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mattcuddy Samba Member
Joined: October 22, 2003 Posts: 2035 Location: Philly, PA
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Posted: Tue Sep 19, 2017 11:33 am Post subject: Re: New Bus- '56 Springframe Westy! |
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campingbox wrote: |
I think he was snapping his own photo. Maybe he'll post some up here? |
I could spend the rest of my life driving behind this bus and not get bored. Props to Greg and Clara for actually using this shiny thing the way it was intended.
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AC Mack Samba Member
Joined: October 11, 2007 Posts: 368 Location: Redwood Highway Caught in the Devils Bargain
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Posted: Fri Sep 22, 2017 10:12 am Post subject: Re: New Bus- '56 Springframe Westy! |
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Moxee 2017 _________________ 1959 Model M1: 118
1964 Model 265
1965 Model 251 Deluxe walk thru
1966 Westfalia so42 Schiebedach fabrik 4864
1967 Model 231 EZ Kamper # 1940
1978 Westfalia P 31 / 1987 Westfalia Wolfram Grau
Split Bus Club / Lost Coast Bays / North Coast Vans
Long may that Split Bus run!
Always and Everywhere Volkswagen |
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SamboSamba22 Samba Member
Joined: August 06, 2015 Posts: 2772 Location: Benton, Arkansas
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campingbox Samba Member
Joined: November 14, 2000 Posts: 10192 Location: Petaluma, CA
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Posted: Sat Oct 14, 2017 1:01 pm Post subject: Re: New Bus- '56 Springframe Westy! |
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Thanks!
In July of this year on the way back from the Seattle Vintage Meet we had some monkey rear end us and do some minor damage.
I was just creeping along in traffic going about 5mph and he was going about 6mph and not paying attention. It broke both reflectors, creased the corners and D-pillars slightly. Scratched the bumper a tiny bit and put a few scratches in the decklid and a few almost not noticeable dents there. The guy refused to pull over and since traffic was so slow Clara stuck the camera out of the window and started taking pictures of the driver and the guys truck.
Eventually we managed to get him pulled over, and then he refused to give me his license, proof of insurance, or registration card. He told me it was my fault, that my brakelights were out (I checked while he watched, they worked fine) and I told him that's because I wasn't using them. I told him I was calling the cops. He then offered me $500 (I should have taken it!) and then fled the scene of the accident. It was a little hairy, I was reaching into his truck trying to grab his keys to prevent him from leaving and my friend Patrick was standing right in front of his truck when he started the ignition. The guy was ready to run Patrick over, so he jumped out of the way and the driver nearly took out Parick's wife Rachael in the process of trying to get away.
The cops came about 20 minutes later, took a police report, showed us a mug shot of the guy to confirm who was driving, and said they would do their best to find him. They said he had a suspended license from a DUI which automatically meant he had no insurance. I never heard back if they caught the guy or not. Oh well, I was insured and got a check to cover the damage. I haven't got it fixed yet but I did track down a new pair of reflectors to match the cracked ones (Thanks Danny!). Hope my premiums do not go up too much next year.
After the Yakima event I decided it was time to yank the transmission out again. I had it "rebuilt" about 8 years ago by Jack at Wolfsburg Motorwerks in Seattle. I dropped it off after he quoted me it was a three day job and could have it done quickly. Three days came and went, he said he needed a part which I found. Ultimately he had it for a year and three days exactly, during which we had sold the bus it was intended for. After that the trans sat on my shelf for 8 years before I installed it in this bus this past April before the Kelly Park event. It immediately started popping out of third gear going down hills which was fairly irritating. Jack had moved to Utah a few years ago, so I pulled the tranny and took it to Gary Zink yesterday. It doesn't look like Jack did anything except for install the NOS first gear slider I had bought from Vintage Parts and brought him. Anyway, both third and fourth gear syncros were seriously worn, and the third/fourth shift fork was super worn as well. We then proceeded to install new syncros, and replaced the 3/4 shift fork with a nice used one. We also replaced the 1/2 shift fork, and adjusted the gear engagement properly - for some reason the NOS first gear was adjusted so it only had about 60% engagement - it worked, but who knows for how long it would have lasted like that.
Anyway, I just finished assembling the reduction boxes (I hate doing the same job twice) and am in the process of installing it back into the bus today. Hopefully I have better luck with it this time. |
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oakman Samba Member
Joined: February 05, 2014 Posts: 1706 Location: Edge of the Desert, Ca
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Posted: Sat Oct 14, 2017 1:45 pm Post subject: Re: New Bus- '56 Springframe Westy! |
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Damn.. glad the damage from the accident wasn't worse than it is and that nobody got hurt. _________________ Brandon |
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zuggbug Samba Member
Joined: June 17, 2008 Posts: 3479 Location: Anderson SC
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Posted: Sat Oct 14, 2017 2:47 pm Post subject: Re: New Bus- '56 Springframe Westy! |
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Dang that sucks Greg, on both counts. Glad everyone is ok. _________________ SOUTHERN INTEGRITY AIRCOOLERS
58 15 window
56 westy |
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Clara Samba Member
Joined: June 14, 2003 Posts: 12382
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Posted: Sat Oct 14, 2017 8:01 pm Post subject: Re: New Bus- '56 Springframe Westy! |
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We were going home in stop and go traffic, when the guy behind wasn't paying attention and hit us. I took these pics right after it happened.
You can see the reflection of the guy who hit us the bus, he's wearing a baseball cap.
I'm glad I quickly grabbed the handy camera and took pics of the guy who hit us clearly showing liscence plate number.
After the officer said he guy had lost his driving licence for DUIs, then Rachael asked,
"Is he a douche? I mean, is he a scumbag?"
Greg did not have his brakes on when the guy hit us, we were not stopped. The guy was going a few mph faster than we were and just ran into the back of the bus.
The corners were actually somewhat wrinkled when we got the bus. I had just been enjoying that things were getting better on our ten+ year restoration project. I have driven ratty buses for so long, it's enjoyable to have a nice one. Now they are wrinkled again, and those were the og reflectors to the bus. Well, at least it's not worse. No one was hurt and the bus was still fully drivable, just dinged. |
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Mr. OGPaint Samba Member
Joined: September 24, 2010 Posts: 821 Location: Oregon
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Posted: Sat Oct 14, 2017 8:52 pm Post subject: Re: New Bus- '56 Springframe Westy! |
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This is my new favorite pic of a hit and run driver.
The bus is awesome, and made even better by how you guys use it. I know it'll get fixed up real good soon enough. _________________ https://instagram.com/mr.ogpaint
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Patrick Hall |
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easy e Samba Member
Joined: May 28, 2008 Posts: 3930 Location: 1 hr north of Santa Barbara
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BarryL Samba Member
Joined: November 01, 2004 Posts: 14216 Location: Casa de Oro, California
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Posted: Sun Oct 15, 2017 10:03 am Post subject: Re: New Bus- '56 Springframe Westy! |
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Clara wrote: |
Rachael asked,
"Is he a douche? I mean, is he a scumbag?" |
It's your fault for taking that old bus, getting it all cherry, then taking it out onto the road where real cars do real things. If you hadn't restored it so pristine then the dull-ass-ugly-wrinkles wouldn't have faked him into thinking there wasn't anything in front of him. |
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SamboSamba22 Samba Member
Joined: August 06, 2015 Posts: 2772 Location: Benton, Arkansas
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GERMANAIRE Samba Member
Joined: August 25, 2007 Posts: 688 Location: BUFORD,GA.
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Posted: Sun Oct 15, 2017 5:27 pm Post subject: Re: New Bus- '56 Springframe Westy! |
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What A ScumBag!!!!!! Sorry to here this has happened. Glad you guys are ok. He probably doesn't even know the true value or sentimental value of a 10 year resto like yours. I am sure you guys will have it fixed in no time and back on the road to enjoy. Again glad your ok God Bless!! |
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BarryL Samba Member
Joined: November 01, 2004 Posts: 14216 Location: Casa de Oro, California
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Posted: Mon Oct 16, 2017 10:43 am Post subject: Re: New Bus- '56 Springframe Westy! |
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BarryL wrote: |
Clara wrote: |
Rachael asked,
"Is he a douche? I mean, is he a scumbag?" |
It's your.... in front of him. |
I'm being facetious.
There is a very powerful force at work in the universe that somehow targets onto cherry things with scungy arrows. How many things have gone unmarred until you gave them some love and detail? Then, out of the blue, they got nailed somehow. |
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Clara Samba Member
Joined: June 14, 2003 Posts: 12382
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Posted: Tue Oct 17, 2017 6:23 pm Post subject: Re: New Bus- '56 Springframe Westy! |
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Well, it's been driven a few miles since the shiny paint.
Somehow I have avoided many accidents. I had a shiny 65 westy I daily drove for years w/o a crunch (knock on wood). It got some rock chips and a door ding or so, but no accident damage.
FWIW, here are some old pics showing the corners on the '56
~ 1974:
2005:
2017:
so it is still better than pre-Rafferty, even with the douchebag's 'help'.
We've put over 43,000 miles on it since the 2005 pic.
Resto is still in progress.
New transaxle was buttoned up Monday morning, we popped the motor back in, and the bus is tucked into storage till spring, or we have time to mess with it. |
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duhbrr Samba Member
Joined: July 21, 2010 Posts: 341 Location: SLO, CA
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Posted: Sat May 15, 2021 3:54 pm Post subject: Re: New Bus- '56 Springframe Westy! |
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Any updates on this beaut? I hate that the last update was getting rear ended! _________________ 1958 Dove Blue DD Panel
pondoras box wrote: |
We complain about people "flipping" cars on here but we have no problem hitting up Amazon or Walmart for flipping cheap foreign junk! |
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campingbox Samba Member
Joined: November 14, 2000 Posts: 10192 Location: Petaluma, CA
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Posted: Sat May 15, 2021 6:15 pm Post subject: Re: New Bus- '56 Springframe Westy! |
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I haven’t made any improvements to the bus, but thanks for asking. In 2018 Clara & I relocated to Petaluma (Northern California) and have taken the bus to a number of Bay Area events.
I’d like to get back on the woodwork one of these days. |
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j.pickens Samba Member
Joined: December 03, 2002 Posts: 9787 Location: Exit 7, New Jersey
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Posted: Sat May 15, 2021 9:59 pm Post subject: Re: New Bus- '56 Springframe Westy! |
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God, I love this bus.
It was a pleasure to be it's East Coast caretaker during it's various stages of restoration.
I only got to drive it around 3500 miles _________________ Founder and Chairman Emeritus, ECMSAS
BBX BBXII and BBXXI Long Distance Award Winner
BeaterBarndoor wrote: |
i wish more people would actually drive their vws rather than just talking about what they have in the garage. |
Red Fau Veh wrote: |
If you've seen one sunroof swivel seat kombi, you've seen them all! |
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campingbox Samba Member
Joined: November 14, 2000 Posts: 10192 Location: Petaluma, CA
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Posted: Sun May 16, 2021 6:27 am Post subject: Re: New Bus- '56 Springframe Westy! |
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j.pickens wrote: |
God, I love this bus.
It was a pleasure to be it's East Coast caretaker during it's various stages of restoration.
I only got to drive it around 3500 miles 8) |
Come visit. Let’s go camping. I think the bus misses you driving it. |
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j.pickens Samba Member
Joined: December 03, 2002 Posts: 9787 Location: Exit 7, New Jersey
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Posted: Sun May 16, 2021 5:29 pm Post subject: Re: New Bus- '56 Springframe Westy! |
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campingbox wrote: |
j.pickens wrote: |
God, I love this bus.
It was a pleasure to be it's East Coast caretaker during it's various stages of restoration.
I only got to drive it around 3500 miles |
Come visit. Let’s go camping. I think the bus misses you driving it. |
I could always drive another bus that we know about cross country. _________________ Founder and Chairman Emeritus, ECMSAS
BBX BBXII and BBXXI Long Distance Award Winner
BeaterBarndoor wrote: |
i wish more people would actually drive their vws rather than just talking about what they have in the garage. |
Red Fau Veh wrote: |
If you've seen one sunroof swivel seat kombi, you've seen them all! |
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duhbrr Samba Member
Joined: July 21, 2010 Posts: 341 Location: SLO, CA
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Posted: Sun May 16, 2021 8:57 pm Post subject: Re: New Bus- '56 Springframe Westy! |
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Any chance it'll be in attendance at Red Barn this year? _________________ 1958 Dove Blue DD Panel
pondoras box wrote: |
We complain about people "flipping" cars on here but we have no problem hitting up Amazon or Walmart for flipping cheap foreign junk! |
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