two repo parts together and work out the missing parts and hope it's right! Pictures are fantastic obviously, so yours are a much welcome addition, as are Seff's pics linked previously. I've also been using this site http://www.specialpatrolgroup.co.uk/spooky/ has some useful info/pics.

But Seff's thread has been carried out by professionals and the level of detail in the parts they've recreated is insane! Especailly that corner piece they made, and to be honest if I hadn't have seen that I wouldn't even have given it a thought. I will post some pics up on my resto thread later tonight as I think the corner piece they've made is why my inner valance doesn't meet at the A-Pillar (of course assuming that it is supposed to :?: ) As long as it all looks good once it's put together I don't mind too much that it isn't exactly as VW had hoped.

EDIT: And as I previously mentioned, it does seem you are much more capable than I at fabricating, so any help/photos would be great!!

 

[busdiver]

this week i aquired a shopping trolley base to use as a welder trolley otherwise i keep having to move the bottle then the welder. a right ball ache
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first cut the rest of the rotten post out.
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then make a new bit, had to be in two bits to get the curve
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only realised the focus was out when i got home by wich time it was welded in place.

finished item welded in place
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just need to trim the length left it long on purpose, just in case ya know how it is just offered up the inner/outer to see the join
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as it goes reasonably pleased so far, just need to tackle the offside A post/outer chassis outrigger under floor the drivers floor then front panel outer skin...

 

[Whistler]

Looking good, I will be very chuffed if mine ends up looking like that!

I offered up the valance the other day and it was well out from meeting the A Posts, weird as we have the same panel! Oh well, when I get back to the front end, will definately use this for reference. Thanks!

 

[busdiver]

right not updated for a bit so here goes cut out the old affending chassis member that started the whole resto.
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gone
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cut out and patch
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then return to the offside "A" post repair
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just doint the same as nearside post, this weekend finish that, pull off brake/chassis assy to clean and paint (please look in tech) fit chassis leg back in and start to look at fittinf front outer skin..........................

 

[busdiver]

wow just noticed how long it is since posted update on progress, took on a house renovation August '13 that did'nt finish and handover until may this year so not been totally slacking. :lol: but have been back on it i started taking pics i my samsung s3 and it was a ball ache getting them on photobucket then today i found the photobucket app and bazinga as they say. so as follows

front lower panel inner and outer
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chassis leg replacement i know the holes are square but i got it folded up locally had it next day and no carriage and same gauge steel as original.

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nice and straight
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front panel feel good first fill done by number 1 son
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arches and steps are also in.

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decided that new door skins where required and that the door shell bases need a shed load of TLC

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and repaired
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the filler primer is just for contrast

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lower step edge of door
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skinning took me for ages did'nt what to remove or not

full of tinworm along the bottom edge

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all fixed.

etch primed and top coat (black was all i had but you wont see it)
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support frame bonded in place

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rubbed down etched and primed and a candy white top coat, interior will be close to this colour put not finalised yet

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thats it for now folks the skin was bonded onto the frame on sunday good stuff that, forgot to take pics though and door got a trial fit last nite

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post up more latet but that progress for now....

 

[SiDev]

Nice work fella.

 

[busdiver]

right after having a minor op on my eye and being out of it for a month, got the other door skinned and ready to go on for paint prep.
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moved onto rear corners first off nearside the usual rust line
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and seriously how may sodding spot welds can you get in 12inches they were every 10mm along the seam between battery tray and the engine.
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had to cut the old lower light hole lip off the old piece as the new panel does'nt have it.
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and the weld it back in to place
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cut to fit
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Ran out of time on sunday so just needs battery tray offering up to check and then welding up.. :bliss: :bliss:

 

[busdiver]

sunday job done
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number 1 son in action, well he does it for a living now so why bark myself.
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bit of fettling required to finish
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followed by some tuition for the next generation, my 14 moth old grandson
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