Hell In A Bucket! WildIdea's 1977 Sage Green Westy

[WildIdea]

[WildIdea]

Im switching to the LARGE font, seems like it may be nicer to read.

Moving on I had decided to get the newly recovered rear benches fit. I have really been apprehensive about starting this task because at first glance the cabinets need some detail work and look complicated to take out.

Ive been thinking that concentrating on one section at a time would help keep me from feeling overwhelmed and more likely to take my time, which is a tenet to success. The headbanger and closet are already out and sitting in my den, so I guess, why not jump in. Kevin has repeatedly advised not to dig into the bus too deep at once. He says that he buys busses all the time where somebody stripped the bus to the frame and ordered a ton of new parts and eventually burnt out from the magnitude of the job, then at some point he buys it all for pennies on the dollar from someone just wanting out. Not wanting this to happen to me, I visualize a project I feel is doable in a weekend or several days and just concentrate on that. A clear day off so here goes.....

You know, I had a heck of a time trying to figure out how to take out my rear bench and all the circuitry.

Please don't start with the pitchforks. I know now how all this comes apart, but this day just went sideways. Things have been going pretty well up until this point and I had been tasting some real success with my makeovers but this one threw me. I felt I could just figure it all out on my own and this defeated my ego nicely.

Ill say right here that I always want to be frank and honest when I get a blooper or do something less than optimal. I don't want to pass over anything I wrecked and act like it never happened and paint a perfect picture here. With that said, I really don't think I hurt anything really, there were staples that got pulled out and thats about it.

It was rather dirty under the electrical box and when I see mouse droppings, I get a crazed urge to clean.

Dry and sprung laminate.

So now this all gets easier to see and has to come out because its filthy.

I think at this point I sent Kev some pics and I get some of the first of many responses starting with "I would have______ first" I think it just might be a VW thing or a car guy thing in general. Likely stems from a deep love for busses and a sadness from seeing hack after hack. I'm probably like this with my kids too, but Im looking for a name, something to coin the phrase with. Anybody? Anyway, this won't be the last I hear it and I'm plugging away. I have to get this learning curve over without hurting more and get a handle on this laminate.

This is about the time the eche_bus thread got my attention. I plow though his threads pages as he literally put on a clinic on how to refresh this stuff. I've already decided I want to preserve the Berlin interior and the plan is to keep the laminate as original OG laminate as much as possible even if that means living with a few blemishes.

The door molding is sourced from Bus Depot and the hinges are pretty easy to figure. There is some strategic razor blading to get the hinges through the molding, but thats about all thats noteworthy. Just sat down undistracted by the fire and got it done.

For those reading here the glues I used to re-lam the sprung edges are the same as the eche_bus thread and when I needed to entirely remove and replace I used rubber cement in either a spray or liquid.

Since the bench base face was free from the housing it was an advantage to work the laminate.

The entre sheet was pretty much secure, but there were sever corners and such that needed re mounted. Lots of gluing, taping and clamping.

So this is all going well but I've been wondering about some of these chips, splits and deleted holes. I've got an idea and Im gonna give it a try. I have some pretty strong two part epoxy clay Im going to try to use to bring up the level on the laminate.

It looks like its gonna fill up the few problem areas. Sanding is bad as it scratches the good laminate so it has to be puttied flat.

This stuff dries white so time for the art brushes. Hey we paint all the time. Several thin transparent layers makes a sort of camouflage that tricks the eye.

So yeah, this face is pretty much finished. I'm gonna try it on the bus. I know Its gonna all have to come out again and I'm good with it. Maybe for the carpet someday etc. I'll soon be a master with the Berlin interior service and installation, hehe. Not quite NASCAR tire changer fast yet.

This wood just all got oil soaped and came pretty clean.

Thankfully the face get secured back on with several bolts.

I have the old Kiddie fire extinguisher but I archived that with OG door molding and put it the ever growing collection of OG takeoffs. Hoarder I know, but its gonna all be useful for even just a measurement or texture or something, its already come in handy.

I opted for a new trustworthy lookalike extinguisher. I like the splash of red in the corner, really sets it off in there. Im still working out a laminated block that the new mount will set on using the original holes in the face. I really don't want to drill anything new in this interior.

I just love how the plaid all lined up so well. Props to the Upholstery section. That where Its at. But hey, I have all the tools and glue out, so why not keep going.

More Laminating adventures to come!!!!

[notchboy]

Dude. You are on it. Keep it up.
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[busdaddy]

I like where you are going with this! the laminate repair with the epoxy and paint looks great!
That fire extinguisher troubles me though, one that heavy needs at least one through bolt (carriage bolt?) securing it to the bed, you don't want something that heavy and pointy edged flying around in the cabin during a crash or rollover. The integrity of the back of your skull wins out over one little hole you could epoxy over later IMO, and you may need to find it where you left it in a hurry when the dust settles as well
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[sunny74]

Awesome x 5!

I love what you are doing with this bus and I enjoy the writing about what brought you back to a bus.

Keep up the great work!

[WildIdea]

[WildIdea]

Brian shouted out and gave me an update, said he found the problem. The story of it being low on oil is adding up and one of the connecting rods went into a meltdown. The rod looks trashed but he thinks the crank may be savable. I hope thats the case, well see.... At least now we know what the issue is, and can now start working our way back to a functioning motor.

In the meantime at home I'm spreading out in the den and taking a look at some more of the cabinet refresh. I had a bit of a time with my rear bench, but that taught me a few lessons and I feel I'm ready to take on a harder piece. The closet is next but that kitchen block and fridge are winking at me with a smirk, they look tough. Someday, I figure, but for now the closet as its in real bad shape.

The front face of mine was just plain bad. At some point the face had cracked and someone hammered shingle nails to tack the laminate back down the put cabinet drawer liner over the top of it. Bummer. I sat and picked on that and tried t save some of the laminate material.

Again, Kevin to the rescue. He had a face of a matching closet he said I could use. The plan was to take all the best pieces and make one really nice wardrobe cabinet. He wanted all the seconds back, but it was pretty striped down by then, . This is my adventure here.

The plan is to take the good from from the freebie donor piece and fuse it to the guts of my OG cabinet.


I spent a bit of time strengthening up the donor and just getting familiar with it.

This stuff comes apart with a little pulling, tapping and wiggling, but definitely not ever forcing anything. I have several wood clamps but I pick up one real long one. These never hurt to have around and worth the investment. Lots of glues around and adhesives, plastic, tape and razors.

The show side is looking pretty decent. Its getting pretty solid after a few key gluings. I get into a rhythm of glueing and setting and heading to work and when I get home have a hour session unwrapping and re glueing the next spot and going to bed. Repeat.

The Rear and Front are now ready to set. I can get this all to fit together without glueing and make a game plan. Im a little nervy thinking about this attempt, but like anything, its not gonna fix itself and I go for it.

I overtake my dining room table as the surface and light are the best. Ive now officially taken over the garages, the den and the dining room. This bus is a bully on space. Nobody seems to care, its just an art project.

I've got a few bungees deployed and a 50 lb weight. I actually have two of these weights. They were used to certify old shipping scales. I use them all the time. It gets windy here and you just never know when you want something to stay put.

With most of the gluing and clamping done Im thinking I'll look after some of the chips and blemishes. I know these areas will be covered by the mattress at some point, but I want to know this thing is solid throughout. I bust out my epoxy putty.

Shaping it isn't too bad.

Out with the paints again.

I'm zeroing in on this piece now. there are still a few details left. I have to install the door, get the molding in the blanket compartments and throughout as well as have a new mirror cut. I have half a mirror, so this makes for a template at the glass shop. Some of the hardware was sourced from Kevin's donor piece, like the mirror clips that were broken on mine and a few others.

So with her oiled up and shiny, Im pretty stoked to introduce you to my new Westy Wardrobe. Isn't she pretty!? Im stoked. I couldn't have done it without the parts from Kevin. Thanks man!

The headbanger is next and I have a bit more knowledge and a bit more laminate scraps. I broke some of it before I learned the iron trick, oh well, that trick will come in handy down the road.

[Ludwig van]

Great thread - keep up the good work!

Have you looked into the Kidde fire extinguisher recall? I bought mine years ago, but when I went online and checked, I found it qualified for a free replacement. You fill out an online form and they send you a new unit with instructions for returning the old one (they pay the shipping in both directions).

Thanks for posting - this thread is now part of my breakfast routine.
_________________
'78 Sage Green California Westy 'Ludwig Van'
Our iPad e-book "Camping With Ludwig Van"
http://store.blurb.com/ebooks/356253-camping-with-ludwig-van

[WildIdea]

[SamboSamba22]

Working that cabinetry over, very nice stuff.
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The Bus Barn Ltd. Co.

Oct. ’67 Double Cab (’68 Crew Cab)
[url=http://www.vw-mplate.com/mplate-44412.png]Click to view image[/URL]
March '69 Delivery (Panel Bus)
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[WildIdea]

I rolled right into the headbanger feeling the when its complete would be a nice stopping point on the interior for a bit. This was the easiest piece of the bunch most likely because it is in such a protected place in the vehicle.

There was still some sprung laminate issues. It was really a tough call at times to decide to either take the entire piece off and reattach as a whole or just work on the corners. I found that if I lifted with a bit of pressure and the lame kept detaching and peeling apart, Id take it all off. If it was pretty stable I decided to just re-glue what was lifted. There is a spray version of rubber cement that can spray in the the bottom of the cavity and then get squished around and massaged the quickly pulled back apart to flash. In about 10 min, when glue is ready it gets pushed back together and taped / clamped and left overnight.

My door had some of the same lam issues and there were even a few old attempts at fixing the laminate and a few hours of picking and scratching with a razor blade to get some old glue chunks back off the wood between the lam without further damaging the laminate. A few spots have cracks, but they don't really seem worth it to get an entire sheet of laminate to attach and router over. Its not the cost or the time in the decision, but a feel for the over all look of the distress the bus has. What has to get replaced and what is simply honest wear. Original honest wear I'm ok with. Completely roached gets replaced. Both the hole and door trim molding needed replaced and refitted. I try to put my molding seam under a hinge, I guess time will tell if that helps or not.

I wanted to mention here that I like to take my door handles apart and clean them and have even tried some lithium grease on the buttons. There a lot of dirt that can get in these and the return on the button appreciates it. I'd hate to be slamming these or tugging, and Im sure someone else would force them when Im not looking and that would drive me bonkers.

I was getting this all wrapped up and preparing to reattach the molding along the bottom when I had an AHAH moment. Seems that when I pulled the old molding off I could tell that the original finish of the wood was much darker. I check out some archive photos and realized I was right. It appears my wood has really dried out or sun faded but its lighter. I root around my garage and I find this old product for conditioning wood I d like to share here.

A little test and it seems like its working. I do a little more and decide to snap a shot. Im just rubbing it on with a rag and it soaks right in.

Im pretty pleased with the results. Nothing really overbearing, just back to its original luster. I realize its the same color now as the inside of the piece that was protected.

Again, This one was a basic repair, but I feel better knowing its waiting in the finished pile and off the TO DO list. I know its not the drive train or anything, but who's to say what part is more important than the other, its all part of the bus. Its all gonna have to get done.

I though I was done with my Wardrobe, but I guess not. What I thought was a stain in the cubby hole shelves was actually a protected spot from something sitting on it for a time keeping the stain from fading. I go try my product on it. Bingo!

So it appears that the back for my bench needed it as well and several areas look to be treated this way on other pieces , so I'll know what to do there when those refreshes happen. I worked my parcel tray, kitchen block lid, tire cover sound this time too, simple stuff so I won't bore you here. There are more photos in my Gallery if you care to look.

Like I promised, I can't wait to show you what I found I my gas tank.......

[WildIdea]

Yeah, so I promised a gas tank, but first I'd like to walk down memory lane a
bit.

You now I've been speaking of my earliest memories and influences that kicked off my interest in owning a bus and my affinity for them in general. This was maybe natural but more likely nurtured by some. Somewhere along the way I got into music and seeing concerts, but The Dead was always refered to as the BIG band and the ultimate to see live. You know, being a teenager and finding yourself living in South Dakota lets just say the odds were stacked against ever getting to see this sort of thing in person. Around this time my folks were racking their brains with what to do with their wild child and somehow they agreed to let me take off during Christmas school break to see a family friend in Desert Palm Springs and have a getaway or reset of sorts. Ha! JayBird was one of my first positive male role models and my parents liked and trusted him. They must have been like WTF when they found out he took me to the Deads New Years shows at the Oakland coliseum.

These snap shots are really all I have of that experience, pictures were sort of a luxury to me at this time, unlike today as I've got 7000 pics on my phone right now! This pic of Heads standing in the sunset pretty much sums up the general status I have in my brain when I conjure these days in my mind.

Just being in the vicinity of the arena was enough for me, I could see that all the stories and legends were revealing to be true. The sheer mass of folks and the bubbling excitement to what was ahead for the night, I just loved walking the lot with JayBird and watch him speak to folks and explain this or that and get me all caught up and what to expect.

This a picture of J on his bike and you can almost see how awesome and amazing he was from just the blurry pic. We lost him in 2010 and I know his spirit walks with me still, taking joy in my exploits and watching us from above with love how we get to live today. A year before I heard he died, I told him thanks on our last phone call. Thanks for taking me to the shows those many years ago, they changed me forever. I said, you could have taken anybody, a girl you liked, anybody, but you took me and Ill never forget it.

But the Buses, You know, It was all so much to take in. VW buses and you could go all in and have a dang school bus and for the really hard core it looked like you could mount a VW bus to the top of a school bus. So Fing rad!

Sweet 21 window

I wanted in. I wanted to a bus, I wanted to boogie, to make and sell sell art, to have a dog, all of it! And some drums. Where to start?

Skylers Bus, now this looks like fun. These guys, whoever you are, where legit! In my town, you'd get pulled over and hassled every ten feet rolling like this. Not to say these guys didn't pay a price for looking like this, it just looked ballsy to me and I was empowered by it. No Fs given, just be who you are and do what you like and all the critics be damned.

Im guessing VW hadn't tried to break into the Hippy market with their designs. I believe VW was trying to make the ultimate vehicle and Hippies just glommed onto them because they were so practical. Whatever the case, A VW bus became the preferred battle wagon for a mindset, a tribe. My tribe.

Maybe I do have a foot stuck in the past, I don't feel that way, Im using the past as a tailwind for this build. To give me the desire, interest, and stamina to press through the good and the ugly.....Like changing this buses diaper. Thats what I called this project.

I started with a few shots of the firewall, for archival ref.

I was poking around underneath to see where the fuel lines were and they were totally plugged with hardened gas oil something.

With the fire wall off I just took stock of what was up. Looks pretty crusty. You can't hang on the Samba 2 mins without hearing how important fuel line replacement is and I was prepared to rework and get a solid fuel cell buttoned up.

The main filler neck hose was real brittle and I cut it free with my Rapala fish filet knife, it was so toasted it that easy. I had it wiggled out a bit but it seemed heavy, oh I hope it isn't too full...

Yep, pretty full, and bang, it hits the ground as it was just too much to hold myself.

I drug it out into the middle of the garage and took a look to assess the situation. The fuel sender looks real bad and not looking good for the rest of the tank. I cut the fuel lines off at the root and just this oil drips out like honey, so Im gonna have to pour this out the filler end.

This liquid gets pulled off the top and it reeks. It reeks like no other and if you've done this before you know just how skunky this is. Lets just say that its so bad I ended up hunting down every little errant drop in photos chasing it into the night and soaping up the spots. If I would have know just how bad it was going to be I wouldn't have been so cavalier about pouring it in the funnel and spilling a bit. What I saw inside made my heart sink a bit. It looked like what happens to a vampire when you kill it with a wooden stake or maybe if you forgot 100 burgers on the grill and went to bed. Turns out that when you leave gasoline in a tank for 20 odd years it will percolate back into crude oil, who would have thought.

I'm shaking my head, now what? The next day I price new tanks and read threads and call around to radiator shops. One shop says bring it in. I remind him it looks bad and he says bring it out he'll take a look. Dude out in Black Hawk 30 min away says it should clean up. Now I'm looking around his shop and there is a Semi Truck radiator hanging from a chain like a dead elk bleeding Predator blood and I realize this guy has one of the dirtiest jobs for sure. I used to think it was the tire guys, but this guy has them beat in my book now. Says it'll be a few days as his hot tank is full at the moment.

I get back to the bus and clean out the gas tank area on the bus.

I'm looking into the filler tube and its all crusted like the fuel sender but it looks savable.

I ordered a WW filler neck rubber and fuel sender. The replacement filler neck rubber looks less than sufficient and I stash it for the future if the days to come are desperate and decide to refresh my existing one as its still flexible. I read that fuel senders are hit and miss now and I bought the best 'German" one WW sold hoping buying the most expensive will equate to being something that works.

I get this idea to clean out my filler tube with barbed wire locked in my drill and it actually works amazingly well. Just make sure you don't pull it all the way out while its spinning. Crusty rust comes right out and I hook a rag to it and polish it with solvent. Just like new.

The Radiator shop calls and says my tank cleaned right up and to come get it. I get there and ask just how did it happen. Says he blasted it with scalding hot water with a power washer and put it in the hot tank. $80 bucks. I give him a 100 and his jaw drops. Huh? nobody tips the radiator guy? He says no. I pretty grateful and Ill probably have more stuff to clean in the future and told him so, what a bargain! And now I still have my OG tank!

Sender goes back in no problem. I'm not into tank liners from previous bad experiences with it coming off and this old fuel didn't hurt anything really so Im going back in with a sqirt of WD-40 to keep rust at bay.

The fuel lines are going back in, even the hard one behind the spare tire. I had to buy a whole foot of this filler piece but now I have enough to replace again if and when I need to. One thread really helped showing me the angle to cut it and how to to push the tube into the body instead of dragging the rubber out the body hole. A huge help.

So now the tank is sitting back in the bus all clean. I hope the sender works, but hey, I have an access hole, lol. Over all its nice to know the first fuel going into the new motor will be clean, but I must say, Im not real fond of climbing into the engine compartment and say my body is only rated for so may climb-unders a day, but get a technique for hanging into the apron and swinging under instead on trying to crawl under low and raking my back. Little did I know just how much I'd be needed under there.......

All the stuff under the tank needs looked at, Dang.

[oakman]

Sweet bus and great work on the cabinet tune-up! Subscribed!
_________________
Brandon

[wcfvw69]

So nice to see people fixing long dead buses correctly without taking shortcuts.
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[TomWesty]

Looks like you are committed. I particularly like your use of paint in the laminate camouflage department. I’ve used bondo as filler with pretty good results in the places where you used epoxy. It seems like it would be easier to sand. Wish I had your energy.
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[orwell84]

You are doing exceptional work and I especially appreciate your techniques for cabinet restoration. I have some repairs like that to do and now I know how to accomplish it.

Thanks also for sharing your bus memories. Many of us have these and it's often the reason we bother with all the hard work to keep them going.

[WildIdea]

Thanks everybody for the comments and those that are following along.

After that last miserable project was buttoned up I was ready for something a little easier for a second and to get the garage organized again.

With the rear cabinets refreshed and sitting waiting, I realize they shouldn't go back in unless I get the wooden body panels replaced. It seems that the OG pieces have a sort of printed wood grain. Im guessing that window condensation would run down the panels and loosen up the print and make it run off. It appears the PO painted an opaque wood stain on them and they took pretty terrible. I looked at Bus Depot and they sell and entire 7 piece Berlin interior panel set, but its a grip of dough. I vacillate about it a few days and decide to just go for it. I need everything anyway. My rear hatch panel is missing and my sliding door piece would look great all fresh and all my panels are irreversibly painted on, so it really makes since to step up and get them if I want a cherry original interior. I get the order coming, they say it was the last set on hand, Cool!

I wanted to get some of my new parts fitted that wouldn't hold up anything else and make that 'install' pile a little smaller. I still had this passenger side seat pedistal mat to put on. What a joy to just stand upright with good light and geek out on the area.

I kept all my old seat mats and was able to scrub and clean this area and with it rehydrated, I cut off the top 4 inches or so of the top that you can't seem to buy. I don't have a pic of it on, I'll have to go take one and post it later.

I get tired of walking into the house and tripping over bikes and lawn mowers every time I need a screwdriver so I set up this table right next to the bus.

Putting away OG parts and labeling them

I'm cleaning up the firewall thinking about a plan for it and get yelled at for cleaning it in the kitchen sink, but its freezing out and the hoses are frozen! SOOORRRY!

Something lucky happened, There was a shoe box under the bench that had a lot of random things I wasn't sure about and kept. One was this this plastic piece. At first I thought it was the lid to a weekly medication organizer or something, who knows, But I thought it was the right shape and size for the fuses and lo and behold, it was the fuse cover!! Pretty neat in my book. I like having details like this and when its the OG part I like it even better. Im glad I didn't just shovel all the trash out in heaps when I first got he bus but went through it layer by layer and kept it all.

With all that happening, I think that if Im going to repaint the firewall, I might as well get this propane tank off and get it done at the same time, it looks like the same color.

Ill say again, this bus is teaching me a lot and now it becomes propane 101. I go to a RV dealer and supply Camping World and they have a bunch of stuff I'll eventually need when I get to the camping part, but nobody there that knows anything beyond filling up a bottle of liquid. I cruise over to Amerigas and explain my situation to the gal across the counter and she hilariously yells from her kiosk "WE DONT WORK ON CARS! try CBH". Okay! they're just down the road...

The owner there seems pretty busy, lines of people getting bottles swapped out as its the dead of winter at the time and their busy season. I start in with a quick recap of my story and pictures on my phone. He gets that look of interest I recognize that seems to wash over people when they see the bus and they seem to want to help it and get involved. He digs the vehicle and says if I want to bring in the tank he'll look at it and see if the tank is savable. He said he used to fit cars and trucks to run propane and has all the supply on hand etc. He mentions it will have a plate welded underneath with tank info and they will rust under those so it all depends on that area really. I go back home and take it off and run it back down to him. He says it looks good and empties it for me and I pick it back up the next day.

[WildIdea]

Great news about the crank. Brian says it ended up being serviceable and after the bearing surfaces reground he has it in hand. Thats cool. This isn't my area of expertise so Ill defer that to him.

He also got the cases back from being soda blasted. Said his days of cleaning out the oil galley by hand are over. I can't argue with that. They look great. We decide to leave the fan housing and the cases raw as I really appreciate the look and it gets better over time when it settles in. My bikes all have that wiped down oily aluminum look that just looks righteous. Doesn't need to get purdied up IMO. Oil is gonna likely escape this beastly motor at some point someplace, so I'm trying to consider that with the finishes.

With that moving along, I'm still doing what I can at my house. The engine compartment is now turning the focus since the cabin has been getting lots of attention, but frankly not as important. Its tough being in there, so I pay some dues in there and then take on something more enjoyable in between.

The powder coat guys have welded up the tabs on my firewall and finished up the color. They said they're not body workers, but I think they did a great job keeping it smooth.

I get some seals replaced based on what was there when I removed it.

I have a bench polisher on hand for my silversmith work and it really cleans up hardware.

So now you know were not going with the stock fuel injection. The focus is going to be on a tailored motor with Dual Spanish Weber IDF's 40 mm with 32 mm venturies. Something with loads of power and fun to romp on. Brian said he's had them a while and came off a trike he bought years ago for the motor. He says this is just the project he's been saving them for and if I want them I can get them. Ah yes! Kevin says, he came off those for you? Maybe Kev had his eye on them not sure but he seems to agree its a good use for them. He knows what Brian is capable of building.

On my end I'm trying to make the engine compartment as clean as possible and less cluttered.

The fuel sender access hole the first real mini hack I encounter, It will likely get a donor patch panel with hinge at some point, I like having it there. For now I just gotta get it cleaned up a sealed.

They used some piece of scrap and glued it down with some kind of putty and screwed it down. My goal was to just clean it up and reseal it.

I started scrubbing down the paint and it comes clean with some light soap and some rubbing. Thats hard on the shoulders, but the results can keep one interested, still I break it up in workable sections with lots of breaks.

I just couldn't wait to get the firewall on and take a peak. I think it looks great in there.

They also finished my propane tank and I took it back over to CBH to have the guy fit it with new valves. He said the worst thing is having it overfilled, as that covers up the vapor hole thats at the top. Maybe have someone like him fill it up that understands not some random amateur at a truck stop thats never seen a Westy tank. Good idea.

Although not essential at this point, I think a clean tank really dresses up the bus. The firewall work really pushed this through but Im glad it happened at the same time. Check that off.

The tank talks to the kitchen block and I'm thinking about that but I just cringe looking at it. I would be getting the wood wall panels any day now so I'm thinking about whats to come.

[Chochobeef]

Great work. Love looking at the progress.

[Jim Hunter]

Wow , great progress with no expense spared here

I hope to have all the oil galleys cleaned and taped , you will be amazed if you see what is hiding there...


Jim