The Velvet Thread - my '66 21-window bus project

I don't remember the cops name but he looked like ponch, really. the guy was cool and we had a great time looking over my dune buggy. If I remember right he has a 66 bug. dude was clean when I showed up, had grease and oil all over by the time I left.

dsimas wrote:

I saw ads by Corey Bloom on thesamba under pre-67 bus parts, so rather than buy little bits from many sources, I made a trip to his house in Roseville with my list. Hit the mother lode. And since I had so many little things (lots of missing screws for specific parts, lights, switches, handles, gaskets, bushings), he lumped them all into an excellent fair price-- with no shipping.

Does he have Baywindow parts?

Yes! Email him at:
Corey Bloom <blackdog1999@gmail.com>

We are under a big push to get this bus roadworthy and make the pilgramage to BusFest in Vallejo within 10 days. I work a late shift, so after work I meet Ray at his shop and we work on it late at night. It's dark and the bus has no electrical hooked up or lights, let alone legal registration, no throttle assembly or pedal, no 3rd gear, but we couldn't wait to see her move out under her own power for the first time in 33 years. So, we hot wire to start it, set the idle high, and backed her out to move around the parking lot. She goes forward, backward, turns, and stops just fine, YAY!



Now we need to get a throttle assembly fabricated. The old one was rusted out and bastardized by the PO, so Ray made a new, better that OG, assembly. We stole the pedal off the front floor clip off the other bus that the seller gave me.




We also clipped a piece of floor off the other pan and put it in the hole that was on the passenger side.



Time for a Breadbox Testdrive into the Big World! New headlights (not connected) and cleaned all 21 windows. We have the ragtop, hubcaps, bumpers, but just haven't put them on yet. But there's no 3rd gear and it's still being hotwired until we figure out the electrical issue.

Hugo's 28 year old motor was more than enough for this little bus, especially with the stock reduction gears.

Sorry for the crazy camera angle at the start. I'm trying to get the old stock seat belt on, at least they are strong canvas and still work!

Hey Dawn, thanks for stopping by with your bitchin bus at Cliff's place Sat. It was a real treat to see Velvet in person. That bus is going to clean up real nice...will be looking for you at Bug-O-Rama on Sunday.......

On her way to get her "traveling papers" (registration):



Crack whore there (new one) got hung up on the fact that there was no decklid or seats and wouldn't do it, said to come back. *sigh*

I have the decklid, but we threw the engine in and didn't know they'd require it for a VIN check. So, we went back to the shop to throw on the decklid and realized that it is from an earlier model bus. Even through it is also Velvet Green OG, the latch was different. Quick trip to Corey's in Roseville, he had a OG Velvet Green for a '66 and did a straight trade (my church key lid is worth more, but was nice to do an easy transaction in a hurry with no shipping). Put that on, went back to DMV, and with some discussion about he fact that the seats are just missing, it is NOT a commercial vehicle, got a registration and plates are being mailed (I thought they give them to you there, but whatever). This 3rd person did NOT mention needing a safety CHP check and I didn't volunteer that someone there had said I needed it! We still need lights, horn, wipers, bumper, etc.... Yay, one big hurdle out of the way!

I called Hagerty Classic Car Insurance to add her to my policy. They do an appraisal according to auction and current trends of collectiblity, rather than blue book. With pics of Velvet's current condition when she was hauled in on the trailer, they appraised her at $25K. Amazing. I said that I'm doing some basic work as a project, so they made a Restoration Policy, where the value goes up 10% every 3 months for the year. So, next year, with the work done, it will cover $35K. And it cost me all of a big whopping $120 a YEAR to add her as my second car. I love that company.

Tony Klink came and helped get under the dash and get the wiring mess sorted out. She now has working lights, signals, brakes, dash, dome light, ignition. No more hot wiring!



I got a rear bumper from Corey. Velvet's are "pointed" style, not the more common "slash". Very uncommon and only made for two years. In addition to rears being lost more often due to pulling engines, and being a deluxe with trim, they sell for $500 or so. Corey had a pointed in good condition with overriders and splash pans for much less, but it's a standard, no deluxe trim. So, that is on my wish list.





We couldn't get the rear bumper on because Hugo's exhaust was in the dang way. So, in a hurry for Bus Fest, Ray swapped the exhaust for his Rat Rod's stinger and the bumper went on. She's starting to look like a real citizen now.

"Ray" did an awesome job swapping the exhaust on the bus! <cough> <cough>

You due for a physical, Matt?

OH, Mateo, I forgot that he said you helped that day!!! THANK YOU!

I was kidding. It was cool that I actually got to 'touch' the bus.

Although I will tell you what, I am going to invent a better exhaust flange than that stupid triangle for the smaller merged exhausts. I thought May's was just a pain, well because it was May and she likes to be difficult. But after swapping yours I discovered they are all that way.

If one could figure something out, I bet they could make some money...

The front of the bus has come a long way.

Before:



The wiring, ignition, windshields/rubber, headlights/emergency flasher/wiper knobs, handbrake button, throttle pedal, shifter, dash tray, grab handle, horn button, steering column, floor mat, all put together now. Gave the dash a nice rub and the paint is beautiful
:



At first, Ray couldn't attach the shifter to the linkage because the front floor pan was so rotted, there was nothing to bolt it to. So, again, he cut a section from the 2nd floor pan clip that came with the bus and used that.

Before:



And now:



I put on the door handle flippers and new door pulls. Took out all the panels to install the new keyed lock assemblies. Isn't OG paint neat? I love looking at this and thinking of the Germans that put this thing together.

DMV can be such a pain. No better in Grass Valley. AAA is great but they do not do Vin checks. so no out of state cars. Now make sure Ray gets to sleep some he was looking pretty bad the last time I saw him.

type 4 wrote:

Now make sure Ray gets to sleep some he was looking pretty bad the last time I saw him.

That's what he gets for sleeping with two chicks in a VW bus the night before... Really, though, sleeping. Chatty Cathy, up all night.

My IDOL

Hmmmm....

Maybe camping out at the Bug-O-Rama is the way to go.

Mateo wrote:

Hmmmm....

Maybe camping out at the Bug-O-Rama is the way to go.

PLEASE SEE:

https://stateroutevdubs.forumotion.com/t911-bug-o-rama-camp-out

Mateo wrote:

Hmmmm....

Maybe camping out at the Bug-O-Rama is the way to go.

We were up til 4am trying to get Velvet completely roadworthy in time to leave for BusFest in Vallejo the next day. She needed mirrors, had to cut the rusted pins out.



Next day (last weekend), we loaded her up with camping gear and headed to Mecca. Hell or High Water, we were all determined. Cat, Ray and I were going to drive that bus there to commune with all the other buses and trucks that make the pilgrimage. Cat and I drove the honda as a chase vehicle. Velvet and Ray were all over the road at first, very squirrely. We stopped in Newcastle to gas up and he said that it was a combination of the front end needing more work (he had replaced the drag link and sent her for a front end alignment, but suspected the linkpins are shot) and the tucked up rear end that causes her to want to track funny when her front end drifts. He started smoking again, need I say more?

There's still no 3rd gear either. But otherwise, she got us there. We stopped along the way in Davis to buy a transaxle with RGB's from a guy off CL. Velvet's has some sheared off bolts to the springplates, so that was our other hindrance on the trip, shift VERY softly, she only had 2 on one side and 3 on the other (supposed to be 4 each). We will be using the used tranny to rebuild it, but be able to drive her during the process.

I got in the bus at the stop in Davis to learn how to accommodate her idiosyncrasies since Cat and I were on her own with her driving back the next day. Ray had to leave at 8am Sunday morning to go to Demo Day at his shop. Well, when I got in, she was less drifty. I told everyone that she just likes my fat ass in the front seat, she needed me. But, really, I suppose it was just the added weight...

We camped out in Vallejo at Tim's garage, friend of David Heard that puts on BusFest. He had a bunch of buses, really fun to see. Dude had dreadlocks and didn't know where Auburn was, but his face lit up when I mentioned Nevada City. And some others rolled in to camp with us at 3am or so. Including Brian's "Forest Find" from the samba. He makes a killer espresso in the morning. Dude's famous! He camped in the woods near Ukiah to get this bus running and drive it out. Here's the thread, good page turner:

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=474360

And here's the bus while we were camped.





Sooooo, after this hard pull for 4 weeks (especially for Ray), here's my video of the weekend!

Nice video! Looks like ti was a lot of fun!! Wish I could have gone.

YES VERY GOOD VID. LOVE THE MOSS ON THAT FOREST FIND. VERY AWESOME TOUCH. HOPE THE OWNER LEAVES IT ON THERE

Awesome!!! Glad you made it. I want a Bus super-bad!

Smogman72 wrote:

YES VERY GOOD VID. LOVE THE MOSS ON THAT FOREST FIND. VERY AWESOME TOUCH. HOPE THE OWNER LEAVES IT ON THERE

Hell yes.

Clear coat it and be done...

Now you're talking.