The Projects

The 1969 bay window was the first new toy to arrive in October 2006, after the blue Beetle was finished & sold. It was supposed to be all up together, just needing a quick MOT & registering, then off to a show or random camping. Well I got it MOT'd easy enough & after some grief from the insurance got it registered a bit quick! So all was well.

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Enlarge This is how it looked when I first went to see it. All in all a good honest van. The front tyres were flat & it had a few battle scars. There were a few bits I didn't like & I already had a few loose plans in my head. It came from Arizona, USA, so had very little rust anywhere. It has been in my garage tucked up nice & warm since...
The interior in the front was in fairly good condition. The front seats had been rearmed at some point. & The dash is nice too. The cab floors are in great condition & don't need any repairs at all.
The original Westfalia interior in the back was mostly complete, I think it was only the tap on the sink that didn't work. I was undecided as to what to do about it as some of the laminate was peeling off & it was generally in a bit of a poor way. It was also awkward to drive due to the wardrobe being in the way of vision when approaching junctions. Some thought would need to go into this one.

The engine was the stock 1600 single port motor. It ran fine & pulled OK, but I had another engine waiting for it already. This unit was pulled out & sold soon after it was mot'd.

You can see the reversing lights & over riders. Both of which were not to my liking. Some people were upset when I removed them, but that's the way I like it. The Volkswagen script on the tail gate was removed also, as they often get damaged.
There are a few additions that the Americans have fitted to their vans as standard, some people like them, some people don't. Over riders might look like a good idea, but the can damage the front panel in a minor shunt. Mine was like this & need to be repaired. I just couldn't bring myself to drive it with dents in it! I removed both front & rear over riders.
I made some nice little plates to butt weld in to the old reverse light hole. I fully seam welded them in place. You can see that the rear lenses are now European spec with the amber indicator. I had to trim down the new lens to make the original SWF chrome rim fit as the US lenses are a different size.
There was a 110v mains hook up in the van as standard. That's not any use at all in the UK, so I removed that & welded it up too. If I want a 240v hook up, I will place it under the van out of site. I want a smooth clean look on the body.
You can see how bad the front panel really was in this picture. There is damage from the over rider on the lower panel & damage from where the spare wheel was. There were a few too many stone chips for my liking too & I was worried about rust forming. This picture does give a clue of how straight the van is though.
This picture gives the overall state of the front end. It doesn't look too bad but it's a bit wobbly. There is no rust in there at all which is a good thing. I had to rewire the front lights to UK spec & fit RHD head lights. I upgraded them to Halogen H4 at the same time. Note the top tint windscreen, a nice touch.
I welded up the holes for the spare wheel mounting and straighten out the dented panels as best I could. With a bit of panel beating & a little grinding it doesn't look so bad.
A quick dust over with some white primer made it look a whole lot better. I fitted the front end together to make sure it all fitted & worked OK. I could have used it like this but I don't like cars that look untidy. The interior was not too clever to use either.
I thought I better stick an engine in as it was heavy to keep pushing around. I had a nice 1641 with twin Weber 40 carbs to go in. I had the tinware powdercoated gloss black. It ran a merged stainless steel header & full flow oil system. I had to fabricate a whole now engine brace bar to make it fit.
So, with the engine in I fitted the rear bumper & offered up the turbo muffler silencer. No chance of that fitting at all. I had to extend the flange to get it to sit right.
With the engine in & exhaust fitted, it was time to fit the carbs & linkage. I set the valve clearances, mounted the oil filter, set the ignition timing & balanced the carbs. It ran fine with plenty of power.
Once the welds were ground down flush, I used a bit of white primer to protect it. I managed to straighten the tailgate out a bit too as there was a nasty dent in the middle of it. It this stage I still hadn't used any body filler. I was getting it as good as I could first.
It was all back together so it could be used, after a road test it was clear that the brakes & handling were not very good. I was always going to lower it, but was not sure about the brakes.
Some people would be happy with the van looking like this. I had found a set of EMPI 5 spokes that I stripped & repainted. All the tyres were good. I could have just lowered it & started to use it.
It didn't look too bad, if it was lower it might not have been a bit better. I kept looking at the patches of primer I had put on. Although 100 times better than the grey primer, I just couldn't live with it.
It wasn't long before the grinder came out & a spread of filler was in the front panel. This was probably the worst part of the van. I could have maybe got away with trying to blend in the front panel, but I carried on with the prep on the doors.
I managed to score a set of Porsche 911 Design 90 rims that had just been refurbished. I had a set of tyres to go on & bought some adapters.
What I did next will have a few people getting upset. I pulled the original front beam out complete with the drum brakes & fitted a later type beam with disc brakes. This may sound a bit mad, but the discs are much easier to maintain & repair as well as being a whole lot better at stopping.
The beam has adjusters fitted to fine tune the ride height. This is usefull if you change wheel and tyre combo's.
I bought the rear end to match so I could run the 2 piece drums. It makes it a lot easier to work on the rear brakes if you don't have to take the big hub nut off. The adapters bolt on simply & the Porsche rims sit perfectly.
The next step was to get the windows out & get some primer on the front panel. It looks very straight now, only a flat back with some guide coat will tell. The Porsche rims went walkabout onto the T3 multi van. Steels were fitted to the bay for paint. The interior was removed & sold as it wasn't really that useful. I have some ideas on how it would work better.
I flatted the primer off, It was pretty straight now. There were a couple of low spots, so a tiny spread of filler has sorted that out. I still need to flat those off. I will re-prime the front & doors again soon & maybe squirt some pearl white on to protect it.
This is where I am now. There is a crease quite low down on the long side panel, it's not very deep, but still needs sorting. There were other areas too, like where I removed the 110v hook up. It was better just to put a large spread to filler in. I will end up rubbing most of it out, just to leave a tiny skim. I need to buy a longer rubbing down block next week so I can make some progress.
There are a few other bits that will need prepping for paint. The roof is one of them. It is fiber glass & is flaking in places. I am not looking forward to working on that bit. I will remove the roof rack bars & luggage ties to get them powdercoated.
So, why another engine? Well the Girlfriend decided it would be a good idea to buy a 1954 Oval window bug. It had no engine so she swiped the one from the camper! I have been collecting parts for a while now to replace it. I have found a 1600 twinport motor. I have stripped the top end down & fitted new barrels & pistons. It has had all new gaskets & seals. The tinware has come back from the powder coaters now, so I can start building it up...
The engine is more or more or less complete now. There are a few essential bits missing, but they are easily sourced. I am unsure as what to do about an exhaust yet. I have a twin quick pack rear box but no header as yet. I have an old standard exhaust I could use, but it needs the tailpipe welding on.
I thought I better paint the engine bay before I fitted the new engine as it would only have to come out again. I cheated a bit by using stone chip then painting over it with 2 pac gloss white. It's not the best job I have done, but it's ok for the engine bay.
I fitted the engine today. I took this photo just as I was finishing up, or so I thought. I still had a bit of time left so cobbled together an exhaust so I could run it. I had to rewire in the voltage regulator as I had an alternator in there before. I filled it up with fresh oil & it started. It seems to run quite smooth which is a good start. The proof will be in the driving. I can now turn the van round & carry on with the bodywork where I left off...
As the D90's have been used on the T25 van, I thought I better get something to replace them. A pair of 6x15" & 7x15" Cookie Cutters came up. I have had them stripped & powder coated black. Tyres are 175/55 up front & 205/60 out back. I will need another set of adapters to fit them, so will have to wait to see what they look like.
I re-primed the front of the van as it had suffered a bit while sitting in the garage for so long. I flatted that off again & sprayed some of the original colour paint, pearl white on to protect it.
Normally I would just prep the whole van & paint it in one go. As you can see I am limited on space & can only safely paint a small bit at a time. My plan is to get the hole thing in white paint, then flat it all off & get it painted in a spray bake oven.
It's not perfect by any means. It would take for ever to get every slight crease or dent out of every panel. I don't know how straight it would be from the factory. I want the van to be a good usable camper, not a show car that I am scared to use. There is still plenty to do, but at least I am making some progress. Seeing fresh white paint is very inspiring as you can see that something is done at last...
I bought another engine lid as the one on the van was damaged on the inside. This one is rust free but had a few dents in it. It is not as bad as the existing one & I have straightened most of it out. I bare metalled the front & will put a skim of filler in soon. I have bought some new sanding paper & long rubbing block, so it should make work a bit easier. It is still a long process & I don't seem to be getting anywhere!
I removed the tail gate to make it easier to prep. I had some help for the day from a good friend, he used to be a panel beater & still is on the ball. He has reshaped a damaged section on the swage line & started the filler work. It still needs a fair amount of work, you can hardly see the damage from the picture, but a rub over by hand reveals some nasty's!
This is the before shot. It is not too bad at all. There is no rust at all to deal with, there are some small creases from some poor driving, but not much else. There is some crazing paint on the rear quarter that will need to be sorted out. All of the glass is removed now & solid non opening ones will refitted after.
Here is the man himself, on a mission for me. We both spent the whole day prepping, but didn't get as much done as we had hoped. These things always take longer than you think. We had a nice day for it though. We have made good progress & I can prime some sections now.
Not the best photo, but you can see the hard to fix areas were in perfect condition. This is the advantage of a dry bus. Having spent all of it's life in the sun there is hardly any rust. It makes the project a whole lot easier.

There was some paint cracking on the rear quarter panel, on closer inspection it revealed some previous damage repair. It doesn't look too bad. We got all of the paint off so we can start again.

That's it for now until I can get on with more rubbing down.

There is yet another set of wheels here now. A set of repro Porsche Gas Burner wheels with the correct stud pattern. I will get some tyres soon & trial fit them. They should bolt straight on. I will use the center caps from the cookie cutters too.
This is about as far as I got. I have realised I have no time to get on & finish the prep work. I have stripped all of the doors off and unbolted the pop top. I have decided to give it to the painter to work his magic. It's not the cheapest way to get it done, but could be the best. I know the quality of work will be spot on!
The van is now in for paint at AE Coachworks. John has done some work for me before and I am looking forward to seeing the end result. Thanks to Steve Warne for the transport, if you need a vehicle shifted, give him a call: 07876 171030.
The van is now back from paint. It has come out fantastic. John & his team have done a great job. I am very happy with the result. I have fitted the new wheels, they were a tight squeeze on the back. I don't really know why the are made with such a poor offset. I have fitted the lights & indicators already, now the long process of fitting up can continue. The other panels are to follow as & when they are done.
I have managed to refit the top tin front screen on my own! I don't quite know how I managed it as it normally takes a few hands to get it in. I tried to fit a side window using a new rubber but that just won't go. I will need help with the other I think. Progress is slow as the weather is bad & the panels are still at paint.
Most of the panels are back from paint now. The front doors, tail gate & engine lid are now fitted & lined up. All the door gaps are good & open & close nicely. I have the sliding door back now too & will be fitted soon.
The pop top & roof rack section were painted in Mercedes Arctic white No1. It gives a nice contrast to the pearl white on the body. I had the roof rack bars & tie bars powder coated in gloss black.
I have now fully fitted the pop top along with replacement rubber seals. The canvas is secured now too. The canvas is in very good condition, it was replaced just before I bought it.
It is really starting to come together now. There is still a lot of fitting up to do. The front doors will take a while as they are fiddley with lots of parts. I have all new rubbers & trims for these too...
Both the front doors are now fitted up. I still need to fit the door seals & will do these soon. The reproduction parts are not the best fit & takes time & patients to get it all to work right. Hopefully they won't leak water. It all looks ok for now.
I had problems with the new rear window rubbers from Just Kampers, they just wouldn't go in the hole! I tried a few different things, but have bought new rubbers from Custom & Commercial. These ones fit ok.
I have fitted a few more parts now too. I am liking the the Euro rear end. It has now got a clean look. The bumpers should be back from the painter any day now.
All of the windows are now fitted. It took a bit of doing as I was on my own for most of it. I have fitted a side step from Just Kampers, this was a straight forward fit too. I am liking the look.
The bumpers are back from the paint shop now & the front one will be fitted soon. I might have to pull the engine again to sort out a leaky flywheel oil seal. I have done it once already, so there maybe a hidden problem.

All in all, looking good. It will look a whole lot better when the front bumper is on. I had it painted in 3 bits, so have bought new seals & coach bolts to put it back together.
This is a great shot, It shows how straight this bus really is. There wasn't a massive amount of prep work to do for paint, but A E Coachworks have made a fantastic job. That shine is straight out of the gun. It has not been flat & polished & has yet to be waxed. Not bad ay? I was impressed & I am fussy!
The front bumper is now fitted. It was a bit of a game to assemble it, but not too bad. I have mounted the front number plate just with double sided tape as I am unsure to its final position & style yet.

I had a bit of extra time, so I started to fit the interior panels. I had bought a cab floor carpet a little while ago, so have just laid that in. I have fitted the kick panels in the front & both front door cards. I will fit the resto of the interior panels soon.
The weather was ok, so I pulled the van out to do some more work on it. I thought I would get some better pictures before I put it away again.
I will buy new bumper step rubber from a swap meet this week end, the originals have seemed to have shrunk over the years & I am struggling to get them back on. New ones will finish it off a bit nicer too.
The front cab area is now fully trimmed. Both door cards, kick panels & carpet are in place. It is looking quite good in there now.
The rear still needs a bit of love. I have fitted the door cards except for the long side & tailgate. I have loosely fitted up the rock & roll bed. I need to weld in a fixing for the bed as the fuel tank is behind the panel. I would have to remove the engine & fuel tank just to fit a nut. A fixing panel will make things a lot easier for the future too. It needs a good clean in there too. That brown stuff is Arizona dust!
The van is looking good now. It seems to sit just right. I haven't cleaned or polished any of it yet, it is how it came from the paint shop. I will give it a good going over when I get a nice dry day.
I have taken a few more photo's. You can see how straight the van is from here. The step looks cool tool. You can see how solid the under side is too.
The van is now taxed & MOT'd. It seems to drive very nice I have fitted the front door rubbers now, so it is really coming together.
I fitted a new standard exhaust, and fitted the rear panel & bumper. I quite like the look without the rear bumper, but is better to have it on incase of a minor knock.
It is nearly ready to go. All it really needs is the rear interior finishing off...
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