TheSamba.com :: View topic

Tue Dec 31, 2002 1:45 pm

I love my bus, she has been very good to me and I don't intend to leave her. Here's the deal though, I got her from the mid-west and that person got her from New England. Both rockers have been fixed by the PO but there is a lot of other rust that needs to be dealt with.

The roof has some crust in the front gutters which lets water come down the window frames onto your lap. I put some goop there to stop it. The bottom of the front window frames have been gooped up too by the PO because they have some rust. Almost every pop out and none pop out has rust in the channels. The front floors have typical rust and the cargo floor have typical rust too.

My luggage compartment floor needs to be completely redone. It looks like for a long time the rear hatch was leaking so the floor has many holes, including the where the spare tire goes. Before I filled them in, the cabin just smelled like engine and exhaust.

The rear corners have been redone but not done well and the nose is bad from about the head lights down. Other then that, she's a beaut!

I just don't know if it's worth fixing all that rust or should I just keep her as is. She probably won't rust too much more because the bus is in AZ now.

Tue Dec 31, 2002 2:17 pm

Don't do it Mike!! J/K, I think yours is a cool old bus though! But really, I know about you and your "love affair" with small taillights/backwindows/panel. I would say see what you can sell your bus for, and maybe have enough from the sale to put down along with some extra cash and get a pre 61 panel. OR, haha, you'll like this one- go over to "Ehore's" place where that '64 is and chop the metal out that you need and replace on yours!? :) Gimme a call later tonite after 5pm, I lost all of my phone numbers and Chris didn't know your number either. His 23 window is running and driving, we went for a spin around his complex diggin' the sunroof being open and rust flying out behind us, man it was great. Happy New Year Everyone! Late. -Mark.

Tue Dec 31, 2002 2:47 pm

She's not for sale and I don't want to sell her, at least not now. If I had a good donor bus and a friend who really likes to weld, I would probably get a lot of the shit fixed. That 64 would make a good donor. The most important things that need to get fixed are the windows and the roof. I can't even wash it without having a puddle of water on the floors.

Tue Dec 31, 2002 3:00 pm

Well I can't weld worth a shiat for sure, unless you happen like the "spagetthi look" welds! :) But I would be happy to give you what you need from "Ehore" to fix yours, I don't blame you for not wanting to sell her either, your bus is very cool for sure.

Tue Dec 31, 2002 3:38 pm

It feels good driving it and that's what it's all about.

I need to hook up with Derek and trade him some welding work for some mechanical work. You listenin' there Derek?

Tue Dec 31, 2002 4:43 pm

Yes!

Unfortunately, I am more of a shadetree mechanic when it comes to bodywork and welding, but I am more than willing to help. The good news is that Mr. Lehan is currently taking a welding class...!

>:) Derek

Wed Jan 01, 2003 12:41 pm

Hi Mike I had a 62 deluxe as my first split bus back in the early 80's It was a rust bucket but I loved driving it around Michigan because as far as I could tell no one else had one. I wrestled with the same decisions your are now and here is what I decided to do. I kept the old crowbait in running condition fixing only what needed to be fixed to keep it movng. I realized that all cars are eventially going to die just like us. Some more quickly than others. I started saving my bread and looked for another bus in better shape. I eventually found one and the neat thing is I used many of the parts in my old 62 on my new purchase so in a way she lives on! Being in AZ will certainly help but once rust has started it will continue its chemical process until their is little left. I have a 57 Kombi in a friends yard under an open awning we stripped the paint off the roof and some old repairs more than a year ago, and then work stopped as we both got real busy with family stuff. I was by and had a look at it a few weeks ago and it only had surface rust on it after one year, That's Southern California for you, imagine what that would look like in the rust belt! Tim

Wed Jan 01, 2003 8:33 pm

Sounds painful to me! What year is the bus? Seems 64-67 buses show up at decent prices. Hell 2 years ago a Kelly Park I passed up a decent mild rust 58 kombi runing and driving for $1k. It did not sell for the entire day, sold the next day. Basically needed the normal mild rust repair.
You knopw you can find the non-internet cars for a fraction of the cost as here.

Thu Jan 02, 2003 8:10 am

My bus is a '66 hard top dlx. One of the reasons that I bought it was that she is complete and mostly original, only has a bad paint job. I have all my seats, jail bars, a working clock, trim etc.

I may be in luck now though. One friend, Mark, is offering me metal off a parts bus and another friend, David, is taking a welding class. Maybe I'll make my bus his first project. He can't make it any worse!

Thu Jan 02, 2003 1:03 pm

Jesus H. Derek tell the whole world why dontcha? The Chicken Killer signed up for the same class and he already owns the hardware so if you're gonna spout do it about him...thursday's at PV high...hmmm, maybe we could recruit some "interns" for the ABC??? That would increase interest in running for office!

Thu Jan 02, 2003 6:13 pm

Oh, did I say "taking"?! I meant "teaching"!

There, how's that?!

Fri Jan 03, 2003 7:16 am

Oh, you mean "teach" myself to weld on your bus? Cool! Can we start with some air scoops like the turquoise kombi???

Fri Jan 03, 2003 11:09 am

Yeah, why not? We'll mold in some Baywindow scoops, vanagon taillights, and seal all the doors, Dukes of Hazzard style!

Seriously though, I think you should keep your Bus, Mike. Just hold onto it until the right one comes along (deluxe or panel), because they always come along when you're not looking for them. Good luck!