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Wed Jul 14, 2021 8:30 am

Big Bull Shooter wrote: Are you in the Shelburne area?

Cool. I'm down in the Yarmouth area.

Wed Jul 14, 2021 10:53 am

Congrats Stan
So happy to see a BD in Canadian soil and being restored here as well.
I'm sure you will do an outstanding job! Cant wait to see the progression

Wed Jul 14, 2021 3:03 pm

Super happy it is in great hands sgellis. Do you have any history on it?

Wed Jul 14, 2021 4:11 pm

LAGrunthaner wrote: Super happy it is in great hands sgellis. Do you have any history on it?

Thanks.

It had an engine fire many years ago and was parked behind a barn I think. Previous owner recovered it from there 5 years or so and hoped to fix it.

Edit: pervious/previous owner acquired it after an engine fire, got it running and used for a few years after. Apparently never bothered to paint over the burned area :)

I will see the PO in a few weeks and will get a bit more information. I was a bit overwhelmed when I picked it up and didn't take much in. Haha There was a set of plates in it from 57... Birth certificate is on order so that may fill in a bit more.

Fri Jul 16, 2021 3:08 am

Wow, great news !
Really looking forward to your build. Very much enjoyed your '64 and camping interior build - this is going to be great ! 8)

The Barndoor forum is a lot slower than the split bus forum, so don't be dissapointed if there are not as many followers and replies over here.

As you have already found out, nothing is easy with an early transporter, and hardly any parts of later buses will fit. parts may be very difficult to obtain and expensive, but that is just part of the lure.... :D

Awesome project !

Fri Jul 16, 2021 6:25 pm

Movable.

Stuck the 56 spindles on with a sketchy riser for the tie rods. Bolted my dolly wheels to the back. Made them for the 64 while i rebuilt the trans and engine.

Found some seat clamp while cleaning. :) still have a bit more to clean out so maybe I will find some more.

Fri Jul 16, 2021 6:55 pm

Had a good look underneath. Looks untouched so maybe low millage...

Overall very happy. Lots of good and the sections that need replacing are relatively easy. I will likely change the center frames as both sides have a few bad spots and it will be easier to just put in new.

The important bit is I can see what it is supposed to look like.

Sat Jul 17, 2021 4:25 am

sgellis, I love your craftsmanship and your enthusiasm.
Your step by step procedure of photos and dictation as seen in your previous project takes time out of the build and very appreciated. I feel like I'm back in university and lucky to have gotten the professor I wanted for my class.
So excited for you and your students :wink:

Sat Jul 17, 2021 6:20 am

sgellis wrote:

That's crazy how well the brake lines look.

Sat Jul 17, 2021 7:07 am

Joey wrote:
That's crazy how well the brake lines look.

Am very happy to see all those details still there. I will take lots of photos, measurements and make sketches of everything as they are removed. And I throw nothing out :)

Sat Jul 17, 2021 8:54 am

LAGrunthaner wrote: sgellis, I love your craftsmanship and your enthusiasm.
Your step by step procedure of photos and dictation as seen in your previous project takes time out of the build and very appreciated. I feel like I'm back in university and lucky to have gotten the professor I wanted for my class.
So excited for you and your students :wink:

Thanks!

I really enjoy the detailed build threads here and quite like sharing my own. It is nice to have a history/story of what I have done also.

Sat Jul 17, 2021 9:01 am

Cleaned out the last bit under the front seat. I am now the proud owner of 5 very rusted seat clamps. :)

Sat Jul 17, 2021 5:30 pm

Did an antique car parade tonight with our 64 and then stoped by to show the wife our new bus. Step son dropped by in his bug so it was a photo opp. :)

Wed Jul 21, 2021 8:17 am

That bus is in incredibly good condition. I always love seeing the close up pics of the Canadian barn doors. They are in much better shape than a lot of the stuff that gets dragged out of Swedish swamps or airlifted by helicopter out of dried up lake beds over there.

Wed Jul 21, 2021 6:24 pm

Looking through my parts pile. Think I will use the vertical ribs and lower wall from the 61 panel wall I have. It also has enough roof to replace the rusty left side.

I will use the window panel from a 55 I recovered. It is rusty but once disassembled it will be easy to fix. I would rather use original metal than a replacement stamping. And NOS is not in the budget.

Have a split case from the 55 also. Shouldn't have any problems with corrosion. Haha. Hopefully it is good inside. Have a couple sets of Small nut reductions. Will pick the best ones and rebuild and use adapter plates with the BD spring plates. Hopefully I can find BD inner reduction and tubes at some point.

Fri Jul 23, 2021 8:03 pm

sgellis wrote: ...

Have a split case from the 55 also. Shouldn't have any problems with corrosion. Haha. Hopefully it is good inside. Have a couple sets of Small nut reductions. Will pick the best ones and rebuild and use adapter plates with the BD spring plates. Hopefully I can find BD inner reduction and tubes at some point.

that is an impressive "protective" layer :)

Sun Jul 25, 2021 3:39 pm

Received a bunch of recovery photos and videos. Hasn't changed much from then.

Going to see the property and previous owner next week as there is lots of stuff around so maybe a seat or two :) That would be quite nice. haha. Hope to fill in the history some more.

Sun Jul 25, 2021 3:44 pm

mandraks wrote: that is an impressive "protective" layer :)

And that is after 50 years in the woods. Haha. Going to be fun cleaning that crap off.

Sat Aug 07, 2021 8:48 pm

At end of vacation we stopped at previous,previous owners place. Amassing amount of stuff spread through old stores and barns. After talking with him for a while And convincing him I was actually restoring it he says he has the original engine and spindles and maybe reductions and a few rims.

We only had time to tunnel in to the engine and drag it out. Will be back on a cooler day and see if we can find some other stuff

Engine appears to be a few months too new for my bus so not original. Not even sure it is a 30, may be a 25. I need to do some research on how to tell them apart. Lots of correct parts though and complete engine was running. Also got a bunch of extra parts that are correct.

Didn't get much history as he could not remember when he got it or why the extra doors were in it. After talking with him a bit i think the extra doors were for front seating and luggage.

Sat Aug 07, 2021 11:04 pm

That is not an original engine stamping, maybe it's been ground off and restamped?
Or the case replaced?

You can check the engine case left and right half date codes using information here to see if it's a 1954 case:
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=380362

It definitely looks to have a some possibly '54 stuff on it - distributor, upper generator pulley, maybe more