Aircooled VW South Africa

Hi

I posted this in rides but I'd rather post it here as this is going to be an ongoing project.

Got it for a steal.

It has a front disc conversion (golf 2), new recon gearbox and the wheels. License disc up to Feb 2014. No engine.

I don't plan to restore this to original state. I'm going to keep the bumpers off, smooth it out in front and back. 2 tone paint, black bottom and silver/gunmetal on top.Will decide on engine last.

The pan is badly rusted so is the body on the side and at the bottom of the doors. I'm sure I will find more rust once the panels are removed too.

Gonna need rubbers, one back side window, back seat, carpet kit, new indicator lenses all round, new lights, find an idea for the dash because the bottom metal part of it was cut off. Not sure why. Etc Etc



















Some pix of of the rear and gbox.

Pity it's not IRS (had to Google this to find out the meaning).

I bought a 200A inverter welder this week, so slowly getting the stuff ready to work on this.

I want to remove the paint, but don't want to let it sit and rust without paint.

What rust stop product can I use to treat the car after the paint is off to reveal rust, that can still be welded on? I suppose i can just sand it off if needs be.

Also, I dont have a compressor...

My idea for the car engine is either toyota twincam 4AGZE engine with turbo. Or scooby. I want boost. Vroooom Tshhhh.

Sounds like this will be a fun project!

I took some better pictures over the weekend after I took off the fenders.















PO painted right over the old paint. Peels off easily.








Just wiped my hand over this bit and the paint came off.






Where the spare goes.






This is what the dash looks like when I took the plastic dash cover off.






Aftermarket ABS plastic dash.

Dude! Amazing find!!!

Thats one nice project you have there.

I love the Fastback and have my own that I have fully restored.

Here is my Project Tread if you want to look up some info, may help you.

http://www.aircooledvwsa.co.za/viewtopi ... 7+but+1968

Good luck, and all the hard work will be worth the effort in the long run.

Herman

GeorgeKraft wrote:.......I want to remove the paint, but don't want to let it sit and rust without paint.

What rust stop product can I use to treat the car after the paint is off to reveal rust, that can still be welded on? I suppose i can just sand it off if needs be.....

I use a phosphoric acid based rust treatment. Besides dealing with light rust, it will etch the metal and give you some rust protection.
(The one I use is from Laser Chemicals - De-Rust)

Sometimes I may shoot a single pack etch primer if it will stand for long but I still need to work the area, making sure I can get it off afterwards.

I have a number of cars past and present that have been sandblasted and painted with a marine epoxy
On one project it has taken a month and R10K in labour to remove it The paint stripper that I eventually found is NASTY stuff - get a small splash on you and a blister forms in seconds.......an employees of the paint supply dropped a container and has been in and out of hospital with skin grafts etc...
No idea why this sandblaster and supposedly respected 'restoration specialist' does it this way????
But then I would NEVER sandblast a car at the outset - you will lose a lot of shape information. I prefer to make the repairs to heavily corroded areas (like I see in a lot of your pics) and do any blasting needed later.
For the same reason I NEVER cut out an area before I have the new part made, fitting correctly, and marked out...

Although you can weld painted metal (especially with Mig) it really isn't a good idea - any impurities will compromise the weldability and more importantly the integrity of the weld. Clean, clean, clean is the first rule of welding anything if you want good results....


BTW are you planning on running a Tig torch on your new inverter?

retrovan wrote:Thats one nice project you have there.

I love the Fastback and have my own that I have fully restored.

Here is my Project Tread if you want to look up some info, may help you.

http://www.aircooledvwsa.co.za/viewtopi ... 7+but+1968

Good luck, and all the hard work will be worth the effort in the long run.

Herman

Hi Herman!

I have already had a look at your thread! Good work. Already picked up some ideas and advice from it.

Barry wrote:

GeorgeKraft wrote:.......I want to remove the paint, but don't want to let it sit and rust without paint.

What rust stop product can I use to treat the car after the paint is off to reveal rust, that can still be welded on? I suppose i can just sand it off if needs be.....

I use a phosphoric acid based rust treatment. Besides dealing with light rust, it will etch the metal and give you some rust protection.
(The one I use is from Laser Chemicals - De-Rust)

Sometimes I may shoot a single pack etch primer if it will stand for long but I still need to work the area, making sure I can get it off afterwards.

I have a number of cars past and present that have been sandblasted and painted with a marine epoxy
On one project it has taken a month and R10K in labour to remove it The paint stripper that I eventually found is NASTY stuff - get a small splash on you and a blister forms in seconds.......an employees of the paint supply dropped a container and has been in and out of hospital with skin grafts etc...
No idea why this sandblaster and supposedly respected 'restoration specialist' does it this way????
But then I would NEVER sandblast a car at the outset - you will lose a lot of shape information. I prefer to make the repairs to heavily corroded areas (like I see in a lot of your pics) and do any blasting needed later.
For the same reason I NEVER cut out an area before I have the new part made, fitting correctly, and marked out...

Although you can weld painted metal (especially with Mig) it really isn't a good idea - any impurities will compromise the weldability and more importantly the integrity of the weld. Clean, clean, clean is the first rule of welding anything if you want good results....


BTW are you planning on running a Tig torch on your new inverter?

I was wondering about sand blasting. I was thinking of using a flap disc grinding disc to remove paint, but taking care of not heating too much.

Regarding the tig torch, I haven't even thought so far yet. Thought I would just use the arc kit, already started practicing but I cant weld for sh!t. Need to practice more before I start working on the real thing.

Next on this project is I want to take the body off the pan, need hands to help lift it. Maybe this weekend.

Grinding to remove all the paint on a car is generally a bad idea as it is too difficult to control the grinder. You also run the risk of removing the original phosphate coating applied at the factory. I have found that most paint strippers will not remove the Phosphate coating and a only light sand is usually needed to key the surface. this original coating also prevents flash rust
Armand

IMPI wrote:Grinding to remove all the paint on a car is generally a bad idea as it is too difficult to control the grinder. You also run the risk of removing the original phosphate coating applied at the factory. I have found that most paint strippers will not remove the Phosphate coating and a only light sand is usually needed to key the surface. this original coating also prevents flash rust
Armand

I have had some extensive practice with a flap disc on another house project lol...

But I hear what you are saying. So its stripper and scraper for me then...

I hear and respect the above idea's.

But have had flat spots with grinders, and blistered paint two years down the line with paint stripper, as its always a bitch to neutralis.

No I do it the old way,.....heat gun and scraper, no flat spots, no removal of protective coats, high lights the rust spots and pitting.

Many ways to skin a cat, and they all depend if you want to fix for your self, or sell it after you had fun.

Herman

Got some goodies on Sunday's meet. Now I have all the windows and spare. Got the pop out hinges and some lenses.

Yesterday I removed the paint from the chrome light bits and found out the PO grinded away all the chrome so the paint would stick. That effin sucks.

Now I need all those bits too, or gonna have to re chrome them. Anybody know how much the chroming costs? And contact details please?

Nice! Always good when you get some parts

I got some more parts from 64notch the weekend, much more than I bargained for. He's helping alot. Pan, fenders, bonnet, windows, interior bits, suspension bits etc.

It all coming together slowly. Hard work has not started yet.