25 Window VW/Porsche Microbus

[89AKurt]

Shoot me now! ?  I'm getting ahead of myself.....

Interior progress, Scale Motorsport houndstooth decals put on the seats.  Can't tell that I splattered the paint colors, so that was a wasted effort.

Got the nitrous bottle installed.  Was doing the Rhino-liner floor, put too close to the radiant heater and came close to writing off this project. ??

I had been thinking of a way to add something made of the diamond plate, but this wasn't really what I had in mind! ?  If I had to be stupid, at least I didn't go all out, just the area I painted black really melted.  So the fiber-optic for the door is a write-off.  Can save the side cabinet.  The whole chassis is a little warped, think it's savable.  But what a *******. ?

Anyway, this is how far I got, speakers, seatbelts, dash detailing, switches on the console, coke cooler, and this assembly would have been done.

[Belugawrx]

? Oh Noooo...!

Oh man, I feel for ya dude... everything work ok still..?

[NOBLNG]

Wow that must be a terrible feeling when you realize what happened, You certainly have the skills to reclaim it though. Those sets came out beautiful...that houndstooth decal sure conforms nicely to the pleats.

[89AKurt]

4 hours ago, Belugawrx said:

? Oh Noooo...!

Oh man, I feel for ya dude... everything work ok still..?

Thank you.  I'm going to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear..... dreamt up a solution.

2 hours ago, NOBLNG said:

Wow that must be a terrible feeling when you realize what happened, You certainly have the skills to reclaim it though. Those sets came out beautiful...that houndstooth decal sure conforms nicely to the pleats.

I was swearing like a ________. ?

Of course had trouble going to sleep, but I made peace with it.  This project is something that would never happen to a nice example, I've treated it like it started as a rust bucket, that canvas roof must be death when it's not maintained, and many of these Safaris lived near the ocean, so would make sense the floor got wasted.  It was also a stupid idea to paint the floor BLACK, under all that glass, it would be a solar oven, no grill needed to cook dinner, just set the hot dogs on the floor.

Seat Of The Pants Engineering: going to make a retractable floor.  Real easy since everything is flat (if this was the body, it would be in the trash).  The fixed floor should be spliced in easy enough.  Since I had a step down at the side doors anyway (part of the customizing done years ago), can slide out above the door jamb.  I have brass C-channel, think it's the right dimension for the thick diamond plate.  Have guitar string, and tubing, to make the screw jack (like what Ford retractible roofs used) which will be for show, not actually operating.  The width will be what is between the side doors minus the speaker boxes.  Paint the inside floor the same Africa Korps sand with the Rhino-liner texture, the moveable floor will be polished aluminum, that should bling it good.

While I screwed up the hinge pin holes that were in the floor, ditching the double acting wire with the tiny aluminum parts that I made years ago.  They worked good enough, but were a PITA to install, doors didn't stay open, just sloppy.  Now that I'm using the pocket watch fusee chain, going to rip those hinges out and redo them, which will be an improvement!

Also thought how to add the video screen for the back-up camera that will serve as the center mirror, and a flip-down flat screen TV.

So I'll live.... ?

[stitchdup]

looking forward to it, the fix sounds good

[89AKurt]

10 hours ago, stitchdup said:

looking forward to it, the fix sounds good

No more than me!  I couldn't stand not knowing if I could fix it......

This morning when I was drinking my coffee, drew out the plan.  I use the Mauser caliper, it's missing the gauge but it's extremely useful.  Used the hot-wire like a madman with a torch.

Next was to make a strong support that won't twist, warp, or freaking melt.  Had the brass square tube which was the perfect size.  Scrounged the salvaged electronic device part, found matching screws (the steel plate has threaded holes), cut with the Dremel cut-off disk.  Bent with an anvil and hammer.  Wasn't happy with one end, so corrected that with another piece.

After much fiddling, got the perfect fit, then goobered with superglue and baking soda.  Used the Dremel to straighten the cut edge, filed and sanded so the diamond plate would fit snug.

Glued on the lower diamond plate.

Held the tube with big pliers, and ground off one side using a bench grinder.  I have also fabricated a new engine mount.

Have a snug fit for the channels, tested the sliding action and am very happy.

Before gluing the channels in, the little voice that I was ignoring yesterday said "you better make the hinges because who knows how that will go."  Just getting one together convinced me to commit, wanted to take a picture to show all that work about to get ripped out.

Revised the interior, I had gone around the funky hinges, so that was cleaned up.  Added a steel plate to reinforce the B-pillar.

Okay.... so it looks good enough closed!

Lucked out, the width of the moving floor is good.

As originally executed, the front door can open when the side door is part way open, so that is a relief.  Just need to add small pieces to fill in the step area, and make a new cabinet to the left with the screw block.  Then I can fix the partially melted cabinet with putty, and be back to where I was before the disaster.  This looks like it was planned, in true Crapsman style.

[stitchdup]

Looking good Kurt. Just an idea since your doing a ramp at the side door, but how about making hand controls for the driver and a pivoting seat so a wheelchair user can drive it? of course you'd need to do hand controls too but having seen your scratch work I have no doubt you could do it, and its something i dont think i've ever seen in a model

[NOBLNG]

Just went back over this build. Wow is it ambitious! Kudos to you for your perseverance. What are the boxes on the bottom of the side doors for?

[89AKurt]

9 hours ago, stitchdup said:

Looking good Kurt. Just an idea since your doing a ramp at the side door, but how about making hand controls for the driver and a pivoting seat so a wheelchair user can drive it? of course you'd need to do hand controls too but having seen your scratch work I have no doubt you could do it, and its something i dont think i've ever seen in a model

That would have to pivot down to become a ramp.  Not this project, but the custom Renault Espace F1 would be the perfect project.

https://www.motor1.com/news/63570/concept-we-forgot-1994-renault-espace-f1/

2 hours ago, NOBLNG said:

Just went back over this build. Wow is it ambitious! Kudos to you for your perseverance. What are the boxes on the bottom of the side doors for?

Thanks, crazy ambitious, that's why it sat in the box for years.  Speakers are going in those boxes.

[89AKurt]

Parts are getting smaller!  Getting close to finalizing the interior so it can get painted.  I lost one of the shocks for the front, so rummaged through the parts box and found this Honda Civic tree, which has struts which look cooler than regular shocks.  Easy adaptation for the front.  Then I looked at the back, never was impressed with the Snap-loc look, so removed one "shock" and then fabricated a steel mount.  Yea it's upside-down, but didn't fit the other way.  Better stop before I fabricate anti-sway bars, this was supposed to be a sort-of curbside.

[espo]

Only the brave do this extensive work on a freshly painted body. Still amazed at how you engineer your way out of a problem.  

[89AKurt]

4 hours ago, espo said:

Only the brave do this extensive work on a freshly painted body. Still amazed at how you engineer your way out of a problem.  

No, only the stupid..... I'm not happy with the orange peel, expecting to wet-sand and spray a final coat.  Again, stupid, dumb luck that I could do this.  Will breath sigh of relief when all is painted.

[89AKurt]

Finished the shocks, with the second steel mount, and paint.  Chose yellow and blue for the Bilstein look.


Not at all thrilled about the seat base result, I've been soured with Scale Motorsports decals, will have to get their solvent before totally dissing them.

Got the chassis painted, again.  Thinking of not doing the Rhino-liner texture now.  Repositioned the Captain chair location further forward, since the table was added after the original fabrication.  Also used wire pins, so there are just holes in the floor instead of the rails, so when the seat is removed it is an improvement.

Also ditched the fiber-optic lighting.  I kept breaking the fibers, had broken a taillight run, that was the biggest size, replaced, then for some reason the other side wasn't lit, so ripped all but the battery box out.  This hobby supposed to be fun, not a fountain of frustration. ?

[NOBLNG]

Every time I look at this I see new details, like the folding rear seats. Excellent work all around! 

[Belugawrx]

Nice save Kurt !

[89AKurt]

12 hours ago, NOBLNG said:

Every time I look at this I see new details, like the folding rear seats. Excellent work all around! 

If I had built this when the forum existed, or started recently, would probably be up to a dozen pages.  Thank you!

11 hours ago, Belugawrx said:

Nice save Kurt !

I know right? ?

Wet-sanded the body and sprayed the second coat of purple, a little better this time.  Worked on the interior chassis today.  I know the Top Studio toggle switches are hardly Porsche Design worthy, but wanted to use them, 3 on the counsel and 2 on the dash.  Added a gauge on the counsel, to show the nitrous pressure (think that's a good excuse for using one of those cool decals).  Detail Master "tuner" pedals, I had their previous product which is simpler, when I started in 2003.

Started on the speakers, cone done on 4 so far.  Painted the Detail Master photo-etch grills, when I did the Studio 27 seatbelt buckles, and struts.  Added the nitrous button to the steering wheel.  Glued the carpet in.

[89AKurt]

Flow was interrupted with playing pool, wife threatened to beat me, I won 4-0, so could get back on this.  The seatbelts are almost done, getting the two front seat belts that go on the B-pillar will be the final parts.  Added yellow wire to the seat backs, which will hold surfboards; annoyed that the fat buckles don't let them fold all the way down now.  Extra detail will be the fire extinguisher.

See how today goes, with clear coating the paint, should allow to cure before wet-sanding.  Then painting the interior around the windows, then paper paneling.  I better practice that patience thing...... ?  I could make the monitor for the back-up camera (in lieu of mirror), and a flat screen TV behind the co-pilot seat.  I really want to make a surfboard, don't know a thing about them, but can't be that hard.

[espo]

Outstanding interior here. I'll have to get some of those gauge decals, they look great. 

[89AKurt]

9 hours ago, espo said:

Outstanding interior here. I'll have to get some of those gauge decals, they look great. 

Thanks!  Yes, I've used those gauges on a few projects, such as the Renault R5 Turbo which had zero gauge detail.

Got the Hobby Design fire extinguisher done.  The set comes with a pair of 3 sizes, so I've done each size to date.  For tiny photo-etch parts, this goes together relatively easy, helps to have a bender for the mount.

Started another interior detail, will leave you guessing what it is.

I always struggle to get a show car paint job.  I had sprayed one coat of clear, quick wet-sanded, then sprayed a second, should be good enough for government work.  Plan to wet-sand and polish later.  I do love that nail 'polish' purple!

Had also wet-sanded the top, before spraying clear.  I'm not happy with the kevlar-fiber, just need to move on.   Painted the trim, then installed the glass, which is a headphones box, a much better clear plastic than what you get at the hobby shop.  Also love the Testors canopy glue, so much better than Elmers.

[89AKurt]

Polished the paint, and rough shaped the plan profile on the wood thing (really need to replace the sanding disk!).  Found this cool craft paper at Michaels, for the interior panels.

[89AKurt]

Woodworking is another hobby of mine, so satisfying to knock something like this out.  Just need to add a fin.

[89AKurt]

Upper interior painted, and inside the doors.  I know the side door speaker boxes will need to be touched up, but will have to keep those doors open to spray.  I cut masks for the windows, something new kits usually supply.  I'm still amazed that I spent so much time doing the interior around the windows and jambs, this kit is very basic, the instructions show where to cut the side doors and back door to open, with a note saying there are no parts.

[afx]

Nice looking board man!

[cobraman]

I love what's going on around here.

[espo]

Nerve wracking cutting the clear plastic. The Surf Board looks great. Not sure how you're going to mount it because of the roof. I have seen some 1:1 surfers that hang them from the roof inside the vehicle. I don't think that would work here but I'll bet you got something in mind.