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Mon Mar 30, 2009 4:13 pm

I'm gonna start a thread dedicated to the rejuvenation of the '79 Westy I dragged home yesterday. This will not be a restoration, but a reassembly. It's missing a lot of parts, but I think have just about everything to put it back together, save for an FI fuel pump. I'll be on the lookout for a good used one once I get to the drivetrain. First things first, I have to get this looking like a complete vehicle before the god damned codes enforcer drives by. I planned to start on it today and of course after a weekend of gorgeous weather today it's 35 and chance of snow. Ugh. Despite the weather, the rain is tapering off so I think I'm gonna go outside and get a start on buffing and waxing it. We are supposed to be having some warmer weather later in the week so I'm gonna attempt to put the windshield back in it. First one I'm actually putting back in. I've taken plenty out along the way...but the nose on this Bus is solid as a rock and has been POR-15's around the windshield lip so it's ready to go for new glass right now. I'll put a solid coat of wax on the lip under the seal anyway before I install the glass. I've got good windshields and a new seal already. Anyway, before I ramble on all day, here are some starting pics, taken yesterday when I towed it home. If anyone needs me, I'll be outside in a winter coat wearing insulated pants and long johns, buffing and waxing the Bus. :geek: I'm gonna start on the back of the Bus so I can get tail lights and a bumper installed which will make it look like a complete vehicle from the road. It's so close to the garage you couldn't see the front end unless you walked right up to it, which this guy will never do, much too lazy for that.

Mon Mar 30, 2009 4:14 pm

Wow, it's freezing outside. Started to snow while I was buffing. Once my hands thaw, I'll be going back out. Got the rear end done, shined up pretty nice!!

Mon Mar 30, 2009 4:14 pm

It snowed most of the afternoon but about an hour ago it calmed down, so I dried off the side of the Bus and got the buffer back out. I took the rear bumper off of my other '79 and readied it to paint it tomorrow along with an extra front bumper I had. Installed the sidemarkers on the side I buffed and waxed, and banged out the dent in the passenger rear. I'll have to tape off the reflector on the passenger rear sidemarker and paint the rim of it black as it should be. Looks like it was backed into something and folded the corner under. I replaced the broken jalousie window in the slider with a good one I had to keep the water out. I wanted to get a lot more done today, but considering the windchills in the teens and crappy weather I didn't do too awful bad. More to come....progress pics from this afternoon:

Mon Mar 30, 2009 4:16 pm

And I thought this was gonna be a dry year for Buses. I brought a ton of them home last year, but up until now, nothing has come along this year. I just made a deal for a '76 Westy to use as a parts vehicle. He said it last ran in '07, and is mostly complete. No title or paperwork to be had with it, so I don't have much choice but to part it out. I'll be using what I need from it and passing along the rest. Hopefully gonna be picking it up this weekend. Another 10 hour day dragging home a forgotten Bus....but for now, some pics....

Mon Mar 30, 2009 6:38 pm

geez.. its already starting! lol

looking good

Mon Mar 30, 2009 6:39 pm

I told ya I was gonna get right on it!!!

Mon Mar 30, 2009 8:01 pm

What are you using to buff that? It looks great!

Mon Mar 30, 2009 8:22 pm

Looks like a nice solid bus for your area B, and the green one looks like a prime donor, congrats. I can't imagine buffing in the snow, you win the hardcore bus fondler award for sure :wink: I know what it's like, just a few minutes with the buffer to see how it looks and all of a sudden you're missing dinner and being accused of having a new girlfriend.

But honey, it's going to look so awesome when it's done..... just 5 more minutes....really.....I'll be right in........................................

Mon Mar 30, 2009 8:44 pm

That looks great! I am curious to know your methods/products as well. How are the part sales going? It seems everything has slowed considerably right now...

Mon Mar 30, 2009 8:44 pm

Damn dude, you and billy mays could do an infomercial with your buffing skills. You and kirk have got me ready to go yank a beater from somewhere.

Mon Mar 30, 2009 8:48 pm

VDubTech wrote: And I thought this was gonna be a dry year for Buses. I brought a ton of them home last year, but up until now, nothing has come along this year. I just made a deal for a '76 Westy to use as a parts vehicle. He said it last ran in '07, and is mostly complete. No title or paperwork to be had with it, so I don't have much choice but to part it out. I'll be using what I need from it and passing along the rest. Hopefully gonna be picking it up this weekend. Another 10 hour day dragging home a forgotten Bus....but for now, some pics....

Try to get a title! I bought mine without a title here in Michigan and it was much easier than I thought to get a title. First, call the police department and tell them you are thinking of buying a parts vehicle with no title and you want them to run the vin to make sure it isn't stolen. After that, you can proceed with your state's process. Mine included having an officer coming out to do a VIN check (hence why I called first... didn't want him to come and take away my vehicle I just purchased. I guess if it would have been stolen though my conscience would have taken over before I parted her). Good luck with your new buses!!!

Tue Mar 31, 2009 12:23 am

Buses cant hide from VDubTech, you seem to find so many buses and most seem in pretty decent shape..
That tan beige color is looking nice and glassy, goin from dull to shiny. :)

Tue Mar 31, 2009 5:52 am

Wow..... I thinks it's about time for an updated driveway group photo of all the buses you have!

Tue Mar 31, 2009 5:54 am

Yeah, what's the buffing secret??? Would love to do that to mine and my Beetle.

Tue Mar 31, 2009 6:23 am

dbo550 wrote: Damn dude, you and billy mays could do an infomercial with your buffing skills. You and kirk have got me ready to go yank a beater from somewhere.

Go do it. Just be prepared for the wifey. ;)

That second one looks complete. Why not apply for a lost title through Broadway Title here on the interwebz? Looks too good to part, but I hate parting bays.

And ditto. Whats the buff polish secret? Rubbing compound, and ????

Tue Mar 31, 2009 1:42 pm

Today was a decent day, though it was pretty cold up until a couple hours ago. Got the rest of the Bus buffed and waxed, installed the tail lights, primed, painted and installed the rear bumper, installed the rear hatch mechanism, the rear hatch curtains and rods and the interior cover panel for the hatch. Threw the vanity plate that used to be on my '79 Westy back in the day on it so it looks all legal like. Tomorrow is opening day of trout fishing so I probably won't get much done and my back is killing me anyway from all of the buffing. Still, progress has been made and it's really looking good. Around mid afternoon the sun finally decided to come out and you can really see the shine in the paint now.

As far as what I'm using to buff it, I have a Milwaukee variable speed buffer (NOT a grinder, there is a difference) and I'm using a wool pad with a rubbing compound I actually got at Wal Mart made by Turtle Wax. I usually buy my compound at an auto body supply store but I was in Wal Mart and saw they finally carried a liquid rubbing compound and decided to give it a shot. It's worked pretty well I have to say. For wax, I'm just using a Mother's Gold Cleaner Wax once it's buffed. The results speak for themselves.

Tue Mar 31, 2009 3:07 pm

Whoa! that doesnt look like the same Bus! awesome!

:shock:

Tue Mar 31, 2009 3:55 pm

Very nice!

Tue Mar 31, 2009 8:20 pm

Damn, that thing polished up nice!

I think I've got a fuel pump or two lying around if you still need one by the time Campbelltown rolls around.

Thu Apr 02, 2009 2:22 pm

Another good day outside today. Weather actually cooperated today and it turned out to be a gorgeous day sunny in the mid 60's. I laid my new windshield seal out in the sun while I went about getting the Bus ready for the glass. I thoroughly cleaned and waxed the seal area which is already coated in POR-15, and I had to bolt the dash back in also. It was just hanging there on the heat ducts. I pulled the windshield from a '71 Westy I had to put in this Bus, with a nice green tint strip at the top. Used all of the hardware from the '71 to put the dash back together and bolt it into the Bus. I put a fresh coat of black paint on the antenna base and installed it while the dash wasn't secured. I cleaned and waxed the dash top before I put the glass back in and even put the little covers for the screws on the top of the dash back on. Put the new seal on the glass, pushed my vinyl coated wire into the groove all the way around the windshield and offered it up to the Bus. I thought I had remembered that you should start the pulling the the bottom, which turned out to be incorrect. Got to the driver's top corner and it broke. I assumed I would break at least one. I put the seal on yet another windshield, pushed the wire into the groove again and lubricated the seal. This time we would be pulling the cord from the top first. Did it a little at a time, side by side and it went in without a hitch. I couldn't believe it!! Installed the turn signal lenses, headlights and trim rings, and the front bumper. Prior to installing the bumper I buffed and waxed the area visible behind it. I had one bolt hole with a broken bolt in it so I drilled it out and retapped the hole. Good to go. Repsrayed the bumper bolt caps gloss black and installed them over the bolt heads. I sprayed a fresh coat of black paint on the plastic mesh behind the air grille in the front and installed that also. Cleaned all of the windows for the first time and made sure everything got a through coat of wax. I installed one of my interior door panels to get rid of these hideous paneling things that are in there. I made these a while back for my other '79 Westy. Still have to reinastall the speaker and the surround for the door handle but I was pretty tired after putting the windshield seal on twice today. I grabbed an extra Westy luggage rack and set it up there so it would seal the water out. She should be mostly water tight now. I don't know if I will use this luggage rack or one of the others I have, this one is a little damaged on the top and needs a new seal. The rest of the pop top has a brand new seal on it already. That's about it for today....lots of pics to follow.