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1967 VW Variant.

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Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 33,649 ✭✭✭✭Hotblack Desiato
    Restaurant at the End of the Universe


    This is a very common problem with motorcycles and indeed is a job facing me in the near enough future! I'll be putting in new OEM pistons (8 in all - just for the front!) and seals

    Just interested in how did you free up the seized piston and how did you clean it up? Is it steel? Motorcycle brake pistons are invariably plated alloy and once the plating is damaged they're basically ruined.

    It took a while but I don't mind. How does my body look in this light?



  • Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 5,047 Mod ✭✭✭✭kadman


    Ideally i want a new set of calipers which I tried to get, but were unavailable. My own calipers were ok , but I still would like to buy new.

    The red rubber grease is heat resistant as you correctly mentioned. All the beetle stuff is readily available. Beetle calipers would have fitted the early type 3, the 1302 calipers if i remember correctly.

    But in 71 vw changed to a bigger caliper on the type 3, so the old beetle part wont do now. I think the bolt distances changed to an additional 16mm distance. I am always on the lookout for 42 mm pistons for the calipers, but i have not pinned down a set yet.



  • Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 5,047 Mod ✭✭✭✭kadman


    When i stripped the caliper, it was dry, and a slight bit of corrosion on the extreme piston edge out side of the caliper dust boot, that I never filled with grease when I did them before.

    Caliper body was in great order anyway when I did them a couple of years ago, and the pistons were good as well. I polished up the pistons any way with wet n dry, finishing with 3000 grit polishing paper.

    But they were good anyway. But long term I would like to replace with new if i can. If I cant do that I will try new pistons if I can get them. Faling that I might contact a brake rebuilding company to see what I can get if anything.


    But i am always in tune with how my cars drive, so i know when there is an issue.



  • Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 5,047 Mod ✭✭✭✭kadman


    I made the template for the bottom section of the valance just above the wheel. I also put on the bead along the wing edge. My bead roller is a short one so i could not work the panel across the machine, so I ran the end beads of the panel across, and the inner beads along the length of the panel.

    Now the panel is very rigid, so I just need to tack weld the short panel in place, and this is then a rigid bulkhead panel, ready for the finishing panels to be attached.





  • Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 5,047 Mod ✭✭✭✭kadman


    I have decided to cut the rusty valance at the top edge of the panel, about 12mm below the edge where the rubber seal sits. This does 2 things for me. First it removes the severe rust from the proposed welded seam. And second this cut line allows a right angle face with the horizontal edge. So this gives me a 90 degree supporting angle which is very strong. It maintains the line along the edge of the bonnet mating edge, down to the nose. As well as this I will weld in a supporting brace if I need it.

    You can see from the pictures how bad the rust is. Normally this would be heading for the scrapper, but as its on an endangered species list, its worth trying to save. And the fact that i have plenty of time, sure what else would i be doing😁


    Probably be cutting roughly through the bolt centres

    It would be a waste of time to try to clean this and weld through it, it would be burnt away. If in doubt,cut it out.

    THis panel along the face of the door post, which is good and solid. Door post is solid, the rest is tayto, and all full of nice compound curves🤥



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  • Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 5,047 Mod ✭✭✭✭kadman


    At the top of the new panel which would normally be butt welded , if the existing metal was good. I am going to support the old cut remaining metal with a joggled joint. This will support the cut joint, and because new metal is behind the existing, I get to avoid welding the existing edge directly.

    I can direct my weld line more so onto new metal, rather than the existing. But the weld pool will flow to the existing, but gets less direct heat than butt welding it.



    Here you can see the lowered part of the new panel marked X.

    And the test piece clamped to check the fitting

    And this check to make sure the joggle is deep enough to give an acceptable panel alignment, where the weld will be along the level part of the panel next to the test piece edge.





  • Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 5,047 Mod ✭✭✭✭kadman


    Got on well today after fixing the welding shroud on the mig that would not stay on. After which I checked the welds which were greatly improved since yesterday evening. From the pics you can see a nice bead, and great penetration through the sheet.




  • Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 5,047 Mod ✭✭✭✭kadman


    I also made a template for the inner large part of the wheel house panel, and I think I am now in the ballpark for final fettling to get this panel right and trimmed to weld to the other new part. I purposely left in the existing rotten panel to act as a former to build my new panel on. That way I can check my progress as i go.


    template from brown paper sheet, was made first, and this allowed me to cut out a basic metal panel that i could manage to work on.

    After rough cutting with a 4" cutting disc, I kept shaping and fitting, rinse repeat. I then used a made up tool to roughly position where I would be joining the metal sheets.

    Then when I thought I was roughly in position I checked to see if my panel was touching the rotten panel below, to make sure i was properly positioned.

    Happy that it was i moved on.

    After a bit more fettling, with a hammer and a bag, I got the panel roughly shaped to fit where its going. I ran a few beads along the edge where the wiring loom will be running, and fitted it temporarily.

    And just to check the petrol tank area to make sure there are no surprises waiting, which there wasn't

    So all good so far. Plan next week is to get these parts spotted, removed, and fully welded into an assembled panel.

    Post edited by kadman on


  • Registered Users Posts: 8,168 ✭✭✭jmreire


    That's a fine job you have done. Very original looking. Good workmanship.



  • Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 5,047 Mod ✭✭✭✭kadman


    I would like to have had the long neck bead roller to exactly match the original, but I dont have one. So its well up in the wheel arch and hidden, so no biggie. Maybe santy will bring me an english wheel too😉



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  • Registered Users Posts: 8,168 ✭✭✭jmreire


    In your last pic, showing the track rod and chassis rail above it, did you reinforce the chassis with an insert box section? You were lucky enough to have the door pillar box section sound enough too. Was it good all the way down to the heater duct tube and floor? I seem to have a memory of those giving trouble, especially on the passenger side. The door would not be opened as much as the DS one, and the bottom hinge used to seize up. That could cause major trouble when it happened🙄 And maybe you will be lucky with Santa this year....😂



  • Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 5,047 Mod ✭✭✭✭kadman


    The door post section is in great order, lucky enough, except for the last 2 " of the forward facing peace. Si uts an easy fix. Plus the door hinge is nice and free.Bottom part of the chassis is in perfect order where the front beam attaches to, do no issues there. Some times the beam brackets rust away. Above the trackrod its the petrol tank framing piece. No longer available for the left hand side, so this had to be made copying the right hand one. It serves to attach the petrol tank. The original VW piece is made from non reinforced 1 mm pressed steel, so mine should be fine. But I could reinforce if I want to, as I have left a box opening below this piece to pop in something. I will deal with it on the fly as they say.



  • Registered Users Posts: 8,168 ✭✭✭jmreire


    Yes, I know the fuel tank " square box frame" and it would have been tricky enough to make, even to have the opposite to use as a template. Ditto the part of the valance that carry's the rubber seal, tricky in the extreme! But as for the Centre "Tunnel", which branches out to form the "Y" frame, at the front, and " Fork" at the rear, and is effectly the chassis on which everything rests and depends on. They rarely give trouble, even after many years of service. Its only when you work on them, that you realize just a great the design was. Pity they didn't have the anti-corrosion treatment that became available in later years.



  • Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 5,047 Mod ✭✭✭✭kadman


    Tomorrow I will be working on the left caliper to grease the pistons with the red rubber grease. As the right hand one is working so efficiently, its biting before the left causing a slight pull to the right. So not too worry its a quick enough fix that needs doing.


    hey Jim, do you do any vw mechanics at all now. There is a major opening for one that is VW savvy, which you clearly are😀



  • Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 5,047 Mod ✭✭✭✭kadman


    Caliper on the white type3 now done and dusted and working nicely. Sticking piston as opposed to severely seized. So polished and cleaned the piston and caliper, a bit of grease and its operating nicely.


    Back to the 67, and the more rust I see on the wheel house area, the more I question my sanity of repairing it🤣

    Missus already made that diagnosis many years ago. She tells me I'm mad to be doing it😄

    Once i remove the rusty panel and inspect further into the cross member and heater channels, I can see if they are beyond repairing. heater channels is not a problem, but the cross member under the dash, might be. Its unobtainable, and might be very tricky to make . Just going out now to remove the spotwelds, and have a look see.



  • Registered Users Posts: 8,168 ✭✭✭jmreire


    Out to pasture now Kadman, Time to go after 50 odd years at it!! I service the Family cars, and that's about it. But as you can see, I'm very interested in the restoration that you are doing, especially the version that you are working on. For awhile, after retiring I was tempted to start on a VW project all right, but it got put on the long finger, and now ( I think) I'll content myself with following your restoration... LOL😊😊😊

    ( BTW Thanks for mentioning it to me)



  • Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 5,047 Mod ✭✭✭✭kadman


    Maybe I should be out to pasture as well, in the next field, I'm pushing 68 now,

    Come back to the vdubs JM, they are crying out for a mechanic on the clubs. You know you want to.



  • Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 5,047 Mod ✭✭✭✭kadman


    Now that I have 95% of the wheelhouse panel removed, the dog can see the rabbit. The areas where the new panels will be attached is sound enough, but because of the size of the area to be filled , it may have to go in , in a couple of panels.

    I am going to start with the door post panel, as that's the most important panel, and hopefully fit the bigger panel to it. Depending on any major discrepancies occurring , I may then have to fit an infill panel somewhere between the 2.


    When i cut the panel along the boot edge, I expected it to become flexible a bit. It remained firm enough along its line which is a major boost, of course the right angle edge here did that.


    Post edited by kadman on


  • Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 5,047 Mod ✭✭✭✭kadman


    Today I welded in the full half panel, and the smaller complex shape panel. Not bad as things go, but time consuming. Just have to lal in the last horizontal section this side. Then its grinding, cleaning up, pin hole filling, all the usual associated with rust.


    My auto darkening helmet played up today with not allowing me to work with any led lights, blast it. So some of the time I was starting to weld in the dark.


    A helping hand off the block work.


    And the small panel .


    Small panel offered up for a trial fit

    So next is the long panel, then all the grinding flush for the welding.



  • Registered Users Posts: 8,168 ✭✭✭jmreire


    Youv'e made a fine job of the valance section to the door pillar!! Especially that small contrary add in piece ( not that any of it was easy!!!) The high strip of metal, at the very top, its the carrier for the rubber molding / bonnet strip ? Looks good too, and for sure, that piece would be problematic in the extreme, if you had to manufacture it. And the section behind the shock absorber mounting is very natural looking. Well done, you're getting there.!!😊



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  • Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 5,047 Mod ✭✭✭✭kadman


    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.



  • Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 5,047 Mod ✭✭✭✭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 .




  • Registered Users Posts: 8,168 ✭✭✭jmreire


    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?



  • Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 5,047 Mod ✭✭✭✭kadman


    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.



  • Registered Users Posts: 8,168 ✭✭✭jmreire


    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.



  • Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 5,047 Mod ✭✭✭✭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.



  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators, Regional West Moderators Posts: 59,553 Mod ✭✭✭✭Gremlinertia


    "A few coats of looking at"

    You're a wordsmith too!



  • Moderators, Arts Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 76,203 Mod ✭✭✭✭New Home


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

    (Back burner.. HAH! 😁)



  • Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 5,047 Mod ✭✭✭✭kadman


    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😁



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  • Moderators, Arts Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 76,203 Mod ✭✭✭✭New Home


    Watch out for burnout syndrome. :pac:



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