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Sun Aug 30, 2009 7:36 pm

Do you still have the oil leak? I had one similar to yours, where it seemed to be a seal, but in the end it was a loose oil circuit\galley plug. Mine was leaking out the rear though, I can't recall if there are plugs in the front, but offer the suggestion.

Sun Aug 30, 2009 7:56 pm

BampaBus wrote: I plan to use something along the lines of RAMMAT when I re-assemble, and these areas won't be seen, so I don't intend to strip them.

Nice work! Check out my recent post on RAAM audio products.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=373683&highlight=

Mon Aug 31, 2009 4:26 am

timo78 wrote: Do you still have the oil leak? I had one similar to yours, where it seemed to be a seal, but in the end it was a loose oil circuit\galley plug. Mine was leaking out the rear though, I can't recall if there are plugs in the front, but offer the suggestion.

Yes, I do still have the leak. No time to address it now though. It's not too bad, but the bus isn't being driven any either. At the moment it will leave a silver dollar size spot on the garage floor after I've run it for a few minutes the day before, then stop. Definitely seeping out from the seam between the engine and the transmission casing. We reset and resealed the engine plugs there this last go around, so thats not it. I'll start into that issue again once the bus is back on the road.

BUSBOSS:

That is exactly what I have in mind. I'd already received inspiration from your post!

Mon Aug 31, 2009 5:27 am

BampaBus wrote: Then finally the idea was thrown out, by my wife, that this would be a perfect tailgating vehicle.

It does!!

Mon Aug 31, 2009 7:42 pm

BampaBus wrote: timo78 wrote: Do you still have the oil leak? I had one similar to yours, where it seemed to be a seal, but in the end it was a loose oil circuit\galley plug. Mine was leaking out the rear though, I can't recall if there are plugs in the front, but offer the suggestion.

Yes, I do still have the leak. No time to address it now though. It's not too bad, but the bus isn't being driven any either. At the moment it will leave a silver dollar size spot on the garage floor after I've run it for a few minutes the day before, then stop. Definitely seeping out from the seam between the engine and the transmission casing. We reset and resealed the engine plugs there this last go around, so thats not it. I'll start into that issue again once the bus is back on the road.

Here's how I found mine. I dropped the engine and cleaned the surface of the case area dry. Then installed the engine and ran it until it leaked. This didn't take long in my case. Removed it again, and ran my finger around the case to find the oil "stream". This will point to your issue.

Sun Sep 13, 2009 6:00 pm

Great idea on checking for the oil leak. I'll may end up having to do that. It's under warranty from the mechanic though, so I'll probably let him take another shot at it first.

Took a couple of days off toward the end of last week and primed and sanded. Here's what it looked like completely primed.

Note that I did not 100 % prime. Lots of areas just didn't need it. I did scuff everything though with 320 grit before painting.

All the cutouts and recessed areas were a bear to knock down. I had no choice but to be patient and work every square inch with sandpaper. I followed up with a 3M scratch pad, one of the green ones, which is pretty close to 400 grit. I'm painting with single stage. The paint shop owner has been really helpful. I've been using him as a consultant. We are going with single stage paint instead of base coat/clear coat. In that case he was really firm that I should not use a finer grit than 320 on the primer or for scuffing original paint.

After much discussion with myself, I decided to break the painting down into two stages. Inside first, outside last. I also decided to not sand down the exterior until after the inside was painted. That way I could be a little less concerned about overspray. Here is the bus after the inside is sanded but before any masking.

Masking took a good 3 hours this morning. Then the whole interior was wiped down with wax and grease remover. Following the wipe down, it was time to mix the paint. The storage areas to the side of each front seat were painted by hand with a foam brush, then sprayed as best as I could. I then started at the rear and worked my way forward, leaving the cargo floor covered with a couple of clean rugs. Two coats took me a good four hours, mainly because I had some trouble with pinholes. I finally stopped and did some research on the net, then realized I was using too small a needle. I switched to the next size up and the pinholes went away. I still had issues with pattern, proper atomizing, etc., a little bit of orange peel (very little). Fiddling with the gun settings finally got me where I needed to be.

This is another reason why I chose to do the inside first. Any flaws would be hidden. After it was done though the only flaws I see are a few runs.

The paint matched really well. I did not paint inside some areas as they will be covered with insulation, and removing the old adhesive is a nightmare.

I laid a second coat over my pinholes, and they filled nicely. I was surprised. I figured I'd have to do some sanding.

So far I'm very pleased. Looks like a new bus on the inside. Now on to the outside. Hopefully later this week I can roll it out of the garage and start sanding.

Sun Sep 13, 2009 6:58 pm

Nice work!

Sun Sep 27, 2009 3:47 pm

I found time to paint the top earlier this week, and then the outside of the body this weekend. Learned a lot (more), and it turned out pretty good. Not quite showroom perfect, but pretty darn close. I'm pretty picky. I'm hoping to be able to buff out any imperfections.

First move was to drape the vehicle and paint the top. Painters plastic was quick and worked fine. This kept overspray out of the inside. Primer was still in place on the outside, so a little overspray wouldn't hurt, but why make the job harder.

I decided to do the roof first as it was a lot more difficult than you'd think. Reaching over involved dragging the compressor hose across the body. That would have been disaster on a freshly painted side.

I really had problems with getting a good finish. I'm using single stage urethane. Paint requires two coats, my supplier strongly suggested three. The problem is the final wet coat. No matter how careful I am with settings on the gun, angles, etc., I get a few areas where the paint doesn't lay down glossy. It comes from the upper and lower edges of the paint fan. Maybe I'm not thinning it enough. But if I thin it too much, I get runs. Hopefully I can polish this out.

Here's the bus all sanded, papered and taped and three coats on.

Naturally, after the whole bus was done, runs found in three spots. Supposedly I can sand and polish those out. Instead I taped off the sections this morning, sanded off the runs (they'd dried overnight, roughed up the panels and put on one more coat. No more runs.

Here's the package unwrapped. Kind of like Christmas!

I found one more run this afternoon. In an easy to isolate area. Next time I'm painting (doors) I'll mask it off and reshoot.

Now on to the doors. Also time to consider ordering seals and a whole list of other items needed to reassemble. Hopefully next weekend I can get the doors sanded and primed.

Sun Sep 27, 2009 8:55 pm

You've done a nice job, keep us updated with pics as you progress. It was a sweet looking bus before you started and is only getting better.

Sun Oct 11, 2009 5:56 pm

I took some vacation time and worked on the bus the end of last week and over the weekend. Lots of progress. It's going slower than I'd like, but I'm finally in the reassembly phase.

I finished painting all the doors. These were done off the bus in the garage on sawhorses. As with everything else, prep took a lot more time than actual paint. I painted in shifts: the slider, engine lid and rear liftgate first, then the two front doors. I painted the inside first, then taped edges and flipped, then painted the outside the next morning. All in all it turned out good. Everything matches. The only problem is bugs in the paint. One door has a big one in it. I'll probably respray that one after all the other paint is finished. I have a few other panels with minor issue. I may just do them all at once.

Here's a front view. Doors on, lights back in but not dressed off yet.

Side view. Note the front door sticks out a bit from the body. This is after I've adjusted everything, and is a result of the new seals. They are really nice, but are also really thick. I'm hoping they will compress a bit.

Drivers side. I've been installing windows also. Not too difficult, except that rear smokers window (vent). That was easy once I figured it out. But I'll bet it took me an hour and a half to get it reassembled. I painted the frame so it all looks new.

The next step is the camper top. I completely disassembled it, then washed, then sanded top and bottom, made one repair, then primed. I used an expoxy primer recommended by my auto paint shop. The top (front and rear) then received two coats of cloud white on the bottom, and one coat on the top before I ran out of paint. I'll have to pick up another quart tomorrow.

Not likely to get much done this week as it's back to work. Once the top is back on it's time to tackle the glass in the front door. That, I am not looking forward too.

I've ordered pretty much everything else I need. The seats are all at the upholstery shop. They will be ready as early as next Friday. I've ordered some missing trim items and all the material necessary to soundproof the bus, which should all be here for next weekend.

One disappointment is the radio. I picked up a new speaker, and the radio lights up, but all I get is some static as you turn up the volume. Not reception static, but more like a bad connection static. I was hoping it would work.

I still need to find a new windshield. I've priced them locally and am getting around $ 280 as the best price, I install it. Based on what I've seen here that's kind of steep. I need to shop around some more, but need to do it soon. Last item to paint will be the bumpers. Oh, and the exhaust. It will come off and be painted on the sawhorses. Finally, I ordered a hitch which arrived on Friday. That will be the last item before the rear bumper is reattached. The camper top can go back on next weekend. I need to flush and bleed the brakes, then if the seats are ready we could actually drive it again. Woo Hoo!

I have a camper top tent on the way as well. Looks like I'll be busy next weekend!

Sun Oct 11, 2009 6:02 pm

Man, this bus is going to turn out amazing! Keep it coming.

...where did you order the hitch from?

Sun Oct 11, 2009 6:15 pm

Thanks. I hope it's not so nice I'll be afraid to drive it! Naw, that won't happen.

The hitch is from James Rivers in Canada. Run a search on him here, and you'll find him. He says it will fit, but I may have to split the moustache bar under the rear bumper. That should be pretty easy.

Mon Nov 02, 2009 7:54 pm

Three weekends have passed, and it's finally coming back together. The top went back on, the bumpers were stripped, sealed and painted, and dash assembly was completed. I've also started and finished the soundproofing and insulating. Here are a few highlights.

Before I could reassemble the bumpers I needed the little insulators that fit between the bumper caps and the actual bumper. Samba supplied me a lead on one place to buy them, but they only had them for Beetles. As an alternate, the company I work for manufactures a product designed to protect people or wire from the sharp edges of cut metal panels. I thought this might work well, so I ordered in 8 feet of it and cut it into 12" lengths. Here's the old pieces off the bus next to some of the new product.

The Rayrim (brand name) is a molded, heat shrink material. It comes in a "V" shape, then recovers to a "U" shape. It is also adhesive lined, so it sticks well. If worked properly as it is applied it is flexible and did a good job of taking the complicated shape of the bumper cap. Here it is with one side applied, the other just set in place prior to heat.

The heat gun and diverter I used.

And the applied product on the bus bumper. It really looks good. Takes a little patience to get it right, but what doesn't?

Here's an interior shot with the Rammat in place. This was followed by Ensolite. I did not take this to the extremes others may have, as I am not an audiophile and only wanted the coke can rattle to go away. So far I'm very impressed. Doors sound solid, engine noise is dramatically less. I haven't had it on the road since I finished the soundproofing as I ran into an electrical issue (alternator) that has to be fixed first, so I can't give a final opinion yet.

Ceiling. This was also covered with Ensolite, then the ceiling was insulated with Reflectix (not shown).

Door interior's got a nice covering of Rammat. They are so much more solid feeling and sounding. Big difference.

Here the original plywood panels are going back in. Note the Ensolite rolled up in the corner. It was cut to fit the back platform after the cabinets and seat went in.

Interior from a different angle.

The last photo above was shot Sunday afternoon. That evening we worked late, and now all cabinets are back in, and all seats with new upholstery, lights, etc. Still need to put in a floor, the sink, the topper tent and curtains. But it looks like a bus again! Everything is really turning out nice. I'll follow up with more photo's next week.

Tue Nov 03, 2009 9:58 am

I'd bet dollars to doughnuts you have a rear main seal leak.

Tue Nov 03, 2009 4:20 pm

stevem49090 wrote: I'd bet dollars to doughnuts you have a rear main seal leak.

Can't take that bet, cause I'll lose. Odd though. It's been replaced twice now. Still warranteed by the mechanic. It will probably be January before I can leave it with him to have it fixed. I'll post results then.

Tue Nov 03, 2009 6:57 pm

You have done an awesome job.Can't wait to see it all done. 8)

Sat Nov 14, 2009 7:28 pm

We have our Bus back! Not completely finished. There's a lot of trim work and fine tuning to do, but it looks like a Westy again.

We finished installing cabinets and seats the evening of my last post. Once this was complete, the next step was the door panels. This was harder than I thought it would be. Aligning all those clips took patience. But the results are worth it. I used a local upholstery shop for the seats and door panels. They did a very good job. Even sewed a pattern into the panels. We shy'd away from the original mustard yellow in favor of something more to our taste.

Here's the right door panel with all the trim in place.

Here is the left door panel without trim. I don't have any. I will have to find it used somewhere (classifieds).

The front seats were simple. They snap right in. Note a vinyl bottom and cloth tops. All other seats are the same cloth. It is so nice to be able to slide out and not rip my pants on loose springs.

Here is the rear deck with Ensolite foam over Rammat.

Then with the new pad in place. We tossed all the old foam. Too many memories of the mouse house. I doubt we could have cleaned them.

Some of these photos show the new curtains also. Here's the rear bench Z bed.

The floor was next. We decided on wood. One box of snap together laminate was all it took. I still need to trim out the sides.

It didn't take the mascot long to realize his favorite bed was back!

Next was the sink. All cleaned up and back in place, but for fit only. I had a leak I need to correct before I drill the new floor and make it permanent.

Jump seat.

I have new kick pads on order in ABS, but they are out of stock for another month. So I cleaned up the old cardboard ones and painted them black. They look okay, from a distance. I need to hide wires.

And finally, one of the goals I've been working toward for the past . . . however long. Tailgating! Last weekend, BampaBus made it to his first football game. He was a big hit. Lot's of questions from passers-by. Camping trip to follow very soon.

Note the bike rack, which required a trailer hitch. That's a whole story in itself. It works, it's well made, but it is not designed to fit with an aftermarket EMPI exhaust. I'll write that one up in a seperate thread.

Then finally, there was a VW show in St. Augustine today. So I took the BampaBus over for some social networking. He was well received. Note the tent is installed. That was last weekend, and it went very smoothly. The old cot is in shreds, but a new one is on the way.

What's left? A lot. Paint the rims, new window seals for the jalousie windows, radio, wet sand and polish, lot's of small trim items, odometer, front windows stick and are hard to crank, etc. I have a page and a half punch list to make it through, and a table with some leftover items of which I'm not quite sure where they go. Then back to the engine oil leak issue. I leaked half a quart on a 120 mile round trip today. Butt sag issues and shocks as well.

I'll continue to post until completely complete.

Sat Nov 14, 2009 7:43 pm

BampaBus wrote: Dreadnot:

It will probably be a couple of weeks before I get around to pulling the covers off and inspecting. If they are perfect, I'll probably see if I can get a few bucks out of them. If I let them go for free, you are first in line!

So how's 'bout that fabric? Looking to get rid of it still?

....beautiful job on this bus. I look forward to the day I can return mine to the original color of L90D.

Sat Nov 14, 2009 11:23 pm

I just sat here and read yoiur whole thread. Nicely done. I would have probably cleaned it and rolled it as is. ;)

Sun Nov 15, 2009 8:25 pm

wow, nice work!