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Tue Feb 23, 2010 12:23 pm

I own a 71 transporter deluxe named Gertrude (ghertwoodah) and have been doing some research to find the original color scheme. I was able to decode the M-plate and discovered her to be an original west coast LA girl sporting a 2 tone paint job coded 0406.. or Sierra Yellow on the lower and pastel white on the upper. I have noticed on many early bays that when there are 2 colors such as this that often times the white is kept just on the roof and the rest of the body has the other color. Wanting to return her to her original scheme and short of peeling back the many layers of what now are surely non stock cheapie over sprays how would I determine which course to follow?

Thanks,

Dan 8)

Tue Feb 23, 2010 12:28 pm

we had a 1971 7-passenger deluxe sunroof that was sold originally in the Los Angeles market about the same. Ours was sort of a butterscotch color. The white began at the belt that went around it.

Tue Feb 23, 2010 12:28 pm

shamrockmac5 wrote: I own a 71 transporter deluxe named Gertrude (ghertwoodah) and have been doing some research to find the original color scheme. I was able to decode the M-plate and discovered her to be an original west coast LA girl sporting a 2 tone paint job coded 0406.. or Sierra Yellow on the lower and pastel white on the upper. I have noticed on many early bays that when there are 2 colors such as this that often times the white is kept just on the roof and the rest of the body has the other color. Wanting to return her to her original scheme and short of peeling back the many layers of what now are surely non stock cheapie over sprays how would I determine which course to follow?

Thanks,

Dan 8)

'71 has the color break below the belt line. Check the photos in my gallery of my old '71 in the same colors, to see how the color break works in the door jams, etc. Most resprays take the easy route and don't get the color break correct in the detail areas.

Also, if you want to go 100% original the whole bus gets painted the lower color first then the top is painted.

Tue Feb 23, 2010 12:29 pm

what I think you are asking is which body line the white originally started at. I would imagine it is from body bulge above the door handles, up.

Tue Feb 23, 2010 12:33 pm

This is how the '71 Deluxe 'Sierra Yellow' paint scheme is supposed to look:

Tue Feb 23, 2010 12:33 pm

Just paint it pink with teal scallops and call it done!

Tue Feb 23, 2010 12:37 pm

patayres wrote: This is how the '71 Deluxe 'Sierra Yellow' paint scheme is supposed to look:

Almost. The fresh air grill should be yellow, not white and the wheels should be silver, not white. 1971 get silver wheels like this:

Tue Feb 23, 2010 12:37 pm

'68-70 buses were painted all the way to the roof (roof only white)

'71's were painted up to the beltline and the rest is white (as shown in the pictures above

Tue Feb 23, 2010 12:40 pm

Anchovy wrote: shamrockmac5 wrote: I own a 71 transporter deluxe named Gertrude (ghertwoodah) and have been doing some research to find the original color scheme. I was able to decode the M-plate and discovered her to be an original west coast LA girl sporting a 2 tone paint job coded 0406.. or Sierra Yellow on the lower and pastel white on the upper. I have noticed on many early bays that when there are 2 colors such as this that often times the white is kept just on the roof and the rest of the body has the other color. Wanting to return her to her original scheme and short of peeling back the many layers of what now are surely non stock cheapie over sprays how would I determine which course to follow?

Thanks,

Dan 8)

'71 has the color break below the belt line. Check the photos in my gallery of my old '71 in the same colors, to see how the color break works in the door jams, etc. Most resprays take the easy route and don't get the color break correct in the detail areas.

Also, if you want to go 100% original the whole bus gets painted the lower color first then the top is painted.

Aha! Ok well that was the answer I was hoping for. Thanks all for the input. Incidentally, did this bus just sell on ebay recently? I saw one just like it listed for sale out of North County (San Marcos). A real honey of an example if you ask me...

Thanks again! :)

Tue Feb 23, 2010 12:45 pm

Aaaaaahhhh, Sierra Yellow, two year only color and in my opinion, the best color VW ever came out with.

Tue Feb 23, 2010 12:46 pm

shamrockmac5 wrote:

Aha! Ok well that was the answer I was hoping for. Thanks all for the input. Incidentally, did this bus just sell on ebay recently? I saw one just like it listed for sale out of North County (San Marcos). A real honey of an example if you ask me...

Thanks again! :)

Yes, it is in Germany now.

Tue Feb 23, 2010 12:49 pm

Quote: Almost. The fresh air grill should be yellow, not white and the wheels should be silver, not white
Ah yes... forgot about those couple things the PO had changed. Your '71 looks great by the way 8)

Tue Feb 23, 2010 1:02 pm

Anchovy wrote: shamrockmac5 wrote:

Aha! Ok well that was the answer I was hoping for. Thanks all for the input. Incidentally, did this bus just sell on ebay recently? I saw one just like it listed for sale out of North County (San Marcos). A real honey of an example if you ask me...

Thanks again! :)

Yes, it is in Germany now.

Well it's sister will be back in Cali before too long...

Perhaps one day it will look as good yours.

Thanks Anchovy!

Tue Feb 23, 2010 2:37 pm

busmania24 wrote: Aaaaaahhhh, Sierra Yellow, two year only color and in my opinion, the best color VW ever came out with.

x2! 8)
\:D/ \:D/ =D> =D> \:D/ \:D/

Tue Feb 23, 2010 4:14 pm

Sierra is the best!

Here's my '72

Tue Feb 23, 2010 7:19 pm

i believe also that the bumpers were a whiter white than the top from the factory. dove vs pastel white or something . i don't all the names & paint code #s.

Anchovy: sorry to hear that's your "old" bus. that's a thing of beauty.

guess i can let the 72 slide. it does look awful purdy...from the front :P

we owned westy's when i was young (white :( )
i would always wish we had one of the "cool" colors.

Tue Feb 23, 2010 7:29 pm

borninabus wrote: i believe also that the bumpers were a whiter white than the top from the factory. dove vs pastel white or something . i don't all the names & paint code #s.
Nope, same color bumpers and upper body (and emblem on commercials), maybe you've seen too many repaints or pre 71's.

Sat Feb 27, 2010 4:12 pm

patayres wrote: Quote: Almost. The fresh air grill should be yellow, not white and the wheels should be silver, not white
Ah yes... forgot about those couple things the PO had changed. Your '71 looks great by the way 8)

Hey Pat I'm in Bend too! We should get these 2 together and do some hobbying... I hear good things about rustoleum roll ons.... perhaps we can convince Caleb to do his magic on ours too...