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Tue Aug 04, 2015 9:44 am

Feels like I haven't posted pics in a long long time, so why not?

Since my bus is fairly utilitarian, I have always wanted to replace my door panels with something much more durable, mostly because someone (with no insight into how much these door panels in their hard to find champagne color cost) cut big ass speaker holes into them, but partly because I have big feet, and I kick that drivers door panel all the time. So I have been drooling over the ABS plastic ones sold in the classifieds. I'm hopeful these will withstand my size 13 destructive forces.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1360622

So I ordered up a set to match my awesome ABS kick panels, and splurged on the slider door panel too, since mine was an old cast off.

*drivers was previously removed for other things. I saved the brown vents.

I was pretty stoked when I came home and found this on the porch.

For a one man show, Werksberg really impressed me. Packed well, come with all the hardware you need, and fit pretty good really with minor tweaking.

There are two type door panels, the foam armrests and the door pulls type and I either told him I had foam armrests (I don't) or I got the wrong ones, so now I gotta source me some arm rests. But I really like these! While not original, I wont ever have to replace them again.

Tue Aug 04, 2015 9:45 am

Another long standing issue is my crumbling dash vents. Ever turn on the heat, and have bit of dash vent hit you in the eyes? Painful. So I bought a new set online.

Fit and finish are better than I expected. Except now I have to paint this dash. :?

Tue Aug 04, 2015 9:50 am

Kirk wrote: Fit and finish are better than I expected. Except now I have to paint this dash. :?
I know, right? Ya try to make something that is really crappy look nice, and it ends up making everything else look crappy. :)

Tue Aug 04, 2015 9:57 am

Sick work, Kirk!!
Whatchu doin' with those birch front door panels?

If I were to be in Dallas on official HKUCBOO business, would you be down to get a beer?

Tue Aug 04, 2015 12:35 pm

secretsubmariner wrote: Sick work, Kirk!!
Whatchu doin' with those birch front door panels?

If I were to be in Dallas on official HKUCBOO business, would you be down to get a beer?

Official HKUCBOO business? Do tell! If you come, I'll buy the beers. I sold those birch. I didn't like them as much as I thought.

Sat Sep 05, 2015 8:46 pm

http://tinyhouseswoon.com/my-tiny-house-on-wheels/

Tue Nov 17, 2015 2:59 pm

So cold(er) weather got here, and my beloved H4s fogged over immediately, and have pretty much stayed that way since. It is inside the headlight, not on the exterior. The rubber boots on back are in place and sealed tight, but my opaque headlights now put out less light than my old sealed beams. Thats quite a pisser. Ideas?

(for the record, I bought the 'spensive ones.

Tue Nov 17, 2015 3:08 pm

when you turn your lights on the smootz burns off. as they cool, they tend to suck in "fog"

turn your lights on for a bit, then shut them off. go out and look at them. you'll see how they have cleared up till they cool back down

Tue Nov 17, 2015 5:10 pm

I bought some Brazil Hellas (I think) clear back in the 80's and used them 1985-1992 and they did the same thing. I figure that is exactly why DOT was never sold on them. I also imported some used Hella and Bosch T2a bus lights from a friend in Germany and all were fogged to some extent.
I think the best long time performers I found were the Halogen H7 sealed beams, by some American manufacturer. I've got them on my 80 Westy and my 83 TD Vanagon still.
Too bad, because I liked the whole changeable lamp idea, but when the reflector is foggy, WTF difference does a high powered lamp make?
And basically, the reflectors oxidize, and show foggy, like tarnished silver.
I do not know if this was a problem on American cars before sealed beams. Sealed beams were thought to be an improvement, so much that there were Refit kits used to put them on older American cars in the 1940's. I guess good lights were needed then too.
Of course, any lamp will put out more power with more voltage. One good reason to convert a 6 volt car to 8 volts.
Don't know how easy to do on a modern car with electronic regulator.
Of course lamp life will go down a lot with a large increase, but even 14.0 might make a nice improvement. I'd gladly buy one or two more head lamps over the course of the life of a vehicle to gain even 50ft more vision.
Al

Mon Mar 14, 2016 4:13 pm

Been a minute since I've been around, ya know life.

Pics!

Had a buddy buy a set of Konis for his Subaru swapped bay. He never drove a single mile on it, and was selling the bus over seas. He told me that if I came to his house (nearly 2 hours away) and swapped my KYBs for them, I could have them. Shit yes! Away I went. Took my shocks off and drove on over. Figured they would make a nice upgrade from my KYBs. I can't remember what I set them to now, but it was the most commonly found setting if you search this site. (2 turns and 1.5 turns?)

I love them. The difference is amazing. And they look cool.

What a sexy view that is. MMMMMMM buddy.

Mon Mar 14, 2016 4:14 pm

My next upgrade was a set of Brazilian mirrors. I hate my old ones, and they are beat up, and they dont stay in place, and I dont have any chrome. It was a logical swap.

They attach with a really big hex hole bolt. I dont have one, so I had to improvise. Worked and fit flawlessly.

Mon Mar 14, 2016 4:15 pm

I love those sonsabitches. They are perfect.

They do not budge, even at highway speeds. I can see!

Mon Mar 14, 2016 4:17 pm

Also at some point, I had to replace the exhaust. I am still not quite ready to swap to stock, although I am closer than when I did this. Missing one part now, and I own it, I just cant find it. Off with the old.

Anyone want it?
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1905775

I bought the "best" extractor around, from Bus depot. It sucks, and fits like crap. Doesn't fit any better than any other crappy extractor style exhaust out there. Sounds crappy too. But its marginally better than the junk I had before. Did I mention its pure garbage? Dont buy it.

Ran it by a buddies shop, and blasted it raw, then painted it hi temp flat black. Eh.

Mon Mar 14, 2016 4:35 pm

Then yesterday, in a spurt of energy, I washed, waxed and buffed Bear back to a high gloss shine. The rack is removed pending some welding repairs.

Mon Mar 14, 2016 7:06 pm

Get a drivers side rear marker light you dammned hippy!!

Mon Mar 14, 2016 8:02 pm

Those side mirrors are the bomb 8)

Mon Mar 14, 2016 9:44 pm

Dude where can I get me some of those mirrors?

Mon Mar 14, 2016 11:10 pm

khalimadeath wrote: Dude where can I get me some of those mirrors?

Bus Depot stocks them. Pricey but worth it.

jmstu76 wrote: Get a drivers side rear marker light you dammned hippy!!

Yeah yeah. I gotta modify this crappy aftermarket one cause it sucks.

Mon Mar 14, 2016 11:30 pm

Now you need one of these.
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=5590087#5590087
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1...ing+damper

Nice score
Tcash

Tue Mar 15, 2016 7:49 am

Tcash wrote: Now you need one of these.
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=5590087#5590087
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1...ing+damper

Nice score
Tcash

Ha! I was about to say, wasnt that proven a fake?