Author Topic: Howdy From Gavin :) (Read 5810 times)

busnerd · « **Reply #30 on:** December 13, 2004, 10:02:14 PM »

Yeah, that will be a unique looking westy when it's done!

If you have the opportunity to fix the driverside rocker, please do!

Maybe it's just me; but when I see a nicely painted bay window bus with body seams that dissapear mid-panel, it just cheapens the look of the whole bus.

sweet ride though.

Custom76Bus · « **Reply #31 on:** January 31, 2005, 08:11:36 PM »

Well with the help of my BeaterBus... I was able to find out I was missing one of the two lower rollers on the sliding door. So now that it actually has ALL The pieces the bloody thing closes with some ease... a little clunky in one spot but if it closes nice and sound. Yippie! that was a major annoyance to me...

Started jig-sawing out all the new interior panels yesterday out of 1/8th inch hardboard. Should be good, just have to do a nice smooth final cut around it all :S... wish I had a bandsaw!!

I figure I'll put in my insulation(home depot bubble wrap stuff) and then vapour seal everything in the next few days or so. After that it should be pretty ready for the panelling.

Engine is still in place with no real work recently done on it. So its still quite a ways off from running!... I did buy a lcd monitor/tv for it though ha ha... it'll be fun!

Sooooo much more still to do. Hoping my Dad will get his Alfa Romeo outta the garage and into storage for a bit so I can get the bus inside and start some more work(suspension clean up, shocks, undercoating, engine, etc.). Unfortunately my dad is in the hospital with some sort of blood infection??? So the doctors are guessing today... every day they think its something else... grr. Hopefully he'll be home within the week... but who knows

Custom76Bus · « **Reply #32 on:** February 15, 2005, 10:41:20 PM »

Okay... back to the engine... After more thought... I've decided to sort of... go all out so to speak on the engine.

I'm going to try and get away with putting a 2.0L 16V motor in the bus. Not only that, I'm going to get a turbo for it too.

I'm wondering if anyone has any suggestions for a clutch that can handle the power of this setup... how will the tranny hold up? Its a 5rib bus tranny i believe. A guestimation of the hp would be in the 175-200 range. Any general thoughts would be helpful.

I should be getting the 16v in the next few days so I'll mount it in and see how she fits. I might look into using the Mega Squirt FI system with a custom intake to avoid the clearance issues. I guess it's all ca$h in the end. At least my bro works at Kinetic and gets turbo's at wholesale woot

!

vw_luvbug · « **Reply #33 on:** February 19, 2005, 04:31:31 PM »

Hello

I got me a '62 Beetle in May'04. I live in Abbotsford and I'm REALLY new to all this. Anyone out there in my area who might like to show me the ropes feel free to message me. Need a Carb. tune up but don't have the tools for the measurements, infact, I don't really know what I'm doing

Also, my generator light is on...again...a few months ago the armature was in need of rebuilding so I had that taken care of. I bought a new battery, checked my connections on the alternator, deflection is good on the belt and the brushes were replaced when I had the armature replaced, so I'm really stuck as to what on earth to do. Anyone know of a backyard mechanic in my area or wouldn't mind showing me what's what...I'd really appreciate it. Ciao for now!
~vwluvbug

Custom76Bus · « **Reply #34 on:** February 23, 2005, 11:18:21 PM »

Just got Power Locks installed and functional in the bus. Woot!

Found a good heater core at Princess Auto that I'll be putting under the dash for heat/defrost control. Unplugged the old dash gauges and am now looking in fear at rewiring the whole dash... custom gauges and such. Have to mount the fuse panel too(since the air box it was mounted to has been removed by the PO... gawd it looks confusing when you stare at all those damn wires

... at least they corrospond correctly in the bentley

Slowly coming.

epic3 · « **Reply #35 on:** February 25, 2005, 11:30:50 AM »

2.0 16v cool man that should rip one easy way to get more power out of the 2.0 is to swap a 1.8 head onto it they have much larger ports on them and naturally flow much better.

Custom76Bus · « **Reply #36 on:** June 07, 2005, 01:51:56 AM »

Heya,

Just figured I'd show some photos of the custom interior layout I'm doing in my westy. Still working on it.

(That piece of scrap wood was just to illustrate the back board.)

Hoping to have it all ready to upholster within the next week or so. I'm going to be custom upholstering everything... gonna foam and upholster the cooler box too... should make a nice comfy armrest. With this layout I *should* be able to put the sink unit back in if I needed to.

Also, got my monitor hooked up. Not sure how I like its secured position, infringes a little in the head room of the front :S.. looks like it'll work wonderfully though.

Down

Up

Custom76Bus · « **Reply #37 on:** February 07, 2006, 04:36:47 PM »

Another step forward.... one helluva fall back... doh!

So.... Bus gets towed to a shop to get some undercarriage panels cleaned up and installed....
Completed in a day with great results... so yay!
Bus is all sealed up body wise.... But wait....

Wasn't there a pop-top on top when it was dropped off at your shop? - Not when it got here...

Hrmmm.... cause it was placed on top of the bus the night before and roped in at the front... alas it was not bolted down in the rear though...

The Mystery ===] Where the top landed...

If anyone noticed a rather large pop-top panel on 60th ave near 190th on Monday, let me know. Thanks

...

Apparently the Flat deck driver loaded it up ass-first, so I guess the wind took her after a bump or something, yet he 'didn't notice' anything go flying.....

Sigh.... So anyone have a late model bus pop-top? Cheers....

Guess I've got a convertible bus now!!!!!!!!!!

:wacko:

slammedbus · « **Reply #38 on:** February 07, 2006, 05:29:27 PM »

I know a guy up here that has a 78 westy that he wants $250 for complete with everything. Major rusty but ran well. Tranny is pooched, all interior and pop top with canvas etc is all there. LEt me know. Might be able to take what you need and sell the rest as parts....just a thought

Bubba · « **Reply #39 on:** February 07, 2006, 05:31:10 PM »

Man, that is shitty. I did that once, but all it cost me was a $300US cover for my boat. :blush:

HeliMike · « **Reply #40 on:** February 07, 2006, 05:58:04 PM »

Funny you mention that because I can totaly relate! I was moving in the windstorm on Saturday and loaded my $2000+ mattress and boxspring and my $700 drafting table into the back of my bro's pickup. He drives away before I can say \"maybe we should strap it down\" and lone behold! I get to my place and there's my bro, soaking up to his knees in ditchwater :lol:
Apparently a gust of wind threw my mattress about 20 feet sideways into a ditch (not just any ditch - this was the muther of all ditches) along with my drafting table that sank to the bottom after exploding into a million bits and pieces all over the road first. I had that table for only 6 days

Luckily I cleaned the mattress but the table's a gonner.

I'll keep my eyes peeled for that top though.

Custom76Bus · « **Reply #41 on:** June 27, 2007, 11:09:16 PM »

Heh... my annual report...

Bus is back in my Garage with some progress happening. Could maybe have going for THIS years gcvws.... not getting hopes up.

Running lines for turbo, doing exhaust this week. Modifying Recaro seats to fit... I get the gas tank back from leakers in a week (had to have some removed for fitment issues with 16v.

Ideal timeline:

Week 1-4 - turbo/exhaust/intake
Week 2-4 - Radiator placement
Week 3-5 - Wiring
Week 3-7 - Remaining items that impede legal road driving(shifter linkages, gauges, shocks, headlights/tailights...

Week 7 = GCVWS....

Can it be done? I really freaking hope so!

Wish me luck eh?