Get Barb and Elwood back on the road!

[airschooled]

[Abscate]

[Xevin]

[VWSunny72]

Good on you Robbie...I bit.

Brandt, how is Anna doing these days?
_________________
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I am owned by a 1972 Westy named Sunny. She has a 1979 2.0L engine w/ dual Weber IDF 40s.

[brandt]

[airschooled]

Hi folks,

I spoke to Barb this morning, and we're all good to go up the hill on Saturday morning. She says hello to the internet folks!

Barb mentioned that the six end caps to her roof rack have gone missing, and I want to know if anybody has a set hanging around their stash? I have the carriages bolts, nuts, and washers to outfit one, but the drip-rail caps are MIA.

Thanks dudes!
Robbie
_________________
Learn how your vintage VW works. And why it doesn't!
One-on-one tech help for your Volkswagen:
www.airschooled.com

[70Crew]

Are you referring to the plastic caps that plug the ends of the tubing or the clamps that grip the bottom of the drip rails (or something else)? If the clamps, there are different styles, a photo might help.

OR... are you talking about the westy roof rack built into the front section of the pop-up roof?
_________________
1970 Crew Cab

[alman72]

drop any pic of elwood so we know what he is all about.

[OB Bus]

Yipes I originally did not connect this thread with Anna in Utah.

Yes I donated to the original saga.

Brandt - thank you for your efforts.

Best to you all....really. But maybe, just maybe, someone is trying to send a message in this case.
_________________
Larry in OB
Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery!
69 Westfalia and 2002 Eurovan Camper.

[airschooled]

We’re on our way! We’ll start in the sunny beach zone, drive through the pouring rain, and hit snow somewhere along the 5,600’ climb.

Kombi,
Robbie

_________________
Learn how your vintage VW works. And why it doesn't!
One-on-one tech help for your Volkswagen:
www.airschooled.com

[Xevin]

Awesome buddy. Safe travels
_________________
Keep on Busin'

[airschooled]

Update: on the road in Escondido after smashing the roof top tent into my apartment garage overhang.

Robbie

_________________
Learn how your vintage VW works. And why it doesn't!
One-on-one tech help for your Volkswagen:
www.airschooled.com

[KentABQ]

At least it wasn't your ankle again...
_________________
-Kent-
1976 Riviera, 1.8l FI chrome yellow VAN - "Chloe"

"I must say, how can you be in a bad mood driving this vehicle full of vibrant color.
Cars of today are so bland in comparison. It's like driving a celebration!" ---WildIdea

Bus ownership via emoticons:
---williamM

[TomWesty]

[airschooled]

A trip was made.

We left san diego in t-shirts and sandals. The drive up was beautiful, and warm with the cabin heat on half stick.

Elwood was looking mighty proud, in a recently cleaned out front yard where all kinds of VW parts were waiting under tarps and blankets.

Before the work started, we helped Barb clean out her stash of VW parts and sort them into piles of "keep" or "donate." Elwood has spare bumpers, a roof rack, and a few other rare parts to keep him going, but Barb's common spares were all piled up into an organized heap next to Buddy.

First up on the dock was the clutch… Back in July, Colin and I freed the cable from the bowden tube. It was rusted together and unusable. Well, when I got under the bus I found the cable rusted into the bowden tube again. The tube was just along for the ride, and slid back and forth as the clutch pedal was pushed down. My plans at a King Arthur "Clutch Cable In The Stone" attempt was met with silence and stillness from Elwood. Out came the angle grinder, and the clutch cable in half a minute flat.

We noticed the clouds growing more ominous by the minute, so we paused the clutch work and got started on the leaky rear hatch and rust eradication.

Brian cut the old cracked seal out, and began to shave the glass for perfect sealing as I went to town with scrapers getting the crusty mud and dirt off the window frame. I was optimistic that a wire brush would help. I clogged two of them and gave up; out came the chemicals and half a roll of paper towels. Then came back with the wire brush. I've never seen that much mud under a window seal without serious rust before.

After a few dozen passes of various sand papers, we brushed on some RCP and let that dry for a bit. Back to the clutch cable.

"Damn Brian, these clutch cable grommets are rock sold."
"That's because it's literally freezing outside, duh."
[discreetly puts new grommets down pants to warm them up]
"Let me remove the belly pan while I think about them."
Five minutes later "OK I got one on."

New clutch cable half installed, it was back to the primed rear hatch for the first coat of paint.
"Sorry Barb, I don't have the correct VW white. I have Buddy White and you won't see it anyway."
"Elwood is a real VW who appreciates intent more than aesthetics anyway."

Back to the clutch cable; buttoned up the rear end. That grommet slid on even nicer.

"Uh oh, here comes the rain. Barb, get back there and pull that rope down!"

New seal looks good, and kept the rains out all night.

"Barb, can you go stand by the driver door and feel the clutch pedal?"
"I like about an inch of free play and you better do it quick before I get too wet standing here."


While I threaded the clutch wing nut on in the freezing downpour, Brian managed to unpack my bus and repack it with twice as much stuff.

Since we wrapped up most of the work around dinner time, we took Barb to her favorite pizza spot and had a mini car show. Of course we had to take two cars; neither one of us had room for three bodies!

It was a treat to work with Barb and Elwood who both have more stories to share than I'll ever find time to pry out of them. Last time I saw Barb, she was a little slow to get around, but you could tell that getting Elwood dialed in really brought a revival of energy to her life. Thank you to all of you that pitched in. After a few parts orders and topping off her gas tank, we have about $35 left in the pool, so I am still looking for the clamps that will fit their roof rack. I admittedly don't know much about it, or how the clamp system works. I'll be back around April 14th to get the roof rack in and take care of a sticky slider door mechanism.

The road out FINALLY saw the snow that I was promised.

And with that, it was on to the Pomona Swap Meet!
Robbie
_________________
Learn how your vintage VW works. And why it doesn't!
One-on-one tech help for your Volkswagen:
www.airschooled.com

[Brian]

Thanks again to everyone who sent thoughts and prayers. We definitely needed the prayers ascending the mountain with that massive haul of parts.
_________________
Wash your hands

'69 Bug
'68 Baja Truck
'71 Bug
'68 Camper

Only losers litter

[aeromech]

What mountain? Where does she live?
_________________
Lead Mechanic: San Diego Air and Space Museum
Licensed Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic
Licensed Pilot (Single engine Land)
Boeing 727,737-200-300-400,757,767
Airbus A319,320,321
DC9/MD80
BAe146
Fokker F28/F100
VW type 1 1962,63,65,69,72
VW Type 2 1971 (3 ea.) 1978, 1969
VW Jetta
VW Passat
Capable of leaping tall buildings in a single bound

[airschooled]

[aeromech]

do you mean 15.1 gallon fill up?
_________________
Lead Mechanic: San Diego Air and Space Museum
Licensed Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic
Licensed Pilot (Single engine Land)
Boeing 727,737-200-300-400,757,767
Airbus A319,320,321
DC9/MD80
BAe146
Fokker F28/F100
VW type 1 1962,63,65,69,72
VW Type 2 1971 (3 ea.) 1978, 1969
VW Jetta
VW Passat
Capable of leaping tall buildings in a single bound

[airschooled]