... And so it begins.

[Fathermarc]

Hurrrrray!

Now I just need to start putting them in some semblance of order. This is how it looked before I started to take the paint off. It was OK but I needed to find out what was underneath. I'm glad I started as the red was painted over bare metal as you can see.
The bog filler is only skin deep patching up dents. The worst section was the rear R/H quarter.
A few sections of rust but for on old girl I was half expecting to reveal a few horrors but seriously nothing too drastic. Phew!

Since these pictures were taken I've bought a tig welder and started to practice. After a large bottle of Argon I'm comfortably welding in new metal. I'll drop regular updates as I progress now that I've been taught how to upload the pics.

Ta very much!

[Fathermarc]

Cheers Warb... Your a good man.

The pop top is a strange creation though. Not seen on like it before.

[Fathermarc]

OK today I did a little more on... I still don't have a name.
The cross member had a nasty rust hole above the hine on the left hand side so I cut it out. Inside the box section was really bad and it was beginning to spread to the body work. I wire brushed the worst of it with a brass brush attachment for the angle grinder. Neutralized the rust with Sepitone rust remover and gave it a good layer of Primer. Whilst that was drying I had to cut up the box section that I'd bought from George at CVDub. The recess for the lock was larger that mine which must be for a later model. So I cut that off and primed the reverse face ready for tacking. Once tacked into position i drilled out the bottom for spot welding.

The lower valance was also eaten away and badly knocked about from the sands of time. I made up a small section and tacked this all together. Finished off the welding on both items. Ground off the welds had a cup of tea and filed everything flush. The whole operation took 5 hours but I am a newbie at welding and I've only learnt it off the Tinternet.

Tomorrow I'm going to tackle the hole that was cut into the L/H corner panel. It used to house a 240V socket but I'm not going to fit it back on for the rebuild so the hole needs to be filled. The Long off side needs to be tinkered with to. So panel beating and more welding tomorrow. And more tea and chin wagging with the passers by.... Who are eager to see the progress.

The right hand rear corner will have to be cut out and replaced... Need to do some more searching for a solid example.

Photo's attached...

[Fathermarc]

Today I cut out the hole that was made to take the 240V connector. Although a very useful camping add on, it's not something that would grace the rear end of a 58 split screen. So chop it out I did and then patched it in after shots will come when I've cleaned it up. My welding is not photo worthy yet.

The Off side of the Kombi was looking like it was on it's last legs many dents and peppered with holes so I chopped this out as well. I'm glad I delved deeper. The hole box section was fill of crap which had built up over the years and the inside face was rusting badly. A few more years and it would have crumbled to dust. I cleaned everything out with a brass brush wheel on the grinder and tapped everything straight with a dolly and hammer. Gave it all a dousing of rust converter and packed away the tools ready for tomorrow. YES tomorrow... I wangled a few days off out of the office, so that I could break the back of this project. Tomorrow I will need to replace sections of the box section and two of the three columns as you will see in the photo's. I dry fit the complete side section for my own gratification slapped myself on the back and called it a day.

[Fathermarc]

L/H/S rear quarter

[Fathermarc]

Off side before

[DRHEMS3]

Great work mate! Keep up the good work, I look forward to further updates

[Fathermarc]

I took a drive over to classic veedub this morning to see if I could get my hands on a new side rail and a few C-posts but they didn't have any in stock. I did pick up a couple of Wolfsburg West wheel arch skins though. Not bad items and they're the correct size for the 58. Nice to finally meet George in person we had a cuppa and then i was off.

Back to the lab again. It's mid-day so no time to waste a quick lunch, work clothes on and fired straight into Knocking up a couple of replacement box sections for the side rail. I cut the steel out of bay window rear door. I kept hold of it for such occasions. The steel's good quality 70's stuff, it's straight and it's already primed and painted. So I only have to clean of the edges that are being welded.

To form the box section from a flat plate. I marked up the bend lines on the steel and them cramped the steel between two substantial sections of timber and tapped to shape. Moving it around to form differing angles as I go and re-clamp. Not bad looking box section when I finished. Turned over the end tabs in a vice and spot welded them in place. Tomorrow. i need to knock up a couple of C-pillar ends and we should have a decent ground work for the side panel to weld onto. I could have left it as no-one will ever see the inside but hell If I'm gonna do it I may as well do it propper. the added bonus being that cutting all that rust way gave me change to clean out the jacking points and cross members ( or what ever they're called) Blow them out with compressed air. Bath the insides with rust converter and spray with etch primer. Now that should prolong the life of all that steel for a good few years to come.

So although I was unable to buy the correct steel sections. I managed to get the job done. The correct pieces would have sped things up considerable but waiting for the correct Items would mean putting that section on hold. I know the CVD won't be getting any in and that DAS has just had delivery of a few items but if they have none left for me then putting this project on hold for something that isn't seen is not an option. Plus I quite enjoyed the challenge.

Tomorrow I'm going to try and have the hole thing welded up. Who know I may even surprise myself and get those wheel arches on...

I'll post pictures tomorrow if that's OK.

[Fathermarc]

130910 - Resto

I don't know whether it's because it was a hot one today or the fact that i can't shift this flamin cold! Everything I did today was like walking through waste deep water. I fashioned up some C-pillars this morning and tried to tack everything in but the spot welds were just not holding as they should. Eventually I did managed to get everything tacked in but it just seemed to take so long... Well all damn day. I was hoping to have the long side welded in place. It wasn't to be, This weekend I'm going to have a look at what I did today and see if I can make it look and work better. Things need to be sorted out before I finally get to welding on the side.

I've attached photos... Enjoy!

[Fathermarc]

130912 - Resto

I wangled a few hours off today to concentrate on the Kombi. I took a look at the welding done the day before. It wasn't all that bad. So with a positive mind set I went over the welds. Filled in the gaps. Patched in a few small holes. Gave it all another coat of primer and ran a few dobs of panel adhesive to the C-pillars and the floor line. I don't think that spot welding these areas will be of any benefit as it would mean going through the new panel to do so.

Fitting the long side panel for the final time I carefully set it in it's correct position and cramped it in place. It all felt and looked like a great fit. i ran a few spot weld alond the top edge and then ran some longer welds intermittently along the top edge... I thought all was going well. That is until I took a closer look from underneath the top panel was raised by a good two mill. There was a gap all along the edge. This wasn't good!...

After a cuppa and a think through I decided to grind all the welds off again and run a series of cuts in beteween the two panels so that I could slot a row of butt welding cramps to draw the panels together. Once in place I began spot welding in between the the cramps , working my way along the entire length of the panel. The back over it all again running inch long welds and going back and joining them together.

I called it a day when the light began to fade and a delivery truck pulled up with a selection of body panels I found in Adelaide. All off a 58 kombi. I'm hoping that they could be replacements for some of the panels and doors that may need replacing on my little beauty. Though I'm a little reluctant about replacing doors unless I really have too. Maybe I could just pick them apart and use them as donors. I need to have a closer look in daylight but they appear to be rust free, though some have a few large dents here and there. Could be tapped out...

Then another delivery truck arrived with a box of twin Webers (SP) from the UK I only ordered them on Monday... Now that is super fly. I opened the box to check everything was there. Hmmmm yum yum sparkling new bits and pieces. After messing around with rusty old crap for the past few weeks these look like Kombi Kandy. Itching to fit but they'll have to stay in the box until a later date. More pressing work to be done...

I've dropped a few more photo of the progress today. I hope these photos are not boring the crap out of you. I't not terrible exciting stuff but I promised to keep a daily log. It will get more exciting I promise.

I've given myself six more weeks to complete all this welding and get the 58 rego'd. C'MON!

[tinman]

You're going great guns on this! Nice work!!!

[Fathermarc]

Thanks Tinman... Appreciated.

All day welding and grinding and welding and grinding. Damn this long side is long! Eventually though I finished the top edge now just to spot weld the bottom edge. Grind everything again and fingers bloody crossed that the long side completed.

During the day the rain started here in Bronte. So I covered the Kombi and took the welder inside the garage. Pulled out the front bumper and stripped all the black paint off it. I don't know what the previous owner was playing at but he has a habit of paining directly onto bare metal??? Anywayz off it came. Light work with an angle grinder and a brass wire brush. Polished to a point and then off to SuperCheap to pick up another litre of Rust converter. Whilst there I went to have a look at the compressor section. I have a bit of a love affair with the large Stanley compressor but it's too expensive at $700 but I can still look. B'Jesus!!!! They've reduced the price by $300... I bought it there and then no hesitation! I'm gonna have some explaining to do when the long haired accountant gets home! As soon as I got back I fitted the wheels on the compressor, handle and bung feet. Plugged it in and snapped a grinder on the end of the hose... Hmmm so much better that a whining motor. Plus I can spray with it when the time comes. S'all good in the hood!

Anyway... Completely sidetracked. I gave the bumper a good coating of rust converter and tapped the dings and dents out whilst the acids did their work. Cleaned it up. Sanded it down (with my new compressor and sander. Beautiful, no tingling hands afterwards. Welded up all the after marker holes that had been drilled over the years for one reason or another. Ground off the welds and gave it another sanding. A coat of primer and left it to dry. Looking good MoFo looking good!

The rain stopped so off with the cover and back to welding up the Kombi, until sundown.

TWOZ a good day and we still have the weekend to look forward too. Pics to follow tomorrow.

[paul willans]

hey mate nice read, going well and your doing it yourself, nice .

[FrankenCab]

Run self tappers thru lower lip of long sill to hold it on and when you remove them you get a good weld thru both pieces .. Welding is fun but not as much as grinding haha

[Fathermarc]

Thanks Paul and Frankencab for the moral support...

130914 - Resto.

Ok ... I've managed to grind off all that welding. Big sigh of relief! I have to be happy with the result> I'm not saying that it's a professional job but I'm happy with it. I could keep going on it to make it perfect but right now I just wanna sit back and see what it looks like. I desided to stop welding for now so turned my attention to sanding down the Off Side to remove any surface rust and left over paint. Tapped out a few dings and gave it all a coat of rust converter to leave over night.

In the morning I'm going to take a fresh look at it all and I'm thinking I'll take the wire brush to the side to remove what little paint there is left. Then finally tomorrow evening I'm hoping to get a light coat of acid etch primer on the side. For protection but also to highlight the small dings that need further tapping.


I am bushed today... this week has been a long week on the Kombi but fruitful.