TheSamba.com :: View topic - Last summer i rescued this 1969 hightop from a tow yard

Mon Jun 01, 2015 5:33 pm

After meeting the owner of the tow yard the first time he wanted 2000$ for this bus which i wasn't willing to pay. but after another deal went bad for the tow yard owner i was left with a heavily reduced asking price! :)

Plus he also delivered it to my house for me woohoo.

anyway since january i have been working on the weekends to get this bus ready for some camping trips this summer. but il let the pictures do the talking.

thanks

test fitting my seat i got from vancouver island

picked up a seat of cookies with caps for 100$ locally :)

trial fit

Stripped and ready for a custom seat idea i had

Christmas present from my parents woop

my girlfriend didnt like the green with the blue bus so offered to cover the top of them. my only condition was the green was left underneath un hurt.

Some glue and tape to pin back the peeling vinyl

Started to do some insulation

Seat time

test fit

sheet of wood for the floor base.

new hard wood floor being cut for size :P

front cab floor repairs

Cut out new panels and double wood stained them

another test fit

My girlfriend made some curtains and got excited with some fairy lights haha

trying to figure out how best to fit this mini panels

seat belt upgrades

sweet mat i sourced from a local hoarder

i bought some carpet from princess auto and fitted it upfront under the seat area. pictures are a bit muddled up.

dash looking clean after installing my vdo clock

front seats finally finished.

more pics to come of my cabinet i built.

Mon Jun 01, 2015 7:32 pm

Impressive post, you've been busy!
Please put those pics in the Samba gallery opposed to Photobucket, a few years from now if your interests change we'll all be left looking at this and this thread will help no one:

You'll want to give those tires some thought, especially on a high top, 1186 lbs is kinda pushing it and it's guaranteed to handle like ass.

Mon Jun 01, 2015 8:48 pm

Your tires are around 400# shy (1600# for a set of four) of the minimum load rating that is acceptable for your rig. Others will claim your tires are even more badly underrated still.

Otherwise great pictures, wow lots of work.

Mon Jun 01, 2015 9:22 pm

hey thanks for the responces. the cookies have mismatch of tires already on them plus the two on the deeper dishes are almost bold so i was planning on getting brand new ones all the way round. so you're saying 1600 weight capacity?

Mon Jun 01, 2015 9:57 pm

The original tires that VW used were either a ~1600# load rated passenger tire or a truck tire of a bit more capacity.

Mon Jun 01, 2015 10:04 pm

Yes, especially with a hightop you don't want anything less than an LT rated tire, the more sidewall plies the better. Cool looking doesn't count here, crappy dangerous all over the road squirrelly is no fun and dangerous, spend the dough on good tires, or you'll be sorry.

I don't know what's available in 15", the tire thread may have some clues. How did you mount those cookie cutters?, adaptors or a redrill?

Mon Jun 01, 2015 11:49 pm

The guy I bought them off had one set of adaptors. I'd love the drilled drums but I've heard there hard to find and costly to have made. I'm not 100% on whether I want to run with the cutters or stock smoothies. I'm a sucker for them! :P

Tue Jun 02, 2015 7:08 am

Man, this just looks like a fun build! Can't wait to see it out camping!

Tue Jun 02, 2015 7:45 am

Very Very cool! You have done great work! If it was me, and only because I love this look, I would refinish the stock wheels, and run BFGs. Bus looks great.

Tue Jun 02, 2015 12:09 pm

I'm with Kirk, the BFGs and stock rims are better suited for camping.
the offset and the adapters you may fined that the other rims wont fit in the rear wheel well if you have not tried yet.

Tue Jun 02, 2015 3:33 pm

Looks great! The inside came out very nice!

Tue Jun 02, 2015 5:59 pm

Welcome to TheSamba!

69 electrical hacks by PO, need advice

Tcash wrote: Here is a little information. Good Luck

Pictures would be cool.
How to post photos/How to post a photo in the Forums

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There is a ton of information located at the top of the Forum section.

Tue Jun 02, 2015 11:44 pm

Great work!! 8)

I love seeing great old cars saved from death by rust sitting in junkyards!

Wed Jun 03, 2015 12:25 am

Nice save! Congrats!

When you get a chance, do upgrade your tires as mentioned. It really does make a big difference.

Wed Jun 03, 2015 5:38 am

Looking GREAT !!! Can you take some pictures of the under side of the bus please.

Wed Jun 03, 2015 6:37 pm

I second that tire choice. Only way to go.

Kirk wrote: Very Very cool! You have done great work! If it was me, and only because I love this look, I would refinish the stock wheels, and run BFGs. Bus looks great.

Tue Jun 16, 2015 11:54 am

Ta for all the replies. Will take some more pictures when I'm back from Italy in 2 more weeks :P

Anyone got a good lead on how to get those tires in Canada?

Tue Jun 16, 2015 12:13 pm

http://tires.canadiantire.ca/en/tires/light-truck-...in-t-a-ko/

https://shop.kaltire.com/tiresdetails2/tireid/5233/

Tue Jun 16, 2015 12:14 pm

Thanks mate

Tue Jun 16, 2015 12:44 pm

Is that indoor/outdoor carpet you installed in the back? It will probably hold water and rust, especially if foam backed.

Do not tape the wall insulation up so much. You want air to move in and out of there or it will hold in moisture...