Emily, the 1968 Colorado Westy

[blue71]

A preview:

[blue71]

Here's a quick version of the story behind Emily (the name given by the PO), my new 1968 Westfalia:

My grandma's neighbors know I like old VWs so they look out for them, hence the few I posted for sale in Duluth. They then found out about another one further south in MN that was owned by the daughter of people they attend church with. My dad went and looked at her with my uncle, as she was only 5 miles from their house. She's been sitting for awhile but looks pretty solid and is complete. The daughter (in her 40s or 50s) stopped driving because she didn't want to be in any accidents since driving in the Rockies wasn't very enjoyable or at decent highway speeds for her. So she was parked in the driveway at the parents' house in MN, only recently moved to the yard. She's missing a few things, but I should have them in my stash. If not I'll be trading for things. This will be a long time project, as she will need brakes, tires, resealing the engine, and probably a few other things. However she has a clean title and original paint. The main rust looks to be in the rockers, a little in the front floor. I hope the frame isn't toast, but if so I have a storage shed. The gas and trailer rental to bring her home from Minnesota will be more than she cost.

[vwrick69]

Nice score. Another one SAVED, hopefully. Good luck.

[blue71]

Rick,

The old owners are family friends so I will definitely get her back on the road. She may be a bit of a storage shed of sorts for a little while, however those parts in her will be for her. Even if it means a delay past my goal of 2014 she will be saved. After that she will get rust repair, though if underneath frame issues are found they will be addressed first. Her paint will stay original, and I hope to learn/have someone blend in the resprayed areas that will be where rust was repaired.

This will be my first bus project without my mentor, boss, great friend, and mechanic Glenn Angney. Every other VW we've ever gotten had been inspected by him to meet his discerning eye and approval. Regretfully he was taken from the community that respected and loved him last month on his way home from his shop by a drunk driver Glenn must have been looking out for me and guiding grandma's neighbor because the owners had considered bringing Emily to a local salvage yard. The father, a really nice man in his late 60s didn't want to do that because he believes in fixing things instead of throwing them away. He was excited and elated after my dad met him and showed him a few photos of the VWs we currently own. Saying "You deserve to have her."



My main goals now are as follows:
get her home to Ohio from Minnesota with the help of family and family friends
assess her needs over Christmas break
find a front floor patch my dad noticed she'll probably need
order all necessary brake components that she'll need
order an engine seal kit
I have some ok driver tires for her for now
give her a much needed bath
start work on her during my spring break if I get one
continue work on summer break if I get one


I wish I could find a nice house to rent out here with a garage that was reasonable, but it seems like as a Ph.D. student that dream is out of my reach unless I decided to pony up and buy a house. No on that one.

[blue71]

Bright and early tomorrow I'm going to Minnesota to bring her to my cousin's house for a mini vacation before coming east to Ohio. Photos to follow when I have computer access again.

[blue71]

As found at the PO's house:

































She'll need inner and outer rockers, windshield, front floor patches, dogleg patches, rear of front wheel wells, door track. The rust is fairly symmetrical. The slider has a dent at the bottom and the body has a few too but they should pop out pretty easily. The ground is mainly sand so there's not a big issue with it retaining water where she was sitting/is sitting for the time being until she goes to OH to stay in a building for awhile. I have hubcaps, a 68 westy sink, stool, many other of her missing parts. I'm keeping the strange homemade bumper though.

[dansam]

Cool stuff.

[blue71]

After about a year she's loaded and ready for travel.







My dad is probably thinking something along the lines of "Well, now I get to deal with ANOTHER one of these things at my house."




She'll be home for me to do some work on this week and next. And maybe even able to start up by VWs in the Vineyard on the 16th.

[blue71]

Waiting to be pulled off the trailer and dragged up the hill at home on Thursday. The lichen and moss will stay for now as camouflage:




Drug up the hill by the ZR2, dad didn't even feel that Emily was behind it. That truck is a workhorse anymore.



The main rust issues are bilaterally symmetrical. Inner and outer rockers, splash regions, quarters.







Under 3 layers of dirty mouse carpet is the original floor. The lower cushion for the jumpseat is out for cleaning as well.



The front mats came out for cleaning, and the floor will need some patches:



The canvas is shot, but we know some great Amish folks through friends who made the canvas for the 71, so they should be able to use the old template again for a perfectly fitting heavy duty replacement for way less than the aftermarket ones.





I filled the shop vacuum a few times with junk, and am slowly cleaning it. The engine is an AE code dp from a 71 bus. My stash of parts includes a 68 westy icebox that will fill the empty space nicely. I'm torn about keeping the rear bumper or fixing the one I got from Kirk for it.


There were some new tuneup parts, front door seals, clutch cable, inner door handles, window cranks, and some other bits in a box that need thoroughly cleaned due to a mouse nest being in it.

[blue71]

[blue71]

Collecting more parts. A friend back home picked these up for me on a recent business trip.

[blue71]

Between the top and spicerack being shot on this one that I just bought, and the body being so so on the other 68/69 one of these I have I should be able to make one good icebox sink out of both.

[vwrick69]

Nice, Do you ever sleep?

[blue71]

I do sleep, sometimes. Mainly I do science and it only works about half the time, so I get mad and go spend my money on the rare off day finding parts.

[blue71]

I found a few repair panels today.