TheSamba.com :: View topic - Wind-up Window Barndoors

Wed Jul 10, 2013 2:47 am

From the HO thread
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=560538&start=40

sunroof wrote: This crazy thing had roll up windows, would someone please explain this to me?

Don

From Matt's ad:
Quote: 1955 wind up window Barndoor
I built this bus to go to Hessisch Oldendorf and EBI and it became my home for 10 days covering 2500km trouble free.

I met the owner before me from Italy who i'm going to be in touch with to find out as much as I can about the history of the bus.

This bus came in from Italy but from what I can find the rack conversion and windows were added at the beginning of its life in Germany. The rack and ladder are a work of art...there are mounting points on the inside gutter that then bolts up through the roof.

The cargo area windows except the loading doors wind up and down and all the mechanisms have been recoiled with fresh wire and everything refreshed.. I've only ever seen one other windup window bus but that was based on a panel van with different sized windows where as this has been done using all the original window apertures.

Ok the body was in really good condition. I've replaced the whole cargo floor with a Gerson one, lower steps, lower front panel, valance, inner and outer sills have been replaced, I didn't want to get too carried away with this build as I love the faded weathered look on this seriously cool bus.

The running gear has been completely gone through, I have changed the rear end for a 66 1500 big nut box, with special spring plate adapters, concept 1 nose cone etc...And the motor is a really nice 1500 h stamped industrial motor with very low use, and I've just put on a superb Ed Fall carb and the motor is sweet. All the electrics have been gone through with indicators being used in the rear lights and front too just for safety.

I've made a rear bench/bed for the rear, nothing special but folds out to a full width bed and 6 foot 6 long.
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1489056

Wed Jul 10, 2013 2:58 am

All cargo area windows wind, apart from those in the cargo doors. Pretty cool, and beats popouts!
The think the mechanisms are housed in additional boxed areas attached to the inner skin area.
I think the glass sits further back than with fixed glass - sitting behind the original aperture.
Such a neat job that it looks like it could be Wolfsburg led? Same paint pattern too.

Check out the rack fixings to the inner roof area.

Matt, got any pictures of the naked mechanisms?

Wed Jul 10, 2013 3:08 am

As found?

Little more info here
http://www.ssvc.org.uk/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=75622

Wed Jul 10, 2013 1:18 pm

Hey Chris
Was going to do a thread on this bus as i'd love to find out as much as I can about this bus or any others that are still left!
I know of one other that is based on a panel van, and has different sized windows, where as mine kind of looks just right! you could walk past without realizing what has been done!
I'll get some pics of the mechanism over the weekend for you, its a super simple roller and wire arrangement and works absolutely perfect, they have moved the inside frame in around 30mm around the window and 45mm between the window and floor!

Would love to see any other wind up barndoors or if anyone can shed any light on my one!

Wed Jul 10, 2013 2:17 pm

This one at Lavenham last year had 'em, at least the rear side windows were windup...

Thu Jul 11, 2013 12:08 am

Wow !!! :shock: :shock: another Austrian-British bus !
very interesting van. obviously this was a company's firetruck in upper Austria at some point and the new owner took the paint back to doveblue in places. if that is the OG paint , this would mean the roll up modification was done without cutting or welding the outer window frame ?
Man, if this bus has OG paint and the original layer of fire red on over it, it must be SUPER solid !!! no welding/filler visible at all except for a repainted rocker panel. Funny you can see the spotwelds in the side panels exactly where the roll down window is. So either they removed the inner bracing structure or the water running down the window channel caused some rusting between the panel and the bracing, moving the parts and causing the typical 'pop in' spot welds . An inside view of the rollup mechanism and bracing would be most interesting. Whose van is this ? clean mean machine !

Thu Jul 11, 2013 2:37 pm

You can just make out the winding handle for the far rear window. Looks very similar to Matt's but is higher up.
I had a very good nosey around Matts bus when he first brought it down to Cornwall. Is supper cool in the flesh and the windup looks very factory or day one coachbuild. I'm not surprised there is another.
My question is why did they have windups?
They would be cool in a camper but the handles very much hinder the fitting of a camping interior. :?

Thu Jul 11, 2013 3:05 pm

Maybe back then it was cheaper to have a small coachbuildt shop build rollups with existing glass and donor beetle winders than order a set of factory popouts ( back then ýou would have to pay a lot ot taxes, customs and fees to ship a vulnerable part like glass from Germany to Austria or Italy f.e) or like the Portugese laws for having panels converted to window- busses for tax reasons. also the coachbuildt Sambas. Must have been cheaper that way.

Thu Jul 11, 2013 3:57 pm

kevm wrote: This one at Lavenham last year had 'em, at least the rear side windows were windup...

these windows seem to not be quite as tall as stock windows? and smaller than the other roll-up window bus.

Fri Jul 12, 2013 12:23 am

you're right !!!
also the fixed glass looks more recessed than on an original kombi, probably coachbuildt from a panel !

Fri Jul 12, 2013 11:15 am

lads, keep up

yes, converted from a Panel
it's the bus Matt refers to in his ad

Quote: I've only ever seen one other windup window bus - but that was based on a panel van with different sized windows - whereas mine has been done using all the original window apertures

Fri Jul 12, 2013 11:34 am

RockStock wrote: lads, keep up

yes, converted from a Panel
it's the bus Matt refers to in his ad

Quote: I've only ever seen one other windup window bus - but that was based on a panel van with different sized windows - whereas mine has been done using all the original window apertures

snap! i am doing my own work, reading ads is cheating :)

Sat Jul 13, 2013 4:21 pm

Just the two rear side windows wind on the converted Panel

Sun Jul 14, 2013 12:20 pm

very cool

Sun Jul 14, 2013 11:58 pm

I will get photos put up this week so if anyones interested they can see whats going on behind the panels!! So simple but a work of art at the same time.
Just finishing a customers bus which is draining my time at the mo!

Sat Jul 20, 2013 3:59 am

Some pictures that I took of it at HO.

Sat Jul 20, 2013 11:31 am

i can't think of anything that is not cool about those wind-up windows, except maybe, why did they stop and and NOT make the front sliding windows wind-up too?

Now, that would have been cool!

that would be on my list of cool customizations for split bus.

Tue Mar 18, 2014 2:02 pm

I'm fortunate enough to be the new custodian of the windy window bus :D

The rear windows developed a jam a few months after i took ownership. So I stripped them down to see if I can fix it.

They all share the same cable driven cog mechanism. Splined perfectly for a oval era winder but the mech doesn't look VW or Porsche. Not that im aware of anyway and there are no obvious marks on the mechanism.

Here are a few pics from my phone when I took the one apart. Ive remade the cables 3 times now and each only lasts a few winds then snags. I'm going to have a go a re-engineering something.

The mech mounts on the 3 holes to the left of this pic then the cable passes up over a top pulley hidden by the window aperture and clamps through the bottom of the rail holding the glass.

This is the bottom pulley that is adjustable to put tension in the cable.

I plan to make them more reliable by using beetle window mechanisms. Will see how I get on :D

Wed Mar 19, 2014 6:21 am

Good luck with that, it sounds pretty tricky

Wed Mar 19, 2014 4:35 pm

Hey Kilgore,id swear blind the regulator mechs are from a fiat 600 or 500! You can still buy them brand new from here
https://www.fiat500ricambi.com

The trick with fitting them is keep the tension on and dont allow the cable to to run on top of its self,also when i fitted them to my Fiat 600 they as far as im aware only sell the early type (which will prob be the ones fitted to yours)which i had to shorten to fit mines,so i slackened off all of the rollers right off,then shortened the cable to a nice tension and joined them with a handbrake cable joining piece then adjusted up the rollers to suit,you will need to pairs of hands!they now work a treat-hope this helps :)