64 Kombi restoration (Formerly know as the "partial restore”)

[western auto]

took my seals 6 months before they would open without slapping the window to death, and adjusting them with credit card after closing.....

[sgellis]

Vent window latch in place. I suspected some paint chips but went great. The aluminum rivets flatten out quite easily. I used pop rivets for the vent latch plates. I looked at the steel rivets and where they needed to go and decided it was not going to end well... Pop rivets worked fine.

Wired up the 70 amp alternator that came on the bus. I was planning to get a generator but maybe not with it being a camper. Did notice it will not charge until I rev the engine even though my idle is quite high. Once it starts charging it continues to charge at idle.

Replaced the spring in the engine lid latch. Was planning to get another latch but forgot. Actually works.

_________________
My 64 Kombi restoration
My camper interior build
My 54 standard restoration
The Nova Scotian Barndoor (YouTube)
The Nova Scotian Barndoor (CAD drawings)

[Eric&Barb]

[Joey]

Your bus is going together fast! Those side pop out seals are a pain. Copious amounts of talcum/baby powder works for a while. I'm surprised I haven't broke any of my glass yet while trying to open them.

I was going to head to Dieppe N.B. for the MVOC show on Saturday but maybe I'll head to Yarmouth instead...
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Joey

‘60 Kombi - '74 Bus - '79 Panel - '65 Beetle

[sgellis]

[sgellis]

Getting down to the line. Needs to be complete by Thursday evening… well Friday at 9:00am… no later than Friday at 4:30pm. 7:00am Saturday is the absolute latest… Haha

Front bumper and emblem should be painted tomorrow night. Parcel tray and fresh air vent parts should be painted Wednesday night. Not running a back bumper this year.

Remainder of the pop outs should go in tonight. Need to modify my vent window jig. I hadn’t planed on how much force it would take to press them in. First one is almost set. Hopefully I can get one or both vent windows done tonight

I forgot to order the door frame to door seals so $50 shipping later… They should be here Wednesday. If they don’t show up I have some 1/8” rubber sheet that I can use to get by.

Should pull the engine to replace the throwout bearing and put the good clips on. Last year I had some trouble getting the crappy clips to stay and don’t really trust them.

Still have the signal lights and dash lights to hook up. The flasher and emergency relay are both 6v even though the bus was running 12v. Will likely find a 12v 3-pin flasher and forget about the emergency lights for now. I need to run a proper wire from the alternator to the starter.

Would like to get the hubcaps on. Picked up #6 x3/8 flat head machine screws to attach the clips. Maybe I will swap them out for rivets sometime but I don’t have the tool now. I didn’t get the hubcaps painted but they won’t look bad chrome with the dove blue.

Still have some of the cargo door seals to glue on but that is not critical. Don’t have the rubbers for the passenger seat to set on so will wrap some rubber around the seat frame for now. Need to cut some floor mats to fit the front. Just going to throw a blanket on the cargo floor for now

Hopping Thursday evening to clean the dust and greasy fingerprints off it.

And I need to call the insurance and up the value. I have no idea what to put on it. It is not like I can just go buy an identical bus.

That’s a big list. Think I feel the bus flue coming on…
_________________
My 64 Kombi restoration
My camper interior build
My 54 standard restoration
The Nova Scotian Barndoor (YouTube)
The Nova Scotian Barndoor (CAD drawings)

[crofty]

[khalimadeath]

For the hubcap rivets, all I did is make a dimple in the bottom of a bolt, set the head of the bolt on the ground, place the head of the rivet in the dimple. Then lay the when across that with the clip in place. Once it was all lined up I just hammed the rivet. Went pretty quick.
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1970 Bus Westfalia
1964 Kombi

[sgellis]

One vent window done and installed. They are a lot of work. Actually I still have to trim behind the swoosh.

Jig is a bit crude but worked well after a few mods. Takes a lot of pressure to push them in.

I suggest trimming 1/8" away around the latch area first and then a fine trim after. I had one spot suck in when I trimmed it. On the inside so not a problem.

All the pop outs are in. They are also a lot of work.

_________________
My 64 Kombi restoration
My camper interior build
My 54 standard restoration
The Nova Scotian Barndoor (YouTube)
The Nova Scotian Barndoor (CAD drawings)

[sgellis]

Overspray cleaned of the rims and hubcaps on.

Took it for a little run today. New carb works great. I didn't get around to rebuilding it so just stuck it on and it started and run perfectly.

Bumper parts and emblem painted. Should get them on tomorrow night. Excited to see how it looks with them on.

_________________
My 64 Kombi restoration
My camper interior build
My 54 standard restoration
The Nova Scotian Barndoor (YouTube)
The Nova Scotian Barndoor (CAD drawings)

[earlywesty]

[BarryL]

In a way I'm jealous. The pictures make me want to break out my gun and do a bunch of spraying. You deserve the gloss you're getting after all the hard prep.

Two questions: How do you keep the overspray mist in the air off your camera and how did you place the plastic and huge slats over the inside of the huge barn?

[Burlyhammer]

Wow. You are flying right through this bus. It is amazing what you are accomplishing in such a short time! Awesome!

[sgellis]

Bumper on.

Had some trouble getting the end the correct height. Drivers side is still a little high though it doesn't really show. At some point I will have to remove the bumper and slot the bracket some.

Emblem clips would only work on the pins I replaced. I left them a little long. I think the seals are a little thick and the clips seem really deep. I glued the others from the inside with sealer.

Replaced the throwout bearing and clips. Took a bit to find a trick to getting them on. New clips are very stiff.

And painted the last parts.

_________________
My 64 Kombi restoration
My camper interior build
My 54 standard restoration
The Nova Scotian Barndoor (YouTube)
The Nova Scotian Barndoor (CAD drawings)

[sgellis]

Many colorful and slightly offensive words were heard coming from the shop this lovely evening.

That's a problem for another day. On the plus side I am getting the hang of pressing them in and I am quite sure I won't forget next time.

_________________
My 64 Kombi restoration
My camper interior build
My 54 standard restoration
The Nova Scotian Barndoor (YouTube)
The Nova Scotian Barndoor (CAD drawings)

[azbob]

Ouch! I about did that about a month ago!
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Bus Builder

[sgellis]

List for tonight...

Hook up signal lights. Forgetting about emergency flasher for now.

Install parcel tray

Install speedo cable. Looks like fun getting it routed through front.

Install draglink end

Wire fuel gage and speedo lights including oil light.

Clean and install passenger seat

Install good alternator wire

Install door to window frame seals. They are supposed to be delivered today.

Glue lower door seals. I should get the remainder of the cargo door seals on also. It is not forecasting rain for the weekend so no big deal if I don’t get to it.

Install temporary air filter. I made a couple attempts to buy an elbow but sellers never got back to me. I have a bay elbow that I will tape a paper air filter to the end. Think I will leave the engine lid closed for the show this year. Haha

New bolts in apron. Put tape over gap from apron to tin. The seal I got is much to big to go in the channel and wrong shape. I should have looked at it closer when it arrived. I will get one like I got before that was smaller where it went in the channel.

Install fresh air cover. Flaps will wait for another day.

Make floor mat for the front. Some day I will get a correct mat.

Fill with gas. I forgot to bring a gas can to work today. I should have enough home to get to a station.

List still seams quite long. Maybe I will sneek out of work early

Looks like tomorrow morning for a quick cleaning.

I had a wow moment last night while standing back and admiring it. I never expected this when I started 2 years ago. it was just supposed to be fix steel, rebuild mechanicals and make it good enough to drive.

I love working on this thing but a break from the shop will be nice Maybe next year it wont be such a rush to get ready for the show. haha
_________________
My 64 Kombi restoration
My camper interior build
My 54 standard restoration
The Nova Scotian Barndoor (YouTube)
The Nova Scotian Barndoor (CAD drawings)

[western auto]

vw 5 wire fog light relay from napa with 2 87b outlet terminals works awesome for hazards, just need to add a ground to chassis on terminal 85 or 86

[sgellis]

Almost everything on the list done. Forgot to glue the door seals and put gas in it. Oil light doesn't work and headlight high low is reversed in the fuse block. Rods in the cargo door rattle alot.

I will put some gas in it and do a quick clean inside in the morning then heading for a run
_________________
My 64 Kombi restoration
My camper interior build
My 54 standard restoration
The Nova Scotian Barndoor (YouTube)
The Nova Scotian Barndoor (CAD drawings)

[Eric&Barb]

Get the oil light working before you run the engine anymore!
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In Stereo, Where Available!