Ready, aim, fire!

[Anchovy]

It's time to start the restoration/preservation of my 1954 Samba.

Here is your chance to nit-pick, criticize, point out flaws, and tell me what's not correct about the vehicle. This is a chance for your vintage experts to provide some constructive criticism that will be put to good use.

I hear you guys and gals are quick to shoot down anyone for the most trivial item. Show me what you've got!

You can see some detail photos at:

http://www.sv2s.com/users/JDG/54%20Barndoor/

Post all your comments here for me, and the world to see. I'll be posting more pictures in the next few hours.

Fire away!

Thanks!

[stillworks]

The only Flaw I can see is that it's not sitting in my driveway :)

NICE!

[58Type2]

Geez, from looking at the pics. I wanna know if this thing was ever driven. 50 years of grime by the engine, ya ok. That makes mine look like 500 years of grime then. And that dash, my goodness, I wish mine was that clean...rather I wish my dash was that restored already.

[Anchovy]

Thanks for the compliments guys, but you are not getting into the spirit of this thread.

I want critique, advice, trash-talk. I want stuff like:

"Are those extra tail lights, or are you getting ready for Christmas?"

"What's with the perferated headliner, are you going to install a bay window next?"

"Where did you get the fuel gage? Pepboys?

You know, find the things that are not correct and let me know.

Thanks!

[dougrbutler]

I love perforated headliners. My '63 needs replacing and I'm thinking of vinyl instead of the nap cloth. The cloth stains too easily and is hard to clean. If vinyl was available back in '54 they would have jumped all over it. Can't trash something I like...

[EverettB]

Extra turn signals, other lights, and associated wiring/relays.
No spare tire strap.
Wrong regulator.
Added fuel gauge.
Wrong headliner.
Wrong wiper arms and blades.
Wrong starter button
Spare reflector is 55-57 USA style.
Heater box j-tubes "repaired".
Wrong fuel pump.
Wrong generator pulley and nut.
Probably wrong generator
Missing little nubs under front seat
Possibly missing little feet on front seat

Question - Should the engine compartment be painted SWR? It looks grey.

I'd crush the Bus before I'd drive it that way.

[Anchovy]

Thanks Everett,

That's more like it! I had a few of those, but I am adding the new ones to the list.

About the engine compartment, I think it is correct to have it grey. I asked Lenny about his '54 restoration that had the engine compartment SWR. He said it came grey but he thought SWR looked better.

The fuel guage was dealer installed in 1955. Should it stay or go?

Everett, do you have pictures of the nubs and feet for the front seat?

[[email protected]]

Missing 4 popout windows. Needs all the rubber replaced, Wiring harness under dash needs overspray washed off.

[BUCIOBATISTI]

Hi Jeff- Everett got a great start. I think I picked up a couple things he didn't see.
1. Looks like the wrong exhaust tip, there is a short one for -'58 and you appear to have the longer '59 only type.
2. Not sure if you have the proper fuel pump. '54 and '55 have a odd one that has a 25hp style bottom with a 36hp style top. There is a BIG screw on the left hand side on the bottom, HTF.
3. What's up with the wiring below the belly pans, all those red wires?
4. American spec headlights??? Maybe they changed them when it came over? I'd put on some Barndoor symmetrical lights if I were you cause they look so damn cool.
5. Rear window rubber looks absolutely Pep Boys.
6. Put a little WD40 on the semiphore "pins" and they'll probably get... uh......"fully erect".
7. TAKE OFF THAT RESERVE VALVE AND THROW IT AS FAR AWAY FROM THE BUS AS YOU CAN BEFORE YOU HAVE A FIRE! You will NEVER find a Bus like this again, no matter how much you have to spend! Larry Reno has new production ones for about $40. CHEAP INSURANCE!
8. Paint your hubap logos, they look soooo much better painted.
9. That doesn't look like VW carpet in the back of the luggage area and your original and the 3 strips may be beneath that Carpet Barn remnant that is on top right now.
10. Obviously the joker that claims you are missing 4 popouts doesn't know that REAL European Buses just about never had 6 popouts. They almost always had 2 and they had the "shorty" spoon latches, not the long ones.
11. Keep the gas guage, it's period correct and probably in all the crazy ass photos you got with the Bus.
Anything more than that, you are gonna have to email Greg Noble and he'll start asking what the bolts that hold the transmission in read.
Congratulations on your monster and I can't wait to go for my ride! Brendan

[Anchovy]

Brendan,

Really good stuff. The early photos I have of the bus show only two pop-out windows and it does have the medium latches.

Good eye on the reserve valve. I have one NOS and one reproduction ready to put in.

I haven't forgot about the ride...can't bring myself to mounting the AAA badge though, it's so pretty.

Ready for more.....

[58Type2]

I was logged on so long it made me have to re-log in. I did a pretty thorough critique so if it sounds a little snobbish, I apologize, I used to inspect helicopters and they hated me for downing them all on the line. Some of these are questions, since the pics I looked at I could not find some answers to.

-Dash emblem - supposed to be painted or no?
-Above sun visor, round thing, what is it?
-Door handles, inside. Are they backwards? mine go forward is why I am asking.
-Door vinyl at elbow - could use less bubble/screw indentation
-Underdash, first pic, what are yellow wires by steering column hanging out for?
-Overspray on inside of rear right drum or brake fluid
-oil leak below pulley, underside photo, shows at tin
-rust preventative coating on underside chassis, something to prevent more surface rust
-what is box to right of tranny for? mounted at 45 degree angle...suspension?
-did sump plate have drain plug?
-some improper acorn nuts holding sump plate
-oil breather/drainage at bottom of case missing rubber cap, if initially installed.
-proper oil pump cover?
-red dash light to left of speedo broken
-dash by speedo needs cleaning, hehe
-possible seal replacement for speedo face
-rear bumper rubber needed, broken
-rear bullet tail lights need removal
-reverse light removal
-exhaust tip too long (previous post)
-Possible dents at rear of cargo door
-window seals look curious
-too many red wires underneath, 'unexpose' them if all else
-door panels riveted in?not screwed? (right door pic)
-Curiousity...what is key switch at bottom of driver's door for?
-refinish aluminum on bumper trim (scratched up)
-front turn signal removal
-rubber snubbers on front bumper, supposed to be there? did not see on others of same year.
-outside mirror arms inverted. supposed to be pointing up not down...or is this case sensitive?
-replace fuses, they are getting mighty thin
-fuse box cover, did they have them then?
-#5 fuse upper block looks to be melting contact base
-passenger door trim rubber in aluminum too short
-replaced panel on lower left wheel well below fuel tank? welds look suspicious
-rust on bottom of fuel tank
-left side, rear of front wheelwell at rocker by jacking point...metal pushed in?
-flaky paint behind upper right of nose emblem
-dings in right "V" trim
-scary harness and electrical tape - time to organize and clean off dust and overspray
-non-original nose emblem. looks to have nuts on back of emblem vice push on lock washer as originals had. [I know this because my original was yanked off my SC, now have the newer one wingnutted on...>=( ]
-hub caps behind middle seat, original? should clean up and put those on.
-arm rests, are they suppose to be at such an angle?
-panel left of middle seat ripple...water damage?
-partition jail bar, plastic or painted? supposed to be polished aluminum?
-strap at front cargo door at partition...or something broken?
-middle seats do not line up with one another when both are upright
-correct ignition key?
-why two push buttons on dash left of steering column?
-proper floor mats up front?
-proper gas cap? Supposed to have an emblem (big or small) on cap?
And last of all...Nice to see that you have the birth certificate. I tried to get mine about 2 or 3 years ago and they said the micro fiche was too brittle and I lucked out.

Ok, so a little much, but there was other stuff I was curious about, like under front seat and in bottom of front seat, but I figured I would leave those alone. But I did have the questions and I asked them, as you saw.

Hope some of what I stated is helpful and not just gibberish or useless.

Jax
http://www.simplywagens.homestead.com
(really need to update my sites, lol)

[Anchovy]

Thanks Jax,

Good observations. You can inspect my helicopter whenever you want. Just the type of stuff I am looking for. To answer some of your questions (as best I can). Anybody know the answers for sure?

-Dash emblem - supposed to be painted or no?
I think mine is original as it looks like others I have seen

-Above sun visor, round thing, what is it? Silly button thing. It's going.

-Door handles, inside. Are they backwards?
mine go forward is why I am asking.
I think you are right. I asked the PO and he said his clothes got caught in them when exiting, so he reversed them.

--Underdash, first pic, what are yellow wires by steering column hanging out for?
Starting to remove some of the extra wires.

-what is box to right of tranny for? mounted at 45 degree angle...suspension?
I think you mean the lever action shock.

-did sump plate have drain plug?
Don't think so. Need help here.

-Curiousity...what is key switch at bottom of driver's door for?
That is the 1960 vintage alarm. Hence the photo title "Fort Knox".

-rubber snubbers on front bumper, supposed to be there? did not see on others of same year.
Yes they are supposed to be there.

-outside mirror arms inverted. supposed to be pointing up not down...or is this case sensitive?
Don't know. Help here.

-arm rests, are they suppose to be at such an angle?
Think so.

-correct ignition key?
That is the original Huf ignition key.

-proper floor mats up front?
Yes

-proper gas cap? Supposed to have an emblem (big or small) on cap?
Hard to see but it has the logo.

Thanks again and keep it coming!

[BUCIOBATISTI]

Jeff-
1. The door handles are upside down.
2. Outside mirror arm is correctly mounted. The 1952 and earlier ones are "high mount" and later are "low mount" like yours.
I bet it's nice to see such a short list of "stuff to do" for such an old Bus. Brendan

[[email protected]]

Why are you restoring this bus? It is so amazingly rare to find one in that condition that doing a restoration on it is more like destroying what you have. Id say leave it as is

[Anchovy]

busboy46,

I agree with you. My idea is to do more of a preservation than a "body-off" restoration. I plan to correct the easy stuff and put it back to as original as possible. I will not make it a shiny show car.

I will change to the original headliner, remove the extra wiring, spot repair some rust, put the door handles on the correct way, fix the fuel leak and stuff like that.

Thanks everyone for the input!