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Sun Aug 16, 2009 7:11 am

Ok, finally found the pattern of curtains I wanna use in my Bus. Looks really good, and has that 70's look down to a Tee! Now, the hard part. I cant find any curtain rods that look era spicific. Here is what Im working with so far: I have a Plaid color (white backround, with a green, red, brown, and tan design... Kinda looks like a old dish cloth, but matches the Bus perfectly.) And I have a skirt at the top with matching green short beeds with matching tassels. I mean I took my Mom, Dad, Wife, Aunt, and Nephew with me and spent 3-4 hours at the fabric store picking out everything purchasing samples and going outside in the parking lot displaying samples inside, and out of the Bus. Found everything except curtain rods. I ordered the material and it will be in soon. Now just need the rods to be 70's date spicific, and they have to be small, to fit estitically in the Bus. Any ideas? please post pics if you can. All Ideas considered here, just needs to be 70's look, and feel. Can be remain., originals, you name it, no problem. Just need to be pointed in the right direction.

This has been 6 months in the making for me, I want it to be perfect! Matrial for the curtains was $40 per yard, ordered 4 yards so it can be steched on both sides! Thats how serious this is to me!

Sun Aug 16, 2009 7:54 am

I have a transporter and here's what I did. I didn't use traditional curtain rods but what I used looks "vintage" to me and I think suits the bus. I used wooden dowels for curtain rods. To make a gap for the curtain to slide between the rod and the window I put spacers and drilled holes into the sheetmetal using nice looking finishing screws to mount them. One dowel on top and one on bottom eliminates the problem of hanging curtains.

Sun Aug 16, 2009 8:20 am

It's a little hard to see but I circled the aluminum peice used for the top and the "wire" peice used for the bottom.

Sun Aug 16, 2009 8:22 am

Look for someone parting a westy and buy the original curtain rods from them.

Sun Aug 16, 2009 10:22 am

volksinthevalley wrote: Look for someone parting a westy and buy the original curtain rods from them.

X2

Sun Aug 16, 2009 10:26 am

ccpalmer wrote: volksinthevalley wrote: Look for someone parting a westy and buy the original curtain rods from them.

X2

I'd love to find one, but they are pretty rear here.

What aboutn magnetic curtain rods???? Anyone have any experience with these?

Sun Aug 16, 2009 10:31 am

Serpent7 wrote: ccpalmer wrote: volksinthevalley wrote: Look for someone parting a westy and buy the original curtain rods from them.

X2

I'd love to find one, but they are pretty rear here.

What aboutn magnetic curtain rods???? Anyone have any experience with these?

Pretty rear here???

Wouldn't it be great if there was a big website devoted just to VW's with an enormous classifieds section with people parting out just VW's where you could find something like that? :roll:

Sun Aug 16, 2009 10:41 am

VDubTech wrote: Serpent7 wrote: ccpalmer wrote: volksinthevalley wrote: Look for someone parting a westy and buy the original curtain rods from them.

X2

I'd love to find one, but they are pretty rear here.

What aboutn magnetic curtain rods???? Anyone have any experience with these?

Pretty rear here???

Wouldn't it be great if there was a big website devoted just to VW's with an enormous classifieds section with people parting out just VW's where you could find something like that? :roll:

What a crazy idea!?! :lol:

Sun Aug 16, 2009 10:42 am

ccpalmer wrote: VDubTech wrote: Serpent7 wrote: ccpalmer wrote: volksinthevalley wrote: Look for someone parting a westy and buy the original curtain rods from them.

X2

I'd love to find one, but they are pretty rear here.

What aboutn magnetic curtain rods???? Anyone have any experience with these?

Pretty rear here???

Wouldn't it be great if there was a big website devoted just to VW's with an enormous classifieds section with people parting out just VW's where you could find something like that? :roll:

What a crazy idea!?! :lol:

Somebody really should take that idea and run with it. I mean...think of how popular it would be!!

Sun Aug 16, 2009 10:47 am

Serpent7 wrote: .

What aboutn magnetic curtain rods???? Anyone have any experience with these?

rare earth magnets, they have some thing as strong at ACE that I use.
I have one long sheet that also acts as a cabin divider and use about 8 dime size magnets.

Sun Aug 16, 2009 10:53 am

Go to your neighborhood hardware store and buy some aluminum stock. I did that once. I knew what I was looking for. As close to stock as possible. A flat rod (not round, wrong term) 3/8'' by 3/16'' seems about right. Bend your ends so that the rod stands away from the window 1/2'' or 3/8'' to allow curtains to slide. It is not that hard. Or find something at a junkyard. Vanagon parts could work fine with adaptation also.

Sun Aug 16, 2009 11:09 am

I've got 3 sets for sale! PM me! Shipping may be the hang up as the drivers side rear is very long!

Sun Aug 16, 2009 1:03 pm

thats funny this thread came up. i picked this bus up on monday. PO intalled these. im going to use them as i dont want to tear the headliner. i dont have the rods though
[/img]http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=587884[img]

[/img]http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=587883[img][/img]

check my gallery there in there

Sun Aug 16, 2009 1:27 pm

peaceful warrior wrote: I've got 3 sets for sale! PM me! Shipping may be the hang up as the drivers side rear is very long!

I shipped a set not too long ago. What I did was bend the DS rear in half to ship. It bends easily enough and will bend back to straight without much work. Shipping was only about $10-$15 through USPS.

Sun Aug 16, 2009 2:50 pm

Interesting, NOS, and the curtains would hang too far away from the window.

Sun Aug 16, 2009 3:39 pm

peaceful warrior wrote: Interesting, NOS, and the curtains would hang too far away from the window.

that look like there from the hardware store and would use a 5/16 or 3/8 rod.

Sun Aug 16, 2009 8:31 pm

volksinthevalley wrote: Look for someone parting a westy and buy the original curtain rods from them.
Funny that - I just nabbed a full set at the junk yard. I have one other potential buyer (a colleague) but if he does not want them, I'll put them up for sale here. I have the original green curtains, too, faded just right and only slightly burnt. :)

Tue Aug 18, 2009 1:27 am

Found this:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/287075/how_to_hang_curtains_in_your_vintage.html?cat=27

Hope it's helpful.
:)

Tue Aug 18, 2009 7:33 am

Lucas Grams wrote: Go to your neighborhood hardware store and buy some aluminum stock. I did that once. I knew what I was looking for. As close to stock as possible. A flat rod (not round, wrong term) 3/8'' by 3/16'' seems about right. Bend your ends so that the rod stands away from the window 1/2'' or 3/8'' to allow curtains to slide. It is not that hard. Or find something at a junkyard. Vanagon parts could work fine with adaptation also.

This guy is on the right track. Just buy the flat aluminum like he said. You cut them to length and drill holes in the ends. Then you get round aluminum spacers that are about 5/16 in diameter and have holes through them. They are about 1/2 long. Place the flat stock onto the spacers and use a sheet metal screw to hold the flat curtain rod to the spacer to the sidewall. On the long windows you go half way with two rods and support in the middle. On the bottom you run a piece of 1/8 bungee cord through the cutain hem and make loops in the ends of the bungee with sheet metal screws anchoring the ends.

Tue Aug 18, 2009 2:07 pm

Nice job aeromech! I didn't really want to drill holes in my bus, so I used a nice strong nylon cord that I found at the fabric store and used the existing screws/coat hangers:

The next thing is tie backs for all the curtains. For now the shade is greatly welcomed in the hot Albuquerque sun.