... And so it begins.

[067DUB]

Good timeline bro, I'm on the same promise, Valla it is... go hard my friend!!

[Fathermarc]

140426-Resto

Thanks Kombi1967...

Ok well today I have some images to upload for you image junkies ( Me included ). Whats a blog without images HUH?

I cut out a two small sections of rust in the long side centre window cill. It was a nice small job to do on a Saturday afternoon and a welcome alternative to all the panel beating I've been doing of late. I removed the fiber glass and bog that had been concealing the rot with a blow torche. Believe me it's the quickest and best way to remove bog. Then I cut the rust out with a few deft cuts with the angle grinder along the long edge and then cut the short edges with a hacksaw (more controlled and less metal removed). Cut a length of steel 20mm wide and then cut in two for the two patches.
Spot welded the seem welded the patches in position. A little clean up with the face of the cutting wheel and then filed into shape. DONE! Sounds easy but it was the best par of three hours.

Then I turned my attention to the front window that I installed a few months back. At the time I didn't realise that the frame section was at a right angle yet the original window section has a 6mm pencil round on the outer edge. So I shaped it with a file which obviously opened up the corner and so required a bead of weld running along the edge before a final shaping. See there you go...That's what happens when you buy cheaper replacement panels. Saying that though the KF window section was $250+ and this window section was by an English mob priced at $45+. My own fault really I should have checked carefully before welding. It would have been a lot easier to have shaped the section before welding. Anyway.. All's well that ends well.

Went over a few other little holes in the nose section and four holes in the front bumper that had been drilled for over rides. One more rust spot at the Near Side Rear Quarter Roof Section and that'll be all the rust done in the body. There's the bottom of the divers door and the L/H Cargo door to do but they will be another weekends work.

I]m looking forward to some mechanical work. It]s been a long year of cutting and welding and bolting stuff together will feel like I'm on the home stretch. Plus alll these boxes of shiney bits and pieces are crying out to be installed.

So here's the interesting Images some from the days before too...

Peace out!

[Fathermarc]

Beating the rear quarter...

It had taken a seriously bad knock some time in it's life and I was reluctant to chop out the panel and replace it with a repro. It was split and caved in filled with bog about 6mm deep. But we did it.

Sorry images are in reverse start from the bottom...

[Fathermarc]

Window required shaping to match the original and this opened up the leading edge which then needed seam welding before shaping.

[Fathermarc]

A few shots of the work undertaken this Easter/Anzac Holidays

[Fathermarc]

Good timeline bro, I'm on the same promise, Valla it is... go hard my friend!!

Yeah well we have our work cut out for us. I can't wait to see you and your bus there.

[gaz]

Good work mate

[Fathermarc]

140427 - Resto

Cheers Gas, thanks for the encouragement.

Ok so now I]m where I wanted to be last year. All the rust is out and now I'm preparing the body. I know this is going to take the longest time ever so I've decided to make a good stab at it and get it to a satisfactory level for Valla and then probably spend the next two years perfecting it.

Some shot for all you Kombi junkies out there.

Big shout out to Paul Willians for driving all the way down to Sydney and dropping off a door for me. Much appreciated brother man.

[paul willans]

Your welcome and nice to meet you sorry had to go , very long day

[Fathermarc]

[quote="paul willans"]Your welcome and nice to meet you sorry had to go , very long day[/quote

Nice to meet you too. Welcome anytime. Maybe go for a drink by the ocean next time. See you soon.

[gaz]

Just read through your entire build so far, great work and your step by step photo's will come in very handy im sure.
Very inspirational, will keep watching this one.

Thanks for the heads up on the body panels

Cheers
Gaz

[Cam Biscuit]

Good work Marc nice to have a couple of long weekends to make some good headway!

[Fathermarc]

Good work Marc nice to have a couple of long weekends to make some good headway!

Sure is Cam. How's your build coming along brotherman?
I've been so busy I haven]t had time to read your thread for some time... I'll check it out right now.

[Fathermarc]

140511 _ Resto

This weekend I was going to install a new gearbox, the IRS and disc brakes. I started by cleaning up the drive shaft and giving them a coat of shiny black. I laid all the components out on a table and sorted out all the nuts and bolts. It was at this point that I realised I was missing the conical washers for either side of the CV joints. So that was the end of that. I put all the boxes away again and all the wind left my sails.

So I spent the remainder of the day welding and beating the passengers door into shape.

That was yesterday... Today was a landmark. I cut out the last rusty section in the body and welded in a new piece. Cleaned it up and filed it down. I have the drivers door and the cargo door to repair but I could do this after Valla.

So next week I hope to have the missing conical washers to get the IRS installed. Does anyone know where I can get the conical washers from?

[Fathermarc]

140525 - Resto

last weekend I had to give it a rest. One of my neighbours was ranting and raving about the noise. So like any good neighbour I told him to jog off and do his worst. Of course he went to the landlord and I went round to all the other neighbours to gather a census of opinion. This week I was told by the landlord I could carry on with the project and the neighbour was told that due to the lack of complaints there was little or nothing that could be done.

So this weekend I was happily playing with the Kombi. Banging, cutting and grinding all day yesterday. Nocking the nose section into shape before I can fit the headlamp buckets back into place. One of them was rusted out at the bottom so the rust was cut out and a fresh slice of steel welded in it's place. Also bought my self an original steering wheel with the usual chips and cracks here and there. So I repaired this with some epoxy putty. Roughly filed it into shape and then fine sanded before a coat of gloss black. Looks brand new.

Next week I'm planning on fitting the new IRS gearbox, CE IRS kit and CSP disc brakes on the rear. I'll move to the fronts after I get the back done. Look guys I really need you help here. I NEED SOME WASHERS FOR THE DRIVE SHAFTS... So if you have a couple of old bay window drive shafts with the conical washers still on there, I need them. Please help.

Bad news.... We have to forgo Valla. So I have tickets up for grabs advertised on DSK. We bought a house down in the Shire and our completion date is 26th of July. I thought Valla was the following week. Bollox! As you can appreciate there is just to much to organise and some things got to give.

I'll post pics when my phone has charged