The Cal-look Lounge

My new short term project. This thing makes me giggle :) You wouldn't believe the looks I got towing this thing home. People were really freaking out over it.
(http://images.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/1546788.jpg)
It's a 1969 Westy. Last June when I bought the 65 split in north west Oregon I headed over to the Woodburn VW event immediately to try and flip it quick. That didn't happen but I did buy some junk at the swap meet, notably a set of early 60's Porsche steelies from a guy named Robert. Looking the wheels over I noticed that 3 of the 4 were original, the other was a Brazilian knock off... So I asked him where the other wheel was and he was like, "Aww, fuck, man, shit. It must be back at my place in Eugene" (two hours south). So now I've got to figure out how to get this last wheel because what fucking good is 3 out of 4? (shipping wasn't an option for this guy). So three weeks later I drove back down to Oregon to pick up the 71 deluxe sunroof (the one that I just sold), and decided to head down to Eugene to swap the knock off wheel for the OG Porsche one (he needed to keep one for a spare). It's a long trip to swap a wheel but I was hoping he would have more junk that he wanted to get rid of. All he had was this beat up Westy. He was looking to sell but I was not at all interested. The body is pretty well fucked, it has ugly ass wheels with way too much positive offset, and some terrible front highback seats that look like they are out of a 90's Honda. On the bright side it is a factory camper, lifted, with a fresh 1776 dual Kadron engine that fired right up with a twist of the key. Anyway I took a few pics of it just for shits and giggles, and headed back north to grab the 71 and make my way home.

Meanwhile back home, I'm working on getting the 65 Split cleaned up. It was rolling on a set of crows foot bus 15's when I bought it, I planned on swapping some other rollers on there and selling the 15's separately. And this is where it all went wrong... I knew the bus 15's were exactly what this Westy needed too loose the roller skate backwoods redneck hillbilly trailer trash look. So I found some cheap rollers at Vintage Meet and pulled the crows foot rims off.(http://images.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/1549218.jpg)

At this point I'm not 100% down with buying the Westy, but it's a real possibility. I had been texting Robert occasionally and feeling him out on a price. He was way too high. But I know if I can get him way down on price that it could happen, and he seemed eager to move it. One night in late July I'm chilling out watching TV and looking at Facebook and a post comes up from another guy named Zach who had some FREE bay window parts just up north in Mount Vernon. He had front walk through seats, rear bench, drivers door and a 72+ repop dogleg. Free, just had to pick it up! The original upholstery was in decent shape, and as a bonus it was the same color as the 71 sunroof had originally. Now I've got a game plan: swap the free seats into the 71 (increasing its value), keep the haggard 71 walk through seats and potentially swap them into the lifted Bay (if I can make a deal). Now I've got two issues "fixed" on a bus I don't even own yet, front seats and wheels. By this time I'm really seeing the potential in the Westy and I want to make a deal happen.
(http://images.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/1549618.jpg)

So like I said, by this time I'm really wanting to make a deal happen. I'm geeking out researching lifted bays, seeing how big of a tire I can jam under there with the Wagenswest lift spindles and lift plates in the rear. So I go to wagenswest.com to learn more, and I find the page on custom lifted spindles (and damn, they are not cheap):
http://www.wagenswest.com/partstore/ind ... ndles.html
Ohh cool, there's a video. I click on it and realize that HOLY SHIT, THAT'S THE EXACT BUS I'M TRYING TO BUY!
https://vimeo.com/126189297

Now I'm fucked. I want it really bad. But I'm not going to make a dumb deal, I'm thinking about half of what he was asking. So two weeks ago I list the 71 for sale and start working on Robert. I ask him again what he wants and now he's a LOT lower. We're getting closer! I give him my offer and we settle at just over half of what he originally wanted. Short story long, now I've got a stupid lifted Westy that won't even fit in my garage :) The girlfriend hates it, so that confirms it is very good. My goal is to take it camping at least once before the summer is out. It needs a lot of love to make that happen though.

Yesterday I get started with a little work. I should do more important things, like figure out why the ignition won't turn the engine over all of the sudden ::) but I want to see the potential in this thing to get me excited. So I have the local tire shop pull the tires off the bus wheels and I knock out all of the factory clips in preparation for black powder coating. After new clips go in I'll shoot some white over the faces so it looks very close to original. Then tires... 30x9.50's in the rear and 235/75's up front. The goal is to have this thing look mostly stock, just a LOT bigger :D
(http://images.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/1549316.jpg)
(http://www.tirerack.com/images/tires/general/ge_grabber_at2_owl_pdpcrop.jpg)

I also removed the horrible high back seats...
(http://images.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/1549315.jpg)
.
.. and swapped in the stock seats I kept from the 71. I'll reupholster them eventually.
(http://images.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/1549314.jpg)

definitely not cal look! still pretty cool tho! don't forget to post pictures of the new wheel combo!

Nice, can't wait to see more (:

Maybe not yours, but my girlfriend would love it. She`s still mad about me selling my 68.

Going to look good with that wheel/tyre  combo and the lift.

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Thanks guys :) I'd love to have it good enough to take camping once before the season is over, but the more I look at it the more work I see. The end goal is to pass it on and make a little bit of profit, so I can't get too carried away. It will be a careful balance.

dude, let me know next time you're in a spot with parts in the Eugene area.... I could have totally helped you snag that last wheel, happily, since I'm right here in Eugene.  ;D

Ohh that's right! I totally forgot you live there. But if I did that then some other unlucky soul would have ended up with this pile :D

Do you recognize it? I stopped for fuel in Eugene before heading back and the gas station attendants knew about it.

Sadly, no I don't... I have to get back up to speed in the local VW scene since I was gone for years.  I'm still thrilled with my $800 Craigslist buy '74 standard Bug.  ha ha

Wheels back from powder coat. Waiting on hubcap clips to arrive from WW. I'll shoot the faces in white just like original.
(http://images.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/1554171.jpg)

I also sold the 65 bus, delivering it tomorrow :) Time to order tires!

Finally got to work on my wheels today, turning powder coat back to powder. The "fine" foam sanding block worked pretty well. A couple of these wheels were fairly pitted, blocking them down smoothed them out pretty well. Next time I do this I'll hit it with the coarse block first, then the fine. But for this rig they'll be perfect. Tomorrow I'll install the clips and it's mounting time!
(http://images.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/1556999.jpg)
(http://images.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/1556998.jpg)
(http://images.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/1556997.jpg)

Those tyres look mean...

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It was a good day for the Westy. Woke up and took the wheels and tires straight over to Les Schwab. I wasn't back home for a half an hour when they called for me to pick them up. Rad! Started with a photo opportunity. 30x9.50's on the left, 235/75 center, worn 215/75 on the right.
(http://images.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/1557402.jpg)
These coil over shocks were fucking miserable. This is at full droop, once on the ground the coils would bind and bottom out over a fucking penny. They were adjustable, but there was no adjustment left. Way too long. Rode like garbage.
(http://images.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/1557401.jpg)
I knocked those out and bolted in a set of KYB Gas Adjusts. I've said in the past that I would never use these shocks on an ACVW again, but for this application they are perfect. They'll control the weight of the tires (36lbs each, without wheels), and since the tires are so big in diameter and the sidewalls are so fat the ride quality will still be very good. I also got a set for the rear, then I realized I was a dummy and needed much longer ones to compensate for the lift ::) But I got a lucky break, the rear shocks are yellow- I cleaned them up and saw they are Bilstein's! Fuck yeah! So I'll save the rear KYB's for the next one, no big deal, got lucky there.
I bolted the wheels up, and took it for a test drive. Everything seems to clear 8) STOKED!! But the CV's click like fucking crazy. So bad that it sounds like shit is going to break in a BAD way. So I'm looking for a solution... The boots are all torn to shit, so I'm thinking just replace the axles with some longer ones? I got taller rear tires #1) because they would fit and #2) because I can lower the rear, keep the bus level, and reduce CV angle. Will longer axles help my situation or do I need to do something with the CV's?? ???  Anyway, checked the wheel torque again and snapped the caps on.
(http://images.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/1557400.jpg)
Then I putzed around the bus cleaning up and fixing little things. I found the missing passenger seat mount behind the closet (yes!), removed the bra, the driving lights, and just bounced all over the bus fixing and cleaning up little shit. It was a good day. I'll get some better pics in the morning.

As promised. I think the angle of the driveway shows more rake than is actually there.
(http://images.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/1557610.jpg)
A little before & after
(http://images.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/1546788.jpg)
(http://images.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/1557609.jpg)
I think this is what the kids call "hella flush" these days.
(http://images.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/1557608.jpg)

Looking good Zack! I always admire your enginuity and craftsmanship.

Looks a fun bus. Amazing to see one raised, folk in the UK usually slam them so low they're sitting on their arse. Nice! Did you say the CV boots are split, won't that mean the CV will be knackered anyway, regardless of the height change?

Please don't judge my ingenuity and craftmanship on this pile!! :D Thanks though. It makes me consider how I'd build something similar if I was to do it from the start. This will be greatly improved but far, far from perfect.

It's fun to do something different :) I would usually go a mild lowering route, but it's cool to try the opposite. You also learn a lot different things that make you a better mechanic.
You could be right on the CV's, that makes sense. They make so much noise now that I can't imagine they are still in useable condition anyway. That's why these just showed up in the mail the other day, high angle off road 002-091 CV and boot kit. These have 25° of travel vs 17° of the factory CV's. Hopefully that does the trick.
http://www.dansperformanceparts.com/type2-offroad-cv-kit.html
If the axles still need to be longer I'm considering adding some of these between the stub axles and CV's.
http://www.pacificcustoms.com/ac501920gr.html

I installed new rear engine mounts the other day and I've got a muffler on the way (amongst a thousand other little jobs) so hopefully in the next week it will be driveable. There's a show on the 15th that I'd love to take it to.

Ugly has its own quaintness. You make it functional. Like the big tires on stock wheels. As the proud new owner of a plated Westy without the interior. I should say congrats on the purchase and new project. Mine is being used for the wife's deli and catering.[attachment=1]
Pic is during the wrapping. This is the only way I had for a new air cooled VW. I might get to hot rod it as it only has a 1600 single port. Top speed 65 ish mph. Again I'll be watching this with interest.

That's very nice! Since having this I've started to appreciate the tin tops like yours more than the pop tops. We don't have kids so the "upstairs" cot is useless, the roof is bulky and complicated, all for the ability to stand up while changing clothes. I also much prefer the looks of the lower profile metal roofline. So for the next one, tin top all the way. Lifted only slightly. And a 1904 that appears nearly 100% stock, is simple to work on, find parts for, and repair out in the boonies. Something that you can floor the throttle for hours on end on the interstate, but has enough grunt for the trails.

I daydream a lot ::)

Looking great Zach! Perfect machine for camping trips  ;)

Any progress? Being new to Westies how about an interior pic. Will be checking out the Samba soon.

The camper interior leaves a lot to be desired right now! I'm not sure how far I'll end up going with that aspect of the build, time will tell. I did order new seat covers and pads from WW earlier this week, so at least it will be a nice place to be while driving.

Two weeks ago I picked up this 69 Deluxe bench seat. I'm going to rob a bunch of parts out of it for this Westy (windshield, t/s lenses, headlight parts, etc etc). I'll also swap the sliding door over. It's straighter, the camper window is in better condition, and the exterior handle isn't jacked all up. And a friend of mine has the matching original paint sliding door that I need :)
(http://images.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/1560282.jpg)
(http://images.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/1560167.jpg)
(http://images.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/1560166.jpg)

It was filthy, but cleaned up very well.
(http://images.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/1564873.jpg)

My main battle right now is with axles. The PO knew the stock axles would be too short (they are 18 3/4"), so he put in longer axles from a Vanagon. Problem is that he chose axles from an automatic trans, so one axle is 19 7/8" and the other is 21 1/4" ::) I'm trying to figure out the correct length, either find another one of those or get axles from a manual trans Vanagon, they are around 20 1/4" - 20 1/2". But first I decided to adjust the rear suspension down so it sits level. It's about 1 1/2"-2" higher than the front right now. After that I can take accurate measurements for axles.

I haven't made much progress on this lately. Every project I attempt ends up being more work than anticipated and it stalls me. Like the axles. The other day I got all my stuff together to recover the front seats and ended up finding a bunch of broken springs, so now that's on hold as well.
This morning was a small forward step. Picked up a football and did the trick to the nose. First time doing it, a lot of fun and very rewarding. Still ugly, but much improved.

(http://images.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/1568181.jpg)

(http://images.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/1568180.jpg)

Front looks much straighter, bet was it therapeutic?



Tell me about it, I'm still debating on air filters.

Wow, that's a dramatic change. 

Thanks guys! I guess it was therapeutic. Definitely satisfying hearing the metal "pop" and having a look outside to see a straighter panel.

Last year a deer hit the side of my Tundra down low in the doors. I think I might give this method a try and pop those dents out. I can't think of a better use for a football :D

Could you thug the seats from the other doner bus? Two pairs of seats could piece together one good pair.

So what is the trick with the football?

The donor bus is a bench seat, so the drivers portion would work but the passenger would not. It's not a huge deal, I'll just fix/weld the springs like I used to do back when I did upholstery for a living. I'm only bitching because I don't have a welder in my new shop yet ::)


Buy football (american style works best)
Deflate football
Place football between the dented outer panel and the inner bracing with the valve/inlet easy to access
Inflate football until the metal is back where you want it or the football explodes :)

Check this out:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQVre6S5J60

Wow that's cool  :o 8)

Gonna remember that trick.

So I just did a 3700 mile/10 day road trip back to AZ to retrieve some random junk I left there when I moved up to Washington. I took the scenic route, also saw some friends and family, and did some National Parking (froze my ass off camping in Arches). At the last minute I threw the front seat frames from the Westy in my truck to have my buddy in AZ weld up the busted springs (ridiculous, I know, but I had the space).
I'm a pansy and it's been either too damn cold or too damn wet outside to mess with the spring plates (Westy doesn't fit in the garage), so I need to make a little progress indoors.

You know those high density foam pads that go on the front backrest frames under the upholstery? I only have one and it's pretty wasted. Does anyone make these or have a used pair they wouldn't mind selling?
(http://images.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/1586229.jpg)

Exploded view.
(http://images.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/1586228.jpg)

While in AZ I also picked up an extra bus 15" wheel I found about 18 months ago. It's a little dinged up, but as they say, good enough for the spare. I just knocked out the rivets, cleaned it up, and dropped it off at Les Schwab for powdercoat. When I got back I used my $70 from General Tire to order up a 205/75, the biggest that I *think* will fit in the spare tire well.
(http://images.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/1586237.jpg)

Any progress or are you snowed in?

Zero progress. There's never enough snow here for an excuse. Work, holidays, blah blah. My spare wheel is probably ready to be picked up, I should do that.

My garage is a disaster area. Nearly impossible to work in. So I've decided that needs to change. My goal is to get the 69 deluxe sorted out a little and sold (as a project). Then I'll have a little breathing room to work on the Westy. It will also be sold on when it is ready, then I can focus on making my little shop an efficient working space I never want to leave.

I could post a pic of my (ahem) working space. But the mods would pull it and I'd be banned from posting ever again. Wifey and I are hoarders. Me car stuff tool boxes, press. Air comp, lathe and drill press and a '67 vert in pieces. She's crammed a double wide commercial freezer, single fridge, open display case and a dough roller. All in a double car garage. Oh yeah lawn tools , shovels rakes and implements of destruction.  ::)

We have exactly same problem, seats from Jo's 71 westy are mid resto and we need a pair of these, so far no joy finding any >:(  Hope you have some luck, we are finding anything from west coast have the same failure, heat must kill them

cheers Richie

Sounds familiar! I've worked in clean/organized shops before and I loved it. So efficient, such a joy to be in. So my garage is going to be my goal this year. I want to do a similar layout/look as the 12 Gauge Garage. If you haven't seen it, look it up. It's incredible.

I haven't been able to find a single thing. I'm going to do what I would have when I was a trimmer- glue on some super high density foam and carve it to shape.

I think we will have to make something as well  :(

Saw that on Garage Journal. 12 had lots of time and little money invested. Tho that is an extremely nice set up, I don't see myself going to that extreme. The Journal is a nice place for ideas. Need to retire and build my playroom. Wife's stuff needs going or I need to build a separate building for a shop.

Hope your dry, my friend.

I saw that bus around Eugene more than once - I lived there for 12 years.

Still have those ugly positive offset wheels?

Ron

The ugly wheels were the first thing to go. Traded them for a 1940 Schwinn DX frame.

The last two days were dry and gorgeous. Good thing because they were my days off :) I got the spare wheel painted up, taking it to get mounted after work.

Any progress? Nice and sunny here in Utah. Working the catering with our tin top.

The rain is just starting to clear here in Seattle :)

Over a month ago I bolted on some bare 14" steel wheels to get it under my garage door so I could begin to readjust the rear suspension to level it out, reduce CV angle, and allow the suspension to droop (spring plates were nearly resting on the bottom stop at ride height).

A good friend of mine who works for Go Westy hooked me up with a pair of 20.5" Vanagon axles that should work perfectly with the new suspension height. I cleaned them up and installed the new EMPI high angle CV's.

Then I took apart the passenger side and ordered new spring plate bushings from my local VW shop that took nearly 4 weeks to arrive ::) Re-set the torsion bars, 5 up and 5 down.

The 14x1.5mm hardware holding the trailing arm, the lift plate, and the hub together was a total mess, a lot of trips to Fastenal finally got that sorted out.

I'm having a friend (a Belgian who used to frequent this site actually ;)) make me up some 3" shock extensions to install my new KYB Gas-A-Just's. The Bilstein's previously installed were showing severe signs of over extension.

Next I will be replacing and re-routing the brake hard line, and I need to replace the parking brake cable.

And do it all over again on the other side (between school and a full time job).

Progress is slow, but it's progress.

Well a few quick trips and we find the need to rebuild driver and shotgun seats. Seems P/O just thru new covers on and the springs are shall we say challenged. I'm open to suggestions as to what to do.