BUG-097 - The Kombi Project

The Starting Point

In February 2010 I purchased a 1976 VW Kombi from John P. of Moone Ponds, a suburb of Melbourne. The purchase was made over eBay.

Here are the ebay photos.

See the front is a different colour from the side

The seats under these covers are totally worn out.

This is a home made back seat that converts to a bed. The original back set along with all seat belts came with the van.

The back seat converted to a bed. The middle seat with all seat belts also came with the van.

Just a general lack of attention. See the heater ducts that have been taped up. Engine to body seal was also missing.

Front cab was generally in very good original condition with the exception of the hole cut in the dash for the clock.

The Kombi was originally purchased by John P's father (also called John) and had remained in the family since new. The van had been well cared for over it's life. There was not any visible rust and although well used, it was in very original condition. At some time, there had been damage to the front drivers corner as there was evidence of repair and a very poor paint job. The roof had been painted white in 2-PAK and was in very good condition. There was damage down both sides of the van. The passenger side had a rough repair and some primer sprayed on. The driver's side was left un-repaired.

The original idea was to do the work needed to get a quick Road Worthy Certicate, then take it off the road and complete the rebuild. However it was soon evident that this would not be achieveable, the main issue being the engine oil leaks which required the engine to be removed. So I fixed the front and rear brakes, exhaust and the front shock absorbers immediately.

I drove BUG around for a few weeks in an attempt to find all the problems before it went into the workshop for a complete work over.

The following is a list of faults/problems that were discovered during that time:

Exhaust rusted through.
Brakes are exciting - not sure what they are going to do next.
Front shock absorbers are worn out - not functioning at all.
Steering wanders all over the road.
Windscreen leaking.
Front doors do not close flush with the body.
Front door latches very stiff.
Heater barely functional.
Air-conditioning not working.
Fuel consumption is extreme.
Wheel bearings worn or require adjustment.
Radio has a mind of its own - it will turn on or off whenever it likes.
When the engine is hot, the starter motor will not function.
Various lights do not work.
When cold, the Automatic Transmission will not drive.
All the locks are very stiff.
Both front seats need total restoration.
Accelerator pedal very stiff.
Rear Suspension has sagged and is very low.
Engine/Transmission leaking lots of oil.
Rear shock absorbers are worn out.

Here it is in the workshop just before the fun starts.

A bit of a mess revealed when the spare is removed. Notice the dent, the power outlet, the TWO holes to hold the spare.

Driver's door and front are same colour - but different from rest of van. Bottom of driver's door damaged.

Damage to the sliding door and rear panel. Roughly repaired.

The roof is in great shape. No rust in gutters. A couple of minor dents.

Objective

The aim of this project is to rebuild BUG to a point where it will be a reliable daily driver that looks good on the road. *** THIS IS NOT A RESTORATION ***.

Planned Changes from original include:

Keep original paint colour, but bring the white roof down below the window line.
A decent radio.
Central locking.
Crash Bar front and rear.
Perhaps power steering (if possible).
Lots of body deadener and sound/heat insulation.
Reversing Camera.

The Engine Rebuild

Body Exterior

Body Interior