"BulliBill's" 1959 Double-Cab restoration...

[BulliBill]

So what's been going on lately with the Dove Blue Double-Cab? We had a great Summer around here, and I got in a few more miles on the "trip" odometer.

It has taken a lot of time and effort to put this Double-Cab together. No regrets at all, it was mostly fun, just the kind of stuff I like to do. Back in early June I took the DC to Effingham, IL to show it at the MAM "Funfest" event. It was fun to suck the balls right up into my body, turn the key and turn the DC eastward on Friday morning. It was great to take over the slow lane (I was happy cruising along at 55mph) and drive her out onto Interstate 70 with all the speed demons the whole way roundtrip on my first long trip in the Dove Blue DC. Everyone was cool. most waved or gave the DC a thumb's up and then floored it again! I put about 250 miles on it over that June weekend. The little 36hp engine was awesome, and the noisy transaxle did just fine too, just made more noise that it needs to. Here are of a couple of shots for you of the Bus while it was in Effingham that June weekend:

At the Friday evening downtown party:

Mike Yager (the owner and "head cheerleader" of Mid-America Motorworks) asked me to stay with them at their little (stunning) shack because I was bringing the DC, doing a seminar about it's history and restoration during the show on Saturday, and camping might be problematic in such a utilitarian vehicle. They set me up in their incredible guest/pool house right alongside their Chevy "bowtie" logo shaped pool, and handed me a remote control to the 8-car garage so that I could stuff the DC inside at night. Pretty "cushy digs" indeed! There were some very cool cars in there including a shiny red Ferrari. I really brought down the value of their place that weekend...

Here is my '59 DC at a Hot VWs magazine photoshoot for a future magazine feature story early on Sunday morning of the "Funfest" weekend about two miles down the street from the MAM "Funfest" show site. Dean Kirsten picked a cool industrial site to use as a background for this old VW commercial vehicle. The shoot was at a huge complex of monstrous grain elevators...

Thanks again to the Yager's and their staff and show crew for their hospitality at the 2016 "Funfest", and personally to Mike & Laurie Yager for their gracious hospitality towards me and my old Double-Cab!!

I am not worthy!

Bill Bowman
_________________
I'm looking for these license plate frames for my fleet:
Coeur D'Alene - Lake Shore Volkswagen
Mission VW - San Fernando
Thornton VW - Stockton

Thanks for any help!

[LAGrunthaner]

Looks awesome Bill!
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[VeeDubWolf]

[BulliBill]

So for quite a while I've stored the metal frame for my low-profile Brazilian "tilt" or bed cover under our deck outside. I finally got it out, scrubbed it clean, and very carefully lifted it into place to get ready to mount it to the bed. Her is a look at the tilt in the DC...

I have the original black vinyl cover stored away, but I want to eventually find a local shop to use it to make a new version, possibly in heavy canvas for the frame.

I have the original VW taller hoops and bows set and a canvas tilt cover stored away, but I prefer this lower streamline tilt set.

Bill Bowman
_________________
I'm looking for these license plate frames for my fleet:
Coeur D'Alene - Lake Shore Volkswagen
Mission VW - San Fernando
Thornton VW - Stockton

Thanks for any help!

[cru62]

I had one of those for my DC. I bought it from a local guy who was using it as shade structure for his sheep. When I got it the cotton thread holding it together was completely rotten. I took the whole thing to a leather worker who used her sewing machine to restitch the seams in the original holes. She went through a dozen needles but the end result was beyond nice. She also installed new vinyl edging. She said that she used to work in a prison mostly making new covers for the mattresses and the black vinyl used for them was the same as my cover.
Don't you just love the rear "window shade"?
_________________
"My biggest worry is that when I die, my wife will sell all my parts for what I told her I paid for them"-Jon

Jokes about German sausage are the wurst.

Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery!

[VeeDubWolf]

Dang, that's gonna look great!
_________________
Two Bugs-
'70 rust-bucket sunroof sedan
'69 PO hack-job special
-Plus a wide assortment of various parts'n'junk

[aa390392]

Bill, I like the look of that. Agree nice natural color canvas would look great..is there a pattern you can use? Roll up sides would be nice..
Cheers
Thomas
_________________
.
getting grumpy & less tolerant!


55 ragtop
56 delux sedan
56 Kabriolet

[BulliBill]

[BulliBill]

Took her out for a Fall spin the other day...

The noisy transaxle is getting noticably quieter, wonder if it was tight and just breaking in? Probably just the quiet before the storm. Just in case, I have another drum to drum '59 Transporter split-case small nut transaxle being built, pretty much finished and ready to ship from SoCal. Nice to get it out before tucking it away for the Winter nap.

Bill
_________________
I'm looking for these license plate frames for my fleet:
Coeur D'Alene - Lake Shore Volkswagen
Mission VW - San Fernando
Thornton VW - Stockton

Thanks for any help!

[BarryL]

Elegant. I like red bushes. Were you laying face down?

[cru62]

[BulliBill]

Took her out for a short spin to loosen her up and get the fluids moving in all departments. Nice day, no salt on the roads yet, about 45 degrees out and the heater works AWESOME! It'll work even better once I crawl under there and finish installing the heater tube insulation coverings made by Neil Pickett. So far I have only installed the covers on the two short flexible metal tubes between the forward ends of the heater boxes and the sound baffle/mufflers on the body. Ought to be a bit hotter up front once all the covers are on!

Best news, as I parked her back in the garage, the odometer read exactly 900 miles on her since the restoration.

Bill
_________________
I'm looking for these license plate frames for my fleet:
Coeur D'Alene - Lake Shore Volkswagen
Mission VW - San Fernando
Thornton VW - Stockton

Thanks for any help!

[glideking]

It's hard to rack up miles parked in the garage. I have to move two cars to get mine out.
Kurt
_________________
"The more I get done the less it looks like I did anything"
1959 Single Cab Restoration"Funky Truck"
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5...highlight=
1965 21 Window Restoration Thread (From old photos)
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6...highlight=
1963 Panelvan build "Tyvanosaurus Wrecks"
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=8351639#8351639

[bdmike]

Very , very nice , Bill .
Congrats on the photoshoot !

[ThorBus]

Nice To See the Old Bus Holding Up traffic Last Week.

Looks Good in any Light.

Good Times.

Friendship Brewery Wentzville, Mo.

SeeYa.
Ted.

[BulliBill]

Thanks for posting up your photos Ted! To explain, our common VW buddy Roy Jonas moved out to Phoenix a few years back and Roy and his wife Dawn returned for a long weekend visit. Shawn Sides scrambled and hosted a Saturday afternoon party at his home in the country out west of St. Louis. The day was cold (in the 20's F) but nice and there was no salt on the roads.

A bunch of friends made plans to drive out to hang out with the Jonas's and I wanted to honor Roy's assistance and support with the restoration of the Double-Cab by breaking it out of the garage for a run out to the party. A bunch of us gathered at a small new microbrewery and then caravaned together out to Shawn's home for the festivities. I was probably the most "speed-restricted" by by 36hp drivetrain, so they put me in the lead to set a slow pace to and from the party. It was nice to put another 50 or so miles on that beautiful formerly NOS trip speedometer! Cruising at about 55mph, I hope I didn't slow you guys/gals down too much!

Thanks again to Roy and Dawn for giving us all a nice reason to drive old VWs in mid-winter in Missouri, to the Sides for hosting the bash, and to everyone for coming out to play!

Bill
_________________
I'm looking for these license plate frames for my fleet:
Coeur D'Alene - Lake Shore Volkswagen
Mission VW - San Fernando
Thornton VW - Stockton

Thanks for any help!

[hazetguy]

[BulliBill]

Hi all,

I already replied via mail to Jon about the above sticker/decal, but thought I'd chat about it here for anyone else's benefit. I'm pretty sure that the water-transfer red sticker on my restored air cleaner came from Wolfsburg West. I remember ordering at least two of them just in case I messed one up installing it to the freshly painted air cleaner top. One word of caution. A few months later I knocked a tiny corner of the decal off while handling, so be careful with yours. Results may vary, batteries not included...

Bill
_________________
I'm looking for these license plate frames for my fleet:
Coeur D'Alene - Lake Shore Volkswagen
Mission VW - San Fernando
Thornton VW - Stockton

Thanks for any help!

[easy e]

I've read of protecting the decals with a coating.
Seems some do it before application... and some after.
With a curved decal... if you're not spraying the whole piece... might be easier before.

Here's an article: http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/topic/27507-dec...ent=262364

I restored a 1965 Vespa 90ss & used clear over them... matte / satin might be good too... depending on overall look.

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aka: Evan
Spreadsheet for Bus RPM, based on gearing & tire size (Excel format)
Searchable, click-navigable 1958 Bus Parts List

[BulliBill]

So a couple of weeks back, I took the DC out for a mid-Winter spin, nice weather and no salt out there, and realized I had put almost 1,000 miles on the restord DC. So I kept driving so I could watch the rare 'trip" odometer speedometer turn over to 1,000 miles.

Wooo hoooo! So when I tucked the DC into the garage, I gave her a celebratory oil change while she was still good and warm.

Bill
_________________
I'm looking for these license plate frames for my fleet:
Coeur D'Alene - Lake Shore Volkswagen
Mission VW - San Fernando
Thornton VW - Stockton

Thanks for any help!