Room for one more? WildIdea's 1960 camper bus

[WildIdea]

Next piece up is the body side panel for inside the wardrobe. It’s it 1/8 ish thick and very delaminated. The glue starts pouring out at the end of the delam. The wood grain is attractive so I’ll go for saving this.

_________________
1977 Sage Green Westy
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=691987
1965 SWR Walk-Through Standard
1960 211 Panel American Camper Conversion

[WildIdea]

Diary entry for the weekend. Def more calming, glueing, sanding and staining. Inner wardrobe panel and went for the rear hatch piece. Although I’m still dead in the middle of this interior project, I’m super motivated to drag this kit over the finish line one tiny step at a time. It’s a flurry of activity at the moment, tidying up the right rear corner body metal and adding sound dampening…..

_________________
1977 Sage Green Westy
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=691987
1965 SWR Walk-Through Standard
1960 211 Panel American Camper Conversion

[WildIdea]

Slow going with the gluing and small chip repairs on the original birch panels.

On the inside wardrobe panel, I had thought a few small cut outs were for metal stamping body lines, but I determined they were actually mouse holes and need fixed.

I was stoked to hear my ceiling panels from Clara were shipped. It’s motivated me, has me going harder than ever with every spare min going towards this project. I very much appreciate Clara’s attention to detail in every regard here. Excellent communication, top notch packaging, and a much faster turnaround than I would have expected. Thank you Clara!

Wasn’t long and I had them unboxed.

I went with the Riviera ceiling set up for a couple reasons. The shipping cost was lower than a two piece Westy kit, but mainly I decided that since there are no Westy parts in this bus, why start now. The bus never came with any ceiling panels, just a rotted type of foam insulation I removed early on. The 4 smaller panels and seam strips match the original kit better. I took to distressing one of this panels….. banged on it with tools laying around. Scratched it and the dragged a stiff wire brush as hard as I could to get the grain cut down to a believable amount of dry aging. Focused the damage on the cargo door area as I think that would be where the wear would concentrate. Built up the stain to match. I didn’t go as dark as some of the originals, I don’t want it to get too dark in the bus so a little lighter on the ceiling is called for imo. Ceiling panel with original rear hatch panel.

Checking figment I got the dome lights out of the way. It’s a true joy of mine to drop an old crust part in the ultrasonic tank with a light wash of Simple green and watch them come out virtually brand new. I realize the domes are in the most protected area in the bus, but these still got an improvement and tucked away for safe keeping.

_________________
1977 Sage Green Westy
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=691987
1965 SWR Walk-Through Standard
1960 211 Panel American Camper Conversion

[WildIdea]

Finally got the flooring pulled out. The 8 inch tile squares are brittle and falling apart. At one point I was interested in finding period replacements, but these failed, so I don’t see any reason not to go with a one piece linoleum type material. I haven’t started looking at options. That will probably come together with the cushion fabric and curtain choices. Until then, I have a few issues to tidy up with the metal.

I’ve done a full cargo floor before, so I can see here I don’t have a huge issue along the rocker. After a few days of thinking about it, I’ll probably go ahead and weld a thin strip of new metal in above the rocker. Otherwise, I’m pretty grateful the floor is as solid as it is.

I’m kinda just working on this whole area now. I’ll need the ceiling panels, long wall and floor to get done about the same time before I can start to put these refreshed plywood pieces back in here. I left all these crusty parts safe in the bus until I could remove them one at a time and jump on immediately. The wood is so fragile it’s safest in the bus until I can get on it. And it takes up 3-4Xs the bus’s footprint to explode all the parts at once and I don’t have the space for that or the memory of how it all goes back. As much as I like to focus on one thing at a time, I’ll have to be chipping away on each of these sections simultaneously to pull it all together.

I’m still having a blast! Each hour I invest in the bus I can really see a change. Overhead is still tough and although you can’t really tell in these pictures, I took a wire wheel to this ceiling to get any rough glue knocked down. Respirator and lots of tiny glue particles all over. An acetone wipe down and ready for some sound dampening.

I’m not really a sound deadener on every square inch kind of guy. Even a small piece on a panel changes the harmonics. I picture it probably down the road having to come off, so I just don’t get carried away with it. The roof though is like one big drum head, so I’m going with a bit more than my usual.

If you’ve ever worked with this stuff it’s pretty sticky. It works good too, just tap it with your finger and you can see an immediate difference.

I’m only rated for so much overhead work a day so I spread it out a little each day that seems to help.
_________________
1977 Sage Green Westy
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=691987
1965 SWR Walk-Through Standard
1960 211 Panel American Camper Conversion

[WildIdea]

The inner wardrobe panel was a test that just kept taking days. I chose to stick with it and eventually I had a saved original piece Im satisfied with. Stashed it in the bus to take it in, but I left it unscrewed until I address the floor metal it will have to come back out.

The pieces are sorting to slowly stack up

The new ceiling panels are taking some time. Three down one to go. Distressing then isn’t the fastest process but enjoyable. I’ve been working on them while I get the overhead metal treated and prepped. Shooting for an install next week sometime.

_________________
1977 Sage Green Westy
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=691987
1965 SWR Walk-Through Standard
1960 211 Panel American Camper Conversion

[WildIdea]

Making pretty good progress this weekend on the bus. I had been asking my buddy Brian if he had a sheet metal break bender at his place that could do 4 foot lengths. He said no but Jason does….later in the day he called and said he was going out to Jason’s to bend something of his own so we ran out together to see what we could get done.

I don’t have much metal to repair on this cargo floor, just one line along the cargo doors. Only the top floor metal, the rocker is sound, so this leaves me to believe the damage came while sitting, as the cargo doors and windows failed to keep water out it ran onto the floor under the tile flooring. Not saying the rocker is perfect, I’m sure there is some rust flakes in there, I’m not going to cut it up to check.

This reminds me of my first cargo floor project on my red ‘65. I needed a front floor and a right dogleg and figured I could dip my toe in there. There was air where metal should be and I could see the road pretty good. As I removed the front floor and dogleg, I realized I needed to tackle the B pilar to get on with the dogleg, which connected to the rear cargo floor to both C pilars before I could stop removing connected pieces. I did the rockers and dog leg first and went for the cargo floor replacement before I went onto the front floor a few years after I first started. It was fun, even exhilarating cutting up a valuable car I knew little to nothing about. The forum here and some watchful encouraging friends made it possible. Everyone should do it at least once to know why its costly to hire it out. Get lots of bandaids. This is what I was dealing with…..

I’d say I was successful on this. I think I would do better if I had to do it again, and I may get a chance in my life again, but thankfully not for this camper bus. Most all of the floor is solid so just looking to patch a section.

Looking at my floor and taking measurements, I notice the ribs in the corrugating are different in several sections. Some areas have crisp edges and others more rounded. I imagine either the dies we’re getting worn out or not enough pressure to strike up fully. I don’t know, but this will work in my favor.

Looking at my old photos from my ‘65, I see the stamping of the K Fab floor is tight! Very crisp consistently stamped corrugating and that’s great but would probably not match this floor. Armed with some measurements we thought we could give it a shot to make a rib or two ourselves. To give it a shot ourselves over just buying something.

Cool thing about the ‘65s metal work is that I kept all the remnants from the job. I’ve had it in storage, moved it in and out of garages, it’s all tagged along a while now, so I was overjoyed to be able to grab the upper unused section of the long wall and bent it all up for this bus.

Jason’s bender and sheer are great, we practiced on a small sample to get the hang of it. That worked good but doing a full length bend is another story. It bends a little different from one end to the other and needed some fineness between each bend to keep it even.

It seemed to be working well and we ended up with two different sections to work with. I think the first one actually turned out better than the second effort.

Getting the pieces back to my place I think we got pretty close! The first test piece fits like a glove. The longer runs are a bit less so but definitely in the ball park. Although I see I will need to find the best sections of these replacement pieces and even bang on them more to nudge them into a passable shape, I believe I have something good I can start with.

At this point I’m ready to go ahead a cut out the rust section. The bare minimum. I don’t think it needs to be full length, the front is pretty solid for several inches. Might go to two ribs above the rear jack point. I just want close, corrugated for strength and something to keep water out. Although this will be covered with flooring, I still want to apply myself.

This as I prep the ceiling and pull the long wall to repair. As much as I like to work on one section at a time, this is all one connected area, so I’m in it now, everything cargo area / camping kit going on at once!
_________________
1977 Sage Green Westy
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=691987
1965 SWR Walk-Through Standard
1960 211 Panel American Camper Conversion

[WildIdea]

Been keeping busy prepping to install the ceiling panels and had kind of a setback. I will need another set of hands when I go to setting the ceiling panels and I don’t want anything but that step when I have help on hand. I figure the sequence aught to start in the front cab panels first and work towards the rear from there, so I set off to work on my stock tar board pieces. Sadly, I just wasn’t successful in getting them to work out, very brittle and cracked up when I went to install one. I reached out to Clara and we are working on a solution.

Anyhow, I still want to work on my project, so I pivoted to give something else attention. I started the day cutting out the line of rust on the edge of my cargo floor. Huffing cut off wheels and rust, good times, of coarse I wear filters but made a bit of a dust storm in the shop. Oh well, not an amount of metal work going on here. The patch panel we made seems to be a good fit. I know there is a flat spot in this line right behind the door latch plate. I decided I won’t be making that. This patch is only about closing out the floor to keep water out, not trying to fool anyone here. A few more details before I go to burning it in and after, more than likely painting it. I’ll loop back around on that, happy I have the first few steps of this behind me.

After that, went after the long wall panel

It came out in two pieces. I think I can fix these last two pieces over the next few weeks. Taking the foam off the wall and sweeping it all up felt good, I’d like to think this is the last of the real dirty stuff in the bus. There is still the upholstery pieces that will be raunchy so not actually done. I’ll make another pass at some point for the glued parts. There is always another level to the cleaning, first pass usually involves throwing out clothing and taking a shower pronto.

Happy to discover and report this side of the floor is virtually perfect. It’s cool to look at the metal workmanship. Minimal surface rust or water damage. I think the rust on the cargo opening was from the door and window seals failing and letting water in during its slumber years. There is no real rust underneath from below on the floor or inner rocker. Guessing the bus was probably leaning sitting up on that side exposing that side and likely protected the driver side long wall. It’s a fortunate situation nevertheless.
_________________
1977 Sage Green Westy
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=691987
1965 SWR Walk-Through Standard
1960 211 Panel American Camper Conversion

[WildIdea]

This long wall panel feels like the final boss of the wooden camping kit. Being that it’s built and came apart in two pieces I figured I could knock out the easier of the two first. The window frame piece is long and thin and pretty floppy, but thin enough to allow me to get glue inside and clamp all around pretty easily. Knocked out that stage over the week and set aside for sanding and staining.

The main side pice is 3.5 x 7 feet, unwieldy and very fragile. It is delaminated on both sides over a very large percentage of the surface. If you notice the darkest areas of wood in this picture, that is all water damaged and delaminated, the brighter golden patches are all that is solid.

I’m going for a save here basically because I’m too lazy to go to the wood stock supply and craft a new one from scratch, stain it to match and figure out the screw holes. These days, in general, I have low tolerance for driving to town, shopping and sourcing materials and only do it when I have to. I figure if I’m not successful, I’ll at least have a more sturdy piece to make a pattern from. And I like the idea that this piece was with the bus from the beginning of its story, which is the point of this project.

Starting with one of the worst sections, in the areas too deep for my clamps to reach, I’ve found I can make small slits in the wood that my suction bulb can fit in and inject thin glue. Work it in, applying weight and clamping. At some point, replacing the small slits of wood, and with a some fillers and sanding become imperceptible in the finished piece.

I’ll report back what I’m able to accomplish

_________________
1977 Sage Green Westy
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=691987
1965 SWR Walk-Through Standard
1960 211 Panel American Camper Conversion

[BarryL]

Originally when it was built was that wall's wood all one piece? If so, then it was wider than normal plywood at 4X8 ?

[WildIdea]

[WildIdea]

Getting after it a little more over Thanksgiving break. The gluing takes time, so small sections often works best. Starting in the center of the panel and working towards the edges. Jumping on the body while I wait for wood glue to dry.

I found a rubber disk in my tool box that is designed for adhesive and tape removal. Not sure where or when I got it, but I was able to take the glued foam off the long wall in about 10 min. Didn’t cause any airborne dust either. It left a bit of rubber type dust stuck to the metal that a wire wheel knocked off. That was a win for sure. A soap wash then a wax and grease remover before adding sound dampening material.

You know I prefer leaving parts safely on the bus until I’m ready to work on them, but had to back out some of the screws on the crank out windows so I could get the sound dampening mounted flush.

Back on the wooden long wall panel, before I start glueing a new area, I like checking the gaps with some feeler gauge to free up any areas that are semi adhered. At this point, I’m feeling pretty confident now that this panel can be saved.

I thought this picture was cool and a reminder that I’m gaining on my goals. Looking forward to the day I can install the interior pieces I’ve been fixing. Thinking if I could calculate the amount of force I’ve applied clamping and stacking weight on this wooden interior, it would have to be a lot to bring it back to life.

_________________
1977 Sage Green Westy
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=691987
1965 SWR Walk-Through Standard
1960 211 Panel American Camper Conversion

[earlywesty]

I love this thread, thanks so much for the detailed posts. I have done a similar Westfalia interior revival, and know what’s involved. Very satisfying work. About to embark on my next one soon as well. Keep the updates coming!

[stale air]

[BarryL]

A true Miracle Worker.