Grandma Mildred's 73 Automatic Perpetual Restoration

[orwell84]

[Wasted youth]

RE: Automatic transmission... Learn from my mistake:

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=674690&highlight=


Here is the front end work I did:

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=8579986#8579986

Here is the list of parts I used:

Front Sway Bar Mount Kit - 211498101A2 - $29.95

Camber Nut For Ball Joint - J16938 - $13.95

Suspension Stop - 211401253 - $6.95

Lock Plate - 211401279 - $5.95

Ball Joint - 211405371A - $19.95

Collar - 211415601B - $11.95

Swing Lever Shaft Kit - 211498171A - $34.95

Steering Tie Rod Assembly With Ends - 211415802F - $37.95

Drag Link - 211415701G - $59.24

Tie Rod End - 311415812CMY - $11.08

Tie Rod End - 311415811CMY - $11.50

Steering stabilizer - 211425021A - $33.95

I also disassembled, cleaned and re-sealed the steering box. Can't find my thread on that right now...

But here is another useful thread after you rebuild the front end:

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=8551308#8551308

[orwell84]

[Wasted youth]

I really like the performance of my automatic transmission, obviously it helps not to screw it up during the reassembly! But I find the acceleration and shifting really quite smooth. The only thing that concerns me is that when going into reverse it’s a pretty solid slam into reverse gear.

The front end work is actually really manageable. But the ball joints will require some specialized tooling, either a press or in my case I used the ball joint kit with a three-quarter inch drive impact wrench and the VW tool that is meant for that work. I bought that through a Snap On dealer, I think it was like $150

I also rebuilt the front end on my 1987 Vanagon, and the only disappointment on that so far is the tie rod end boots are already disintegrating... they lasted about six months.

In case you’re wondering, the bay window ball joint tool that mates up with that large C clamp does not fit on Vanagon ball joints. Of course, you would need to buy a separate tool for those ball joints. When I reached out to the dealer, they were out of stock. I had to manage with the kit that I had and it was a pain in the ass.

[Stuartzickefoose]

[Wasted youth]

Hmm....

There was something on the Vanagon front end that I had to use the large impact and a modified die for... thought it was the ball joints.. maybe the lower ball joints on the steering knuckle?

I’ll have to look later, but I think this is the work I’m referring to; I could not get that tool: (photo from Samba gallery)

[orwell84]

I like the automatic transmission a lot too and may stick with it depending on how things go. The front beam was replaced in the mid '90's with a Bus Boys adjustable beam. The shop that did the switch really messed it up and handling was awful. Sometime in the late 90's I had it adjusted to the right height and they ended up taking it all apart and resetting the torsion bars and replacing a ball joint, shocks, etc. I also put D rated tires on it and the handling was so much better. The tires are probably out of date and need to be replaced at this point. I was surprised with how well the bus handles especially on rough roads. The bus feels really sure footed at most speeds below 75 mph. Faster than that, it's ok but handling is definitely more touchy. I regularly shred CV boots and just repack the joints and replace. The joints show wear but are not noisy.

[orwell84]

Most of the time I have spent on the bus has been bodywork. It's probably what I enjoy most about working on the bus. At times it has been intensely frustrating. As my skills increase, so do my standards. In the past, I was limited by tools and garage space, but at this point, my expectations for my work are always just beyond my skill level. For most repairs, once completed, I can always think of ways I could have done it better. The first repairs were done by a friend in the early 90's who brazed in patches which I bondoed over. I remember patching the wheel wells with sheet metal and roof tar. I had it repainted by a body shop and thought it looked wonderful. It was a lipstick on a pig kind of job, but it wasn't such a pig and didn't involve all that much lipstick.

In the late 90's I did a lot more of the bodywork. I had access to a garage space for a limited time and got as much done as I could. Some of it was decent work. Most of it is still there. Some of it rusted through again and other things were redone in the process of doing other rust repairs.

Late 90's repair included the sliding door track, many of the outriggers, jacking points and a couple of tophat sections, quarter and side panels, sections of the cargo floor. The tophat repros I found at the time were awful, so I had a shop bend up a few in 16 gauge.

I thought I was a metalworking genius when I made this for forming my front floor edges...meh.

The sliding door rail took a lot of time...opening and closing the door over and over again as I adjusted the track. There is only so much you can adjust the door.

The side panel caused me the most trouble, trying to straighten it after welding. It already had a lot of warping from a previously brazed in panel. It was the only area I ended up getting repainted.

The garage I was working in was owned by a coworker. She had kicked out her husband who had been using it as a cash only metal fabrication shop. Soon after I had cut apart much of my bus, he starting doing drive-by's and at one point confronted me for being there.

I really should have known better. It turns out he had an extensive criminal history including arson. My bus was either going to a junkyard, taking me camping or was going to become a burned out shell along with all my tools. Work became a lot less detail oriented. A buddy helped me while I welded up the last repairs, rattle canned them, reinstalled the furniture and loaded up all the tools. It was a great relief to push it out the door, jump start it and drive away.

[orwell84]

Since I have owned my bus going on 30 years, I sometimes have the feeling that I have been working on the bus for 30 years straight and am still not done. People often ask me when I'm going to be done which sometimes frustrates me.

In writing this project thread, digging up, scanning and posting old photos, I have more of a sense of the timeline of my work on the bus. I realize now that I used it a lot through the 90's, right up until about 2004, when I moved, changed jobs, bought a house and started a family, then only a little until the birth of my second child in 2009, after which hardly at all.

It seems I pulled the engine in 2010. Sometimes life just gets in the way; went through a divorce and became a full time single dad of two school age boys. I didn't get back to the bus for at least 4 years. As I couldn't get out to the garage much, I built a flight simulator in my basement.

Since 2014 I have worked steadily on the bus. Finding time is always a challenge. I find that I get a lot done when I work on it for an hour or two on a regular basis with the occasional afternoon and sometimes a full day when I am coming down the home stretch on something. When time is really lacking, I try to get in 20 minutes here and there doing something just to keep my head in it. I try to limit the scope of projects to avoid getting in over my head. It's easier to keep track of parts, tools and it minimizes the time the bus is off the road. So here is a rundown of what I have accomplished since starting my bus project up again sometime in 2014...

Did the side and quarter panel again. The previous repair was starting to rust through at the bottom center of the rocker section. I redid the repair using the Gerson panel. I had a hard time with it as the panel was pretty beat up from previous repairs. I spent a lot of time trying to get it straight.

I still ended up using more filler than I wanted. It covers a wide area but even in where it is the deepest it is still well under an 1/8". If I had to do this repair again, I would have replaced the entire panel with a Schofield's panel and welded it at the original spot welds and along the belt line.

Block sanded and epoxy primed Fall2017

At the same time I did the driver's side dogleg. I ended up redoing the b-pillar and some of the cruder work I had done in the late 90's on the interior section of the b-pillar and adjoining splash section of the wheel well. I also had to replace some metal in the passenger side seat pedestal

The wheel arch section required some extra fettling to get it all to line up. I find that accurate body lines really make a bus come together and really stand out when they are bodged for anyone who knows buses.

[orwell84]

Winter-Spring 2016/2017

I never replaced any of my window seals when I had my bus repainted in the early 90's. The rear windows and windshield seals were dried out even back then, with rust creeping out from under the windshield seal. It doesn't make any sense to repaint a bus without replacing bad window seals or repairing rusted window frames, but at the time I didn't know any better and didn't have the tools or skills anyway.

I saved window frame repair for a winter project as I knew it would take me a long time. Winter is a great time for metal work like this. I have an electric heater that runs on 220 and a small Scotia stove lined with fire brick. The heater right next to me works great for when I have a short amount of time. I get the stove going if I have a longer time to work.

I used the repair strips from Bus Depot to repair the windshield ledge. After doing this, I feel that it would be better getting the Gerson repair panel and welding along the bulge section. It took a long time to weld the repair strips in properly. I used a HF resistance spot welder to attatch the window lip to the valence.


This job pushed me to improve my welding technique.

I was happly with end result. Not perfect, but much better. Most importantly, it will keep the water out and hopefully, the rust. While I was in there I sandblasted all the rust out of the inner valence and painted with weld through primer.

Did the same for the rear windows. Everything was epoxy primed and painted.

While everything was pulled apart, I repainted my dash top, cleaned up and lubed the windshield wiper linkage, tidied up some wiring, replaced the glove box and lots of other odds and ends. As I waited for warmer weather (Spring 2017) I decided to tackle the pop top canvas. I had a Bus Depot canvas in my parts stash for years. While on the phone with Bus Depot regarding another order, the subject of the canvas came up. The salesmen asked me when I had ordered the canvas as they had sold a number of them that were out of spec. He gave me the measurements to check and it turned out, my canvas was out of spec. They sent me another without waiting for me return the defective canvas. I really appreciated this and it saved me a lot of grief.

I really like the tin top look...

I had really dreaded this job and doubted my ability to do a decent job. I measured the new canvas against the original to make sure I had left enough length at the corners to reach the roof opening.

The top doesn't seem all that big until you put it on the dining room table. While it was off I gave it a good cleaning and buff. It had been repainted a gloss white in the late 90's and the paint was in good condition. I cleaned and buffed the paint on the roof which was still original.

I was quite happy with the result. A time consuming job but adds a lot of functionality to the bus when camping. I like the big window screens even though they are not exactly stock. The zippers seem rugged and look the same as those on the Bus Depot repro cabin tent.

[udidwht]

Ditch the idea of putting the Solex carbs on. With your heads and cam (Web 73) you'll be leaving power on the table. Get a set of dual 40mm Webers or Dells & an LM-2 with the extractor exhaust.
_________________
1972 Westy Hardtop/Type-4 2056cc
96mm Biral AA P/C's~7.8:1CR
Headflow Masters New AMC 42x36mm heads w/Porsche swivel adjusters
71mm Stroke
73 Web Cam w/Web solids
Dual 40mm IDF Webers - LM-2 - 47.5 idles/125 mains/190 air corr./F11 tubes/28mm Vents - Float height 10.45mm/Drop 32mm
Bosch SVDA w/Pertronix module (7.5 initial 28 total @ 3400rpm)
Bosch W8CC plugs
Pertronix Flamethrower 40K coil
S&S 4-1 w/Walker QP 17862
3 rib 002 Trans
185R14 Hankook tires

[orwell84]

[udidwht]

[orwell84]

I appreciate your suggestion and I do think it is a good one. I did know about about the stock cam running hotter vs the Web 73 vs the different variations of the CS cam, etc, Also the extractor vs the stock exhaust with regard to heat and performance. Carbs are a still a mystery for me, but I will get there.

Many have said that the stock carbs are the cat's ass. Others have gone a different route. My lack or experience and gaps in knowledge prevent me from knowing who is right or what the best solution is. I know the carbs you are suggesting are also a well known and proven path. It's also time and budget. I have the rebuilt Solex carbs and all the parts and think they are worth trying. I think it will be an improvement over the progressive and I feel I will learn a lot in setting them up which will be helpful if I choose a better induction setup.

BTW, I don't really know much about how different induction systems effect performance, economy, reliability, etc beyond the basics...like why type 1 engines for example all came with single carbs, but for type 4 engines it's always considered a bad idea.

Anyway, thank you for your input.

[udidwht]

[orwell84]

[orwell84]

A lot of the old work on my bus has held up well. There were a few repairs I did over the years like the passenger side step panel and the rear valence around the engine compartment lid. There a few things I have redone or cleaned up as I slowly get it ready for paint.

The bottom of the sliding door was one of those old repairs that never made it to the metal finishing stage. It's solid welding but note the potato chip shape.

Thought I would take a shot at straigthening it rather than redoing it. Pulled it out with stud pins and some hammer and dolly work where I could get behind it. Needs a little straightening at the very bottom edge and some filler work when it gets warmer. It lines up nicely with the b and c pillars, so I will probably roll with it.

Same thing with the quarter panel. I flange welded this which makes it impossible to properly stretch out the shrink along the weld. There was some oil canning higher up that I mostly got out. It still is some panel flexing in that area, but it looks better. I will take another shot at it before filling and might just redo it.

I redid the passenger's side b-pillar as well as some of the splash section as I had done some ugly work on it years ago. It has held up well, but the b pillar was crooked and for some reason I had welded up the seam. There were some layers of the old metal sandwiched between the new.

I cleaned it all out and fabbed some new sections. I kept the stamped section of the original wheel arch as it looked way better than the repro I have. I didn't feel obligated to keep the factory seems in the splash section but at least it's clean work and will be water tight. Of course I found repros of interior sections of the b pillar after I was finishing up. Engine parts may be getting harder to find, but it has gotten way better for sheet metal. Gerson's stuff is top notch and I hope he makes more of it. If he makes it, he's always my first choice.

This still needs some cleaning up and a few pinholes welded up. The bottom of the fender looks bent in the photo but it isn't.

Almost caught up with where I am today...

[orwell84]

Over the summer, I redid one of my cab doors and got really stuck. At one time the doors had large aftermarket mirrors on them The brackets had pushed the door skin in at two points causing an oil can.

I had already done a little metal replacement and sandblasted all the surface rust inside and out. Both doors are really solid original doors. I spent a ridiculous amount of time chasing this oil can. I eventually gave up on it and went looking for another door. After being away for a couple of weeks, I decided to give it another shot. I took a contour profile from the other door and figured out that I was misjudging the shape and raising the crown of the door too high by stretching it. After shrinking it flatter and closer to the correct shape the oil can went away and the rest of the job was normal filler work and prep. I had been waling away at it so long, I just couldn't see what I was doing wrong.

There is a ton of work in a cab door; sandblasting, repainting and installing new seals on the quarterlight window, cleaning and regreasing all the interior bits and all the fiddly trim, window scrapers, door seals, etc. Once you pull it all apart, you are stuck with finishing it.

I wanted to get an idea of what would be involved in painting the bus myself. I have used a gun to do touchups and my cargo floor at one point, but never a large exterior area. I used single stage urethane. The first coat went on flawlessly but the next coats, I got some runs and dry spray. My technique could definitely use some work. I tried sanding and buffing the runs which went well. I ran out of good weather so I will have to wait for spring to finish buffing.

Fitting the scrapers, chrome trim, felt and window regulator was a fiddly pain in the ass. The quarterlight was a pain, but not as much as I thought. Good thing too as it had to come out again as I had forgotten the bolt and clip that put tension of the window when it is opened. I got a lot of practice getting the quarterlight window in and out.

This repair kept my bus off the road all summer. It wasn't a big deal as I had a lot of other things going on with work and travel and hadn't really planned any camping trips. I don't like having it off the road during camping season as it tends to stay that way. Having done a cab door once, I think it gets easier. I also learned a lot about metal shaping that wil help me with the rest of the bus.

I am still on the fence about painting the bus myself. There is a lot of prep and rust abatement that I can do myself that would cost a fortune because of the time it takes, but doesn't require a lot of skill. I also know that I won't be able to duplicate the equipment, spray booth conditions and skill of a painter without doing a lot of extra work fixing my mistakes.

[white74westy]

Nice work!!! From all the way down in Florida, I think the door looks great!

I had similar thoughts about how and where to paint. With it all behind me now, I would highly recommend letting someone else have the headache! Particularly, if you know someone in the industry. They'll be so much more proficient at it and you won't have all the clean-up etc. Just my $0.02. Not saying you can't, or shouldn't, merely an opinion. Either way, I know you'll be pumped, once it is done!

[orwell84]

Thanks for the encouragement. I'm really leaning in that direction and I do have an in with a very reputable body shop not far from where I live. I'm comfortable doing everything right up until putting on color.

Even if I managed to improve my painting techniques, I would still be dealing with bugs, dust and weather. Painting a bus bit by bit also makes a lot of extra work in doing a lot of the same prep and cleanup over and over again, half used catalyst going bad, color match issues, you get the idea.

I think good body shops will work with you if you have someone that can vouch for your good prep and that you won't be a dick and come back at them for something that's not their fault. Of course they will want to have a look at your bus.

I'm hoping to use my bus a lot for camping this summer with my kids and work on the exterior prep when I can. I would like to have it in for paint by the late fall. Reassembly back in my garage over the winter. This may be an overly optimistic time line, but if it gets pushed back, it's no big deal.