Meet Gertie the rotten 72 lowlight crossover :)

[exuptoy]

Excuse the pics, I've replaced some due to Photobuckets interference so some aren't as per the original post.

Heres Gertie.

Picked up this bus last year and done nothing until now. She is SO rotten.
Worse section is the offside chassis rail from the engine right through to the floor including around the torsion tube, although I had a chassis cut on the way from schofields so that will save a lot of work.
She will be going down to Volksengineering in Cardiff for the chassis work and to fit the arches and front panel although I will make some inroads to the bodywork until she is booked in.


























Stripped out the interior today and cleaned the floor, a few holes but not too bad.
Also sourced a set of A4 wheels on fleebay, just need to modify the hub centre to fit.

 

[Nick-Rackham]

Hi everyone, Just joined as I thought this should be the place I need to be for help and questions during my extensive rebuild.

Heres Gertie.

Picked up this bus last year and done nothing until now. She is SO rotten.
Worse section is the offside chassis rail from the engine right through to the floor including around the torsion tube, although I had a chassis cut on the way from schofields so that will save a lot of work.
She will be going down to Volksengineering in Cardiff for the chassis work and to fit the arches and front panel although I will make some inroads to the bodywork until she is booked in.

Stripped out the interior today and cleaned the floor, a few holes but not too bad.
Also sourced a set of A4 wheels on fleebay, just need to modify the hub centre to fit.

Welcome Dude

Sorted your images

Looks like one serious project! Good luck 8)

 

[exuptoy]

Welcome Dude

Sorted your images

Haha, I had just finished that too. Haha
Cheer
Lyn

 

[exuptoy]

Cleaned up the rear quarter window surround and cut out 3 squares of rot.




Cut a couple of stips the correct length plus 15mm on each end then joggled the ends to sit below the panel.
Then I welded up 2 of them, still have to clean one up and finish the third but this is my first bit of welding on the bus.






Spent a few hours up there yesterday but don't seem to have done much.
Cleaned up the front inner panel and binned more rust. Also cut some of the chassis rails away where the ends are rotten.

 

[Nick-Rackham]

Welcome Dude

Sorted your images

Haha, I had just finished that too. Haha
Cheer
Lyn

Cheers Lyn, stick a return in after each picture so it doesn't end up scrolling across the page

 

[exuptoy]

Will do nick :beerchug:

Right, first request for advice (did'nt take long did it? :lol. I need to let in a section of steel along the bottom of the air box where the flappy vents go. Can anyone tell me is the lower one set back or flush like the upper one as the remains on mine seem set back or offset fron the front.

Cheers
Lyn

 

[exuptoy]

Look what just arrived. Soooooo excited. This will cut out a lot of work on the chassis repair by just being able to cut out a large chunk and weld the new one back to the nearest good metal. Happily the chassis cut has all the surrounding body braces and strengthening tie bars as well.
I still need an answer to the Q above regarding the air intake surround if anyone knows?

 

[exuptoy]

Been up the garage since the new metal arrived this afternoon, although due to the school hols I found myself with a new helper.:lol:
See's had a go at grinding, drilling and watched me weld with a spare head shield. Haha.





Cut out the grot on the offside rear quarter window surround and prepped up the repair panel after cutting back and joggling the edge ready for welding in tomorrow.
All surfaces coated with Zinc 172 and edges done with Frosts weld through galvanising primer. I just need to remove the edge of the old panel with a spot weld drill tomorrow then I can finish it off.

 

[67westy]

Looks like you have a fair amount to do! Good luck with it, have you got an end date in mind?

 

[exuptoy]

Looks like you have a fair amount to do! Good luck with it, have you got an end date in mind?

Next summer ideally. She is going down to Volksengineering in Cardiff in November with a view to getting her back in January. I reckon the following 5 months should be enough as I work 2weeks on 2 weeks off on the rigs so should be able to do enough work in that time.

 

[beef]

You're right about rotten! Those high indicators need shifting asap, then you're half way there :lol:

 

[exuptoy]

You're right about rotten! Those high indicators need shifting asap, then you're half way there :lol:

:lol: Yeah, already gone, shouldn't have been there in the first place.

 

[exuptoy]

Done a bit more today, finished prepping up the window surround and got it welded in place, then repaired the rear edge and boxed in the facia near the lower bend. Made a start on the front bend which I need to finish tomorrow.
Offered up the cover to see how it looked. Makes you wonder why it's worth the hassle getting something spot on which is hidden anyway.

The only thing which wound me up was that after grinding down the weld on the lower joggled edge, every time I tried to fill in any low spots with a little more weld then it was like welding paper, constantly chasing holes. Should have just left it as is and put a thin skim of filler over it to finish off.

 

[l200]

Can you tell me where you got the rear chassis cut from and how much it cost.,mine is just as bad.Looking forward to watching this progress.Good luck.

 

[exuptoy]

Can you tell me where you got the rear chassis cut from and how much it cost.,mine is just as bad.Looking forward to watching this progress.Good luck.

Yeah fella, I got it from Schofields for £150 plus the vat, he still has the LH side there I believe. Last time I phoned him he had the complete rear chassis clip in one piece and wanted £350 for it.

 

[exuptoy]

Got about 8 hours in today, got a fair bit done and cut out a fair bit of rot. Like they say, it has to get worse before it gets better.

Finished the window surround and got the cover trim retainer welded on.



Then decided to make a start removing the lower middle panel to access the floor repair section and inner and outer sills. Had to remove a section of floor to assess the state of the top hat sections, a few look ok but a few need work.
Found some poor sections of chassis which may need removal and replacement or repairs at the very least. Probably due to the rot inside them though I feel they would be better being replaced.
Also gonna need B pillar repair sections, both inner and outer and a C pillar lower repair section.

 

[MarkC68]

thats some project youve taken on mate, good luck with it...going well so far!

 

[exuptoy]

Cheers dude. First time VW project, right in at the deep end eh? :lol:

 

[dubscum]

nice progress and it's always good to have a little helper

 

[moler]

Cheers dude. First time VW project, right in at the deep end eh? :lol:

Your not wrong, good luck with your progress