TheSamba.com :: View topic

Mon Mar 06, 2006 10:36 am

Hey, folks!

This is FrankenGumby, a 1983.5 Vanagon 7 passenger water-boxer that is now an aircooled (1983) flatbed single cab. The guy in the picture is my friend Steve who did the hack job.

I traded him a plug-and-play 1600DP for a Bug and only had to replace the starter to drive this home after it sitting for a year. All gauges are dead, so carrying a gas can is a must. No odometer, no gas gauge. Looking for a gauge cluster and am watching some Ebay auctions to see where the prices fall.

I have a Bentley, Chilton and owner's manual.

FrankenGumby now sports a cop spotlight, massive toolbox behind the cab, a tire changer bolted to the bed, and will get a truckbed hoist (cherry picker) and cop push bar up front. Major rewire inside and some auxiliiary power outlets (dual batteries) and lighting out back.

It will carry parts, tools, towbars, strap, etc. and serve as a rescue vehicle for aircooleds.

Looking forward to searching post archives and learning about these from you guys!

EJ Young
Denham Springs, LA

Mon Mar 06, 2006 2:36 pm

thats awesome i was wondering if it could be done~!

Mon Mar 06, 2006 2:40 pm

seriously, that is really cool! I really like the color and body work job. Post some pics of the engine area and it looks like some scoop or something? Also, I noticed a few people recently with the manual side mirrors placing them sideways like that, does it help them stay in the wind or just for a different look?

I have an extra 85 gauge cluster, everything works in it except the gears for the speedo need to be fixed (intermittent problem), it does have a clock though. I just need to get it outta here, so if you need any parts from it or want me to ship it to you, lemme know

Mon Mar 06, 2006 2:58 pm

That looks pretty nice, awesome body work!

Mon Mar 06, 2006 3:22 pm

Quote: seriously, that is really cool! I really like the color and body work job. Post some pics of the engine area and it looks like some scoop or something?

Fresh air scoops for the intake and fan. Otherwise, it's tough to get air in there with the grill part of the body gone. Steve's a crazy MacGuyver type who builds rather than buys. Great guy.

Quote: Also, I noticed a few people recently with the manual side mirrors placing them sideways like that, does it help them stay in the wind or just for a different look?

FrankenGumby is a bit limp-wristed and that position decreases the likelihood of the mirror sagging while you drive. It's the "sweet spot" for the mirror arm.

Quote: I have an extra 85 gauge cluster, everything works in it except the gears for the speedo need to be fixed (intermittent problem), it does have a clock though. I just need to get it outta here, so if you need any parts from it or want me to ship it to you, lemme know

I'm your Huckleberry! How much to ship to 70806? That's Baton Rouge, LA where I work. Right now, NOTHING in the dash works except the headlight switch. No little lights to light the useless gauges, either. They make the circuit boards out of PAPER, for cryin' out loud. I really need at least an odometer and a gas gauge going. My circuits are hosed, but all wires and fuses are good. Thanx for the offer!!!!!!

Quote: That looks pretty nice, awesome body work!

Thanx! Can't take the credit, though. I'm just going to fix what Steve built. Stay tuned for the goofball psychedellic paintjob and mobile-workshop tool thing happening! Kind of a paramedic thing going on at the roadside.

www.dallasaircoolers.com is a website from the ashes of the Aircoolers website gone kablooey. It's a large bunch of grassroots to gotbux VW freaks doing thier thing. We hold enough cruises and runs and rebuild enough from the ground up to justify FrankenGumby's refurb.

That and he was essentially free when I needed more than just my motorcycle.....

Our Aircooler chapter is at http://kaferweb.com/phpforum/

We've got 6 Vanagons (we do water-cooled, too) of different configs in our chapter.

Again, glad to have found you and glad to be aboard!

-EJ