Dorothy the 73 bay westy

hi dunno if any one would be interested but here is my other toy

we have owned this for about a year now and bought it after it had been given up on and sat on Worthing sea front for 7 years

This is our first project of this size and has certainly double in size since starting.

i will let some of the pics get the story up to date but it was a bare rolling shell when we collected it, i am making good headway into the welding but there is still loads more to go.

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x...1/IMGP0886.jpg

stripped her right down
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x...ps4e431d54.jpg

the chassis rot was so bad it was best just to roll it
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x...psee0207d2.jpg

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x...ps0e966c5c.jpg

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x...psf936df15.jpg

managed to get a whole donor o/s/r chassis leg
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x...ps3483d984.jpg

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x...ps724f25b8.jpg

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x...ps6cff6ad2.jpg

everyone chipped it on the work

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x...psbc535967.jpg

stripped underseal and sand blasted as much as i could
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x...ps533372c6.jpg

all the floor supports were rotten as well so felt it was best to remove the floor (this is where the work got a lot more than i ever thought)

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x...ps37ba8704.jpg

This spot welder was a great purchase
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x...ps2f9ac15a.jpg

new floor supports, outriggers jacking points, inner sills
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x...ps9ec3b422.jpg

back up the right way
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x...ps76b1d375.jpg

on to the engine bay
new corners, inner valance, outter valance, side panels all need here
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x...psaa972b21.jpg

repair for the n/s/r chassis leg
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x...ps70642aa9.jpg

Thats about as far as the body work has got, its now wrapped up for winter so started to look at the rebuild or engine options

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x...psc66c39e1.jpg

while the winter has stopped play on the body i can do a few panels in the workshop (just a big shed really :lol:)

my engine lid had a rusty skin but i picked the white one up off ebay for £2 and just grafting in the missing part using the blue one as a donor

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x...psqrpqyxlj.jpg

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x...ps2anpw2s9.jpg

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x...ps9rblnsne.jpg


the engine lid is pretty much there few cosmetic touches required
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x...ps2ia9mhoq.jpg

i then moved on to this donor arch i bought, the chap said it had been cut from his van which clearly had not made it back to the road an to be honest if it had it would have been a funny shape as this was not put together nicely. I have picked it a part and it has been trial fitted on mine so the outer arch and the B pillar line up nicely

before
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x...pszackdaqu.jpg

had to have a brew
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x...psxrpbyfo7.jpg

after, ready for new door to be hung and to be tacked in place
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x...psa9f32d97.jpg

well today i went out to tidy the shed but really i had an ulterior motive, i have been reading up on narrow beams lately (or should i say been on the reciving end of how to sent by msh) and yes i could buy one but i do want to be able to say i have done everything on this project so......

started with a ruff but solid beam, stripped it down to find two snapped layers on my torsion bar
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x...pstumlbww4.jpg

and split it down into individual parts,
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x...ps1qesq1rm.jpg

now i need to get some plate for the new ends, some adjusters, do a lot of prep on the tubes and serveral measurments before cutting

Awesome project mate, lots work gone into that!

Have you done it all outside?

I'm currently looking for a spot welder, was yours off ebay?

Wow!
Brilliant work there :niceone:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Ashy

Awesome project mate, lots work gone into that!

Have you done it all outside?

I'm currently looking for a spot welder, was yours off ebay?

---

lots gone in and lots more still to go :laugh:

yep all out side, i have a workshop at the bottom of my garden big enough for the van but i live in a terrace so no access :sad::sad:

its one of my best tools through out this, yeah i think it was off ebay second hand.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jonny5

Wow!
Brilliant work there :niceone:

---

cheers mate its certainly trying at times

Loving this project mate! :agree:

I'll be starting my beetle soon once my broken arm is sorted, ordered a lot of bits this week to get the project going

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Markey Mark (BD)

Loving this project mate! :agree:

I'll be starting my beetle soon once my broken arm is sorted, ordered a lot of bits this week to get the project going

---

Cheers mate.

Nice have you any pics?

This is my mates 59 beetle
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x...psfrztss6e.jpg

http://www.veewee.co.uk

Thanks for the link, always handy to have options

its basically GSF Carparts, just running an older VW focussed website. :)

What you really need is a V12 engine! :eek:

http://www.build-threads.com/build-t...d-vw-fridolin/

Some really good detail'd builds on that site. :cool:

wow that is crazy but what a nice finish


been a bit slow as i have been waiting for some end plates to be made

i have cut the beam and removed the center torsion bar support so i can cut the 4 inches out. i have a fair bit of fabrication to do as i am aim to build my own narrow air ride beam.

here are the end plates i have had laser cut. i have had a few sets made now and have the ability and contact to run more off if others are interested as if your like me and want a go yourself it quite hard to find any where that sells them. i will also be doing my own rear drop plates :cool:.

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x...pskopczvsc.jpg

i am really pleased with these

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x...psuhfixxlh.jpg

:eek: take my hat of to you:agree:

All that body work, and doing it on your drive.........got to be honest, I'd personally give in if there was that much rotten........fair play:agree::agree:

Seems top work so far, keep us posted:coffee::smokin:

yeah its not ideal on the drive but only option i have sadly, its come close twice now to being sold but the worst is over, the day we rolled it on to its side and really started to dig around was heart breaking with the amount of rot it had.

trial fitted new end plates, fitted like a dream so Air Ride here we come!!!!!:smokin:

also going to tub the front arches so she can roll low as well

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x...pssansmt4i.jpg

This is great, I'd absolutely love an old bus like this. I just can't beleive the prices of them though! :eek:

cheers, they are going for crazy money :eek: really and even still they have rot in unless tour going big bucks, i couldnt afford to buy one done so thought i will go this route (although i doubt the decision sometimes :laugh:) i know then all the rust is out, i have found plenty of bodges and cover ups in this bus as i am working through it.

i have done a little more on the beam, and its been a while since i done any arc welding but its been enjoyable

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x...ps6uqginhy.jpg
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x...pskjbbcc5l.jpg

i carried on with work at the rear mainly on the engine lid panels

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x...psyn3jl2eu.jpg
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x...pspqwineld.jpg

and made a repair panel for the bottom corner of the rear door
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x...pstsytqdrp.jpg

i had lots of problems with the bottom edge of the front arch so i have bought a new step, i cut the original panel and tacked in place for now, still plenty to do here
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x...psehzsh4yk.jpg

Excellent work mate, makes restoring a GT look easy ;)

cheers mate

yeah this is more involved than i ever expected, remove a rusty bit find 2 more i think is the motto of this project

got on it early today and it was finally nice to feel like a bit of progress

went to clean up the bottom of the rear arch and ended up in a ploom of white dust as the previous owner had decide not to just skim the panel with filler but make the whole dam thing out of filler it seemed :lol:

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x...psneylsivu.jpg

i cracked on with the engine lid hinge panel, the outer valance and the corner today
it was the first time i used these little clamps and the are brilliant :D

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x...ps90hvpdwd.jpg

was even happier when the engine lid fitted a treat with all nice panel gaps (excuse the horrific paint job on the engine lid)

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x...psknanlsxi.jpg

and to finish off i carried on with the front arch, it now lines up a lot better but i did have to cut the whole step off which considering the price of these repair panels is not on really

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x...ps3lmng9ki.jpg

a little more progress on the rear door, its not bad at all but had 2 areas that were showing and would not have lasted to much longer

cut out
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x...psv7vkbrdi.jpg

repaired, i was quite pleased as i manged to form the outer skin round the repaired inner skin so it all still looks the same when the door is open

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x...pswqfzg7my.jpg

New poster! (less than 10 posts)

That is nice, being sat near the sea has done no favours though. Be lovely when finished. You going with the Porsche turbo engine?? You know it makes sense.

Awesome! My bro is doing exactly the same on his, 3 years so far but had it blasted and replaced most panels now. His has a subaru engine going in though ;-)

It's more full on than I imagined.

I hope to have it solid by end of this year and then going to soda blast it before starting prep as I have found filler here and there and at least 2 paint jobs.

I am gonna go with a 1776 twin carb motor now for a clean look as I was going to turbo the 1600.

I don't know how I missed this :eek:
Amazing build skills there! I love T2's. I have a bright orange one to detail next month.

Do you go to any of the air cooled shows? We go to Bug Jam every year, it's brilliant!