1967 Camper Conversion

[drwski115]

Hello Samba, I am starting this thread to document the restoration and camper conversion on my 1967 11 window standard. My wife and I bought this bus last year in Florida - I didn't have any prior VW or auto experience (didn't even know how to drive stick!) I spent most of the year trying to learn my way around the engine and getting the thing driving down the road. I've got a blog going at www.iboughtabus.com

The second part of the story is that I'm quitting my stable, corporate job to fix up the bus and hit the road! My wife does graphic design work remotely, and we're planning on driving the bus around the country for the next year or so - I'm hoping to make some pretty quick progress on this bus, and get out there! I welcome any and all comments, criticisms, and advice.

Thanks!

Rusty B-pillar

1974 Super Beetle Engine Code - New carb and intake manifold

I'll keep posting pics as we get this thing fixed up!

[mandraks]

looks nice, what are your plans for the camper conversion?

are planning on scoring a westy interior? pop-top?

looks like you will need to invest in some heaterboxes, and a stock air cleaner setup.

without pre-heating it will be a bitch to run it in the winter.
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regards

Uli

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'53 3-Fold Oval, L35 Metallic Blue, looking for a narrow hatch panel

[Spitty1974]

Nice looking bus....Once I finish my current bus, I want to buy a camper or do what you are going to do with an 11 window bus camper conversion. Looking forward to seeing what you do with your conversion.

You might want to check out the blog below and peruse their entire camper build and travel journey. I really like the camper set up they created. It is not an original layout, but it seemed to work out well for them. You may get some inspiration from their designs.

Link for their camper design:
http://www.thedangerz.com/camperization/

Page with links of other sections of their bus blog.
http://www.thedangerz.com/the-vw-bus/

Keep posting your progress...If your new to Samba, make sure your thick skin is on...Many armchair quarterbacks will throw their two cents in, and it's not always positive vibes about your choices. Good Luck...Spitty

[drwski115]

Thanks Splitty and Uli - the plan is to keep the bus looking pretty stock on the outside, with a custom interior camper build on the inside. I'm definitely familiar w/ the dangerz blog, as well as bumfuzzle, and several others. I've also read through tons of Samba forums, and have seen the good and some bad! Honestly, this bus has been a crazy patchwork of random parts and pieces from all over. Not much of it is original to the bus, so I don't feel bad making it my own - most of the interior work will be completely reversible anyways.

I'll probably keep it a tin-top, but do want to get the OG air intake setup, along w/ heater boxes. Probably won't add a gas heater though because I want room for a second battery. It has a beetle straight axle transmission now, and is a few inches lowered. I'm planning on buying a RGB tranny from Rancho, and potentially getting a new beam or at least stock spindles with a disk brake kit up front.

Here are a few pics of the underside, and some of the deconstruction progress we made today.

Underside:

Taking windows and frames out:

M-Code:

Sweet bumper sticker:

[williamM]

If your going camper windows- be aware there are several types - you would be after the ones for the kombi as opposed to the panel van "cut out" windows. This is the window you don't want- Both come in louvered design- these are from EZ camper-

The one with the rounded corners should fit your bus.

_________________
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!

[drwski115]

Thats good info William - I debated what to do for camper windows and eventually found a set of Hehr Jalousie windows to restore:
http://www.iboughtabus.com/2014/03/03/vw-camper-window-restoration/

I'm planning on having the back two windows as campers, and the rest as the pop outs. We're also hoping to get set up w/ a Westy style awning - I think some call it "glamping"

[drwski115]

After spending a couple days taking the bus apart, I was feeling a little bit overwhelmed by it all... so I decided to make just a tiny bit of forward progress!

Thats a few hours of wire wheeling w/ the angle grinder, and some Rustoleum Clean Metal primer. I know I'm just going to cover this luggage area up w/ sound deadener, insulation, and carpeting of some kind, but I wanted to paint something!

[Big Bill]

Good call on the luggage area, very easy to get overwhelmed when working on a bus.

[Rob Whitey]

What did you do with that bumper sticker?

[drwski115]

Haha, not sure what to do with it yet - I kind of like it so I'll leave it on for now!

[Eric&Barb]

Looks good, but get a case of Naval Jelly. You want all of the rust out of the metal!
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In Stereo, Where Available!

[1958ghia]

Looks A Lot Like My Bus! Just Took Her For Our First Camping Trip! 67 SO42 Westy..

[OG67westy]

^^^very nice!! original curtains?
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'67 Westy pearl white "Greta"
'67 Westy velvet green "Ken's bus"
'74 Thing blizzard white "Schatze"
'61 Panel dove blue"Rche"
'65 Bug rusty"Tina"
'83 Porsche 944

[drwski115]

Thats a good looking bus!! Definitely encourages me to get this thing fixed up!