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Picked up a 78 Westy
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championbaum
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PostPosted: Tue Oct 31, 2017 5:37 pm    Post subject: Re: Picked up a 78 Westy Reply with quote

Did I imagine it or are some of you guys finding wood veneer panels to redo yall’s cabinets at Home Depot or Lowe’s? I went to both today and the selection was very limited. Nothing remotely close to what the original looks like, and nothing that looked decent either. I’m in no rush but most of the veneer panels now are chipped or broken and have huge missing pieces so I’d like to redo it at some point. I do not mind deviating from the stock look, I’d really like a little lighter color to brighten things up a bit if I can find something I like.
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championbaum
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PostPosted: Tue Oct 31, 2017 6:44 pm    Post subject: Re: Picked up a 78 Westy Reply with quote

wcfvw69 wrote:
championbaum wrote:
So I am looking into doing the torsion bar reindex, my question is, should I be taking the angle with the the weight of the vehicle on the suspension or free and hanging? I went through a few write ups, but for whatever reason I can't see all the images so I am trying to imagine it.


https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=399837&highlight=torsion+bar

This thread covers it well. You want your bus to be level front to back and side to side with it up on four jack stands. When you disconnect the torsion plate, you lift it off the ledge with a jack. It's under a lot of tension so be careful. When you pull it off the ledge and lower it so it's not under tension, measure the angle. Again, the bus needs to be level front to back and side to side.



Damn your bus is amazing. I’m starting to work on my rust now. Those back panels where the batteries sit are looking pretty bad in mine. I got some naval jelly and a few rust converters to get into that area, but I think it would be easiest to drop the engine to get to some of the tight spots. We cut out a few spots and patched them up but it’s gonna take a while to get to everything. Mine is running well now so I really don’t want to drop it honestly. I haven’t worked on anything like this in about ten years so I’m pretty excited and a bit nervous at the amount of work I’m going to have to put in this. Anyways, awesome work man, mine will come no where near what you are capable of.
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championbaum
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 14, 2017 9:01 am    Post subject: Re: Picked up a 78 Westy Reply with quote

Eyo just a few update pics and info. I have the bus in a family member's shop about a half hour away so the rust work is taking a bit longer than expected, not to mention it was worse than I expected. Plus $$$...

I have since removed all the windows to get at rust under the seals since these pics were taken. I also broke the windshield getting it out because it was glued in place so I had to be super rough. The other windows came out pretty easy. I am glad I did because everything is just surface rust at the moment but the paint and primer are gone.

I have been refinishing the cabinets on the interior in my garage at home, which because they are more accessible i have admittedly been working on more often.


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Some of the rust is worse than I hoped, example above. But this is one of the few spots besides around the tail lights that I will have to weld patches.


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Under the spare was pretty pitted but nothing completely through. Also the windshield is not only removed now, it is also broken into several pieces for good measure...


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All the windows have since been removed because the more rust I remove, the more I am finding.

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Here is the mostly refinished cabinets. My wife is an interior designer so I gave up on finding veneer or laminate myself and she hooked me up. The theme was her Idea and although its not stock I really like it. She gets the sheets pretty cheap so I may try to use the same theme on the door panels and headboard up front. I have the lid pretty much done, as well as the mounting boards for the lid over the sink, but I am waiting for some of the T trim to come in.

I am leaning towards not setting up the faucet, I don't know if I would use it. I may just have the sink and drain set up and cap or cover the faucet holes somehow. Or set it up just to connect to city water or something.


Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


I still need to refinish the rear seat and all the panels on the walls, I am hoping I will be able to do most of it with scraps from the cabinets so everything matches.

A few questions for you guys;

I am getting rid of all the fiberglass insulation, will the sound dampening insulation also provide thermal insulation or should I layer sound deadening and another insulation on top? I do not want to use fiberglass though, just so when I have to work on anything in the future I don't get all itchy witchy. This is mostly going to get fair weather use, but since everything is being taken out I might as well try to do it right the first time so I don't have to backtrack.

Have you guys found any creative solutions to replacing the curtain rods that looks ok? The curtain rods specific to these online seem pretty expensive...

I am buying replacement seals for everything slowly. Are there seals that go under side mirrors? I haven't seen anything online.

Edit: Still have not find a seal for between the body and mirror, i am going to just make them out of gasket material so I don't scratch the paint.

For those of you that have the original water faucet set up, is having the water tank under the cabinet inconvenient?

The front signal housing on mine is glued in place, should there be rivets or screws there? If rivets what size?

Edit: Should be rivets, probable could use small screws as well. I just use rivets and replace the seals.

Is sound deadening insulation also thermal insulation?

Edit: some claims to be, I will try something like this unless I find something on this sight from a sponsored vendor. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016QUS1YE/ref=o...ZPZ4QHXNRF


I will search later on and try to find some of the answers to my trivial questions. If any of you all are bored and want to chime in I would greatly appreciated!


Last edited by championbaum on Fri Dec 15, 2017 9:10 am; edited 2 times in total
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MorkC68
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 14, 2017 1:10 pm    Post subject: Re: Picked up a 78 Westy Reply with quote

The re facia'd units look really nice, good luck with progress fella Smile
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championbaum
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 14, 2017 2:04 pm    Post subject: Re: Picked up a 78 Westy Reply with quote

MorkC68 wrote:
The re facia'd units look really nice, good luck with progress fella Smile


Thanks, I think it will look pretty slick once everything is reinstalled. It will be a while though considering there is a bit of interior rust work and I am going to rewire a few things before hand. Hopefully we will have it on the road again by July. At least that is the plan.
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 05, 2018 9:49 am    Post subject: Re: Picked up a 78 Westy Reply with quote

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


So I am in the process of rewiring the RV battery, but have learned all the switches on the above panel are fried. I hooked up the battery and got quite a fright.

A few questions:

Has anyone had luck finding similar switches or an entire panel to replace the existing one with (part of my problem is the fuse at the bottom of the panel is faulty, and current is jumping across it).

I am replacing everything from the panel back, the wiring diagrams I have don't cover the camper wiring well. PO wired a stereo into this panel as well, which also caused issues as where it was spliced in was making contact with the body. I traced the wires back, but I am not seeing a relay to protect the starting battery. Should there be an original relay?

Also, with the batteries being connected in parallel without a relay, where else should I look for possible issues as a result of this existing short in you all's opinions? I am going to go ahead and pull the engine to replace lines from the gas tank and get into the wiring easier in a few weeks.

Are you guys just abandoning the original camper electrical components for more modern stuff? I liked the look of the panel and planned on reusing it but I may just get a new inverter and wire it in somewhere. Opinions?

Edit: useful link https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...p;start=40
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championbaum
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 03, 2018 5:16 pm    Post subject: Re: Picked up a 78 Westy Reply with quote

Well I haven't documented the best, but the interior is still dismantled at the moment while I am rewiring the RV battery portion of the bus. We replaced the broken windshield and all the window seals, banged out dents, patched holes and treated rust. There is still some in the engine compartment I will tackle next when I get to it, all in the battery trays. Still need to replace some of the signal/light housings, and the tent, but paint is done.


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Before pic

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Will be putting in the seals on the top tomorrow along with a few other things. Haven't started it in about 5 months so wish me luck my dudes. Going to drive it to my friends garage a bit closer to my house (if all goes well, if not I will just trailer it) to tackle the rust on the underside a bit more thoroughly and a few other odds and ends. I have had new shocks, cv boots and various things like that I have not yet addressed, but have parts sitting by. Should have already done all that but it has been about an hour drive from me so I didn't make it over to work on it as often as I should have. Hoping to get back to doing one thing per day and have it ready for a July trip to northern New Mexico. We will see...

Edit: just wanted to say all the windows popped out and in a bit easier than I thought they would, getting the seals on the glass was the hardest part, but if anyone has been procrastinating on replacing seals, go for it with the help of a friend. Me and a buddy replaced all the window seals in under 2-3 hours, and I am far from an expert. Just thought I would mention that, I read a few horror stories that had me worried.
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 03, 2018 7:22 pm    Post subject: Re: Picked up a 78 Westy Reply with quote

My buddy and I did my window seals pretty easily too. Just need string, soapy water, and a friend. We broke the front windshield, but it already had cracks, so it never stood a chance.
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 04, 2018 7:26 am    Post subject: Re: Picked up a 78 Westy Reply with quote

We did break the windshield removing it for paint, but it had been glued in so that was a bit of a problem...
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Abscate Premium Member
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 04, 2018 7:44 am    Post subject: Re: Picked up a 78 Westy Reply with quote

I love that white on 'gunmetal' colour - what is it exactly?
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 04, 2018 4:50 pm    Post subject: Re: Picked up a 78 Westy Reply with quote

Abscate wrote:
I love that white on 'gunmetal' colour - what is it exactly?


I can't remember off the top of my head, but I will post the code/name tomorrow or the next day, I am trying to make it back over to the garage tomorrow and get it rolling, so I will write it down. The sample looked a bit more greyish, but the paint came out a bit greener than expected, no worries though I still dig it.
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PostPosted: Fri Apr 06, 2018 6:48 pm    Post subject: Re: Picked up a 78 Westy Reply with quote

Here is that paint code

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Bummer, I couldn't get the bus idling today. It has been sitting a while so I drained the fuel and put some fresh gas in, no bueno. I kept it running for a few minutes to hopefully get the old fuel out of the system, still no bueno.

Seems like maybe a vacuum leak somewhere now that I have had time to think about it, maybe I knocked something loose moving batteries in and out or goofing with wiring, or there is a crack in one of the hoses I missed. Plan to go back Monday and try again.


It fired up every time so that is good.

Any other thoughts on what i should check on a bus that has been sitting about 4-5 months? Ran well before, any input would be appreciated.

Edit: Its got the EFI fyi, no carbs.
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PostPosted: Fri Apr 06, 2018 9:04 pm    Post subject: Re: Picked up a 78 Westy Reply with quote

Agree, slick color, looks nice.
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 09, 2018 8:20 pm    Post subject: Re: Picked up a 78 Westy Reply with quote

Well got it running and cruised all afternoon, ran great after I figured out my issues. Turns out I had 4 things causing me problems, a cracked hose (the one near the distributor, I believe the brake booster hose),the oil breather to the intake boot was just kind of floating completely disconnected, the hose before my fuel pump (after filter) was cracked and slightly dripping,and more than anything I think the gas had sat too long. I drained the gas again more thoroughly, flushed several times with gas,and refilled, used UV resin to seal the brake booster hose until I get a new one, replaced the short segment of cracked fuel line, and all was well. A bit worried about the cracked fuel line, I had very recently replaced all the rubber, I am going to look over everything thoroughly...

Why would the break booster hose being cracked cause issues with idling? Just to make sure I wasn't crazy I disconnected it and it sure enough would die. Pardon my ignorance, trying to get a better understanding. I will search the site in a bit and post an edit with the answer if anyone is curious in the future.

Anyways, a buddy and me started gong through some of the wiring issues and the signal relay vibrates and buzzes when the signal or hazards are turned on. That is not normal right.... I will test it, but probably should just replace it.

Edit: Good info on the break booster vacuum hose I was looking for.

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=129400

Good to know if I am ever in a pickle and the booster/vacuum hose ever has a leak, I can just disconnect and plug things up and limp somewhere for repairs.
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 09, 2018 9:31 pm    Post subject: Re: Picked up a 78 Westy Reply with quote

I agree. That grey/green is beautiful. Your bus looks great.

Good job figuring out your vacuum issue.
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 10, 2018 6:57 pm    Post subject: Re: Picked up a 78 Westy Reply with quote

You peeps with campers, I pulled the floor up today to work on some rust, I was surprised to see there is no insulation under it. Are you guys putting insulation under your subfloors? I would like to, but should I just cut strips and lay them in the low lying sections so it doesn't lift things up too much for the cabinet reinstallation? I think there is probably some wiggle room but just wondering how you guys are setting things up...

Edit: Went through forum posts on insulation, and wow what a contriversial topic. I think I will do sound deadening in the engine compartment, inside front doors, maybe over front and rear wheel wells and a few patches around the the body but I am intending to keep it minimal. Then thermal insulation behind the cabinets, above headboard, and id really like some under the floor because we will be camping in this, but I don't want to spray adhesive everywhere, so I may cut strips of something to lay under the subfloor and just have the weight of the floor keep it in place, but still not sure what that will be yet...
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 12, 2018 9:06 am    Post subject: Re: Picked up a 78 Westy Reply with quote

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Here is a pic of an area of rust that is confusing me a bit. It is where the seat lap belts attach on the wheel wells. I was planning on cutting the whole piece out, and trying to salvage the block that is attached underneath. A friend stopped by to help me do a few things, and he was saying its not rust it is like some reinforcement for the seat belt sandwiched between and the rust was on the surface and I could prob just weld a patch on top.

What do you guys think? Looks like rust to me, but thought I would get a few opinions before I go to the effort of trying to salvage the seatbelt reinforcements.

The other side is a bit worse and I removed more metal, so let me know if you guys want another pic to check out.
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 12, 2018 10:04 am    Post subject: Re: Picked up a 78 Westy Reply with quote

I don't think you have to worry that much about floor insulation. You're biggest heat losses are going to be up and out, as opposed to down. We've been out in our Westy down to near the freezing point in the stock Westy and don't recall having particularly cold feet. I'm sure the carpet feels nicer than a harder flooring would though.

Good luck!

championbaum wrote:
You peeps with campers, I pulled the floor up today to work on some rust, I was surprised to see there is no insulation under it. Are you guys putting insulation under your subfloors? I would like to, but should I just cut strips and lay them in the low lying sections so it doesn't lift things up too much for the cabinet reinstallation? I think there is probably some wiggle room but just wondering how you guys are setting things up...

Edit: Went through forum posts on insulation, and wow what a contriversial topic. I think I will do sound deadening in the engine compartment, inside front doors, maybe over front and rear wheel wells and a few patches around the the body but I am intending to keep it minimal. Then thermal insulation behind the cabinets, above headboard, and id really like some under the floor because we will be camping in this, but I don't want to spray adhesive everywhere, so I may cut strips of something to lay under the subfloor and just have the weight of the floor keep it in place, but still not sure what that will be yet...

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championbaum
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 12, 2018 12:18 pm    Post subject: Re: Picked up a 78 Westy Reply with quote

Ride_On wrote:
I don't think you have to worry that much about floor insulation. You're biggest heat losses are going to be up and out, as opposed to down. We've been out in our Westy down to near the freezing point in the stock Westy and don't recall having particularly cold feet. I'm sure the carpet feels nicer than a harder flooring would though.

Good luck!

championbaum wrote:
You peeps with campers, I pulled the floor up today to work on some rust, I was surprised to see there is no insulation under it. Are you guys putting insulation under your subfloors? I would like to, but should I just cut strips and lay them in the low lying sections so it doesn't lift things up too much for the cabinet reinstallation? I think there is probably some wiggle room but just wondering how you guys are setting things up...

Edit: Went through forum posts on insulation, and wow what a contriversial topic. I think I will do sound deadening in the engine compartment, inside front doors, maybe over front and rear wheel wells and a few patches around the the body but I am intending to keep it minimal. Then thermal insulation behind the cabinets, above headboard, and id really like some under the floor because we will be camping in this, but I don't want to spray adhesive everywhere, so I may cut strips of something to lay under the subfloor and just have the weight of the floor keep it in place, but still not sure what that will be yet...


Thanks, I'm not putting carpet in (doing a laminate type flooring), so I may see if I can fit some 1/8 inch foam under the floor but if it raises things up too much I'll just go without I suppose. I found some insulated subfloor stuff that is pretty cheap. There were 2 pieces of subfloor compressed wood under the carpe so I think I can just leave one out and replace that one with the insulation.


Last edited by championbaum on Tue Apr 17, 2018 8:01 am; edited 1 time in total
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championbaum
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PostPosted: Fri Apr 13, 2018 11:33 am    Post subject: Re: Picked up a 78 Westy Reply with quote

Found some of the seatbelt panels on Busdepot for pretty cheap actually, so i am just gonna replace them...
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