Newest project----Da Bus

JWC · October 23, 2008, 04:54:13 PM

Quote from: the Teuton on October 22, 2008, 10:59:00 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjadCOciuWI

It's a T3, but you get the point.

That's a video that has seen the rounds on the VW forums. I have a feeling you could take a F150 and load it with 2,000 pounds of weight, it would crumple just like that VW.

the Teuton · October 23, 2008, 05:07:32 PM

Quote from: Secret Chimp on October 20, 2008, 09:35:12 PM
I never got to ride in a GM wagon from the 80s or early 90s. Those things had fuckin' sideways seats in addition to the backwards bench sometimes, I think.

Our Cutlass Cruiser only had the rear facing beastie.

JWC · October 23, 2008, 06:48:26 PM

I was selling the 1979 convertible to finance this camper's rebuild. Notice I didn't say restoration...there is a difference. I intend to drive this camper and use it.

Anyway, I was selling the 'vert as a parts car due to its condition. If I can't get rid of it as a complete car, then I'm parting it out. But, what to do with the body?

How does this sound for a graduation present for a high school senior? I'm thinking about cutting the nose off of the 'vert...apron, fenders, hood etc. about three feet in and make a chair out of it. I'd probably use a wood frame to bolt the sheet metal to so it could be broken down and moved when necessary. I'm thinking the head lamps and turn signals should still operate, use a 110-12v transformer. Maybe use the bumper as a foot rest. Have the hood open and a reading lamp mounted underneath it.

I mentioned to to a friend and stated I might repeat it with the tail end of the car as a chair for myself. He suggested I convert the rear of the car into a trailer.

So, unique graduation gift?

Trailer or chair?

Secret Chimp · October 23, 2008, 08:25:47 PM

Beetlechair would be cooler.

Cookie Monster · October 23, 2008, 08:44:53 PM

I'd be so stoked to have a Beetle chair in my dorm.

JWC · October 24, 2008, 06:57:10 PM

A "Beetle" chair for the daughter's graduation present it is then...provided I don't sell the complete car.

If I built one for myself though, I'd have to get the wife to allow it in the house, or make it with a pressure treated frame (or use a metal frame) and keep it outside on the patio. A trailer, while not completely practical, would be useful.

Secret Chimp · October 24, 2008, 06:59:38 PM

Quote from: JWC on October 24, 2008, 06:57:10 PM
A "Beetle" chair for the daughter's graduation present it is then...provided I don't sell the complete car.

If I built one for myself though, I'd have to get the wife to allow it in the house, or make it with a pressure treated frame (or use a metal frame) and keep it outside on the patio. A trailer, while not completely practical, would be useful.

Also consider that you would take better care of a trailer than a kid would take care of a Beetlechair unless you painted it with spongeable latex wall paint.

JUST SAYIN

JWC · October 24, 2008, 07:06:05 PM

Quote from: Secret Chimp on October 24, 2008, 06:59:38 PM
Also consider that you would take better care of a trailer than a kid would take care of a Beetlechair unless you painted it with spongeable latex wall paint.

JUST SAYIN

She gets the front of the car. I was going to make a chair for myself out of the other half.

There is something about the words "spongeable latex" and a reference to my daughter in the same sentence that gives me a chill.

Madman · October 24, 2008, 10:20:33 PM

I would hate to see a perfectly good Beetle get destroyed just to make a silly chair!

Cheers,
Madman of the People

JWC · October 24, 2008, 10:26:16 PM

Quote from: Madman on October 24, 2008, 10:20:33 PM
I would hate to see a perfectly good Beetle get destroyed just to make a silly chair!

Cheers,
Madman of the People

I'm trying to find a buyer for the complete car. If not, enough will be parted off to keep other Beetles on the road. It is called selective recycling.

The car is in bad enough shape that no one wants to tackle the project. No one objects to the price, just the amount of work it would take to put it back on the road.

Cookie Monster · October 24, 2008, 10:29:07 PM

Why can't you make your daughter the chair and use the back for the trailer?

JWC · October 24, 2008, 10:38:19 PM

Quote from: thecarnut on October 24, 2008, 10:29:07 PM
Why can't you make your daughter the chair and use the back for the trailer?

Go back about eight post or until you get to the photos of the trailer. That was/is the plan.

Cookie Monster · October 24, 2008, 10:46:57 PM

Quote from: JWC on October 24, 2008, 10:38:19 PM
Go back about eight post or until you get to the photos of the trailer. That was/is the plan.

But you can still make the front a chair, right?

JWC · October 24, 2008, 10:57:17 PM

Quoting myself from above:

How does this sound for a graduation present for a high school senior? I'm thinking about cutting the nose off of the 'vert...apron, fenders, hood etc. about three feet in and make a chair out of it.

I mentioned this(sic) to a friend and stated I might repeat it with the tail end of the car as a chair for myself. He suggested I convert the rear of the car into a trailer.

Nose=front
Tail end=rear

Cookie Monster · October 24, 2008, 11:02:03 PM

Quote from: JWC on October 24, 2008, 10:57:17 PM
Quoting myself from above:

How does this sound for a graduation present for a high school senior? I'm thinking about cutting the nose off of the 'vert...apron, fenders, hood etc. about three feet in and make a chair out of it.

I mentioned this(sic) to a friend and stated I might repeat it with the tail end of the car as a chair for myself. He suggested I convert the rear of the car into a trailer.

Nose=front
Tail end=rear

But then you said this:

"Trailer or chair?"

So I got confused.

JWC · October 25, 2008, 07:19:21 AM

I was asking if it would be a good graduation present to for my daughter if I built a chair for her out of the front of the car. I was thinking about making one for myself out of the rear of the car, but a friend suggested the trailer instead.

Sorry I confused you. It was a two question post. Good grad present? Trailer or chair for myself?

JWC · October 25, 2008, 11:05:24 PM

Interesting conversation with the previous owner of the camper today. I asked him what exactly happened when the camper broke down, because I had gotten it started and it ran pretty down good. It sounded like he was surprised. He admitted that the engine started bucking and stalled. He couldn't it to restart, so he parked it....where it remained for three years until I picked it up. He originally told me it was making a loud noise and started bucking.

I'm sure I'm not that lucky, but there is a possibility that there isn't that much wrong with the engine.

JWC · November 07, 2008, 07:09:24 PM

We are taking the rollback out tomorrow and moving the VW camper to my house. I need to get it here to work on the engine. After the above post, the bus started doing exactly what he describes. The more I played with it though, the more it acted as if it is out or low on fuel. The first thing I'm doing is draining the fuel tank, then pulling it and sending it off to be cleaned and sealed.

Water may be a contributing problem since the VW had no fuel cap when we picked it up. The fuel gauge reads 1/4 tank, but that may very well be water.

While the fuel tank is out, I'm going to pull the wheels and send them off to be blasted so I can refinish them. I starting with the wheels because I've got to get tires for it and it is the prime time to do them.

JWC · November 08, 2008, 11:36:01 AM

Got it to the house, seems to be a mix of old gas and water. I'm going to pour some in a Mason jar and give it a couple of hours to determine the mix.

Nothing like spilling gas all over yourself and the carport on a Saturday morning. Neighbors probably thought I had gone bonkers when I grabbed the garden hose and started spraying myself down with cold water.

Cookie Monster · November 08, 2008, 12:02:52 PM

Quote from: JWC on October 25, 2008, 07:19:21 AM
I was asking if it would be a good graduation present to for my daughter if I built a chair for her out of the front of the car. I was thinking about making one for myself out of the rear of the car, but a friend suggested the trailer instead.

Sorry I confused you. It was a two question post. Good grad present? Trailer or chair for myself?

Yes, that'd be a good grad present, and I think you should make the rear half into a trailer to pull behind your other Bugs.

sparkplug · December 07, 2008, 05:28:40 PM

Why not convert this vehicle to electricty.

JWC · December 07, 2008, 05:39:51 PM

That was originally what we had thought about doing. This car was bought more as an investment in the photo business as a prop, then we considered converting it to an EV and renting it out for parades. I get a lot of request for leads on convertibles for queens and political figures in local parades.

Unfortunately, to main problem with this vehicle is mechanical, but corrosion. Converting it to an EV wouldn't help with this vehicle's primary problems.

Soup DeVille · December 07, 2008, 05:41:58 PM

Quote from: sparkplug on December 07, 2008, 05:28:40 PM
Why not convert this vehicle to electricty.

Hard to find a cord long enough.

JWC · December 07, 2008, 05:42:50 PM

Since this has been bumped back up, here's a quick update on the bus.

I've begun removing the interior and I'm trying to locate some used front seats. The one's in the bus are very deteriorated and I feel I can find some used replacements cheaper than rebuilding. The driver seat slide rail is very rusted. So much so, that I haven't been able to remove it from the seat pedestal. I've got to get it out before I can replace or rebuild the seats.

The fuel tank has been drained, a new fuel filter and hoses installed, but I haven't got it to restart yet. The cold temps killed my battery.

JWC · December 20, 2008, 09:59:20 PM

Well, I found front seats and a replacement for the rear bed cushion. More than I wanted to spend, but finding two seats that actually match the interior, brown/green plaid wasn't going to be easy. $160 for all.

Since the last post I've installed a new fuel filter and replaced the deteriorated fuel lines under the beast. Today, I r reset the timing, it was retarded 3 degrees and readjusted the idle.

I need to order some replacement panels for the two battery trays and for the right rear corner.

CJ · December 20, 2008, 10:05:43 PM

Does she live?

JWC · December 20, 2008, 11:15:18 PM

Well, I haven't killed her yet. The hardest things to find are tires and wheels. The VW bus has 14" wheels and require a tire with a load rating of at least "c". I hate to dump 400-500 dollars on tires at the moment. I was hoping to find a set used.

Hopefully the new seats will arrive the 24th. I can then at least test drive it around the block.

Secret Chimp · December 21, 2008, 10:10:52 AM

Quote from: JWC on December 20, 2008, 11:15:18 PM
Well, I haven't killed her yet. The hardest things to find are tires and wheels. The VW bus has 14" wheels and require a tire with a load rating of at least "c". I hate to dump 400-500 dollars on tires at the moment. I was hoping to find a set used.

Hopefully the new seats will arrive the 24th. I can then at least test drive it around the block.

Why do they need that load rating? Skinny tires and a lot of weight on the rear end?

JWC · December 21, 2008, 11:07:02 AM

The campers are heavy and top heavy. The load rating is required to keep sidewall flex to a minimum. Being top heavy they tend to sway in crosswinds.

I once drove my 1964 camper, laden with cargo, across the San Mateo Bridge on a windy night. It was nerve racking to say the least.

JWC · December 26, 2008, 04:18:08 AM

Got the seats and bed cushion. My brother inlaw delivered them to me Christmas eve. They are in really good condition, better than I thought they would be.

My hard to start engine problem may be a thermo-time switch. I have to run some tests this weekend. If it is, it is repairable for around $70. That's good news. Once the engine is running reliably, it is tire time and start repairing rust holes...then strip the glass out of it and start painting the upper half.