TheSamba.com :: View topic

Mon Dec 28, 2015 12:30 pm

Hi guys! Bought this factory highroof Baywindow bus this summer. It started it's life as a service bus for the Swedish railroads, maintenance for trains and rails. It have been well kept after, greased and undercoated every year and have very little rust for being up north like Sweden. Lucky me! From begining it had a workbench and toolshelfs inside and a communication radio (witch can be found in the m-codes). The color is a special order. It has the big Eberspracher BA6 unit installed. Bellypans under floor for extra strenght (highroof mcode 191). Rare headlight washer mcode 288. Heavyduty 63ah battery installed from factory (probably for the extra power to the radio and heater).

It was sold by the Swedish railroads in the late 1980's to a old man that worked at the same company, the plan was to build a camper but he had alot of other cars also, american classics and the bus got forgotten and some years ago the man past away.

And thats when I found it, still parked at the same spot sine 1989 inside the garage! Have been looking a longtime for a highroof and when this came up for sale I had to buy it. The plan is to build a camper for the family to enjoy on the weekends and vacations. We have a 1966 splitbus samba we are driving now on summer roadtrips but it feels like a little to expensive bus to scratch up and park anywhere over night, if you know what I mean.

So this Bay will get full camper interior, fridge, dual batterys, running water, solarpanels, roof bed, heater etc. The ultimate campervan for the wood and countryroads! Built to drive and durability, not for show or dragrace! 8)

I started this project in May 2015, I try to take photos as often I can and keep the thread updated. Pics and videos can also be found at my website: www.maindrive.org

Let's go....

Anyone who know the "unknown m-codes"?

New project

Cool factory stamp

Alot of room

No rust

The original engine type 4 1800cc AP with carbs

Looks like somebody started to restore the engine. But I dont know anything about it. So I need to check it over again. So if somebody have a good "bus motor recipe" let me know. :lol:

Mon Dec 28, 2015 12:41 pm

Some progress...

My garage is to small

Spotwelding all holes after the old interior

Removing rust with grinder but ended up with sandblasting the bottom half and down later on instead

Rust repair

Bad dent in the rocker!

New metal

The classic batterytray rust

New metal

Old screw holes

Gone!

Old cluthwire tube was broken off

So I made a new one

The face was kicked in

From donor bus

Straight face again

Done

Removed front window and rust

Yellow 2k zinc epoxy primer

Mon Dec 28, 2015 12:46 pm

Some more...

More to come soon...

Mon Dec 28, 2015 1:02 pm

Nice job.

Mon Dec 28, 2015 8:44 pm

I love the factory highroof buses. You are doing a great job on this one.

Question: what are the braces across the interior for? Not seen in the original pics, only in the painting pics. Are you adding a bed for the rear section?

Keep up the good work.

Mon Dec 28, 2015 10:39 pm

Well done.

Tue Dec 29, 2015 2:16 am

I love this. And great progress shots.
Thanks for sharing.

Tue Dec 29, 2015 9:14 am

Martin,

Very cool to see this old work horse being put back into service! Id love to have that high roof for hauling around the house - but the panel I have is just fine.

Look forward to seeing those front headlight squirters working 8)

Tue Dec 29, 2015 11:05 am

Very nice!

Tue Dec 29, 2015 12:42 pm

obieoberstar wrote: I love the factory highroof buses. You are doing a great job on this one.

Question: what are the braces across the interior for? Not seen in the original pics, only in the painting pics. Are you adding a bed for the rear section?

Keep up the good work.

Thanks for the feedback guys!

Yeah you are right, these braces are for the new future camping interior. It will be support bars for overhead lockers and a roof bed for my son.

Tue Dec 29, 2015 2:40 pm

Super work. Love the hi top! Same color paint?

Tue Dec 29, 2015 11:56 pm

Wow, you're bangin' it out! I like the bulkheads behind the front seats, separating the driving cab from the lounging area ;-D

Thu Dec 31, 2015 1:18 am

1967250s wrote: Super work. Love the hi top! Same color paint?

The orange color is not a ordinary VW orange it's the color of Swedish Railroad company. Special order. And it's to much red in that orange, it dont really like the shade of it.

I think Im going with "VW marino yellow L20A". Love that color and it's a VW color from the same time period.

Thu Dec 31, 2015 11:57 am

Nice choice of COLOR 8)

Thu Dec 31, 2015 1:35 pm

Jason, sell me that tent!! Looks perfect 8)

Mon Jan 04, 2016 8:10 am

You could take that high roof off and have one huge sunroof.... Would be pretty cool! 8) :twisted:

Tue Jan 19, 2016 4:50 am

Doing some really boring work on the Highroof Baywindow at the moment. Specially when it’s -20 celsius outside. Removing all of the old undercoating. Work that takes alot of blood, sweat and tears and is not showing much later, but good to know it’s like new under also. Only going to drive it on the summers anyway.

Next time I can start sanding the chassi and lay a coat of rust protection (epoxy primer). Then add a new layer of fresh undercoating, that sort thats possible to paint over. So when it have dried for some days I can paint all of the underside in top color, VW L20 Marino yellow. Ready for all the new parts, wires, hoses, grommets, bearings, bushings, balljoints, steering rods, brakelines, servobooster basicly every nut and bolt!

When the chassi is painted and ready I can start restoring the frontbeam, transmission and get the Eberspächer BA6 working again. A really good and clever heater, much better then the older BN4 ones. Will be nice on chilly mornings in the spring!

Still looking for some parts if someone have for sale? NOS parts for BA6 is intresting, like sparkplugs (BZE22) etc. Also looking for a pair of the slider rail metal covers (held with 2 screws). Engine cooling thin and heatexchangers is missing. Send me a mail on: [email protected]

Kilos of undercoating and dust removed

Parts ready for the sandblaster and then paint/restoration.

No more black sticky undercoating

New parts for the chassi waiting to get bolted on!

Fun pic I found on the web

Tue Jan 19, 2016 5:41 am

great bus and great work! seeing some stuff on your bus I have never seen before! Factory floor to hightop bulkheads! so cool! and what is going on with your front bumper overriders? they have a large diameter tube going into the bus? spray cleaners of some type? and last, what is the plug coming out of your right side taillight hole in the battery tray welding pics? something interesting, or just your power for your welder?
Keep it up and good luck!

Tue Jan 19, 2016 6:11 am

alman72 wrote: great bus and great work! seeing some stuff on your bus I have never seen before! Factory floor to hightop bulkheads! so cool! and what is going on with your front bumper overriders? they have a large diameter tube going into the bus? spray cleaners of some type? and last, what is the plug coming out of your right side taillight hole in the battery tray welding pics? something interesting, or just your power for your welder?
Keep it up and good luck!

Thanks Alman72! Yeah it's a little rare bird for sure. Yeah they are high pressure headlight cleaners. This is pretty rare, but not here in Sweden. All Baywindows (atleast around 1974-76) had this option as standard because we had some law that demanded this. The contact/plug at the taillight are for heating the oil in the sump/engine at winter. I will keep all this options and get them working again of course.

Tue Jan 19, 2016 8:19 am

Guess I missed this over the holidays. Awesome build!
I can't wait to see what you do with that huge interior space!
(and nice paint color choice :D )