My 70 Bus!! Wes

[gninnam]

^^WHS^^

Thinking of crating my bus up and shipping it over to you to get mine finished :mrgreen:

Keep up the good work

LOL, Thanks for the compliments! I have to admit, I do love working on my bus. Sad thing is, I got it second. Got my new to me 66 bug first and kind of slacked off on it when I got the bus. Maybe I can ship my bug to you and I can do your bus! LOL

A plan has hatched :lol:
Trying to get my wife into in old bug but she isn't going for it (wants power-steering and air-con etc........)

 

[justcruzin]

^^WHS^^

Thinking of crating my bus up and shipping it over to you to get mine finished :mrgreen:

Keep up the good work

LOL, Thanks for the compliments! I have to admit, I do love working on my bus. Sad thing is, I got it second. Got my new to me 66 bug first and kind of slacked off on it when I got the bus. Maybe I can ship my bug to you and I can do your bus! LOL

A plan has hatched :lol:
Trying to get my wife into in old bug but she isn't going for it (wants power-steering and air-con etc........)

I hear her on the A/C part of things, but I can deal with the non power steering. LOL I will probably be driving my A/C cars when the temps get above 90 here! LOL

 

[justcruzin]

Well, with this great weather we are having here, I got some more stuff done to the bus today!!

I installed my power outlet! It is mounted to the bolt that is right below the hazard switch. Not sure what that bolt does, but it is now holding the power outlet too. LOL I didn't want to put a hole in my dash so I went that route.

I also installed some computer speakers, well kind of! LOL I am basically just testing things right now. I kind of just wedged them behind the heat tower and have the bass speaker sitting in the walk through area. The wires aren't long enough to do much else with them. I am waiting on my hubby though, he is supposed to bring home a power inverter. So needless to say, I haven't been able to test them yet. When I get the inverter I should be able to hook the iPod up to the speakers and hopefully have decent sound. Will be nice to have some tunes! Having an original block out plate instead of a radio is kind of boring at times! LOL

You can kind of make out the power outlet toward the top left. The wires hanging down are one of those things that make to outlets out of one.

I hooked this up to fuse 12. If I read the fuse id's right, 12 is for accessories.

I also ran my wiring for my blower fan. I now have a switch in the cab of the bus instead of in the engine compartment. LOL I didn't exactly get this job totally done yet though. I kind of have it wire tied for now. Not sure where I want to put the switch. I do know I want to make or have made for me, a bracket to hold the switch and maybe also have it hold other switches or power outlets. For now this will work.

I left a lot of wiring so I can move my switch once I figure out where I want it to go. The gold wire at the bottom of the pic is rolled up in the hollow part of the front for now.

The switch wire tied to the steering column for now.

I ran the wire through some protective covering and then ran it through the holes for the a/c holes.

The a/c comes out from under the bus and then runs along the wheel well area. I couldn't find a good spot to keep the wire under the bus, so I just ran it the same way the a/c was supposed to be ran. I may change this later down the road? It had convenient rubber holders in that area though! LOL

I then ran it into a hole going inside the cab that is right behind the turn light. Not sure if the hole was for the a/c or maybe a drain. It isn't a hole like the rest of the a/c holes, so I'm not sure what it is there for, but it's now for running wire through. LOL

I hooked the power to the switch to fuse 7. I haven't looked to see what that fuse runs, but I did test it with lights, windshield wipers and fan on high speed and it didn't blow. So I think I am good! LOL

That's about all I got done today. Will be nice to have tunes and controlled heat from the front of the bus!

 

[justcruzin]

Well, got the power inverter and quickly figured out that the speakers just weren't going to cut where I had them. I ended up moving it all to the buddy seat's shelf.

I think I should be able to hear it now, specially since it's right behind me! LOL Now hopefully it will all stay there. LOL I used a goop that one uses on posters or what not, so you don't have to put holes in the walls. It's a sticky blue goop that pulls back off easily if one wants to remove it. Forgot the name of the stuff. LOL

I ended up putting the power inverter in the walk way and the iPod will just float around wherever I can reach it. LOL Not the best set up, but it will do for now.

I am going to eventually make me a suitcase speaker system. Just need to get a few more things and I can start on that project.

 

[gninnam]

Rock & Roll

Having tunes when your rolling is very important! Think the suitcase idea will look better and hopefully sound good too

 

[justcruzin]

Rock & Roll

Having tunes when your rolling is very important! Think the suitcase idea will look better and hopefully sound good too

Yah, and I won't have to run the power inverter either!! Only one cord to deal with. Guess I should get on this project!

 

[justcruzin]

Have a little update.

I was having some fumes in the cabin problems so I started a thread here:

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=495221&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

We took everything apart and found that some of the gaskets were bad and some of the donuts were bad. The heater boxes had some rust issues and the muffler had one of the ports ( the part that hooks to the heater boxes) had a hole rusted in it and also had leaking around the part that goes to the muffler.

I lucked out and had just bought some heater boxes and other misc. stuff from a fellow club member, so I had some good heater boxes to put back on.

I was going to buy a new muffler, but everywhere I looked, they were out of stock. So I called another club member and as luck would have it, he had a good used one! 20 bucks later I was good to go on the muffler!!

Got everything back together and I was really shocked when I took it for a test drive. As I said in my thread linked above, WOW, one can actually hold a conversation with out raising their voice!! I was shocked on how quiet it is. That other muffler must have been a lot worse then I thought. It stunk a little, but it was from the new used heater boxes and all, not exhaust fumes!!

I also installed some of the stickers I got from AirMonkeys and Earlybay.com!!

I have a few more stickers to install, but I'm still trying to figure out where I want them!

I'm looking forward to going shopping on Monday. Can't wait to drive it again!!

 

[gninnam]

Amazing the difference a decent 'muffler' or exhaust can make to the running of the engine and also the din it makes.

Looks like you made a good haul with all the stuff you bought

 

[justcruzin]

That's for sure. I took it shopping today. About a 20 mile or so trip around town. Then took it with hubby in it to get lunch. It was so nice to be able to talk like a normal person instead of having to raise our voices!

I'm happy to report that the only smell I had was from the freshly painted heater boxes. When I shut the heat off, no more smell at all in the cabin. I am so excited to have a bus I can now drive without coming out of it smelling like exhaust!

Only thing I have done since the exhaust was install my new Earlybay stickers!

I put one on both sides.

The glass was crooked in this one! LOL

 

[71dormy]

love this bus 8)
just makes me want to live in america :lol: awesome...

 

[r73]

Glad you got the heater sorted. I did actually reply to your post over on the samba
Tell you what your lucky you don't live here you need more than a heater at the moment :mrgreen:

 

[justcruzin]

Glad you got the heater sorted. I did actually reply to your post over on the samba
Tell you what your lucky you don't live here you need more than a heater at the moment :mrgreen:

I don't know. It's been in the low 50s down to high 20's at night here. I'm debating if I want to drive the bus to work tonight. The heater in the 2001 car works a lot better! LOL

 

[r73]

Glad you got the heater sorted. I did actually reply to your post over on the samba
Tell you what your lucky you don't live here you need more than a heater at the moment :mrgreen:

I don't know. It's been in the low 50s down to high 20's at night here. I'm debating if I want to drive the bus to work tonight. The heater in the 2001 car works a lot better! LOL

oh! roll on the summer I say

 

[justcruzin]

I decided I didn't like my speaker system that I was using in the bus. It had to go through a power inverter and I had to hold on to the iPod so it wouldn't have feedback noise. Today I finally got around to making my suitcase system!

Here is what I had,

This is what I made today.

http://youtu.be/v2iCQlChopc" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I figure I can put it in the walk through area and when I get somewhere, just flip it to where it looks like an old suitcase sitting there. I still need to take it for a test drive so I can't say if I will have feed back noise or not yet. I hope not.

This solves my delima on what to do about a radio. My bus came stock with a blackout plate. Doesn't even have a hole for an antenna. I didn't want to install either one of those, so this fits the bill. Nice thing is, I can use it in my Bug and Pinto too!

 

[gninnam]

Sounds ok does that. well done :mrgreen:

 

[justcruzin]

I got some time and also nice weather today, to finally install my spot light/fog light. Still not sure what to call it! LOL Probably should just call it a yellow running light, because that is basically what it is. LOL I think it came off of one of the old tow trucks at my hubby's work? I found it on a rack over there and snagged it! I also added a chrome trim piece that goes around the grille.

Here is a before shot!

A few afters!

I plan on adding badges as I run across them. I really like the looks of them! I'm also going to do some license plate toppers too. I think those are neat also! I have a few on their way. I will post pics of those once they arrive and I have them installed!

As soon as I post this, the mail came and one of my toppers came!

 

[mister]

Looking good Kim, a nice bit of chrome bling for your front panel!

 

[justcruzin]

Looking good Kim, a nice bit of chrome bling for your front panel!

Thanks!

With all the rust and chips in the front, it needs all the help it can get! LOL

On that note, I have to replace the windshield. In doing that I will have to fix the rusty metal under the seal. I was planning on buy a can of spray paint ( having one made) of the paint color of my bus. Then when I fixed the metal I was just going to paint the immediate area below the windshield. Basically just the "bump" of the belt line.

I was talking with hubby about getting spray can made up of the color of my bus and he said I might as well buy a quart and just paint the whole front (nose) of the bus.

Here's my delima. I kind of like how it is "aged". Yah it doesn't look the best but it gives it character. It shows it's where and tear. I'm just so on the fence about repainting the nose. I still need to order the windshield and fix the metal, so I guess I have a few weeks to decide, but it is a rough decision! :|

 

[lard]

Is a tough one as then the front won't match the van - my brother also has a lovely weather beaten bus, he had his windscreen surround replaced along with gutters, he ended up getting it sprayed to match till below the bulge and then had them sand back the new paint to weather it, looks as ratty as the rest of his bus now 8)

 

[justcruzin]

Is a tough one as then the front won't match the van - my brother also has a lovely weather beaten bus, he had his windscreen surround replaced along with gutters, he ended up getting it sprayed to match till below the bulge and then had them sand back the new paint to weather it, looks as ratty as the rest of his bus now 8)

I know, that is what I don't want. I don't want a "new" front and old rear. LOL

I wonder if the paint place can match the paint on the gas door? I know Home Depot did an awesome job at matching the color of our plastic siding in paint color. I mean you can't even tell there is paint and then plastic sideing. That is how I would hope the paint place could do it! I would think matched to an already faded piece would match better then 'new' paint from a code?