Bus body work continues – this phase of the project pretty much sucks – but it’s got to be done!
After getting the inside of the cargo doors welded and cleaned up, I started in on the exterior. This was the bondo hell that I posted about a while ago – after chipping away all of the inch-thick, cracked body filler, I used a slide hammer and hammer/dolly to get the metal back into shape (at least as close as I could). I then went full circle and started to add Bondo back to the side!
I started filling the deeper gouge marks and scratches with fiberglass resin jelly – I also use this to fill some of the smaller holes around the bus.
I then added a couple few (thin) layers of body filler and kept sanding and sanding until everything was pretty much smooth.
Then added a layer or two of finishing putty to even everything out, and spray bombed w/ grey Rustoleum Automotive Primer. It looks ok in the pic, but will look a lot better when I do the whole side evenly.
I also cleaned up the window frames and drip rail along the roof – added a couple coats of POR 15 (this stuff dries to a hard shell and is awesome/ expensive!!). I fiberglassed the few holes in the window area, and will add some finish putty to smooth everything out.
Got Carla and Norm’s 10′ by 10′ awning out to see how it fit next to the bus – I like the size, but hot pink… I’m not sure about that! Feels good to see what life might be like when I finally get this thing all done.
Ok so once I get the passenger side done and primered, I will move on to the back end corners and back hatch, and probably the battery tray – then move on to the front dent, then fix the floor when the part comes, then weld the new B and C pillars, then finish cleaning up the interior and the front dash area, then clean each wheel well and weld holes and undercoat the bottom with my POR truckbed liner, then pull the engine and gas tank and fix all that up, then get the electrical put back together, then work the dents out of the front bumper and get those things primered and painted, then get all the window frames and pop out frames cleaned up and reinstalled, then get the safaris installed, then get this stupid bus painted, and at some point I need to go through the brakes and lube up the wheels, then get all the new rubber seals installed (even though we all know they won’t actually fit) then get the camper kit built, and the seats redone, then do some fun stuff like add a second battery and get the food chuck wagon box built, then … well by then I’ll be like 85 and Noelle and I will reminisce about that one summer when we thought we could fix up a VW bus and drive it around the country – crazies!!
