TheSamba.com :: View topic

Sat Oct 25, 2014 4:18 pm

Ok. My dad passed away in April this year, unexpectedly. In 2007 he bought a 76 Westy Weekender on an impulse and it had been parked ever since. With a third kid due in March I decided that I needed a kid hauler. Not being one for minivans or SUV's I decided that the Westy was just the thing.
Dad was not a VW guy or even a car guy, but he knew a good thing when he saw it. His 76 Westy and 82 Caddy diesel, friends for life.

I am pretty lucky. The westy doesn't have much rust to speak of. The DS rocker panel was rusted through, the PS rocker was missing, the PS battery tray was totally rotted out, and this little guy in the cargo area, passenger side:

My initial plan was to sort out the little mechanical punch list and drive it as is. And so I did for about 2 weeks.

Punch list: Brakes, exhaust leak, PS rear bearings, DS rear CV boot, heat.
The bearing job:

Once I got the bus out of storage and introduced it to the wet PNW air it started to smell like 8 years of rodent corpses and crap. I tried a deep simple green cleaning and shop vac treatment, hung the tree from the mirror, etc. Once I started removing the interior in it entirety I realized that I might as well take it down to the body and repaint, treat what little rust exists, and do the dang thing!
Reo pumps the water tank dry since the drain is seized.

Pretty much there, left the drivers seat in for the drive to different body shops to bid. Also left the bottom of the pass seat in, because it was stuck. I ran out of swear words. Of course the guys at the body shop had it off in seconds. Some times it takes the less gentle touch of a stranger over my "fearful of destroying anything" kind of touch.

Sat Oct 25, 2014 4:27 pm

The westy and my brothers 1970 Mercedes. My great grandfather bought the benz new.

This parked outside my work the other day. Bus level: Expert

Sat Oct 25, 2014 5:54 pm

Looks like it is in good hands. Glad to see that.

Sat Oct 25, 2014 6:22 pm

shiningstar76 wrote: Looks like it is in good hands. Glad to see that.
Thanks, appreciate it. I didn't document many before pics because I didn't plan on a project of this scope at first. Now that I have a plan I will try and document progress better
While the westy is in the shop I have taken to filling my time with the small cosmetic touches.

LOTS of rust on the pass side bucket seat and lazy susan. :cry:
Dropped both bucket seat frames off at shop that has the body to see about sand blasting and maybe saving the passenger side. Received the sisal mat and TMI foam pads but the vinyl covers are being drop shipped so there isn't much to be done there.
Wrecking yard score yesterday during a break in the rain:

cleaned up the seat

I need to accommodate a third kid come March. Plan A is add a third seatbelt in the center of the rear seat. Plan B is to mount this middle seat from a 69. Would like to make it fit with the sink cabinet still installed if possible and be able to remove the seat as needed. Anyone have any experience with this kind of abomination?

Sat Oct 25, 2014 9:45 pm

Welcome to the baywindow bus scene! Ill be your tourguide if you wanna meet the seattle crew. ;)

Lots of parts places locally, number one is ken at the bus company, in woodinville.
206-523-6525, tell him i sent you.

Loose the front seats, and find a pair of vanagon seats. Foam is much more comfy. ;)

Lets talk more, pm me!

Sat Nov 29, 2014 6:47 pm

Sorry for the long delay in updating. All work halted temporarily as I recently had two job interviews in an industry I have been trying to break into for two years. Then I got a part time job on top of it. Also I was under a time crunch to finish putting my brothers kia back together before he gets back from Africa. Life eh? Anyhow, I have my bus back from the paint shop and it looks pretty sharp. It isn't show quality by any means but it looks great. Thanks to Nick and John!

I started putting the upholstery back together. Failed at guessing the correct tan! Oh well.

I also started the sound deadening and insulating with XXX mat

and foil thermal insulation. It makes a big difference.
Thats all one piece, I am very proud of that by the way. :D

Not pictured is the new ducting I ran for the heater. I had to remove the stock ducts because they were full of leaks and heavily modified my PO. I quickly installed flexible aluminum dryer vent and aluminum fittings, wrapped with fire retardant and water proof self-adhesive insulation to stop the heat loss. I will post photos of that when the cold ground warms up.
Probelm arose the other day when I took a corner a little fast and started to smell a very strong raw gasoline odor. My suspicion is that the fuel sloshed in the tank and found :( a leak in the filler hose where the tank connects to the gas cap. I have since parked it in the dry, heated garage and am contemplating my next step. Anyways, thats all for now.

Sun Nov 30, 2014 1:07 pm

Looks great!

Sun Nov 30, 2014 4:22 pm

doublea_ron wrote: Looks great!

x2

Mon Dec 01, 2014 5:55 pm

Nice looking bus. I'm interested in your heater ducting work - mine needs to be refreshed also.

Thu May 28, 2015 8:40 am

It's been a long time since I updated. I drove the bus as a daily for a while. I completely dissembled the exhust/heat system. I Immersed the heat exchangers in purple power, replaced the accordion tubes, and generally clean things up. This did much to improve the smell coming from the heat vents, but still left some to be desired. This fall I may invest in new heat exchangers from CIP1. If the budget allows.

I ordered a dual Kadron kit and a new 009. Not ideal, I know, but I want to see how it runs with centrifugal advance before I drill holes in a perfectly good (matter of opinion) set of carbs just to vac port it and drop another pile of cash on an SVDA.

I pulled out the progressive carb, the old 009. Then I got a little carried away and decided to pull the motor.

Took the opportunity to degrease the entire engine bay, all the tin, and as much of the block as I can. Replaced pushrod tube seals, oil pump gasket, oil filler gasket, oil filter gasket, and naturally the valve cover seals. I also intended to replace all the sections of the vapor expansion tubes but was delighted to find that the shop that installed the fuel sending unit replaced those bits without me asking and without charging. :D I did replace the filler neck elbow which was full of holes and cracks. I re-used the filler neck 2-1/4 hose because I couldn't find an adequate replacement. It seemed in good condition, still pliable. I already smell less gas fumes.
New motor mounts should arrive today and I can start re-assembly this weekend hopefully. Sorry for lack of good pics but I find it takes longer to complete a task when you stop for pics every 5 minutes.

I also departed from stock interior and installed this middle seat that I got out of a wrecking yard last year. My 2 month old daughter, Sophia June doesn't seem impressed. She must get that from her mom

Thu May 28, 2015 12:34 pm

Looking good!

A good amount of your samba hosted photos are not coming up for me in your previous posts. Anyone else seeing (or not seeing) that?

Thu May 28, 2015 12:39 pm

Bala wrote: Looking good!

A good amount of your samba hosted photos are not coming up for me in your previous posts. Anyone else seeing (or not seeing) that?

Thanks. I noticed that about the photos. I havent taken the time to troubleshoot it. It was my first posts ever and probably I screwed it up somehow! :oops: Oh well.

Thu May 28, 2015 1:20 pm

I hope that's Sophias chillin with dad seat, and not her driving around seat? nice work on the bus!!

Thu May 28, 2015 1:45 pm

alman72 wrote: I hope that's Sophias chillin with dad seat, and not her driving around seat? nice work on the bus!!

That is her "chillin with dad while he works on the bus" seat, not her actual car-seat. good lookin' out though. She was practicing her disapproving scowls that her mom has been teaching her. I already decided that she will be driving a ghia or a thing in 16 years.

Fri May 29, 2015 6:56 am

That reversed middle seat does not look secure. I would not drive it that way with anyone actually in the seat, much less an infant. It's not like you can secure it safely to the floor using just half the bolts.

Fri May 29, 2015 7:08 am

jtauxe wrote: That reversed middle seat does not look secure. I would not drive it that way with anyone actually in the seat, much less an infant. It's not like you can secure it safely to the floor using just half the bolts.

Thanks for the concern. These pics are taken during the project, not at completion. Six total, grade 8 bolts with 4"x14" 1/4" galvanized stock bearing plates under the pan to secure and distribute the weight over the thin pan material. Also, two of the bolts by chance pas through the reinforcing strut that runs perpendicular to the length of the bus. Trust me, I put alot of thought into this. If anything, the seat is MORE secure than using the VW original design. Instead of the t-bolts of unknown grade of steel slipped under a 3/16 pc of pan metal, I have a very secure system. My bus actually doesnt have the plates welded in for stock middle seat attachment. I am not sure if that was normal for tin top westys?

Fri Jun 12, 2015 11:56 am

used the dome lights that I havent installed yet for a static timing light.

I have the Kadrons installed also an 009 style dizzy.
(yeah i know, actually found a SVDA in my brothers stuff about a week later.)
Right now I am just teaching myself to set up and tune all these moving parts.