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Sat Aug 18, 2012 9:38 pm

Bass guitar neck?

Sun Aug 19, 2012 7:38 pm

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=197571&highlight=

Guess you found it!

I found it in Midwest City. It was in the back of an old vw shop. It had a family of goats living in a burrowed-out hole underneath.

It was completely stripped of interior and Champagne stuff.

I also bought another bus that was owned by a group of clowns that used to drive it around for clown events. The body on the Clown bus was pretty rough and painted ridiculous colors, so i pulled the motor and stuck it in the "Bear."

It has sat for a long time, so i added a set of injectors, fuel lines, pump, brakes, and got it running/driving.

Most of the interior, seats, rear bumper, etc. was all stuff i scrounged from local salvage yards. I made the curtains. I pulled the kitchen out of a salvage bus as well. It should have a camping tank that you can remove and clean for the sink.

I loved that bus. Drove it constantly. It was always reliable.

I'll look for some old pics.

The Bear rises again!!! Glorious!

Kirk wrote:

Sun Aug 19, 2012 7:57 pm

Here ya go!:

Mon Aug 20, 2012 5:07 am

Ah! I think I've seen that on OilCapital forums!

Mon Aug 20, 2012 5:54 am

busboyjake wrote: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=197571&highlight=

Guess you found it!

I found it in Midwest City. It was in the back of an old vw shop. It had a family of goats living in a burrowed-out hole underneath.

It was completely stripped of interior and Champagne stuff.

I also bought another bus that was owned by a group of clowns that used to drive it around for clown events. The body on the Clown bus was pretty rough and painted ridiculous colors, so i pulled the motor and stuck it in the "Bear."

It has sat for a long time, so i added a set of injectors, fuel lines, pump, brakes, and got it running/driving.

Most of the interior, seats, rear bumper, etc. was all stuff i scrounged from local salvage yards. I made the curtains. I pulled the kitchen out of a salvage bus as well. It should have a camping tank that you can remove and clean for the sink.

I loved that bus. Drove it constantly. It was always reliable.

I'll look for some old pics.

The Bear rises again!!! Glorious!

Kirk wrote:

Hey Greg! Guess I did find The Bear. Thanks for the old pics! Any from when you drug it out? Looks like it did better in your hands than where I got it. I'll get it cleaned and see if I can get it back running. That rear dent kinda sucks, but I'll see what I can do about it. The only water tank that it had was a crushed 1l water bottle behind the drivers seat. Its alright tho, I dont really need the fridge anyway. Thanks for the history. :)

Mon Oct 15, 2012 2:39 pm

Update:

My update comes three fold.

1 - This isnt a purists bus, resto or read. At the end of the day, it will be a beater quasi camper until which point I get a wild hair and restore it. Until then it will be nice to camp and drive wherever without concern for nicks, scratches or dents. Ahhhh.

2 - I dont weld for shit.

3 - I apologize for the iPhone pics.

SO if I havent lost you yet, follow along.

So as you remember, I had a bit of a "hoss kick" issue in the passenger rear corner.

With the help of a comealong, a large Dodge pickup and two beers, I was able to get most out!

(still needs dolly work) However, by this picture, you can see I have some rust and cracking issues. :?

Now what you might not know is that I have had a bitch kitty of a time getting a battery tray. I ordered one, and ended up getting the drivers side instead of the passenger side. THEN, a fellow sambanista found me one in Houston where I was very close to at the time (say thankya btw) but turns out they only had an early one, not a late one. I did not even think of how different they were, and I should have. Yes, I'm stupid. So even tho i now had two battery trays, neither was worth a crap to me. What to do? Order another one?

Oh yes. I have some delicious german metal in the form of a 62 Ghia I'm parting. BET that works. Ill save the passenger for later, and cut the battery hold downs off this early and weld those in too! Great idea! (or hack, whatever)

A little art work....

a little snip snip and VOILA! Battery tray. Of german metal. Keeping it in the family. Since I'm trimming metal, why not fix my rusted cracked spot too??

Cut, grind, weld. Still needs finish work, I know. Cut the battery tray out while I was in there, and thats when I ran out of time. :(

Some progress is better than none I suppose. :)

Mon Oct 15, 2012 3:21 pm

Well, look at you go! Very nice. Maybe see if you can bend that tray a tad in the middle so water moves that way, and drill a hole for it to drain out of. Like the new bus by the way.

Mon Oct 15, 2012 3:26 pm

Hmm. Good call on the bend. I think its gonna have to go in in two parts, so thats doable, as is a drain hole. I know its not danfabulous quality, but I'm looking forward to a beater camper, I must admit. : )

Mon Oct 15, 2012 3:28 pm

Kirk wrote: Hmm. Good call on the bend. I think its gonna have to go in in two parts, so thats doable, as is a drain hole. I know its not danfabulous quality, but I'm looking forward to a beater camper, I must admit. : )

I totally get it. I would love to have a run about too. I would be happy to have half your talent.

Mon Oct 15, 2012 3:29 pm

My talent?!?! *looks around*

I'm being punked right? Youre the guy with flawless and perfect work. But thanks. :)

Mon Oct 15, 2012 3:59 pm

Say....how did your propane tank turn out on Doodle? Been wondering about that.

Mon Oct 15, 2012 4:06 pm

Speaking of beater camper...... One new years we had a bus campout at an old abandoned circle track on my buddy's land. Someone got the bright idea to have a bus race..... Yada Yada..... She came in last. ;)

Nice to see the progress.

Mon Oct 15, 2012 5:48 pm

busboyjake wrote: Speaking of beater camper...... One new years we had a bus campout at an old abandoned circle track on my buddy's land. Someone got the bright idea to have a bus race..... Yada Yada..... She came in last. ;)

Nice to see the progress.

She only came in last because you loved her.

Definitely good progress.

Mon Oct 15, 2012 6:02 pm

I agree, that is awesome Kirk! I saved that first pic, what incredible champagne art. Congrats on the fix- that'd be good enough for me too!

Mon Oct 15, 2012 9:17 pm

LOVE it! at first i thought you bought this off tony...:lol:....

cant wait to see ti come around! :D

Mon Oct 15, 2012 9:22 pm

Nice progress man!

Mon Oct 22, 2012 8:12 am

Still need to finish out the rear corner, but I did make time this weekend to have tires mounted. :) (Im not sure on the silver wheels tho honestly. Still up in the air.)

I have a buddy that can make a stripe kit. Need ideas on what color the stripes should be.

And test fit my roof rack that needs a touch of welding and some paint. :D

Mon Oct 22, 2012 8:51 am

So is the bear moving under her own power or do you have a garden tractor and a tow bar to move it around? :lol:

Mon Oct 22, 2012 9:55 am

that rack is SWEET! :D

Mon Oct 22, 2012 9:58 am

She moves under her own power ish. Hard to wake her from hibernation. I need the "gaskets" under the intake runners now. One was non existant and the other is dust.