Leroy's 67 Panel

[Leroy]

Well, as some of you may remember, I was one of the unlucky ones to be shafted by KIP. After a lot of money and 13 months of hell with KIP, I finally found some true VW spirit.

Over the forums and through friends, I met Al (dasdubber). He helped me out with advice and was a great person to talk VW’s with.

Things with KIP were getting progressively worse and when I approached a certain JK about a refund and the return of my bus, things turned ugly. I was told that I could get the bus ‘as is’ but I would not see a cent from him.
Unfortunately at the time, I just had to try to push KIP to do as much work on the bus as I could as we had already outlaid the money and coming out with nothing done and no cash was not an option.

Months came and went with no further progress on the bus. So with a feeling that something at KIP was going really bad,(2 weeks before it went under) I contacted Al to see if he could help me. Unfortunately, he was booked out for a number of months but offered to help me considering the circumstances.

Al has worked on my bus out of his normal work hours for the past few months to ensure that his other work commitments came first.

I can’t thank Al enough for his kindness and generosity in our time of need, and I have slept like a baby knowing my bus is finally in safe hands. Let’s just say that my bus will wear a Das Resto Haus sticker with pride

[Dasdubber]

Cheers Leon, I am pleased that I could help out at least one person who got shafted by the KIP collapse.

As Leon mentioned I have been doing work on the panel after hours and on weekends to ensure work on Mick's, Jack's and Ian's buses were not affected or held up in any way. This has meant some long hours and lots of time in the shop but I sympathise with what Leon and Alina went through, and therefore am committed to get the bus into paint so Leon can start the reassembly ASAP.

I'll let Leon put up the pics and info, but as a quick update, the cargo doors are the last thing that need repair and bodywork after which the bus should be in paint very soon.


Al
PS after months of frustration waiting the booth is finally running, just need filters which should be here this week! It has been an expensive storage shed up to date!

[Shaven]

al...
mate its a credit to you & your business... its an indication of a persons heart & soul how the conduct themselves...
mate proud of you... it just goes to show what dsk & the VW community is all about.
matty

[Leroy]

Here are some pics for you boys to enjoy




After buzzing back the inside of the rear hatch the outside was block sanded and guide coated (as it was in high build primer already)

The engine decklid was trial fitted just to make sure gaps were okay and everything aligned correctly

Likewise for the rear hatch - adjusted to make sure no major mods were required before more primer was to go on


Both panels were then high build primed


I had a pair of window cargo doors that I was going to run (originally) so we did a trial fit to make sure everything aligned.


After a rub down they were primed


The cargo door had some rust in the window recess that needed repairing


After welding in the replacement section, the welds were dressed smooth.


The cab doors were guide coated and given a block sand




The left cab door was trial fitted to again ensure no major problems were present!


The right cab door was not a good fit with it binding badly - both top and bottom hinges needed quite a bit of attention and clearancing







The rear valance paint was pretty badly cracked so it was stripped back to bare metal




Both bumpers needed some work




Dash tray had been left out in the weather at some stage at the last premise doing the 'resto'


After being buzzed back and treated, the dash tray was epoxy and then high build primed


My wife and I went down for a day of sanding the interior.


Nose was guide coated


....then block sanded to show imperfections


Well... I have run out of time this morning. I will post more pics up tonight

[Hoves]

Good work lads.

[warb]

noice one, great to see!.

[Shaven]

thats great... nice to see your both working on her... who gets first drive?

[shark]

Fantastic job guys must be a load off your mind mate. Al good work mate love that you are helping out.

[splitbus]

some nice work there boys, now is leroy, leon or leon, leroy

[kombibob]

Top work!
and and Allan you are a dead set legend.
At least now you now it will be done properly Leroy.

[Dasdubber]

Cheers guys, before you all think I'm too great a bloke, unfortunately I couldn't quite do Leon's bus totally pro-bono....am definitely helping out where I can though to minimise costs.

Just didn't want to take credit and mislead anyone as thats not my style. That said, I am really stoked to be helping Leon and Alina out to get their bus into paint and am looking forward to seeing it finished!
Cheers
Al

[Leroy]

Cheers for the comments guys. I am stoked with all the work Al has done so far, and can't wait to see it all come together in the following months.
Anyhow, here are a few more pics of the journey so far.


This is the open ended sill - the last shop was going to paint the bus as-is which bemused me




Another unfinished area that was just going to be blown over with paint


The sill closing plate was fabbed and welded in place with any remaining gaps closed up before the underside was finished




Without cutting out the entire inner sill, a quick but solid repair was made


This was the type of finish you'd get in a "full restoration" by the now defunct shop


Highly detailed.....


Front end was stripped clean and degreased


Although we are keeping $ as low as possible (as I already lost a heap), Al gave everything a quick detail with hammerite paint and stone guarded the underside of the bus


Same with the rear end




The defunct resto shop welded in the safari brackets at the wrong position so they would not open all the way (right side)....left side bracket was cut off and repositioned to get full height


After repositioning, both safaris opened as they should


Inside the cab was reprimed


...as well as the nose


The remainder of the bus was high build primed and guide coated ready for its final rub before paint....window doors have since been changed for panel doors which need work (one at the blasters currently, and waiting for outer skin for the other)

[Ted2]

Leroy, whilst you have gone through a lot of crap and lost $$$ with the KIP fiasco, I trust and hope the first drive in your bus with the safaris wide open (as they should) will partially erase those awful memories. Many of us, including myself, were potentially future victims of the KIP trap.

To Al, who I have never met, what you have done to assist Leroy is sensational. You epitomise the VW spirit and reflect the reason why so many of us spend countless $$$ and hours to get our own piece of VW history back on the road. You are a true gentleman and master craftsman. Throw in a major dose of humility and voila! Well done mate.

Cheers

Ted

[shark]

As Ted said - I am only new to this VW game but looking at the lack of quality that KIP did in the photo's above I am flabigasted. The lack of attention or concern for their customers jobs is amazing. It is good they are gone and bad they ripped off so many people.

[winerot]

first time i saw his work was at klubfest 2 years ago & had a family
ask me (why me i don't know) what i thought of his work.
truth is i told them i wouldn't go any where near that place after seeing
the socalled full resto's.
i hope they listened to me but i did say thats just me.
p.s. i don't know al but what i see in pics & what ive heard you can not go wrong with him.