My New Bus, Finally!

Work continues on the Bus, I've removed the Trans, Gas Tank, Doors and hatch. I have cut what I thought I'd need from the Snake Bus but looks like I need a few more small sections after further investigation.

At some point a large panel was replaced, you can see the bondo that outlines the panel seam. It runs just under the drip rail, down beside the vent, across to just under the window, down the panel mid wheel well. See it?

Then it cuts across the inner wheel well....

Finally down beside the hatch where all the bondo is thick and jacked up!

Started working on this area on the left side of the hatch.


Lot of Bondo/body filler. Heat Gun on high, razor scraper and a wire brush cuts the bondo off like Butt'a.


Removed the filler to find a badly welded panel. Lots of gaps and the filler made the edges. They overlapped the panels and then just spot Miged it every inch or so. I'll have to remove this panel and redo it, I hope there is enough og panel that was on the Bus and I'll trim the panel so I can butt weld it solid and then smooth that out.






All those gaps let water wick in and this is why the rear area looks like this....


Also they had a chance to work the panel and make it as smooth as possible with minimal filler but I guess time is money and they filled it in......




No big deal it will take some time but this is what happens to a vehicle this age. I have all the time and no money so I'll grind all those welds and take the panel off and start over to make it right. I need to replace the cross section that goes under the hatch it is rusty/crusty, so while I have the panel off this will be a good time to see what all structure stuff is involved.

And I thought the windscreen sill was going to be a big project!

I love to see folks fixing things correctly. Keep us posted on the progress.

do your thing bob you will get it right i no

Get on it Bob, BAP is getting closer!!! Let me know if you need a hand with anything.

Geek will be rollin to BAP. Just pray the weather is good!

Well the more I work on this Bus the more it looks like it needs to become the parts Bus.

Awe what a day to be outside wrenchin'!

Who the hell would use lap welds on these panels? I decided to remove them and do it right. I need access for some other repairs so why not.

This is the panel with the filler on it.


And here's what I found when all the filler was removed.










Then I started removing the top portion of the panel.


Then the quarter area above the wheel well.


And the bottom section. I did cut out the belt line before the bottom section but didn't snap a shot for that. You can see the seam on the wheel well where they grafted an OG corner on.


The passenger side looks to be a better fix. I will need a larger panel to go back the cuts that were made were not parallel with one another so there are gaps in the seam.

I'm planning on cutting more panels from the Snake Bus and using those on this Bus. I'm hoping to remove the factory spot welds and weld it on to my Bus like the factory. If not I'm going to size the panels I just cut off so I'll have a butt weld and not a lap weld. Either way it will be a better repair than what a "Body Guy" did!

Stripped the mechanics from the Passenger door also.

dang bob ou are at the perfect spot you ought to graft in some big tubs an dump it

Dude I don't think its making it to BAP...... but keep up the progress. I know it will be done right when it is done!

You have mad skills my friend. When I grow up I want to learn body work.

Well I'm into this project enough that there's no way to back out now. I've really thrown around the idea of abandoning this body and just cut my losses and move on but I think I'll just learn some new welding skills and finish this guy.

I'm ordering my panels, just not going to use the funky stuff on this one. Will save those for a better piece. I will have to find a bus with a good windshield sill area both inside and out.

Wondering what wheels to get, Gas Burners or Fuchs. I had planned on Gasses and still leaning that way, What ya think?

I'm glad you're gonna finish it! You have way tooooooo much work in it to leave it now!

you can do it bob

I vote for the gas burners

Bus BRM's get my vote
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1149403

gas burners for sure!

gas burners for the win!

Grifspop wrote:Bus BRM's get my vote
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1149403

Yeah but........

I'm already running them on "Geek". Thats why I'm goning with Burners, black wheel but a different spin than "Geek".

i think you need the teddy bear wheels

I think painting the Bus black over white with BRM's would look cool, especially since you've already got that on Geek, it could be your signature look

Anyway, you can get the Gas Burners in the Bus pattern, so no adapters or re-drilling is necessary, I guess that would look O.K. too

Well that does sound cool but I know a guy that has a Silver split/oval and a Split bus painted the same. He's out there showing them both as a set.

rpm750 wrote:Well that does sound cool but I know a guy that has a Silver split/oval and a Split bus painted the same. He's out there showing them both as a set.

I thought of that right after I posted

I'm still up in the air on this basket Bus. I had found a 70 but it has just as big problems in areas that this one doesn't have so it's a wash. I need some motivation to get to work. It has finally cooled off, I hate the heat, so no excuses! Well money is one.

I need some advise on the rear panel fixes. I need to make up the gap in some of the panels b/c someone didn't know how to cut a straight line. Check pics. I thought of using a metal strip behind the seam to have some thing to weld to.

I've seen some of ya'lls work so let me hear your suggestions.

I'm thinking of a video documentation of this rebuild. I like watching stuff like that on YouTube. You get some good tips.

did you say you like watching your self on videos thats cool man let me no an i will help you grind on it if any way posable you going to see the lights saterday

rpm750 wrote:I'm still up in the air on this basket Bus. I had found a 70 but it has just as big problems in areas that this one doesn't have so it's a wash.

Well I went and looked at a '70 Bus today and I'm glad I did. Will pick it up Sat. The body is way ahead of the '71. Both rockers are a bit rusty and the area in front of the wheel arches. Floors are solid, just a few quarter sized holes in the front floors. A few surprise parts that were included I'll post pics when I get it home and cleaned out.