TheSamba.com :: View topic - Finally got my Westy. (Will be continually updated.)

Tue Nov 10, 2009 10:55 am

I have long wanted a late Westy in Sage Green. I have watched, and wanted, drooled and dreamed but could never pull the trigger on one because they were usually too far out of my price range or the affordable ones were too far away for me to go look at. Well last week me and my wife were doing our normal after the kid goes to bed routine, sit on the couch and watch TV and surf around.

Well I surfed around and found something I thought I had to have.

1978 Sage Green Westy.

Not too far, not too expensive, and new canvas! So I show it to my wife. Normally, she frowns, asks if we need more VWs, etc, but she knows how bad I want to take her and my daughter out camping in one of these before my daughter is to the "parents suck" phase that is rapidly approaching. So fearing the worst, I start to beg. Thats right Samba, I aint ashamed, I turned into a 16 year old boy pestering his father for the keys to the family car for a date. Please please please. Made promises and pleas.

Now you have to understand. My wife is very understanding in all regards. She understands my love of all things VW, and for the most part is agreeable. There have been times when the backyard VW count reached an all time high of five that I could see the limit being reached, but she never looses it. Much. Even left our wedding in a VW. Still feels bad about me selling my first bus to buy her ring. I used all these things to my advantage.

And she said yes.

I had to sell my two 71s, and promise to tile the floor in the kitchen and laundry room (anyone done tile work? PM me.) but I could have it. (Insert joyus dance here.)

I called the guy that night and talked to him about it, and he sent me about 27 pictures. It was love at first sight.

Now I can see that there is rust to be repaired, but it was priced fair, and the split guys bring crap back way worse. I'm dedicated. Its my Holy Grail. Rust smust. So the next morning, in my bestest sickest voice, I call in to work. Apparently I had a fever and a sore throat. No sir, I don't think its the pork flavored version. Sure don't want to infect the office. Yes sir, I understand, and I hope to feel better soon.

Employment out of the way, I arose at the ungodly hour of 4:45 a.m. to head 6 hours away to hopefully collect the newest member of the Kirk household.

314.3 Miles and $11 in tolls later (are there any non toll roads in Oklahoma?) I met a super nice guy at his house. He said he didn't think I was really coming because it was so far away, and had other people interested in it, but was glad to see me. So first glance, I confirmed there was lots of rusty areas. Both rockers, both splash panels behind the wheels, lower slider door, and battery tray all have rust.

On the upside, he refinished the top with new seals and a GoWesty canvas, and steam cleaned the interior cushions. The bus has a dealer tag for Merriman, Kansas, and the gentleman said he bought it from the guy who bought it from the guy who owned it since new. Apparently he bought it off here, does it look familiar to anyone?

There is some hippie type artwork on the back that is going to have to go, but I figured it is distinquishable enough that if someone here owned it before, they would recognize it.

Other than the rusty areas, the interior is really, really nice. Still has the westy table, bed up top is perfect, bed down below in great shape, and still has the original green carpet. Front floors in good shape too.

I went to start it, and it turned over really really slowly. Not like the battery was dead, but close. I did finally get it to fire off, and idle, but it was smoking terribly, and sounds like it has an exhaust leak. The previous owner pulled all the FI and swapped in a carb and a low pressure pump. (Can you tell me the correct timing setting?)

Once started, it would idle, but roughly, and smells rich. Compression checks out, but its leaking oil like a sponge, most obviously from the valve cover gaskets, but other places unknown. I let it sit and idle a while, and the smoke went away. Subsequent starts haven't been smoky.

To say I fell in love with this rusty (yet complete) camper would be an understatement. As I said before, its my Holy Grail. We worked out a deal, and I hooked up to it to head home, stopping for a photo op or two.

So I get back on the road, and man its slow going, but 314 or so more miles and three states later, I'm back in texas.

I pull up just before dark and my family comes out. My daughter, at first skeptical about the upper bunk, once up there with the windows unzipped, loved it. Wanted to camp out in the backyard that night if she could have. Even the wife likes it. Asked me to sell my red 69 to fix this one up. (Not sure about that exactly.....) and can't wait to go camping this next spring. I tucked it back into the back yard, and all is well.

It has to wait a bit before I have the funds to really work on it but I really hope to have it a reliable running camper by spring. My biggest fear is that the motor will need a rebuild (Stop. I can't afford a Camper Special yet) and there is no one locally to me (DFW area) that does a quality rebuild. Yikes. First thing I'm doing is selling the wheels, and getting a set of Hanooks. I plan to keep this one forever, so no shortcuts for me.

Anyway, I am happy as could be, the wife is happy, the kid is happy, all is right with my VW world. Thanks for reading.

Tue Nov 10, 2009 11:03 am

Good score! Can't tell you much on the engine side as I am learning on a 73 with a DB Holley. Good luck and enjoy the heck out of it.
Great photos and story......Dig that B&W photo, and the irony of the sign in background.... :wink:

Tue Nov 10, 2009 11:05 am

Awesome! Congrats. Is that a cat head in the sink? I'm hoping the rest of that cat is attached.

Tue Nov 10, 2009 11:08 am

Wow free cat =D>

Tue Nov 10, 2009 11:10 am

Daverham wrote: Is that a cat head in the sink? I'm hoping the rest of that cat is attached.

I was wondering the same thing...... :lol:

Tue Nov 10, 2009 11:32 am

Drive it in good health and congrats!

I'm in a similar mode with the wife and kids. But we already do the camping thing with an RV. This year we're going to take the Westy on a trip though! I used to drive my wife and I around when she was my gf in the 70s in a red and white 66 splitty. But I've got the 70 now and also have a cat which felt the need to explore the inside of it!

Is there a known cat fetish for these vans of record?

Tue Nov 10, 2009 11:40 am

Congrats! Great story. 3 states over--missouri or arkansas?

Tue Nov 10, 2009 11:54 am

Chazbot wrote: Is there a known cat fetish for these vans of record?

Don't know about that, but I do know my dogs love all my VW's. They would rather ride in them then my Suburban. Cool dogs I guess! :lol:

Tue Nov 10, 2009 12:01 pm

Based on the size of that head, that's a pretty big cat. Congratulations and nice story. Looks like you really scored nicely.

Tue Nov 10, 2009 12:18 pm

Funny, everytime I tell this story, that cat is the first thing mentioned. It belonged to the PO, and was laying there while I looked at it. Apparently the sun coming in the window was heating that sink up enough to be comfortable. :)

The three states were Texas through Oklahoma, into Kansas. :)

Known issues at a glance.

Brake booster is bypassed for some reason. Can see the hose going to it blocked off with a bolt stuck in the end and tightened down.
Headlights don't work.
Blinkers don't work.

Tue Nov 10, 2009 12:24 pm

Awesome bus, that's my favorite internal layout for a westy.

I love those pinstripes too.

Tue Nov 10, 2009 1:26 pm

Awesome story, you made me laugh a couple of times while reading it. Mostly just the part about calling in sick.

Tue Nov 10, 2009 1:33 pm

Watchout, my wife was un interested till we started camping.

My bus brought us all together and introduced my wife to the awesome world of vw buses. Now she's hooked and requires a squareback (good city driver and still capable of being camped in).

Tue Nov 10, 2009 1:45 pm

I can only see 4 or 5 of the pics since I am at work. I really wish everyone would host their VW pics here on thesamba.

Tue Nov 10, 2009 1:46 pm

Congrats! Run it forever, and you might wanna make sure theres no rodent housing projects in the tin even though the bus had its own patrol cat up til real recently...

Tue Nov 10, 2009 1:49 pm

Kirk wrote: There is some hippie type artwork on the back that is going to have to go, but I figured it is distinquishable enough that if someone here owned it before, they would recognize it.

I reconize it... I think. I remember clearly there being a topic on here where (I believe) a kid and his Dad were removing primer off the body to the original Sage Green paint and found all this hippy art on the rear hatch. I didn't know he sold it though.... Let me go diggining and see if I can find it.

Awesome Story by the way! 8)

Tue Nov 10, 2009 1:55 pm

thewalrus wrote: Kirk wrote: There is some hippie type artwork on the back that is going to have to go, but I figured it is distinquishable enough that if someone here owned it before, they would recognize it.

I reconize it... I think. I remember clearly there being a topic on here where (I believe) a kid and his Dad were removing primer off the body to the original Sage Green paint and found all this hippy art on the rear hatch. I didn't know he sold it though.... Let me go diggining and see if I can find it.

Awesome Story by the way! 8)

That would kick ass. I want to know everything I can about it, and would love to talk to the guys that had it before the guy that had it. :)

EZ Gruv wrote: I can only see 4 or 5 of the pics since I am at work. I really wish everyone would host their VW pics here on thesamba.

I would if they could be automatically resized. I have 10,000+ VW pics in my Fotki account because I can upload them there w/o resizing. The ones you can see are hosted here. I will work on changing that around now. Hold on.

EDIT: Done. ;)

Tue Nov 10, 2009 2:04 pm

Great story. Congrats :D

Tue Nov 10, 2009 2:16 pm

Thanks for moving the pics to this site. I have a soft spot for green buses with stripes!

I'm pretty sure I've seen pics of that bus before as well.

Tue Nov 10, 2009 2:27 pm

Alright Kirk, as payment for you moving your pics to samba, I give you these:

User bug-nuts:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/profile.php?mode=viewprofile&u=143041

...you're welcome. 8)