| Author |
Message |
sloans265
Samba Member
Joined: October 24, 2004
Posts: 1322
Location: 32207
|
 Posted: Sun Oct 25, 2020 9:39 pm Post subject: 1970 Lotus White Panel project |
 |
|
I've been working on this Lotus White Panel for 2 yrs now. Between running a business, having a baby and this Pandemic it hasn't exactly been a top priority. I also do work on other peoples VW's to make a little extra bus money. If you do the IG thing I'm @sloans265 on there.
I was in the middle of rebuilding a 71 Sunroof Deluxe when I first heard about this Panel. Mark Walker aka @barefootdriver on IG (cant remember his Samba name) had told me had it and was thinking about selling. I've always loved Commercial Bay Windows so I asked for pics. All he had was 9 fairly crappy pics to send. Mark lives in the U.K. and the bus was in Colorado. I could make out from what I saw enough to know I wanted it and straight up asked " give me 48 hrs to sell the Deluxe and I'll buy it. If the Deluxe doesn't sell I'll bother you no more!" I got the Deluxe sold to a local guy with the agreement I finish it out for him.
Here's the "funny" part. The whole time I'm talking to Mark, I'm also in the middle of selling a '68 Sunroof Sedan daily driver I had built for my wife. It was just getting too hot to enjoy in the summer and she had found a nice replacement. We had sold the bug Friday afternoon right after me talking to Mark and went out for dinner/drinks. She had decided that some of the extra money from the sale of the bug she wanted me to use to finish the 71. Well thats when I told here about the potential deal with Mark.
My wife doesn't like Panels, or Bay Windows.
So yeah for just a brief second there she got pissed and made some remark about not having some free f@#king candy van at the house. But after some discussion she heard me out.
After waiting for flaky shippers we finally called 4 Corners and the Panel showed up a few days later. Thankfully it turned out to even be better than I expected.
The pics will show you just what all I've done so far. I need to do the door kits and panels. The bumpers are at the painters. Hopefully I'll be buying a complete motor/tranny out of a 71.
Minus the drums/backing plates the brakes are all new. I did the WagensWest Slam Bay Special. I've used as many NOS parts that I could find and have tried to rebuild it as stock and correct with the exception of the suspension and the addition of a "camper kit"
Drivers side after some Easy Off
Passenger side after being stripped. This bus had rolled on its side early in life
Panel with 71 I sold/finished
Wifes 68 that got sold
On the day we unexpectedly found out we were having a baby, I STILL loaded up the bus and took it to my paint/body guy! 
Any delays due to this lil dude have been worth it!
In my gallery theres more pics of what I've done. I took a lot of pics but their in the wrong format. So I'll be loading up more with time.
As you can see I'm did the interior with as much Westfalia parts as possible. I used 1/8th inch Baltic Birch for the panels and 1/4inch Birch panels for the trim, headbanger and Zbed.
_________________
1970 Lotus White Panel
In search of any Pensacola Fla dealership items |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
chachi
Samba Member
Joined: November 18, 2003
Posts: 870
Location: PNW
|
| Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2020 8:58 am Post subject: Re: 1970 Lotus White Panel project |
|
|
nice one. enjoy that baby! cars come and go.
_________________
'74 transporter panel
'91 vanagon carat NAHT |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
62ItalianRagtop
Samba Member
Joined: August 18, 2007
Posts: 1394
Location: Italy
|
| Posted: Wed May 17, 2023 5:03 am Post subject: Re: 1970 Lotus White Panel project |
|
|
News ? 
_________________
LOOKING FOR 62 ENGINE WITH NUMBER FROM 6.904.xxx TO 6.915.xxx
http://tettodistraccio.blogspot.com/ |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
sloans265
Samba Member
Joined: October 24, 2004
Posts: 1322
Location: 32207
|
| Posted: Wed May 17, 2023 5:11 pm Post subject: Re: 1970 Lotus White Panel project |
|
|
| 62ItalianRagtop wrote: |
| News ? |
You mean update? Actually I had forgotten I had made this post, but thanks for asking!
Two months after making this post we found out we were having a second child! So I had to back off working on the bus for a while. Not long after my daughters birth we decided to close our business in Jacksonville Fl and move back to our hometown/closer to family.
With the new game plan I was determined to get the bus done so I could at least go to No Dough Bus Show before packing up and moving. I managed to take the first test drive on Thursday and was in Port Orange (100 miles south) on Saturday morning.
The drivetrain came of of a 71 Westy that had been sitting behind Hilltop Motors. It’s complete and correct minus dizzy. It had filled up with water and I had to flush it out a few times before I fired it up. So far I’ve gotten a little over 4300 miles of trouble free driving out of it and average 17.9 MPH no matter what kinda driving I’m doing.
I finished out the Zbed with the late model plaid. But my wife wants to change it to the mustard vinyl since that was correct for 1970. I installed safely latches out of a newer model car so my kids car seats install just as they would in a new car. Recently I rebuild the whole ignition/lock system and now have a locking column/door buzzer. I have what is now a small punch out list of minor things to do or get to be done. And that’s simple stuff like find the correct jack for under the seat and complete tool roll.
So over 2 yrs later I can say I was successful in building myself a nice dependable daily driver bus that I could enjoy with my family. And my kids think it’s a fort when it’s in the driveway!
The motor I pulled from Hilltop Motors
Finished Zbed
3rd day on the road with family at No Dough Bus Show
Kids seats snap in with ease!
Passenger side that was resprayed
Drivers side OG paint
I still need to “knock down” the shine on the new paint and buff out the OG paint to get it blended. So if there’s anything really left to do that’s it. But I’m just too busy driving it!
_________________
1970 Lotus White Panel
In search of any Pensacola Fla dealership items |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
62ItalianRagtop
Samba Member
Joined: August 18, 2007
Posts: 1394
Location: Italy
|
| Posted: Thu May 18, 2023 3:29 am Post subject: Re: 1970 Lotus White Panel project |
|
|
Wow .. good job !!
_________________
LOOKING FOR 62 ENGINE WITH NUMBER FROM 6.904.xxx TO 6.915.xxx
http://tettodistraccio.blogspot.com/ |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
