Newest project----Da Bus

[JWC]

Well another update.  The bus has began starting on its own for some unknown reason, but running way too rich...until today...when it went back to not starting.  I was warned that the computer is sensitive to low voltage.  Today, I noticed it was turning over slower than usual.  I hooked up the battery charger for four hours.  When a fully charged battery, it started right up.

I might remove the starter and alternator and have them rebuilt, plus buy a new voltage regulator.

I removed all the curtains, save one that is secured by screws behind one of the cabinets, and the bed upholstery.  My wife washed them while I cleaned up the yard.  Man, did those things come out great.  The upholstery is like new. The curtains are no longer dry and scratchy feeling, like burlap.  They are faded though.  Due to the way the curtains hang in the bus, only certain areas were exposed to the sun.    They have these really cool, almost tie-dyed, striped pattern to them.  Definitely keeping them that way.

[JWC]

Coming up on a year since I picked up this Westfalia.  I haven't had much time to work on it.  It remains insured and has plates, but it only sees the street when I need to move it.

The main hang up has been the starting problem.  The bus starts and runs when it wants to and so far, no tests have shown a defiinitive problem. 

In the past year, the cracked and broken veneer panels for the cabinets have been removed and will not be replaced. Instead, they will get a good sanding, stained and varnished.

Two used front seats were purchased from a shop in Charlotte and cleaned and installed.  The missing rear bed cushion was acquired from the same shop, cleaned and is now stored waiting for the bus to become a real daily driver.

New, correctly rated, tires were purchased and installed.  The wheels were sanded, primered, and painted to match the body color we originally intended for the bus, but that has since changed.   It will still be a yellow, just not the yellow we picked out first.  We decided to go back to the original color Dakota Beige after running across a couple of photos of campers in that color.  Unfortunately, no one seems to be able to match that paint, everying comes out looking like an old beige telephone.  So, we have found something called springtime yellow, that is a little on the tan side and comes very close to matching the original color.   The wheels will have to be repainted, this time with the tires mounted, and will go back to being their original silver color.

The previous owner decided at some point to fill some of the body openings with a household insulating foam.  That stuff is holding moisture and is what has caused some of the rust we are running into.  It will have to be removed before we can repair the panels.

[Rupert]

[Onslaught]

Come up with anything to get that foam out?

[JWC]

Ice pick and box cutter.   Acetone was too messy.

[hotrodalex]

I say burn it.

[JWC]

I say burn it.

I tried that this evening.   What I used was a heated pinstripe remover.  It cut into it like butter, but it was no faster than just picking away at it.

[Onslaught]

Sometimes the hard way is the best and only way.

[JWC]

Not an update on the Bus, but just a general comment.

One thing that got frustrating was searching for tools.  Since I had been driving the Beetle, I had packed away most of my tools.  The Beetle can be repaired with practically a handful of tools.  The Bus uses those and more.  This resulted in tools scattered between two vehicles, the shed, and the house.  I'd spend an hour looking for my 10mm wrench.

I had planned on selling my MAC top box which used to rest on my workbench.  Instead, I'll keep it.  Today I went to Sears and purchased a cheap bottom roller.  The MAC is white and the Craftsman is black but, they look pretty good together.  Now I have to spend today and maybe tomorrow finding all my tools and reorganizing them.

[Eye of the Tiger]

The 10mm wrench is always the first to go. 

[JWC]

I haven't found my 10mm yet, but I have found tools (and stuff) I didn''t know I had or forgot I had.  Some are my grandfather's old tools from his shop back in the fifities and sixties before he joined the police force.  I don't even know what some of them are..probably special tools for tractors since he worked for Massey-Ferguson and Case.

[JWC]

I found that the extension for my shop vac is the correct diameter to splice my broken intake elbow going to my throttle body.   Shot the thing with some starting fluid and it started.  Ran terrible.  Seems that a few other vacuum hoses are dry-rotted.  After tomorrow's photo shoot (on location and praying it doesn't rain or stay over cast), I've got to find some hoses to repair this thing with.  Some are at odd angles and are preformed, so I've got some more splicing/rigging to do. 

I found out the wife has OK'd the contractors to start Monday morning on our house, new roof, new siding, and new windows, so the Bus has got to be moved.  If she could have given me one more week.

[S204STi]

Pre-formed hoses are a pain in the arse.

[Galaxy]

Have you tried getting some parts via VW classic parts center? Not sure how fairly they are priced.

[Galaxy]

It is amazing how little the general layout has changed in all those years.

[S204STi]

Is that a shower?

[Secret Chimp]

Volkswagen Californias sound pretty cool from what I've read in CAR.

[JWC]

Have you tried getting some parts via VW classic parts center? Not sure how fairly they are priced.

Some hoses are available from germansupply in Canada....but the main hose I need is no longer available.

[The Pirate]

The 10mm wrench is always the first to go. 

Isn't that the truth?  Ten mm is a fairly common size on older bicycles (allen wrenches for most stuff on newer bicycles), and working at shops, etc., I bought so many of those damn things over the years.  Lost a lot, but I still have no less than 5 of 'em in various places (car, bike tool box, regular tool box)

[Submariner]

Is that a shower?

I think so.

[Rupert]

I think so.

I think that door is about 3 feet tall.

[Galaxy]

Is that a shower?

No it is a closet. Some aftermarket companies do offer wet cells in Multivans with the high roof.

As far as I know the smallest series RV with a wet cell is the Sprinter based James Cook.

http://www.westfalia-van.de/en/models/james-cook/interior.html

[Galaxy]

Some hoses are available from germansupply in Canada....but the main hose I need is no longer available.

I would try directly with the source. Click english at the top right, it is a bit hidden. They have a contact form.

http://www.volkswagen-classic-parts.de/

Does the hose have a part number?

[AutobahnSHO]

sigh-

I want to rebuild a cool car someday.

I envision a clear hood on a 91 Taurus SHO. Anyone want to finance my dream?