Club 80-90 Forums

Hi Guys,

When I bought my Autosleeper it was already fitted with a body kit and alternative front grill.

I am removing the kit to get access to all areas in need of welding. I was wondering if these things are worth any money at all? Reason I ask is that the past owner has slapped paint all over the van and it is difficult to see where the fixings are to the body work. If it's not worth much I will just clap the grinding disk over the edge to expose them and if they are seized get brutal with drill etc.


Secondly this hideous green plastic grill was fitted for some reason, with the VW badge screwed to the front panel. I want to source a 4 light front grill, but I am not sure if the high beam lights fitted would fit? The glass is also a little hazy on them if anyone knows how to sort that?

All I can say is good work removing that hideous skirt arrangement (sorry but not my taste)
mm

metalmick8y wrote:All I can say is good work removing that hideous skirt arrangement (sorry but not my taste)
mm

No I agree MM, and worst of all it holds all sorts of crap kicked up from the road. I want it off so I can see what is going on under there.

If its owt like mine the side panels will pull straight off they were held on with plenty of silicon and battons of wood glued to the back of the fiberglass and screwec from inside the van, Get a paint scraper down the side of the panel and lever it off being careful not to dent the van side.

Actually, on the right coloured van (green?) I think that grill would look ace

Agree about the body kit - horrid (imho) - but I bet someone on Ebay will buy it

As for the inner lamps, if I had that problem I would take one out and spend an hour at the local breakers, I bet you could find a pair (and likely ones that fit in the hole better !) with little problem.

take the inner lamps of and wash them in elbow grease they will come up like new they only go like that as they are not used regurlarly , beware when removing bodykit they are usually rotten behing the panels so budget for new metalwork before removing them

OK So I found an exact bodykit go for £350 the other day. Great I thought few bob for this

The front and rear kit / skirting came off no problems.

The sides however are stickaflexed on and even with a bread knife etc between the skirt and panel as best I can I cannot cut them loose.

Anyone have any ideas? Or should I just get brutal and tear them off breaking them?

You could try heating it a bit with a heat gun to try to soften the sikaflex.

Usually if you get a bit of tension between the two parts with wedging it apart it is easy to cut with a knife then gradually move your wedges to keep the tension going. Maybe a bit of wd40 or ordinary oil on your blade to stop the friction which is the main reason it is hard to do.

hot wire
mm

metalmick8y wrote:hot wire
mm

Could you elaborate? Is that a tool or literally heating wire up in a loop and pulling through?

Cheers MM

just get some piano wire /cheese wire, it s slow but gets through ti ok
mm

AS MM appears to have gone to bed I will attempt a reply.

E D I T = He is not yet in bed

A Hot Wire is a length of special (NiChrome) wire, heated up by passing a carefully controlled voltage through it via an adjustable heavy duty power supply. To be honest, not the sort of thing anyone would have kicking around in the garage They are most commonly used to cut various types of foam to shape (using a "template" or "jig") I use one sometimes to cut out the foam wings for certain types of model aircraft I fly

Ah ok not kinda thing i have lol

Ill try heating a guitar string up with my propane torch and pulling through. Shame to wreck it all so will try that before using the big guns.

Just rip it off and bin it.The fewer of those body kits in the world the better. You will be doing the t3/t25 world.A huge favour