Club 80-90 Forums

I aquired this 1986 1.6 d camper, or should I say once was a camper. I have been working 8n the engine and electrics since I got her in october. The genuis that metalmick8y has been a great source of info and has supplied me with a couple of panels which I have been collecting over the winter, I'm more at home restoring bikes so a complete novise on the vw scene.
The pictures I have loaded up show the van the way i aquired it rust and very rough. I have been practicing welding through the winter on little projects and feel ready to take on rhe challenge of restoring the van to its former glory, well nearly I will be removing the hightop as I hate the look, and turning it into a tintop or poptop if I can get one a decent price. Well I suppose you'll want to see her ?

just thought i'd put up some more of the horror pictures of the work required. please feel free to give your thought's and advice











i'm off work for a well earned break so hope to get started on the near side quarter panel and the front arch

Ach its all fixable

Ah the glass is always half full

Aye just do it one corner at a time.

Just something to point out regarding changing the roof.

You've got a factory high roof there, fitted by VW in the VW factory, fitted instead of a steel roof, not an aftermarket roof fitted over a steel roof.

As a result, the structure around the top of the van is different, so will be far more work to remove that and fit something else.

Thanks for the info on the roof ive had a good look around and inside it seems to me as an add on, I can see lots of rivets comming through the roof edges also the hole in tne roof is very crued and approx 48x 50 in size

Tis definitely a factory roof moulding (I used to have 1, agree with you on the ugliness factor), I guess someone in the past has fitted riveted it onto a normal van then, makes your job easier!

I really hope so .... but thanks for advice