Body Work - Part 1

Repairing the body panels is the first step to body work. Used the compressor and air gun to clean all the excess media from media blast. Girnded off all the left over body filler to expose metal. I will shape the metal with shrink disc and hammer and dolly to get a smooth level surface. Also replace panels that are not workable.

I have used the hammer and dolly on this section with some quick results. Tomorrow I will use the shrinking disc.

I need to prep the metal with wax and grease cleaner before welding to get a good connection.

The head lamp buckets can not be saved. I need to get new buckets to replace these crusty buckets.

Head lamp buckets are tacked in with about 5 welds on tabs located on the front panel. I drilled the welds out but it was tricky not to completely damage the tabs. I will reinforce the tabs before putting in new buckets.

I received new headlamp buckets from cip1 and they are a very close fit and match to the old buckets. Minus the holes drilled in the back of the buckets (for 67+ bug) all the tabs and mounts fit perfect.

http://www.cip1.ca/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=C21%2D0182

Links and Stuff
http://krayden.com/tds/henk_metalprep_79_tds.pdf
http://lib.store.yahoo.net/lib/stylespilotshop/metalprep-79-quart-msds.pdf

Evercoat gold body filler
Metal shaping tools
Mig gas

Rear hatch restore

Step 1 get the rear hatch off the bus. It's pretty easy just 4 bolts. It's pretty heavy so be carefull.

Step 2 take off the panel on the inside of door. This is easy, there are some clips that can be popped out with a flat head screw driver. Be gental if you want to reuse.

Remove the lock from the rear hatch. There are three bolts start by removing those.

To get the lock out of the hole you will to first remove the little key on the back of the lock. It's held in by the philips head screw.

This is the key thing I am taking about.

Make sure to keep your parts together :)

Lock Removed. Now for the glass.

Posted some videos on removing the glass. The basic idea is to push the glass out from the inside of the door starting in a corner. While pushing wedge the rubber trim under the lip on the door frame. 

BE CAREFUL NOT TO BREAK GLASS!!!

Some may question why take the glass out at all. Well here is a perfectly good reason. This is where all the moister get trapped and the cancer starts. Glad I took it out now I can take care of this before it gets bad.