So yesterday was a good day for Bart the bus, my 1976 tin top VW Campmobile/Westfalia. From a bus that came with the sliding door falling off, 3rd and 4th gear not available, engine not starting at all (and PO gave up working on it and could not get it fixed) and much of the interior/ceiling damaged/missing, he's a happy bus now. The welding up of the huge gasket/connector holes 100% fixed his continual backfiring that was making other drivers treat him with scorn. New transmission fluid and new connector/bushing parts on his shift rods. Timing and tuneup done. New fuel pump, reinstalled fuel filter, fixed literally dozens of things and some touchup paint (easy since he was repainted all black by some PO several PO generations ago) and he starts and runs like a dream and easily keeps up with traffic. Someone bought him nice new LT tires but I'm guessing he did not run long after that because they are almost 100% new.
Anyways, thanks to you folks who gave me lots of advice/direction on the gear shifting problems, I've learned a lot about an area I previously had not dived into. Bart still needs some bodywork which will start this summer. My goal is not to get him to showroom quality but to continue to make him a nice bus that looks reasonably good. Here was his day yesterday. First time he's been out a whole day in at least 2 - 3 years.
First Bart went to a small car show in Langley (visiting, not displaying):
Then we went downtown old Langley and wandered around and his owners (me and Soo-Jean) had poke' bowls for lunch:
Finally after some more fun driving around Bart went to a favourite time capsule, the Twilight Drive-In Theatre. I hope it never closes.