Fixing a 1971 VW Kombi

BootBus is being painted

I'm getting pretty amped. After years of dreaming about it we finally have the BootBus and it is currently getting the dents out and being painted. Can't wait...

Newly Painted Bootbus - Extra, Extra!

It's exciting to see the BootBus painted.

The Battery was Toast

Chris and I just got back from the mechanic because the BootBus was not starting if it sat for more than a day or two. Could it be the battery, we asked ourselves? Well, the Les Schwab bloke, "Chuck" tested her and the indicator said "Battery Dead" - we exchanged our snow chains that we never used for a new battery and the BootBus is starting like it was new in 1971. I am stoked.

BootBus - the struggle

There are still quite a few things that need to be fixed on the BootBus before it is really ready for the road.

1 - Need the brake lights to work
2 - Turn signals need to work
3 - Some windows on both sides would be nice.

Well, I went to a shop today and they looked at it for 1/2 hour and told me to come back next week. That's cool. I just can't wait to fix this stuff. Any ideas?

Comfy?

Got enough room down there Tom? Looks like you're getting pretty comfy. I know my mat will keep you warm but don't expect us to give you free rent down there, buddy.

Tom under the bus #2 — not preserved

Lights!!!

Yippee the lights work!!!

Tom getting to work

Here goes Tom under the bus with the aid of my camping mat. Tom is a 'mobile mechanic' who travels to the car rather than have the customer bring it to him. He specializes in VW's and has a ton a experience. This is good because we couldn't tell a ball bearing from a fetzer valve.

Tom under the bus — not preserved

Tom's Bug

The life of a mobile mechanic demands a fast, reliable vehicle. Tom's ride has so much useful stuff in it we thought it was the new James Bond car. It is actually the text book 'garage on wheels'.

Tom, the VW Guy

Here's Tom the VW mechanic who came to our house to work on the bus. He's got my camping pad to lay on as its wet out and our drill hooked up through the window. Right now he's checking stuff out.

Updates on Tom's day will follow.

Getting the Hands Dirty

During our weekend camping trip, the BootBus gamely made it to the top of the small mountain, belching a cloud of nasty smoke.

After much speculation from Nick, Sean and I about what could be causing the smoke we decided to risk driving it the last half mile to the trailhead. The muffler had turned a bright white colour as if it had been painted.

We made it back home the next day without incident but figured it might be time to get Tom back out to give the BootBus a tune-up. He came out yesterday and worked on it in the rainy/sunny weather that is Eugene in the Spring.

He checked the valves, replaced some spark plugs, cleaned out and replaced the gearbox oil, and replaced some old gaskets that were causing an oil leak (and possibly all that smoke on the mountain).

Tom also showed us how to change the fan belt. If that breaks and we continue to drive, we can ruin the engine within 5 miles. It's a pretty simple procedure that we can easily do ourselves which is handy since we'd likely be aways from a mechanic when it snapped.

Already Sean thinks the Bus runs a little better. Just in time for another trip to California. Hopefully we can find time for a Giants game at Pac Bell Park.

Making her look pretty

Today Sean signed off on the designs that will soon adorn the BootBus. We are having some logos and signs printed up so that when people are cruising past us as we toil up the range at 50..45..40..35 mph, they'll have plenty of time to write down the URL and tell us where they saw us.

Can't wait to see how it'll look. The Bus already turns a lot of heads with its classic lines and nice paint job. I'm sure it will attract a lot more attention once the logos are on.

Clean as a baby's...

Well, ok, maybe not quite that clean. The inside could certainly use a sweep and better organisation of misc. junk we have back there. But the outside is looking nice and shiny after I washed it over the weekend.

Why is it that you can drive around in your dust-mobile and not really care how it looks, but the second you wash it, it's suddenly the most precious object and woe on man or beast that dares to soil it?

Or is that just me?

Finishing touches

We have been driving the BootBus the whole summer, and not really upgrading it much. A new client of ours is a metal cleaner, so we decided to get the hubcaps cleaned and the bumbers are next.

Notice Something New? — not preserved

Up Close on the Hubcaps — not preserved

Bumper to Bumper

Last night we took the BootBus out to Jon Mannila of MetalWorks. He took our bumpers off and is going to hammer out the dents and paint them up for us so they look purty again.

Here's a photo of one of the bigger dents — not preserved, and Jon surveying the damage — not preserved.

I'm sure Jon thought it would be a simple operation, but the BootBus made it a little difficult with some interesting bolt placement.

Photos:
Jon and his mate Tony attack the rear bumper — not preserved

Success!! — not preserved

The front bumper was next but Jon and Tony had the system down and it came off much quicker. The BootBus looks a little weird now without the bumpers. The front especially looks like it's false teeth are out or something.

Photos:
Jon cranking on the bolts — not preserved

Funny lookin' bus — not preserved

Jon made the comment that the bumpers probably hadn't been taken off since the bus rolled out of the factory. Considering that this was over 30 years ago, it probably explains why some of the bolts were a wee bit rusty — not preserved.

MetalWorks specializes in restoring just about anything to do with metal, whether it's antiques, sheet metal, tools or vehicles. Jon really enjoys working on and restoring old vehicles and he had a couple of works in progress in the shop while we were there.

Photos:
Chevy Blazer — not preserved

A big Donk — not preserved (as the revheads in Australia would say)

Jon's workshop is a grease monkey's paradise with a stereo sound system pumping out NASCAR and the shell of a '67 Camaro waiting its turn. We were also impressed by the Jeepers Creeper — not preserved.

Gettin' Ready for the Road

After the Portland road trip and the subsequent oil bleed and engine death, we asked Tom (our VW guy) to give the BootBus a look-see. With the Campus Crawl coming up, we don't want Sean and Nick stranded in California.

The oil leak is something that's been constant the whole time we've had the BootBus, but it was always worse after highway driving. With three weeks of highway driving on the horizon, we figured we'd have Greenpeace chasing after us if we didn't do something about the leak.

So Tom pulled the engine and replaced some seals. Here are some pix:

Tom with the engine out — not preserved

Tom doing his thing

The Beast!!

Um...you know how to put this back together, right? — not preserved

BootBus Todo for tonight

Chris and I are bringing the BootBus up to our Mates place for some serious repariing and upgrading tonight in prepartion of the Campus Crawl

BootBus todo.

1 - Add an extra Battery in Back
2 - Add an isolater for that extra Battery
3 - Build it so there is a lighter plug (inside bus) for inverter(s)

More Electrical Stuff
4 - Fix Turn Signals - currently don't work - my arm is tired of manual signalling
5 - Fix Horn - never has worked
6 - Adjust lights under speedometer etc so it is easier to see.
7 - Add the Stereo, amp?. and definately speakers. - Nick and I will probably run out of things to talk about over 3000 miles.
8 - Interior ceiling light - fix it
9 - Temperature gauge - fix it

Pump up the Volume

As far as the todo list went, we checked off 4 out of 9 items. And as Jon said at the end of the evening, "We did all the fun stuff, next time we'll take care of the crappy stuff."

Jon and Tony were hard at work again on the BootBus, installing a second battery, an isolater for that extra battery and two lighter plugs so we can charge up laptops, cell phones, powerpacks, small cities while we're cruising along.

Photo: The extra battery and isolater — not preserved.
The VW bus was the only vehicle that this isolater's instruction sheet advised you to call their helpline before installing, but Tony's an electrical genius and figured it out.

We also had a visit from Jon's daughter, Emily. She was a little shy but we convinced her to have a photo taken in the BootBus — not preserved.

You might be wondering where the fun part is. Well, Tony gave us a great deal on a stereo and Jon went shopping for some speakers and the BootBus now has tunes. Important if you're considering a 3000 mile journey in a loud, cold vehicle with only Nick and Sean for company!

The stereo posed some initial problems fitting in the BootBus dash, but Jon was not to be denied and sparks flew (photo) as he used a number of tools to get the job done.

But the biggest score of the evening had to be the speakers. Jon saw these in the store and just knew they had to go in the BootBus. These things are massive and kick out some serious noise (photo — not preserved). But that's not all, oh no. These babies pulse blue neon to the beat. Check this out! — not preserved

Like Ant said this morning when we showed him the newly decked out BootBus, "Once we install the nitro, we'll be racing for pinks out in Springtucky."

Comments from MetalWorks

(excerpt from Jon's email to us re: the BootBus after stereo installed - )

Tony and I laughed our asses of when you guys left that night. The whole bus
was glowing. Cool!!!

Bust a move,

Jon

Finishing Todo List Tonight

Chris and I are off to our Jon's shop tonight to hopefully finish the todo list that we started last week. The 1st week with tunes in the Bus was excellent. 2 happy hours and one camping trip in 7 days. How did we survive 2 trips to California and back with no tunes?

BootBus Electrical Fix-up Rescheduled

Patience is a virtue. Last nights Electrical overhaul was canceled and rescheduled for next Tuesday. Just a few more days of "hand signalling" when I want to turn right or left. Can't wait.

Sparks will fly

Since our latest trip out to Jon's shop to fix some electrical problems, the BootBus has been running around with the odd part cadged from a '67 Camaro. One of those parts was a flasher that made the turn signals flash like a strobe at a niteclub on '70's Night.

Sean and I went out to Brook's auto parts store to buy a more suitable part as well as a few other things (window winder, door seals, wiper blades, etc).

Tony had told me how to replace the part and I thought I knew what I was doing. Well, after wedging myself under the steering column and zapping myself with more than a few sparks, I realised I'm no electrician.

Now we had zero electrics. No wipers, no turn signals, no dash lights. We consulted the Master (Tony) and he suggested it could be a blown fuse. This morning I went out there and sure enough, I'd blown not one, but two fuses. I replaced those, added the new flasher and everything works fine. Woohoo!

Starter Trouble again this morning

I just got back from trying to start the bus with the key - no love. So Nick and I and gonna have a bowl of oatmeal and go push start it...Not sure what the deal is. If you see 2 guys around Chico push starting a VW bus...it will be us.

Installing the Bench Seat

On Sunday, Chris and I attempted to install the bench seat. It appears to bolt right in like most people said it would. But, we do not have a drill bit, so screwing into wood is very difficult to make them go in straight. This weekend we'll get our hands on one and give it a go again.

Oil Change - etc.

I took the BootBus in Springfield German Auto yesterday for an oil change and valve adjustment. With this done - the bus is back to every 3000 miles. This was the 1000 m,ile check-up on the new engine....which is working like a charms so far (knock on wood) - We can actually comfortably go 65 mpg now.

While I was waiting, I picked a guage so that our oil temperature reader would work as well as a new rubber for the sliding side door since our was trashed.

Other stuff - the bus is cold as Alaska so far this winter - the heat does eventually some - but at very low doses.

Coming up - End of January - BootBus in Seattle and Portland for Rolf Poots Book Tour.