Dumb new Vdub Owner. Windshield question.

[DEXTER]

Hi everyone. Meet Dexter. He's a 71 Westy. Picked him up a few days ago for a cool 3000us. My lady and I are already very attached and spending all of our spare time fixing him up. He needs a new windshield. Will one from a 74 fit? Found a 74 Kombi on a buy and sell site that is not far from here at all. $500 for the whole damn thing! Could probably even get it for $400. Look forward to your replies. Good to be here.

 

[uber cool]

As far as i'm aware all years the same size. PM strongy on here, he fits them for a living.

 

[DEXTER]

Why thank you.

 

[uber cool]

no problem, welcome to the forum and nice bus, where about are you, guess its US?

 

[DEXTER]

Dexter thanks you for the compliment. Nope, I'm not in the US. I just used US dollars because most folks know what their dollar is worth vs. the US dollar. I actually bought it for $3500 Canadian. I live in Nova Scotia. 8)

The beast has required one hell of a lot of elbow grease!!




.

 

[Bookwus]

Hiya Dex,

A possible alternative option..............FWIW

Most busowners I know would opt not to replace a windshield themselves. The windshield on a Bus is notorious for being difficult. This can be a bit tricky and broken glass is the result.

The recommendation I keep hearing is to hire this job out to a pro. Then if the glass does break during installation, they have to replace it.

 

[DEXTER]

Hehe. Thanks for the suggestion. I am certainly not brave enough to attempt that myself! My mechanic has a guy at a glass place in town. I'm just tracking a windshield down to help cut down the cost. Dexter has not been quite as easy to inspect as we first thought. Motor vehicle inspections are much tougher around here than they used to be now that they last for two years instead of one.

On top of the motor we are trying to figure out a ton of little things. There is a short somewhere and the wiring is all messed up. Poor Dexter used to drag a trailer with him it seems. So for the moment he is grounded due to the fact that I don't have brake lights or blinkers. Anyone know where I can find a schematic?

If I hear back from Strongy and he says the windshield is good to go, I will be picking this beast up in the very near future. I feel kinda bad about turning him into a donor, but at that price he must require one hell of a lot of work.

 

[BJ1]

Welcome to the forum brother! Wiring diagrams are all here http://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/info/wiringt2.php Sounds like a fuse problem.
Your donor bus looks better than most unrestored UK vans! The windshields are all the same so the 74 will fit yours. Well worth buying the donor at that price - lock in a shed. Better investment than any bank - but that's not saying much.......................

 

[DEXTER]

Thank you very much BJ!! We were hoping it was just a fuse. Got a new one.. and it blew right away.

These buses are worth a heck of a lot more over there it seems. My bus after the conversion cost me less than 2000 pounds. How much do you think Dex would be worth in the UK?

 

[Bookwus]

Hiya Dex,

An excellent library of wiring diagrams (and they are large and in color!) can be found at http://www.vintagebus.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[ProfessorWheeto]

Just a little tip, when you come to remove the screen out the donor van its a lot safer to cut the rubber rather than trying to pop the rubber out in one piece. We just carefully slide a stanley knife between the rubber and the glass and slice the front of the rubber seal off.