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I HADN'T OWNED A VW IN 30 YEARS
BUT THEY JUST WON'T LEAVE YOU ALONE. I BECAME RE-INTERESTED IN VWs
AROUND APRIL OF 2009, WHEN I SAW AN EARLY BUS THAT HAD BEEN SHORTENED BY
BASICALLY REMOVING THE SLIDING DOOR SECTION OF THE BODY, THUS, MAKING THE END
RESULT A BUS THAT IS 4 FEET SHORTER. BEING A ROD BUILDER, I SAW A CHALLENGE,
AND, I LIKED THAT LITTLE BEAST. I HAD TO GET A COUPLE PICTURES OF IT AND I
POSTED THEM JUST BELOW. IT WAS AROUND NOON ON A SATURDAY AND THE OWNER WAS
LOADING UP HIS DRUM SET AFTER A GIG HIM AND HIS BAND JUST DID IN A LOCAL PUB
THERE THE NIGHT BEFORE
( Update-March 4th 2012)
- RECENTLY, A FELLOW EMAILED ME AND COMPLIMENTED ME ON MY PROGRESS SHOWN
BELOW. HE MENTIONED THAT HE ALSO WAS DOING A SHORTY AND THAT MY EXAMPLES
PROVED TO BE A LOT OF HELP. I TOLD HIM TO SEND SOME PHOTOS AND I WOULD PUT
THEM HERE ON MY WEB PAGE. WELL, HE HAS A NICE POSTING ON FACEBOOK, SO JUST
CLICK ON THE PHOTO TO THE LEFT AND YOU CAN SEE JOE'S PROGRESS |
I PICKED UP A 1972 MODEL RIGHT QUICK SO
I COULD BEGIN BUILDING MY OWN VERSION. I LEARNED A LOT ABOUT THEM REAL QUICKLY
ALONG THE WAY. SUCH THINGS AS SUSPENSION AND ENGINE CHANGES THAT TOOK PLACE THRU
THE YEARS AND MUCH MORE, THAT YOU CURRENT ENTHUSIASTS ALREADY KNOW...
It's been sitting on my lift
for nearly 2 years now and I finally got started on it
Just below are some pictures
of the progress with "MY" Shorty
Click the thumbnailed pix
for a better look at
MY VW SHORTY BUS BUILD
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(Early August of 2011)
Side view, up on my lift, with lowering plate on and a wheel in place |
View of the lowering U-plates provided by "widefive". Check out their link
on this page. This method lowers the rear just over 3 inches and otherwise
has no adjustment |
Trial fitting the exhaust. Looks like it clears everything, as it was meant
to fit a bug I believe |
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Nice bottom view shows how it all will go togeather |
View from the top of the empty aluminum case with the jugs & heads
temporarily installed to trial fit everything in the engine compartment |
The U-bent inlet on the muffler extends past the bumper a couple of inches,
but tucks the Dynomax muffler under the bus nicely |
(
Update-August 26th 2011) Here I have the front suspension
mostly disassembled for cleanup and reassembly. The upper torsion arms and
beam must be removed yet |
These parts are degreased and ready to prep and paint. All the ball joints
and tie rod ends were in very good original condition and need only new
rubber boots |
This is the custom built adjustable lowering beam I got from The Bus Boys on
the west coast. It will give me a similar drop in the front to match the
lowering plates in the rear of approx. 3 inches |
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After hours of scraping and degreasing, the center underside is coated. I
must also do the inner wheel wells before installing the new lowering beam |
 (
Update-Sept. 4th 2011) Most of the
front suspension parts are painted and ready to reinstall on the beam. I
cleaned and painted the brake booster as it seemed to be in good shape. Time
will tell if the diaphragm holds up |
 One
side of the reinstalled beam. I will clean and paint the spindles after
deciding how it sits with the lowering devices and the body changes |
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Underside view of the near completed front beam assembly. The next step is
to set it on the tires, remove the center section from the body and weld the
two end back together |
It sits lower at this point, however I will be removing 4 feet of the body
soon. I'll see where I'm at with a few hundred less pounds on the springs
and make a final adjustment to the front beam. As mentioned above, the rear
can not be adjusted |
  (
Update-Sept. 6th 2011) Here are a couple pix of the drivers side
after removing most of the center panel, window frame and the sliding door
on the other side. I will now fine cut the edges of the original seams so
they will fit nicely when I bring the two end together |
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(
Update-Sept. 8th 2011)
We had some extreme flooding and wet
basements the last two days here as many others did from what I saw on the
news. I did get back on the bus a day later though and here's where I am now
To the left are a number of angle shots I took after
removing most of the unwanted sheet metal. I left only the two frame rails
to hold the body halves steady while I fine trim the edges to be fit. SO FAR
SO GOOD?? |
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(
Update-Sept. 11th 2011)
After 8 hours of "final trimming", and here are the
results. These two thumbnailed closeup pix show the meeting areas of the
front & rear sections after the "near" final trimming has been completed. As
seen on the pictures, I must use one side of the final trimmed roof panel as
a pattern to mark the other to complete the final trimming on that side. I
must also remove the two frame rails (seen in pictures above) before I can
bring the halves together. Otherwise, everything is ready to trial fit and
see if any high areas must be ground down to insure a snug fit before
welding
NOTE THAT ON THE SIDE PANELS I AM JOINING THEM AT A
FACTORY SEEM ON THE DRIVERS SIDE AND THE SLIDING DOOR OPENING ON THE OTHER
SIDE WHICH MAKES FOR A REASONABLY EASY MEETING. ON THE ROOF I WILL USE A
TOOL THAT PUTS AN OVERLAPPING OFFSET ON ONE SIDE OF THE ROOF PANEL
(CLICK ON THE THUMNBNAILS) |
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  (
Update-Sept. 16th 2011)
The 2 halves are now trimmed, prepped and have been joined
for final welding. The 2 pix to the left show views of the
underside temporarily clamped |
 If
you have never seen how an offset seam tool works, click on the picture to
the left. It performs 2 tasks. It installs the offset and also punches holes
for button welding the 2 sides together. This is how I joined the roof
panels |
  The
photo on the left shows the overlapping roof panel being trial fitted. I
then traced the edge of it onto the other panel to make the final trim so
they join perfectly when brought back together. The photo on the right shows
the final offset seam, back together & ready to weld |
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    These
4 photos show a few views of the shorty bus, ready to permanently weld
together |
    I
got away from the body work for a while and built the rear motor mount using
aftermarket urethane sway bar bushings and part of the original hangers as
seen on the photos |
   
I continued with the engine compartment in these 4 photos. I fitted and
louvers some 16 gauge polished aluminum panels. The roof is black although
its hard to tell and the shiny ones still have the protective coating on
them. I have the oil cooler in place and access for the battery |
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(Update late December
2011)
No new picture as I've been doing a lot of the boring work
such as rerunning tubing for all the cables and cleaning the undercarriage.
I'm close to putting some final detail to the underside and I will take some
new pix. Also had to do some work around the house, so the bus became second
on the "to do" list
BUT IN THE MEAN WHILE...
As you see from the photo here, I had a Monkey Wrench
thrown in the gears. A few days before Christmas, I had a near fatal heart
attack. Before that, never took much more than an aspirin for a headache.
What a life changer. 6 pills a day now and no more Triple Wendy's burgers I
guess
I'm gradually getting back in the swing, and I'll update
again soon as I have something interesting
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(Update Jan 12th 2012)
We had a few unusually warm days here and the roof &
gutters were really rusty and pitted. That kind of rust that has to be
blasted away. I had my cousin help me prepare and blast those areas as I
still have very sore ribs from the CPR at the hospital. They apparently
broke quite a few during the process and still had to give me 8 shocks from
the paddles to bring me around
You also can see some lower rust panels installed
recently. All is coming along well and once it's back in the garage, I can
finish the under carriage detailing and take some more pictures
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(Update Jan 30th 2012)
I finally am felling better from the cracked ribs I got
from the CPR and welded the two inside floor halves together yesterday
A friend of mine is a retired body man and has a good
start on the roof & sides. He has most of the body lines on the roof back to
looking stock. It's 6:30 AM and I'm off in a few mins. to my heart therapy
classes |
   
(Update Feb 25th 2012)
I must replace the drivers door with a good used one I
have and finish the nose panel. Other than that, the first full primer coat
is now on the welded sections of the body as pictured here
Final visual inspection, additional body work and block
sanding will be next on the external part of the body. My body guy has over
100 hours and $400 in materials used thus far and it's only in primer
As seen mentioned on the last update, I now have finished
my heart therapy. I've been working on the underside and some mechanicals of
the project for weeks now as I feel just fine |
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(Update March 28th 2012)
Above are some pix of the bus in the final bodywork
primer. It is now ready to go to the painter for block sanding and color
(white top/red bottom) Don't know when that will happen
I moved everything out of my shop and began blowing off
light fixtures, shelves nook & crannies and anything else that had 1/4" of
sanding dust on it. After doing the same to my toolboxes, welders and the
other contents, it's all back in place and ready for me to finish the
mechanicals of the project
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(Update May 6th 2012)
Pictured here are some components I'm just about ready to
reinstall. I resealed the steering box and replaced the ignition switch
along with lengthening the wires for better access. It all got a fresh coat
of paint as well
For those of you who may want to bring the fuse panel up
to date, I found a nice universal replacement. Again, I added a 10 inch
pigtail to the panel terminals so as to relocate the panel to a more user
friendly location under the dash. It's pictured here ready to mount. Here is
the "ebay" store I bought it at
http://stores.ebay.com/Arlington-Products?_trksid=p4340.l2563
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CLICK THE "VW" LINKS BELOW
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SOME VW STUFF FOR SALE
CLICK THE THUMBNAILED PICTURES |
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DRAG
STYLE BUG PROJECT - Pa. Titled 1968, full cage, gauges in dash and
engine compartment, lightened everywhere, one piece F-glass nose, fuel cell,
reworked front axle, all wheel disc brakes w/emergency brake, racing seats,
5 point belts, fat tires/wheels, aluminum rear wing, visor, primer in color,
was street driven, no engine, over $3000 in parts and they are already
installed on the 68 body which is rust free, IRS rear suspension/4-spd, can
send more pix to interested persons
AS LISTED ABOVE -
$2000 (SOLD)
NEED AN ENGINE? -
SEE THOSE LISTING BELOW |
BAJA BUG PROJECT - Early
Super B without the wrap around windshield (,72 or 73 model ??), Pa. title
and already coded reconstructed. That process is a pain in the butt itself
that you won't have to worry about if you build one from scratch, Was an
early build and previous owner was in the process of rebuilding and renewing
everything when I acquired it. It sat outdoors for a few years and they lost
interest. The air cleaner was missing and the engine was seized when I got
it.
New red paint at the time, presentable, but needs some
attention again, all new interior and aftermarket seats never installed,
aftermarket dash/console combo, rust free, IRS axle/4-spd, I have the front
and rear tube bumpers, being sold with no engine, more pix available for
those with interest, this one could be on the road in a few days if desired
AS LISTED ABOVE - $2000 (SOLD)
NEED AN ENGINE? - SEE THOSE LISTING
BELOW
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THING
- I'm not really anxious to sell this one just now, but, cash talks. I only
looked over it briefly and it seems the floor pan is solid, some lower body
rust but not a big mess, does need a total resto, but runs and drive just
fine. I don't think the driveline would need anything more than a nice
detailing
SOLD
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This engine for sale only with one of the above project cars. I bought it
from a previous owner who built it for a customer and had to repo it due to
lack of payment. He put all the external "stock" accessories back on it and
used it in his own Bug for a while. The accessories you see on it now were
stored away during that time. I detailed it all up and reinstalled the
goodies as seen. He said it had a 90.5 big bore kit and performance cam. I'm
assuming it is a 1776cc displacement. For
Sale Only with
purchase of project car - $1200 (SOLD) |
These two cases are ready for final assembly. I'm waiting for parts just
now. One is a stock 1600cc, freshened up unit with used crank and cylinders,
new cam/lifters, bearings & oil pump, will be a complete turn key stock
looking one when assembled -
PRICE &
AVAILABILITY-?Other will have a new 92mm bore kit with a
used stock crank with a 1835mm disp., perf. cam /lifters, external oil
filter, new bearings, will be a turn key assembly with a new dual single
bbl. carb setup -
PRICE &
AVAILABILITY-? |
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1978 BUS 091 Trans
2.0 Pancake Type 4 IV OFFERS AROUND $999 !!
DON'T BE BASHFUL
HERE. If my price is not fair, let's be fair with each other. Give me a call
with your fair offer
As pictured here, I have a project or
parts bus. It arrived at my home just the way you see it on the photos. As
such, I can only verify what I've been told by the previous owner
Two guys bought this bus with the
intentions of a total resto. They said it ran and drove fine upon arrival.
They tore it apart to start the job and time passed. As usual, interest was
lost and I ended up with it. I have plenty of other projects here and
decided to sell it with everything included that it came with
Here's what I know. The two guys I got
it from seemed honest and forthright, so I suspect it is just what they said
it was. It has been stored in a dry garage since disassembly and is now
under my pavilion out of the weather. It was absolutely complete and all the
parts are included, packed away inside the cab. The trans is still mounted
as seen and the engine longblock is still assembled inside the cab. Some
rust and bumps are included, but, it is very restorable
The engine is the desirable 2.0 type IV
and the trans appears to be the 091 6 rib unit, which in itself is also very
desirable. I assume it has fuel injection, but, since I have never even
moved a part inside the cab, it may have a single or dual carb setup buried
in there somewhere. As mentioned above, the driveline was to have been in
good running order.
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JUST FOR FUN "VW" STUFF
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Saw this one for sale on
Craig's one day. I went back the next day and couldn't find it again. They
only wanted $6500 for it
ANYONE HAVE MORE INFO ON
THIS ONE ??
 
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Just because I have to much
time on my hands, I put the "Cutaway" engine together below in the
thumbnailed pix. Just click on them to get a better look
As seen I cut an old pulley
down on my lathe so that a connection rod would clamp tight on it. I then
used an old wrist pin to make a handle. This is then used to crank the
assembly over so you can watch the rocker arms, valves and distributor
operate. The VW BUS seen on the distributor travels around the
distributor cap as you crank it over
Later on I'll try and get a
short "video" made of the my toy in action and post it here with the other
pictures
 
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