We started the body restoration on a 1979 VW Camper Bay Window towards the end of 2018. As the project progressed, it became much more involved than was initially estimated.
We had stripped the vehicle entirely and fabricated a transport frame; the body was sent for blasting and protective priming to allow us to assess the extent of the corrosion fully. Once back in the workshop, we started to cut out the corrosion and replace with new panels where available.
We discovered that although these vehicles are extremely popular, many panels were no longer available, and we had to fabricate them in-house where needed. The work involved meant, that by the time the van was ready to be painted, it had virtually been fully re-built with nearly every panel replaced!
While the body was being painted at the bodyshop, we started work on restoring the suspension ready to install once the body had come back. We then protected the underside of the body using colour matched Raptor underbody protection ready to get the suspension fitted and the body rolling again.
We also replaced some of the engine tinware and painted the parts that were salvageable to tidy the engine bay. The wiring looms were repaired with some looms being entirely remade in-house.
The cabinetry was redesigned and made by our in-house joiner using modern lightweight materials.
The pop-top fabric and the interior carpet are being replaced. We also plan to install a split charge leisure battery system together with an electrical hook up point. This system allows lighting and other equipment to be used on sites when full electric isn’t available.
Although the 1979 VW Camper has been partly restored, we tried to keep as many original components as possible. This is on the customer’s request and also to keep costs down on components that can be replaced in the future if required.