Velvet Thread - saving a 21 window project with Ray Vallero

[dsimas62]

It's been such a big push, that I am posting this chronologically after the fact to get everyone up to speed. Acquiring this bus came along with rehabbing from my injuries from being attacked by the bull (I have a farm) in June and returning to work. Ray Vallero, VW enthusiast extraordinaire, has been my partner in this. We would work on her after work, which for me driving a Freightliner on a late shift, is starting at 11pm.

From what I gather, she was a barn find in 1996, parked since 1978 (by the looks of the DOD parking sticker on her bumper and her condition). The seller got her in 1996 as a project, she was pretty picked out and it was a big undertaking, so he lost interest. No engine, no interior, some rust, most of the little bits pick and pulled, but OG paint an a pretty straight body (MY big draw).

Had her towed down to Auburn, CA, from Seattle, WA.

Velvet Green and Pearl White, hence the name "Velvet". A walk-through, which I much prefer!
_________________
Dawn

Hugo - '63 ragtop Cal Look bug - Hugo and Dawn - together since 1978
Engine build thread:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=482095

Trans build thread:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=7602210

[dsimas62]

Firstly, I want to get those smashed windshields out of there. The seller gave me replacements and rubber.

Next we needed to get the bus rolling so that we could move it around in and out of the shop.

Initially, I thought I would do a narrowed beam and drop spindles with a bug box. That would mean getting new wheels since it has 14" bus wheels with the VW hubcaps. That's a lot to buy. I decided to stay stock for now. Keep the wheels, turn the back down a notch and that should keep it from being too tall (and tippy).

So, we jacked it up and sent all five wheels and crappy 25+ year old tires to Les Schwab for new tires and powder coating. They blast them, acid wash, and powder coat a color (ivory white) for $30 a wheel.

In exchange for labor, she will be advertising for Ray. Timberline Signs, who did the "aged" logo on his rat rod bug, made another color matched to the white in removable vinyl.

Next, the brakes. Not looking too great after decades of sitting in Seattle.

I got 6 new cylinders, all new shoes, master cyl and resevoir. Bead blasted the drums, wow, aren't they pretty now, these are the same ones...

The parking brake needed some adjustment, put the new (old) wheels and tires on, dropped her on the ground and she rolls and STOPS now for the first time in ages. To go with her new shoes, I got her a dress (car cover) for half price on thesamba from a guy who sold his bus.

Also, we took a buffer to the rear corner, look at that beautiful OG german paint shine. I will NOT be painting this bus.

_________________
Dawn

Hugo - '63 ragtop Cal Look bug - Hugo and Dawn - together since 1978
Engine build thread:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=482095

Trans build thread:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=7602210

[Simon uk]

lovely project, you need some more pics of that buffed paint up on here!!!!

[kanniff]

Fantastic!

Were those logos under the paint?
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1958 PGSG Standard

[dawerks]

[dsimas62]

Thank you!

No, the logo's weren't under the paint. The bus has never been painted, so there's nothing under that paint, just oxidized. Robert Skinner of Skinner Classics in Northern CA will be buffing her soon to restore the OG paint to the best it can be, scratches, dents and all. I didn't want to wreck anything by not taking it off properly, so we just did a light buff and it's beautiful underneath the oxidization.

The logo: Ray is my partner in this, he has a shop called Vallero's VW Werks (see the motor build thread if you are interested, it's a Sticky Topic at "Performance - Engines/Transmissions" at: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=482095 )

He has a rat rod that he had handpainted a new aged logo on that we love (the brown one above). But I didn't want to handpaint over the OG paint on Velvet, so the sign company did it in a removable vinyl on the bus. The letters can be removed and will not damage the paint underneath.
_________________
Dawn

Hugo - '63 ragtop Cal Look bug - Hugo and Dawn - together since 1978
Engine build thread:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=482095

Trans build thread:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=7602210

[crofty]

[50ate]

awesome.. Thats my old bus.. the first pictures i accualy took my self and that is my skinny little bissinss partner in the shot.i would have normaly not bought this bus but the paint is what got me and the fact that its a walk through.. i got the bus from the guy who ffound it in 96 it was stored in a barn before i got it..we being into early og paint buses and bugs had to have it and then i did nothing with it..it just wasnt old enought for me and i wanted it to go to someone who would leave it alone and just drive it and Dawn is doing just that and thats awesome.i trailerd it down to her and with in a month id say they had it running and rolling.with some more work and a slam job that bus will be killer. Dawn i have been so busy its not even funny if you still need that fresh air cover let me know and il get it out.. Its not the right color but il send it your way if you want it.. i havent ran in to the correct on for that bus and im not sure i ever had it.. progress looks great and let me know if you want it..
Alex

[silvertonguedevil]

Looks awesome Dawn!
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-Greg

[sslosbergas]

love velvet green bus and more when they are 21 windows! the bus looks great! VERY SOLID

[dsimas62]

Thanks everyone and HEY Alex! Yes, I do still need that box cover, I really appreciate it. Do you need my addy again? If so, PM or email me. I love this bus, she's everything you said she was. And I've used just about every spare part (Alex sent a lot of stuff with the bus) you provided.

Now that Velvet had her "new shoes", we could push the bus into the shop and onto the rack. Time to find out what the heck that stock tranny has going on.

I took Hugo (my '63 ragtop bug in my avatar) for that Last Drive to donate his engine to his "big sister". I told him that being a heart donor made him a hero. I've been driving that car with that motor that Ray built for 28 years, and we are building a completely new one (see the build thread under Performane Engines), so it was the end of an era. Yeah, I'm a chick, I got teary.

The brass plaque in the middle of the fan housing says "Built for Dawn Romero" with the HP and torque. I got married in 1985, Romero is my maiden name. So there you go.

There was no ignition switch, so we hotwired the bus. There's no throttle pedal or assembly, so we just set it at an idle and went through the gears for the very first time. Sort of like opening a present, excitement to see if we got lucky or a booby prize....


Link


Okay, so that was anti-climactic. "We have transmission troubles." Now we regrouped and just tried to go through the gears to see what works and what doesn't.


Link


No third gear. Noisy main bearing. But it does work.
_________________
Dawn

Hugo - '63 ragtop Cal Look bug - Hugo and Dawn - together since 1978
Engine build thread:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=482095

Trans build thread:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=7602210

[dsimas62]

Hmmm, I can't get my vids to embed. PM me if you can help.
_________________
Dawn

Hugo - '63 ragtop Cal Look bug - Hugo and Dawn - together since 1978
Engine build thread:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=482095

Trans build thread:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=7602210

[darwin2]

I was an owner of the bus from 1994-1995. I sold it to get a 23 window.

[dsimas62]

Darwin, thanks for PM'ing me! I am so excited to see the pics that you have. I am anxiously awaiting.... Any chance you/we can track down the guy you got it from? Or the owner of the property he found it on?

So, here's a bit more of what I've found:

M Code plate behind the passenger seat.

Interpretation:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/info/id.php

Basically I think it says that the bus was manufactured on May 12, 1966. Imported for the USA into Seattle. A "Walk through model" and Mesh Platinum interior (still have many of the panels, but ratty), painted Velvet Green and Pearl White, and came with optional seatbelts (still has the OG ones with the crest on them, very strong) and 6 popout side windows. And that the paint code is "Nitro Laquer" as opposed to Resin? Does this mean anything to anyone? Anything that I should consider when buffing this OG paint?

Here's a shot of the door panel. They still have the deluxe trim and I think I'd like to keep them, rather than buy repop, but I need some missing ones, so on the hunt for that. This pic shows the wheels before we had them powder coated. And the popouts were duct taped here and there until I fixed the latches (with the spares from Alex).

I called Robert Skinner of Skinner Classics in Vacaville www.vacavilleautobody.com to go over an entire list of questions I have about Type 2's. Robert is awesome. He does restorations of all VW's, but Type 2's are his favorite. He took a couple hours out of his busy schedule to go down my list and give me advice on who to call and where to buy and what to do. This man has "been there, done that", so I got the benefit of gleaning from all his trial and error. Go to his site link and "Like" his Facebook page, he posts about his projects and recoveries.

We removed most of the panels to get to the inside because I needed to get the key codes for all of the handles. There is no ignition switch, so no keys to the bus. I am getting an ignition switch from Kevin Kilfoyl with Old Volks in Hayward (HIGHLY recommend him), and sent him all 4 of the handles and he keyed them to match the new ignition key.

Went to DMV to get her registered. But I was told that I have to bring her there to get a VIN check. And then they will require me to go to CHP for a full safety check (sort of the runaround that dune buggies get). All because I made the MISTAKE of saying that it was a project with no engine. I'm too chatty and excited! Then the gal said I'd need a smog too. Huh? I haven't bought a car in 18 years (since my Dodge truck which needs no smog) and Hugo never needed one, so I thought maybe '66 was just over the cusp. But then I worry about Hugo's motor, it's NEVER been smogged. Well, turns out, I don't need one, the lady obviously was clueless. Thank goodness. So, we'll have to bring Velvet to the DMV after we get everything working and roadworthy and will get a temporary permit in the meantime.
_________________
Dawn

Hugo - '63 ragtop Cal Look bug - Hugo and Dawn - together since 1978
Engine build thread:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=482095

Trans build thread:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=7602210

[dsimas62]

I have seen ads by Corey Bloom on thesamba (blackdog1999) under pre-67 bus parts, so rather than buy little bits from many sources, I made a trip to his house in Roseville with my list. Hit the mother lode. And since I had so many little things (lots of missing screws for specific parts, lights, switches, handles, gaskets, bushings), he lumped them all into an excellent fair price-- with no shipping.

He also had a nice front roof clip off a rolled bus. This is Velvet's worst rust. It seems that the bus must have been parked nose down a bit, the water ran down a tarp or the sunroof rails and into the fresh air box area. Rotted through.

I do NOT want to cut the bus and weld the clip in, but Ray said that he thinks he can remove the interior metal carefully and put the clip's interior and weld it in a way to not burn the exterior OG paint. It will be a challenge, but we're hoping.

Then the water ran down to the front floor pan, many buses seem to have this bad spot. Yes, that is pavement below. She's a Flintstones Bus.

Alex included a front floor clip, with the steering wheel, throttle, shifter, pedals, etc. We cut that piece out and filled it in. I don't mind welding on the bus, I just will not do any clipping on exterior areas that will damage the paint. The bus has both the front and main floor mats, so this repair won't even show anyways.

Everyone that has seen it says: Roll it the way it is. Anyone can do a ground up restoration with enough money. But OG buses have character. One man said, "They are like a woman that you love. They have a story and a history and the marks from age and imperfections add depth and maturity. We generally prefer that the woman we've loved for decades wouldn't get a face lift, and these buses are no different."

Spoken like a true gentleman.

The ragtop sunroof: There is none. The aluminum rails are there though. I have been told by everyone that John at Grumpys Metal in Huntington Beach (www.vwsunroofs.com) is the only way to go. He fabricates the entire thing to complete OEM spec. He was awesome. He mailed me color and fabric samples. And threw in some nylon spacers that he designed to make it slide better than stock (especially a problem for the buses being so large, but a purist may not want them). *And* I got a complete headliner kit to the beltline in the original off white with the holes from him for less than anywhere else. This is all cosmetic and we are pushing for mechanical work right now, so we'll install that later....

I can't get enough of this view:

_________________
Dawn

Hugo - '63 ragtop Cal Look bug - Hugo and Dawn - together since 1978
Engine build thread:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=482095

Trans build thread:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=7602210

[dsimas62]

As I said earlier, we work on the bus late at night after hours. It's dark and the bus has no electrical hooked up or lights, let alone legal registration, no throttle assembly or pedal, no 3rd gear, but we couldn't wait to see her move out under her own power for the first time in decades. So, we hot wired it to start, set the idle high, and backed her out to move around the parking lot. She goes forward, backward, turns, and stops just fine, YAY!


Link


Now we need to get a throttle assembly fabricated. The old one was rusted out and bastardized by the PO, so Ray made a new, better that OG, assembly. We stole the pedal off the front floor clip that Alex gave me.

We also clipped a piece of floor off the other pan and put it in the hole that was on the passenger side.

Time for a Breadbox Testdrive into the Big World! New headlights (not connected) and cleaned all 21 windows. We have the ragtop, hubcaps, bumpers, but just haven't put them on yet. But there's no 3rd gear and it's still being hotwired until we figure out the electrical issue.

Hugo's 28 year old 1600cc was more than enough for this little bus, especially with the stock reduction gears. The steering was a bit scary though.

Sorry for the crazy camera angle at the start. I'm trying to get the old stock seat belt on, at least they are strong canvas and still work!


Link

_________________
Dawn

Hugo - '63 ragtop Cal Look bug - Hugo and Dawn - together since 1978
Engine build thread:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=482095

Trans build thread:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=7602210

[zozo]

I love that.

"Have you been out here yet?"
"Huh?"
"Have you been out here?"
"Have I been out where?"

That sounds like me when I don't want to fess up to doing something I shouldn't have been doing.

My spousal unit has never been in one of my VWs. I'd wager our dialog would be a whole lot different. You've got a keeper there, in both the bus and the wife. Congrats!

[dsimas62]

LOL, Zozo!

On her way to get her "traveling papers" (registration):


Link


They got hung up on the fact that there was no decklid or seats and wouldn't do it, said to come back. *sigh*

I have the decklid, but we threw the engine in and didn't know they'd require it for a VIN check. So, we went back to the shop to put on the decklid and realized that it is from an earlier model bus. Even through it is also Velvet Green OG, the latch was different. Quick trip to Corey's in Roseville, he had a OG Velvet Green for a '66 and did a straight trade (my church key lid is worth more, but was nice to do an easy transaction in a hurry with no shipping). Put that on, went back to DMV, and with some discussion about he fact that the seats are just missing, it is NOT a commercial vehicle, got a registration and plates are being mailed. This 3rd person did NOT mention needing a safety CHP check and I didn't volunteer that someone there had said I needed it! We still need lights, horn, wipers, bumper, etc, but if they aren't going to require it.... Yay, one big hurdle out of the way!

Tony Klink came and helped get under the dash and get the wiring mess sorted out. She now has working lights, signals, brakes, dash, dome light, ignition. No more hot wiring!

I got a rear bumper from Corey. Velvet's are "pointed" style, not the more common "slash". They were only made for two years. In addition to rears being lost more often, apparently due to pulling engines, and being a deluxe with trim, they sell for a lot. Corey had a pointed in good condition with overriders and splash pans, but it's a standard, no deluxe trim. So, that is on my wish list.

We couldn't get the rear bumper on because Hugo's exhaust was in the dang way. Ray swapped the exhaust for his Rat Rod's stinger and the bumper went on. She's starting to look like a real citizen now.
_________________
Dawn

Hugo - '63 ragtop Cal Look bug - Hugo and Dawn - together since 1978
Engine build thread:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=482095

Trans build thread:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=7602210

[dsimas62]

The front of the bus has come a long way.

Before:

The wiring, ignition, windshields/rubber, headlights/emergency flasher/wiper knobs, handbrake button, throttle pedal, shifter, dash tray, grab handle, horn button, steering column, floor mat, all put together now. Gave the dash a nice rub and the paint is beautiful:

At first, Ray couldn't attach the shifter to the linkage because the front floor pan was so rotted, there was nothing to bolt it to. So, again, he cut a section from the 2nd floor pan clip that Alex sent with the bus and used that.

Before:

And now:

I put on the door handle flippers and new door pulls. Took out all the panels to install the new keyed lock assemblies. Isn't OG paint neat? I love looking at this and thinking of the Germans that put this thing together.

_________________
Dawn

Hugo - '63 ragtop Cal Look bug - Hugo and Dawn - together since 1978
Engine build thread:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=482095

Trans build thread:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=7602210

[dsimas62]

This section was written right before Busfest in Vallejo in August. We were up til 4am trying to get Velvet completely roadworthy in time to leave for BusFest in Vallejo the next day. She needed mirrors, had to cut the rusted pins out.

The next day we loaded her up with camping gear and headed to Mecca. Hell or High Water, we were all determined. Cat, Ray and I were going to drive this bus there to commune with all the other buses and trucks that make the pilgrimage. Cat and I drove the honda as a chase vehicle. Velvet and Ray were all over the road at first, very squirrely. We stopped in Newcastle to gas up and he said that it was a combination of the front end needing more work (he had replaced the drag link and sent her for a front end alignment, but suspected the linkpins are shot) and the tucked up rear end that causes her to want to track funny when her front end drifts. He started smoking again, need I say more? :shocked:

There was still no 3rd gear either. But otherwise, she got us there. We stopped along the way in Davis to buy a used tranny with RGB's. Velvet's has some sheared off bolts to the springplates, so that was our other hindrance on the trip, shift VERY softly, she only had 2 on one side and 3 on the other. We will be using the used tranny to rebuild it, but be able to drive her during the process.

I got in the bus at the stop in Davis to learn how to accommodate her idiosyncrasies since Cat and I were on our own with her driving back the next day. Ray had to leave at 8am Sunday morning to go to Demo Day at his shop. Well, when I got in, she was less drifty. I told everyone that she just likes my fat ass in the front seat, she needed me. But, really, I suppose it was just the added weight...

We camped out in Vallejo at Tim's garage, a friend of David Heard that puts on BusFest. He had a bunch of buses, really fun to see. And some others rolled in to camp with us at 3am or so. Including Brian's "Forest Find" from the samba. He makes a killer espresso in the morning. He camped in the woods near Ukiah to get this bus running and drive it out. Here's the thread, good page turner:

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=474360

And here's the bus while we were camped.

Sooooo, after the hard pull for 4 weeks (especially for Ray), here's my video of that weekend!


Link

_________________
Dawn

Hugo - '63 ragtop Cal Look bug - Hugo and Dawn - together since 1978
Engine build thread:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=482095

Trans build thread:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=7602210