Just found out today that the rent for the storage unit was not paid. So even if I was to go work on it tomorrow like I planned, I would be locked out of it. He will pay the bill Friday. My ad on Craigslist, for Automotive help for barter, was responded to. We've been talking through emails and he has experience with auto body work, and can also help us with the engine if we need it. I am hoping to barter some of my possessions with him, if not cash will have to do (however much I can scrape up that is...) We may meet up this weekend to check it out and figure out payment options. Saturday my coworker Paul is going to help with the wiring (for real this time, last time there was an unexpected death in his family)and we will get the windows back in.
Next week I am taking two additional days off (for my birthday! May 5!) so I plan to do a basic tune up & replace the fuel line so I can get the bus to my house by May 7. Why May 7? Because it sounds good...and the rest of the van I will complete in the comfort of my own driveway (for free!). And I can rest assured knowing there is help available.
I really need to practice my manual skills for the drive, and I am beginning to wonder what things may go wrong on my 30 minute "test drive"... The poor thing has been disassembled for nearly two years, but when I purchased him, he started right up and drove down the road. I guess only time will tell!
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Monday, April 26, 2010
April Showers Bring May Flowers
Or bring me awesome V-dub things for my birthday! New Rooms Online has a huge selection of useful VW bus items that I really want, such as cute backpacks and tea towels.
I really love this bus, I wish I could do something like this with mine!!
We haven't worked on the bus at all this week, been lots of things going on. And the weather has been icky. This week will will get things done though, I am sure of it. :P
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Rainy week ahead
This week's forecast tells me its going to Thunder & Rain a good part of this week & throughout the weekend. Looks like a good time to "take a break" and then get back to the grind once the sun comes out. This weekend I plan to stay inside, maybe sew the curtains for the windows. Trey & I washed the cushions in bleachy water 3 weeks ago and they are STILL WET. Not like sopping wet but if I were to kneel on them my pants will have water marks. If they dry out I can cover them with the rest of my vintage sheets/fabric.
Although my last post was pretty negative, on Sunday we did manage to get a few things done. I bought a new battery & Trey put it in, he had to remove part of the air intake to get it in, I guess auto batteries today are much larger than in 1979. Trey patched the teeny holes in the interior where rust had eaten through with bondo, I wiped down the walls & put some insulation in the passenger's side panels in the back. We just bought 25' of 2'' thick Reflectix for $15 and some spray adhesive for $5- very easy to adhere to the metal panels. Once we get the wiring done we are probably going to buy another 25' of insulation to put in between the metal floor & the plywood we have for the flooring. On top of that we are planning on putting in some Vinyl tiles. Luckily the actual floor space will be very small so I won't need a whole lot of tiles.
I've been taking a lot of pictures of our progress but I'm bad at posting them... I will try my very best to get some more pictures up tonight. I've been very slowly working on sanding/priming the bumpers because they're a pretty low priority right now... But since I haven't done much all week I'm sure I can find some time today or tomorrow finish them up. Trey's been trying to replace the screen in the windows but the spline tool we had sucked, so we just bought a better one. One of the screens had a large hole in it and the other one was torn around one of the corners, so we figured we'd just replace it. But if the tool keeps slipping off & cutting the screen I just may have to go Ghetto on that window and use some glue or tape. (Horrible, I know, but that's just how I roll)
In the meantime my daily driver Oldsmobile 88 is giving me grief. I don't exactly know what the problem is, but I have been spending so much $$ on the V-Dubb that even if I do take it to a mechanic I either won't be able to afford fixing it, or I won't be willing to... But I may just drop if off to have a quick look-see. The mechs know my car so well by now I'd be very surprised if they charge me to check it out, probably because they know I'd just be back a week or two later with something new. 1989 Oldsmobile 88: 250k+ miles, engine runs solid, solid body, no collisions, comfort, luxury & functionality all rolled into one stylish boat of a car. Haha I love my Olds 88!
Although my last post was pretty negative, on Sunday we did manage to get a few things done. I bought a new battery & Trey put it in, he had to remove part of the air intake to get it in, I guess auto batteries today are much larger than in 1979. Trey patched the teeny holes in the interior where rust had eaten through with bondo, I wiped down the walls & put some insulation in the passenger's side panels in the back. We just bought 25' of 2'' thick Reflectix for $15 and some spray adhesive for $5- very easy to adhere to the metal panels. Once we get the wiring done we are probably going to buy another 25' of insulation to put in between the metal floor & the plywood we have for the flooring. On top of that we are planning on putting in some Vinyl tiles. Luckily the actual floor space will be very small so I won't need a whole lot of tiles.
I've been taking a lot of pictures of our progress but I'm bad at posting them... I will try my very best to get some more pictures up tonight. I've been very slowly working on sanding/priming the bumpers because they're a pretty low priority right now... But since I haven't done much all week I'm sure I can find some time today or tomorrow finish them up. Trey's been trying to replace the screen in the windows but the spline tool we had sucked, so we just bought a better one. One of the screens had a large hole in it and the other one was torn around one of the corners, so we figured we'd just replace it. But if the tool keeps slipping off & cutting the screen I just may have to go Ghetto on that window and use some glue or tape. (Horrible, I know, but that's just how I roll)
In the meantime my daily driver Oldsmobile 88 is giving me grief. I don't exactly know what the problem is, but I have been spending so much $$ on the V-Dubb that even if I do take it to a mechanic I either won't be able to afford fixing it, or I won't be willing to... But I may just drop if off to have a quick look-see. The mechs know my car so well by now I'd be very surprised if they charge me to check it out, probably because they know I'd just be back a week or two later with something new. 1989 Oldsmobile 88: 250k+ miles, engine runs solid, solid body, no collisions, comfort, luxury & functionality all rolled into one stylish boat of a car. Haha I love my Olds 88!
Monday, April 19, 2010
Motivation on Vacation
My motivation has taken a (hopefully not permanent) vacation. Saturday drove to Raleigh & back (6 hours round trip) to pick up a rear driver's side window from a '73. Sunday Tommy & Paul were meeting up with us around noon to finish up the front bondo work, put in windows & do the wiring. But for second weekend in a row we were completely ditched. So Trey & I did what we could & went home. We were really looking forward to finishing up these two things because after this we won't really need to rely on other people... But even relying on a few things has proven to be a BIG MISTAKE. Apparently people are untrustworthy. Even if they appear to be very excited about a project. So, my motivation has taken a nose dive straight in to the ground. Its going to be hard to do the rest of this on our own... Deep down I know we can do it. But I just have to find my motivation now. I had so much of it and it all went away so quickly. After laying in bed since 4pm yesterday it was even hard to get out for work at 7:30 this morning... Part of me wants to box it up & sell it, labeled as another dead dream. Sorry for such a downer post... It's hardly a portion of how I am feeling. I could paint a picture with a pen, cause a song would only scratch the skin...
Monday, April 12, 2010
Interior rust removed/primed
Yesterday I washed the interior out/swept it, sanded it & primed it. Looks a lot better now, it was so dusty!!
Trey & I also sanded & primed the front:
Trey Sanded & primed the rest of the window rust! Now we can start putting all of the windows back in it.
When I paint it I am going to just cover parts in plastic/tape that I don't want painted. I know that is a little ghetto, but now I can rest assured rust isn't going to create a leaky window I could care less if its painted under the seals or not. Leaks=no good!
Tonight I took the leather covering off the front door panels, and cleaned them up (i saved the clips in a labeled plastic baggie of course!):
I stuck tape on the panel about the size of an open area in the door panel to see if my 8'' speakers will fit- and they will! For the back of the van I plan on putting in speakers/subwoofer that hook up to an external power source. So when I am camping I can play music with my laptop/ipod/cd player.
I'm thinking about covering them in this fabric that at the moment is my Duvet cover:
I'm due for a new one anyways... I'd have to get some sort of sealer or spray that I can cover it with to keep it from fading in the sun. I think it'd look really nice!
Trey & I also sanded & primed the front:
Trey Sanded & primed the rest of the window rust! Now we can start putting all of the windows back in it.
When I paint it I am going to just cover parts in plastic/tape that I don't want painted. I know that is a little ghetto, but now I can rest assured rust isn't going to create a leaky window I could care less if its painted under the seals or not. Leaks=no good!
Tonight I took the leather covering off the front door panels, and cleaned them up (i saved the clips in a labeled plastic baggie of course!):
I stuck tape on the panel about the size of an open area in the door panel to see if my 8'' speakers will fit- and they will! For the back of the van I plan on putting in speakers/subwoofer that hook up to an external power source. So when I am camping I can play music with my laptop/ipod/cd player.
I'm thinking about covering them in this fabric that at the moment is my Duvet cover:
I'm due for a new one anyways... I'd have to get some sort of sealer or spray that I can cover it with to keep it from fading in the sun. I think it'd look really nice!
Friday, April 9, 2010
Two Tones
Now after looking at every picture of a VW on the internet I am starting to love two tones... Some examples I've seen:
A sunny weekend ahead of me
I am looking forward to the sunny (yet cool) weekend we are about to have! Tonight I am riding down to 7 Devils (where my bus is!) with a coworker who knows a good deal about Automotive wiring/electrical systems to determine what we may need.
Tomorrow morning I am having a yard sale with two other coworkers which I am very excited about! It is really last minute but, I really need to get rid of so much excess stuff I have. Then I can use what I earn to buy paint & insulation for the bus! Please wish me luck- I hope I get a lot of buyers tomorrow morning!
Saturday evening, or more likely Sunday- We are planning on doing the wiring (with Paul's help), finishing up the body filler (with Tommy's help), getting the last teeny bit of rust off (Trey & I), and getting the new seals on/ putting the windshield & the windows back in! Then I will paint! I doubt we will be painting him this weekend because I am still very much up in the air about colors/patterns... I would love to customize the exterior with something but I don't want to be a cop magnet. How to blend in but stand out? *scratches head* I guess a 1979 Camper Bus may stand out on its own anyways, because of how awesome they are of course...
I have a few more pics I want to add but blogger won't upload photos right now! Must be lunchtime...
Here they are!
Very Cool side shot:
I LOVE these colors:
Whoa
Lovin' the stripes!!
Road Cow
Towing a little buddy!
I like the wiggly rainbow a lot! (Maybe could try something similar, but with matching tones)
Retro!
Bubble Gum Bus!
Magic Happens
Tomorrow morning I am having a yard sale with two other coworkers which I am very excited about! It is really last minute but, I really need to get rid of so much excess stuff I have. Then I can use what I earn to buy paint & insulation for the bus! Please wish me luck- I hope I get a lot of buyers tomorrow morning!
Saturday evening, or more likely Sunday- We are planning on doing the wiring (with Paul's help), finishing up the body filler (with Tommy's help), getting the last teeny bit of rust off (Trey & I), and getting the new seals on/ putting the windshield & the windows back in! Then I will paint! I doubt we will be painting him this weekend because I am still very much up in the air about colors/patterns... I would love to customize the exterior with something but I don't want to be a cop magnet. How to blend in but stand out? *scratches head* I guess a 1979 Camper Bus may stand out on its own anyways, because of how awesome they are of course...
I have a few more pics I want to add but blogger won't upload photos right now! Must be lunchtime...
Here they are!
Very Cool side shot:
I LOVE these colors:
Whoa
Lovin' the stripes!!
Road Cow
Towing a little buddy!
I like the wiggly rainbow a lot! (Maybe could try something similar, but with matching tones)
Retro!
Bubble Gum Bus!
Magic Happens
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Awesome Buses!
Sister of my bus w/ the side tent!
I really like the two-tones
Really pretty !
The Stripes make it look fast! Go snail, Go!
Open wide!
Flowers
Bumper reads: Flashbacks Happen
Home is where the Heart is
Loving the blue & red together!
I love the city painted on the rear of this one:
I really like the two-tones
Really pretty !
The Stripes make it look fast! Go snail, Go!
Open wide!
Flowers
Bumper reads: Flashbacks Happen
Home is where the Heart is
Loving the blue & red together!
I love the city painted on the rear of this one:
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
I. Love. Ikea.
Last weekend, during my awesomely awesome "spring break" I traveled to Ikea in Charlotte, and I was amazed to find so many useful, inexpensive & visually pleasing items I can actually use in my bus! They have laminate flooring for $1.25/sq ft, under cabinet storage options, magnetic strips, so much! Another trip is in order once I get closer to interior decorations...
Tonight after work we plan on removing the rest of the rust & hopefully putting the new seals & windows back in. After that is done then I will be ready to paint & with the windows in I can start wiring & insulation (this weekend??). Now that the bus is looking a lot better its easier for Tommy, Trey & I to put a lot of effort in to it without taking breaks saying "jeez... there's so much..."
Saturday we had a little accident with the driver's side rear window removal... well the removal was easy, but now we need a new window... So Saturday Trey & I plan to go around to neighboring junk yards to see what we can find.
I'll be looking for:
Luggage Rack
Bike Rack
Bumpers (our front bumper is pretty shotty)
Extended bumper???
A rear window...
Front Bucket Seats
Storage options
Cushions for Rock & Roll seat (ours are OK but one is pretty rough)
Tire Mount for front
I know carrying the tire on the front of the bus may not be as attractive as it could be, but I know that I can use the extra space in the van for storage. I am pretty sure I am missing the roof rack for the "Luggage Rack" as there are holes but nothing to go into the holes... If I can't find one of those nifty metal ones (sell online for over $200) then I think I am going to go with cargo straps sold @ Go Westy for $50, right now has an April special of $10 off! http://www.gowesty.com/ec_view_details.php?id=3664
But for $100 they have this http://www.gowesty.com/ec_view_details.php?id=4347 which may be better for me, depending on what I really need to store up there... Right now I know I will need a place to store my way awesome side tent which attaches to the sliding door. But who knows, I may end up selling that further on down the road. I love the option of having another room, but the circus side show colors just don't really do it for me. :P
I don't have my camera with me today, but I will definitely get some pics of my bus with it's tent...
Tonight after work we plan on removing the rest of the rust & hopefully putting the new seals & windows back in. After that is done then I will be ready to paint & with the windows in I can start wiring & insulation (this weekend??). Now that the bus is looking a lot better its easier for Tommy, Trey & I to put a lot of effort in to it without taking breaks saying "jeez... there's so much..."
Saturday we had a little accident with the driver's side rear window removal... well the removal was easy, but now we need a new window... So Saturday Trey & I plan to go around to neighboring junk yards to see what we can find.
I'll be looking for:
Luggage Rack
Bike Rack
Bumpers (our front bumper is pretty shotty)
Extended bumper???
A rear window...
Front Bucket Seats
Storage options
Cushions for Rock & Roll seat (ours are OK but one is pretty rough)
Tire Mount for front
I know carrying the tire on the front of the bus may not be as attractive as it could be, but I know that I can use the extra space in the van for storage. I am pretty sure I am missing the roof rack for the "Luggage Rack" as there are holes but nothing to go into the holes... If I can't find one of those nifty metal ones (sell online for over $200) then I think I am going to go with cargo straps sold @ Go Westy for $50, right now has an April special of $10 off! http://www.gowesty.com/ec_view_details.php?id=3664
But for $100 they have this http://www.gowesty.com/ec_view_details.php?id=4347 which may be better for me, depending on what I really need to store up there... Right now I know I will need a place to store my way awesome side tent which attaches to the sliding door. But who knows, I may end up selling that further on down the road. I love the option of having another room, but the circus side show colors just don't really do it for me. :P
I don't have my camera with me today, but I will definitely get some pics of my bus with it's tent...
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Today We...
Sanded most of the rust off the car & primed it. Including the engine compartment, which was worse than I thought...
Tommy filled in the area under the driver's side headlight which was dinged pretty bad
I washed off the Pop-top and covered the inside with a tapestry I bought yesterday with Contact Cement. *warning** don't EVER get this stuff on your hands, its incredibly hard to get off.*
I also sanded a good bit of some interior rust (not a lot at all) and primed it. Overall it's looking pretty good!
Next weekend I plan to get the rest of the rust off (just three or four more spots) and put the new seals on/windows back in. Then on to painting! I also want to finish sanding the rusty spots on the front floorboards.
Tommy filled in the area under the driver's side headlight which was dinged pretty bad
I washed off the Pop-top and covered the inside with a tapestry I bought yesterday with Contact Cement. *warning** don't EVER get this stuff on your hands, its incredibly hard to get off.*
I also sanded a good bit of some interior rust (not a lot at all) and primed it. Overall it's looking pretty good!
Next weekend I plan to get the rest of the rust off (just three or four more spots) and put the new seals on/windows back in. Then on to painting! I also want to finish sanding the rusty spots on the front floorboards.
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