Easy's '58 walk through panel build

[jamesjones]

Awesome man. Thanks for the info. Pics would be great if you get a chance. I can't wait to get started on my stereo build. Just waiting on a few more things.

[easy e]

I can't get pics right now (raining)... but here's what I did:

2nd battery, Yandina battery charger/isolator, battery only for stereo / dome lights.
Power from batt. went to distribution block under back seat.
Power to head unit & amp on/off signal went up the right side frame rail, with the rest of the wiring.
RCAs from head unit to amp were zip tied to brake line on left side frame rail. (Keep power separate from music signal)

Hope it helps & will take pics / verify what I said when I get a break in the weather.
_________________
aka: Evan
Spreadsheet for Bus RPM, based on gearing & tire size (Excel format)
Searchable, click-navigable 1958 Bus Parts List
“They are about as worthless as the tits on the boars that live in the woods behind their junk yard.” -Weatherly

[jamesjones]

Any chance you can post pics of how you ran the wiring for you stereo? Through the body, down the frame etc...

I'm starting the stereo install on my double cab and would like to borrow some of your ideas.

[easy e]

Not a whole lot going on lately with finishing it up... but I was replacing my rubber full flow hoses with braided 8-AN stuff & cracked my oil pump cover from over tightening the 3/8" NPT.

Ordered another pump cover & pulley puller.

While I have time to kill...
I put a couple Ronal Kleeblatt wheels on the front, using the original lug nuts. I'm working on getting some new ones. Also got off the 135 pizza cutters up front & bumped it up a notch to 145's.

I used 8mm spacers. The Porsche grease cap OD is very close to the ID of the wheel center ID & it seemed as though there would be interference. Might use Porsche caps later?

I'm happy so far, I think the wheel color goes well enough.

_________________
aka: Evan
Spreadsheet for Bus RPM, based on gearing & tire size (Excel format)
Searchable, click-navigable 1958 Bus Parts List
“They are about as worthless as the tits on the boars that live in the woods behind their junk yard.” -Weatherly

[easy e]

That'd be good to know ^^^^

I was rummaging the swap meets & got a good deal. I found a spare arm rest & an extra underneath bracket that sits on the ledge. I think I'll use three of those brackets. I didn't mind having to do a little cut, bend, weld. Chop saw helped a lot.
_________________
aka: Evan
Spreadsheet for Bus RPM, based on gearing & tire size (Excel format)
Searchable, click-navigable 1958 Bus Parts List
“They are about as worthless as the tits on the boars that live in the woods behind their junk yard.” -Weatherly

[Red Fau Veh]

I wonder if the full width Westy beds from 74 and 75 bays will fit right into a split. I put one into a 69 bay and the hinges are meant to mount to the wheel wells.
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1971 Deluxe Sunroof Bay 1905 stroker, dual idf40's, 74mm Scat forged crank, engle 110 cam. CB 044 heads, AutoCraft rockers, chromoly push rods
1973 Orange transporter stock type 4 with dual 40 Dellortos and Empi single quiet pack
1969 Adventurewagen blue whale Gene Berg 1776 built by Dave Kawell dual 36 DRLA's, Vintage Speed exhaust, Bosch 019 screamer
1961 Swivel Seat camper, L345 grey

[easy e]

Clara & I discussed variations in cab ceiling panels. The one's I have in the cab fit great!

A straight cut across the front would have worked too, but might have had a little interference with the fresh air grate. I'm veryhappy with the overall fit. It's tough... everything's convex.

The rear corners are a PITA... eventually....

The layers of bubble wrap has quieted it down a lot. It really needs the rear seat & some cushions all back there.

I just got the front part of the seat base back from a woodworker buddy. I have an 8" sub that'll be under the back seat & I'm putting a couple 8" drivers in that seat base, forward facing. I didn't' want typical ugly speaker grilles down there... so, I'll be stretching some new vintage looking amplifier cloth over some 1/8" ABS that I'll trim to fit the opening.

Here's a couple pics... just need to cut the 8" holes & mount speakers to the backside.

I just finished modifying a passenger side rear seat hinge over the weekend. The typical passenger side seat hinge is set up to mount to the closet. I had to modify the hinge to basically be a mirror image of the driver's side & make an extra driver's side arm rest into a passenger side one. Full with rear seat/bed!! For the bed/seat.... I had to get outta the 50's & into the 60's
_________________
aka: Evan
Spreadsheet for Bus RPM, based on gearing & tire size (Excel format)
Searchable, click-navigable 1958 Bus Parts List
“They are about as worthless as the tits on the boars that live in the woods behind their junk yard.” -Weatherly

[Stocknazi]

I am thinking if you have short cab ceiling panels you should have the notch in the foward cargo area panel. (because the foward cargo area ceiling panel is longer, and extends farther foward toward the front of the bus).

Longer, kombi/panel style cab ceiling panels, would require a straight cut edge on the foward cargo area panel. (foward cargo area ceiling panel is shorter and almost even with the metal roof bow, just enough for the rear vent cover to hide the edge of the panel).

Does that sound right?

There are ~200 small screws used on the Westy wall panels. The pattern you followed looks correct for a 58. Westfalia starting using less screws around 61 (if anyone knows a more exact date please post it).

That interior is looking great; with that many layers of bubblewrap and the paneling it should be super quiet and insulated.
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WANTED:
58 Westfalia cabinet knobs (3 needed), roof rack, and (7) privy tent poles (silver painted).

"When the people are afraid of the government, that's tyranny. But when the government is afraid of the people, that's liberty."
"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants."

Thomas Jefferson

[easy e]

[Clara]

Did you do the install from front to back? That is how I recommend it. One, because it is easier to tap the cab roof panels all the way forward when the middle roof panel is not in place. Two, because of the fit issue you are finding now. I suspect the middle roof panel could have been moved back a tad?
There are two lengths of the camper area roof panels, the SO-42 style . which has the front edge on the middle of the metal bow, and the earlier style, which has the front edge just behind the metal bow. The cab roof panel is shorter on the SO-42 style, and original ones look like they were regular kombi ones cut shorter with a razor knife.
The earlier style camper cab roof panel goes to the back of the metal bow.

If it was just a tad off I am guessing you put the middle roof panel in first?

Here are a couple pics of original install cab roof panels in a 1958 w/t panelvan.
It looks to me they reach a tad behind the metal roof bow towards the air vent.

[Red Fau Veh]

The nurse seat idea sounds cool and making the table longer is something I plan also for my bus. I want to swivel around the drivers seat and have a table that meets up at the right distance when it faces backwards. Your wood paneling is awesome, hope to do the same!
_________________
1971 Deluxe Sunroof Bay 1905 stroker, dual idf40's, 74mm Scat forged crank, engle 110 cam. CB 044 heads, AutoCraft rockers, chromoly push rods
1973 Orange transporter stock type 4 with dual 40 Dellortos and Empi single quiet pack
1969 Adventurewagen blue whale Gene Berg 1776 built by Dave Kawell dual 36 DRLA's, Vintage Speed exhaust, Bosch 019 screamer
1961 Swivel Seat camper, L345 grey

[easy e]

Thx guys!

I did a little more poking around the Gallery, looking at the '56-'58 westys & didn't see any escutcheons on the cargo doors. I'll remove them. Thx Greg!
_________________
aka: Evan
Spreadsheet for Bus RPM, based on gearing & tire size (Excel format)
Searchable, click-navigable 1958 Bus Parts List
“They are about as worthless as the tits on the boars that live in the woods behind their junk yard.” -Weatherly

[campingbox]

Nice work Evan! If you're going to run a cargo door escutcheon you might try finding the early type. The early Westies didn't use those, maybe run w/o it?

[BulliBill]

Beautiful work on the Panel Evan! Nice craftsmanship! I hope to get a closer look at it, and a ride someday.

Bill
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I'm looking for these license plate frames from old Volkswagen dealerships for my fleet:
Coeur D'Alene - Lake Shore Volkswagen
Mission VW - San Fernando
Thornton VW - Stockton

Thanks for any help!

[Big Bill]

*EDIT*

[easy e]

There hasn't been tons of progress in the past couple months... wedding stuff. Yep, got hitched!... next project will be a vert ghia for the missus.

I've been working on getting the rear panels installed + bubble wrap.
The forward wood ceiling piece was set back a little too far... because the cab ceiling cards were a fuzz too long. You can see a little bit of the forward wood bow & shouldn't be able to. I had to trim either the rear of the cab cards or the forward part of the wood ceiling panel. When looking at the rear metal ceiling bow & with the wood ceiling panel installed... the panel was sitting a little far back, so I opted to get it to sit in the middle of the bow (trim forward part of ceiling panel). It turned out good. This next pic shows me scoring it in place (will be covered by the aluminum trim strip). Cutting it in place with a razor knife was a little sketchy... one slip & yikes!

Here's a shot of the passenger C pillar. I chamfered the top backside of the panels to let them fit up a little tighter to the ceiling inner drip rail. I just used a file & did it at about a 45 degree angle until the varnished part was getting close to being a knife edge.

I used #4 x 1/2" screws for most of the panels. This one seems like it has a lot of screws... but I was copying a '58 westy screw layout.

Looking back towards passenger rear corner...

I'm going to mount an ambulance nurse's jump seat to the driver's bulkhead. This seat is kinda short... so the table I use will need to be a bit wider than normal. I put in some extra backing for the table, just because I don't know exactly how long I'll make it. Wiring installed for clam shell lights.

I ripped some 1" x 1" wood to have the same profile as the pillars.

As I was going... I realized I didn't need those ripped pieces used as backing... to be pillar to pillar. They could just be long enough to catch the screws on layout.

The 1" x 1" board was the same offset as the tip of the pillar at the inner drip rail.

I used it as a guide when figuring out where to put the ripped backer.

The wall panels were an inch short of wall height. I didn't know this would be the case when I ordered them. Instead of having an ugly gap at the bottom... or ordering longer panels & varnishing again.... I decided to buy a 4' long piece of stainless J-Channel. I had some ambulance step rubber mat / split beetle running board mat (also available at OSH). I'll just use the mat at the bottom of the long wall to cover the gap... having it tucked into the upside down mounted J-Channel that I'll mount at the bottom of the long wall.... and just have a few inches run wild under the cargo mat. It'll look ok & provide a lateral toe kick when seated at the table.
_________________
aka: Evan
Spreadsheet for Bus RPM, based on gearing & tire size (Excel format)
Searchable, click-navigable 1958 Bus Parts List
“They are about as worthless as the tits on the boars that live in the woods behind their junk yard.” -Weatherly

[Ran When Parked]

[CaLiBus]

[earlywesty]

Nice bus. I think a white pin stripe in the blue, single line, would look good and tie in the bumpers and emblem. Enjoy cruising!

[easy e]

Thx! The park is ~45 mins via fwy... it is doable via HWY / smaller roads.
There's caravans going to the park... from the north & south. I'll jump in the conga line between the stops of San Luis Obispo & Santa Maria.
_________________
aka: Evan
Spreadsheet for Bus RPM, based on gearing & tire size (Excel format)
Searchable, click-navigable 1958 Bus Parts List
“They are about as worthless as the tits on the boars that live in the woods behind their junk yard.” -Weatherly