Long overdue Update.

WOW! Has it been a year already?!?!

I'll do a quick catch up. In October we decided to move from Mojave, CA to Lancaster, CA mainly due to my wife's and my commute everyday to work. 

I tried loading all my VW parts into the Bus and drive it to the new place (about 30 miles), but my dry rotted tires gave up the ghost about 5 miles down the freeway.

After getting a little situated in the new house I decided to sell my incorrect type 1 engine to a fellow VW guy to get his Single Cab on the road, plus to motivate me to get my type 4 complete. Here it is on the way out.

While the engine was out I decided to fix the worst of the rust.

The battery tray was a horrible fit, but with a little persuasion was able to get it in there and welded into place.

Around the end of December the engine was finished up

and installed

Added some eyebrows. Once I took the picture, my wife came out and said "She looks Toasted"

So now she finally has a name... Toaster!

I have done a little more work as we go... first was new seals and hoses all over the engine.

Replaced front pads, wire wheeled the surface rust off the rotors and cleaned the calipers.

Also put new rear shocks on (KYB Gas-A-Just)

After all that she was given a good bath (her first one since ownership!)

Been driving the heck out if as well! First trip was to my mom's house. She lives about 150 miles away.

Toaster's first trip!!

That was really a shakedown run. The real test was "Meet in the Middle" in the hills of beautiful Solvang,CA

which is about 3 hours away from my home.

First day we drove up to El Capitan State Beach for a little camping

The next morning we rolled to the Park where Meet in the Middle was being held.

Heading home we seen this barn by the park and took advantage of the photo op

I still have a few things I need to iron out. Rear brakes are first, then mabey I'll start replacing the door and window rubber. Toaster is a bunch of fun to drive and brings conversation everywhere I go. I have been asked if it's for sale a few times, but she ain't going anywhere ;)

Well, lets see. The Dellorto's are finished up and they look great.

My older brother scored this middle bench for $100 close to his home (Gaviota,CA) I have a set of clamps ordered and they are on their way.

New windshield. (A christmas gift for my Bus)

Also managed to track down a BugPack exhaust for a decent price off The Samba

Also put on new front brake hoses. The old ones were deteriorating from the inside causing the brake to not release.

I also just received a master cylinder I ordered. The original is cracked and leaking brake fluid.

The engine will start going back together soon. I have a whole box of sandblasted tin that needs to be primed and painted. I am convinced I can make this a driver this summer :)

K-EARTH 101′s Bugstock 2012 « K-EARTH 101

K-EARTH 101′s Bugstock 2012 « K-EARTH 101

Slow Progress....but it is progress :)

My progress has been slow. I'm still trying to clear some room in the garage. I have a JetSki that needs to come out but it's tucked away behind the Bus. I decided to toss in a type 1 engine so I would have the ability to pull it in and out of the garage. Still needs a couple of things to get it started. (fuel lines,oil,fuel, throttle cable)

The engine is a beater I was using in my Baja Bug until I got another (bigger,2276) engine for it. It ran fine but endplay was excessive. It'll work for what I need it to do.

Progress continues slowly on the type IV engine as well. The dual Dellortos are packed up and ready to ship to a freind with a soda blaster. Still need to clean up the tin :( Saving for an exhaust, mine was soo rusty I had to cut it off with a sawzall.

As the progress continues....

Sept.4, 2011

Well I figured I should start a Blog about my 1972 VW Transporter and my dealings with the repairs. I'm normally into my Baja Bugs, so this will be my first time playing with a bus and a Type IV engine.
I picked up BlueBus last year in the Sacramento area. I found it on The Samba and the guy was looking to trade a Baja Bug for it. So I towed one of my baja's (1974 Standard 2332w/single IDF) up to Sacramento and did the swap.

This is how she looked when I brought her home. Missing middle seat, but otherwise complete. Stock 1700 engine with dual Dellorto's (nice bonus). Also the front windshield was shattered :( The body is pretty rust free minus the battery tray.
She was moved into the garage shortly after coming home, and the engine was removed.

The engine was in pretty bad shape. Here you see how bad the dirt,rats nest,squirell crap and lord knows what else really was.

This is actually a spare engine I purchased, another 1700. Over the past year I have been slowly dissasmbling, cleaning, gathering parts to put this engine in the bus. It's been awhile but i'm starting to get in gear again as far as this build goes. Please understand I have a couple of other projects to deal with as well, but as the progress continues I will keep posting. I'll add more later to catch you up to where I am now.