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Fri Jan 22, 2010 1:03 am

Hello all
Just thought id share with you my final weeks work on the barndoor before it goes to its new owner in austria.

I own a 1953 Feb microbus, ive brought it from BBT belgium about 6 years ago and had it on the road mostly since then.

East German bus, so it came when the Wall toppled - was used on a guys farm as it arrived with tractor style tyres and odd attatchments on each wheel for ploughing. Dove blue over what looks like the original Beige - it was deliverd new to Dortmund Germany where it was fitted with a full length dash and indicators (at one point).

I got it on the road, took it to BadCamberg - which was excellent! this was on my 1835cc engine. Over the next few years i fitted the bus with a 911 2.7L engine which again was great, then most recently a WRX Turbo engine/setup, which was probably not a great idea, but it worked and drove with so much power - the engine bays are just suited to large or powerful engines!

Last weekend i removed the entire Subaru setup and all the scoops, curtains, stereo system etc in prep for the 1835cc to go back in! So ive taken the engine out of my OVal and its going in tomo morning.

Ive obviously cut various parts of the engine bay, drilled holes etc and made some work for the new owner, but hes aware of this and this is one of the first jobs to tackle - i did keep the metal cut out, so some can be put back. I havent had the time to cut and remove the WRX fuel system from the tank, so suspect this will be going with it to Austria.

The new owner wants to revert it to aircooled and do a full resto so th bodys nice - the body is currently old and tired, but quite solid - lot of gass less 1970s patch work welding - but mostly solid!

I'll be gutted to see it go, i really will, i love the poze factor and thats its old and looks cool - it drives ok to. I'll just miss it as its been part of me and ive spent hundreds of hours on it or under it! The moneys to go towards a house for me and the kids, so its a sacrifice, but one thats definetly worth it .... and i bring the VWs home !

New owner is flying over next weekend, then driving the bus back to austria- mega hardcore in a new bus and something not seen and so old! ive driven it once since july (back last week), so i know the engine will be excellent and reliable, i just need to spend time checking and cleaning the disc brakes and all that - so its hopefully good to go.

Cheers
Poze

Sat Jan 23, 2010 10:25 am

um, how bout some pics?

Sat Jan 23, 2010 12:10 pm

busmania24 wrote: um, how bout some pics?

Look in his gallery, there are plenty of pictures.

Sun Jan 24, 2010 5:56 pm

i'm just gonna speak my mind and say i think that bus going back to stock is a good thing

Sun Jan 24, 2010 5:58 pm

UZI wrote: i'm just gonna speak my mind and say i think that bus going back to stock is a good thing

I concur

Sun Jan 24, 2010 9:10 pm

wwly74 wrote: UZI wrote: i'm just gonna speak my mind and say i think that bus going back to stock is a good thing

I concur

What kind of dill weed takes a bus like that and mangles it?? Hopefully the new owner has, in the words of his deceased compatriot Jane Austin, more "sense and sensibility."

Mon Jan 25, 2010 1:46 pm

Fair comments, but I did end up with a 12.5 second bus, so probably one of the fastest barndoors on the planet - but as a cost of cutting a lot of engine bay metal out.

I do regret it now, but today when i spent a day messing around with an old vw performance engine with poor heaters and lumpy 120 cam - the WRX lump was just sweet and hassle free.

I wasnt bothered about the power, but as this was the best engine i could buy, it just happened to be late 2.5L, turbo'd and a minter.

Im now a stock VW man, my verts bone stock bar 12v, the Standards going to be more stock and im retaining the 6v. Ive also just had built a nice 1200cc for the Oval, again stock and all new so no messing -and its going in correctly first time with nothing half done or poor condition.

The new owner of the bus is going performance vw with steel smoothies, so will be nice in a couple of years time and a nice clean body finally!

Cheers
Poze

Mon Jan 25, 2010 2:36 pm

paul.grice@jpmorgan.com wrote: Fair comments, but I did end up with a 12.5 second bus, so probably one of the fastest barndoors on the planet - but as a cost of cutting a lot of engine bay metal out.

Cheers
Poze

if it's not aircooled, it doesn't count. sorry. it just doesn't.

Mon Jan 25, 2010 2:50 pm

Ok, I did 16.5 1/4mile with the old 911 engine - 2.7L 1974 , with full camping gear, about 3 years ago.

But i do hope the new owner (from Austria) restors her to a decent stock standard - its the way forward. When I get another bus in 3 or 4 years time, it will be stock bar my CSPs.

Cheers
Poze

Mon Jan 25, 2010 3:04 pm

WHO the h... is getting this bus ...? :-k :?: :D
glad to see an early bus returning over the pond, mangled or not ! :lol:

Mon Jan 25, 2010 3:18 pm

Guy called Marius

Lives in Austria, actually i dont know where - but we are in contact daily, he maybe even reading these forums.

He plans a couple of years of work to get the bus nice. That is of course if he takes it this weekend and makes it home ok. UK weather is ice and snow at the moment!

Cheers
poze

Mon Jan 25, 2010 3:26 pm

UZI wrote: paul.grice@jpmorgan.com wrote: Fair comments, but I did end up with a 12.5 second bus, so probably one of the fastest barndoors on the planet - but as a cost of cutting a lot of engine bay metal out.

Cheers
Poze

if it's not aircooled, it doesn't count. sorry. it just doesn't.

Does 6 cylinder air-cooled count !? :D 8)

Mon Jan 25, 2010 10:07 pm

i want to be the first to recognize said builder/owner of the bus is taken a bit of a beaten and is being a good sport about it...

Tue Jan 26, 2010 2:28 am

paul.grice@jpmorgan.com wrote: Guy called Marius

Not (yet) familiar ! :D .looking forward to the whereabouts of your bus.
Here's icensnow two. Hopefully no J pipes and at least some heaterpipe remains under the bus. No fun cruising a front cab w/o heating at 10°, minus that is, currently ! My 54 beetle has working heaterboxes (.... :roll: )on it's 1500, but this last weekend's 500km roundtrip to Vienna was bit cold... :x
Let's wish the best to the brave new owner. Owning an early bus is not free of trouble....
Although your modifying is not really appreciated, it doesn't seem so bad in the end. Nothing compared to a rusted out wood found project.
All the best.

Tue Jan 26, 2010 2:51 am

gatorwyatt wrote: i want to be the first to recognize said builder/owner of the bus is taken a bit of a beaten and is being a good sport about it...
x2. the response was dignified. i was expecting the reaction to me more single fingered

no-one liked that odd WRX installation, but no need for the name calling. own a barndoor?
fair play, paul. nice post i thought. just i'd spell poze pose :)

lets see some pictures with the new motor installed - & pictures of the road trip

Tue Jan 26, 2010 8:45 am

Hello
Im going to try and upload the new video very late tonight after work.

I did put one video on YouTube last week, the WRX engine setup.
So my new videos a lot shorter and with the 1835cc.

this morning i did the oil change, points and plugs checks, fuel filter and spent an hour trying to get it running nice - wasnt keen to idle properly.

Im thinking now (that im chilled at work) that maybe theres an air leak on the carb as i did remove this, so might make sense as i touched minimal anything else. I also got the heaters working better and cleaned the engine up so hopefully it wont bring any fumes in.

Once the videos up ill post the link... MArius the new owners flying in this Friday ready for the long long drive home...! Dover at 1pm he hopes, but hes going to have to leave mine early to do that in time.

Cheers
Poze

Tue Jan 26, 2010 10:47 am

gatorwyatt wrote: i want to be the first to recognize said builder/owner of the bus is taken a bit of a beaten and is being a good sport about it...

x2. not to take anything away from the amount of engineering that went into that van. i saw it at volksworld alive and in person.

Tue Jan 26, 2010 8:25 pm

I don't think anyone was being cruel, just voicing opinions. We all know, 'that which has been cut can be grafted'

Tue Jan 26, 2010 11:58 pm

Did you save all the pieces that were hacked out / up to give to the next caretaker that has to try to put it back together? A bay window would be a good next choice.

Wed Jan 27, 2010 2:22 am

Oh c'mon, leave him alone now! He already said he somehow regret cutting and all...WTF ? :x It probably wasn't the right thing to do to a BD, but it can be repaired. To his words it isn't a pristine bus anyways. Look what everybody does to 50 Mercs, chopping and dropping them on Mustang front ends, they still look cool cruisn around and they're older than most of the BDs, as highly sought after and maybe even more expensive.
Lot's of cars are getting modified, and that more often than not is a good
creative thing. This to say that I still love bone stock, original or quite authentic cars !!! But to my opinion some top level restored-to-stock cars might retain quite less original material or authenticity than a beat and cut up old survivor. Right now I personally like them old and dirty, even showing their wounds. As usual to each his own.
Now let's see if the car and the old/new owner make their business and hardcore wintertrip ?!