Home away from Home, on wheels.

Raj · Post by **Raj** » Fri Dec 07, 2012 4:13 pm

she back yet?

Post by **ObnoxiousBlue** » Fri Dec 07, 2012 4:39 pm

Got it back last night... So far, so good.

I still have to plug in the new heater, there are 6 wires that go to it... of which three need new connectors. 2 go to the pump, 2 to the thermostat, 1 to the switch, and 1 to the battery.
Just had work today, and work tomorrow. Might be going to the Giants game on Sunday (section 100

) and will hopefully get to them on Sunday.

Of course, last night on the way home decided to stop at the car wash to get the grease off the back...
Glenn is currently saying "Mike doesnt learn" and he's right... I came out of the tunnel with a broken antenna, a bent CB whip and a busted mirror.

#doh

I know what I'm ordering next...
I really wanted truck mirrors. There are guys on TS that say they have used the Greenbrier mirrors on the bus.
Though I kind of like the way the Brazilian Kombi mirrors look. Even though they're black. Apparently they don't wobble like regular bus mirrors, and they're higher quality than any of the repops for the Baywindows. I wonder how they'd look, or if I could paint them white?

What do you think?

http://www.busdepot.com/12179

http://www.busdepot.com/12180

Post by **Glenn** » Fri Dec 07, 2012 4:52 pm

ObnoxiousBlue wrote:I came out of the tunnel with a broken antenna, a bent CB whip and a busted mirror.

Sounds like a bad date.

MrBreeze · Post by **MrBreeze** » Fri Dec 07, 2012 7:26 pm

Not a fan of those mirrors, just don't like the plastic look.

I made the same car wash mistake years ago....never again

Post by **ObnoxiousBlue** » Sat Dec 08, 2012 12:41 am

I knew better Rob. Last time it was in the was, it jumped the track. I just figured "nah, it won't happen again" low and behold...

Unfortunately, the guys told me it would break, I said "naw, it'll be fine!"
I have only myself to blame.

I'd love to score a set of über rare Baywindow truck mirrors.
And wish they made a fully retractable bus antenna.

Have you seen the brazilian mirrors in person? It's IMPOSSIBLE to get a real nice set of aftermarket ones now... They're stamped poorly, the glass pops out of the plastic retainer ring, and the bung is pot metal... It's soft and almost always breaks the first time you tighten the mirror down

Have you seen any other alternatives?
Know anyone with a set of Corvair Greenbrier mirrors they wanna part with?

Btw, it's your turn!

Post by **ObnoxiousBlue** » Mon Dec 10, 2012 4:39 pm

Heater is hooked up now, got to prime it and fire it up for the first time today. It's running great, had no issues. Took the bus for a spin and it was toasty, so much so I had to shut it off because it was warm inside.

Also, have the bus going to the shop next week for a new battery tray. Happened to notice while I was in there today making the electrical connections on the heater, that the battery is sinking. My tray has been in bad shape, but there was a piece of plywood holding it up. I've had the tray for a while, but just never gott around o having it installed. The bus is going to the shop the funeral home uses, the brother in law of one of the directors. They're painting only what needs be painted after the paint in the rear corner blisters. I don't want to deal with a massive paint job again. Eventually, before spring , he'll also do the dogleg and the blister by my driver side rear wheel.

Raj · Post by **Raj** » Mon Dec 10, 2012 8:44 pm

good to hear that the heater is working nicely. Now can you run this heater with the motor off? Where does the exhaust dump out? Cant wait to see this bad boy in action!

Brown · Post by **Brown** » Mon Dec 10, 2012 9:16 pm

Raj wrote: Cant wait to feel this bad boy in action!

Fixed it for you!

Post by **ObnoxiousBlue** » Mon Dec 10, 2012 9:29 pm

Yes, the heater runs completely independent of the engine. The heater has an exhaust outlet, that is connected to a flex pipe that directs exhaust out under the bus.

Raj · Post by **Raj** » Mon Dec 10, 2012 10:05 pm

ObnoxiousBlue wrote:Yes, the heater runs completely independent of the engine. The heater has an exhaust outlet, that is connected to a flex pipe that directs exhaust out under the bus.

very cool. Just like the 73 things then. Will be a nice item to have on those chilly flanders nights!

Post by **ObnoxiousBlue** » Mon Dec 17, 2012 6:30 pm

Bus is in the body shop. Getting a new battery tray, new rear passenger corner, new pass dogleg, and a graft section in front of the drivers side rear wheel.

I'm very apprehensive, but anticipating having the car back late this week.
I've been sliding pennies to the side to cover some large repairs lately. Still have a few things to do when it gets back, but all stuff I can handle.

Speedo cable, antenna,moping for new seat belts, basic tune up (which might get pushed off till spring) considering a set of Brazilian mirrors, and on the hunt for a really nice steering wheel to replace my peeling rubbery sticky one. BusDepot sells the Brazilian wheels for less than what a mint late bay wheel goes for. S that mighhhht be an option.

Tom · Post by **Tom** » Mon Dec 17, 2012 7:09 pm

Thinking of going this route for the sticky steering wheel issue.

http://www.gowesty.com/ec_view_details. ... parent_id=

Post by **ObnoxiousBlue** » Mon Dec 17, 2012 7:19 pm

Yeah, I've seen those Tom. But IMO, they look cheap and remind me of our old 77 Plymouth Volaré.
Wheel skins are an obvious option, but I don't think I'd like how it looks once its on the wheel. I did think aiut getting a strip of leather and wrapping the wheel, I am pretty good at the baseball suture...

dubstar · Post by **dubstar** » Mon Dec 17, 2012 7:31 pm

those mirrors look like they belong on a vanagon...

Post by **ObnoxiousBlue** » Mon Dec 17, 2012 7:39 pm

Agreed, I don't like the black. But the repop mirrors for the bays may well be made of tin foil. Rusting is a luxury afforded only to those mirrors that don't fall off first. The repops are made of a soft pot metal, and they generally snap at the bung, or the threaded piece that drops through the bung.
I wonder of they like look better plasti dipped white?
I'd LOVE to get my hands on a set of truck mirrors or Greenbrier Van mirrors. But can't seem to find either.
TS HAD a set on TS
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/ ... id=1095480
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/ ... id=1377709
But they're missing the mount.

On the fence, not sure I'm sold on either option.

Brown · Post by **Brown** » Mon Dec 17, 2012 9:46 pm

Tom wrote:Thinking of going this route for the sticky steering wheel issue.

http://www.gowesty.com/ec_view_details. ... parent_id=

Does the wrap make it too thick?

Post by **ObnoxiousBlue** » Tue Dec 18, 2012 7:40 am

I don't imagine it would Ken. Bus wheels are very thin as it is.

This is the wheel from the Brazilian bus, it looks much thicker than the stock late bay wheel. I'd imagine it's padded like newer cars.

MrBreeze · Post by **MrBreeze** » Tue Dec 18, 2012 2:14 pm

That steering wheel is too thick for my tastes, takes away from the charm

Post by **ObnoxiousBlue** » Tue Dec 18, 2012 5:42 pm

Dropped off the new body panels at the shop today. Got to take a look at the bus which is already under the knife. They got the rear bumper off, turns out the rear corner was bumped at some point in the busses life. The opening around the bracket was kinda tweeked so I'm happy it's getting a new corner.

Old battery tray is cut out, they're prepping the metal and should start putting the corner together in the morning.

I'm really not happy about this. Not that it's all that bad... But I've NEVER had a "good" experience with a body man. I wasn't going to have to do the tray now just to have them paint over rust in the corner. Added, if they had to paint one rust spot, I figured may well just fix the spots that need it so I'm not losing the car again or having to worry about trying to match the color again.

Tom · Post by **Tom** » Wed Dec 19, 2012 6:44 am

Hard to see in the picture but whats that tube/pipe hanging there for(below the battery tray) ? I don't have that on my bus.

Post by **ObnoxiousBlue** » Wed Dec 19, 2012 7:42 am

There is one on each heater box. Those are the heater valve dump tubes. When the stock heat is off, they carry the heated air out to the back of the by, instead of releasing it in front of the engine, and causing the engine to run hotter.

If your bus is running stock heat exchangers I believe you should have these...

Post by **Glenn** » Wed Dec 19, 2012 7:51 am

ObnoxiousBlue wrote:Those are the heater valve dump tubes.

He said "dump".

Tom · Post by **Tom** » Wed Dec 19, 2012 8:06 am

They don't show up on Ratwells site (can't post diagram at work) as part of the heating system, makes sense though. I'll have to take a look at them next time I see you.

Raj · Post by **Raj** » Wed Dec 19, 2012 8:56 am

You lost me Mike. What arent you happy about? Did you not know the insides were bent up like that? What is your thinking at this point..... have him fix it best he can or soemthign else? Are the panels available as replacements?

Looks good other wise. Im eager to see the process as the pros do it.

Post by **ObnoxiousBlue** » Wed Dec 19, 2012 11:31 am

I'm not worried about the bus really. It is what it is at this point, so what... it got tapped in the rear corner at some point in its past, most old cars will have. Thankfully it wasn't a whole rear end job.

I had already bought him a new corner, so that if he ran into anything rust wise under the paint when he was fixing the bubble/battery tray he had what he needed to make the repairs.

I'm just nervous about it being in a shop, away from home, with a body man that I'm not entirely familiar with, and whether or not he is going to be able to match my color so that I'll be happy.
The fact that it was bumped doesn't scare me too much. You can see inside the old corner where the corner rolled. It bent up into the tail light opening but didn't go into the engine surround, the wheel surround or past the seam in the rear apron. You can see where it was damaged but that will all be gone after this. The bumper mounts in the body are fine, I'd suspect whatever they bumped probably didn't damage the car, but rather the bus' own bumper probably bent in and kinked the corner. I've had it since early 2009, clearly it hasn't had any issues as a result of whatever they bumped. Odds are it was a bumper on a car or something back when they had bumpers (thinking that height)

Also, Tom, here is some images... Take from TS. While the same set up on by 77, this is not from my bus... Just so others can see what were talking about.

Part number 41

Das Volks Vintage Volkswagen Gruppe

Home away from Home, on wheels.

Re: Home away from Home, on wheels.

Re: Home away from Home, on wheels.

Re: Home away from Home, on wheels.

Re: Home away from Home, on wheels.

Re: Home away from Home, on wheels.

Re: Home away from Home, on wheels.

Re: Home away from Home, on wheels.

Re: Home away from Home, on wheels.

Re: Home away from Home, on wheels.

Re: Home away from Home, on wheels.

Re: Home away from Home, on wheels.

Re: Home away from Home, on wheels.

Re: Home away from Home, on wheels.

Re: Home away from Home, on wheels.

Re: Home away from Home, on wheels.

Re: Home away from Home, on wheels.

Re: Home away from Home, on wheels.

Re: Home away from Home, on wheels.

Re: Home away from Home, on wheels.

Re: Home away from Home, on wheels.

Re: Home away from Home, on wheels.

Re: Home away from Home, on wheels.

Re: Home away from Home, on wheels.

Re: Home away from Home, on wheels.

Re: Home away from Home, on wheels.