1978 Westfalia rebuild

[otiswesty]

My son came up to visit and let the dogs play together. He helped me to lift the pop top roof onto the bus. The GoWesty video says to have 3 friends help you, but I'm still under a mild quarantine and my son had the 'Rona not long before me. So two people it was!

I had a chance to start getting some windows back in as well. I had planned to replace all the window rubber with new gaskets, but the OG gaskets all seemed nice and supple still. I have had crappy gaskets before, like the ones around my middle sliding windows that are not going back in. It'll be my original louvered windows returning to the van from the basement purgatory storage. I scrubbed out all the sealing grooves in the gaskets with soap and warm water before reinstallation and they went in easy. I like an extra vent window in the back for tossing cherry pits when hanging on the couch back there.

The Westfalia sticker is an original from Germany that I have been hoarding for many years in anticipation of this day. It did not disappoint and even went on relatively straight on the pop top.
The other sticker I found on eBay.UK last year, I thought it would look cool behind the closet in the blank space there.

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1978 Sage Green P22 Westfalia
1989 T3 Syncro Single cab

Just a regular guy

[creative native]

Otiswesty, I'm grateful for another update & photos. I really am eager to see photos when your Bus is completely finished.

I have never been one for stickers on my vehicles, but your two I would definitely get down with: "Non-hippie Bus" & that "Westfalia Werke" decal is beautiful!

Also, I did the same as you with my side marker lights by pushing out the plastic mounting clips and used stainless steel Allen head bolts. I've no more white light shining from behind the marker, but the thick aftermarket seal that causes the reflector to not be flush to the body is on the list to get remedied at some future point.
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"The holy land is everywhere." ~ Black Elk
1979 Westfalia P27, California FI emissions spec. 100% VW fleet: '79 Westfalia, 2013 Touareg Lux (Toffee Brown/Cornsilk Beige), 2005 Passat GLX.

[otiswesty]

Been slowly chipping away at this. I've been fixing a bunch of wiring behind the dash and sent the speedometer down to Palo Alto Speedometer as the odometer stopped working and it would be nice to set the mileage to correct since I have a 6 digit odometer now.

The drain pipe from the front air intake was cracked and I got a brand new one from BusLab thanks to BusOK I believe. I also separately got a set of correct high pedestal mats in the Post from BusOK and thought it was something they had made custom. Turns out there is a Wolfsburg West stamp on the rubber.
https://www.wolfsburgwest.com/cart/DetailsList.cfm?ID=211867765B

Here's the original drain piece, part number 211259217B

The top is completely installed. Its been over a decade since I did this job last time and this was my 4th canvas. Boy, what a pain screwing down the canvas along the body, especially at the back. Looks good tho and I can't complain. I did realize a few weeks ago that I put the Westfalia sticker on the wrong side of the pop top. Oh well, it's staying there for now.

Sliding door is all done and mounted, I just need to finish up the louvered windows and get those installed. Headliner board is back in and all the little screws too. Once I get the upper bed floor installed I should be able to get the closet and head banger back in. Hopefully tomorrow. More pics to follow
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1978 Sage Green P22 Westfalia
1989 T3 Syncro Single cab

Just a regular guy

[KentABQ]

[otiswesty]

The upstairs bed plywood had a layer of white tile board on the underside of it, same as my strips along the roof line. I had drilled some holes in it for different speaker installs back in the day, so that sheet came off. I filled the holes in the plywood with body putty and put a plastic wall sheeting on it. Much thinner than the tile board and a bit thicker than the original vinyl wall paper. Here's a pic of the label on the 4x8 sheet. It was thin and pliable enough that I was able to roll it up so it was easy getting it home from HomeDepot.

You can see the nice plastic valance on the leading edge that is available from Bus-OK or NLA-VW. Looks just like the original but a little stiffer plastic.
The original was already warped and wavy when I bought the car in 1987. I've just been running bare green metal there for a couple decades at least and it looked just fine. Back to the stock look now.
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1978 Sage Green P22 Westfalia
1989 T3 Syncro Single cab

Just a regular guy

[otiswesty]

I've been using a set of 78/79 sliding windows for many years that I got from a wrecking yard in Boring Oregon. However, with all this work, I'm wanting to get my original louvered windows back in. They have been sitting down in the basement for literally 20 years.

So the next step has been working with the louvered windows to try and get them back in tip top shape. There are some great threads and rebuild videos on restoring these. It started out a little rough tho. Half of my screws seem to be soldered or brazed in place. I thought it was some kind of glue or epoxy at first, but t won't chip off.

Okay, put a torch on it is my next step. I did have one of the knobs on the right side window. I went to take the retaining screw out and the bolt sheared off. Err, so I guess I need a replacement mechanism for that side now.

I did pick up a buffing wheel and some "brown" aluminum buffing compound at Harbor Freight once I get these things taken apart. I also have the seal set from Wolfsburg West to get them back together pretty and fresh.

Maybe I'll just rope in the sliding windows for a bit and get to work finishing the front doors and dash.
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1978 Sage Green P22 Westfalia
1989 T3 Syncro Single cab

Just a regular guy

[otiswesty]

The back side of the dash has been an exploration all its own. I haven't had the windshield out and dash top off for a long time. So easy to get at stuff and fix some of the crappy wiring that has been festering in there. Actually found a hot circuit 30 wire from the head light switch just hanging out, plus some other random old project wiring.

My speedo is a MPH trip version that I found on the classifieds here a few years ago after looking for one forever. The odometer stopped working after 5K miles so I sent it down to Palo Alto Speedometer a couple weeks ago. Hartmut put in a couple new gears and got it cleaned up and reset to approx actual mileage for the Bus.

I also had a Heater timer clock that had stopped telling the time. Despite the cool rare looks, I replaced it with my old dash clock. I realized how much I loved the ticking of the second hand in that one that used to be white noise while I was studying in the van or just hanging at the beach.

All wired back in and got the silver socket, 12v socket and rear window heater switch rewired as well. Both the Hazard switch and gas heater switch were loose and really hard to get to by reaching up there before the dash was opened up like this.

I have a fog light switch installed also, but not hooked up right now. I haven't committed to adding aux lights and may repurpose the switch for something else.

Here is the speedo and clock up front

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1978 Sage Green P22 Westfalia
1989 T3 Syncro Single cab

Just a regular guy

[otiswesty]

Also found behind the dash a broken heater cable. It's the short one that diverts to the floor vents. Buslab has them in stock, they are made by Bus-OK. I should have it early next week. One of the long heater cables broke a few years back, its one of those that go to the rear flapper boxes. I replaced that at the time of my engine install. It was the spring looking end that commonly breaks. The housing is what broke on my heat diverter cable which I have not heard of before. Once I get that replaced, I'll put some speedometer cable lube down each of the tubes. It is graphite powder suspended in light oil. Hope that reduces stress on the cable and mechanisms.

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1978 Sage Green P22 Westfalia
1989 T3 Syncro Single cab

Just a regular guy

[78BusGA]

It was nice to read about Palo Alto Speedo and Hartmut. I will possibly be seeing him next week. My dad used to work there and he's coming to my dad's memorial I believe. They do very awesome work there and I am hoping to have him recondition my Superbeetle, 78 Bus, and future Scirocco gauge clusters too.

It is very encouraging to see your thread and I am eager to try my hand at my '78 when I get through with a few other projects.
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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

[Jetfxr69]

i need that short cable as well. just looked at buslab and the only cable i saw was one for a 74-75 year model. did you have to call for the cable? im not seeing it.
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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

[otiswesty]

[otiswesty]

[otiswesty]

I had to fiddle a bit with the lower cable attachment.
Full write up here.
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=331689

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1978 Sage Green P22 Westfalia
1989 T3 Syncro Single cab

Just a regular guy

[otiswesty]

Busy day today.

I had been looking for a T2/T3 stainless tailpipe. Seems like everyone is sold out on them. I ended up getting one from Frank Condelli in the Great White North and it arrived last week. At one point, I actually got a complete stainless exhaust from him for my Vanagon in about 2006. The ceramic coated Dansk tailpipe that I have had on the Bus was a rusty roached out POS and went in the recycle bin even though it was only 5 years old.

I pulled the rear bumper and remounted my Peka 5-bolt hitch. I found a new tailpipe gasket at the Halsey Motors parts counter and well they had Westfalia stickers in the glass case. I couldn't resist. At least its on the correct side now even if it isn't the last of the OEM in that sublime dark grey matte.

I got a MAP torch on the louvered window screws and manage to get them all loosened, a big relief.

I wasn't sure if the mounting screws for holding the windows to the body were M6 or M8. They are definitely M6. now I just need to determine if I need the 3/8" or 1/2" length screws.

Also getting ready to put the closet and headbanger back in. Some veneer repair was in order. I just used Elmers white glue. I've also tried contact cement and epoxy in the past, but they all seem to fail eventually, so now back to basic wood glue.

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1978 Sage Green P22 Westfalia
1989 T3 Syncro Single cab

Just a regular guy

[Jetfxr69]

thanks for that part number. will be ordering one. cheers
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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

[The Volkswagen Ranch]

Otiswesty, been following your thread for a while….very impressed with your
Attention to detail! I too am a student of Eche bus, and doing a total resto on a 76 Westy. How did you install the “ off white” ceiling piece from NLA? Did you warm it up before installing? I used the “t” molding from Bus Depot on the cabinets where I could not “ fix” the OEM , and just received my “ K” molding from NLA for a couple of cabinet doors where I also could fix, and it is very soft… going to be a challenge! Thank you , Bob
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1963 Convertible (Lizzie) and 1964 Convertible (Patience) 1976 Westfalia (Winnie)

[Abscate]

Keep a close eye on that hardware for the Louvers. Most of those blister pack SS stuff wouldn’t know stainless from painless. Test with a magnet. You can get real stuff from Belmetric or McMaster Carr
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.ssS!

[otiswesty]

[The Volkswagen Ranch]

Thank you! That was what I was “thinking” had to be done. No way that you can slip the whole back lip over the metal once the front lip is on. I wonder how they did it at the factory! Bob
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1963 Convertible (Lizzie) and 1964 Convertible (Patience) 1976 Westfalia (Winnie)

[otiswesty]