'79 Bay w/sunroof revitalization

[TieDyedHippie]

Restoration sounds boring. I don't intend to "restore" this bus, I am going to bring it back to life.

So, I bought a bus out here in on the east coast, that was shipped from the west coast by my sellers. Young military couple, even took wedding pics in it. The motor was rebuilt by folks "back home" for them. It is even signed! But, it was signed on top of red paint that wasn't heat resistant. So most of that has peeled off. (Whew, I don't like red.)

Things I like about it....
It runs well. Nice job red motor!
It is an automatic. I was way leery about this, but I love it. Has been smooth.
It has a sound body. Yes, it has some rust, but the underside is very good, and there is nothing that is insurmountable.
Seats are not original. That might sound weird that I like that, but the ones in it now are way comfy. I took out the middle bench seat, and it is now my new studio couch. My cats think it is comfy, too.
It has a sunroof. Ex wife and I had an 80s bus with a sunroof, and it was a nightmare. Lots of mornings with cold, wet necks. So I knew this was potentially a nightmare too. Eh, I'm up for a challenge.
It is a total gut job. There is no headliner in it. No carpet in it. I've ordered both. It does have panels, but they are way rough. I think I am going to do my own replacements.
There are more than a few other things that "I like", but those above are forefront. I like that it runs great, but that there is lots of room to put my own stamp on it.

Things I don't like about it.

The paint job. Good lord. So it is a 79, yet someone decided to paint the "Classic V" style on it. I think it may have even been all white to start, but right now it is white (top) and black with that unoriginal "V" in the front. And not done particularly well. So the paint job is getting redone in entirety.

It slopes to the back. The whole bus drops at least two inches, probably more, going front to back. I am assuming that is a suspension thing. Odd looking.

It doesn't have the right carb on it. I haven't looked into this much, since I'm not much of a mechanic (YET), but the seller pointed out that the rebuilders put a Bug carb on it. My engine (took a while to figure out under the red paint) is marked as "AW". That covered two years, (74-75) neither were original to my bus. One was carbed, one was injected. I'm only assuming that mine was carbed originally and not converted. But it has an oil air cleaner which I don't like. At all.

Beyond that, no complaints. I can't wait to really get into the revitalization, but honestly the weather needs to cool down a bit. I live in the southeast, and it is still August. OMG it is gross out. Compound that grossness by 20 inside a bus that isn't moving.

Will post pics of the progress, of course. My name, TieDyedHippie, comes from the fact that I am an artist, and one of my side endeavors is making and selling tie dye clothing. This bus is a bit of a personal as well as a business adventure.

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[TieDyedHippie]

A follow up. Huge shout of thanks to SGKent and his sunroof thread. (https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=548239)

Also, I have ordered tons of stuff for this bus. Just need the heat to go away before installing. I have a full carpet kit, headliner, all window seals and sliding door seals ordered. I've already replaced the sunroof felt seal, which may happen again once I realize that I should have waited for that, now knowing I have to pull out the whole sunroof to do the headliner. Derp.
And, it now has an emblem on the front. It felt naked without it.

Since (knock on wood) it is running well, I'm more focused on the exterior/interior aesthetics.

[78BusGA]

That looks like a great start! A good base bus to make something fun out of.

I am not going stock or restoration with my bus either. While I admire and love many of the restorations, there will be no shortages of nicely restored Busses and deluxe models, so my basic 7 seater can benefit from a few 1978, and newer, upgrades... Right?

My plans are to make it into what I and others, I want to ask others' opinions on, what either a Wolfsburg/Hannover Edition would look like for the year using almost all mostly period VW parts that would have been available, or else what a Bus GTi concept would be like if VW tried a 1 off GTi idea on a Bus.

Oh and from the engine photo of yours, I have a practical opening suggestion... During your engine clean up and acquaintance, I'd brush off as much of that flaking paint before more gets into your cooling tin and on your cylinder and heads while hot. Last thing you need is a large chunk of that causing a petrochemical situation happening on a 200* section of engine under the tin.

Of course thats aside from checking/changing all the the fuel lines, install an engine seal, intake gaskets, checking plugs, points, wires, grounds...

And thats an unusually large looking gap between your engine tin and body. That needs addressing too. Got more photos of that? Just in case your engine tin needs adjusting/replacing? You obviously have no tin/body seal in there, but that gap looks like the engine tin is off laterally by an inch or two.
_________________
Few will understand the passion and majesty, among the nuts and grease.

Tom H.

My '74 Super 1303 thread - https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=764902&start=60

My '78 Kombi Bus thread - https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=769385&highlight=

'72 Superbeetle (retired), '78 Bus Kombi 2.0FI, '74 1303 Superbeetle

[alman72]

stick an average sized person in the drivers seat and see if it still has the droop.

[TieDyedHippie]

[78BusGA]

Yea thats the right seal for it, sure, but my concern is the gap I am lookin at in that engine photo allows us to see the fan/oil cooler shroud Under the tin gap.

Thats whats not normal. It should be about a 1/2 in lateral gap between the body and tin, but that area I am lookin at looks shifted about 1.5 inches over to where the two arches of metal should align, don't.

The bug and the Type 4 1.7-2.0 engines have a very different engine seal, but yea you're on it. I have to get one for my Bus too, though I still have to pull the engine, fuel tank, shift rod...
_________________
Few will understand the passion and majesty, among the nuts and grease.

Tom H.

My '74 Super 1303 thread - https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=764902&start=60

My '78 Kombi Bus thread - https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=769385&highlight=

'72 Superbeetle (retired), '78 Bus Kombi 2.0FI, '74 1303 Superbeetle

[TieDyedHippie]

I see what you are saying. I'd run out and double check it now that you have me curious, but I have it parked at another location. Will take a peek tomorrow.
Bright side of course is that it runs great, but I haven't focused on the motor much yet. In time (sooner than later), of course, it will be a priority.

[vwwestyman]

The tin may just be bent and could be pushed back into place.

I don't think anyone has mentioned it, but there is no "right" carb for your motor. Your motor would have come with fuel injection and if you think it runs well now, then wait until you drive one with injection!

That carb is also significantly smaller than anything I've seen on a bus motor, too. Looks kinda cute perched up there!
_________________
Dave Cook

President, Wild Westerner Club

1978 Champagne Edition Westy, repowered to '97 Jetta TDI
1973 Wild Westerner
My Thing

[TieDyedHippie]

[vwwestyman]

Thats right... I remember seeing those comments earlier, now.

I guess it is more correct to say that your BUS would have had fuel injection. The engine has been replaced with one from an older Bus.

As you surmise, it may have originally had injection or carbs. I'm not sure how to tell which. If carbs, there would have originally been two.

Even switching to that, it should run much nicer due to not having long intake runners, which allows the vaporized fuel to condense inside the intake runners after the carb.
_________________
Dave Cook

President, Wild Westerner Club

1978 Champagne Edition Westy, repowered to '97 Jetta TDI
1973 Wild Westerner
My Thing