The MALLYVAGON

[dingdangdoo]

50%steel 50%what ever compounds they had hanging around me thinks.I wonder how many sealants and bridging compounds they have used?

[Dazco]

cant believe the amount of filler and sealant and goo etc thas been used. Thats just crazy.

[mm289]

Great fun, if they were straight forward they would'nt need your wizardry Mike

What grieves me is someone, maybe the PO, probably paid good money to a "restorer", probably claiming to be a VDub "specialist" and when they got it back they would have been totally ignorant of the shameful standard of work. Its criminal really, but it's easier (and far more profitable) to do a bodge and hide it than it is to do the job properly. The unfortunate customer only finds out 18 months later when it all starts falling apart - seen it far to many times on 'bay's and as our vans become worth a few bob more we will see a lot more of it I fear.

The only way I would pay good money for a van that had been "restored" is if I had a full photo diary like the ones you do, at least then you can see what has been done!

Keep up the good work

MM

[kevtherev]

on the other hand billy bodger has been busy in the past.

[Plasticman]

well had half a day and did well but overdid it and am now horizontal again with this on my lap, saw my dentist and had a tooth opened up .infected socket so pennicillin it is, feel utterly miserable so will stick some more picks up later
mm

[kevtherev]

poor lad.. there there.

[Plasticman]

still crap but got some air today, and at least i can write and make a bit of sense...
found the picks from earlier on for the front panal, now i was wondering why they would weld the seam up as i found very little rot on the external area so figured it was one of 2 things , first they wanted the de-seamed look.and secondly they are Shonkers big time ,
heres why
i cut stuff off like this rather than straight to unspotting for a number of reasons, in this case i dont want to disturb whats in there as i may need some of it and its been played with.
would have been a struggle getting the wiper spindle off

notice the burn marks and rust along here

head Shonker has fitted a new upper front panal and lacked the ability ,well lacked any ability moral or otherwise and so joined the new to the A post sides by welding up in the seam and saved removing the dash and everything,
re-spot it? Nah ,just get the mig out and run it along

such overkill results in this

here the bulk is off

now we wonder why it was removed ,well it wasnt accident damage,this may be the reason

there is as good as zero bulkhead lip left

i figure it was rotten and just stuck it over the remnant

so when im back to it which hopefully will be soon as im getting bored stiff this last bit will cut away

and i will remove all the front panal and take back to the A post lip , dont suppose there will be much of that left after out freind ran the mig down it so gonna be a right entertaining task .aslo need to get the curve correct as if its out then the screen is
theres always a reason for stuff and i think i have got a griop on how this creature worked and what to expect,maybe
mm

[AdrianC]

i think i have got a griop on how this creature worked and what to expect,maybe

Famous.
Last.
Words.

[Plasticman]

2 picks are clear as a day on plopbucket and decide they dont want to be here , 22minutes to post the above is about it for me im afraid
mm

[Cableguy]

Scary stuff Mike.

[lloydy]

s'funny, seeing this actually makes me giggle. I think it's a nervous thing, as i could be looking at similar pics in the future

[Plasticman]

Think ? theres nno think about it.
well this upper area is going to be a problem thats fopr sure as the whole front has gone ,im back on my feet today and had a few hours feeling normal , nice so whilst we examined the van and the guy (who for now will remain anon) measured up and we discussed a few items, all i can say is it will be an interesting thread when ive done my side,certainly a unique van .
anyhowes i intend to remove the dash completely and the wiper stuff etc as there is a need to burn and weld in there, and i need a free rein, so going to have the w'end off ...maybe ,and crack on next week
mm

[kevtherev]

anyhowes i intend to remove the dash completely and the wiper stuff etc as there is a need to burn and weld in there, and i need a free rein, so going to have the w'end off ...maybe ,and crack on next week
mm

Oh boy!
Free reign means deep surgery

[Plasticman]

It means im gonna have to think how to do this one
so to cheer up I dropped this on before taking the dash down , just to see how it felt ,,,,maybe for mine

now, dash and all the nice stuff out the way so at it
we have an idea whos been playing in here
, vw didnt put brass in here, near here but not this,so shonker, hes got gas too,wish he knew how to use it,a right old mess

same, it is a good solid bit of brazing ,just been used to make a very shoddy bodge

here you can see the rust, the lower part of the box structure is nice and solid , well its also part of the structural frame work so needs to be,
the lip that has rotted away is the top closure for this and its spotted fine still loads of strength but after leaving the box it carries fwd a 1/2" and the wiper spindles etc bolt through it, then it turns up 90' and forms the inner lip of the screen mount,
well as happens over time ,water leaks in from the rain and then and probably more pertinent is the condensation off the screen ,
well all this runs down and sits here partially trapped between the dashtop ,so rusts away over the years, and this is the result,

and more alarmingly here

not exactly a lot left to work with , well nowt in fact
so this is a tricky one , its not seen but that doesnt matter I will see it , the lip is curve 2 planes so gonna be fun, probably make an angle and then feed it in the roller and tweak it , need to think about this.
mm

[ninja.turtle007]

You said to me up you only like to do stuff that is interesting, looks like you are going to be a happy bunny!