ImAddicted's driveway build

[ImAddicted]

I've had this for about 6 years, never really was interested in the history prior to now. For the last 3 years it's been in a domestic 'custody' battle and it looks like I'll be getting it back, now I'm kinda curious. I got it from a guy in Newport, NH who said it when he got it he was told it was used by a theater troupe in Boston, MA. The only one thing that makes me curious about its history is the weird modification of clearance lights that were mounted and wired up along the chassis? Not sure if it was someone's hack as 'neon' or if possibly it was used as a prop??? Anyone recognize or know anything about this? It had some pretty crappy dent and rust 'repair' (2-3" of bondo) and house paint paint job. Originally Pastel White and Reef Blue.

Wasn't running when I got it, went through the FI system, replaced injectors, fuel pump, and double relay. Redid some of the critical body work, went through the running (and stopping) gear, shot it with some TSC implement paint, got some BFGs from fusername, and drove the snot out of it for a year.

Now, when (or if) I get it back, I'm thinking starting from scratch. I'm hopefully getting my '70 Westy back in this agreement, that will become my SHTF project and this will be done up right.

Just curious if anyone in the Boston area knows anything about it? Thanks.

[Yarkle]

Scott, just replied on my thread. Are Ducky and Milla running? I cant beleive its been 5 years. If you want or need to get them out of wherever theyve been stored, you can park them next to the garage at my house until you can retireve them.

I know ducky meant alot to you, so im glad you are getting her back.
_________________
Tilda the Mustard Tigress 1973 Squareback (o'''^'''o)

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=771024&highlight=

[crukab]

The lights look like a Bling thing that someone added, not sure if that would have anything to do with a theater group.
Nice dry looking Bus for the Northeast, are you in New England too ?
A few years back I had a '70 Blue Bay that I flipped, it had the OG plastic card w/ the owners manual, it was sold to a Nursing Home in Portland Oregon, very clean like yours.
_________________
Tom

My Pops:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=604100&highlight=
I know you will always be with me, rest in peace with no more pain. 8/13/14.....

In the yard right now:
'51 Dodge 5 window truck
'65 Bug
'66 Singlecab
'82 Rabbit Truck Diesel from CALI
'86 Doublecab W/T
'91 Vanagon carat/wolfsbrg.Tiico
'88 Dodge Ram pickup
'11 Jetta Wagon

[ImAddicted]

[ImAddicted]

Milla's thread:

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=651349
_________________
1979 Transporter (sold)
KC1MUR

[ImAddicted]

Hmph. Where do I start? The hardest part to a build thread I think is getting it started. I've been posting progress in the "what did you do" thread for a few years, figured I'd stop annoying people there and just get this thread up to date. This will be repetitive with what I've posted in various threads until I get caught up, so feel free to ignore me . I am building this bus with three things in mind: budget, fun while building, and fun afterwards. All those things are extremely selfish points, I DGAF about the desires of whomever gets this when I'm gone, while I feel bad (kinda) for all they will have to undo, this will be built for my wants\needs now, not for them. Flame away

Made many road trips to camp spots over the years when the kids were still in school. At the time it was a series of RAM trucks, dog and kids in the back seat, coolers, cabin tent, and everything else in the bed. NY, MD, VA, FL, but our favorite place to go was Lancaster and York counties in PA. I love my Mopars, I've had several RAMs, a Dakota, YJ, XJ, WJ, ZJ, an Eagle sedan, etc though my favorites have always been aircooled VWs, probably because that is what I grew up with. Around 2005, I decided I needed one in my life and picked of a '68 Beetle, which I turned into an Emory baja 'tribute' (Gary Emory is considered the father of the VW Baja Bug), using this as the guide. All steel, under $2000 to build, loved it until someone loved it more and it got sold. I bought Blueberry to make into a little T1 hotrod. It was fun but didn't really get under my skin:

As you might notice in that last pic, circa 2009, there's a few buses in the background. Those came about after some excursions with a few friends and realizing that I really like Buses more. The main influence being the "party pickle" pulling the Sammie out of the drink that belonged to a buddy of mine, fusername here and on STF. This spot is an old Superfund and current landfill location. I now shudder to think what was in that water .

So I picked up the blue '79 along with a '70 Westy. The Westy is a different tale for another time. The blue bus I bought as a non-runner for $500, the keychain that came with it had a rubber duck with an afro so it got named Aphroducky. It was painted with house paint over spots of 2" thick bondo from a crappy accident repair. I'm not a purist, nor do I really like having a vehicle that can't be used as it is intended because it is too nice, soooooo, I dove in to get the 2.0l FI motor running, the electrics back in shape, and the body respectable. I was moving a nice, happy pace. Funny how life has a way of tossing a wrench into things when you say "nice, happy pace." Within two days I had lunched the transmission in my truck and my son hydrolocked the motor in our shared ZJ. Hammer time!! Whipped the bus into shape quick with a scuff and squirt of TSC paint, got the BFGs off the Party Pickle that was being parted out, and used it as my daily for a year from 2012 to 2013. Parked Ducky in the spring of 2013 to replace the exhaust and a few other things, since I had gotten a new truck. Parked for a few months became a few years . This past summer it needed to be moved from where it was sitting so I dragged it up to my place in Maine to ponder what to do next. Right about the same time the better half and I were returning from the annual family gathering in NY, passing through beautiful, rural VT. She said to me that it would be nice if I could take a break that wasn't a family thing and her and I go for a weekend here and there, and she wouldn't be hurt if that meant crawling through some small New England towns and camping for a few days. She then asked how hard would it be to turn "that ugly yellow thing" into "one of those camper VW things?" Ahhhh .

So, upon returning home I started working on Ducky, fixing new rust spots, cleaning it up, stripping out the interior, going through the suspension, brakes, and fuel system to see what I needed to repair\replace, then this happened:

_________________
1979 Transporter (sold)
KC1MUR

[ImAddicted]

May 8, 2019

The weather up here is finally starting to cooperate. I still have a few snowbanks left but was able to drag Ducky out of the side yard and over to where I can work on him. Sunday was mid-60s and dry, so I alternated between HoneyDo list and working on him. I've amassed just about everything I need to make him roadworthy. I have 5 boxes of stuff on my porch...

Let the fun begin!

Guess running a little rich

And can't breathe...

Then found this

which turned into this so a new one is on order

So reindexed the torsion bars, 11.5" clearance now below the sump and 23* angle on the CVs, should be pretty good for what I want to do. I'll make some skids to be safe.

_________________
1979 Transporter (sold)
KC1MUR

[ImAddicted]

May 14, 2019

More progress yesterday, dash top panel out, sanded, painted, rubber mats pulled. Wiper arms and motor cleaned up, lubed, contacts\terminals refreshed, new washer lines run, gauge bulbs replaced, grounds cleaned up while the dash apart.

Time to replace the fan...

_________________
1979 Transporter (sold)
KC1MUR

[ImAddicted]

Jun 7, 2019

Minor setback. Full pump installed, fired it up and it ran.

Speaking of fire...

A wire going from my VR into the main harness and up to the dash light melted down. Normally, inconvenient, but when the hot, melted insulation drops into a puddle of brake clean, things get a little toasty:(. Fortunately an extinguisher is always close so damage minor, looks to be isolated to the wire, plug, and a few hoses underneath. This weekend I’ll do forensics to make sure that is it, then start repairs.

So the next day I needed an easy win. Out with these:

In with these, got them for free at the town dump, think they are probably out of a domestic conversion van. They are in great shape, fit nicely with only minor fabrication, and sooooooo much more comfortable than 40 year old vinyl over horse hair and coconut mats. (UPDATE: These were pulled, my legs are too short )

Aug 15, 2019

Back at it. Spent last weekend rebuilding the rear brakes and axles, today put in a new MC. Need to get some bubble flare lines to finish hooking it up, then it will both run and stop. Had jetfxr69 from NH make the trip over this morning to deliver the MC, help out, and just hang out. Good times and got me motivated to push this to the end. Body and paint this weekend (hopefully), goal to be on the road before Halloween!

I ended up rebuilding the back brakes the next day and did the CVs while in there.

Think they were a little hosed...

Burned my clothes when done, what a f***ing nasty ass job that was.
_________________
1979 Transporter (sold)
KC1MUR

[ImAddicted]

Sep 15, 2019

The weather has been unfriendly this summer, and between work and VEMS stuff, I haven’t gotten much done. I have a friend having a pig roast and camp out over in NH next month so time for a big push. I can do a lot of things in the wet and cold, paint ain’t one of them. This week is supposed to be a small window of nice warm and dry so today I got it primed. Tomorrow will touch up a few runs, Tuesday color, then Weds glass back in so can get cranking in the interior, get the lights wired up out front, the winch mounted, rack finished, get insurance, and tags

This thing is going to get used and used hard. I don't want to stress about any trail damage so yeh, the body isn't perfect, which is just how I like it

Sep 21, 2019

Got up this morning to a LOVELY day. Was 70 by the time I finished dump run at 9:30, dew burned off, and clear skies.
Today, today was color day. The leaves were falling and the bugs were out, both pissed me off even though expected them. Whatever, shot color. Finally all one shade, looks ok from 20 feet (ok, 20 yards...), and if it gets scratched or dinged, IDGAF. The body has more than one old battle scar, not be bothered to cut out and put in new metal just to bang it up again. This has been from day one planned to be USED not garaged, trailered, or stared at as art. Nope. It’s a vehicle and vehicle it will, that means going in harms way and I don’t have the energy to worry about dents, dings, and branch pinstripes:). All that being said, for being shot in my driveway, in Maine, in September, with a cheap HF gun and ancient pancake compressor, I’m satisfied. Disregard the windshield, it’s cracked and junk so I set it in so save masking time:)

Then windows back in, not that bad of a job but haven't done the windshield yet. Used WW seals, not disappointed.

_________________
1979 Transporter (sold)
KC1MUR

[ImAddicted]

Mounted bumpers, lenses, got my off road lights bolted on (not wired up yet), think the old school style fits this build, winch mounted, and some other small bits put in before my belly started insisting dinner.

Sep 29, 2019

Been a pretty productive weekend for a work weekend. The weather was pretty decent so I hammered out a lot of the honey-do yard list plus got some time to do a few things on this project.

Yesterday was mostly trimming trees so they don’t come down on the roof when snow hits and making one last mower pass on the yard. Since I was productive with house stuff, I took a few to install 3-point retractable (stock VW belts are non-retractable and hell, 40 years old)

Today I was on call so picked projects that would be easy to leave for a few hours.
Dug into the long forgotten memories of middle school home ec. classes and made curtains today. Didn’t take as long as I thought it would, pleased with the results for $7.00 + tax (I gotta move back to NH...) and a few hours worth of my Sunday.

_________________
1979 Transporter (sold)
KC1MUR

[ImAddicted]

Oct 6, 2019
Add bookmark
#20
Was near a Home Depot this week (closest is about an hour away) and made a run through to get stuff for the interior. Had today kinda off so dove in. Created an extended platform to bring the deck out from 36” to 6’. We are both 5’3” so this should be a good “lay down” length. It gives me about 22 cu ft of storage under there. Then built up a sideboard. This covers the old spare tire well and will be where the electrics will run and possibly a 5kw diesel heater. Not sure how much cold weather camping we will do but VWs aren’t known for killer heat so might go that route just cuz...Cut and fit the carpeting in the back. Once I get the wiring run I’ll tack it down on the sideboard. Built a small kitchen shelf unit. My jig saw died so couldn’t cut hole for sink or do the plumbing. Yes, that’s a microwave...I’ll probably poly the wood that isn’t covered by carpet. I have my isolator kit and fuse panel, gotta pick up house battery so can wire it up. Looking at a 100w solar set up, might be the next purchase.

Oct 13, 2019

Yesterday was a crap day, never broke 40F, rained all day, a few flurries as it got dark. NOT READY FOR WINTER! Grrr. Today - as we know Mother Nature is bipolar - it hit almost 70, was overcast but dry. Windshield still hasn't arrived, ran to the hardware store (~30 miles away) and on the way back, hit a detour for a road race. This is rural Maine, when they say "ya caint get theyuh from heyuh," they mean it. What should have been a 90 minute jaunt ended up a little over 4 hours, the "detour" took me miles in the opposite direction before hitting a road I could use to get back home. Fun times. That left me with less time than I had hoped for the day, but I did get something accomplished. I had started the rack in the spring, then abandoned it to finish up more pressing things. Today, it got its place in the sun (clouds?). I deliberately left the center open to discourage my automatic tendency to over-pack, over-load everything. Figured if I limited my space, I might be more mindful of what I bring along (says the guy with a microwave in the cabin...).

Nov 11, 2019

No garage so tucked it away on the side yard until spring comes.

_________________
1979 Transporter (sold)
KC1MUR

[ImAddicted]

Apr 13, 2020

Spring has sorta come in Maine. We had 8" of snow on Wednesday, 55F yesterday. Mother Nature I think is off her meds. My primary job is still open for business and I volunteer nights as an EMT so despite the pandemic (and thanks to the weather), I hadn't gotten anything done other than move it back to the driveway. Did get my ham Tech license in Feb, now studying for General. Had a little time yesterday and the weather held for a few hours. $0.29 feabay LEDs “daytime running lights” make decent perimeter lighting, especially for the cost Smile . Not really stealth but I think inconspicuous enough that won’t detract too much visually when turned off. Still planning on a few flood lights on the corners for after dark excursions with more white light and better reach. Think these little ones will do ok for camp lighting. Have on both sides, wired to be able to be switched on side or side or both. Supposed to pour all week, got my projects all in a list so can knock stuff off as time and weather permit.

Apr 19, 2020

Yesterday snow, today almost 55F, Mother Nature needs to change her meds . I took advantage of the nice weather since I had the middle of the day off and got some work done.

Mounted inverter, some outlets from house battery, switches for interior lighting, and switch/outlet for shore power. Mounted auxiliary fuse panel on the backside of that panel and ran feed back to engine bay. Waiting for a new multimeter/dwell tach so I can dive into getting the house wired up in earnest. Cut n storage doors with magnetic latches. ,made a sink out of a chaffing dish, and put down carpet up front.

Saturday at 6:02 PM

Knocked a few more things out today, nothing seems to go as quickly as I think they will . Sink pump mounted and wired up, pedestals carpeted, radios installed (2m, CB), made a table out of a discarded laptop table, finished a bunch of wire runs, installed isolator, kitchen light, cupholders, poly'd the wood, put stock seats back in, and finished curtains.

There. I'm caught up

Ok, up to date.
_________________
1979 Transporter (sold)
KC1MUR

[Jetfxr69]

Nice chronicle. Next get the damn thing on the road and bring me some beer!
_________________
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

[ImAddicted]

[ImAddicted]

So decided I’d give rebuilding a go, ordered up kits for both and new hardware, bleeders, and rotors. If I don’t have luck pulling the snapped bleeder, I can always go rebuilt and only be out a few bucks for the kits. Should be here in time for weekend:)
_________________
1979 Transporter (sold)
KC1MUR

[ImAddicted]

God, I HATE brake work. Not sure if it is the smell and texture brake fluid or the grime or the rust or danger if you f*** up or all of it combined, but next to packing CVs, brakes are my least favorite task. But, they had to be done so that was today’s project. It went smoothly outside of one issue and one stupid (easily fixed) fub up. Got the calipers rebuilt And painted with minimal fuss, pads loaded, new hard and soft lines installed.

Hmmm, what’s wrong with this pic? My stupid mistake. Could not understand why the pins just wouldn’t line up...

Much better..

This was the downer. I’ve had the rotors sitting unopened on my porch for over a year, first time opening. Vanagon ones, not late bay, grrrrrrrr. New ones ordered, these already sold so only loss is time. I put the old junk rotors on for now cuz need the jack stands for another project, bus ain’t going anywhere anyway.

Pulled the right front tire off the rim to clean up the bead seat, had a slow leak. Glad I kept those spoons around, mounting a tire old school saved having to wait a month or more to get the job done.

I haven’t gotten my house battery yet but wanted to try out things I put on that circuit so a grabbed my ham power supply and hooked it up temporarily. I’m pleased with the results.
Power supply

Perimeter lighting now on house circuit

Floor lights

Kitchen light

Think this is gonna work out nicely.

Tomorrow adjust and bleed, assemble dash, and...?
_________________
1979 Transporter (sold)
KC1MUR

[Jetfxr69]

Tomorrow adjust and bleed, assemble dash, and...?


Sit in it and make cool engine sounds like when you were a kid driving an old cardboard box around the living room. Maybe even get froggy and beep the horn once or twice. Beep-beep.
_________________
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

[ImAddicted]

Ha! I did sit up front and leaned over the wheel no horn cuz battery not connect while I wait for the rest of my isolator bits. Should have been this weekend but they sent 6ga lugs when I ordered 4GA . Did get the brakes bleed, adjusted, and parking brake adjusted. The brake job we started last summer is done I should feel happy about it but I hate brake work so much, I’m just bleh, it’s done.

Got the dash back together, some 12v outlets hooked up, cell mount, second extinguisher mounted (one behind seat, one front of bed), bed reinforced as there was one spot That’s was flexing. Kick panels in, auxiliary backup light wired up, and the old cassette AM/FM back in, just in case want to listen to radio. Waiting delivery of some exhaust parts and some interior stuff, hopefully by Friday so end of week can get a muffler on it and start tuning it up.

Yes, my dash is filthy. Gotta hunt down Ray’s posts on what best to use to clean and protect.

The cell mount I’m using for my old phone for music (have a JBL Charge Bluetooth speaker, still gotta figures place for that) and backup camera viewer. I’ve got an old router that I’m converting to 12v, will mount another old iPhone in back window running WebCam+. Been testing it in the house and works, I know Chinese backup cam systems are cheap, but this was for fun.

_________________
1979 Transporter (sold)
KC1MUR

[ImAddicted]

Beautiful day today. I should have mowed the lawn but that’s what saturdays are for, right? I took a PTO day and got some stuff done. My Renology fuses and 4GA lugs came yesterday so finished up he isolator system (except trigger wiring, still deciding if will have it trigger off alternator or manually switched). Made a headbanger out of more old barn board. Unfortunately realized my brush was junk so putting a bunch of coats of poly on it will have to wait. I did get muffler replaced, has to sound better than the old blown out glass pack. Will find out tomorrow when battery is charged.

Converted over a unused router to 12v, hung an old iPhone 5se off the headbanger With a dual USB port, put an even older 4s up on the dash, both loaded with WebCam+. So, for $3.99 and some junk laying around I have a backup camera system running over local WiFi. Image quality is decent and no noticeable lag. I’m pleased. Next test will be how well it works at night. I’m planning on adding some more LEDs out back so hoping not too bad.

Put a few new stickers on

Then climbed inside with an iced coffee and watched The Bus Movie

_________________
1979 Transporter (sold)
KC1MUR