My 1971 Bay Window Westie build thread-The wanderer-

[theizzardking]

i believe i`m making enough progress to start this, keep in mind i`m doing a build up not a resto. I`m a 26 year old with mortgage payments, 3 cars, a boat, and a girlfriend. My wallet leaks like a sieve. If i had the money
i would go resto as i feel "der-der" would have been a prime candidate, too bad she ended up with me! ha ha
so the deal is i`m giving my self around $40-80 a payday to dump into her.
i`ve named her the wanderer or der-der for short.
So here`s her story.

i picked her up for $1,200 with a great running engine,good tranny, what resembled a z-bed and some seats from a 198? dodge caravan and min. amounts of rust as well. i felt like i have gotten a pretty good deal thus far and i`m 3 weeks in, still haven`t seen better for the price. here is her first day.

[theizzardking]

the first thing i did was take the z-bed out, swept out the sun flower seeds and weird eye-ball drawings, and started with the insulation we used nothing more than the nasa/foil insulation as it get quite wet where i live and didn`t want to risk it with anything else,also i plan on going buck wild with the "great stuff" as i feel really anything that takes up dead space will reduce rattles/road noise.

[theizzardking]

next i took the tire carrier off the front and beat out a few of the larger dings and bondoed it a bit and sanded it down. then on to paint.

my prep work for my "paint job" was just to give her a nice washing,cut out a piece of cardboard for a spray shield and gave it a go, my rational behind this was i have quite a bit more body work to do before i`m ready to pay for a pro job, and as i drive down some pretty gnarly roads the paint would get screwed anyways. so to home depot and the rustolium isle i went.
i read somewhere else on here where somebody did this as well, note:gloss looks nicer he he (relatively speaking of course). so i rattle canned the roof and upper portion of the body and used rollers on the lower half. NOTE:dont be lazy and use whatever roller you have laying around, get one for steel so they don`t leave "texture" to your paint job. hahaha , may sand it back down roughly then go over it again, but then again maybe not.
so here is how this turned out.

[theizzardking]

today i`m finishing off the pergo for the rear deck! will post photo`s when i`m done

[Pierre G]

Wow ! I didn't think you would do that first, considering the probably more urgent things you had to do on der-der. But, hey, it's your bus, so why not. I personally would have removed front headlights, turn signals, bumpers, etc...So easy to remove and your job would have been much cleaner. Unless you plan to change all exterior trim, seals,...with some new ones Do you plan some buffing to make that paint shine a bit more ? I really don't want to criticize, but maybe you should take your time and prepare things a little bit more. The result would be better and you'd enjoy it even more. Friendly remarks, not to blame.

Pierre
_________________
1976 181/Thing (daily driver), 1967 fastback (waiting for resto), 1973 squareback, 1964 microbus (waiting for resto), 1969 westfalia (currently under resto), 1972 westfalia, 1978 westfalia (under engine rebuild), 1972 LM1C dune buggy, 1974 jean's bug, 1974 1303 (super beetle, currently under reassembly after new paint) + 2 semi wrecks 181 (1971 and 1972)...

[VDubTech]

Seeing a lady dive into a project Bus of her own is awesome!! Next time around, do a little prep work and not only will your painting be much easier, the end product will be much nicer. Thing like the headlight trim rings have one phillips head screw in them. The turn signals have two. Less than 10 minutes there and they would have been off. Do yourself a favor, for your white parts, get some Rustoleum High Gloss White and do the upper metal, the top, and the bumpers. It'll look awesome.
What's up with your pop top? Looks a little jacked up when it's open. Is that up all the way? I've got two '71 tops here if you need any top parts like hinges or the uprights, just let me know. I've got a '71 Westy I'm parting but I'm on the other side of the country so anything but small parts is pretty much not an option. Anyway, Bus looks awesome, keep at it!!

[iprangen]

Beautiful job! Just make sure the mechanical aspect is taken care of before you get too deep into the aesthetics. Even if you think the motor/trans are fine, have a pro check them out before you go anywhere and at least replace the FUEL LINES !!!

Happy camping!

[theizzardking]

ha ha ! yea i was planning on replacing the turn sigs as they are cracked all to hell so much so i thought i had the cool euro clear ones. But in fact they are just broken , and as far as the head light rims go i figured i get some aircraft remover and buff them out 'n polish them up. hehe , Yeah, i do have to admit i got a little antsy, but she had been sitting there all ugly and nasty, couldn`t have her sitting in the drive way like that!

the main reason i bought the bus is, I have some friends coming to visit from the u.k for about a month or so and i had promised them the "All American Road Trip". We're doing from Seattle down the coast (the plan is to keep the ocean in the pass. window the whole way no matter what roads we have to take) to San Diego then back up through Yosemity, vegas, zion,arches,whatever the hells in ID, and finally back to catch dave matthwes
at the gorge in george,wa. I`ve done the trip once before, but that was in a broken down 76 monte carlo with no a/c and leather seats.

So this is in august, i have 1 month to make her road trip worthy, hence the build-up and not restro. I may come back from this 3,500+ mi trip
and take her down to her birthday suit and dress her up real nice.
It depends on which way the breeze blows me, I have work on my jeep and work on my boat that needs to be done as well and money and time is stretched thin.But then again i live in the WA,(washington) and only get to use the boat 2 or 3 times a year. Who know`s i`m loving working on this ol thing. I hope i`m not making you guys cringe to much.


hey perrier,
what do you mean more urgent work? only thing i can think of is a few small engine mods (i.e. cooling) and making sure all my tins and seals are in check, please elaborate. This will help me determine what i need to do later down the road and what i can do now, to get her in shape and not make life hard on my self later down the road.

Yea i do plan on giving her another paint to get the "texture" out of it and yea! good idea, can you "buff" rusto? how? it seems as if it`d just peel off.

hey thanks guys, please feel free to be kinda harsh on what i need to do,
and the way to go about it, just don`t be harsh on me, if that makes any sense, in other words all comments and suggestions are welcome just don`t be a dick about it. hehe


Vdub! about the top, i had just got her 10 mins before so i didn`t know how hard i could needed to push on those things to get them to lock, i`m still abit timid until i get to know her better, you know first few dates sort of deal!
the wifey is telling me dinner is getting cold gotta go, will upload pics of back deck tomorrow, it is completed (kind of) hahaha typical of me.

[VDubTech]

One thing I forgot to mention:

LAY OFF THE GREAT STUFF!!!!

Seems like a good idea--it isn't. It holds moisture and will actually cause your Bus to rust, not prevent it.

[Pierre G]

[theizzardking]

[nightfallofdiamonds]

[theizzardking]

Sorry about that one Pierre, i meant to spell check things, but the girl was breathing down me neck. Haha i`m trying to get the money together for a buyers inspection done @ the local shop @ $140, for nose to tail inspection pretty much. Too much? Let me know, it seems steep to me when no part for the bus really costs that much itself.But they are a recommended shop from some of the people i work withand I`m a firm believer in you get what you pay for. Not saying you shouldn`t do research first.


Also thanks for the short list of "spares" and basic long distance, cross country,road trip, prep work for a unknown seemingly stock motor.

I`m really having fun with this half arse project, I know it`s a hack job. I`m just taking note and doing what i know right now. There`s alot to look into here, and alot of money can stupidly be spent on needless things.
Plus sitting on here reading all of this really makes me want to just jump out there and do it,but i don`t know enough yet.As well as not much time to learn. This is where i`m really feeling pressed. Thanks to a few of you I`m starting to get my head around things.

I should just re-title the thread either, '71 rebuild of dummies or a dummie does a '71 rebuild ...stay tooned

[dcketh]

[theizzardking]

nightfallofdiamonds : thanks for that! great info i`ll give this a go! I still want to insulate as i do plan on some winter camping and in the pnw it can get pretty cold at elevation, so i feel heat retention needs to be fully addressed,
I also Pretty much refuse to use anything other than the foil insulation as this to absorbs water, i plan on being very wet and very muddy after 15-20miles circuits in the fall and winter. I won`t stand for ruining this thing anymore than it already is (rust wise, ruin in this case could be relative)



that`s really good info though! I liked this part the most,It made me feel like i was on the old 9600kb modem ha ha,
[quote]
Loading below is a big diagram of your heating system, and the way we fixed it. While it loads, lets look at the problems with the VW heating system (starting from the rear, where the heat starts, and moving forward):
[quote]



great info though man and keep it coming!
If the water proof stuff comes of as easy as the great stuff with a razor blade i have no problem fill`n her up with it, I`m not going to do something i`m not willing to fix later, i just don`t want to destroy her with rust and such. I figure at the very worst i`m just making alot of work for my self and waste a bit of money on pergo and plywood. Thanks man!

[theizzardking]

[theizzardking]

this is their spiel,

Expansion Characteristics
GREAT STUFF™ Gaps & Cracks vs. GREAT STUFF™ Big Gap Filler

low expansion, rigid foam

expansion characteristics, rigid foam

Differences Between Latex and Polyurethane Foam Sealant

There are two key differences between latex foam and GREAT STUFF™ polyurethane foam sealant:

1. Latex foams are typically "open cell" and, as a result, can take on water. In fact, the same properties that allow you to wash latex foam off your hands with water also mean that the cured foam can absorb water. This can cause wood rot or deterioration in areas where wet latex foam is next to wood, such as a window frame. In contrast, GREAT STUFF™ is a closed-cell foam. It forms a water-resistant outer skin when cured.
2. Latex foam does not expand. GREAT STUFF™ expands to thoroughly fill all voids and cavities making it an ideal air sealant.

®™* Trademark of The Dow Chemical Company ("Dow") or an affiliated company of Dow



expands to take the shape of the cracks and voids to form a permanent, airtight, and water-resistant bond that eliminates unwanted airflow and helps reduce condensation. All GREAT STUFF™ products are polyurethane-based and offer superior performance advantages over latex products.

* Forms a permanent weather-tight seal to minimize drafts and insect infestation.
* Bonds to wood, drywall, metal, masonry, glass and most plastics.
* Interior or exterior use.
* Water-resistant.
* Tack free in six minutes. Trims in 30 minutes.
* Foam elasticity allows for movement/shifting within a structure from winter to summer.
* Paintable, stainable and sandable.
* Cures rigid.
* Yields same as 19 to 25 quart tubes of caulk.
* All-direction dispensing.
* UL Classified.








I just wonder what "water resistant" means to them..........

[Rubber Duck]

[theizzardking]

anyone have any thoughts on the $140 dollar buyers inspection? too much?

[theizzardking]

oh and what are some of the most common engine mods, i`m trying to figure out what all has been done, i think they may have done the elec. ing. conversion already , and beyond that it`s all foreign to me, so what should i look for to see what has been done to it and where i need to go from here.

most common mods.