Original Late Model Westy ceiling

[Westy Steve]

Hey all,

I finally got a big commitment out of my way in my personal life and now I can start working on my bus in earnest. I have a '74 westy. Last night, I took some soap made for wood furniture, and started cleaning up the ceiling paneling above the driver's seat. Just using a soft cloth (wash rag), some of the white paint started coming off, revealing woodgrain beneath it. It was almost as if I was fine sanding a painted piece of wood. Kind of cool looking, but I'm going with original.

Because the white paint started coming off, I began to wonder if maybe it isn't stock. Also, the panelling is held up by screws around the perimeter, and I kind of expected better workmanship than that.

So, what exactly do original ceiling panels look like in a later Bay Westy? Are they wood grain colored, or white? Is it a white stain, or white paint?
And lastly, I see that many folks are re-doing their paneling with birch...is the original paneling birch or is that a good wood substitute for some wierd tree growing in Germany?

Thanks,

Steve

[busdaddy]

A 74/75 should have a whitish printed on woodgrain finish like the 68/73 (shiny when new), time isn't good to it and it does flake off. There should be a row of small screws (4-6) across the back at the front of the pop top opening and 2 screws near the rear view mirror. Later campers use a textured white vinyl covered plywood.

Some owners repaint the wood white with mixed results, some strip off the finish and restain (I think pickled oak is the color but you better confirm that), some sand it off and varnish and some replace it with new birch plywood stained and varnished to their liking.
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[ccpalmer]

The headliner was probably "pickled" - stained first, then white paint applied over the stain and immediately wiped off to leave only white paint in the pores of the wood.
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'71 Westy

[Westy Steve]

Thanks guys. I was getting a pickled effect when I wiped it down, so maybe I was mostly wiping off dirt. In the end, I ended up with a white surface that you could see cedar colored wood grain through. The screws are how you describe, though it seems like I may need a couple up around the rear view mirror because it sags there. I also noticed that the wood grain is more pronounced around the front, vs in the rear on either side of the poptop. But perhaps that is a different material altogether.

If anyone has a picture of an original ceiling, or can post one, please do so. I've noticed that while there is a wealth of info on furniture layouts for these things, they are always looking down. I'm thinking of taking on the task of doing a webpage just for the '74 and '75s to provide this type of info as I discover it. If any of you all have photos that I can post (i.e., I have your permission to place it on a website, feel free to send it to me, or tell me where I can get it.)

I'll try and get a picture of it tonight and post it tomorrow.

This resto is going to be fun!

Thanks,

Steve

[Westy Steve]

Here's pictures taken last night. Notice the screws (or lack of them) around the mirror. These are all original, right? Or not?

[VDubTech]

That's the original stuff Steve. In '76 they went to a white vinyl covered wood for the ceiling.

[westystevie]

Pardon me if I drop in to say hi Steve...

Seems as if we have a bit in common!

[Westy Steve]

[westystevie]

Eh, I'm a newbie here, but in time I'll get more comfortable rambling endlessly....I didn't think there'd be a name so close...AND there's a "bay window Steve"

There's been a few small improvements since I got it and took this pic, but here's my Westy...(just got "Westy" license plate!!!!!)

Greeting to all the Steve and non-Steve bus/westy owners!

[Chad Haines]

this post is just what I needed to get me inspired to take a deep breath and look up when I'm in my bus. I bought it last summer from a charity auction and the guy that donated it turned it into a "Westfakia" frankenbus. Rather than deal with the headache of what could possibly be up there I just keep my eyes down!