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Tue Aug 04, 2009 6:54 am

i was sent a link to a craiglist ad for a garage sale (thanks chris) the ad read:
"Tons of great stuff for sale, including:

-Old Town Canoe
-Raleigh Sprite (bicycle)
-Brass beds
-Chairs
-Chests
-1958 Volkswagon Bus (in very poor condition)
-Childrens Toys

Stop by on Saturday August 1st beginning at 9 am."

the garage sale was less than a mile from my house and i was going to be away that weekend for my sister's birthday. what to do? i had no clue as to what the bus was. 58 bus? i'm thinking a pressed bumper kombi that was put away years ago. no such luck. the owner bought it about 2 years ago from clarence over in NJ. when i heard that, i knew the bus was bad because all clarence's stuff was bad 15 years ago. long and the short of it is the bus was at my shop 25 hours before the garage sale even started.

the seller asked me what i was going to do with it. i told him that i would try to make it go but this bus is certainly dead as a doornail. the who knows. it's not something that i would plan to drive on the streets with any regularity. the plan has evolved into making this bus trail worthy for the trailbash reunion next year. it only seems right as brian, the guy i got this bus from told me that he stopped by my house at last years trailbash early in the morning and turned around and walked away. he said "the vibe wasn't right, too tribal" i actually remember this. this blue vanagon went back and forth past my house several times after the initial near tire screeching first pass. this older guy walks up the driveway, we were all just getting up, he looks around and before i had a chance to say hi, he turned around and walked away.

here are the shots of the sexy beast as i "found it":

you can kinda see the garage sale flier in the bus on the cargo floor.

here is what it needs. my number one goal is that this bus costs me next to nothing to make go. my plan is to use only parts i have from my years of collecting. now this is impossible right from the start because i beed a drivers door and a passenger side rear corner and battery tray. all 4 drums are stuck. this bus was apparently used as a potting shed and was buried in the dirt up to the rockers. these drums are really stuck. i'll drop the whole rear end out and throw another transaxle up in there. the front drums i may try to pull but a new beam i'm thinking is easier. i think i havve one with fairly fresh wheel cylinders.

i come into my shop each morning about 6:30-7 and pick away at it for a couple hours until i fell like i better go start making some money. if work is slow, i work on it until i'm burnt out.

so far: i slapped in some tail lights, popped in the missing headlight, cleaned the paint off of the windows, "detailed the cab", tore out the rotted parcel tray, installed a heater knob (for looks only) installed some front seats, installed a shifter, found a fuel tank in my shop, decided what 36 horse to use (the complete and running one of course).

progress photos will follow shortly.

Tue Aug 04, 2009 7:34 am

Coll bus and story, can't wait to see it all come togetha'!

Tue Aug 04, 2009 7:40 am

can anyone tell me what color they think that red is on the drivers side long wall? it would make sense that it is SWR but next to my deluxe, it looks like fire aparatus red.

Tue Aug 04, 2009 7:50 am

damn, what a basket case :o

good luck with it though, off road buses are the shit

Tue Aug 04, 2009 7:52 am

I have some rear fender flares which you are entitled to if you allow me to do the honor or cutting.

Tue Aug 04, 2009 8:07 am

they'll be lots custom features. this bus did come with some bucket seats and based on there it was found, i'm certain that " the jersey look" was in it's destiny. we'll see about the fender flares. definately perfomance sccops.

i am thinking about deluxe trim to give it the "0-matic" look.

Tue Aug 04, 2009 8:30 am

You are a real trendsetter! Will definitely be the first Jersey-Look-O-Matic

Tue Aug 04, 2009 11:22 am

Nice!

A few random thoughts:

1) They say the best deals go down OFF the internet, but the super best deals go down ON the Internet, but when searching for VolkswagOn. Just further proof that any and everything O-matic is right for this bus.

2) I realize it's too early to call, but aside from being a trailbash superstar, this bus has the potential to be the full on "2010 FUBU-Q Feature Car"

3) I can't believe I missed out on that Old Towne Canoe. Damn!

Tue Aug 04, 2009 11:41 am

matt, i'll czech on the old town canoe for you. he told me $300 which i thought was too much. my understanding of used canoes is that they are $100.

update: the jersey look-0-matic now has engine scoops mounted with correct 1/8" aluminum rivets. i got caught in an energy burst and kept working right thru lunch hour. i finally hit the vietnamese hoagie place and got my iced coffee on!

Tue Aug 04, 2009 1:27 pm

good story, you gonna replace the missing metal or roll it like that? I figure the rotten rockers and missing dogleg give you more ground clearance anyways... :lol:

Tue Aug 04, 2009 2:53 pm

UZI looks like you found a perfect bus for trailbash.

Here's mine:

Although mine shows perfect jersey looker cut wheelwells, they have since been welded back. :wink:

Tue Aug 04, 2009 4:15 pm

UZI wrote: can anyone tell me what color they think that red is on the drivers side long wall? it would make sense that it is SWR but next to my deluxe, it looks like fire aparatus red.
what about Mars red?

Tue Aug 04, 2009 7:03 pm

here's a shot of the sellers garage sale poster:

NOICE!

more progress:
got out the old parcel tray and replaced it with fat lip parcel tray i had in back...

detailed the interior, installed a shiftrod (from the phoenixville BD deluxe) a shiftknob, heater control knob.

installed a mango emblem, polished the front windows...

here is the 36er it'll be running, can't wait to fire that up, it ran when i pulled it...

got the extra gas tank that come with the binz

pulled a set of performance scoops outta my fiberglas inventory. yeah baby!

the even match!

and as mentioned, there will be some deluxe features. front seat base.

working on buses wipes me out. i gotta crash. more progress tomorrow.

my plan is to section in the drivers side front floor, install the gas tank, either install the motor or drop the trans and install a new one, then go paint signs....we'll see how all that goes.

Tue Aug 04, 2009 7:48 pm

mattcuddy wrote:

1) They say the best deals go down OFF the internet, but the super best deals go down ON the Internet, but when searching for VolkswagOn.

Haha, no doubt!

Tue Aug 04, 2009 7:52 pm

Thats a cool project...a mile from the house isnt a bad either!

Wed Aug 05, 2009 12:52 am

The best deals are off internet! I got one for free! but it was sorta half/half, it was $50 but then I talked to the guy (not about the car, just vws and stuff) and he said he enjoyed talking to me so much, he gave it to me :lol:

Tue Aug 25, 2009 6:07 pm

hi volks, i've just been offered the first donor piece for the 2010 trailbash panel. tom (crukab) in royalton VT has offered to donate a drivers door. thanks tom! the south philly van club owes you! bigtime!

anyone have a set of brake hardlines that they wanna kick down? maybe trade for some old issues of kit car magazine?

Tue Aug 25, 2009 6:44 pm

how'd i miss this????

Wed Aug 26, 2009 2:35 pm

if you want i can get some fresh steel line from my work come over and fab some lines for that beast........

i'm so sad there was no bash this year.

Fri Aug 28, 2009 7:44 pm

I swear you must have some super human ability to find busses. I never seem to have luck at it!