scotty*85vw wrote:he's on a roll
Giddy Up. Best thing about a holiday!!
I was just reading your Ute thread. Got to the part where your taking time off work (sorry I mean working from home) and thinking that's exactly how I've been going. You got that little monster on four wheel pretty quick. Good work sunshine.
HAhaHA yeah mate. i have now pretty much had to flush the business down the drain. Had to go back to hospital the day before chrissy for 2 mri scans and they have done a shit load more tests cause physio did nothing, again!. so as good as the spare time is ( for the limited work i can do slowely) spending close to another grand out of my own pocket that could have gone into the ute is really starting to stress and get to me.
scotty*85vw wrote:he's on a roll
Giddy Up. Best thing about a holiday!!
I was just reading your Ute thread. Got to the part where your taking time off work (sorry I mean working from home) and thinking that's exactly how I've been going. You got that little monster on four wheel pretty quick. Good work sunshine.
HAhaHA yeah mate. i have now pretty much had to flush the business down the drain. Had to go back to hospital the day before chrissy for 2 mri scans and they have done a shit load more tests cause physio did nothing, again!. so as good as the spare time is ( for the limited work i can do slowely) spending close to another grand out of my own pocket that could have gone into the ute is really starting to stress and get to me.
Oh... Sorry to hear that. I hope the MRI test come back with a positive outcome. Money is easily replaced. You just kick back and take it easy for a little while.
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58 Kombi
69 Soft top beetle
65 Izh Jupiter with side car
2006 Ducati 999 Xerox
Ok finished off the Near Side Rear Wheel Tub shut off piece. I'm getting really tired of sqeezing into little spaces wearing welding gloves, mask and torch on boiling hot days. How the hell am I supposed to see what I'm doing??? Still that's that finished... DONE!
I then had a wonderful day trying to remove the brackets off the front section. They must have had a boring shift in Western Germany when the welded these suckers on. Seriously... how many spot welds can you fit on a small piece of steel. Then to top it of the Fella must have decided that that wasn't enough and thought F*ck it tell you what... I'll weld all round the edges too... TW4T!
If they weren't so rusty I would have taken the new ones off and welded the inner valance to the originals but they were shot.
HEADS UP... When replacing the inner front valance with a KF replacement panel. It's not nessary to remove the top two plates welded to the beams only the lower two .. Believe me that's two too many. Mutter mutter mutter!
The beers ready in my hand but I have some pasta on. You lot take a butchers at the images while I go cook dinner.
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And one of the other side. Bit grainy sorry.
Big teethy smile from the Kombi. We can see the light.
In it goes. Thank the Lord. Yes I know the R/H A-Pillar is stepping out at the bottom. See I knew I would have trouble with this side. Don't buy cheap panels. That floor pan wasn't worth the trouble it's caused.. I'll chop the A-Pillar and straighten it up.
Here's the Kombi's biggest fan. Her names Abby and she comes round every time I'm working to see if I've finished yet.
Removing the rusty brackets. Jesus what hard work but still beat squeezing into a rear wheel tub!
Marked up and chopped
NS rear wheel tub. Cargo rocker shut off section.
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58 Kombi
69 Soft top beetle
65 Izh Jupiter with side car
2006 Ducati 999 Xerox
resinmonkey wrote:best you get saving for those drop spindles with a bad back there mate - going to be a bumpy ride without them
What makes you say that?
spindles keep more travel in the beam than adjusters. however narrowing shortens the leaf pack with less to twist also making less travel so its u bumpy or bumpier ride
OK... So that Near Side A-pillar wasn't right and so I chopped it drilled out all the spot welds just enough so that I could adjust the angle of the dog leg. I used a couple of ratchet straps to gentle pull the dog leg and A-Pillar back in line with the door and the adjoining A-Pillar top section. With this sort of persuasion Ii was sure that I could gentle pull everything in all angles. I took several measurements from the inside of the door opening, verticals and diagonals until both sides where identical. Once in position I began welding everything back up. Eventually closing off the Near Side A_pillar with the front section. In the end I'm much happier.
Then using the same ratchet straps I pulled the Inner valance into position. Wrapping the strap around the frame underneath and across the front. The beauty of using a ratchet strap on curved surfaces is that it pulls everything in uniformly. Once I checked all the measurements again (This time from the bottom of the window opening down) and was confidant that each side was identical I Spot welded through the original holes down into the top of the inner valance. Gave everything a damn good wire brushing (angle grinder type) and Cold Gal and the a few coats of enamel. Welded the inner brackets in place and gave them a few coats too.
Heads up... Look we may buy the finest panels on the planet but everything will need to be checked. The buses we own have gone through generations of extreme conditions and twists and turns. Everything will have moved out of line along the way. Admittedly all together but movement and stresses have occurred. Don't think for one minute that the panels you buy are a direct replacement. Everything needs teasing into position. Saying that always buy the best you can afford. This is with tools and parts. It doesn't pay to try to save.
OK well as you can tell from my rambling I've already had a beer and due another. I need food. Check out the images while I reheat the pasta in the fridge.
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This is not acceptable!
Cut and cramped in two directions gives optimum movement options.
All pulled in line now I have 5mm to move the door out a little.
Inner valance welded in position.
Everything I've welded so far has had the same treatment (except for the short side.) I was too damn uncomfortable that I forgot) A couple od coats of Cold-Gal and then a few good coats of enamel. ($4 a can from SCA)
Sitting Pretty. Look at that god damn smile.
And from this angle everything runs true.
You can see that the door lines up pretty good now. The rest seems to bee the door it self but we can add some weld to the edge and shape it to match.
Going into it's lean too for the night.
Home at last.
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58 Kombi
69 Soft top beetle
65 Izh Jupiter with side car
2006 Ducati 999 Xerox
resinmonkey wrote:best you get saving for those drop spindles with a bad back there mate - going to be a bumpy ride without them
What makes you say that?
spindles keep more travel in the beam than adjusters. however narrowing shortens the leaf pack with less to twist also making less travel so its u bumpy or bumpier ride
I didn't know that... So let me get this straight... If I convert the rear suspension to IRS and have front beam adjusters to level out the ride height. I'm going to have a bumpier ride than if I go for drop spindles on the front to level the ride height?
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58 Kombi
69 Soft top beetle
65 Izh Jupiter with side car
2006 Ducati 999 Xerox
The problem with just using adjusters is trailing arm angle , it can and is commonly done but ball joints can bind up and snap, if your using king and link you can " flip " the spindles to get a 3.5 inch drop and near factory ride quality ,but then it depends on tyre size , for bay use 2.5 inch welded spindles or transporter haus , t2d flipped ball joint spindles think there 3.5 inch drop
FrankenCab wrote:The problem with just using adjusters is trailing arm angle , it can and is commonly done but ball joints can bind up and snap, if your using king and link you can " flip " the spindles to get a 3.5 inch drop and near factory ride quality ,but then it depends on tyre size , for bay use 2.5 inch welded spindles or transporter haus , t2d flipped ball joint spindles think there 3.5 inch drop
WOW! This is more complicated than I thought. I'm going to have to study this more. I was gong to replace the King and Link pins anyway but haven't bought them yet. Perhaps I should just invest in a pair of dropped spindles? Again I need research the pros and cons.
If I flip the spindles what tyre sizes am I limited too? There must be a thread on hear that has covered this in great detail.
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58 Kombi
69 Soft top beetle
65 Izh Jupiter with side car
2006 Ducati 999 Xerox
This is my very first attempt at building a car. I have had to learn how to weld and have learned how to panel beat. I have gleamed valuable information along the way from you Fellas my new virtual community... Thank you!
Today the Kombi was put together. The last piece of the jigsaw is in. Everything lines up and I feel a great sense of achievement. I set my goals to have all the KF panels installed by the end of this holidays and there finally in. Obviiously there are little bits of welding that need going over and there are small sections of rust like in the widow frame and above the near Side door and Near side quarter but these can be done a leisurely pace at the weekends.
I don't have to look at a rusty piece of junk any more. I feel that over the past few weeks I've learned a heck of a lot. There have been trials and tribulations but in the end I've managed to replace all the rusty panels and have got it all lined up.
Tomorrow is going to be a day of well deserved rest.
Images attached enjoy... I shall have another beer to celebrate and perhaps watch all the images I've collected over the past two weeks as a slide show.
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I plan this to be my final day... If all goes well I can take the day off tomorrow. If I fuck up then I will be rectifying this tomorrow. Here Goes!
Lower valance cramped in position. Drilled for the spot welds. The spray line is the cut line. It is easier to see and a truer line than any sharpy. This has to be spot on. The entire project is down to this moment.
Sprayed the inside of the nose section in Baby blue and signed it for future reference.
Butt clamps... This is the nervous bit. Have all my calculations worked?
Lower valance ... Done!
V lined up... Done!
Front ... Done!
Front all lined up... Done!
Off side... Done!
Near Side... Done!
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58 Kombi
69 Soft top beetle
65 Izh Jupiter with side car
2006 Ducati 999 Xerox
Still that's that finished... DONE!
