TheSamba.com :: View topic - New Van! 1980

Tue Sep 02, 2014 10:49 pm

Hi, I just thought I would introduce my new van! :D

It's name is Beer named for the Bear+Deer creature combo *NOT ALCOHOL*.

I am currently dealing with some sort of inconsistent engine power issue probably stemming from ether a bad fuel pump or bad electrical to the fuel pump, but besides that the van is is pretty good shape and only leaking a few drops of oil a day!

As for Beer's story, as far as I know it Beer is a three or four owner van and is pretty much 100% original and spent 20 of those years indoors at an auto shop. Beer has all new fuel and break lines, but will probably need more updating to get him up to snuff. My current plans call for getting solar in place (any advice welcomed in that area) which will require roof racks and whatnot as well. I would also like to add a hitch for a bike rack and a new rear bumper as Beer got rear ended with the previous owner and is a bit worse for the wear back there.

Ill try to keep this updated as I go, but I apologize for my obvious lack of technical knowledge, but this is my first van and first car ever so I am very quickly trying to upgrade my mechanical knowledge from bicycles to Westys!

Here are a few pictures for you to begin with and any advice is really appreciated!

[/img]

Tue Sep 02, 2014 11:13 pm

Alright 3 things that drive me crazy in one post .

Naming Vehicles or referring to them as He or She .
Crossing alcohol and vehicles in the same post .
Wheels painted black .

Everyone has the right to do as they please , and since this is a Forum of opinions I am stating mine .
Welcome to the Herd and paint those wheels silver before I have to wash my eyes out with Gasoline .

Stacy

Wed Sep 03, 2014 12:19 am

2 of 3 corrected :wink: The wheels will be staying though... I kinda like the black/brown/white theme

Wed Sep 03, 2014 3:11 am

Nice camper! Color is great too.

Not everyone on here is a tech wizard, me neither. Enjoy your camper :D

Wed Sep 03, 2014 4:28 am

Welcome!

Better pictures are much needed especially the rear damage you speak of.

What engine is in it? Original or a modified unit?

Interior pictures?

As far as name or color or changes, do what you like, it is your van and it really doesn't matter if I/we think that it is ugly, stupid, gendered or silly.......... Bottom line, do YOU smile when you look at your Van?

Good luck, keep showing us what you've purchased and what you do to it!

Dave

Wed Sep 03, 2014 4:49 am

Nice van and welcome to the Samba.

You didn't mention owning a Bentley, make sure you get one soon. A Haynes manual is another good choice for someone learning how to wrench. The Bentley can often be obtuse, and the Haynes can clarify the subject.

Wed Sep 03, 2014 5:03 am

welcome to the Samba, I like the name! just don't mention it around law enforcement :shock:

I named all my Vanagons, or rather they seemed to name themselves and
boy do they make me smile everytime I look at them!

Enjoy your van!
jeff

Wed Sep 03, 2014 5:31 am

weisswurst wrote: welcome to the Samba, I like the name! just don't mention it around law enforcement :shock:

I named all my Vanagons, or rather they seemed to name themselves and
boy do they make me smile everytime I look at them!

Enjoy your van!
jeff

Hence the name of my van not being the same as my forum name :lol:

Wed Sep 03, 2014 2:19 pm

So here are a few more pictures!

The other side in daylight:

The back per request:

and closer:

And lastly this is a sticker my brother had made up for me to go on the back... he made it really big though so I am probably going to get it reprinted first... It might help with the name confusion a bit... 8) :

[/img]

Also... I do have the Bently manual and have been using it as I try to get the engine back up to 100% finding where certain wires are though is a nightmare so far ... It is the original 1.9L air cooled with 83,000 miles on it... As far as I can tell it is healthy, I think the issue is elsewhere in the system. I am looking into possibly putting on a new exhaust system on in the next day or two since it is up on my local Craig's List really cheap... I might also tackle getting the upgraded headlights (which ones are the best by the way?) and headlight grills put on this week too... I think I am going to wait to mess with the mechanical until I have my friend take a look over the engine (He is a Westy Guru :) ) unless you guys have some advice as to what I should be checking out!

Ill try to get interior pics up asap! It is all the original stuff and in pretty good shape too!

Wed Sep 03, 2014 3:56 pm

Well that dent isn't all that bad!

That's a pretty easy repair using shade tree repair techniques.

If you've got a hundred bucks or so? Maybe more? go to your local body shop and have them pull that sucker out for you.

If it were mine. I wouldn't spend coin on such a simple dent! I'd find a small hill with a stout tree at the top.

Slip a chunk of steel bar into the bumper cavity with a couple of tapped holes in it for some stout bolts.

A stout chain looped around the tree and a few links bolted to the steel plate then bolt the loose end into a loop back on the chain so that when you pull back on the chain it pulls on both bolts evenly. Use stout washers to prevent the bolt heads from pulling through.

Do this in stages, the dent was made in stages, the outer portions were made last, pull them first and once out backup, reset and pull from the two center round holes.

Release the parking brake and roll down the hill, now, using hammers pry bars and what have you work that dent out as the Van is "Hanging" from the tree.
You may even need to start it up, put it in gear and gently drive away from the tree, you could even gently give a little slack and go away from the tree, in essence bumping the dent out using forward motion BUT DO NOT DO IT HARD!!!! Many gentle efforts are best!

It should easily come 90% of the way out if not close to 100% with some patience. Remove the steel plate, now A bit of welding maybe, a dab of putty, sand and paint!

Bolt on your new bumper!

This is true Shade Tree Auto Repair!

Dave

Wed Sep 03, 2014 4:20 pm

Welcome. I also drive a 1980. Have you sorted your fuel/power issue? When I pulled all my lines found the original to be kinked where it runs on the under side of the seat. Must have been like that forever. Found it when I went with a Subaru engine.

Wed Sep 03, 2014 4:24 pm

I have not figured out the power issue yet... Ill check and see if the (I assume fuel?) line is crimped at all and post some pics so maybe you guys can spot the issue if that is the case!

Thu Sep 04, 2014 1:52 am

There are a several good options for replacing that rear bumper including a cheap used one but I would suggest the GoWesty plate steel bumpers. They're the best all around bumpers that I found.

Thu Sep 04, 2014 9:39 am

16CV's wrote: Alright 3 things that drive me crazy in one post .

Naming Vehicles or referring to them as He or She .
Crossing alcohol and vehicles in the same post .
Wheels painted black .

Everyone has the right to do as they please , and since this is a Forum of opinions I am stating mine .
Welcome to the Herd and paint those wheels silver before I have to wash my eyes out with Gasoline .

Stacy

Our van has a name.

You could name it Dear instead. :)

The colors look fine to me. :)

Thu Sep 04, 2014 10:28 am

Welcome! The van looks great. Ours is named Reggie. The kids call it Ranger Reggie but it is the only automobile we have ever named. Maybe because it feels more like a part of the family. May you have many grand adventures with "Beer".

Thu Sep 04, 2014 6:01 pm

Progress continues!

I am still stuck mechanically, the fuel lines were fine... Another thread had solved the same symptoms by finding a few vacuum leaks so I might try the same thing next...

Since I was stuck though and still had today off, I decided to start on some other stuff. I started researching hitch setups and roof racks and ended getting Thule roof bars on in a couple of hours:

The full kit included the Thule fake gutter mounts, 8" feet to allow me to have more than 5" of clearance between the roof and bars, absolutely massive and mote certainly illegal 78" wide bars, and locks for the knobs so no one can walk off with my bars... (not like anyone but a Van owner can use the gutter feet...)

Progress being made: The fake gutter attachments were a pain to get on there, but the fiberglass was way thicker than I originally thought it was when I started drilling. Fortunately everything lined up well and was only a millimeter off of level when it was all said and done... This pretty much took a lot of measuring and times raising and lowering the top to get set up!

Finished product!:

Oh and here are some interrior pics that everyone has been asking for! it is a bit of a mess becuase I have been working on the engine so the bed coushon is out of place etc... :D

Thu Sep 04, 2014 6:11 pm

Dang, Beer is clean!

Nice rig sir!

~Jason

Thu Sep 04, 2014 6:52 pm

I like Beer.

Thu Sep 04, 2014 7:23 pm

My wife names all our vehicles. Our Carat's name is Vinnie. I like to think its short for Vincent Van Go. It seems like certain vehicles remind me of certain genders. My 57 GMC and the Vanagon both reflect a masculine personality. My wifes Tiguan seems feminine, or perhaps a tomboy with the turbo motor. 8) Maybe its just me. :oops:

With that being admitted, Beer sure is a clean boy. :lol: I've always admired those Asuan Brown Vanagons.

Thu Sep 04, 2014 11:25 pm

Why thank you!

Unfortunately I have to report that Beer seems to be sick... I was driving about a mile from my house and Beer was refusing to go over 25 and the power was really intermittent so I pulled over and turned off the car... Unfortunately after that the van would not restart so AAA had to pull me home...

We did narrow the issue down to a fuel issue because the fuel pump does not prime when I turn the key to half. All the fuses are fine, the engine turns over really hard and for as long as you have the key turned, but it is just not getting fuel...

I am going to go through tomorrow and really diagnose the wiring issue or hopefully, just a clogged fuel pump, but I have a full under-body pan (for the gas heater, but it covers the entire undercarrage) under there so it is really clean and nice when you pull the cover off. I have been studying the Bentley so I should be able to test the pump appropriately to see what is up... I am hoping it is just an ignition switch or a clogged pump ( the pump is almost new so it should be fine itself)