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Mon Sep 12, 2016 10:07 pm

It's been about 20 years since I sold my 1958 split window. Over the years I've thought about getting another bus but never did.
So a few weeks ago I spot a bus near a job I was doing. It looked like it's been sitting for some time. I asked the homeowner if the bus was for sale. The wife said yes and the husband says no. I gave the man my business card and told him to give me a call if he wanted to sell it.
A week later I get a call and he said make me an offer. I went by his place that night and we made a deal.
She hasn't run in 18 years. Everything is there and almost no rust. Even the battery tray is just surface rust.
Rats moved into the engine bay so that was pretty nasty. Otherwise it's all there.
Spent the weekend cleaning the old girl. Removed about 10lbs of rat shit out of the engine bay. Nasty!
Pretty exited to get it running and driving.

Mon Sep 12, 2016 10:21 pm

A few more from when I brought her home.

Mon Sep 12, 2016 10:28 pm

Mon Sep 12, 2016 10:43 pm

Got a yellow bucket!! It's a keeper. Ha!

Mon Sep 12, 2016 10:47 pm

After a quick bath.

Mon Sep 12, 2016 11:25 pm

:D Looks like a great project- and all the FI stuff there too.- your gonna love FI when its running right.

So- get out the pressure washer and scotchbrite and get to it.

mice love the cozy home between cylinder. might want a HF bore scope to inspect the engine for nests and scuffed cylinders- they parked it for a reason???

Tue Sep 13, 2016 12:32 am

Nice find. Best of luck!

I am in Norcal also so feel free to shoot off any questions.

Tue Sep 13, 2016 7:40 am

williamM wrote: :D Looks like a great project- and all the FI stuff there too.- your gonna love FI when its running right.

So- get out the pressure washer and scotchbrite and get to it.

mice love the cozy home between cylinder. might want a HF bore scope to inspect the engine for nests and scuffed cylinders- they parked it for a reason???
The owner said the bus would stall randomly every once in a while. He though it was the computer because the shop checked everything else.
He have me a stack of receipts that included a rebuild in the 90's and new heads a year before it was parked.

Tue Sep 13, 2016 7:42 am

BUSBOSS wrote: Nice find. Best of luck!

I am in Norcal also so feel free to shoot off any questions.
Cool, thanks. Where about are you? I'm in the Los Gatos mountains.

Tue Sep 13, 2016 8:02 am

Between work and family I just don't have the time to mess with the engine so yesterday the bus got dropped off to JP automotive in Redwood City to get it fired up.

Tue Sep 13, 2016 8:11 am

Vova wrote: williamM wrote: :D Looks like a great project- and all the FI stuff there too.- your gonna love FI when its running right.

So- get out the pressure washer and scotchbrite and get to it.

they parked it for a reason???
The owner said the bus would stall randomly every once in a while.

He have me a stack of receipts that included a rebuild in the 90's and new heads a year before it was parked.

There are no better parts than free- after they try to fix it- via the shotgun+ style of diagnosis. look thru your boxes of stuff for things they replaced- can be a gold mine- will probably be some vacuum leak or bad brake vac failure.

Tue Sep 13, 2016 5:07 pm

Remove the entire interior.

Tue Sep 13, 2016 6:43 pm

Congrats on the new bus. Trust me, if the rodents go into the engine compartment, they didn't stop there. 18 years of very bad storage is going to require a complete going-through.

Tue Sep 13, 2016 7:26 pm

curtp07 wrote: Remove the entire interior.

Why?

Tue Sep 13, 2016 7:34 pm

If there were rats in the engine bay, you probably have:

Mouse poop everywhere...under seats, crevices, up in the top rail, above the front wood headliner, all in the cracks of the upper bunk.

Years of dirt and filth under carpet, maybe even mold.

Have two westys it the garage, one was sitting, one was not.

Glad I cleaned both as they were DISGUSTING.

Good winter project.

Yours may be an outlier, but probably not :)

PS research bus fires/blazecut see if that's something you're interested in, cheap insurance?

Tue Sep 13, 2016 7:43 pm

That looks like a real good project. The ones that have been sitting for a long time can be great finds and you scored a good one. I'd also recommend to take the interior out and give it a good clean. It's not that hard to take it out. EZgruv has a great write up on it.

Edit: I'd take it all out but put it all back in just like it came out and keep it stock. This one looks unmolested. The bucket is a sought after item in case you didn't know. 8)

Tue Sep 13, 2016 8:05 pm

You guys are probably right. I want to replace the carpet anyway so might as well take everything out. Saw some fresh mouse poop after the initial cleaning. Put some poison out and found two victims the next day.
Hoping to get it back this week and get it cleaned out this weekend.

Tue Sep 13, 2016 8:34 pm

Check the fresh air intake cavity in the front of the bus too. Remove the two side covers and let us know what you find.
I revived a bus sitting just like yours. I removed all the interior, cleaned and waxed all the areas, replaced a piece of stinky wood head liner and basically cleaned every nook and cranny. Thought I had it until I took it for its first drive and opened those vents up. All holy hell broke loose, shit was flying everywhere. I immediately closed them, drove home and took off the two side vents, it was packed with mouse bedding. It was gross, real gross to say the least. I got it now but the smell still haunts me a little, just a little after a couple years.

Tue Sep 13, 2016 8:42 pm

71whitewesty wrote: Check the fresh air intake cavity in the front of the bus too. Remove the two side covers and let us know what you find.
I revived a bus sitting just like yours. I removed all the interior, cleaned and waxed all the areas, replaced a piece of stinky wood head liner and basically cleaned every nook and cranny. Thought I had it until I took it for its first drive and opened those vents up. All holy hell broke loose, shit was flying everywhere. I immediately closed them, drove home and took off the two side vents, it was packed with mouse bedding. It was gross, real gross to say the least. I got it now but the smell still haunts me a little, just a little after a couple years.
Ok that's going on the to do list!

Tue Sep 13, 2016 9:19 pm

Welcome to TheSamba, Bay Window Bus Forum!

Tcash wrote: Every Type IV engine owner should know this!!!

If you over tighten the Oil Strainer bolt, you will brake the engine case!

There is a Oil strainer in there.
TORQUE THE STRAINER BOLT TO NO MORE THAN 9 FT. LBS.

Tcash wrote: Here is a little information. Good Luck

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