Been a while and I thought I might throw out a few more pics for you all. Had some harrowing experiences with the sawzal but things are really coming together now.

Cut off the Left hand drive chassis at the front and welded on a RHD section. You'd never know it was any different. I cut the front off the belly pan, flattened the stretching out with a shrinking disc and added a new heater pipe, all coated in Rust bullet.


[Edited on 4-1-2005 by Zimblewinder]

I cleaned up the chassis rust with new pieces and added new baffles to the inside of the chassis rail.

Ran the shrinking disc over the cargo floors. You can see how much they straightened up. Compare it to the one at the back!

Started patching the roofline rust. There are pin holes all the way down to the last 1/4 of the roof. Ill sandblast and killrust inside the roof all the way down to the back while its open.

And now the scary bit, cut the long panel out after measuring it a thousand times.

Fortunately it fits like a glove. WHEW!!!

one more from the inside. Lots more work to do yet though. Want to have it in the paint booth in September or October....Wishful thinking perhaps. Looking forward to getting this one on the road full time. Cheers

[Edited on 4-1-2005 by Zimblewinder]

great job
what colours are you going to do????
cant wait to see some more updates, hey how much was it to get it over ???
from where????

Cost me about $1000 aussie dollars to get it to Japan where I am now, from the states. Once my time here is done it will be containered back to Oz with all my other junk. Its going to be boring original sealing wax red and Chestnut brown .

PS love your dub!

[Edited on 4-1-2005 by Zimblewinder]

dont know about boring more like awesome
thanx about the bug but one day hope to get a splitty !!
that day is apparently when hell freezes over (says the wife)

Or when you make me an offer?????

Cheers
Dave

not planing on selling my house to afford your split Dave!!!!!!

Thats just awsome job man, you have the patience of a saint, so it was a left hand drive, this is why you have swapped over the side skins!!, bloody great keep up the good work..

Andy

best colours ever chestnut brown over sealing wax red , have you seen the white roof over chestnut brown centre and sealing wax red combo thats very cool as well.
i was going to do my 65 brown over red but i think it would look strange on a later kombi best for 50s buses i think

Awesome stuff,great to see some updates.Its going to look soooo cool when you're done. Keep up the great work.
How long are you in Japan for??

Hmmm thanks all for the encouragement. The very best thing is Im finished with the wire brush. No more spikes! Still have a few litres of sand to inhale and scratch out of my speedos finishing the roofline and the inside of the panels.( no matter how much you cover up you still get it in your eyes and nickers) I really like the earlier barney beige grey roof but Im going to have to save up for one to do that. As for favourite colour combos; I really love mango busses but Id need a 50's kombi or micro for that; or that comercial beige colour double cab. Hmmmmm me thinks!

For the moment Im going as stock as possible. Im even thinking about making a 50's Saxes and co. style slide in camping unit for it (originally designed for passenger busses) so I can have the best of both worlds.

I have a Denlinger interior kit on the way from Arizona and hope to run Coker or Silvertown Wide white wall radials on it. The drive train will remain stock cos Im after a slow (very slow) cruiser.My mother approves:kiss. Maybe, If I find it unsafe Ill slip in a 1500. Im told this will give good acceleration on the split case tranny and cruise more comfortably at the heady top speed of 85-95klm/h; and shelve the 1200. Ive heard if you balance then the old 1200 will spin very happily at top speed. It will also be more reliable that way.

I thought Id be in Japan for a year...but its been 8 already so...maybe a couple more, who knows. Anyone that feels like a work out with the sanding block and an onsen after, you know where to find me. Cheers all Im off skiing with my school kids for a week BRRRR!:puke


[Edited on 4-1-2005 by Zimblewinder]

whats a shrinking wheel?

here's all you need to know about shrinking discs. I think its the best metal working tool I have.

http://allshops.org/cgi-bin/community/communityalbums.cgi?ownerid=9990093068868 

love resto's of this magnitude. Something about bare metal rebuilds that just give you that tingling feeling that another will be on the road in former glory all spick and span. Hopefully mine will be there someday. Nice work! :thumb

where are you going skiing ?, i have spent some time in japan snowboarding at niseko i have to say absolutly hands down the best snow in the world deep and fresh all day every day when i was there, i have also done a season in canada spending most of my time in banff and working at norquay as a lifty also done a season in nz , spent time in alot of resorts across canada and the states actually only a couple in the states man i love the snow.
the best thing for me about japan was no one goes in the trees because of some myths or something just awsome still fresh at 6pm and just about no tourists love japan very cool place and freindly people love it
good luck on the trip
cheers darren

Been busy on the front roofline, here's an update

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=95176 

man ur bloody ken top job!!! will be awesome to see when landed in ausie!!
good luck with the rest of the resto!!
cheers
rhys

crazy work

love the spit roast u have there !

good work, A+ on effort !

Gotta love the double skinned floors in sambas....... not.
what year is it. whem ya comin back???? wher you commin back to?
Sealin wax red and chestnut brown is the only way to go.
Ad

Its a 58. Im a Geelong boy so one day it will grace the ocean road. Many more challenges to come before then though. Maybe it will see Australia in the next 5 years. Maybe...

MORE....

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/thomson_dale2000/album?.dir=bf7e 

well its been some time and Ive had a ball but my fair share of frustrations as well. The rainy season came and went and I got my seat frames sandblasted and gave them a dose of a super hard enamel they use to paint rolller doors and gates here in Japan. I also used the wet days to mark out all my new seat covers. I only have to source the chocolate brown seat piping and Ill be peddling my sewing machine!.

As for the hulk

Worked on getting the loose tin all straight, doors tailgates and doglegs, also the parcel tray. They are all rust free now and ready for surfacing. Built a new rear seat frame for the upper back. The springs were an easy find, Henderson's in Geelong sells them for couches, its called NO-SAG for anyone looking for it.

Got the forward cargo door pillar in, cutting in the semaphore holes and welding in seat belt plates, ala Rob King (thanks for you helpful pics Rob,,Leo looks smick :thumb). The left dogleg went in with a struggle. The front was all skewed to the left because of an accident in the past. The right lower nose had about 15mm of lead right up above the headlight. The roof and nose skin had alot of pressure and the whole thing sprung when I cut the floor out.

With some jacks and pulls I got the A pillar in the right place and welded on the dogleg. Fitted the left door to get the door gap right and its good enough now that the gap will be easily tweaked with just the door hinge screw plates now. Surprisingly the right dogleg and A pillar (where the accident apparently came from) was an easy fix, no pressure and the door gap set easily.

I found a NOS Euro nose skin in Belgium and so cut the remnants off the front. Ill get the new skin on when Im happy with the front floor. It was retrievable, but the US winkers had been cut in wrong and as I said, the accident had warped it all very badly. (since I have all the metal to repair it I might do that as a rainy day project in the future).

Ive been messing around getting the front floor in but the pressings are all so wrong, that even though it has gone in neatly, Im giving it the boot if I can find an OG floor (ANYONE???).

Next Ill get the cargo doors in... Stay tuned.

Sorry for the long post but its been a long while.

Also.. anyone have any experience with Standox paint? I heard it will code match SWR very well. Never used that brand before and wouldnt mind advice. Thanks
nn[ Edited on 5-8-2005 by Zimblewinder ]nn[ Edited on 5-8-2005 by Zimblewinder ]

excellent work, not long to go now.. but your gettin antse wantin to putter around oz..

Your work is very impressive dude.:thumb:thumb

Awesome. Another G-town bred dubber!