TheSamba.com :: View topic - The Bokeh Bus....The Adventure Begins....

Mon Sep 21, 2009 3:16 am

I'd like to start by introducing myself. My name is James Goodnight and I'm a photographer currently studying at Art Center College of Design here in Pasadena. After two years I've realized in time to gain some perspective before diving into the field of commercial advertising photography....hence the start of the Bokeh Bus.

My room-mate Drew, fellow photographer and Art Center student, and I are taking a couple terms off to take a several month road trip around the country. We'll be heading north from California all the way to Vancouver. From there we'll head west through Chicago, Detroit and over to NY. From there we'll head south to Georgia for my roommate's buddies wedding (he's the best man), and then we'll be taking it slow zigzagging across the south back to Cali.

So far since finishing up the semester I've been able to sell off my studio at the El Monte Airport, sell all my VW projects (2 bugs, squareback, fastback), returned my fully built 02 GTI back to stock to sell, and find the right bus to travel around the country.
Here's a couple pictures of the GTI in all it's glory....and then how it stands now being returned to stock at SightWaves Performance Audio in Eagle Rock, California...

In starting our search for the perfect bus we evaluated what would be the best year/model to travel in. There were many factors to consider...but in the end it had to be a '71 or earlier...'71 being ideal. We almost got a '71 Dormobile...but it wasn't in the cards ...so we kept looking and have found/purchased an AWESOME '69 Adventurewagen. We picked it up Fri and have been prepping it for a major overhaul tomorrow. The funniest part was getting it home and while showing it off to the fam the sliding door fell off and hit the ground.....better now than on the road, I guess.

Here's the first pick from right before we picked it up.

Today we did a couple minor things...mostly prepping for tomorrow.
Started by addressing the slop in the steering box
-found out there was no drain plug which means there was most likely very little to no oil in it.
-cleaned it out with carb cleaner, aired it out
-put in new home made drain plug
-filled with gear oil
-tightened the steering box adjustment nut, then backed it off
Feels pretty good, haven't road tested it yet, but it made a huge difference in the slop while turning the wheel with the bus off the ground.

We then took a look at the electrical system to see why the running lights were not working.
-checked the fuse panel
-blown fuse
-grabbed one from the tool kit
Voila...we now have running lights. I also had a good chance look at the wiring under the dash....very nice, doesn't look like it's been tampered with, solid connections...good stuff.

Took off the front drums and brake pads to prep for the brake job and see if I would need to replace the wheel cylinders on both sides or just on the passenger side as the car had signs of leaking inside the wheel and would pull to the left under braking.
Looks like only the passenger side needs to be replaced, drums look good, and the pads look pretty new, but I'll still replace them before going on a 10k mile road trip.
And that's kind of where it's at....
I also was able to source one of two brackets I need to get the sliding door back on. Great seller, he understood the urgency of getting the parts together and was willing to meet me up on a Sun night. I also sourced two possible rear bumpers to pick up along the way (our bus was very complete with the exception of the rear bumper)...one in Sacramento and one in Oregon....but then I remembered that my buddy may have one that came with his bus that he never put on...so I may end up borrowing that for a while.

AND.....
I forgot to mention that Omar and Jesse over at SightWaves installed a new set of 6x9's in the back of the bus as well as a Alpine HU w/ ipod & aux inputs ....all in under an hour while we were finishing up the gti. Those guys are AWESOME....if you ever need any work done they do very good quality work at very reasonable prices. I'll have to post pics of the system tomorrow...nothing crazy as I don't want to put additional stress on the electrical system....but it looks very clean and def. bumps.

TONS OF PICS tomorrow after I finish picking up parts, a trip to the DMV, wrapping up the GTI (hopefully selling), and overhauling the bus. It's gonna be a rough day...especially since I just finished a bumper swap on the GTI at 2 in the morning......but it will all be worth it once we hit the road....

Mon Sep 21, 2009 3:19 am

I forgot to mention that we named it the Bokeh Bus...hence the thread title.

Mon Sep 21, 2009 4:13 am

Very cool. So when do you leave for this trip? If you headed east it may be quite cool by the time you get here. It was 37 degrees outside today in Central NH.

Mon Sep 21, 2009 7:09 am

Hi James, Welcome to The Samba. Three things...

First
ShotnLA wrote: We'll be heading north from California all the way to Vancouver. From there we'll head west through Chicago, Detroit and over to NY.

I think it would be faster to go east :P

Second, I am not sure that I would only replace one side's wheel cylinders. I have always been taught to change the whole axel at once. If one side was leaking, can the other be far behind? Trust me, you do not want to blow a wheel cylinder. :shock:

Third, I envy you! I wish I had taken the opportunity to do something like that before the responsibilities of life got in the way. Have a great adventure!

Mon Sep 21, 2009 8:22 am

Mountain Minstrel wrote:
Second, I am not sure that I would only replace one side's wheel cylinders. I have always been taught to change the whole axel at once. If one side was leaking, can the other be far behind? Trust me, you do not want to blow a wheel cylinder. :shock:

X2 do em both at the same time and save yourself the hassle of having to deal with it later.

Mon Sep 21, 2009 8:28 am

Everyone's right on the axle set thing. I've always believed being able to stop is a priorty over being able to go.

Mon Sep 21, 2009 9:08 am

I'll x2x2 that...brakes are one of those things you don't want to go wrong...nothing like coming down a mountain to find out your pedal does nothing!

Flush the system, replace all those rubber lines, and change out the wheel cylinders. It's cheap insurance.

Looks like it'll be a cool trip! Have fun!

Mon Sep 21, 2009 9:58 am

Art Center in Pasadena! That's where I graduated from. After the stress of that place I lost my mind and went on a 3 year surf binge all over Cali, Mexico, and Hawaii. Wish I had my bus back then. I would have just camped in it on school campus saved a fortune on rent.

Best of luck with your trip.

Mon Sep 21, 2009 12:05 pm

Awesome adventure, keep us posted we love pictures :D

One caution. When you adjust a steering box get the factory manual and follow it. You can just tighten it up as you did but the box will wear out in a month or 2 :(

Please readjust your to factory specs before it gets worn out.

Mon Sep 21, 2009 8:23 pm

Don't forget to inspect/replace your fuel lines, don't wanna burn up a nice old bus like that...

Tue Sep 22, 2009 1:26 am

Thank you for the warm response. We were hoping to leave tomorrow...but there's soooo much to do....

....and I would have uploaded pictures...but it turns out I left my phone in SightWaves parking lot (where I was working all day Sat)...and it was run over :(

SO IF ANYONE HAS A HOOK ON A REPLACEMENT IPHONE BEFORE I LEAVE..... I DESPERATELY NEED ONE BEFORE LEAVING FOR THIS 2 MONTH ROAD TRIP ON WEDNESDAY

Today was a CRAZY day. Lots of DMV paperwork, got the stock suspension on the gti and picked up over $500 in parts to overhaul the bus and back us up on the road...inc.
-front brake shoes
-front wheel cylinders
-rear brake shoes, they're good now...so I'll save 'em for later
-flexible brake line
-new KYB shocks all around
-3 fan belts
-2 accelerator cable
-platinum spark plugs
-new igniton wires
-new wiper blades
-2 fuel filters
-new Bosch coil
-and 4 new hubcaps

Of course they forgot to include the 4 CV boots I needed and the 2 clutch cables. I was on the fence about the Petronix II electronic ignition system, but I think I'll just pick up some extra points and pack a spare distributer. Now I just need some fuel lines and a couple of other parts and I'll be ready to hit the road.

I almost forgot...I was able to get the pieces I need to get the sliding door back on...and after an hour of adjustment...it'll now close, allllllllmost totally sealed (needs new weather stripping).
We then tackled the front brakes which took a couple hours for everything inc. the wheel cylinders, shoes, bleeding and adjustment. Put her back on the ground, put the new hubcaps on and headed home....only to lose one wheel cap somewhere on the 210fwy on the way home.

So tomorrow we're at it again....I've got to go by the DMV again to finish paperwork....go pick up more parts for the bus inc. 5 new tires...and pack pack pack.

I'll also try to snag some photo's off my buddies phone...but again....if anyone knows where I can find a new Iphone it would really help as I definitely did not budget for another cell phone...and it really is my sole way of instantly sharing photo's, not too mention navigating....

And if anyone wants a stock reflex silver 02GTI 1.8T w/ 90k for 5k, located in Los Angeles, let me know...I'll be heading to Carmax with it tomorrow.

Tue Sep 22, 2009 2:01 am

Dump the platinum spark plugs pick up Bosh supers, get clutch cable clips and a new bownd tube aka clutch cable operating sleeve , fuses and light bulbs..

Tue Sep 22, 2009 5:47 am

towd wrote: Dump the platinum spark plugs pick up Bosh supers

Ditch the Bosch Supers and get yourself a set of NGK Copper plugs. Nothing better in the world. Definitely get rid of the platinum plugs.

towd wrote: new bownd tube aka clutch cable operating sleeve

b-o-w-d-e-n tube. It makes it extra tough for someone new to Buses to get the right parts if you can't spell them correctly.

To the OP: I'm in Syracuse, NY, less than 10 minutes off of I-90, so when you get in the area if you need anything or a place to crash in the Bus, you're welcome here.

Wed Sep 23, 2009 3:39 am

Thank you everybody for the warm response.
I've been into VW's for a while now...first watercooled...then about two years ago when I started Art Center here in Pasadena I met Bob & Linda Costa in Eagle Rock, Ca. Bob introduced me to the Pomona Swap Meet and the whole air cooled scene. He also sold me my first bus, a '72 Westfalia. Less than a month later he passed away. The night before we were chatting it up about the makeover I was going to do on the bus that weekend before taking it to Dubfest along with my GTI. He gave me a set of the short bumper over-riders as a gift to give it a little style. A great man...I still have his picture hanging on my wall.

Since then, I've owned 5 air cooled vw's including a '71 squareback, '68 fastback, '74 bug, '68 baja bug...and now my '69 Adventurewagen. I've learned a lot along the way, which gives me a bit of confidence in taking on this adventure.

I was able to get some pictures off my buddies cell phone today...
Also picked up 5 new tires and gave the bus a good test run all over LA including a drive up the 110 to Pasadena. Feeling pretty solid...

Here's my baby before we returned her to stock

A picture of it back to stock...waiting to be sold...

And lining up for tires...$80 a tire installed, $450 total for 5

Hankook 185R14

And then stopping by my buddy Kristian's place w/ his '68 Deluxe

So we hope to have everything wrapped up in order to leave tomorrow afternoon and make it some-what close to San Fran tomorrow night...but we'll see, there's still a lot to do....including four cv boots....not fun.

Wed Sep 23, 2009 8:08 am

You guys have been busy! Takes some cojones to embark on a trip like this with a vehicle that's so new to you. Sounds like you've got some air-cooled experience to help you out along the way.

If your trip brings you through Central Oregon and you need a place to shower or work on your bus shoot me an email.

Wed Sep 23, 2009 8:25 am

If you get into any trouble near Oakland, (lol, I know, it sounds scary; it's not) I've got plenty of tools, open shower, etc. Your bus wouldn't fit in my garage, but I live on a quiet street, so if issues arise, shoot me an email. Good luck on your trip, it'll be fun!

Wed Sep 23, 2009 5:13 pm

thanks everyone....we're still finishing packing...planning on heading out first thing in the morning after a quick (hopefully) trip to the Santa Monica DMV to get the plates transferred over from my old bus...and then we're off....heading north trying to make it somewhat close to San Fran by tomorrow night. It's amazing how fast all the space in the bus fills up.

The good news is I was able to get a new phone...one that enables me to capture video and upload it on the road. I'll give it a test run this evening....

Wed Sep 23, 2009 6:26 pm

EXIT 90 off I-95. Just south of Savannah, GA. Come by for some food and rest if you are down this way. We would love to have you. We are a mile off the exit

Wed Sep 23, 2009 8:22 pm

Hey man I am on the return leg of my country tour. Get a good sleeping bag. It is starting to get cold up here in the North. Loo for a blue bay coming the other way toward Seattle.

Wed Sep 23, 2009 10:23 pm

Any bus trouble or accompanying bullshit near Sacramento give me a shout, have shop, tools, parts. PM for phone number. Isn't your school in Pasadena responsible for the new beetle design? I'll help you guys out if you need it anyway... :wink: