Hello! Log in or Register   |  Help  |  Donate  |  Buy Shirts See all banner ads | Advertise on TheSamba.com  
TheSamba.com
 
The Bad and Ugly (Worst Home Repairs to a VW bus)
Page: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8  Next
Forum Index -> Bay Window Bus Share: Facebook Twitter
Reply to topic
Print View
Quick sort: Show newest posts on top | Show oldest posts on top View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
Gregor77
Samba Member


Joined: February 08, 2005
Posts: 302
Location: Oakville, Ontario, Canada
Gregor77 is offline 

PostPosted: Wed Jan 25, 2006 8:45 am    Post subject: The Bad and Ugly (Worst Home Repairs to a VW bus) Reply with quote

OK, guys, I would like to see and hear of the worst (Butchery) repair that you have encounterd on any VW or bus. You know, like repairing a crack in the bondo and finding a pair of underwear in the hole. Let's hear it! Shocked
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Gallery Classifieds Feedback
Thirstytank
Samba Gaucho


Joined: August 05, 2005
Posts: 667
Location: Lake Geneva WI
Thirstytank is offline 

PostPosted: Wed Jan 25, 2006 9:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I guess the biggest hack on my 72 was somebody put in an engine hatch with a bad welding job. I am in the process of grinding it down and re-welding.
_________________
Ryan

1985 Vanagon Westfalia
https://www.facebook.com/VanagonMorrison
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Facebook Gallery Classifieds Feedback
Hatchet Face
Samba Member


Joined: September 19, 2005
Posts: 474
Location: Rat's Nest
Hatchet Face is offline 

PostPosted: Wed Jan 25, 2006 9:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Speaking of bondo (outlined in red, for Valentine's day cheer):
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

"Hey- let's put some sage green over this bondo glob- no one will ever notice it!" Rolling Eyes

By the way, I didn't do that bondo repair. I am sure I will have some kind of mental error on something dealing with fixing my bus in the future... but hopefully none that results in a 10" x 5" bondo welt on the front...
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Classifieds Feedback
Gregor77
Samba Member


Joined: February 08, 2005
Posts: 302
Location: Oakville, Ontario, Canada
Gregor77 is offline 

PostPosted: Wed Jan 25, 2006 9:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I know that VW people are generally fairly cheap individuals, but I bought a VW beetle in Highschool and someone had pop rivited pop cans around the front and rear fenders as a fix. The scrary part is that he did such a good job with the filler you could not see it. Surprised

Why would you spend so much time repairing something like that without a good base?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Gallery Classifieds Feedback
sharky745
Samba Member


Joined: September 30, 2004
Posts: 182
Location: Port Orange, FL
sharky745 is offline 

PostPosted: Wed Jan 25, 2006 9:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Budget and availability of parts I would think. Now you can order anything you want, but a few years back if you didnt have a shope close or a mail order catalog you were SoL.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Gallery Classifieds Feedback
TeamSpatula
Samba In The Rain


Joined: February 03, 2004
Posts: 5211
Location: WNC
TeamSpatula is offline 

PostPosted: Wed Jan 25, 2006 9:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Probably the worst was rewiring half of the dash wiring with the same color wire! My 78 was like that when I got it - what a nightmare to try to trace out and label.
_________________
<---Air Cooled Search & Rescue Team - STICKERS & T-shirts for sale!
I NEED A CAMPER!!!! (1971 is ideal but will consider other years)
http://www.TeamSpatula.com
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website Gallery Classifieds Feedback
jerseyboy
Samba Member


Joined: May 05, 2005
Posts: 256
Location: South Jersey
jerseyboy is offline 

PostPosted: Wed Jan 25, 2006 10:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The battery tray on my '70 Bug had rotted and the PO "fixed" it by inserting a cafeteria food tray in the hole. It's still there, but half the floor is gone now and it's taking the heater channel with it.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Gallery Classifieds Feedback
Hippopotabus
Samba Member


Joined: May 27, 2004
Posts: 1600
Location: Miwuk Village, CA
Hippopotabus is offline 

PostPosted: Wed Jan 25, 2006 10:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I once had to rerig my accelorator cable with a coat hanger. Damn thing snapped going to Stowe VT. I get out and can see the cable snapped. I crawl under the bus and tie the real cable end to a coat hanger and then run the coat hanger to the carb linkage. Helped me get from Killington VT to Stowe and all the way back again to Syracuse. Shocked
_________________
Celer, Silens, Letalis
www.2dreconbn.net
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Gallery Classifieds Feedback
BigLoaf
Samba Member


Joined: October 05, 2005
Posts: 433
Location: Hacienda Heights, CA
BigLoaf is offline 

PostPosted: Wed Jan 25, 2006 10:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

How about a big toggle switch and pushbutton on the dashboard to make up for a broken ignition switch? Yeesh, talk about an easy bus to steal. Oh, this isn't a bus, but it's pretty good. After I bought my Civic, I decided to figure out why the front speakers weren't working. I found that the speakers had been replaced by tweeters that had been held in place by being stuffed inside a couple of big socks stuffed into the door. Rolling Eyes
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Gallery Classifieds Feedback
pyrOman
Fire Master


Joined: July 21, 2003
Posts: 12400
Location: Over 2002 posts deleted!
pyrOman is offline 

PostPosted: Wed Jan 25, 2006 11:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

None permanent but necessary since they were done on the side of the road...

1) Broken nose cone held together with 2 C-clamps just to make it home. Cool

2) Broken, more like totally worn out, part that holds the siftrod unto the shifter. Broke at the toll booth at 6 in the morning going to work on a 2 hour commute. After some 5 minutes of "engineering" (sitting under the bus just looking at ways to "fix" it), pull some hanger wire to hold the rod into the shifter. Not to be a permanent fix but that mother held together for about 6 months until I finally got down to order and receive the part. Shocked
_________________
Some people are so busy being clever they don't have time enough to be wise.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Gallery Classifieds Feedback
DjEep
Insambaniac


Joined: October 26, 2005
Posts: 277
Location: Hippy Hell
DjEep is offline 

PostPosted: Wed Jan 25, 2006 11:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

BigLoaf wrote:
How about a big toggle switch and pushbutton on the dashboard to make up for a broken ignition switch? Yeesh, talk about an easy bus to steal. Oh, this isn't a bus, but it's pretty good. After I bought my Civic, I decided to figure out why the front speakers weren't working. I found that the speakers had been replaced by tweeters that had been held in place by being stuffed inside a couple of big socks stuffed into the door. Rolling Eyes


Our bus has a pushbutton starter and i was actually thinking of rigging a toggle switch in an unlikely location as an anti-theft device. Who would think that the main power switch for the bus would be the switch on the light fixture over the rear hatch... Wink
_________________
No, you are not "tripping"
That is an emu.

Maybelline, 1968 Cold-Weather Westy, 1600cc Doghouse SP Stump-Puller
Betsy, 1965 Ghia, 1776cc DP w/ 34pict3, dizzy still in test phase
Casper, 1966 Standard Patina Original Barn Find, up for grabs soon....
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Gallery Classifieds Feedback
DurocShark
Samba Member


Joined: April 05, 2004
Posts: 6624
Location: Crappy town in a crappy state. But the beach is nearby, so I have that going for me.
DurocShark is offline 

PostPosted: Wed Jan 25, 2006 11:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Doorbell for a pushbutton starter.
Household latex paint all over the outside.
_________________
No boom today. Boom tomorrow. There's always a boom tomorrow.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website AIM Address Gallery Classifieds Feedback
SlowLane
Samba Member


Joined: July 11, 2005
Posts: 1044
Location: Livermore, CA
SlowLane is offline 

PostPosted: Wed Jan 25, 2006 1:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hippopotabus wrote:
I once had to rerig my accelorator cable with a coat hanger.

A friend of mine, upon having his accelerator cable break on his Beetle, ran a length of string from the throttle linkage, looped it under the intake manifold for leverage, out the engine lid vents and around the side of the car to the driver's window. He then proceeded to drive home (not far, thankfully) by hanging his arm out the window and pulling on the string. He steered with his knees while shifting. Shocked
_________________
Present:
'81 Westfalia: 2L, manual. Originally Canadian, now Californiated
Back in the day:
'72 Super Beetle
'69 Camper Van - Corvair powered
'71 Window Van - Transferred Corvair from '69

"With sufficient thrust, pigs fly just fine." - Internet RFC 1925

"They say a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it is not one half so bad as a lot of ignorance." - Sir Terry Pratchett
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message MSN Messenger Gallery Classifieds Feedback
howiesfamily
Samba Member


Joined: March 31, 2004
Posts: 858
Location: Panther City, Texas
howiesfamily is offline 

PostPosted: Wed Jan 25, 2006 1:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I bought a 70 vert with the top frame, but no canvas. Went to Home Depot and bought a white canvas painters tarp, laid it across the top frame and safety pinned it to more or less the correct shape. Then took it to the sewing machine and sewed it up, with no back window. Looked like crap, but held the heat in (kind of) in the winter.
_________________
member of: Fort Worth Aircoolers Gang
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website Gallery Classifieds Feedback
tom62
Samba Member


Joined: August 21, 2005
Posts: 654

tom62 is offline 

PostPosted: Wed Jan 25, 2006 1:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I thought this was interesting. The doglegs were so rusty on my single cab that the po screwed a 2x2 to it to hold the end of the bumper but at least he used treated lumber!
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


now
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Gallery Classifieds Feedback
rjlatherow
Samba Member


Joined: January 12, 2005
Posts: 135
Location: Tarpon Springs
rjlatherow is offline 

PostPosted: Wed Jan 25, 2006 1:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I bought a 74 westy from a towyard. It was the most insane, cursed bus I've ever mefore .

The PO had removed, the air vents, put speakers in their place. Remvoed the blank for the clock, and with some dryer hose and lots of duct, masking, and electrical tape had the vent routed to the hole. Half the wires (that ere not burned) were electric taped toether randomly, and half were spliced in with lamp cord (only 1 of the sides), speaker cables, etc.

It had flat white latex paint on, but they had the wisdom to scrape most of the paint off most of the windows before they drove it. And the wood screws! Every fastener in the bus was replaced by a wood screw 1/4 too long and 2 sizes too large.

The front beam was COMPELTELY rusted out. Like, 5 inches of travel in ALL directions, in, out, up down, side to side. Had a hole in the engine hatch for the beetle progressive to stick out, and a old sheet to go over it (air filter?)

We called it Bealzibus, and over 2 years of various people trying to make it at least drivable it caused at least 2 vw people to swear off the hobby forever. Even tried to kill me once, while I was under it - made the jack stands sink into the ground 5 inches BEFORE the jack mysteriously broke. (yeah, i know, but its MY story)

BryanM remembers - he tried to get it going once before realizing it's horrible soul-sucking evil.

-rj
_________________
-----------------------------
<---- My sad, sad avatar is my perfect 1970 Squareback on fire - 1/1/05. Magnesium burns really pretty. Use a full trailer.


Last edited by rjlatherow on Wed Jan 25, 2006 2:15 pm; edited 1 time in total
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website AIM Address Yahoo Messenger Gallery Classifieds Feedback
rjlatherow
Samba Member


Joined: January 12, 2005
Posts: 135
Location: Tarpon Springs
rjlatherow is offline 

PostPosted: Wed Jan 25, 2006 1:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

And then there was Schicklebrube, my first bus, a 74 deluxe with 2 HUGE holes cut in the roof for a 'sunroof'...... one over the cab, one over the engine.
_________________
-----------------------------
<---- My sad, sad avatar is my perfect 1970 Squareback on fire - 1/1/05. Magnesium burns really pretty. Use a full trailer.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website AIM Address Yahoo Messenger Gallery Classifieds Feedback
tom62
Samba Member


Joined: August 21, 2005
Posts: 654

tom62 is offline 

PostPosted: Wed Jan 25, 2006 1:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

there was the time my main power feed th the 62 bug burnt and I hooked a wire (speaker) from the battery to the coil pushed started it and drove 30 miles to get home!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Gallery Classifieds Feedback
71_transporter
Samba Member


Joined: July 02, 2005
Posts: 823
Location: Southern Illinois
71_transporter is offline 

PostPosted: Wed Jan 25, 2006 3:05 pm    Post subject: stupid people. Reply with quote

I think that my bus is the mother of all hack jobs.
First there was rust on the nose so im assuming that the rust was starting to get bad. so what do they do. Put a piece of metal on the nose and pop rivit it on. then the pop rivit the vw emblym back on. Then they put bondo on the nose under the windshield. It looks like a growth. Shocked then the "resealed the windsheld with silicone. its all over the darn windsheld. but they didnt seal it up all the way. so they had water leaking in. so what did they do. pull the wiring out so that way it wouldnt get rained on. i have yet to fix the leak. Now there is rust under my feet. they put some american flag stickers where the headliner had rips to hold it together. they lost the igniton keys and installed a "new" one in the dash Twisted Evil the have rolled on paint on the outside. they took out the rear seats. took off the rear defroster button. ahhhhhhhhh what a mess. oh yah and a bunch of wiring that is all bright orange. running every where....
_________________
Bryan

Old hippies never Die, They just go up in Smoke!

63 Bug
67 Bug
82 WestfaliaVanagon
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Gallery Classifieds Feedback
Tri-Bus
Samba Member


Joined: November 29, 2005
Posts: 732
Location: Butler PA
Tri-Bus is offline 

PostPosted: Wed Jan 25, 2006 3:14 pm    Post subject: fiberglass frame rails Reply with quote

I looked at a bus on the samba a few weeks ago and noticed something weird about the frame rails (split) they were kinda wavy and had metal 1/4" mesh on them......Emailed the seller back asked if that was fiberglass, said yes! No sale for me
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Gallery Classifieds Feedback
Display posts from previous:   
Reply to topic    Forum Index -> Bay Window Bus All times are Mountain Standard Time/Pacific Daylight Savings Time
Page: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8  Next
Page 1 of 8

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum

About | Help! | Advertise | Donate | Premium Membership | Privacy/Terms of Use | Contact Us | Site Map
Copyright © 1996-2023, Everett Barnes. All Rights Reserved.
Not affiliated with or sponsored by Volkswagen of America | Forum powered by phpBB
Links to eBay or other vendor sites may be affiliate links where the site receives compensation.