Finally in a VW! 1971 VW Bus Riviera

[TypePete]

Been a dream since I was 10, I’ve been a member her following many of you and reading about various issues you have experienced and I’m sure I will.

I’ve got a 2.5 year old and another on the way so I offered up my dirt bike for trade. Another VW enthusiast offered this bus and I was very happy to accept the trade.

Body is in pretty darn good condition with a few spots to weld up and replace. Came with a 1600dp with no dizzy, so figuring out which one to get. Has a Brosol Solex H30/31 on it…seems that might be a little small from what I’ve been reading, so figuring out if I’ll keep that or get a dizzy to match to just get it running. Need to clean up the trans and figured I’ll rebuild the CV’s while I’m at it.

Overall ver happy to finally make this post, here are a few more photos.

[Shonandb]

Nice! Look forward to watching you get her back on the road.
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76 Westy with a 2.5L Subaru SOHC + Vanagon (010) Automatic Transaxle
Build & Trip Thread: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=758760
Previous 1973 Panel Bus:
Click to view image

[dodger tom]

sweet.

interior pics?
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1978 Champaign Edition 2 Westfalia
Would never find the time to keep up another classic air-cooled.

[OB Bus]

For the carb you might lean towards a 34PICT. Rebuilt German Solexes are available from Tim at https://www.volkzbitz.com . Don't go Chinese.
For the distributor get a rebuilt Bosch from Bill at www.sparxwerks.com .
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Larry in OB
Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery!
69 Westfalia and 2002 Eurovan Camper.
People deserve the Government they voted for.

[The Volkswagen Ranch]

Nice trade! Welcome to the land of late nights and early mornings! Bob
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1964 vert "Patience"
2002 Eurovan MV “Winnie”
Sold the 63 vert “ Lizzie”
Sold the 76 Westfalia “ Winnie”

[TypePete]

Thanks all, interior pics coming soon. Most of the camper bits and pieces are missing. Also need to grab pics of the frame and under carriage. Still has what I believe is the factory tar paper and a bunch of what I believe is the original paint under it.

[Rag00oll]

Nice bus. Looks like a great starting point! Post pictures and enjoy the process.

[TypePete]

Making some progress as I put together a first round of parts.

Did some minor tin disassembly to make sure the case has the bosses for the mustache bar engine support. Btw I do have the mustache bar, so yay. As far as I can tell it seems like it does so that’s good. I’ll be able to drill and install some inserts for the three mounting locations.
A little back story, the guy I traded with gave me a known running engine and a matching trans for a bus. Trans seems to have a later style “fork” nose cone mount. The bracket on my bus appears to be an early style mount for an L bracket. I’ve found a few places to source that bracket so adding to the list.

Plan is to eventually get a 34PICT-3 and SVDA dizzy but right now I have that H30/31 that I’ll run until it’s fully drivable. Looking at a sparkwerx dizzy and it seems that people have had good luck with a SVA 205M which they have, so might go that route or….dun dun dun an 009. I know I know, not great but I figured it wouldn’t be terrible and I’d have the 009 as a back up that should be able to run with most setups if I ever need it or if someone needs to borrow it to get home.


Also removed the engine apron and cleaned out the old engine seal, man was that an old seal brittle but some how extremely hard at the same time. Next task is to get my buddy to help move the trans into the garage scrape some caked grease and go pressure wash it.
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1971 VW Bus Riviera

[Alan Brase]

I have quite a bit of experience with similar work and I think I might write a few replies over the next few days. I've owned maybe 20 type 2 VW's and type 25 (Vanagons)
One of the very first ones I got was in 1982 and it was a 1970 green tin top. Sitting in the driveway of a scrapyard. I bought it for $125, delivered. It was near functional, if a little ragged and beginning to rust around the rockers an other places. Soon after I started driving it, a guy stopped me and told me he'd bought this bus new and owned it several years. The original motor (1600 single port what, 50 hp?) had suffered a cracked case early and the dealer installed a new engine and it failed as well. Then he took it to my old friend, Charley Whitney. the 3rd engine was the charm. Boy, was it ever. Then, he drove it to Alaska. And back 3350 miles each way. 3 times. Nearly 25000 trouble free miles. He eventually sold it, now 10 years later, I drove it another 2 years before giving that motor a rebuild as the front main was loose and putting in the clutch moved the distributor drive gear so much it changed the timing with the clutch in.
But that motor was completely stock, but for a new Mexican VW case and slip in 87mm pistons. One of the best running buses I ever had and it went 90,000 miles.
COMPLETELY stock: air cleaner, PREHEAT hose, carburetor, distributor. Intake manifold heat riser.
All that stuff needs to be compatible and working to give nice performance with no flat spots, good economy and good engine life.
Now your engine is a 1971 spec DUAL port and it originally had a dual advance vacuum can on the distributor.
I THINK one can use 1970 spec carb and distributor OR possibly use a 34 carb with the 1970 single advance distributor.
I'd be really skeptical that one could get good results from an 009 at all.
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Al Brase
Projects: 67 sunroof bug, 67 Porsche 912 Targa, 70 Westy
Dec 1955 Single Cab pickup WANT 15" BUS RIMS dated 8/55, thru 12/55
To New owners: 1969 doublecab, 1971 Dormobile
Vanagons:
80 P27 Westy JUL 1979, 3rd oldest known US
83 1.6TD Vanagon, 87 Wolfie Westy daily driver, swap meet home

[mikedjames]

The air cleaner arrangement needs to be sorted out too, a stock air cleaner with thermostatically controlled preheated hot air feed will get rid of some of the bogging down caused by the 009 and the small carburettor.
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Ancient vehicles and vessels

1974 VW T2 : Devon Eurovette camper with 1641 DP T1 engine, Progressive carb, full flow oil cooler, EDIS crank timed ignition.
Engine 1: 40k miles (rocker shaft clip fell off), Engine 2: 30k miles (rebuild, dropped valve). Engine 3: a JK Preservation Parts "new" engine, aluminium case: 26k miles: new top end.
Gearbox rebuild 2021 by Bears.

1979 Westerly GK24 24 foot racer/cruiser yacht Forethought of Gosport.
1973 wooden Pacer sailing dinghy

[williamM]

That motor looks like a great starting place. Plug all your vacuum leaks and check for mouse nests under the tin. If you can get them cheap, get 2 dizzyz and set them both to 28 degrees (no hoses on) and lock the hold downs on them so if you have an ig problem, just swap them out with on 13mm nut. Your flash light will love you for it . (they always quit at night) .
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some days I get up and just sit and think. Some days I just sit.

opinion untempered by fact is ignorance.

Don't step in any!

[TypePete]

Hey all thanks for your recent comments, I’ve been a little side tracked since our second son arrived a little early, all went well and I had some time off of work to enjoy with my wife and newborn. Luckily our 2.5 year old officially entered toddler phase and has been a handful haha.

A few replies:

The stock oil bath air filter came with the bus so I will for sure be putting that back on. This engine came from another project the PO had.and this is what he ran on it.

I’m not sold on an 009 but I thought it could be a “cheaper” option to run since my goal is to just get the bus running a moving not only for moral but for easy of pulling it in and out of the garage. End goal is a 34 pict 3 with svda.

Bus wise, I’ve been working on it every day for the most part.

Current work has been on cleaning the transmission up and cleaning and repacking the CVs since the trans and axle were sitting outside. Boy that’s a greasy job. A little trick I found when putting new boots on was to slide the on using a zip tie. Also got some new StaLube GL4 to put in.

After this I’ll be going through the electrical. I’m missing the ignition/steering lock housing which is proving tricky to find. Also need a turn signal switch, headlight switch and interior light switch to start getting the electrical tested and working. If anyone has some clever ideas for ignition housing alternatives I’m all ears.
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1971 VW Bus Riviera

[TypePete]

Alright just a little update. Been getting up nice and early to work on the bus
Convinced the wife to let me swap her car out of the garage and plop the bus in there to work on, surprisingly she said sure…

My hand brake was locked up and I thought well why don’t I tackle that so I can set my parking brake and be safe while going through the brakes…well surprise surprise the pin underneath the floor pan is seized in the parking brake lever. I can just move the lever now but I’ve been alternating heat and pb blaster. I may try my ATF mineral spirits concoction. Hoping I can get that pin out but I’m not holding my breath, may just need to cut it out.

Next, I remove the dash to start working on the wiring.

I was able to hunt down a seven pin headlight switch and a dome light switch. Now all I need is a turn signal switch, and I can hopefully have all the wiring complete. There are number of melted wires so I’ll have to replace those fuse panel has one spot that is melted so I’m going to try and clean it up but may have to replace that.


With the dash removed, I did find a few rust spots underneath the windshield, which makes sense because I noticed during heavy rain. I had a puddle on the floor mat.

Other than that things are coming along here’s a photo of the interior that a few of you requested as you can see most of the camping furniture is missing.

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1971 VW Bus Riviera

[busman78]

Pull the winshield out now, perfect time to clean up (repair), pait and replace the seal.

[TypePete]

I am noticing that my ignition wiring and turn signal switch wiring resembles a 1970 bus but I have a rear defogger circuit. So I’m wondering if O should have bought a 1970 headlight switch that doesn’t have an X terminal. Hmmmm…all very interesting
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1971 VW Bus Riviera

[mikewire]

Nice Bus! Lots of work to do, but you have plenty of time.

I picked my Bus out of a farmers field over in Stevi in 2010, it's been a blast since then and mine was in similar shape, albeit mine is a tintop 9-passenger vs. a Rivi.

Great score!!

I saw someone else post to fix the issues under the windshield, and I agree - pull the glass and mitigate it now while you have the dash out. A new seal is not expensive, and it looks like you can reuse the glass (if you're very careful!).

For parts needed...shop in the classifieds for anything missing. Old used parts typically are still superior to new parts. Bus Depot, West Coast Metric, Wolfsburg West are my typical parts source for anything else I need to be new, like rubber, seals and gaskets etc.
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-Mike

@countdowngarage
@bigskyeuro

1972 VW Kombi 9 Passenger Deluxe 221(5) w/ 2.0L F.I. VWAC swap
1965 VW Beetle Deluxe Bahama Blue

[TypePete]

Busman78 I am definitely considering that. I may push that off til the spring, since we’re entering the winter up here and the wife will want to start parking in the garage again. I plan on creating a tarp covering to keep snow off the windshield area to help keep it dry (I’ll keep the tarp off the body).


Mikewire, I got mine out of Stevi as well! That’s funny. Right I’ve been trying to source used parts mostly. Thanks for the tips. I see you’re in TX, I’ll be down in the Bastrop area in a few weeks for my wife’s friend’s wedding.

Looking through more wiring diagrams, now I’m leaning more towards the wiring looks like a mix of a 71 and 72 again, the mystery continues.
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1971 VW Bus Riviera

[mikewire]

[TypePete]

Mike, small world, Mr Rob G. is who I got it from.

Here is my fuse panel, hoping I can clean up the melted plastic and terminals.

So here’s the T4 connector for the ignition switch, the 71 wiring diagrams show that it should be a T5, maybe one of the connections broke off or was removed?

Now what’s tripping me up a bit is the turn signal switch connectors, the 71 diagram indicates it’s a T5 and I’m seeing two T3’s that I’m pretty sure have some wires that connect to the emergency flasher switch and fuse panel.

I keep looking back and forth between 71 and 72 wiring and see this as an amalgamation of the two or it could have just been hacked up through the years.

I’m kind of thinking of starting at the T6 (8-pin) connector and labeling all wires and pulling the fuse panel. All of those wires are so tangled it’s been a little difficult tracing everything.
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1971 VW Bus Riviera

[TypePete]

Just and update, still here and didn’t give up. Winter came to Montana and I’ve been working on a heating solution in the garage. Trying one of those little diesel heaters to just bump up the comfort level. Rolling around on a cold garage floor was hurting the motivation to wake up early before the family to continue work. However, I got all the mystery wires traced and labeled. Got most of the missing electrical pieces and just need to start on some wire repair. Been trying to figure out some gauge conversion for totally melted wires but think I can use some heat shrink on some wires with just cracks in the sheath.

Next I just need to get a battery to start testing and move on to checking/rebuilding the calipers. And slow progress is being made on cutting out the parking brake pin, boy is that thing rusted. Hoping the thin hacksaw blade and washer trick will work out fine
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1971 VW Bus Riviera