Minor and major improvements to my 86.5 Westy

[figborg]

I bought this 1986 2WD full camper Westy with grey interior (hence 86.5) last September and I would like to share with you all the mods, repairs and improvements that have taken place since then. Most of these will be too basic for the pros but you may enjoy looking at the pics. I have been having a lot of fun and learning tons thanks to the Samba. This will be a personal journal that I can share with others crossing similar paths.

When we bought it (PO from New Jersey):

I decided to hire four different professional mechanics specializing in VW buses and vans to do what is for me too difficult or scary to handle at this point. I have never fixed cars before. These things needed to be done ASAP (except the auxiliary battery and the new propane tank) and I wanted to have them done right. I am now slowly learning on my own for the stuff that could wait. I fall sleep reading the Samba on my iPad every night.

Soon after the purchase, Greg Repair Service up in Natick, MA, installed/repaired:
- An MT 41 auxiliary battery with hardness and relay kit and had indoor lights and fridge wired to that.
- A new propane tank
- Upper and lower ball joints
- Complete steering rack and pinion with new tie rod ends
- Performed front end alignment
- New fuel pump, lines and fuel filter
- New inner and outer CV boot kits, repacked drive axles
- New reverse light switch
- New valve cover with new gaskets
- New A/C belt
- New alternator belt
- New coolant hose and coolant
- Front brake calipers and brake pads, flex hoses, rotor grease seal and lines
- Rear brake wheel cylinders, rear brake shoes

I told Greg to not work much on the engine since it was leaking so badly and I intended to soon convert it to a Zetec or Subaru. Overall he did very good work but it took nearly two months to get completed

I then replaced all incandescent interior bulbs with LEDs and wired a new Blaupunkt radio with the toggle switch on my own. Pretty proud of myself!

A few weeks later, after we broke down near our house, R and M Auto Care in North Providence promptly installed a newly rebuilt Bosch alternator for us (now for sale in Samba classifieds). They also installed a new GW alternator hardness (going now with the Bosch alt.as a combo).

Four weeks later in December the engine started leaking so badly that we decided to go ahead with the conversion. We had hoped we could do it in a couple of years but we also knew we didn't want to invest on the Wasserboxer (no offense to purists). We just bit the bullet and tapped into our home equity line of credit

We decided to go with a Subaru engine since we love our Impreza and contacted Hans at Vanaru. The van was delivered to him in Florida at the end of January (in the middle of a snow storm). In February our garage nearly collapsed so we had to rebuilt it (more tapping into our home equity line of credit ) We told Hans to take his time. That he did (which was perfectly fine with us since it gave us time to save for the engine and work on the garage).

It was a blessing in disguise since our garage could not really fit the Westy. When we fixed it (removed rotted wooden floor and base) we laid a cement floor, raised the wooden structure and purchased a solid 8' x 8' cedar door

The garage was finished more of less in April (some of the trim needs paint) and the van was still in Florida. We finally got the van in July and picked it up in Virginia where Hans decided to do the conversion. It worked out well since the guys at Complete Auto Repair in Staunton were able to do some more work beyond the engine (like a new A/C system, reglaze the square headlights and new LEDS in instrument cluster).

Here is the 2011 Subaru Impreza engine (38K miles with power steering pump). We also had our transmission rebuilt by AA Transaxle and got a new clutch.

Driving back from Virginia to Rhode Island (12 hours) we realized that we had to fix the hot air blowing from the front footwell vents. I bought a shut off valve from Terry Kay and had it installed in 15 minutes the following weekend. One of the best mods to date aside from the engine conversion! Removing the console took me almost an hour though!

The valve is off in the summer and will be on once it gets cold out. You can read more about the Vanagon hot foot syndrome in this thread, it's a common problem:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=237271

The following weekend I installed Jack Bombay's standard pop top struts. Another amazing mod. Took no time. I love it. I can now open the pop top by myself.

Today I installed the new back side curtains/panels I made for the van (I had to use those VW patches somehow!). They are permanent, in other words, I don't plan on moving them back to allow more light in the passenger side. I used the original hardware and added a couple of magnets for the passenger ones (I will get smaller rare earth magnets later, these are just temporary).

I also finished my new privacy screen made of the same canvas material and using the original snaps provided for the large front curtain. I only had to punch a couple of new female snaps on the canvas. The middle part gets hooked on the pop top latch.

More pics of mods another day. Stay tuned!
_________________
-- PF
Providence, RI
1986.5 Westy camper (G year code, grey interior), 2WD, manual transmission, Subaru conversion by Vanaru. Spoiled rotten.
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=662374

[Merian]

see sig. for other things
_________________
....

[jimf909]

Super sweet! What A/C system did they install?
_________________
- Jim

[figborg]

I actually don't know what it is called but it works with the Subaru engine... I will ask. I should know...

Installing new skylight hardware and seal now. All that rusty crap needs to go!
_________________
-- PF
Providence, RI
1986.5 Westy camper (G year code, grey interior), 2WD, manual transmission, Subaru conversion by Vanaru. Spoiled rotten.
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=662374

[Stephenmarklay]

Wow you did not wade in you dove in!

My van had work done at Greg’s way back when. Good to hear he is still at it.

Nice work on the shed too. Really beautiful door.

Money is cheap so using a home line of credit is perhaps not a bad way to go.
_________________
1985 Westfalia. Project 2017.

[figborg]

Thanks! Yes, Greg did good work so the wait was worth it.

I had a busy afternoon today. First I cleaned the pop top with Bartender's Friend (rinsed it asap) and Simple Green and applied Penetrol to it. Nice!

Then I installed all new stainless steel hardware for the skylight, new skylight seal, skylight screen by Gerald (Backyard CNC) and finished installing other stainless steel pop top hardware I didn't get to a month ago. All except the hardware of the pop top hinge, I'm leaving that as is.

The cargo cleats are new too. I did that in the fall.

Another favorite mod is the new LED sensor light I installed above the sink. I did't have to wire it since it's rechargeable (comes with USB cable). It attaches to the stove/sink cover with a magnetized tape so it is easy to remove and charge when necessary. You don't see the magnet at all, it's hidden under the lip of the cover. The light lasts about four hours if you leave it on. It has four settings:
- always off
- always on
- motion sensor full power
- motion sensor half power

It's very cheap and I got it from Amazon. I hope it lasts.
https://www.amazon.com/Ompakey-Rechargeable-Anywhe...mpakey+led

I purchased a longer rechargeable sensor light for the closet but I haven't installed it yet. I will post pics when done.

I installed the Frank Condelli VW grills a while back and got a cutting board for the sink. I like the added space.

Another necessary mod in the aesthetic realm was the GW aisle trim. Mine was completely shot.
http://www.gowesty.com/product-details.php?v=&id=23957

Next I need to get rid of that rust in the bottom grill of the fridge. I figured out how to detach that piece which is part of the fridge face plate (all one piece).

The big project for the fall is seam rust

Now off to have fun with friends!
_________________
-- PF
Providence, RI
1986.5 Westy camper (G year code, grey interior), 2WD, manual transmission, Subaru conversion by Vanaru. Spoiled rotten.
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=662374

[JustsomeKentuck]

Lookin good! Subscribed!

[climberjohn]

Very nice work on your van, congrats!
_________________
'86 Westy, 2.5 Subaru power
Know your limits. Exceed them often.

[figborg]

Continuing down my non-essential project list, I have now removed the rust from the bottom grill connected to the fridge trim. It was very rusty. Given the condition of the grill, the thought of the rust that may lay behind that fridge scares the hell out of me, but I'm determined to enjoy my summer and fall camping season and tackle major rust removal at a later date. That's a biggie.

So here is what it looked like:

And this is what I did:
Removed the fridge door (it lifts right out of the hinges), took the screws out of the fridge trim and popped it out in one piece, then unscrewed the bottom grill part.

I sanded by hand the rusted grill. That took about 20 minutes and all rust was gone, then sprayed on a Rust-Oleum primer for rusted items (though this item had no rust left, but just in case), let it dry overnight, then sprayed Rust-Oleum 7587838 Professional High Performance Enamel Spray Paint, Dark Machine Gray (two coats with drying time in between).

It came out nice and the color matches the gray interior quite well.

UPDATE:
This is what it looks like installed in the van.

_________________
-- PF
Providence, RI
1986.5 Westy camper (G year code, grey interior), 2WD, manual transmission, Subaru conversion by Vanaru. Spoiled rotten.
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=662374

[JustsomeKentuck]

Nice. Thanks for the info. Totally gonna do this 👊🇺🇸🚐

[jimf909]

I like where this is going. Keep sharing your ideas!
_________________
- Jim

[Steve M.]

That is a nice Westyhouse you have for it!
_________________
This free advice is worth exactly what you paid for it.

There are seven days in a week. Someday is not one of them.

[figborg]

This past weekend I finally removed most of the mold in the fuzzy liner of the pop top. I used a mixture of half water half bleach and it worked well. I will carefully work on the edge (lip) of the pop top where it meets the canvas, probably using a Q-Tip as to not bleach the gray canvas. That edge is pretty nasty with mold.

Before near skylight:

After:

I also received over the weekend my rare earth magnets and I have been working away on the gray curtains for the most of the sides and back (not the front). I will post images this evening. These magnets are VERY powerful and I highly recommend them. I wouldn't want them any weaker or stronger. They are sawn into the seams of the curtains.

I got them here, pack of 25:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/191336657/12-x-14-inch-127-x-64-mm-powerful
_________________
-- PF
Providence, RI
1986.5 Westy camper (G year code, grey interior), 2WD, manual transmission, Subaru conversion by Vanaru. Spoiled rotten.
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=662374

[JustsomeKentuck]

[figborg]

I have enough metal around the windows. They stick with force. You really need to pull the curtains to move/remove them.
_________________
-- PF
Providence, RI
1986.5 Westy camper (G year code, grey interior), 2WD, manual transmission, Subaru conversion by Vanaru. Spoiled rotten.
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=662374

[Atadloco]

Looks great! Way to dive right in.

[JustsomeKentuck]

[djkeev]

Just be aware that bleach retards mold, it doesn't eliminate it.
Bleach turns black mold clear, ready to grow again.

Vinegar or mold remover chemicals are a better choice.

Dave
_________________
Stop Dead Photo Links how to post photos

Ghia
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=392473

Vanagon
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6315537#6315537

Beetle
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=482968&highlight=74+super+vert

[figborg]

Dave, thanks for the mold advise. I plan on going over it at a later date when it's less humid outside. I'm also wondering if bleach would react (meaning discolor) my gray canvas even if the liner is now dry. I didn't rinse it well, just made sure it was bone dry before shutting the top.

Curtains with magnets:
Here are the rare earth magnets I used. I like the size and strength. They fit inside the seam of the curtains. Beware that if the magnets come to close contact inside the seam they will snap together and be practically impossible to detach, they are that strong. This is why I made sure I sewed a bit around them, to prevent them from moving closer to each other. The larger panels (sliding windows) have 8 magnets and the smaller back panel have five.

Also, keep in mind that the magnets are so strong that they will attach to the inside of a washing machine or to an ironing board or to the table legs of the Westy or the stove face plate... the sewing machine... (what a PITA that was!) But once they are in place covering the windows they will not more.

I love the curtains this way though. I much rather deal with magnets that snaps. I did leave the original snaps from the curtain straps in place in case I want to attach anything to them in the future such as flashlights or pouches.

The materials makes the inside of the van dark enough but not pitch black. I like that.

I still have to sew the back hatch curtain. I ran out of magnets so I'm getting two more packs (I want them for other projects as well). I plan on making two curtains with screens for the front windows (passenger and driver), similar to the ones GoWesty sells.

... AND, the postman just delivered the Terrapodz DLRs I recently scored through the Samba classifieds from a member who decided he didn't want to install them after all. They are new, unopened. I will install them this weekend. Very excited!
_________________
-- PF
Providence, RI
1986.5 Westy camper (G year code, grey interior), 2WD, manual transmission, Subaru conversion by Vanaru. Spoiled rotten.
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=662374

[WandS]

Love the curtains. I sort of had the same idea. How will you ultimately put them away without creating another thing to store in the van? Will the magnets make that difficult? That is my only hold up at the moment.
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85 Westy Weekender with a Bostig Conversion.