Zim's RPU - Page 2 - Cut-Weld-Drive Forums

AirheadZim · May 29th, 2010, 05:24 AM

LOL Ace..... as you well know, can't get this shit done in a week. Well maybe if you're unemployed, but bugdust and me both had a rough week on the job. Since we're doing this on the cheap, I try and get parts and supplies on a weekly basis. I have a trip planned this week to an old friends A/C business 40 miles away for a scavengin trip. Need 2 big peices of sheet metal, one for the floor of the bed, and one for bugdust to use for floorboard patches and possibly a rolled pan at the rear. The bed floor peice is not gonna be easy to find, is has to be about 45" x 40". Hopefully I can find that or we'll have to overlap and splice, which is not so bad since it'll be under the bed canopy. Plus we haven't even gotten into the front suspension, but we both have done some research. Anyway, this weekend I'm gonna remove the headlights on the li'l bitch, drag out my rusty 36' Dodge buckets and see what I can do with them, and also paint the tailights. Li'l bitch is still driveable, but after I take the headlights out she is restricted to the neighborhood.

AirheadZim · May 31st, 2010, 10:22 AM

Thanks Hoosier, gotta take some time off for the Memorial Day holiday too. I was lazy and stuffed up for 2 days, so I got out there in my garage today and sprayed some paint, got almost done and saw 2 runs. Knew I shoulda hooked up that shoplight. Luckily the runs are on the side facing down. Also measured to make sure the T4 would fit in the rearmost part of the bed of the RPU, which has a rear brace at 18-1/2" from the edge of the transaxle. The dipstick and the distributor are at 17" so it WILL fit. Carb and manifold sit high, the carb measured at about 12" from the same point....wheeew. All that'll show under the edge of the pickup bed is the cooling metal, fanbelt/pulley and exhaust. Tight but functional.

bugdust · May 31st, 2010, 10:29 AM

Zim, that means we're going to have to do something with the "tailgate" area. You have to have enough clearance for the engine to slide on/off the trans shaft. Plus, to make it easier to work on the engine I think we should hinge it at the top (like a bus). I can build a tailgate and use that piece of stainless from dragnbdy.

bugdust · May 31st, 2010, 02:57 PM

I went out to the garage for a few minutes and sat in a chair to do a little welding and grinding. I'm paying for it now but I had to get out of the house for a few minutes.

bugdust · June 1st, 2010, 04:35 PM

OK, first off, let me say that there will be no more updates this week. Zim, you can have Friday off b/c I'm done for a while. I got out there today and was ok until I picked up the cut-off wheel and then the DA. Bad idea!!

Anyway, I'll pick up some filler this week and you can just pay me for it next time. I'm ready to get the passenger door finished and move on. I still have to weld a couple spots on it (the primer shows them very well).

I'll sand it clean again and smooth it out at some point.

bugdust · June 5th, 2010, 04:03 PM

I got bored so...

Yes, it will all have to come back off but what the hell.

bugdust · June 11th, 2010, 08:00 PM

Zim came up today to do a few things to his volksrod. The bed came off first and then Zim took off the old air shocks and rear brake lines. Then he worked on the looks of the rear suspension, pan, trans, etc.

I cut up some of the driver door & B-pillar area and made a new piece there. I decided to weld in one long piece instead of two and then cut it but I ran into a problem. The rear of the cab is not square so I have more work to do there. I also cleaned up some of the welds on the rear of the cab and sanded it down some. I also realized both rear drums were loose and had wire or a clip stuck in the hole instead of a cotter pin. I torqued them up and put a cotter pin in one, still have to find another. I started removing the defroster vent from the dash when I stopped screwing with the mis-aligned B-pillar. I hate fixing other peoples crappy work. The right side b-pillar is pointed straight forward, almost 90°, the left is pointed to the left a few degrees so it made my patch piece not line up right.

All four wheels came off and got an acid wash. Three of them might polish up but one has some chrome peeling.

Some pics from today.

Zim's paint job

...more and some cab back cleaning

door cut out more

don't actually have a pic of the patch piece yet?

how it sits now

left rear wheel before

left rear wheel after acid wash

*wheels thanks to Keven's Mobile Detailing

bugdust · June 12th, 2010, 06:52 AM

Yeah, my buddy Keven came by and just happened to be in his work van so he had all his stuff with him. He did the acid wash but didn't polish them or anything. Oh, he lives and mostly works out of Gainesville. We were out there until a little after 11.

Jon, the fiberglass is really just to keep water out of some of the rusted areas. There is enough structural support left so that's not an issues. I'm putting stock metal back in the heater channel/ door sill areas so the 'glass is just going to be up in the footwells ostly. I'm still not sure what I'm doing with the floor.

Zim, I'll show you the cab corner issue when you get here. I can fix it.

bugdust · June 12th, 2010, 07:33 PM

The cheap paint didn't really look as planned so Zim started prepping everything for something different.

the pic I forgot to take last night.

my son started cleaning up the wheel wells

some sharpie flames

bugdust · June 20th, 2010, 01:58 PM

I've been off all week but haven't touched the volksrod.

I did rip apart my bathroom and do some work, reinstall the tub, new drain, faucets, etc. I made a dent in the honey-do list but not all of it. I also got the junk area behind my garage cleaned up. Anyway.

I put the wheels back on the RPU and pushed it outside this morning. I sprayed some degreaser on the rear of the chassis and hosed it off. Zim towed the black car up here today. I took a pic of it with him in it so you'll see why he calls it the Lil Bitch.

bugdust · June 20th, 2010, 06:20 PM

I got a few minutes after dinner to tinker in the shop a little. I welded up a few spots and tried out the flat black on the rear of the chassis & transaxle.

more later this week.

AirheadZim · June 20th, 2010, 06:34 PM

Yeah man...that flat black is just right. Will make sure I buy the same stuff when the rest is purchased. Nice re-do on the door, knew you weren't satisfied on it yet. I came back online cuz I forgot something. Several people have asked me "what do you need" and thats a hard question to answer at times. One thing needed is something for the floor or the storage area of the pickup bed. If I don't find something better than 3/4" plywood, thats what we'll hafta use. Now if anyone has a big peice of scrap steel or masonite or something rugged to use as as floorboard for that area she could sure use it. Can come pick it up if its like within like 50-60 miles or if you're coming maybe bring with?? Please let either me or Bugdust know if ya' got a big ol' peice of scrap steel that would be the best for sure. Dimensions are 44-1/2" X 40". The 44-1/2" is for sure but the smaller dimension is sorta flexible in exact size at this time. Thanks!!!

bugdust · June 21st, 2010, 07:30 PM

Hey Jon,

todays little bit of RPU love.

bugdust · June 22nd, 2010, 05:43 PM

Today's pics.

I started capping the driver door. I also put the front on jack stands again so I can work on the fenderwell. My ADD kicks in and I never know what I'll work on.

I've got to get some discs for my DA, all mine got wet.

AirheadZim · June 27th, 2010, 05:44 PM

I would have to say Bugdust's First Garage Thrash was a total success. First day was kinda like a day of reckoning. Realizing that the poor RPU had some major safety issues, we came back the next day to correct them. Boy did we ever. RPU now has a fully assembled bed, removable by taking out 6 bolts. Only part of the bed not fabricated was the floor, as we are still having a slight materials problem. Would really like to have a good solid steel floor, but my procurement of a large enough peice is not going well. Hopefully we can come up with something over the next few weeks. For now, after over a dozen people worked their tails off on her, we gotta take a break on the RPU so that Bugdust can work some on his own projects, and so that I can raise some funds to buy a few things we need to get her closer to completion. Lots of issues have been solved though, and now we know more about how to solve those issues. Pics available in "The Southeast Corner" thread, from June26,27 Thrash at Bugdust's. She damn sure looks like a truck now.

bugdust · June 29th, 2010, 01:07 PM

I didn't think about keeping all the pics in one album so HERE are the Garage Thrash pics and HERE are the rest of the RPU pics.

I can't wait to see it with the wheels pushed out again and the front lower.

VolksRod95 · June 29th, 2010, 01:19 PM

Ok. Im not all that bright. But with some good fenders....

Dually!!

haha...

Anyways. Is the exhaust stayin like this?

bugdust · June 29th, 2010, 01:51 PM

A few random pics

the seats that we're using

bugdust · July 6th, 2010, 04:47 PM

Just a few pics. I had a few minutes to work on it the other day. Hey Zim, that filler you bought is hard as hell to sand...same brand as the stuff I bought that I didn't like. Anyway.

started welding the bed sides (will jack this side up to finish welding, other side done)

welded the right side bed seam and stitched some across the top, still have to grind. I also took all the textured paint off this side (except around the vents)

I pretty much finished the passenger door. It will still need a little putty in a couple of spots and some finish sanding but I'm done with it.

inside too!

Don't worry, the rpu is being closely watched by Conehead the Guard Puppy™

bugdust · July 10th, 2010, 11:18 AM

I slept in until 8:30, got up and Zim and Brian (dragnbdy) were out in the garage.

First off I want to thank Doug (dbug41) for donating one of his killer extensions to this project.

I should buy stock in whatever company makes the tape he uses to pack them up.

It was sitting here Wednesday when I got home from work. I've got to say, it's a good design and the craftsmanship are top notch. All the welds look good as well.

By the time I rolled my lazy butt outside Brian & Zim had the beam off and was fitting the extension. Brian had already drilled out the framehead for through bolts. We did have to open up the holes on the extension a little to get the bolt through but other than that it went right on.

We got the hood mostly notched (I will trim it out later) and the steering hooked up and working. I didn't get any pics at the time, too busy working on it.

Brian tweaked the headlight brackets and I welded them on. Brian trimmed the rear afterward.

Zim got ahold of a grinder and started grinding down the welds on the bed sides.

By this time it was getting pretty hot so we called it a day. We did manage to get my wife to go get us some subs for lunch. Finally, we pushed the rpu outside for a little sunshine.

Don't worry about the stance. We'll get that dialed in once the right tires are on it and the seats, gas tank etc are in.

Dbug41 · July 10th, 2010, 01:52 PM

no problem man just paying it forward
i think i got more out of it then Zim did

carry on

AirheadZim · July 10th, 2010, 03:54 PM

Hell yeah I had a sparkle...I was freakin' speechless!!! Let me say this about the quality of Doug, not only his work, but him as a person. He bends over backwards to help us all acheive our goals and build our rides the way we want them. Keeps coming up with new products too. So when will stock become available for our portfolios?

ALSO not to mention Charlie(Bugdust) and Brian(dragnbdy) who have become my source of motivation, learning and wisdom of our hobby. ROCK ON, ALL OF YOU!!!!

bugdust · July 10th, 2010, 06:43 PM

I went back out after dinner and did a little more to the rpu. I welded the left side of the bed, took off most of the textured paint, welded most of the left door top, ground it down, cleaned the paint off the dash areas that will get welded and put a layer of filler across the door top. I hit that with the DA once. I still have a little work to do at the back of the door and then I'll put another coat of filler on it.

bluehormachea · July 10th, 2010, 06:48 PM

ALLRIGHT!!! nice wart bro!

VolksRod95 · July 10th, 2010, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AirheadZim

sheeeesh I hope you're gonna sell it to buy a better one. My RPU is already so treasured that I can sit here and say I'll drive her for many years. Of course she will be in my will to Bugdust. If I want another vw, like a kombi or something, I don't think I could sell the RPU. Thats why I'll wait until I can buy a volksvan already built up cuz someday I'll have the $$$ even if its when I retire (6-7 more years?).

Shhhh my parents dont want anouther car in the yard (there is only one, but if I sell it they dont want to have a truck and a bug haha!) Is what I really want to trade it for a half done or just started V-rod. Haha