My Crossover Restoration

[Air Cooled Rookie]

It's been a while since I added to this thread, but I have been busy. The rear corners and arches have had a bit of attention. The rear near side corner looked pretty grotty...

...but in actual fact was rust free except where the battery tray met the outer panel. So rather than cut out sound original metal, I just removed the rust and welded in new steel.

The near side rear arch had been replaced at some time, but who ever had done it had done a crap job at sealing the arch lip, allowing water in and causing rust. So off it came.

After removing the rust from the inner panels a replacement arch went on surprisingly easily

 

[Air Cooled Rookie]

The off side rear arch wasn't to bad at all, with rust only at the rear.

So this rot was cut out....

....a new panel welded in....

...and then filled

 

[Air Cooled Rookie]

When I came to unbolting the drivers seat belt, I was alarmed to find that rather than the bolt turning, the whole section of the floor did! Cutting back to decent metal took some time, especially as the seat runners were welded onto of the rusty panel.

Having finished this welding, I found yet more rust in the cab floor.

And with that, rust in the chassis legs as well. By now I was getting pretty hacked off with rolling around on a filthy floor getting showered with sparks from the angle grinder and welder. It seemed a million miles away from what I'd actually bought the van for...

Still, onward and upwards as they say! Due to being so fed up with cutting out rusty bits, I turned my attention to a rust free (but dented) door I'd bought on e bay.

Not a nice colour, even less so when I rubbed back to reveal a tango orange colour underneath! But it was a pleasure to work on a rust free bit of VW for a change, and soon it was primed and ready for the top colours.

I'd also bought a brand new Brazilian door from JK and this was no ready for top coat in no time as well

 

[Air Cooled Rookie]

At last it was time to prime the van.

It's amazing, you work for hour upon hour feeling like you're getting know where while preparing the van for paint, then within a morning the whole thing is in primer and transformed. You feel like you have actually achieved something

More photos of what it looks like now I've put the top coats on when I've taken them!

 

[Guest]

sweet, get those top coat pics up 8)

did you have to do anything with the poptop? sand/re-spray etc?

 

[halfpint_fighter]

Wow top work, part of me hopes never to have to do all that but part of me would love to restore our bus!