1967 VW Variant.

kadman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120589243#Comment_120589243

I have to admit, there were one or two "fek this for a game of soldiers" moments, when I was tempted to consider the scrappy, but thought better of it. But yeah, its coming along, slowly but getting there. Other side should be a bit quicker now that i know the score.

At least on the front I have the 2 manufactured clips from 1967 so thats a big help, even though I made the bottom half of the outer clip for the white fastback.

There is far more welding on one side of this car than there is on the south african vw microbus that I got recently.

The bus only needs 2 battery trays, and the surface rust removed.

kadman

Tacked in the last piece of the horizontal panel today. Jusat have to finish of the welding of it tomorrow.

And then on to the other side. After i tacked in the panel, I closed the bonnet to check the alignment of my new piece. Bit surprised that it was bang on the money. I had expected to tweak it a bit, but its grand, which is a relief. Even viewed front the front of the car towards the rear, along the bonnet edge, it shows a slight curve towards the inside of the front boot, I quickly checked the other side, and thankfully it showed the same. So after a success this side, it wont be going to the scrappie😁

Bit of grinding and finishing to do tomorrow. Inside the boot .

jmreire

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120601054#Comment_120601054

Well done, that turned out fine! And the piece that I've been mentioning, it runs right along the very top of the long horizontal weld, it retains the rubber weather seal. Was that in good condition on the car? or had you replaced it already?

kadman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120601627#Comment_120601627

That strip along the top edge of the wing that carries the weatherstrip was the best piece of the valance that was there. It was the only part that did not have significant rust thankfully. As you said before that would be a nightmare to manufacture. Its coming along nicely and once all the remaining fettling and grinding is done, it should be ok. I never replaced any metal on that car since I got it.

jmreire

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120601849#Comment_120601849

That was one stroke of good luck anyway. But I'd say that a good section lifted off any VW would do the job. Still, its a finicky awkward SOB of a job, with very little to work with.

kadman

I have to put the resto on the back burner temporarily, and put on my plumbers overalls😁

My Stanley Errigal cooker boiler has sprung a leak. Fortunately for me its in the summertime, so just a minor hiccup. Imagine if it was in the middle of winter and all the headaches that would cause..

I have the cooker top removed and just clearing the last of the fire cement to release the boiler. I just have to figure out how to finally remove it from the cooker as its still attached to the fire brick at the front.

So it still needs a few coats of looking at🤣

Hopefully it wont be long before I get back to the resto.

Gremlinertia

"A few coats of looking at"

You're a wordsmith too!

New Home

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120633852#Comment_120633852

If you were to open a thread on that, I'd read it (and I'm sure I'm not alone!).

(Back burner.. HAH! 😁)

kadman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120633984#Comment_120633984

Yeah I could do that, as info on the procedure is pretty scarce. I've taken pics so far and will continue to do so. At the moment I am making a support timber to lift out the cooker from an alcove, as access in and around it is at a minimum.

Back Burner......I'd say there will be plenty more to laugh at before I'm through😁

New Home

Watch out for burnout syndrome. :pac:

kadman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120633969#Comment_120633969

Well at the moment I am doing it on the fly, so its getting more looking at than actual work. I dont want to make work for myself by doing something silly.

So....looking at and coffee will reap rewards.😉

kadman

Boiler is out now, and just doing the tidying to get ready for the new boiler, so what to remember for the next time or anyone else..

When removing the boiler, I had to remove the oven brick first as it was locking in the boiler.

Once that was removed I had to remove the fire cement that ran vertically down the rear right hand side of the boiler that also held in the oven firebrick.

Then I removed the fire cement around the top and bottom fire door opes. As the boiler runs from the back to the front, and is then sealed around these opes.

At the left hand side panel at the back of the cooker is a tek screw that connects into the bracket on the left hand side of the boiler in the location of the stay rod.

Also removed the rear panel held on by 2 screws into the back of the boiler. Its to hold on the panel to keep in insulation at the back of the boiler.

When this panel is removed if you look at the back of the cooker behind the boiler, you will see 2 screws on the right hand outside back boiler panel. These are the screws that hold the boiler in the cooker.

Once these are out a few taps of a hammer on the back panel should push the boiler backwards. Steady now becasue the stay rod at the rear left hand side will connect with the bracket. So on my cooker, once I was clear at the front end of the boiler from the door opes, I was able to lift the rear part of the boiler up about 3 " to clear the stay rod. Once that was done, its able to lift up, and outwards from the cooker.

Its heavy, so best to have 2 people if you can. I didn't, so i lifted it myself.

Thats what worked for me. I cant claim that its the right way, but it was my way.

I will post up a few pics later to clarify the brackets on the boiler left hand face that fowls the stay rod, so needs to be lifted.

And should anyone complain about high pricing by plumbers for this replacement. Its a tricky , heavy bit of work so they will be earning their money. Its not something I would like to do for a living.

I have a new boiler souced at below half the price of waterford Stanley, so just have to source new bricks now, and refit.

kadman

Pics.

Here is the old boiler removed. Viewed from the back showing the 2 fixing holes on the left hand side for the boiler to the cooker mounting. And the centre mounts where the rear cover panel along with insulation attach to.

This picture shows the boiler viewed from the right hand side of the boiler, showing the pipes pointing to the back of the cooker. Notice the square U shaped bracket on the boiler that the left hand end panel attaches to.Dont forget to remove this, or you will never be able to remove the boiler.

This is the boiler viewed from the front, clearly marked showing the access door ope for loading the fire. Notice the small firebrick on the bottom of the boiler.

Th

is is the boiler viewed from the oven side of the boiler. As its viewed now, the front is on the left and the rear is on the right, and we are looking down from the top. You can see the little hook tab inside the boiler for hanging the summer burning fire plates.

kadman

I sat the new boiler into place to familiarize myself with the fitting as it proceeds. Its from a well known boiler manufacturer who is local to me, and a family business in operation over 40 years. Quality appears to be very bit as good as it was 40 years ago when i bought other boilers from the same place.

You can see the L shaped bracket at the rear where the side panel is tek screwed to. Checking all around to make sure no obstructions are anywhere, I just need to finally clean the base where it sits at the front. And then it attaches from the rear into the rear central part by two 6mm screws into the edge bracket.

Looking down from the top, at the back of the cooker, we can see the two slotted holes to take the 2 screws for fixing. If you look to the left in the picture, you can see the 2 box iron mounts that take the 2 tek screws to hold the rear cover panel and insulation, over the boiler.

kadman

Boiler in now and fired up.

Working fine, one small intermittent drip on a connection that was previously fitted years ago. Pulling at the pipework probably did this as its not a new connection. I will tweak it tomorrow when its cool at the back of the cooker.

I also put in a drain on the new return pipe from the boiler for future handiness. Thing is I put it in a place that makes it tricky to get at when its all in and fitted🤣

Not to worry I made a crows foot spanner to get access, and it worked beautifully.

I will post up a few pics later.

kadman

Made from an old box spanner I had , and a 13mm x 1/2" drive socket.

Done the job, and cheaper than buying it.😉

This is where I foolishly put the fitting.

So , thinking cap on and this is what I came up with. Fully slot the bottom of the box iron, so it drops on the pipe and slides up to the fitting. And weld on the 1/2" drive socket, for the bar and ratchet to turn.

Here is how to drive it.

jmreire

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120648341#Comment_120648341

Hindsight being the greatest invention ever made, its no surprise that if we were doing something second time round, it would be done different!!!, And as for 4th or 5th time....would bear very little resemblance to the original !!!🤣

eagle owl

Tim , it’s Paul here, your type3 contact from Cork !!

Great thread on your 1967 

Anyhow regarding your late callipers/ pistons , I’ve bought rebuilt callipers- early - from BUDWED  about 10 years ago - they do exchange which is cheaper of course. 

Piston - ref - same for all type3 

https://budweg.com/product/?article=234201

Do they sell separate? ??

Anyhow I have a good set . Contact me on PM to discuss.  

Calliper ref would be as early type 4

BUDWED Parts  34412 34413

ATE calliper kits should be available for rebuilding too 

VW 411 SALOON 1.7 PETROL 8/1968 - 8/1973

BRAKE CALIPER

REPAIR KIT

PISTON

SEAL, PISTON

GUIDE SLEEVE KIT

REPAIR KIT, PARKING BRAKE HANDLE

CONTROL ELEMENT, PARKING BRAKE CALIPER

34412

Front Left

204203

234201

184203

34413

Front Right

20420

kadman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120685984#Comment_120685984

Hey Paul, pm sent. Thanks, Tim

kadman

So...back to the grind. I was checking out one or two things on the kombi for the last week or so. But its all variant now.

I gave a couple of coats of covert ox rust convertor to the left hand bulkhead panels, and brush applied a coat of seam sealer for the time being, until I get the other side to the same condition. Then i took a copy template of this panel, to mark out the lines of the panel on the opposite side

Finally I rough shaped the top section, and called it a day.

After i made the template I rough cut the top horizontal panel, and trial fitted it in to trim it a bit nearer to size

jmreire

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120728398#Comment_120728398

That valance is looking very presentable now.. far from its previous very sad and sorrowful condition! Well done!. 🙂

kadman

I haven't been skiving, i have been concentrating on the other valance. Sadly its every bit as bad. So angle grinder cutting discs, sander , and welder, back in play.

So whole panel was cut out to reveal a firm door post, and inner heat channel

Bit of digging around the door post bottom, which needed to be sorted.

Tacked in a filler so I could proceed with the large valance panel.

Large panel tacked in , and moving on to the horizontal bulkhead section.

Panel offered up for marking and trimming

kadman

Once i had the upper panel section made, I concentrated on tacking and welding to the lower section

Looking at the front of the car, I noticed a small descrepancy when trial fitting the new inner panel About a 10mm gap. So i made a former to fit the new panel perfectly from a piece of ash. And then clamped the ash into the panel forcing it inwards to fit the perpendicular panel.

kadman

Trial fitted the inner bought panel, and drilled for the spot welds to match my suspension tank support steel.

Same again on the right hand side, and everything is fitting up nicely

Small patch to be cut out and repaired with new metal. So the inner panel is now fully welded in, and the front clip was trial fitted today, and plan is to weld it in tomorrow.

kadman

At long last I finally got the front clip tacked in , and all seems to fit nicely. I just need a couple of hours tomorrow to tidy it up, and weld in any areas that I need to do. Then grind up the welds, treat with rust treatments, apply seam sealer, aaand then after a few days prime it to protect it. Next task is probably going to be the 2 cills which need replacing. I'm pretty sure that the heater channels are ok, but I will know when i take the cills off.

kadman

Just a small bit of spot welding along the bottom edge of the front clip, and then onto the sills.

MrCostington

Epic work Kadman! Love the bit of Cardboard Aided Design a few posts above :)

kadman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120821158#Comment_120821158

Thanks. I went through as much cardboard as metal for them bulkheads😉

Its something I learnt when I was shoemaking. For smaller sections its handy to use masking tape in alternate layers criss crosed fashion to give the pattern strength. Then just peel it of, and hey presto a self adhesive template.

Hotblack Desiato

Shoemaking has a funny history in Ireland.

My dad always worked with his hands, ended up making dentures for the Irish Army (and most people had terrible teeth in those days, and an army does march on its stomach!) but in the 1950s, long before I was born he did shoemaking for a while.

I found an old last in the shed many years later and asked him what it was and he was clearly embarrassed about it.

Shoemaking was taught to inmates of industrial schools so it was regarded as somewhat shameful for anyone who had not been in one.

kadman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120824185#Comment_120824185

Just to put your mind at rest, I was never placed in any establishment " at her majestys pleasure " to learn shoemaking🙂

Not that I shouldn't have been for some of my indiscretions. But I learnt my shoe making from a 7th generation shoemaker who now makes both uillean pipes as well as museum pieces of historic shoe ware.

jmreire

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120815096#Comment_120815096

That doorpiller bottom was one sick looking pierce, and it has the heater ducting inside it as well ( as if you needed the aggro!!! ) But coming on fine, nonetheless. Starting to look very presentable now around the spare wheel well.

kadman

Door pillar bottoms always rust out. Due to the fact that the wing bottom is very effective at providing a scoop to hold onto bucket loads of crap that soak up water like a sponge and hold iot there. I tacked on the end piece so that I have decent metal to continue the sill and heater channel down along the side. Luckily I dont have to make them as I bought them NOS 12 months ago. Just have to provide the heater channel pipe, and maybe a round cover as I did for the fastback

kadman

Heater channel.[url=https://imgur.com/Tp50XTw][img]http://i.imgur.com/Tp50XTw.jpg[/img][/url]

New Home

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120828426#Comment_120828426

FYP

https://i.imgur.com/Tp50XTw.jpg

jmreire

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120828663#Comment_120828663

That would work well, I'd say. The ends could be jury-rigged to take the flexible parts. Actually, having said that, you could probably run flexible piping all the way along the sill's and up to the windscreen vents? Its a very tricky bit, and the metal is paper thin if you want to keep it original. ( unless of course, you have managed to source the factory original parts? ) Those bottom pillar corners are always trouble some. The passenger sides always gave trouble in cars where the passenger seat was rarely used ( yes they existed) and the bottom hinges tended to seize up, and in later years, would actually tear out of the pillar.

kadman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120839150#Comment_120839150

The vertical windscreen ducting on my fastback is within the doorpost and up to the windscreen, and its metal, so no need to change that. I made my own galvanised heater channels from 1.5mm galvanized sheeting. Its a great job, but had to be careful on welding galvanised. I over shot the pipe length by about 15mm, so had to dispense with the outlet into the rear footwell. It made little difference anyway as I used to re route all the heat coming into a beetle, type 3 directly to the wind screen first any way. WE always had brilliant heaters in vw's despite what other folks had. The main problem with vw heating, beetle or otherwise was cabin pressure. If you were forcing air into the cabin from the car, with closed wirndows, then positive pressure in the cabin would restrict the heat coming in, rsult was poor heat. Leave the 1/4 window open by 1/8" result was good heat.

There were little tips'n'tricks that improved the beetle no end. Another was due to the high volume of paint on a beetle body, it created high resistance and resulted in poor earths at the lights, hence the rep of dim lights on a beetle. We used to re run all the headlight and dim earths direct back to the battery, result was brilliant lights, both head and dip as well as spots.

As for our engine tuning, we had sweet running engines like this.

https://youtu.be/RoG7AMZOIYI

jmreire

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120840510#Comment_120840510

Beware of the spatters from galvanized metal !! LOL. And the welds will need careful cleaning and rust proofing, but you know this anyway. The heater ducting to the windscreen via the door pillar's rarely if ever gave trouble, except at the very base, where as you mentioned, moisture was trapped and it was a source of rust and corrosion. That was why I suggested flexible piping, but your solution worked fine too. As for the Beetle's with the 6v electrics, yes that independent earth trick worked too. I remember the first proof of that I saw proof of that was when I was fitting a set of spotlights to a new car for a customer, and wired it directly to the battery. The car being brand new at the time, the lights were still pretty good, but over time, they deteriorated, but the spots kept their brightness.

Compared to what was to come afterwards engine wise, the VW flat 4 was simplicity itself. I remember a customer of ours, a commercial traveler ( don't think that they exist anymore?? getting 300'000 miles from his VW Variant, before replacing the engine, and driving on. Religiously he changed the engine oil every 4'000 miles. This was at a time when with other makes, if you got 100'000 miles without a major overhaul , you were doing good. But that balancing act was pretty good !!! LOL

kadman

Been off air for a while, due to a major pc meltdown. Bad enough that I couldn't fix it with a welder and angle grinder. But hopefully all sorted now, and back on track.

Since my past post I have finished welding in the new metal and parts on the front, and now moving down the drivers side cill. I had thought that I would get away with a new outer cill, which I had purchased from my German supplier. But alas no. On Inspection the heater channel bottoms that bolt to the floor pan, have significant rust damage. Option 1. Replace the bottom face of the channel with all new fixing nuts and weld in the piece. Tricky enough if the body is still attached to the pan.

Option 2. Cut out the heater channel, and weld in a new one with the body still attached to the floor pan. Trickier option than option 1 but doable....maybe.

Option 3. Call it a day, and part out the car.......

Next to do is remove the back seat for a closer inspection, then pull my remaining hair out, make a decision, stick to it ....and move on.

Thinking cap now placed securely on the old noggin for the remainder of the afternoon..............👨‍🎓

kadman

Inspection done and decision made.

The heater channel bottom needs replacing, which I think I can manage on the car, once I remove the heater channel pipe. Its only barely welded in to the section in a couple of spots. Once thats out it gives me room to see what I am doing to proceed.

Plan is to fabricate a bottom panel once I have the old one removed. Worst case scenario is I cant remove the bottom only, and will then consider removing the entire channel.

Decision made, and now to remove the thinking cap, and put it away for a while until i need it again.

kadman

Here are some pictures of the part of the heater channel after the rusty outer cill was removed

The second picture shows the shiny top face of the heater channel. Looking directly at the face of the picture, you can see the very rusty cover piece that protects the tubular pipe that carrys the heat along the inside of the channel. You can also see the rubber weal that is placed on the floor pan, and then the body is lowered onto the strip

In the third picture you can see how the ruust has damaged the cover strip that protects the tube underneath it.

The fourth picture shows the panel behind where the rear wing is situated. Strangely enough it has a rust converter applied to it at some stage. Probably because the rear wing had a rust whole through it. Its the black area of the panel

The last picture shows the bottom area of the rear panel behind the rear wing. Here you can see 2 buckets of sand from the beach in Ardmore. Rust area here is significant, but easy to access. So as you can see the heater channel is going to be the challenge . A lot of my vw friends who own type 3's like this are only too familiar with these types of repairs on fastbacks and squarebacks. Other beetle owners think I am mad to be doing it🤣

jmreire

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120941406#Comment_120941406

That rust protection looks suspiciously like Body Schutz ( is that still in use nowadays? ) was very popular at one time, but I guess maybe there are better products on the market now? If you have completed the front section, take heart,,,that's a big bit done. For the sills and the air duct's, they are awkward places. All you can do really, is basically what you have been doing. Cut out what is beyond salvation, and replace it. Sounds simple when you say it fast, but you will have your work cut out for you!! ( excuse the pun....🙄) Good Luck.

kadman

Funnily enough, its not schultz, but when I get the channels done, if in doubt I will always cut it out.

Off out now to sort out a nice slim chisel for a bit of slicing.

jmreire

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120942101#Comment_120942101

Well I don't know if you have one or not, but one of the finest chisels I ever used ( for that kind of work) was made from one of the front torsion bars taken from a VW Beetle. Unlike the rear springs, ( which are round bars, with splines on both ends, the front are a set of flat bars fitted together to form a shape that will give a torsion effect. They are fitted through a " Shaped Block" in the centre of the axel beam's, with the ends slotted into corresponding shaped trailer arms, to the front hubs.. I've also used a block layers wide chisel, the one with the rubber buffer between the hammer and your hand.....but for what you are doing now, the VW Chisel is very good.

kadman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120943268#Comment_120943268

I know them only too well. I became acquainted with them when I broke all of them when I fell asleep at the wheel on a homeward journey, and hit an oak tree.

I replaced the bent beam. Well it had a 4 " right angle at the end of it, so there was no disputing it was bent. And then I made throwing knives from some of the short lengths of broken leafs. Great stuff alright.

I didn,t need the chisel after, as I cut 95% of the heater channel out. If in doubt then **** it out.

jmreire

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120943674#Comment_120943674

That was some impact, for sure!!! So the section of the axle beam support was a little bent as well? at the "Ear" ? Yeah, you made the right decision with the heater channel, I'd say. It's what I'd have done too. A pic would be nice.

kadman

Current state of play before I trial fit the new channel. I need to remove the end section of the old channel before any trial fit.

As you can see from the pics, the only salvageable piece of the heater channel is the heater tube, and the front control section to direct heat up to the windscreen defrosters.. The pics show the little tabs holding in the heater tube. Both of which I am keeping as the flap control is functioning perfectly.

The base of the heater box was well rusted out.

jmreire

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120945651#Comment_120945651

That section under the rubber seal held very well, didn't it? But then, its a part of the floor panel itself, ( chassis if you like) and is made from heavier metal. The heater ducting looks fine too.

kadman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120946396#Comment_120946396

Yep, I think I got to it just in time before any damage to the floor pan luckily enough. I also increased the thickness of the heater channel section material from 1mm to 1.2 mm and galvanised. So there is a major improvement.

kadman

I manged to cut and trim to size the intended new section. I then trial fitted the piece to make sure it fitted properly to the car , in order that I could mark the attachment holes in the bottom of the floor pan.

I measured directly on the car to the known datum sections so that I was 100% sure that they were correct. As well as marking up through the bottom of the pan for the fixing locations.

Channel fitted in nice and snug. Better than paying 800 euro for 2 channels.

Once its fixed in then the end closing plate is a simple procedure.

And a trial fit and measure of the heater duct tube says everything is on course. A good days work. I will mark up the other channel from this one before I install this in.

kadman

I chose to salvage the mounting plates from the bottom of the rusty heater channel. Reason being the fact that they are a long plate increases the clamping force of the clamping bolt. Thats a good thing. the

other option I had was t o use flange nuts, and weld them in from the inside of the new channel. As the name suggests a flange nout has a wider flange around one face of the nut facilitate welding. As the originals were good, I went with them and welded them in.

I cut out the remaining piece of the heater channel to make things more accessible.

I placed the channel into the position for it, marked it for the mounting bolts, drilled it and welded them in