Show winner for sure Phil. Is one of the VW magazines with you influx one mate ? They should be, for sure one of the best in the country.

J

I thought it was about time for an update..........

I decided to get my OG front badge repaired (after already having it rechromed once ), I just couldn't live with it having holes in

Anyway took it to a place recommended to me from a guy at work, and we will have to see how it comes out.

I also managed to find a few other bits that could do with some chrome on them



It was time to attack the front seat



Off came the covers, and I chucked away all the smelly 50 year old horse hair











The frames are now being blasted before going to the powder coating company.

However, I'm not sure if these are the original seats for my bus

The rear seat seems to have two tubes cut off ???

And the bottom section doesn't seem to be the same profile as the bus

On a better note.........look what arrived from Wolfsburg West last week

Enough rubber to keep a ship afloat



And a full set of interior chrome trim



Although I just received the import duty bill from FedEx yesterday


I also had a busy time this weekend spending my savings on something useful



Oh how nice a clean engine will be to work on


The other major job at the moment is trying to pick the interior colours.........god this is difficult !!!!

Look what arrived this morning............ready for the summer








Shame there is a bit missing though

Fingers crossed they will send it over

i'll be over soon mate

thats some dollar youve spent there Phil... mind you it will be sweeet...

I'm really pleased to say that John sent the missing part from VWSunroofs in the USA to complete the order.....What a nice guy

I got my humped bench seat and the other sunroof parts blasted this week, ready for powder coating.





I also made a start on the engine....



I decided to fit the flaps into the fan housing, and wirelock them fully open (to give maximum cooling).





Then the build up could start......





I had a real battle with the cooling fan (trying to get it shimmed correctly), as it keeps rubbing the fan housing. Hopefully it will be OK, and settle in.

Just when I got the fan working nicely.........it all had to come off again, so that I could fit the inlet manifold



At the moment, rain has stopped play ...........but I did manage to do another overdue job of rebuilding the OG carb



Hopefully the rain will pass quickly today, and I'll be able to do some more

Well about time for another update........

I picked up my seats from the powder coaters on Saturday.......that looks a bit better



Also had some of the sunroof powder coated at the same time..



I started to build it all back up today, but couldn't get it to fit

After (a lot) of thinking...... I realised that it was the new rails I bought that don't fit

They will be OK, after I pack them with a strip of aluminium

Also managed to get the engine in (a milstone )



However, just doing the final nut up, and the thread stripped so it will have to come out again so that I can put a new stud into the crankcase

Also got the overhead box finished





Thats the switch for my Amp sorted

Typical.......just as the nice weather arrives, I've got to go away on a course with work

Oh well........its getting there slowly

Engine stud replaced, and engine back in without any problems



However...........there is something not quite right with the engine position ??????

If you look closely, it seems to be about 10mm too high

I can't work out if the side trays are too low, or if the engine is too high

This now means that the air filter doesn't fit anymore

Luckily, I have an early air filter (which has a lower profile), so have cut the two up to make one good one



Top one is the painted one, and the bottom one is the low profile one. I cut them up on the bandsaw today, so need to jig up the 2 halves now before welding them together. just need to get it painted (again )

It also means that the exhaust outlet is in the wrong place



I was thinking of changing the cut out in the valance, but will now modify the exhaust instead (and probably get a custom st. st. one made at a later date).

Its a bit of an odd one really, as the gearbox seems to be in the correct position, and the IRS has been done with this set up, so I'm not going to start messing about with the rear end geometry now

I'm hoping it won't be too noticable in the end (as the gap will be covered up by the rubber seal).

If anyone has any ideas to why my bus seems to be different, I'm all ears (I'm guessing it had a rear end shunt at some point ??).

Absolutely typical..........you don't discover these issues until the very end

Loving your thread and bus build up!

Yes your right, the engine is certainly isn't sitting right, I've looked back through your pictures and seen your IRS box sitting high before the engine goes in - I'm not sure but I'd start with the rear gearbox cradle, maybe you need to change it for a different one to suit the IRS box? I wouldn't cut your rear valance yet either, sort the engine position out first and then see.

Hi Pukka,

Thanks very much for noticing that

Sometimes it's the most obvious things you miss

I managed to find a photo of my old bus to compare to and there is a difference in the gap between the top of the gearbox and the shelf (maybe a year specific thing though ???).

Anyway........I popped over to see Paul Venners at lunchtime today to show him the pics, and ask his opinion......

Whilst we were chatting, I came up with a possible fix.........Remove the rear cradle (that bolts to the frame forks), and move the position of the holes. This will lower this plate, and thus move the gearbox down at the back (hopefully).

If this works, then job done

It is definately worth a try.......if not then a cut and shut of the frame forks I guess

Thanks for your help

Phil.

Absolutely typical..........you don't discover these issues until the very end [/quote]

sad but true, but at least you've found the cause. I hope the fix is an easy one. Best of luck.

J

Sorry Phil, but after you've gained all the experience on this bus, I'm going to need you to come over to Brackley a few times next summer when I'm fitting mine back up.

You're doing and excellent job with it. I worry that I lack the patience for the fiddly stuff!!

Well whilst its wet outside, and I can't work on my bus (and sort the engine problem out), I thought I'd do something useful in the dining room

It maybe wet outside, but I'm dreaming of what the summer should be like

The parts for the trailing bow, and the bows back from the powdercoaters.





The first one assembled



And after working out how it goes together, the others followed easily.



New sliders






The new parts were from VWSunroofs.com in california, and I have to say that the quality of parts, friendly service, and good service has been exceptional


I'm hoping to whip the engine out in the morning (weather permitting), so that I can look at lowering the gearbox this week.

If not, I'm sure there are other jobs that can be done inside the garage

OxonPhil wrote:

Phil, is this a 'silver biege' handle? I've only found them listed as silver biege or black, but the side lever on mine is Ivory so strange they don't match...

Hi Jim,

No its Ivory.

(I found an NOS one at the Volksworld show a few years back).

They are often on thesamba

Although that was the original plan, I asked for the painter to match all the knobs to this NOS part, he actually painted it again (ivory) to match the other knobs

Phil.