Have I let myself in for a world of hurt?

[smalltime_hillbilly]

Hey, as the title suggests I think I may have to bite the bullet on the work I've let myself In for on my newest buy. , the hope was this being my first aircooled I would go steady and get something solid with little work. But I'm no stranger to VW and how the scene tax has gone out of control on anything aircooled so I ended up buying something needing a 'tlc'...









Its a 68 RHD Early Bay, 90% of the repair panels are there, all glass and doors, even the seats looks spot on. It needs a new front panel (which he has) and the floor in the cab is shot but it does include a full front end chop! Ive had a beak underneath which looks to be solid just needs one .......... which again he has! Even has running gear and a gearbox..I know a lot of people would probly suggest I started with a runner for my first aircooled bus but with prices these days I can't justify it, especially since I have the space, tools and sort of know what I'm doing. Even though I paid what I think is a more than great price (way under the 2k mark) my family has disowned me, my girlfriend won't talk to me like. And my cat won't give me the time of day.
Please reassure me :shock:

 

[NickJ]

Good luck, looks like a real project, you just need to crack on and show some progress to get everyone back on side :mrgreen: show them some pictures of a nice van in the colour you've chosen on the beach or on a nice campsite and tell them it will be you & them very soon, that should do it :lol:

 

[vinvan]

Hi Crack on
Forget what people say when it's done the will all want to share
"Just one thing" you have a 68 this is a one year only van and some parts are very difficult to find DON'T THROW ANYTHING AWAY keep everything, there's a guy on this forum took him 2 years to find a brake fluid bottle
good luck with the resto, if you need help just post on here there is always help available

 

[smalltime_hillbilly]

thanks chaps ive gotta wait untill early next year to get my hands on it because its in the back of his workshop with a wall and a few other cars blocking it, but gives me chance to put the caddy into storage and finish up a few bits on her, will absolutely be doing a resto thread on here because i think Im gonna need plenty of help, even more so since none of my mates have the 'car bug'.. luckily its gonna be at work with me so any down time i get i can crack on (Y)

 

[purpledog07]

Those pics take me back. Looks like you have the makings of a good bus there. You'll have to get used to being a pariah!

 

[Davydomes]

Good luck! The hard part will be keeping up your moral on the journey. If no one else has bought into it that makes it tougher. Believe me, a lot of people on here have thought "what the hell have I done! - will it ever be finished" When the going gets tough, the tough get going. Once you turn the corner and your starting to build it back up it will be all worth while

There is tons of great advice already left on this site by members. Using the search tool has saved us from making mistakes. We are 3 years into our resto and we put the engine in this past weekend!

Are you going for full restoration or rat/patina look?

 

[trinketpimp]

Take them to Busfest this weekend and show them why they are wrong and what it'll be worth when done...
Best of luck with it...

 

[smalltime_hillbilly]

Just wanna do the main things that doing really, I'm digging all the patina busses out there, i dont know who owns this one but its my inspiration atm

Wanna go down a similar route to my caddy

No rot but decent patina and didn't cost me 2k to get painted hahaah

 

[ozziedog]

Love the caddy. I do believe that is cheating in the lowering world though, getting someone to hold the back of the caddy down :lol: That is definitely not the bus in the worst condition winner by any means, I`d go so far as to say it`s just lost a tad of newness ! With the amount of work you got there , I have only one bit of advise for you and that is treat everything you can as soon as you can as soon as it`s welded, that was a big mistake for me. I just lost track of how long some bits had been bare metalled and without paint etc. Use the search, ask away, and buy yourself a couple of Dewalt extreme gold bits for drilling spotwelds out. Pay for themselves in half an hour. Get it on the road as quickly as possible, don`t worry about luxuries like interiors etc, get it running get it used and do the fineries as you go along, that way people will gradually come on side asthey realise what a cool lump of metal (ish) you have got there. Stay away from the lowering stick until you are running 100% because you start off with an inch here and two inches there, then accidently you get it hydraulic or pneaumatic and you start wondering where that five or ten grand went :roll: :? :roll:

Ozziedog,,,,,,,,,, Welcome along, Good luck and rolling for next spring :shock: :? :shock: maybe :mrgreen:

 

[Webbaldo]

Time and Money - If you have both then theres no issue.

Less money = More time
More money = Less time

Simple calculation for all restos really.

That bay is nice, and the persons wife on Instagram is really fit too

 

[purpledog07]

How is your bus resto going nearly a year down the line?

Sent from my SM-A320FL using Tapatalk

 

[ozziedog]

How is your bus resto going nearly a year down the line?

Sent from my SM-A320FL using Tapatalk

Me too, how's it ping ???

Ozziedog,,,,,,,, it's just a bit different with air cooled innit :mrgreen:

 

[claricia56]

thanks chaps ive gotta wait untill early next year to get my hands on it because its in the back of his workshop with a wall and a few other cars blocking it, but gives me chance to put the caddy into storage and finish up a few bits on her Prêt bancaire, will absolutely be doing a resto thread on here because i think Im gonna need plenty of help, even more so since none of my mates have the 'car bug'.. luckily its gonna be at work with me so any down time i get i can crack on (Y)

Well, you're lucky to have such a friend. I put my things anywhere.