Jim's Neptune Blue 68 Doublecab

[earlybayjim]

[Dubbin68]

What a find!! We have a cabin in Cornucopia, WI and every time we drive through Port Wing I always dream of a barn find like this!

Congrats on the find and bringing it back to life. It looks like a really solid truck.
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68' Westy Weekender
73' Squareback
69’ Beetle

[galencurrington]

i'm always surprised when people find some barns finds and the old people would actually sell it every time i find one they say " well i'm going to fix it one of these days", or " i'm going to give it to my grand kids" and it just sits there and doesn't move for the last 20 years.
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"asking and getting are two different things"

[earlybayjim]

[Abscate]

On the tow ball, you should be able to find a 2 inch in 3/4 shank. There is plenty of enough meat in that metal to support a 3/4 inch hole.

I’m an itinerant tower, but technically a 2 inch on that bar probably violates some regulations somewhere.....ymmv.

A very good friend of mine once towed a 13/4 ball receiver on a 2 inch ball from Saratoga to Albany at 60 mph/ 45 minutes by wrapping it with chain and bolting it firm.
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.ssS!

[Wasted youth]

[earlybayjim]

[AustroBus]

Man that's a great story!

This is (another reason) why i love thesamba - because you can just sit there and browse around just to find awesome threads like yours. I'll definitely keep on following this one.

And i really have to mention how jealous i am - a 1968 double cab and a 1971 westy - if i had to choose, these two cars would be in my dream garage for sure

[earlybayjim]

[earlybayjim]

It's been a while! I thought I would post a little update on the truck. I've been really busy with life lately and it's hard to find time to post. However I am finding time to drive my truck. I took this picture today, the 28th day in a row daily driving the double cab. My goal was to make it a month so hopefully these 2 or 3 more days will be easy!

So far I've managed without too much trouble.... just a loose belt and a quick flat tow home from my wife's bus.

I've been busy hauling stuff

A load of firewood

A big custom window

Pop cans to recycle

Getting groceries

Burritos

Chilling with friends

I haven't done much work to the truck other than an oil change and valve checks. I was preoccupied with pulling these 4 white buses out of the woods and home to my shrinking driveway.

Things have now slowed down (not really) enough that I found some time to start polishing.

This stuff is great. I plan on hand rubbing the truck with TR3 completely and going from there.

Thanks for looking!
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1971 Chianti Red Westfalia x2
1985 Westfalia
1984 tintop

[cdennisg]

Pay no attention to the tornado behind the buses.

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nothing

[earlybayjim]

[earlybayjim]

Day 30 of daily driving went bad. I was almost all the way to work when I heard a lound noise. It kept running but lost about 50% of the power and it got a really loud rattling noise that increased with the rpms... I kept it running until I was able to park. I got some funny looks from how loud it was!


I flat towed it home with the help of a friend.
I thought maybe it was a broken valve spring, but everything looks good under the valve covers. I guess I'll be pulling the engine out this weekend.

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1971 Chianti Red Westfalia x2
1985 Westfalia
1984 tintop

[SamboSamba22]

Well shit. You hit a month of daily driving bro!
That counts right? The bus looks great, and you're shaking it down. This stuff will happen, just keep swimming.


Sam
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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)
[url=http://www.vw-mplate.com/mplate-44414.png]Click to view image[/URL]

[earlybayjim]

[cdennisg]

[earlybayjim]

[cdennisg]

I am guessing it backed out most of the way, then pulled the last couple of threads with it.

I hope I am wrong. Looking forward to your results in a few months.
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nothing

[Angus II]

Hello,
Cool, you got lucky on the plug just backing out. Looks good from here. Getting a time-cert in there would be a bitch with the air cleaner stand in the way.... It's less hassle to pull engine for the right-side spark plug hole repair.

[earlybayjim]

Time for an update! I wish I had more time to better my double cab, but I have been busy with my wife's new daily driver... taking it from this:

To this:

She did save me with it once by bringing me a battery after my generator or regulator went out (not sure which yet)

I did drive it until they dropped salt, managing one last trip to the bus stash deep in the woods. My wife followed me with the kids in her 71.

Now I have way too much junk sitting around here...

I did find some time to scrape some bondo off. Heatgun, plastic scraper, and some lacquer thinner. It takes forever, but its working.

Next up is to drop the engine to do some cleaning and maintenance. The battery tray needs replacing while its out.
The wood bed strips also need to be made or acquired. I'm sick of taking on water from the holes. I know some have welded them up, but I don't want to go that route.

Thanks for looking!
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1971 Chianti Red Westfalia x2
1985 Westfalia
1984 tintop