Our body work story.

Thin bits of metal and bright blue light.

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Cazz
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Our body work story.

Post by Cazz »

Here is our buses body work story. We bought her just over 5 years ago, she was in pretty good condition. Well at the beginning of 2008, we think, we noticed the OS rear arch was turning bad, it turns out it was full of filler which was gradually cracking and been pushed off, we've gently nursed that side since.

Since 2008 one or two more areas have shown signs of rust, lower front panel, round windscreen, NS lower arch, all the usual suspects. Right we though back in November, lets get it done before all the prices rocket, so we had a spending frenzie and bought all the items we knew we needed. Our poor spare room, it's no longer a room, more like a giant cupboard.

Before Christmas we stripped the van interior out and stacked it all in the sitting room, this is what we found under the floor. The cab is also identical, we were dead impressed, especially as the rear heater matrix had leaked a while ago and the windscreen leaked quite badly also.

Image

Over Christmas we took eveything off the bus that would come off, lights, bumpers, grilles etc etc. Then the OS rear arch was attacked with a cutter, well it and whole big panel was filled with filler, it was clearly an accident repair, the original metal was there and wasn't rusty except for the arch, but it all came off.

The rear corner was also filled and the lower half was rotton, so a replacment was ordered. The filler can clearly be seen on the picture. (The wheel is not broken, it's a wide angle lense).

Image

Next was to look at the front, only the very bottom was rotton, but due the pain of the job, it was decided to replace the whole lower panel. Luckily they have come down a lot in price. Behind this panel she is also very solid, nothing nasty hidden.

Image

Whilst at the front, the winsdsreen was removed, we knew it leaked so there must be holes at the bottom, which there was, the good news is they are only small. Unfortunately the top of the window was slighly rotton, which means the roof has to come off, we did this at the weekend. Pics to follow of this task.
1986 1600TD Westfalia Multivan.

gaz f
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Re: Our body work story.

Post by gaz f »

Keep the pics coming. Love this kind of thread. :ok

mm289
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Re: Our body work story.

Post by mm289 »

Yep ditto, it looks exactly what i am planning four ours over the coming month so really helpfull seeing what you are doing :ok:

Will do the same when we start work. Was it a home built of factory conversion - how easily did the cupboards come out?

Cheers.
'89 Autosleeper Trident
2.1 DJ
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Cazz
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Re: Our body work story.

Post by Cazz »

It's a german imported westfalia, based on a multivan, the basic conversion.

The cupboards came out really easy, it was just a case of finding all the bolts and screws, and not rushing it.

Good luck with yours, looking forward to seeing your progress. :ok
1986 1600TD Westfalia Multivan.

Cazz
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Re: Our body work story.

Post by Cazz »

The holes in the bottom corners and the rust at the top and side of the windscreen have now been repaired.

Our roof removed and pushed back a bit to gain access to the rust at the top of the windscreen.

Image

The dash is now out to check what damage the leaking windscreen has done, replace the blower motor which started squeaking a week before Christmas and whilst at to check the earths etc. Well good news, no damage caused by the leak, blower motor pending, and I now know what an earthing crown is, it's like a crown. One was cleanish, the other was very powdery, all cleaned up and put back in, time will tell if this solves my dash light wows.

Image

Hopefully the replacement rear corner is being done next.
1986 1600TD Westfalia Multivan.

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pierce
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Re: Our body work story.

Post by pierce »

Wow Thanks Cazz, its genuinely useful to see a bus stripped down like that. I will watch that thread too. :D

I wish I had the space to strip it all down and work on it like you, mine will have to be a bit at a time.
88 Westie 1.6TD

Cazz
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Re: Our body work story.

Post by Cazz »

Our house has no garage, shed or back garden. The van is in our mates workshop, the windows are my mums and dads, the interior is behind our settee, the new stuff is in the spare room, you can just get in the door and reverse out again - no room to turn round, other bits and bobs are in boxes stacked where ever we can, the grilles are in front of the CD rack and the roof luggage and insuation is in my as good as husbands notchback. Ooh it will so nice to get our house and camper back.

Our next job is to bring the roof home, not sure how yet. If we had realised it needed to come off sooner, we could have done it at home. We need a van. :rollin
1986 1600TD Westfalia Multivan.

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pierce
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Re: Our body work story.

Post by pierce »

Cazz wrote:Our house has no garage, shed or back garden. The van is in our mates workshop, the windows are my mums and dads, the interior is behind our settee, the new stuff is in the spare room, you can just get in the door and reverse out again - no room to turn round, other bits and bobs are in boxes stacked where ever we can, the grilles are in front of the CD rack and the roof luggage and insuation is in my as good as husbands notchback. Ooh it will so nice to get our house and camper back.

Our next job is to bring the roof home, not sure how yet. If we had realised it needed to come off sooner, we could have done it at home. We need a van. :rollin

lol, sounds like our house, dreading to think where I am going to keep the interior whilst I fix the bodywork.

Keep your fingers crossed for a bit more snow, you might be able to slide the roof home. :D
88 Westie 1.6TD

Cazz
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Re: Our body work story.

Post by Cazz »

pierce wrote: lol, sounds like our house, dreading to think where I am going to keep the interior whilst I fix the bodywork.

Keep your fingers crossed for a bit more snow, you might be able to slide the roof home. :D
It's was quite surprising how neatly the interior stacked up, the whole westy interier is in a gap about 1M X 2M and stacked up to about 1M from the ceiling, it's like the Krypton Factor.

I like the roof idea, it had been suggested to float it home on the canal, but the skylight might leak. :rofl
1986 1600TD Westfalia Multivan.

Plasticman
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Re: Our body work story.

Post by Plasticman »

Now I note your comment on being cramped but unless that picky of your dash etc from inside has been photshopped then its amighty narrow van :rofl
mike

Cazz
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Re: Our body work story.

Post by Cazz »

metalmick8y wrote:Now I note your comment on being cramped but unless that picky of your dash etc from inside has been photshopped then its amighty narrow van :rofl
mike
I see what you mean, I think it was a special order narrow one, making it more suitable to float the roof on the canel, like a narrow boat. :rollin Or could it be the distortion caused by the lense setting, due to the angle I was at. :?
1986 1600TD Westfalia Multivan.

Cazz
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Re: Our body work story.

Post by Cazz »

The progress the past week or so:-

That very dented, filled and partially rotten rear corner panel has been replaced. That was a complete nightmare because the upright bit between the large panel and the corner was twisted and rippled, this has also been replaced. The tray bit has been repaired and the inner arch is nearly finished. Many thanks to Kombishop for suppling a complete rear corner very quickly, top service. :ok

Pic of it being cut out, you can make out the rippled up right bit as well as some rot. Note the access window that was cut to push the original panel back into shape, this has also been cleaned up.
Image

Pic of the new panel and arch panel welded in.
Image


The front panel has gone on, just needs the welding finishing. (Clearly this pic was taken before the welding was started)
Image

Pics of the window repair, this was far better than expected, especially as it has been leaking for a few years.
Image

Image

In between times we have washed at home everything that is plastic, the dash and I've even dismantled and cleaned the gauge pod. Next job is the NS arch, I'm also going to start cutting out the new headlining .

We have lots of pics, if anyone wants to see a diferent angle or what she looked on a section before, just let me know. :ok
1986 1600TD Westfalia Multivan.

Plasticman
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Re: Our body work story.

Post by Plasticman »

Excellent, nice to see some more decent work being done,Its often better to fit a good s/h panal as in you rear 1/4,than to dick with what was..also nice to see some good welding/brazing of the screen area, what colour you going to do it..
mike

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Si_P
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Re: Our body work story.

Post by Si_P »

Hardcore work being done here.

Can't help but think these are pictures of thinks to come. I'm planning a paint job next year (cannot decide whether to spray or roller) and am expecting some rust horrors when I look closly...

Great thread cazz :ok
1.7d Holdsworth Villa 3 pop top 1987

little by little I am learning how she works

Plasticman
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Re: Our body work story.

Post by Plasticman »

Si_P wrote:Hardcore

Great thread cazz :ok
thought that was the start of a scooter track :D
ok its late and Im bored
mike

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