Aircooled VW South Africa

So, here is my new project this year. A Fleetline single cab in need of lots of work....

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Mark and I drove nearly 2400km this past weekend to go fetch it. I was hesitant at first over this vw, but the solid cab made me buy it in the end. The cab has some odd spots of surface rust, but otherwise it’s completely solid, underneath included.

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Here are the bad parts: The wide load box is missing and the floor completely rusted through, apparently abandoned with compost and fertilizer in the load box. I see this as quite an easy fix to replace the floor. The right hand side corner section and battery tray are also rusted through, this will need to be replaced.

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Now the worst part is that the engine carrier and rear suspension have been cut out. Not in a way to use it on something else, but a torch was used to cut everything out for what I believe was their way to get the engine and gearbox out.
Now for the other good bits is that I have a lot of spares for this bus. I have a complete wide load bed, 2 complete front doors, both left and right rear corner sections, a gearbox, a 1600 engine and a complete rear suspension, still to be cut out of a donor bus.

Well, we had quite a trip; I left just before 18:00 on Friday afternoon via Barrydale to get Mark and decided we would drive through the night to get there nice and early. Trip went well and we spent most of the day in the area and loaded the bus on the trailer in the afternoon. We just got 5 guys and we lifted the bus on the trailer, without even using the ramps. We simply lifted it up at the back and drove the trailer in from underneath.





At just after 14:00 on Saturday afternoon we were heading back. We decided to drive through the night again, this time it wasn’t so easy for the second night without sleep. The N12 was a relatively pleasant drive being very quiet and also in very good condition, but from Beaufort West we went via Meirings Poort, through Oudtshoorn and into Barrydale. We had 3 encounters with Kudu’s, 2 luckily remaining on the roadside, but one that ran right in front of us, we nailed on the brakes and very luckily missed it by what seemed like a few centimetres. This stretch home was too heavy and we started rotating the driving with a bit of sleep in between, but we arrived in Barrydale safely at 02:30 on Sunday morning.

Sunday was the last 200km stretch home and at least I had some time to unload. I took it straight through to the factory and Paul and Christo were there to help. Got hold of the forklift and lifted the whole bus in the middle off the trailer. After lowering it I picked it up at the back and pushed it inside and onto the lift.





I started working on it today, well cleaning it. The first job will be to get it rolling again by replacing the rear suspension and engine carrier.
This one is going to be a restoration, close as possible. I want to keep it this original white colour, interior and all.

I am quite happy with this project, only shocker so far is the cost of fuel. At one stop it was over R13.50 p/l. Total fuel bill was over R6000, but it’s a trip you can never forget.

Nice find, well done, this will keep you out your missis's hair for a good few days....

Project thread and pic's, are standard..

Herman

you really do like challenges dont you??

Tony Z wrote:you really do like challenges dont you??

now ain't that the truth, he really knows how to choose them !

Good luck with this one Sean - another one saved

WOW dude, now that is dedication for you, hats off on both the trip and the work ahead.

nice bus will keep watching your posts on this one
Where did you find it?

ST Man wrote:nice bus will keep watching your posts on this one
Where did you find it?

This bus actually come up on the forum a little while back. It was up in the Northern Cape.

Nice one Sean !!

Well done Sean,

Last month I gave serious thought to trying to save this one, finally decided I just did not have the time.

Glad it's been saved and given a new lease on life.

Good Luck.

So I’ve finally gotten into gear to start with this single cab after letting it stand on jacks for the last few months.

I was given a whole complete Fleetline chassis (thanks again Juan) to replace the hacked up rear engine / gearbox carier. I was unsure how I should go about replacing this chassis section, perhaps by just replacing the suspension tube and engine carrier, or a whole section of it but decided to cut out the majority of the rear chassis front a bit after the rear jacking points all the way to after the curve in the chassis.

Here's the donor chassis.


Here’s the one side coming out.


It’s not easy space to cut in these spaces, the small grinder was useless, the plasma cutter wasn’t any good on the thick steel and the big grinder couldn't fit in, so took a hideous chance and fitted a cut-off saw blade onto the hand grinder without the guard to cut all the way through the beam, no injuries at least.
The trusty forklift made lifting the new section into place quite easily.



Lining up was tricky, but a few big G-clamps helped keep it all lined up that I could weld it together.


Welded in place.


Next will be to weld a plate over each joint for extra strength. I’ve got some 4mm steel plate to brace it with which will give it ample strength. Then I can fit the gearbox and rear wheels and have it rolling.

I also started removing the rear floor, it came off quite easily. I just started wracking with a hammer and was able to remove that floor like opening a tin can.

More to follow soon.

we make this floor Sean, very close to the original. let me know if you are interested in one !

Good to see you started, now we all have to start moving it, and not blame it on the winter cold...

Good work.

Herman

good luck there man - the pick-up is in good hands

Hey there Sean, Good luck with this one.... another saved...