westy sold, '70 deluxe home! :-)

[crwbus]

Hi,

After being just an anonymous reader for a while, I thought, why not introduce myself and my '71 bay.
Little more then 4 years ago I started driving a '72 Gemini bug. But my dream was a VW Van. At first I wanted a splitvan, but as they were/are very expensive, I started to look out for a bay, preferrably lowlight. During my search, I started to love the earlybay very much! Even more than a splitscreen van. 8)
Finally I found one which was within my budget range. It didn't take me very long to think about it, so I bought it a few days after I first saw it.

This is how I bought it (still at the sellers location when these pics were taken):

:? :

It wasn't perfect, but it was relatively healthy and for a fair price.

 

[crwbus]

Two weeks later, I went to collect my new ride. At home, it got a good technical check up (un fortunately no pics): brakes, suspension, engine, etc...
A few months later, after it passed the technical inspection (which is obligatory in Belgium), I got my plates. Time to hit the road!

I wasn't really a fan of the color of the poptop and the wheels, so it was time for its first cosmetical change. I took off the Westfalia top, sanded it and gave it a bright white color. It also got standard steelies, which I also gave a white color, new hubcaps and rings:

 

[crwbus]

Cleaned interior:

It's clean, but in the future, it will get a makeover.

 

[bananacustard]

Wow :shock: . What a transformation, looks great 8) !!!

 

[gninnam]

Nice van 8)

Just 2 comments though (which I assume you have dealt with )

You need the foam/rubber around the engine tinware and also the tophats under the floor look to have been butchered a bit (or was it the way the pictures was taken)

Cheers

 

[Heebee_GB]

Lovely 71!
Interesting bumpers. Are they bare metal or stainless?
Where did you buy the chrome rings from as I'm after a set but heard various reports on quality.

Take it easy. Gary.

 

[crwbus]

Nice van 8)

Just 2 comments though (which I assume you have dealt with )

You need the foam/rubber around the engine tinware and also the tophats under the floor look to have been butchered a bit (or was it the way the pictures was taken)

Cheers

The foam around the engine tinware was one of the first things which has been taken care of. But... what do you mean by tophats under the floor?? Do you mean the bars which "cross" the van from left to right? I think in he past there was a tank or something. And they are butchered, that's true. But of course, in the future, they will be replaced. I intend to give the bus a complete restauration, in a not so near future, when there is time and money .

 

[crwbus]

Lovely 71!
Interesting bumpers. Are they bare metal or stainless?
Where did you buy the chrome rings from as I'm after a set but heard various reports on quality.

Take it easy. Gary.

It's neither bare metal nor stainless! It's silver paint. At least, it was when these pics were taken...

 

[crwbus]

Of course, this vehicle was way to high! So I got me a narrowed and adjustable beam. So, somewhere between Xmas and New Year's eve in 2009, me and a friend replaced the old (no pics of removing the old one because I forgot my cam that day)

But the day after:

The result:

Only the front has been lowered. The back will follow a few weeks later.

 

[crwbus]

Because the roof was not original, I decided to do something about that. However, it took me a long time to decide whether I was going for a small poptop, leave is as it is, or close the roof.
But I got lucky! A friend of mine had bought himself a bay which was going to be a donor. He needed the walkthrough section for his 71er. So the decision was made: close the hole in the roof. Actually, this friend was going to do it. Here are some pics:

After removing the interior:

Donor in the background:

 

[crwbus]

Once it was back home, I stripped the exterior, sanded the van and gave it a new color. The paint (for agriculture vehicles ) was not sprayed, but rolled.
Of course, I bumped into some bad spots , but for now, I decided to mask them.

 

[crwbus]

Some more pics taken in May 2010, with my son:

 

[crwbus]

Lovely 71!
Interesting bumpers. Are they bare metal or stainless?
Where did you buy the chrome rings from as I'm after a set but heard various reports on quality.

Take it easy. Gary.

It's neither bare metal nor stainless! It's silver paint. At least, it was when these pics were taken...

Sorry, I forgot to answer your second question. I am very happy with the rings! They are very easy to mount (they just click on your wheel) and they never come off! I have them for over a year and already did a few 1000kms. I bought them here (click).

 

[crwbus]

In the meantime, I sold the small roof rack and bought myself a "modern" King Pin roofrack. With some minor adjustments of the height, it fits my bay perfectly. Some like it, some don't. But I love it!

Unfortunelately no pic of my bay at Ninove...

 

[gninnam]

Do you mean the bars which "cross" the van from left to right?

Yes - glad you will get them sorted as they add a lot to the vehicles rigidity

 

[gninnam]

Great photo journal of what you did - the roof looks very well done

Will you be going to NINOVE this year as quiet a few EB'ers will be (not me as the van isn't on the road yet)??

 

[froggy]

Thats quite scary as the colours look almost identical to my old van :shock:

 

[Heebee_GB]

Lovely 71!
Interesting bumpers. Are they bare metal or stainless?
Where did you buy the chrome rings from as I'm after a set but heard various reports on quality.

Take it easy. Gary.

It's neither bare metal nor stainless! It's silver paint. At least, it was when these pics were taken...

Sorry, I forgot to answer your second question. I am very happy with the rings! They are very easy to mount (they just click on your wheel) and they never come off! I have them for over a year and already did a few 1000kms. I bought them here (click).

Sweet. Cheers splitt.

 

[crwbus]

Great photo journal of what you did - the roof looks very well done

Will you be going to NINOVE this year as quiet a few EB'ers will be (not me as the van isn't on the road yet)??

Yep! I was at Ninove last sunday and next year I will go again!

 

[crwbus]

Not much done here...

Except a trip to Germany (Mosel area). I will post some pics this weekend.

And got myself some comfortable "new" seats: 8)

Mounted:

Originally Porsche 924 I think...

Now it's time to think about fixing the door panels.