Seamus-77 westy resto

[Jetfxr69]

[Jetfxr69]

Notchboy mentioned going down the rabitt hole, and I jumped in head first today. First nice above 40* day today and partial sun. What a motivator to get cracking. Pulled all the remaining interior out.

Was pleasantely surprised at condition of structure throughout. Just a few spots on the bottom where the mice nests kept everything damp that have some heavy scaling rust, but none of it is tender or rotted through. Even found a slice of OG carpet that was undermsink cabinet. Raised the question before wether this is a standard camper or deluxe, and assumed someone has installed the sink/stove combo before me to update a standard camper. Not so sure now as the cabinetry looked like it has been in there since new.

Here is the infamous rabbit I chased.

Now comes the problem. My intention was to do a rolling resto so I can enjoy it as I go. But with rot under both rear windows and hatch window, I need to figure out how to address exterior rot and paint without parking it for the summer.

Hence the rabbit hole. I would love to strip to bone, blast entire structure, repair all steel, and repaint in and out. That means parking it for the next year. Havent even pulled motor yet. Will have to sleep on this one.
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You can't be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline. It helps if you have some kind of a football team, or some nuclear weapons, but at the very least you need a beer. Zappa

‘77 westy Seamus
‘76 tintop Crusher
‘77 westy The Judge
‘72 tintop bastard westy Hudson

[Jetfxr69]

Interior refurb coming along slowly. In desperate need of some sun and warm weather! Winter wont let go with another few inches of snow and cold. Finally opened garage doors today. Not warm, (about 30*-35*), but at least the sun has come out for first time in about 4 days.

After gutting interior decided to just surface clean the fold down bed cushions. They were dirty, but did a quick vacuum and a spray can shout on them and was gonna call it good.

For some reason, maybe because its small and didnt have as many staples, decided to pull cover off armrest cushion. Boy am I glad I did! 40 years of nasty under there. Made the decision to pull the covers off the big rock and roll cushions.

Good decision! If you noticed in previous pictures, the cabinetry was covered in a white/yellow powdery mold. So much so, that the only option was to pull everything out and breakdown for cleaning. These cushions are no exception. As clean as I may have gotten the covers, this would have still been underneath. First cover went into the 5gallon bucket with the borax, shout, dawn mix. Three bucket soaks and black ass water and off to the laundry they went. First time through the wash and they are starting to come around. Probably run through a second time with a little shout scrub on a few select spots.

The under boards both got a bleach and soap scrub with some steel wool and after they dry out will get a light sanding and a couple coats of stain. Spent a couple hours last night reading old threads about replacement foam. Almost pulled the trigger this morning on some generic high density foam. Would have bought the wrong stuff. Maybe I should have just read the tag that was on the bottom of the original board. Duh!

Will get some 3” POLYURETHANE high density foam now. Love that polyester material. Amazing resiliency this stuff has. 40 years of abuse and sitting and it pops again. At least I think so.
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You can't be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline. It helps if you have some kind of a football team, or some nuclear weapons, but at the very least you need a beer. Zappa

‘77 westy Seamus
‘76 tintop Crusher
‘77 westy The Judge
‘72 tintop bastard westy Hudson

[Jetfxr69]

Next on the list is carpet. Pulled the old shit carpet out and found the OG undercards in good shape.

Hit them with the bleach and soap spray mix and let them air dry three times. Happy to be able to put them back down as the base layer is contoured for the floor and the masonite layer has all the cutouts. Was gonna lay a piece of 6 or 8 mil plastic over that and then this carpet I found.

I shouldnt say I found it. Did a bunch of searching and reading of some old posts and thanks to otiswesty, found this stuff. It is ordered so dont know what to expect, but otis claimed he bought some and its not far off. I like everyone else would love to buy some OG repro, but k-en-k no longer make theirs, and this piece will be big enough for $150 to do the main area, front floor, and walkthrough. No edging or vinyl underfoot up front, but ive got an idea to seal the cut edges at least.

Those are shadows you see from this thing we have up here occasionally called “SUN”.

Anybody seen that damn rabbit?
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You can't be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline. It helps if you have some kind of a football team, or some nuclear weapons, but at the very least you need a beer. Zappa

‘77 westy Seamus
‘76 tintop Crusher
‘77 westy The Judge
‘72 tintop bastard westy Hudson

[notchboy]

Thats a good match - close enough. Keift n Klock version was nowhere near the right color. I know - I have it in both my buses. But its good enough. Finding close carpet is not hard, just takes time and a little brains. I may get some of that stuff ottiswesty found too. Its not that expensive.

Good thing you pulled that foam out. That mold would of made you sick and you girl would of never wanted to sleep on that stuff. Its obvious it been water damaged and foam is the worst breeder of mold behind drywall.

Here is the stock vrs the replacement color.

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[ivwshane]

I don't remember the exact thread or who did it (I want to say it was one of the regulars) but they bought that same carpet, I belief, and dyed it and it came out pretty close in color a the original.
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77 westy 2.0 FI
69 ghia coup 1600dp
70 single cab

[WildIdea]

Fun watching you give your bus some love. You’ll be through all that coarse cleaning before you know it!
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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

[Jetfxr69]

Notch- think I saw that pic in one of your old posts about green carpet. The nice part about this project is that it will never be in a show, although it will be at some shows someday. Its gonna be a frankenbus for the first couple years as youve seen the outside pics, and that works not gonna get done this year. I would just like to open the slider, and say ahhhh. Clean, comfort, and convienence. As a homebrewer im really thinking about building that beer valve into the sink cabinet since its out and sitting in the garage now anyways. Remember seeing the thread about it, and was ....man! I gotta have that!

Wild- its love indeed. Hand scraping the moldy laminate off the back of the rock and roll bed.

And the wifes love for not going nuts about a nasty 5 gallonbucket in her tub!

Really enjoying this and this site for info and feedback. Great motivation! Cheers!
_________________
You can't be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline. It helps if you have some kind of a football team, or some nuclear weapons, but at the very least you need a beer. Zappa

‘77 westy Seamus
‘76 tintop Crusher
‘77 westy The Judge
‘72 tintop bastard westy Hudson

[ImAddicted]

What the hell is that green plant stuff???? How do you get it? Shit man, we've gotten 9" more snow this week, you aren't that far west of me FFS.

Now that I'm done whining, great job on the interior stuff. That's the part I'm least looking forward to doing. I know you said you have all new rubber mats, I have my old ones that I'm not going to put back in so if you need anything for a template or patch, let me know. I don't have the part that wraps around the vertical part of the pedestals on either side but I do have all the top and front parts.

Picture obviously not taken recently
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1979 Transporter (sold)
KC1MUR

[Jetfxr69]

[notchboy]

I am so glad I moved from Seattle to San Diego.

Ill take the problems here. Because they are all new to me and I don't have PNW issues.

I can go swimming now if I want.
I dont need a jacket as its mostly shorts and flip flop weather.
Its nice and cool at night, not freezing.

Ok Ill stop rubbing it in.
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[Jetfxr69]

Just got in some formica samples. Looking for opinions. These new samples will not be used for repairs of current cabinets, so the fact that the colors are way off is not important. I will be using new formica on a complete set of cabinets, so when finished all will match.

I love the grain in these samples, and although quite a bit more red than OG, think these will look good. Havent found anything “browner” that has the same character of the OG pieces.

Put them up against the hidden section of the cabinet next to bed as this area would have received the least amount of sun fade or wear and tear. Didnt polish up, just wiped down. You can see the dirt and grime just to the right that needs polishing out. Each sample is select cherry, but in two different finishes.

Open to opinions and/or critisism of choice.
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You can't be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline. It helps if you have some kind of a football team, or some nuclear weapons, but at the very least you need a beer. Zappa

‘77 westy Seamus
‘76 tintop Crusher
‘77 westy The Judge
‘72 tintop bastard westy Hudson

[notchboy]

No, looks good. You are repeating exactly what several others have done in several other threads before you - me included.

Best match to what you are happy with. It wasn't till 4 maybe 5 years back that vendors came out with replacement panels in a correct Westfalia hue. They are the only ones to have it so I bet its made just for them. Because my cabinets were sweet in my 74 - I bought them and is a good to perfect match. You do know you can get these same Westfalia panels and even repair pieces of laminate. right?

When you remove the original laminate - take care in doing so. You can sell it. Especially the large panels for others to fix doors and drawers for sure. I used mine out of the 77 to repair a large table and two doors for my friends 78.

Looks good. Cant wait to see the progress.
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[ivwshane]

[ImAddicted]

The one on the right is warmer by a touch, I think. I prefer that one, like it better than the original laminate. You are building new ones off patterns pulled from the originals, right?

The sun is out. WTF? Half my snow is gone (though it did flurry yesterday anyway...). Now just need for the huge banks to melt so I have a place to move mine to so I can work on it. Well, that and the passenger side tires are still in about 5-6" of ice.

I've got glass install suction cups coming tomorrow, already have all my rubber from WCM, when you decide if you are gonna pull your windows, let me know as I probably will have fought through mine already and can help. Or not, depends on my level of success .
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1979 Transporter (sold)
KC1MUR

[notchboy]

[Jetfxr69]

Yesterday was a good day as Seamus did not fight me as I gingerly removed his heart and soul. Was about a five hour process from jacking to removal. I must admit I did have to cheat once and check a ratwell link as its the first time ive pulled engine/trans as one unit. Do indeed like this method vs. fighting with trans spline line up. The shaft bolts required vice grip assistance, but each came out cleanly.

I used double jack stands, as im too old, fat, and slow, to shoot out from underneath, or push a dropped bus off me anymore. (Actually had to do that once).

Piece of mind moving around under there now. Didnt have any one thing give me troubles. Drained about a quart of some of the nastiest, foulest, varnished gas you can imagine. Still stinks out there this morning. The good side of that however is that the gas in there is 20 years old, so no ethanol problems. All lines and hose to be replaced anyways, and tank will come out for a look.

Did make the rookie mistake of not taking the coil off. Duh! Need that extra inch or two to come back before going down. All in all a good day.

Borrowed my brothers four weeler jack and love it! Threw a piece of 1x12 across it and it carried the engine down nice and smooth and rollsaround the shop nicely. Can jack it up about 2 feet and sit on a stool to start teardown, hence saving knees. The lower valance is fright with cancer, but plan on replacing both lower corners at some point, so that will be addressed as well. Now that engine and trans are out, cabin and engine bay areas will get degreased hot pressure washed and after thorough dry time, any exposed areas will get treated and spot painted for now. Found a place that makes L21H marinogelb 77 in a spray can and have it shipping my way. Pricey, but will work for what I need now. Napa and several others could not mix this color because they claimed they could not find or aquire the “recipe” for this color.

What made yesterday a great day is that my window sill repair pieces from schofield in england arrived. I went looking at BD and noticed they get them from overseas and then have a HUGE mark up on them. Ordered 2ea of the reapir sills w/corners and 2ea the troughs that receive the slide covers. Even with shipping from england, saved over $100 on these pieces.

Everything is now on hold as I go bus hunting in Georgia next week. Lots of treasures and im sure dissapointments to be had there. Got word that the boys down there found another bus of mine and a squareback of mine too. Gonna be fun!
_________________
You can't be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline. It helps if you have some kind of a football team, or some nuclear weapons, but at the very least you need a beer. Zappa

‘77 westy Seamus
‘76 tintop Crusher
‘77 westy The Judge
‘72 tintop bastard westy Hudson

[Jetfxr69]

[Jetfxr69]

[Jetfxr69]

You guys have probably noticed Im wicked good at takin shit apart.
_________________
You can't be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline. It helps if you have some kind of a football team, or some nuclear weapons, but at the very least you need a beer. Zappa

‘77 westy Seamus
‘76 tintop Crusher
‘77 westy The Judge
‘72 tintop bastard westy Hudson