My new bus project!

[Happy Camper]

Hello,
I am getting pretty geeked up about this next project. I am just getting started on my 1970 Bay Window Bus. It's a Westy with a tin top. I picked it up just the other side of Kalamazoo last week. Clean up first, brakes second. Tune up to follow and the real work then begins. It's pretty solid. I cant find any rust holes anywhere. I have a bit of surface rust I am dealing with, but it's pretty minor. I find it quite odd that my 2000 Chevy truck I used to tow it home has more rust than my 40 year old bus! Pathetic. Anyway, lots of smiles and hours ahead. Wish me luck.
I gave $1500 for it, how did I do?
s758.photobucket.com/albums/xx222/Scottyh2/Bus%20Photos/?action=view¤t=b4ac157a.pbw

[ghiastein]

I knew your photos looked familiar. I caught your posting on thesamba in the Bay Window Forum. I too have a 1970 Bus but mine has seen a much harder life.

I am lucky that I never saw it for sale in Kzoo because Wifey would have killed me. 1969-1970 the best years for VW Buses.

So what are your plans?

[Happy Camper]

Major re-do.
I am going to spend this fall getting the mechanicals right. The brakes need work, the tail light wiring is fouled up, and there is a clunk in the steering somewhere. Once I am happy with the ride and drive, I will start working on the interior. I am not a purest by any means, but I would like it to be nice. The cabinets are in pretty good shape. The sink cabinet and the rear facing seat are missing, so I need to find those. I will either build, or buy these. Re-paint the interior, and redo all the upholstery. (seats, door panels, and wood inside the camper portion as well as the wood headliner.)
I am hoping to complete the body work in the spring and paint it early summer.
Can't wait to dig in. It is running decent now, but it can be better. I will have a thousand questions along the way. Never had a bus, Seems like a lot of fun.
I found it on Craigslist. It was in Gailsburg. The PO told me it had been on there for several weeks. He had a bunch of callers at first, but I was the only one that actually came out to look. He was pretty concerned about my plans for the bus as well. I think he had grown attached to it and wanted to be sure it was going to a good home.
Nothing but good intentions on this end. I think the wife and I as well as the dogs will have a ball rolling around in this.

[ghiastein]

Go ahead and ask questions lots of them. We like to answer questions.

Yuck bus tail light wiring been there done that.

[busdriver]

That looks like a nice bus. Is it from california? I see the tags on the pass. side dogleg. I used to have a 72 westy with those same tags that was a cali bus. I have a friend with the same bus but is is a 69 tintop. Way rustier than yours though

[dave]

Looks like you did good.

[akitsuji]

Have a good time restoring the 70 bay window bus. I 'm currently working on my 77 bay window bus (7 passenger bus, Automatic, FI, 2.0 L engine). I started this project last summer and now I can see the light at the end of tunnel. My goal is to complete by this Oct. I took some progress pics. I have problem with posting the photos. My wife and I are talikin to take the bus for camping trip on the Rout 66 and attending our GTG meeting with bus and Ghia.

Aki

[Happy Camper]

It started life as a California bus. I think it was moved to Minnesota at some point, then the guy I bought it from moved it to Wisconsin where it did a bunch of sitting. He brought it to Michigan about 7-10 years ago. I know it sat a bunch after that. He took pretty good care not to let it get wet or too banged up.
I spent some time this weekend working on the engine.. Cleaned the carb, new fuel filter, plugs, wires, and I discovered the vacuum advance in the distributor had a hole in the diaphragm, so a new EMPI centrifugal advance distributor is now installed and it seems to be running well. Brakes next!

[Dustin]

Looks like a pretty clean project! Good luck and ask any questions that come up or ask for help.

[Happy Camper]

I was looking under the hood last night and I came up with a question: I see the PO has installed a chrome/paper air filter on this engine. Where does the intake get it's fresh air? I know it's from the vents up high on the rear panels, but is there a tube going up there on the original oil bath filter, or does it just take air from inside the engine compartment? It seems like the air in there would be pretty hot for intake air. Should I replace this with an original oil bath filter, or is this one OK? I am not a hard core purest, but I want it to run well.
Any ideas?

[ghiastein]

The stock filter sits on the passenger side of the bus and just sucks air from the engine compartment. If everything is sealed correctly the engine compartment should be just a few degrees warmer than the outside air. Due to the fact that a running engine sucks a large amount of air and creates a negative pressure.

If it was me I would stick with the stock oil bath air filter assembly on a stock engine. FYI the 1968-1971 Buses share the same filter and tube from a Karmann Ghia. I have extra oil bath filters just no extra tubes.

[Happy Camper]

Well, I spent all day yesterday redoing the bus brakes. Not much to take pictures of, but things are coming along nicely. The drums were in very good shape, so I replaced the shoes, the spring kits, the wheel cylinders and the flex lines for each wheel. I also replaced the master cylinder, both fluid reservoirs and the filler line. All that's left is to bleed the brakes and it should be ready for a test ride! Can't wait.

[bren]

Not sure how but I completely missed this thread before.

Very nice looking bus. I think you did very well for $1500. I really like the tin top camper set up.

[Happy Camper]

Hello everyone,
I haven't updated this post in a while. I apologize. I have been busy working away though. The bus is coming along. The engine is rebuilt and reinstalled. The interior upholstery is complete and has been removed to paint the interior. The dash is re-done (If I didn't get too much over-spray on it while painting!) I made a new jump seat and I now have the carpet. New front seats were purchased and mounted, and I am in the process of deciding on interior panel material now. Anyway, let me know what you think.
Scotty
thevwbusblog.blogspot.com/

Attachments:

[81pumagtc]

Scotty:

Looks fantastic from here!

Dave