A Black & Blue Su-BUS-aroo Build Thread...

Nepenthe88 · Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2014 10:39 am Post subject:

Haha!!
And then today I made myself a shelf for the side of the bus. It was one of those projects that I wasn't quite sure how I was gonna button up, and so I procrastinated and procrastinated and then!! Whooo!! Finally found the perfect solution:

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This is a piece of 6' pantry shelving from LOWES attached to the wood panels by way of about a gazillion 1/4" wire clips top and bottom. Basically, I made a giant hinge:

I like the way it worked out. The shelf is just the same height as the westy seat, and the rear edge just happens to be flush with the rear shelf of the bus, enhancing storage options. I trimmed out the front edge of the "wall" with a piece of aluminum angle iron to tidy that up. From here I plan to make a cushion to fit the top of this shelf. I'm thinking of using 1/8" masonite to give it a little rigidity (to spead the load should someone sit there), topped with some closed cell foam (like camping pad), and then wrapped nicely in the same blue plaid fabric I bought for the curtains and westy seat. Should look like a nice, cushy L shaped seating area...
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a Black & Blue Su-BUS-aroo

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Nepenthe88 · Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2014 10:42 am Post subject:

Nepenthe88 · Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2014 10:44 am Post subject:

Oh... and... I found a leak. I never properly installed the vapor barrier on either of the front doors, as I still need to paint the interior. Good thing I put 2 coats of poly on the back side of the wood panels I made:

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a Black & Blue Su-BUS-aroo

Follow my adventures in the GoWAND'RLoST bus on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/gowandrlost/

Stuartzickefoose · Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2014 10:45 am Post subject:

Nepenthe88 · Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2014 1:58 pm Post subject:

New calipers installed, Brakes bled, Test drive done. The bus bloody stops on a dime now!! I took pix with my phone, but they seem to have disappeared?! Oh well.

All I need to do now is score some rear seatbelts from the scrapyard and install the license plate light and I should pass NYS safety inspection.
_________________
a Black & Blue Su-BUS-aroo

Follow my adventures in the GoWAND'RLoST bus on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/gowandrlost/

Stuartzickefoose · Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2014 11:22 pm Post subject:

sweet! get your butt out here!
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Stuart Zickefoose

2011 Jetta Sportwagen TDi 6 speed manual

206-841-7324
[email protected]

Nepenthe88 · Posted: Thu Sep 11, 2014 10:05 am Post subject:

Stuartzickefoose · Posted: Thu Sep 11, 2014 2:21 pm Post subject:

Late busses with egr had a two part cable setup....look into it.
_________________
Stuart Zickefoose

2011 Jetta Sportwagen TDi 6 speed manual

206-841-7324
[email protected]

Nepenthe88 · Posted: Thu Sep 11, 2014 2:49 pm Post subject:

Nepenthe88 · Posted: Thu Sep 11, 2014 2:59 pm Post subject:

Also.. I went "shopping" at the pick-n-pull junkyard today and had a moment of panic when I realized i left ALL my sockets in some random, unknown vehicle SOMEWHERE in the yard. Thankfully I was able to re-trace my steps and find them. For $20 I was able to walk away with a subaru heater core fan assembly (for the bug), a pair of power rear window pop out motors (for the pop outs on the bug), and a full set of rear seatbelts for the bus, two of which are shoulder belts which were attached in the subee in exactly the same way these seatbelts were assembled in a bay:

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a Black & Blue Su-BUS-aroo

Follow my adventures in the GoWAND'RLoST bus on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/gowandrlost/

Nepenthe88 · Posted: Fri Sep 19, 2014 11:53 am Post subject:

Girl got a top half re-spray today. the aluminum colored paint is thinner than the blue, so despite having the same # of coats of each there was some rusty pinpricks starting to pop thru. So, I brushed on a layer of white real quick and then sprayed everything with rattlecan 2x.

I also hooked up the license plate LED bolts from oznium, and hooked up a third rear seatbelt.. which means I'm ready for inspection. Oh, and the ratio adapter is OTW from tacoma speedometer. Things are coming together over here!!

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a Black & Blue Su-BUS-aroo

Follow my adventures in the GoWAND'RLoST bus on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/gowandrlost/

secretsubmariner · Posted: Fri Sep 19, 2014 11:58 am Post subject:

Looks awesome dude. I LOVE your hinged shelf. That's badass.
_________________
-Tony
ᏣᎳᎩᎯ ᎠᏰᎵ
1978 Champagne Edition Bus FI
1970 Auto Fastback FI

Nepenthe88 · Posted: Fri Sep 19, 2014 12:10 pm Post subject:

And.. I think I'm gonna build one of these Dinoot trailers. I think it would be the perfect complement to the bus, and make my move a little more comfortable.

It's a 4'x4' fiberglass tub built on a modified harbor freight trailer, with a jeep tailgate and a flip up hard-top. I would install a new 3500lb axle with a 5 on 4.75 bolt pattern so that I can run the same rims on the trailer as on the bus (the BMW 5 on 120 bolt pattern is like 0.6mm different than 5 on 4.75) and only carry one spare for both. I also think I'd cut the tongue off the HF trailer, install some tubular steel like this:

so that I can bolt JeremyRockJock's tow bar to those sleeves and use that to pull the thing. Not only would this make it theft proof, but it would also take advantage of the resources I already have.. and... if Stewart takes me on one of his insan-o off road wilderness adventures he's been going on lately, I could then unhook the tongue of the trailer and use it to pull Maisy out of whatever ravine he gets stuck in Laughing

Here's a link to the site:
http://dinoot.com/
and a pretty cool article from Off-Road.com
http://www.off-road.com/trucks-4x4/review/dinoot-offroad-trailer-review-53728.html
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a Black & Blue Su-BUS-aroo

Follow my adventures in the GoWAND'RLoST bus on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/gowandrlost/

Nepenthe88 · Posted: Fri Sep 19, 2014 12:32 pm Post subject:

Nepenthe88 · Posted: Fri Sep 19, 2014 3:30 pm Post subject:

And I finally got around to the rear headbanger cabinet delete:

I figured why should I spend the time and money to build a cabinet, when I can have allmost all it's advantages and none of it's downside. It's a 4 foot x 2 foot nylon cargo net that I attached with welded hooks on the outside of the bus. It's removable should I want to take it down and should make the perfect storage spot for pillows and sheets and a blanket. The net has a bungee running it's perimeter. I'll probably find someway to have it clip to the headliner so that nothing can slide forward and out of it for more secure storage Very Happy

I also installed this elastic netting in the hole to the pop top. It'll afford me an extra 6" of storage between it and the pop top, taking advantage of that wasted space. It's easily removable. Just have to unclip it.

Next up on the interior is installing LED interior cabin lighting in the back. I've got 16 feet of 5050 type LED strip lights and a dimmer switch.
_________________
a Black & Blue Su-BUS-aroo

Follow my adventures in the GoWAND'RLoST bus on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/gowandrlost/

Stuartzickefoose · Posted: Fri Sep 19, 2014 3:53 pm Post subject:

Run some of those LED light strips into the engine compartment. Perfect for night time lighting when assisting lame old stock motors when their battery dies etc...and for showing off....and for the breakdowns you wont have .. Laughing

I appriciate your stuart extraction kit...your now the second person to carry one ine your bus. Laughing

I still need one.... Laughing

_________________
Stuart Zickefoose

2011 Jetta Sportwagen TDi 6 speed manual

206-841-7324
[email protected]

Nepenthe88 · Posted: Tue Sep 23, 2014 9:37 am Post subject:

Haha!!
Truth is, I'll need extracted five times for every one you do. I'm no offroader... yet Very Happy

Soooooooooo.... I'm off to get an inspection. I'm not using my normal guy. He's WAY too thouough. Last time he actually buckled the rear seatbelts to make sure they worked properly. And that's in a real clean late model subaru. WTF?! So, I'm going to Monroe, or Midas or whatever generic place it is right around the corner. Wish me luck!

Also.. I bought a harbor freight trailer and modified it to a shortened 4'x4' deck. I also ordered a new axle so I can mount a set of "Bus" rims to it... I bought a second set of those BMW steelies a while ago for just this purpose, which I painted silver today. And-- to make my day relatively efficient-- I'll have the 215 70R16 light truck tires I found at a garage sale mounted to them and balanced with counteract beads. Those tires aren't the same Geolandars (I don't remember what they are) but I found them at a garage sale for $20 and are load rated properly. Bonus!!
_________________
a Black & Blue Su-BUS-aroo

Follow my adventures in the GoWAND'RLoST bus on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/gowandrlost/

Nepenthe88 · Posted: Tue Sep 23, 2014 11:42 am Post subject:

NYS safety inspection PASSED!!! Very Happy

shame I waited until installing the license plate lights cause he never bothered to look at them... or the reverse lights... or the horn... or the windshield wipers, which I was also worried about as I've NEVER even tried the squirters... How do they work anyway? I know on the bug they were pressurized by the spare tire. What about on the bus?

Anyway.. Here's a pic of it on the lift. You can see how the exhaust tucks nicely around the engine carrier. I've been looking forward to taking this pic for a while:

They also mounted up the garage sale tires (Mastercraft Coursers if memory serves) to the newly spriz'd rims:

and... a sneak peak of the Trailer. Very Happy

_________________
a Black & Blue Su-BUS-aroo

Follow my adventures in the GoWAND'RLoST bus on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/gowandrlost/

Nepenthe88 · Posted: Tue Sep 23, 2014 4:08 pm Post subject:

Center console fabrication... It's removable with three fasteners. Has 2 rear cup holders and 2 recessed slots in the front for the stainless KleanKanteens I use every day.

_________________
a Black & Blue Su-BUS-aroo

Follow my adventures in the GoWAND'RLoST bus on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/gowandrlost/

GeorgeL · Samba Member Joined: January 16, 2006 Posts: 7346

Bus windshield washers were pressurized at the tank which lives in the kick panel in front of the passenger. Don't bother trying as the system will have a crack somewhere and will leak the pressure out as fast as you put it in.

There are electric pumps that work very well in this application. The pressurized system was elegant, but the real world favors electricity.


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