TheSamba.com :: View topic - 1971 Bus all rear Vent Wing assemblies (finding them help)

Thu Nov 05, 2009 5:50 pm

First of all, hi to all here at The Samba, this is my first post althought I have been reading several threads before, awesome forum!
Ok, now for my question, I have a 1971 Bus which I am restoring, the one with 3 rear vent wings, 2 are on the driver side rear and rearmost windows and 1 in the right side sliding door, they all rusted beyond repair.
I been having a very hard time finding the replacements, only place so far I even seen them featured is at http://www.wolfsburgwest.com/cart/DetailsList.cfm?ID=221847632A but they are out of stock.
I would like german quality but in reality at this point all links or help would be great.
I found a place called "bustedbus.com" that seem to carry them in restored condition, expecting a quote from them.
Thanks!

Jose

Thu Nov 05, 2009 6:04 pm

Look for used parts being sold......68-71 are the same. I have a couple of these for sale. See my ads.

Thu Nov 05, 2009 6:07 pm

chris from the bustedbus is a good guy. prices are a bit steep, but i have been happy with the service

Thu Nov 05, 2009 7:15 pm

peaceful warrior wrote: Look for used parts being sold......68-71 are the same. I have a couple of these for sale. See my ads.

Checked your adds, looks like you have the front (cab area) doors?
I am looking for the rear vent window assembly, all 3 of them. My front area vent wings are in ok condition.
Thanks anyways, I gotta check the adds area...

Jose

Thu Nov 05, 2009 7:23 pm

skills@eurocarsplus wrote: chris from the bustedbus is a good guy. prices are a bit steep, but i have been happy with the service

Yeah, prices at bustedbus.com a bit on the steep side, just got a quote:
The Vent Wing Main Frame Assembly $149 each
The Glass Frame Assembly $89
So if I was to purchase from them I would pay a total of $714.00 dlls for the 3 restored vent wings, and this is not including shipping costs, yikes!
I which I could include that sum in my restoration budget, but is a bit much for me at this time.
Got to keep looking, all input appreciated and thanks for your reply

Jose.

Thu Nov 05, 2009 7:42 pm

BajaCapt wrote: skills@eurocarsplus wrote: chris from the bustedbus is a good guy. prices are a bit steep, but i have been happy with the service

Yeah, prices at bustedbus.com a bit on the steep side, just got a quote:
The Vent Wing Main Frame Assembly $149 each
The Glass Frame Assembly $89
So if I was to purchase from them I would pay a total of $714.00 dlls for the 3 restored vent wings, and this is not including shipping costs, yikes!
I which I could include that sum in my restoration budget, but is a bit much for me at this time.
Got to keep looking, all input appreciated and thanks for your reply

Jose.

:shock: dam. i am in the wrong business. personally, i would pay up to about 75 ish for an PERFECT one. tha is just out of control

Thu Nov 05, 2009 8:29 pm

Also check with Ken at Busco, vw76westy and Karl's daughter. Some on Colin's bus they are parting out might be available too.

Thu Nov 05, 2009 8:51 pm

Hey Capt., There is a All Air-cooled Junk yard in Hesperia Ca.
760 244 9811. Small Car Connection. There are 200 busses there

Thu Nov 05, 2009 8:56 pm

SGKent wrote: Also check with Ken at Busco, vw76westy and Karl's daughter. Some on Colin's bus they are parting out might be available too.
Thansk for this info, I found Busco, but where to look for vwWesty and Karl's daugher? I am fairly new here at The Samba, thanks!

Thu Nov 05, 2009 8:58 pm

ned wrote: Hey Capt., There is a All Air-cooled Junk yard in Hesperia Ca.
760 244 9811. Small Car Connection. There are 200 busses there

Thanks for this phone number! sounds promising with all those buses available, I will give them a call tomorrow, they only a couple of hours from San Diego :wink:

Jose.

Thu Nov 05, 2009 9:12 pm

If you can MIG weld thin metal, you may be able to restore the rusted ends of your existing frames. You'd need to find a donor frame to cut clean metal sections from. I assume the metal is rusted away from the angle bracket that fastens the channel to the vertical support?
We repaired our door wing that way.

Thu Nov 05, 2009 9:25 pm

Click on Forums
Memberlist
Type in the user name vw76westy
Click up LookUpUser
Send PM or email

Do the same again but use the user name of Karl for Karl's daughter. Karl left us about a month ago. His daughter Michelle is like a daughter to all of us on the Samba. Karl was a one of a kind person who doesn't come along all that often in life. His parts collection was/is extensive and Michelle is starting to sell what she can.

Thu Nov 05, 2009 9:43 pm

rockerbus wrote: If you can MIG weld thin metal, you may be able to restore the rusted ends of your existing frames. You'd need to find a donor frame to cut clean metal sections from. I assume the metal is rusted away from the angle bracket that fastens the channel to the vertical support?
We repaired our door wing that way.

Rocker,
I am very handy with all sorts of things, but among all I know how to do, welding is something I have yet to try... seriously considering it now lol!
I have not removed the vent wings yet, but they are in very bad shape, the frame that hold the glass is very eaten away with rust... I will post pictures tomorrow once I figure out the forum.
Going crossed eyed looking at the classifieds lol!
Thanks for your reply!

Jose.

Thu Nov 05, 2009 9:47 pm

SGKent wrote: Click on Forums
Memberlist
Type in the user name vw76westy
Click up LookUpUser
Send PM or email

Do the same again but use the user name of Karl for Karl's daughter. Karl left us about a month ago. His daughter Michelle is like a daughter to all of us on the Samba. Karl was a one of a kind person who doesn't come along all that often in life. His parts collection was/is extensive and Michelle is starting to sell what she can.

Wow, sounds like Karl will be very missed not just here but everywhere, so sorry he is not with us anymore...
I will check as you indicated and thanks for your reply :)

Thu Nov 05, 2009 9:47 pm

I figured you were in the same area code as Small Car. I used to live in closer proximity. Man you just don`t know how good it can be to have access to that kind of place.. I am lucky as a long relationship with them and they will UPS anything. I know I cant drive there and back for the coin UPS ships for so it is still worth it. Tell Eric Todd sent you.

Thu Nov 05, 2009 10:00 pm

He is about an hour and a half from them or more depending upon where he is in San Diego County. He can also call Diane at Interstate VW in San Marcos (San Diego Co) whose main yard is in Lake Elsinore (both are closer). I suggested 76VWwesty because he gets around to all these yards as he lives in So Cal also. I think vw76Westy also visits the Irwindale yard that is closing.

Thu Nov 05, 2009 11:57 pm

Quote: also visits the Irwindale yard that is closing.

its not closing yet, im just predicting that it will
since their key people are gone

thanks for thinking of me sgkent

skills@eurocarsplus
Quote: dam. i am in the wrong business. personally, i would pay up to about 75 ish for an PERFECT one. tha is just out of control

i agree $75 if it looks perfect ( a little more for the pass side one)

i have never bought anything from bustedbus but
im sure the ones bustedbus sells must be "restored" to new condition for
that kind of money & not just a used one that looks really good

i have a few windows but they all need work & not really usable
they way they are

Fri Nov 06, 2009 1:13 am

vw76westy wrote: Quote: also visits the Irwindale yard that is closing.

its not closing yet, im just predicting that it will
since their key people are gone

thanks for thinking of me sgkent

skills@eurocarsplus
Quote: dam. i am in the wrong business. personally, i would pay up to about 75 ish for an PERFECT one. tha is just out of control

i agree $75 if it looks perfect ( a little more for the pass side one)

i have never bought anything from bustedbus but
im sure the ones bustedbus sells must be "restored" to new condition for
that kind of money & not just a used one that looks really good

i have a few windows but they all need work & not really usable
they way they are

vw76westy,
Thanks for your reply,
please do keep me in mind if your run into any of this wings, I need the Left middle and rear and the Right sliding door vent wings complete.
I am getting all the parts I need before putting my 71 Bus in the shop for a paint job, pretty much everything is available among several online stores. I am getting basically all of the body rubber, the mirrors, hub caps , headlight trim rings among other things, but this are the most important for the Bus to come out of the shop street ready, and like I said, found everything online with the exception of the vent wings :roll:
There is a few other things I will need, but not as important for now, a good example of that is another elusive little part to find, this is those blue and red rubber dice shaped knobs for the heat and air sliders in the dash... but that will be a whole other thread! :)

thanks again.
Jose

Fri Nov 06, 2009 9:44 am

i just want to be the first to tell you

seals for windows & doors german ones cost $100+ , mexican or brazilin cost $20
the cheap ones will not fit right, they will leak ,& in a year or 2 start to crack
so don't buy the cheap crap !!!
mirrors, used original mirrors go for $15-$25 depending on condition
new repo mirrors go for $20,the repo mirror does not have ball pivot around mirror to make adjustments,
the actual mirror will fall out in less than 2 months of driving
& the chrome will start to pit & rust in 6 months(if you are able to reglue the mirror after it falls out )
a used original will last another 30 years after you clean it up

hub caps, new ones are thinner & will pop out & get lost, those the stay on after 300 miles will have chrome flake off & turn to rust

headlight rings, new ones don't fit right & are made of plastic,need i say more.........

the heater knobs (blue and red rubber dice) repos are made of cheap chinese plastic with colors that look funky, you can see the cheap color & quality from 2 car lengths on these things

(you know how long chinese plastic will last)

what i'm getting at is almost all reproduction stuff is cheap crap that is not worth .02 cents

plus 3x labor (1. put it on, 2. take it off, 3. replace it with good original & put back on)

does anyone have links to threads where people vent after buying this junk so that bajacapt does not make the same mistake

Fri Nov 06, 2009 12:33 pm

as for me I have 10 bays here and there all rusted out. On my westy restore's I do not reinstall them nothing but trobble.