67 Standard Peach Kombi, West Palm Beach, FL

[don.ville]

Using existing random screw holes to attach the cargo door interior door panels

I ran out of trim screws so I’ll do the top two and bottom two middle screws later
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67 Standard 11 window How I Keep My Bus Alive
04 Jetta TDI Page (SOLD)
01 Mexican Beetle Hello Kitty Rescue (SOLD)
29 Ford Model A Rat Rod (SOLD)
2015 Audi A8L TDI Quattro

[rudygetz]

Looks amazing!
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1965 Standard Sunroof Bus build
1967 Beetle

[don.ville]

[don.ville]

During my cargo door interior panel install a few weekends ago.

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67 Standard 11 window How I Keep My Bus Alive
04 Jetta TDI Page (SOLD)
01 Mexican Beetle Hello Kitty Rescue (SOLD)
29 Ford Model A Rat Rod (SOLD)
2015 Audi A8L TDI Quattro

[don.ville]

My seat covers from TMI have arrived, and need to find the time to get them installed.

I just glued some gray fabric over the seat to cover the old black bay window seats

Time to rip this stuff off.
I have to strip the seats to the frame and fix springs then recover everything.
_________________

67 Standard 11 window How I Keep My Bus Alive
04 Jetta TDI Page (SOLD)
01 Mexican Beetle Hello Kitty Rescue (SOLD)
29 Ford Model A Rat Rod (SOLD)
2015 Audi A8L TDI Quattro

[don.ville]

Temporary glued on fabric over ripped bay window seats.
I sprayed the edges of the bay window seats with rattle can gray.

Waiting to install new TMI covers for the middle and rear seats

TMI website did not show Mesh Grey Vintage Vinyl, only Platinum Mesh.

So I incorrectly ordered Platinum Mesh Gray and luckily TMI called me before making the covers to ask it I was sure that it what I wanted.

I sent them a pic of my front seats and they confirmed that I needed Dark Grey Vintage Vinyl and Mesh Grey Vintage Vinyl combination for a early bay (68-73) middle and rear seats along with the molded foam seat padding.
_________________

67 Standard 11 window How I Keep My Bus Alive
04 Jetta TDI Page (SOLD)
01 Mexican Beetle Hello Kitty Rescue (SOLD)
29 Ford Model A Rat Rod (SOLD)
2015 Audi A8L TDI Quattro

[rudygetz]

[don.ville]

[don.ville]

Ready to roll (in the rain)

No wipers since 2008

_________________

67 Standard 11 window How I Keep My Bus Alive
04 Jetta TDI Page (SOLD)
01 Mexican Beetle Hello Kitty Rescue (SOLD)
29 Ford Model A Rat Rod (SOLD)
2015 Audi A8L TDI Quattro

[don.ville]

I have to jump start my bus using a lithium ion charger every now and then since late 2023.

I bough this Optima red top in 2011 https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=5433918#5433918

The lithium-ion jump box needs to be kept charged and sometimes I forget to do that.

So I got 13 years out of the Optima to date, including many times it being dead as a doornail when I don't drive much.
It is sealed, so I don't get any battery terminal corrosion.


I have a trickle charger, but I don't use it much, only sometimes.

I think I'll just get another Optima Red Top battery to save a breakdown later when I least expect it.

I hope I can find the single terminal version locally without the side terminals
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67 Standard 11 window How I Keep My Bus Alive
04 Jetta TDI Page (SOLD)
01 Mexican Beetle Hello Kitty Rescue (SOLD)
29 Ford Model A Rat Rod (SOLD)
2015 Audi A8L TDI Quattro

[don.ville]

Looks like my bus has a battery hold down from a late model VW

This looks like the original style.
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=2287983

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67 Standard 11 window How I Keep My Bus Alive
04 Jetta TDI Page (SOLD)
01 Mexican Beetle Hello Kitty Rescue (SOLD)
29 Ford Model A Rat Rod (SOLD)
2015 Audi A8L TDI Quattro

[don.ville]

Bought a new battery from Autozone again.
Optima Red Top
Size: Group 75-25
Model: 7586DT
Manufacture Date: Sept. 2023

Got new terminals also.
Since one of the posts on batteries are thicker than the other (5/16") vs (6/16")
from the pics below it looks like I was using 2 positive terminal clamps causing the negative clamps to be squashed more out of shape.
The new ones I got came as a set with two different sizes post clamps.

Showing the dimensions of the battery hold down tray and measurement between the lip and the bolt hole.

The hold down clamp adjust for different sized batteries by flipping it upside down.

_________________

67 Standard 11 window How I Keep My Bus Alive
04 Jetta TDI Page (SOLD)
01 Mexican Beetle Hello Kitty Rescue (SOLD)
29 Ford Model A Rat Rod (SOLD)
2015 Audi A8L TDI Quattro

[don.ville]

Got my seats back from upholstery guy. I really should have done them myself.

I know the frames were rusty, but if they were as bad as he explained I would have stopped and found some way to weld them up before wrapping them.
He just did a quick fix and moved on.

The middle seat frame top section is rusted away and gone (red lines) and so are the tops of the springs in this area.

He added a piece of thin wood under the foam to reinforce it.
One day I’ll do something about it.

The half hack refinishing of my middle and rear seats cost over $2k so I have a real appreciation when I see perfect looking seats properly done.

Rear seat fitment.
The new rear seat upright cover doesn’t have the tail that covers the crack when folded down so I have to make something to hide that.

One of the the seat legs was replaced with bent pipe that a friend welded in for me a few years back, so the seat clamps don’t fit properly.

_________________

67 Standard 11 window How I Keep My Bus Alive
04 Jetta TDI Page (SOLD)
01 Mexican Beetle Hello Kitty Rescue (SOLD)
29 Ford Model A Rat Rod (SOLD)
2015 Audi A8L TDI Quattro

[don.ville]

I bought a middle seat clamp kit a while back with aluminum clamps and wing nuts.
I also have collected original seat clamps and bolts when I got the bay window bus seats in 2008.

They are slightly different but work ok.
_________________

67 Standard 11 window How I Keep My Bus Alive
04 Jetta TDI Page (SOLD)
01 Mexican Beetle Hello Kitty Rescue (SOLD)
29 Ford Model A Rat Rod (SOLD)
2015 Audi A8L TDI Quattro

[don.ville]

The fit of the TMI seat cover seems too tall on the 2/3 middle seat.
Notice the top of the seat back stitching is not at the edge, but at the top?

Even though the bottom edge goes tightly into a channel

The sides seem to need glue or stitching to close up the gaps once the cover is installed. I will have to do that myself.

_________________

67 Standard 11 window How I Keep My Bus Alive
04 Jetta TDI Page (SOLD)
01 Mexican Beetle Hello Kitty Rescue (SOLD)
29 Ford Model A Rat Rod (SOLD)
2015 Audi A8L TDI Quattro

[don.ville]

Rear seat in, getting ready for short middle seat

Looks much better and hopefully should hold up as long as the front seats.

I didn’t install the middle seat belts as yet. I need to find a good set on the classifieds to match the rear.
_________________

67 Standard 11 window How I Keep My Bus Alive
04 Jetta TDI Page (SOLD)
01 Mexican Beetle Hello Kitty Rescue (SOLD)
29 Ford Model A Rat Rod (SOLD)
2015 Audi A8L TDI Quattro

[don.ville]

This is where I got nuts since I had a piece of the corrugated plastic, vinyl, glue and a wicked set of tools

Velcro tape on the seat leg and kick panel

You know what’s coming next

Rolling pin action

The flea market kick panel is born

_________________

67 Standard 11 window How I Keep My Bus Alive
04 Jetta TDI Page (SOLD)
01 Mexican Beetle Hello Kitty Rescue (SOLD)
29 Ford Model A Rat Rod (SOLD)
2015 Audi A8L TDI Quattro

[don.ville]

Purchased a clean, matching, working set of bay window bus seat belts from @TYPE4$YNDYKAT

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=2664502

Easy transaction and got them in today to use for my middle seat.

WARNING:
All the stuff I do to my bus is for off road use only, for show use only, for demonstration purposes only.

So, factory seat belts are supposed to be fastened to the floor of the bus to some reinforced plates welded under the floor.
Since my bus is a death trap, I welded 4 nuts high up on the legs of the middle seat a long time ago because I hated the look of seat belts stretching to the floor from the middle seat.


Here is the result:

Now they match the rear seat belts. 👍
_________________

67 Standard 11 window How I Keep My Bus Alive
04 Jetta TDI Page (SOLD)
01 Mexican Beetle Hello Kitty Rescue (SOLD)
29 Ford Model A Rat Rod (SOLD)
2015 Audi A8L TDI Quattro

[don.ville]

Getting ready to rebuild my headlight housings.

Need to paint the headlight assembly or bucket of the lamp itself.

I tried Rustoleum Satin Protective Enamel Coastal Gray (376872)but it's too dark

and it's too dark.

This was painted with America Accents Stone Gray Satin in 2011
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=5549687#5549687
Looks good

This was matched to Painter's Touch Stone Gray Satin and it was not close in 2023
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=10152184#10152184

This was painted with all colors, but Stone Gray was chosen even with a pinkish hue in 2022
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=9878763#9878763

This was painted Rally Wheel silver in 2011
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=5076041#5076041


I include the year, because I have bought same named spray paint after 10 years the color may be different.

Next to try is Stone Gray, Rust-Oleum American Accents 2X Ultra Cover Satin Spray Paint -355085 from Walmart since it looks different from the Painter's Touch line

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67 Standard 11 window How I Keep My Bus Alive
04 Jetta TDI Page (SOLD)
01 Mexican Beetle Hello Kitty Rescue (SOLD)
29 Ford Model A Rat Rod (SOLD)
2015 Audi A8L TDI Quattro

[don.ville]

Sprayed with Walmart American Accents satin stone gray 2X

_________________

67 Standard 11 window How I Keep My Bus Alive
04 Jetta TDI Page (SOLD)
01 Mexican Beetle Hello Kitty Rescue (SOLD)
29 Ford Model A Rat Rod (SOLD)
2015 Audi A8L TDI Quattro