TheSamba.com :: View topic - Burgundy & Grey '56 Springframe Westy

Fri Jul 01, 2011 6:52 pm

TDIvan wrote: Thanks!
I guess the big question is whether there's a source for the paint codes for the Westfalia-painted busses?
I don't think so.

Sat Jul 02, 2011 6:32 am

There would have had to have been some kind of sample chart at the time?

Sat Jul 02, 2011 7:49 am

Nice bus, but shouldn't the title of the thread be July 56 Springlessframe Westy :P

Sat Jul 02, 2011 8:56 am

burwin wrote: There would have had to have been some kind of sample chart at the time?
No. The customer did not get to choose the color.

Sat Jul 02, 2011 10:34 am

Do you mean you just got what ever color they gave you???

Sat Jul 02, 2011 11:57 am

I would assume you would have picked it out off the lot.

Sat Jul 02, 2011 1:12 pm

TDIvan wrote: I would assume you would have picked it out off the lot.

Pretty much. In the '50'ies you did not really get to pick the color, if you wanted a deluxe you got a red/brown one, if you wanted a standard you got a green/green one, truck, panel, kombi, dove blue. Sure there were other options but for the most part you just picked the model you wanted. These early Westfalias were in very short supply at the dealerships. The original owner of my yellow & tan '56 said he had to wait three months for the bus to come into stock.

Sat Jul 02, 2011 7:16 pm

burwin wrote: Do you mean you just got what ever color they gave you???
Yes.
Early Westies were either dove blue, or colors of Westfalia's choosing.
Since the original owner of Greg's 56 ordered a westy painted camper and had to wait to get it, he didn't know what colors it would be until it arrived. It arrived yellow and tan with a red pinstripe.
He could have chose dove blue, though.
Ed's bus was also a Westy painted bus.

I think Greg should start a thread on Westfalia painted westies.

Sat Jul 02, 2011 10:18 pm

I've been trying to find out what Glasurit colors were available at the time (outside of VW), I would assume that Westfalia would have used something that was available. There is not much paint visible on my bus to try to get something matched.
BTW, Greg, Cletus dug that magazine out,unfortunately it turned out it was a panel that was converted to a camper and then repainted (not by Westfalia).

Sun Jul 03, 2011 7:18 am

Clara wrote: I think Greg should start a thread on Westfalia painted westies.

Agreed, that could be interesting. I'd like to know when they stopped painting them at westfalia.

Sun Jul 03, 2011 8:56 am

buseric wrote: Clara wrote: I think Greg should start a thread on Westfalia painted westies.

Agreed, that could be interesting. I'd like to know when they stopped painting them at westfalia.
I think the latest one I've heard of belongs to Chris & Gina in BC
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=458363
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=5222004&highlight=#5222004

Greg got the colors for his yellow bus matched off what was left on his bus under the re-paint.

Thread on Greg's yellow 56: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=441883&highlight=west%2A

Sun Jul 03, 2011 9:02 am

Quote: The original owner of my yellow & tan '56 said he had to wait three months for the bus to come into stock.

yeah I've been keeping my eye out on that one :D

Sun Jul 03, 2011 9:08 am

clara wrote: Quote: Since the original owner of Greg's 56 ordered a westy painted camper and had to wait to get it, he didn't know what colors it would be until it arrived.

non the less at some point in time some guy with a paint gun in his hand must have had some kind of a chart with some possible restrictions by westfalia.

or was it just random - so no westy is the same?

it's either random - or - some kind of chart

either way it brings a nice new quality to westies in my mind, any wreck of a westy could hold a new unique, yet original color scheme

:D

Sun Oct 02, 2011 9:46 am

Any news?

Wed Nov 02, 2011 5:41 pm

I ended up taking out to an up-and-coming metal guy in the midwest at the end of August to do rockers, outriggers/jacking points (3 of them), and the wheel well panels. It was finished this past weekend, so I went out to Volks-A-Ween in KC to hang out for the weekend and pick the bus up.
I've been working today on taking care of any surface rust spots in the cargo area so I can start to install the interior (what I have of it, along with some new wood). Pictures to follow later tonight.

Wed Nov 02, 2011 8:08 pm

Here are some pics:

right short rocker/ wheel well panel:

left rocker/wheel well panel:

inside of left rocker, some bulkhead patches, and some POR I added this afternoon:

Thu Nov 03, 2011 10:50 am

Glad you got that rag home :D

It is a most excellent bus, glad I got to see it in KC.

David

Fri Nov 04, 2011 7:38 pm

Nice progress! Can't wait to see it with the interior installed.

Fri Nov 04, 2011 8:22 pm

More pics:
Floor after PORd, primed and painted:

the holes at the bottom of the bulkhead belong there (for the jumpseat leg)

The nose was replaced at some point, it lost the ridge along the center below the windshields. I played with the stud gun today and recreated the ridge by overdoing it.

more playing with the stud gun:

put some paint on it to cover it until I can fit it in the garage:

next (over the winter) I'm going to experiment with metal shrinking to try and get the lower dents out. Here's a before pic:

Sat Nov 05, 2011 5:38 am

Quote: next (over the winter) I'm going to experiment with metal shrinking to try and get the lower dents out. Here's a before pic:

Please keep us updated on how this works, I am interested to learn the process.