The van with no name.....

[Bluesnailman]

I'm not an early adopter of tech, so while I've been on here for two years I've yet to make a proper post.

I've also singularly failed to give my '68 Cali import westy pop top a name.

So, here goes, my first attempt at recording the life and times of the van with no name.

Having broken down on purchase, and taken a year to get into shape I'm going to start this post with one of the high points - a photo of it in use as intended by the great and good of westfalia. A 45 year old vehicle from Germany, via usa, uk and France to a desert in Spain. Here's hoping my attempts at placing a photo here work.....



If so, then perhaps more will follow.

 

[Bigbear]

Great picture, lovely looking van! 8)


More pics please

 

[gninnam]

Like the picture and nothing stopping you from putting more on now

 

[Supertramp]

Cracking picture and the bus looks like a stunner. More please!

 

[Bluesnailman]

so, the problems began here:

a perfect condition MGB roadster of 1974 vintage. I liked, but didnt use enough.



so - not used much except for man outings (stainless rack was good for carrying a bike though...).

A rare romantic weekend to a plush hotel organised by yours truly therefore had a sting in the tail - a trip to Stanford Hall and you guessed it - Busfreeze.

A go ahead was secured for selling the MG (easy) - and buying a bay window westfalia was given the go ahead (also easy). We've been keen campers for a long time, but the cold and wet and phaf put us off sometimes - so a camper solves a number of issues.

A relatively short search revealed this:










An underloved early bay (the good looking ones), sound in body, unknown mechanically and scruffy inside. From California, been in uk since 20088, only done 1500 miles, and most of them were from place of purchase to the PO house. kept in garage so once and dry.

so great, quick negotiation followed as it seemed of sound body - broke down on way home......

 

[Bluesnailman]

I'm still not entirely sure what happened, but the red was glowing for a ling way, kind of flickering really. Wasn't the regulator, wasn't the dynamo, looks like it was a poor connection going back to the battery (corroded wire with a bad join).

Anyway, so in the two weeks after purchase - this is where you really start prodding and pushing, and the underside was really solid. Relief.

The interior was place to start, so......

Plenty of sanding and painting later took me from here



to here,




Then here,
URL=http://s1295.photobucket.com/user/Bluesnailman/media/camper251_zps8e464a9c.jpg.html]

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If I thought this took a while, getting the interior parts and trim was even tougher

 

[Bluesnailman]

Well, it seems right that I make an effort to update this post....

VW Heritage Roadtrip competition has a surprise shortlist - it includes me as the No4 trip.

SO, if you want to promote earlybays over late bays, scotland over finland or just want to be generous then please give me a vote!

https://www.vwheritage.com/pages/win-your-roadtrip/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I might even update my post with some photos of the fun i'm having at the moment.

Gearbox of at Bears for a refurb, engine has been dragged on the trolley jack across a gravel driveway into the garage, and I'm pleased to say that after a full dismantle and a big glob of solder that my fuel gauge sender unit is working properly again. Gear linkage to be dismantled this weekend, followed by some parts shopping http://forum.earlybay.com/posting.php?mode=reply&f=2&t=59893#" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

cheers

 

[CHILDSEY]

Great looking Westy.
Any other plans for it?
Cheers Paul.

 

[mike202]

nice trip, I would like to do something similar, although this year I'm hoping to go to France.

vote cast 8)

looking forward to seeing any more pics of the van

 

[Quincey]

Nice van and a trip I'd like to do as well in my Cali '71.
Good luck. I voted for ya.

 

[Bluesnailman]

cheers guys, thanks for the votes. Right, I'm going to get into writing this up MUCH better!

It seems a long time ago that I spent weeks painting the inside, but it did turn out good (one more coat to go I think)



I confess I did cheat a little with the interior and got one of these, and then had it re-covered in the best match i could get. i know it should have a plastic sink....... but stainless just seemed more long lasting



I also had Rob (the builder) at dubtricks make me a nice cooker unit that sits where the buddy seat was. I was real lucky and managed to source all the hinges on this forum, including the top hinge from (i think) a 74 continental which allows the lid to flip up and sideways to avoid the curve in the roof.



and then like this..



sound deadening, some lambswool insulation and a reupholster made things look even better



and the great joy of wrestling new ply lining into place - well if you've done it on your own you'll know that you need to use your hands toes and forehead to fold and pop it into place...



I found the engine had a major flat spot, which was cured with a svda unit, and having dismantled and tested half the charging system found the cause of the day 1 breakdown to be the return cable from the regulator to the batter to have been cut and then 'repaired'....I'm still puzzled as to why someone would need to cut it....

Oil, plugs, tappets, and some eBay convex door mirrors and we were off for the first proper outing after 8 months. My wifes faith in the van was great - she had a fixed agenda - and it involved just over 500 miles of driving.

 

[aogrady]

I love the use of the og style sink unit to replace the buddy seat, inspiring! Very nice indeed, like that a lot

Keep the pictures coming!

Cheers,

Alistair

 

[Trikky2]

Nice job Your bus looks great.

Ps. Why did your other half hate the MGB by the way?

 

[Bluesnailman]

Thanks for the comments guys, I'll post up some more pictures soon.

Why did she hate the 'B? Well, I think 'cause I bought it because it was available but she knew it wasn't the car I wanted (tr6 or 80's 911). My dad restored it and wanted to sell. Also, we have a car that does everything the b could do but it could do it better, faster, more comfortably and safer. And her car had a radio and didn't make her head cold. Or ears sore. Most modern cars are a bit better in those respects.............

 

[Trikky2]

Thanks for the comments guys, I'll post up some more pictures soon.

Why did she hate the 'B? Well, I think 'cause I bought it because it was available but she knew it wasn't the car I wanted (tr6 or 80's 911). My dad restored it and wanted to sell. Also, we have a car that does everything the b could do but it could do it better, faster, more comfortably and safer. And her car had a radio and didn't make her head cold. Or ears sore. Most modern cars are a bit better in those respects.............

Thanks for the reply It's always interesting to hear other people's views.

 

[Bluesnailman]

First of all - blatant plug: Vote no. 4 (me) and allow VW Heritage to promote earlybay campers over other VW's

https://www.vwheritage.com/pages/win-your-roadtrip/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I thought i'd interrupt my thread by going back to a fav road trip i did in 2103.

Leaving York on Friday after work, we stopped at Wing overnight on the way to Portsmouth



Then from Portsmouth we sailed to St Malo, and suddenly the weather was hot. A couple of hours and we were just outside Sarzeau



this was a great area for cycling and walking around and shame we were only there for a few days.

Made a friend, not nearly so good for camping....?



From St Nazaire you can catch the overnight ferry to Gijon, so we did!


And so with a short drive the next morning we found ourselves in a little proper Spanish fishing port





Another friend, this was the last other VW we saw for a long time. A mazda bongo kept reapearing (no photos - sorry)

A few more days of floating around the coast and we headed inland to the most fantastic Somiedo National park









Where did some cycling/walking/cycling and bier/tapas/bier type stuff: FAB

We then felt it was a good idea to head back to the coast - we kind of took the route

 

[Bluesnailman]

back on the coast we discovered that as we went towards Santander it got better and better.



and the coast road was quiet as the motorway was somewhere up the hill



unbelievably, you can go from this last photo to the Picos de Europa in about 25 min - i.e. to here (3rd gear mind)



where you can do some walks with some big drop off (would have been better on my bike i think)





and really good and quiet camp sites -



so far, we liked this a lot!!

This area is near the La Robellada marked on the map.

Back to the coast though, where surprisingly we found more great beaches







next it was time to spend a few hours pushing the camper up and down some big motorway hills - Riocha and Navarra next.

Thanks for looking so far - if you're feeling generous - take a look at the link below and vote No4, and if i win I'll post up this trip too

 

[magoo]

I enjoyed that!

 

[Bluesnailman]

Thanks! Just needing to remind myself why I've got the van with no name as at the moment its slow going and deadlines are looming......

A big empty place in here, and we thought modern cars invited underfloor storage - blimey, could get a petrol tank, gearbox and engine in here!





'balls', does this go back together easy? nope



and what's this? Heater tubes emerging from their wrapper to reveal a coat of paint so thin that it can't be measured in microns - but still there! Sanded, treated and going to get painted all the same



ahh the joys of thinking things through, it all started with - well if the gearbox needs a reburb then I might as well tackle a few things I can't normally get access to.... (fool)

 

[mike202]

nice road trip 8)

Are you painting the heater tubes in situ, and what are you going to use?