1965 SO42 Westy

[Clara]

Nice!

[ryans65]

looking good!

Did KCW site crash again?

[Z]

Looking really good! Can’t wait to see what’s next.

[Squilly]

Thank you all!

[Squilly]

Got the pop-top installed today! Those hinges are a pain in the butt to rebuild if any of the original hardware is missing... I spent way too much time at the hardware store matching stuff and trying to think of how I could make it all work “better than new”. I’m pretty happy with the final result. Slides on the rails smooth and the fiberglass top looks awesome!

[Franz]

If you were more careful not to lose hardware/parts you wouldn't have to spend all day at the hardware store.

I mean I know its hard to clean up after yourself, organize and put thing away when you are done.

Maybe we can move your mother into the shop to handle this for you?

[Squilly]

Ya know, some sort of maid service to follow me around and help me keep parts and tools organized would probably be pretty helpful 😉

[Z]

Lol, they’re riding you all the way into the T.S. forums.

Seriously, you’re gonna need an outdoor shower to camp in that bus, cuz it’s gonna be too nice!

[LAGrunthaner]

Super nice work! I'm learning from you
_________________
American Red Cross Safe And Well:
https://www.redcross.org/about-us/news-and-events/...bsite.html
Maui Roadsters
www.mauiroadsters.com
http://www.oacdp.org

[srfndoc]

Just replaced my canvas a few months back. Its definitely not something you want to do all the time but very satisfying once complete. When you get to the grey trim around the opening use a hair dryer to heat up the corners, makes it much easier. Just a heads up, Helmut out of the Czech Republic does a really nice poptop canvas including white screens.

Your going to need to buy another one as this one will be too nice to camp in.
_________________
RPM=(MPH*336* (R&P*4th*1.26))/Tire Diameter in inches

[der58SC]

[Squilly]

I’m not putting in all of this work to not use it!

I think the benefit of doing all the work myself is that I’ll k ow how to fix whatever I mess up when I’m out camping!

[gmoss]

This has come so far! Keep pushing you're getting close

[Squilly]

Well, I know I said I was going to keep this thread updated more regularly, but literally the next day after I said that I was polishing the last edge of my taillight trim ring and it got caught in the buffing wheel and shot back out into my face.
I ended up getting hit pretty hard in my right eye and forehead and had to go to the ER. Of course it was the ONE TIME I didn't have glasses on, but no one ever plans to get hurt so it shows just how important it is to wear them all the time...Probably one of the scariest things thats ever happened to me as I couldn't see anything out of it for more than an hour.

SO I ended up with 7 stitches and some blood pooling inside my eye, which slowed me down for a few days, and then later had to have my retina laser treated to keep repair where it was torn...

I tried working on simple things like hooking up turn signals and stuff but my depth perception was all messed up and I kept missing the terminals! So I just sorta hung out and made a game plan for when I could see well enough to keep going, and cleaned up all of my original Kmax and Dorn hardware.

We ended up finding the trim ring later. I couldn't believe how mangled up it was considering how hard they are to bend by hand. Holding on to it as a token for sure...

About a week later I more or less had my sight back and it seems like its back to normal now, but I got very, very lucky that it wasn't worse, so let me be a reminder to always be wearing eye protection!


After a few days off I got back to it by finishing work on my front beam and painting all my front suspension components. I added Wagenswest adjusters to the beam in the stock height area and notched down, so I'll be able to turn the springs to get a little lift out of the nose. I call it the speedboat look, stern down bow up! 🚤

I stuck the leaf springs back in it, torsion arms back on, and rebuilt my spindles. None of my wheel cylinders or brake shoes had any issues, so I cleaned them all up really well and stuck them back on the backing plate and then moved on to the transmission.

I had my transmission redone by Eddie at Painters with a 3.44 with an .89 so I can cruise for long distances at a super comfy RPM. I got all new bearings and seals and such for my reduction boxes and stacked it all together.

The seamless boots are tricky to get on! I know lots of people have different methods and I started out trying the two screwdriver method and pulling it over, but with my luck lately I decided that I'd probably stab myself and opted for something else.

I got them on by sticking each one in the microwave for 4 seconds, turning them inside out, lubricating the trumpeted end with glass cleaner, and then pulling them over by hand and working them around the edge slowly. Its a huge pain in the butt but pretty rewarding once its finished, and they should last longer!

The situation with the rear brake parts was the same as the front.

So I put the shift rod back in, bent up the long brake line, put the beam in, and then the rear torsion springs. I got new rubber donuts for them and man to you have to wrestle in the plates and the covers. Took a lot longer than I anticipated. Once they were in I put the transmission mount studs back in the bus and the transmission went in super easily. The lift definitely helps...

Then I put my front beam in, turned the drums, and put them on as well.

I'm now working on getting the rest of my brake lines bent and looking nice and getting the pedal arms and pedals all ready to, and installing cables. I thoroughly cleaned out all of the cable guide tubes with an old throttle cable with a hooked end so you can take an old piece of shop rag, soak it with brake cleaner, and pull it through.

Hopefully I'll have a roller this afternoon and can start on my engine or putting windows or doors on next!!!

[srfndoc]

Glad your ok (and lucky). Bus is looking great, can't wait to see it in person at one of the great campouts.
_________________
RPM=(MPH*336* (R&P*4th*1.26))/Tire Diameter in inches

[Z]

Wow. Glad it wasn’t worse. Safety glasses are often a pita, but...

Bus is looking great!

[obus]

yikes. Glad you are alright. keep up the good work.
_________________
July 1959 Mango Standard Bus aka Obus L346 L347 https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=256592&highlight=
June 1973 Pumpkin Orange Thing aka Othing L30H
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=711775&highlight=
1960 Paprika Red Karmann Ghia Convertible aka Schatze L452 built 5/20/60
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...highlight=
66 21 window bus built 8/31/65 https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=777273

[LAGrunthaner]

Will, I am glad your eye will be OK. VW battle scar a reminder of your hard work. Is your major at college mechanical engineering?

Your work is amazing you are an encouragement to all of us. Keep up the great work. Like the logo says in my other car club "Safety Fast".
_________________
American Red Cross Safe And Well:
https://www.redcross.org/about-us/news-and-events/...bsite.html
Maui Roadsters
www.mauiroadsters.com
http://www.oacdp.org

[Squilly]

[western auto]

interested in knowing how you end up liking the 3.44 /089 trans, I built the same trans thinking the cruising rpm would be sweet , I found that 4th is way too tall makes cruising at 60 difficult and power to hit 75+ also difficult and scary , im running a healthy 1776 w 40's im thinking combo might work ok w a 2276 with a low end torque cam