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Sun Feb 01, 2015 8:33 pm

Truck turned out real nice Lee.

Fri Feb 27, 2015 2:38 pm

One of the many anti-theft items on my list is an NOS locking driver's door handle. The original one had some light pitting & didn't have an original key so I found a beautiful NOS one with two original keys in The Netherlands for a reasonable price. It installed easily and looks perfect, as it should.

The original 8V-coded driver's door handle is now listed on the ads for someone that wants a perfectly functional 1963 door handle. Gabe can make a new key for about $25, I believe. Here's the ad:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1757799

Fri Feb 27, 2015 2:49 pm

Nice!

Sat Feb 28, 2015 4:23 pm

When I'd cleaned-up the rear cab floor I'd forgotten to find the bolt hardware that keeps the rear seat pedestal clamped down onto the floor. I searched for the original parts (below: bolt, clamping plate, wingnut) but was not successful in finding them. So I looked for another solution.

I found wingnuts & long bolts that were designed for the middle seat frames on the Microbus/Kombi. The bolt has a square shape that fits into the metal floor plate, allowing the wingnut to attach. Bought these parts from Chadd in Georgia for $20. When they arrived I looked for the clamping plates and learned they were the same as those used to secure fuel tanks. So I pulled out a few spares from a T34 and discovered the holes were smaller than the bolts. A quick spin on the drill opened up the holes enough for the large bolts to go through. Next I discovered that I had to use a large-diameter nut to raise the height of the wingnut so it wouldn't bottom-out on the end of the bolt threads. Putting it together I discovered the wingnut ends hit on the side of the pedestal, so I had to pull the pedestal away from the wingnut, tighten it down, then slide the pedestal base underneath the wingnut bolt assembly. Presto!

PS A couple weeks after installing the rear seat pedestal bolts, I FOUND an original set of Double Cab bolts on theSamba! Rusty & missing one bolt, it was exactly what I needed. Funny that it showed-up AFTER I'd bought the work-around parts. The wingnuts on the DC pedestal are a lot smaller than the Microbus middle-seat bolts, so there's no problem turning them while inside the pedestal lip.

Sat Mar 07, 2015 4:38 pm

Back in mid-December I discovered the gearshift coupler had broken (1). It took some time to locate the right parts (Bill & Steve's had everything), then work delayed the task. So this weekend the family schedule was open and I dived into the task. I'd researched on theSamba what other owners had experienced getting the two bolts off, so I was not looking forward to it.

Jacked-up the truck & fitted the two jack stands. Crawled underneath with a can of penetrating spray & a metal brush. After removing the crud covering the broken coupler pieces, I saw remnants of thin wire on the bolts (broken), so I removed the wire to get the socket over the bolt (2). Frustrated that the 8mm didn't fit and the 9mm was too loose because of the design of the rectangular bolt head. Tried the channel locks but couldn't get enough grip to turn it loose. Then I grabbed an 8mm open-end wrench and put a screwdriver through the hole-end and turned the bolts loose with ease (3). BINGO! I removed the two coupler pieces & cleaned-up the area (4). I'd read that the repro couplers available these days often do not have the two holes lined-up, causing issues when shifting. So I hammered one side until it aligned.

I'd read that there wouldn't be enough space to install the new coupler between the two rods, and I had that same experience. So I removed the two 13mm bolts holding down the gearshift lever which allowed the front rod to slide towards the front of the truck (5). I lubed the new coupler to help it slide over the rods (6). There was now plenty of space for the new boot & coupler to be installed on one end with a bolt. Then I pushed the gearshift rod back towards the rear and climbed back underneath to slide the boot over the rod & push the rod into the other end of the coupler. Looking into the hole I noticed it wasn't quite aligned (front to back) but when I put the bolt in and tightened it down the two parts came together perfectly. Wired the two bolts together (6). Then reconnected the gearshift lever bolts, a frustrating experience.

Sun Mar 08, 2015 3:34 pm

The Turquoise dash was bugging me, now that I was able to drive the truck. So I stripped it, sanded it down, primed & painted it to match the body. Much better! At least it won't bug me now. Yes, the ignition switch is in the wrong location (previous owner's handiwork). I'm on the search for a reasonable 1963 ignition switch but they all seem to $150-250! My funds have been earmarked for several other things before dumping it into an expensive ignition switch. Engine needs to get built & electrical system needs to be checked.

Sun Mar 08, 2015 5:26 pm

VW painted the hub cap logos on all Beetles, Buses, & Type 3's through the 1963 model year. So when I bought the commercial hub caps from Wolfsburg West, the logos were not painted. The commercial models (trucks & panel vans) had Silver-White logos to match the bumpers & rims.

So I checked out theSamba for owners experiences. Some hand-painted the logos, some sprayed paint over the masked-off logo, & one guy suggested a source that had vinyl logos that could be applied to the logo. I found the source and bought a set of the Silver-White ones for $12. He sent five in case I messed one up. Here's the link to this source's ad: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=858763

Today I decided to give them a go. The source had included instructions that seemed simple & straight-forward. Laid out the hub caps in the kitchen. Cleaned them with Windex then peeled the logo off the paper backing. Sprayed Windex on the hub cap logo area & laid the vinyl decal over the liquid. It slid easily into position. Then i blotted off the excess liquid and used my fingertips to push-down on the vinyl from the center going out to the edges. I used the low-hot setting on my wife's hair dryer to work the bubbles out from the vinyl & attach the edges securely to the logo. I was able to do all four (without messing up) in about 15 minutes. Definitely gets my endorsement for fast, simple, & looks fantastic!

Mon Mar 09, 2015 8:27 am

maybe you mentioned it already, but are you planning on a new set of tires by chance?

Mon Mar 09, 2015 8:34 am

These are new radial tires. Do I need a new set? Why do you ask?

Mon Mar 09, 2015 8:38 am

Lee Hedges wrote: These are new radial tires. Do I need a new set? Why do you ask?

they appear to be passenger car tires, which will be very ....squishy...on turns and handling. if you have a bit of time, look up why a load rated tire will serve you a bit better. things like handling, cornering, load capacity, traction, stability in windy conditions etc all come into play. Hankook makes a great load rated tire, the RA08.

just a thought, not trying to tell you you did it wrong or anything. :)

Mon Mar 09, 2015 9:39 am

I LOVE it when Samba members share their experiences to help me understand more about my VWs! Awesome info! I checked the tires on the truck and they are Standard Load rated. They were bought by the previous owner. I don't ever anticipate using this truck for heavy loads (mostly myself with no load or family with paddleboards/surfboards/boogie boards & sand chairs). I'll check out the cost of the Hankook tires you recommended, but it'll have to wait until after the metal work is finished.

Mon Mar 09, 2015 9:50 am

Lee Hedges wrote: I LOVE it when Samba members share their experiences to help me understand more about my VWs! Awesome info! I checked the tires on the truck and they are Standard Load rated. They were bought by the previous owner. I don't ever anticipate using this truck for heavy loads (mostly myself with no load or family with paddleboards/surfboards/boogie boards & sand chairs). I'll check out the cost of the Hankook tires you recommended, but it'll have to wait until after the metal work is finished.

keep in mind Bus's and trucks both need a minimum of a LT truck rating, and a reinforced sidewall, anything with a P in front of the number, like P205-70-14, has a passenger car tire rating. the Hankooks are LT rated, and come in a 185r14 or a 195r14. the believe the 195 has a higher load rating (a nice thing to have) but check on both. normal tires would have a size like LT195/75/14 are a Light truck rating. BFG A/T makes a good rated tire for busses in that size thats also worth looking at for a more aggressive look and better traction.

if you have any more questions id be happy to answer what i can or direct you to someone who has the correct answers if i dont have them. i just dont want to share extra info you may already have if i dont need to. ;)

as my personal preference for running higher tire pressures for stability in my camper, i like having Metal valve stems, rather then rubber. they hold a higher tire pressure, and are easier to fill too. and look better. ask about them when you have tires mounted.

Mon Mar 09, 2015 10:44 am

The fact that you laid out the hub caps in the kitchen and used the wife's hair dryer on the same day is very impressive!

Keep up the good work!!

Mon Mar 09, 2015 11:40 am

I hate it when the wheel shops put the weights on the outside of the rim. If you do get new tires down the road, ask them to put them on the inside.

As for tires, in addition to Hankook, Vanco, Yokohama and Nexen all make LT rated tires in the 195R15 size your looking for.

Mon Mar 09, 2015 12:09 pm

srfndoc wrote: I hate it when the wheel shops put the weights on the outside of the rim. If you do get new tires down the road, ask them to put them on the inside.

As for tires, in addition to Hankook, Vanco, Yokohama and Nexen all make LT rated tires in the 195R15 size your looking for.

Like i said, lots of people know more then me. Those tires are all good choices. Just do your homework and you will be fine. :)

For fun, note how it drives in various places before installing the new tires, and after. Freeways, cornering, lane changes, passing semi trucks, etc. Youll enjoy your tires more if you notice how much better it makes the ride. ;)

Sat Mar 14, 2015 2:34 pm

HOT as hell today in San Diego with mid-day temps at 95F! So, of course I had decided to make it a truck work-day. I'd bought a set of gray interior panels for the front cab from Clara back around Christmas time. I planned to install these panels this weekend. A baggie of original screws & collars was included with the panels.

Punched-out the inner door handle pins and removed the handles. Cleaned-up the door edges and primed/painted them Light Gray on both sides. I removed the door edge screws and used the wire brush to remove the paint residue and they came out bright & shiny. Then I propped the door panel onto the door lever post and got the first screws installed. I used a metal punch to poke a hole through the panel vs using a drill (which might have ripped the surface. The process went fairly smoothly and within an hour I'd finished both doors. The front door handle escutcheons were destroyed and I figured (incorrectly) that WW would have replacements (they do not). So I mounted the door handles without them until I can locate a pair of gray escutcheons. Next I prepped, primed, & painted the front kick panel area with Light Gray. And the kick panels went in easily & quickly with only four screws holding them into place.

What an amazing transformation adding these panels has made! WOW! My neighbor came over and said "That looks great!" and my wife came out to bring me water even commented on how great they look. Of course she also asked if I was keeping the old seat vinyl (nope). "Just takes more money, babe."

Sat Mar 14, 2015 2:53 pm

Lee that old Missouri DC is looking better and better each week! Nice job on choosing and installing Clara's panel set. Are you doing the entire roof set too? If so, read up on the install procedure, and have several friends on hand (with clean hands!) to help muscle those roof sections into place. Warning, there will be some cussing! But once you muscle them in, your cab will look awesome! Clara has a series of install photos in her galley with instructions on the roof process. Check out my '59 DC thread and see the process and the reward when done!

The stickers look good on your hubcaps from 15 feet back, how do they look close-up? I'll be doing either the painting process or stickers on mine this Spring.

Heavy duty, multi-ply (C or D rated) radials are what you'll eventually want on your DC. Passenger car rated tires have softer sidewalls, much more dangerous in a sudden evasive maneuver. Your new tires will work, but be careful and don't slalom race with them!

Nice job!

Bill

Sun Mar 15, 2015 7:41 pm

Bill: the original headliner panels are still inside and they look pretty good, so they'll remain until the truck gets disassembled at the welding phase. Then I'll be sure to get the panels from Clara again. The hub cap decals look clean & smooth up-close, I really like 'em and will NEVER paint the logos again.

Sunday was another HOT day but I still needed to paint the seat frame areas to give the front cab a cleaner look. It's so nice how easy the front seats come out! I found some surface rust on the driver's side so I decided to strip it to bare metal. The passenger side was much better, only requiring sanding to prep the surface. By the afternoon the paint had dried and I put the seat belts back in and attached the seats. Still have a bit more Turquoise at the base of the seat frame, but I was running out of time.

Sun Mar 29, 2015 7:29 pm

The task for this weekend was to clean-up the black parts in the front cab. Bought new black dash knobs, turn signal knob, & dash grab handle with the black bases. Found a nice black gearshift knob with the shift pattern. My truck is one of the first to have emergency/hazard switch with black knob but without the red light on the right side of the dash. Sanded, primed, & painted the black gearshift, pedals, emergency brake with separate metal cover piece, gas pedal, & steering column. Sure looks nice with everything back to original again. Of course it needs a new front mat.

The truck has an original clear plastic cover over the hole where the interior light switch typically is. I installed some fresh bulbs & a new cover and it works fine by manually switching it on/off. Not sure what date the interior switch was added to the Double Cab trucks.

Sun Mar 29, 2015 7:39 pm

BulliBill wrote: Lee, the stickers look good on your hubcaps from 15 feet back, how do they look close-up?

Hey Bill! Here's a close-up of the vinyl hub cap logo applied with heat (wife's hair dryer) over the Wolfsburg West painted hub caps. There is no lifting of the decal on the edges and the die-cut edges look very sharp.