TheSamba.com :: View topic - 70 Crew Cab

Sun Jul 24, 2011 4:17 pm

Shoot, I wish it was on the road.....towed behind my daily driver, maybe. What was supposed to be a week of touchup at the body shop is now 5 weeks and counting. Realistically it won't be on the road until next July or August. Come October 1st I have to put it in storage for the winter. Either that or I park my daily driver on the street and wipe snow off my car every morning. I'll post pics before I store it.

Sun Jul 24, 2011 4:51 pm

Well that's good. You have a plan. That thing looks tits. One more year and you'll be a happy trucker. :wink:

Wed Aug 17, 2011 2:42 pm

This is awesome and great motivation for me. I just sent down payment for a 68 double cab. I will post some pictures after it arrives.

Here are the pics from the seller, the gates and body overall look solid and I recieved a video showing this truck running. It will need some work for sure and I am very excited. It should be leaving Kansas City and be on its way to Clearwater any day.

Sat Sep 10, 2011 8:10 am

Just a quick update, in case anyone is following this.

Good thing (1) I am not in a hurry, and (2) I married a patient woman. Man it takes a long time to do this right. In the meantime, my 2-car garage is completely unusable. I envy anyone with a pole barn.

Best thing I ever did (hint to anyone contemplating a similar project) is to buy a parts bus that was missing an engine but otherwise in original condition. Even though my parts bus is a camper rather than a double cab, it is the same year and same color. I can't begin to tell you how valuable it has been to have that available as I am reassembling my DC. Bentley is nice to have, but for an amateur like me there's nothing like having the real thing on hand. Plus I have a whole duplicate set of parts, so I can replace anything that is rusted or stripped without having to buy it and wait a week (and deal with the inevitable frustration of trying to fit non-OEM parts).

Working on the dash and wiring at the moment. Making sure all the connections are clean & greased, all the motors (wiper, ambulance fans, etc.) work while I have access to them. I wish I could make a living doing this because it sure is fun.

Sun Jan 01, 2012 1:54 pm

Your Bus is looking really good, can't wait to see the progress, you might like to see mine ? http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=493685

Sun Jan 01, 2012 2:02 pm

Nice work, nice car ...save the Crew cabs...

Its more than BUS, its a half bus :lol:

Sun Jan 01, 2012 2:11 pm

Great bus! I am happy you decided to save it. When I saw your first post, and your location, I was about to say that I will be over with some money to buy it off you, at $500 8) I am in Grand Rapids too (when I am not traveling)! My bus is my daily driver and is WAAAAAYYY rustier than yours started off. I just recently finished my 4th cross country trip in it. When I got home, I blew the galley plug in the engine and it is now sitting, as I am going backpacking in Australia/New Zealand for a year. When I come back, it's going in the garage to start a restoration! Where are you in Grand Rapids?!? When I am in town, I stay downtown at my family's house, or with my girlfriend in Walker. She won't have a place for too much longer though, as we are going overseas together (in February). I have been nomadic for a few years now since graduating from Grand Valley. I'd love to stop by and see the double cab sometime and talk VWs!

Peace,

Jeremy

Wed May 23, 2012 1:30 pm

Finally got the crew cab out of heated storage and back in my garage. Currently finishing up the gas tank compartment. On to the dash next.

Wed May 23, 2012 4:49 pm

It's looking great, I'm glad you decided to save it. How long do you think it will be until its back on the road?

Wed May 23, 2012 5:09 pm

Realistically..... A year. :-(

This is a part time project at best.

Wed May 23, 2012 5:25 pm

MiOdy81 wrote: Realistically..... A year. :-(

This is a part time project at best.

Well you did say you wanted this to be a vehicle you could drive for the rest of your life, you are doing it right and that is the important thing. You can enjoy the dc for many years to come with the peace of mind that it was restored properly.

Thu Jun 21, 2012 1:49 pm

I’ve been looking for a bulkhead pad to replace the ratty one pictured above with no luck. I finally decided to try having it re-covered. Although it looked nice when I picked it up (cost was $50), the installer had to wrap the new material around the corners to the inside to make it hold. Given the tight tolerances involved – the pad fits the top of the bulkhead tight as it is – I was sure I would be cussing when I installed it. As it turns out, the install wasn’t too bad. I used washers with the upper rivets so the rivet head doesn’t pull through the material. They make rivets with larger heads but I wasn’t in the mood to wait for a special order. I used a tiny Phillips head screwdriver to line up the holes. It looks like new and it’s solid as a rock. Don’t you just love it when things work out the way you wanted them to?

Thu Jun 21, 2012 2:33 pm

MiOdy81 wrote: Don’t you just love it when things work out the way you wanted them to?

Yeah it's like winning the lottery. :D It happens so rarely. It looks beautiful though man. My dream car is a DC. One day it will happen I hope.

Thu Jun 21, 2012 3:42 pm

That looks really nice. I have the same problem on my DC. Can you tell me where you had this done?

I could also use a fresh dash pad, but for a RHD dash. :P

Thu Jun 21, 2012 4:23 pm

Grand Rapids, MI. A small upholstery shop I found in the yellow pages. The guy is working out of a one bay shop, doing cars, couches, and everything in between.

Thu Jun 21, 2012 4:45 pm

Nice bus. Great project!

Thu Jun 21, 2012 7:58 pm

When your bus was there, it was a 2 bay shop!

Thu Jun 21, 2012 9:14 pm

Impressive :D

Mon Jul 09, 2012 5:18 pm

A couple progress shots.
Late bay clock will be swapped with correct 68-72 model. Added dash switches for ambulance fans, casco lighter with early bay knob swap. I am making cap labels for the fan switch and lighter. Year-correct Sapphire XII for tunes.

Bent a custom radio support bracket because the factory bracket didn't fit the Sapphire XII I put in.

Tue Jul 10, 2012 10:58 am

Looks good, you will have a sweet ride when you are done!