VW Bus Limo Project- Need Motor Advice

[Vino]

@vwlimoMB What do you have pushing your bus? or is it just a billboard like in the ad? I'd be interested to see how much you get for it. you might get a better resale if you change out that purple upholstery

@willardthebaja Thanks!

@Campin68 persistence. that's my best advice. and know you can do it all and find virtually any info you need on here. Good luck! do you have a thread?
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Fiona- Stretch Bay Window Six-Wheeled Monstrosity in Rapid City, South Dakota ( http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=461212 )
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1969 tin top bus photobooth

Previous: Orange '74 Westy pop-top

[martensmotorworks]

hello how is the tandem rear done? im building a car hauler vw bay and am tryin to fgure out the best way to do it.

[Vino]

This is the best shot I had on my hard drive that i could locate. I didn't actually make the chassis, but they basically cut the axle out of a different bus (in my case you'd think the front bus, but it's not as the front is a 71 best i can tell and the drag axle has a tranny mount for type IV) and welded it in front the gas tank and pivot arm of the rear axle on the existing bus. The middle one was added in, as the rear engine compartment is stock. They used square metal tubing and welded the two sections together.

When i purchased the bus, the back sat way higher then the front. In december i lowered the middle axle by one notch, and it helped to level the bus. There's brakes to all six wheels, though, and since this axle isn't loaded very heavily, the brakes on this axle engage sooner. If I was you i'd think about installing air ride if you can afford it. I can't.

I can take more pictures for you up closer when i return to the states in the beginning of july if it'd still help you
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Fiona- Stretch Bay Window Six-Wheeled Monstrosity in Rapid City, South Dakota ( http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=461212 )
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1969 tin top bus photobooth

Previous: Orange '74 Westy pop-top

[martensmotorworks]

hello

if you can take a few more pics it would be great.

[jtauxe]

[Vino]

John,
Thanks for the advice. I've been meaning to go back over the website. The australians have been slaving me away down here. If you have nothing better to do then help me with my grammatical errors, then by all means please send me a pm with suggestions.

I actually cut the roof off a sunroof bus but it was rusted and would not of fit up there very well, even modified. The roof of my bus is a foot more narrow (3' instead of 4' regular). I'm debating a ragtop in the rear. The beetle has a small sunroof. There's a propex heater (2800) installed, which will be fine for cool evenings. I've retired the idea of using this thing in the winter.
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Fiona- Stretch Bay Window Six-Wheeled Monstrosity in Rapid City, South Dakota ( http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=461212 )
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1969 tin top bus photobooth

Previous: Orange '74 Westy pop-top

[Stuartzickefoose]

where did this guy end up at?
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Stuart Zickefoose

2011 Jetta Sportwagen TDi 6 speed manual

206-841-7324
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[Brian]

[Stuartzickefoose]

[Vino]

Fiona in the Badlands during a lightning storm. Pretty fun watching lightning storms with all the windows. Think it scared my girlfriend a little bit though. It was her first time in the Badlands, seeing the martian landscape lit only by nature's strobe.


Sorry it has been a while, busy summer. Finally built a shop for Fiona! The summer went great in the Black Hills of South Dakota. I've put just over 6000 miles on my 1904 built by Tim's ACVW, and it's actually running better than ever. Tuned it in earlier this summer with my friend Brian Errea and it's performing surprisingly well for the monumental task it's being asked to handle.

I ran tours in the bus, as well as limousine service, from mid-July until mid-October. Minus a couple of minor hick-ups (flipped pulley belt, busted header, and somehow a piece of rubber in a fuel line) the bus performed really well. Only on one 95 degree day in the open sun on a pass on the way to Devil's Tower did I get to the verge of overheating. It definitely got hot by the top, but quickly cooled on the descent. The Derale oil cooler is a savior. I've taken loads of 14 adults over 3 mile passes with the bus. I'm in second taking my time (i.e. 27 mph) but she cruises right up. Not saying I wouldn't like a diesel, but I'm sure the majority of the contributors in the first few pages of this thread would of laid all their money against it's ability to conquer mountains. And really when people are drinking and having a good time back there, they don't really want me to cruise any faster, nor can I without them spilling their drinks.

All in all Fiona's been an enjoyable time. I'm working out little kinks here and there, and making improvements. I'm planning to cut out the sunroof in the beetle as it drains out the front, but when I'm driving the wind blows the water back so it leaks some inside. I'm going to have a ragtop made for the space.

One of my last nights in Rapid City this summer I took a bunch of my friends around town in it. By midnight the posse grew to a staggering 21 people. Fortunately for Fiona is was short distances on flat land, but still I have to give her some props (especially in tolerating all the annoying drunks). I'm now back in Melbourne, Australia for the winter. I'll return to South Dakota mid-march when I'll resume business and work on a couple of late bay westie restorations i've started and a 1965 all original EZ camper I bought in WY on my way out of town.

Here's a link to a great writeup a fellow bus enthusiast did for a local paper titled "Get on the Bus":
http://www.bhpioneer.com/local_news/article_5f6623f2-173b-11e4-bca1-001a4bcf887a.html

Thanks for all the support!
KQ
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Fiona- Stretch Bay Window Six-Wheeled Monstrosity in Rapid City, South Dakota ( http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=461212 )
[email protected]

1969 tin top bus photobooth

Previous: Orange '74 Westy pop-top

[Vino]

Oh, and as for all that "put in a diesel so when it rolls..." b.s. I recieved before, well here is a pic of one of the common tour routes I take, that has a 6 mile pass before a descent with several of these pigtail bridges....

I drove a stock 79 westy with bad shock to the tetons this summer, and I'd actually argue that my green ogre handles better. The tandem rear axles help immensely in the wind. Just my two cents, you'll never know cause you'll never be in her driver seat.
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Fiona- Stretch Bay Window Six-Wheeled Monstrosity in Rapid City, South Dakota ( http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=461212 )
[email protected]

1969 tin top bus photobooth

Previous: Orange '74 Westy pop-top

[skills@eurocarsplus]

[Vino]

that pic was from when we first got the bus.
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Fiona- Stretch Bay Window Six-Wheeled Monstrosity in Rapid City, South Dakota ( http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=461212 )
[email protected]

1969 tin top bus photobooth

Previous: Orange '74 Westy pop-top

[Vino]

would you prefer a single rear axle like the other buses of the same length? like the other green and white one
_________________
Fiona- Stretch Bay Window Six-Wheeled Monstrosity in Rapid City, South Dakota ( http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=461212 )
[email protected]

1969 tin top bus photobooth

Previous: Orange '74 Westy pop-top

[Thrasher22]

[Stuartzickefoose]

glad that things still going strong! cool your getting some use out of it has it started to pay for itself yet?
_________________
Stuart Zickefoose

2011 Jetta Sportwagen TDi 6 speed manual

206-841-7324
[email protected]

[vwwestyman]

It seems this thing is still on the road! My uncle spotted it in South Dakota and sent me these two pics. May be kinda small due to being cell phone pics texted to me.

_________________
Dave Cook

President, Wild Westerner Club

1978 Champagne Edition Westy, repowered to '97 Jetta TDI
1973 Wild Westerner
My Thing

[Vino]

Yes she's still going strong. I now have a 2332 in it built by a local engine builder here which moves it really well. I know many who commented on this post early won't believe it, but in the last four seasons running tours I've put close to 30,000 miles on this bus without any serious issues. I'm not saying she doesn't require a lot of maintenance or has never broken down, but they are just regular issues a normal bus requires.

If you want to see some photos from our tours check us out on Facebook or Instagram
@vwlimobus
Facebook: Fiona the DubBus
_________________
Fiona- Stretch Bay Window Six-Wheeled Monstrosity in Rapid City, South Dakota ( http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=461212 )
[email protected]

1969 tin top bus photobooth

Previous: Orange '74 Westy pop-top

[vwwestyman]

Very cool. I'm guessing my uncle was in a big Red Dodge pickup with Nebraska plates. May or may not have been transporting miniature donkeys!

I remember seeing this thread a few years ago and am glad that this limo bus is still on the road!
_________________
Dave Cook

President, Wild Westerner Club

1978 Champagne Edition Westy, repowered to '97 Jetta TDI
1973 Wild Westerner
My Thing

[Xevin]

What the How did I miss this. Well done sir.


Link

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Keep on Busin'