1969 California Camper

[69Weekender]

So since I am not 18 (can't sign the title and bill of sale), my mom was going to take the paperwork for the bus to get it registered and such. Well, since my dad signed the bill of sale, my mom couldn't get it registered today. Oh well, things happen! My family will wrap up all that on Thursday.
Any who, I have been taking Linda out around my neighborhood for 15-20 minutes just to keep her cycling through and happy (plus it's a blast to drive)! I've been using an old plate that expired in 1992 just to fill the space
So I took some pictures of her not in my garage.

My friend got me a bunch of "car warming" gifts the day after I got her. This decal that he came up with is awesome!

After I got home, I decided to crank out a little bit more work on the z-bed.
I finished cleaning it with Purple Power and the Blue Magic treatment I mentioned earlier and it turned out mint! There is one little tear so I'm going to look for the leather patch kit in my garage and give it a go.

You can she the difference between clean and not clean
Here is the spacer between the seat and hinge. One is lightly sanded and the other is untouched.

This is after I sanded one of the hinges compared to the other...BIG difference!

After sanding both hinges, I sprayed them flat black. This one turned out really bad and orange peeled. Nothing that can't be fixed tomorrow.

This one is much much better.

_________________
Mitchell
ISO any California Road Runner Camper parts or info
1969 California Road Runner Camper: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=646780
2015 Toyota Tacoma V6 4x4
Past:
01 Honda Insight, 06 Beetle TDI, 77 Toyota, 96 Geo Metro, 06 Tacoma, 13 Jetta Wagon, 05 Jetta, 96 Corrado VR6
Other ICE Machinery: Alco 251F 16v & 8v

[69Weekender]

I used an M-Code decoder and entered my stats.
From what I gathered, my bus was originally a Lotus White Transporter made in September 1967. The manufacture date kind of confuses me though; wouldn't a bus made in late 67 be marketed as a 68?

If anyone could come up with anymore information based off the photo, please let me know.
Thanks!

_________________
Mitchell
ISO any California Road Runner Camper parts or info
1969 California Road Runner Camper: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=646780
2015 Toyota Tacoma V6 4x4
Past:
01 Honda Insight, 06 Beetle TDI, 77 Toyota, 96 Geo Metro, 06 Tacoma, 13 Jetta Wagon, 05 Jetta, 96 Corrado VR6
Other ICE Machinery: Alco 251F 16v & 8v

[Tom Powell]

There are better and less labor intensive methods of prepping rusty components for painting. There are also rusty metal primers that are a good prep for the final coat. A search on TheSamba will get you prepping and painting knowledge.

Not 18 and driving an unregistered vehicle with bogus plates? Insurance? Be careful what you post. TheSamba is forever.
Keep it in the driveway until it's legal. It is easier to stay out of trouble than it is to get out of trouble.

I like the paint and the dice, but the windshield rust repairs will need immediate attention. A leaky windshield can cause electrical problems.

Aloha
tp

[69Weekender]

[Tcash]

VW started Production for the following year in Aug. So any vehicle built in Aug or later was the following year model.

Sheet metal
https://klassicfab.com/klassicfab1/en/9-bay-window-bus

YLVW
Tcash

[Bala]

I think the decoder you used messed up. The 3rd digit in the VIN will tell you the model year. Yours is a "9" so it's a '69. I think the date Tcash posted on the last page is probably more accurate, Sept of '68. Anything after Aug. would be a '69.

And, see those little tags on the passengers side? That makes sense with the deliver to location being in San Francisco. California campers were "taged". I would guess it's a non-westy camper, but a legitimate conversion by someone. Can you post a close-up of the tags? One might have the converters name. Also search around the interior for any little badges or stickers that might have been painted over.

_________________
1976 Westy

1966 Beetle

[69Weekender]

[69Weekender]

Today track practice was cancelled, my last period teacher cancelled class and I decided to take a day off from swim practice so I had a ton of hours to put in some work on Linda.

I started taking the rest of the bed cushions out to clean. I also put the folding seat back together.

The cargo deck was all covered in dirt and junk so I vacuumed and then sprayed with Purple Power and scrubbed. The only before shots are from corners.
Before:

During:

After:

I am at a loss about what to do to take off that adhesive. I tried 409, Purple Power, Goo Gone, Goof Off, peanut butter (yea it confused me too) and nothing seems to be working.
Lastly, I managed to separate the spare tire from the spare rim using only my hands, feet, a big screwdriver and a pry bar.

I sanded that and the front mount spare tire bracket as well as I could. I am going to use some paint stripper tomorrow and see if I can sand it better. I'll probably just buy an angle grinder and take it right off.
_________________
Mitchell
ISO any California Road Runner Camper parts or info
1969 California Road Runner Camper: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=646780
2015 Toyota Tacoma V6 4x4
Past:
01 Honda Insight, 06 Beetle TDI, 77 Toyota, 96 Geo Metro, 06 Tacoma, 13 Jetta Wagon, 05 Jetta, 96 Corrado VR6
Other ICE Machinery: Alco 251F 16v & 8v

[Pinetops]

It's looking better already. As for the adhesive I'd keep using the products you're using and a plastic putty knife and maybe a heat gun or a hair dryer. Be careful with the heat gun, it's easy to melt the paint. It will likely take some time and patience.
_________________
"A rolling bus gathers no rust."

[spyman328]

Hey I've seen that bus! I saw your post on Local Volks. That is a nice looking bus.

[Bala]

Nice work. That seat looks great!
_________________
1976 Westy

1966 Beetle

[69Weekender]

spyman328 Do you go out to any of he Local Volks shows? Maybe we could meet!
Bala Thanks! Trying to get the bus (the interior anyway) ready for a big car show in a couple weeks.
_________________
Mitchell
ISO any California Road Runner Camper parts or info
1969 California Road Runner Camper: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=646780
2015 Toyota Tacoma V6 4x4
Past:
01 Honda Insight, 06 Beetle TDI, 77 Toyota, 96 Geo Metro, 06 Tacoma, 13 Jetta Wagon, 05 Jetta, 96 Corrado VR6
Other ICE Machinery: Alco 251F 16v & 8v

[69Weekender]

Well tonight was a night of discovery on Linda. Turns out the floor wasn't as clean as I thought. I knew about the patch panel that was rivited in the rear but didn't realize how ugly the rest of the floor was. No one's fault but my own.

Anyways, I stripped out everything from behind the front seats and back (except the cabinet. I don't want to touch that yet.)

Turns out, Linda started life as a transporter. After I removed the carpet and subfloor, I saw where the middle seat would have been bolted in.

My plan of attack for the rust is to scrub the shee-ite out of it with a wire brush and then coat it with POR-15. I will shoot some primer over it as well. Just trying to get things done one at a time and since it runs, I want to make the interior nice and camp-able.
When I get into things I don't usually take a lot of pictures so the only ones I have are just certain rust spots on the floor. Let me know what you think

_________________
Mitchell
ISO any California Road Runner Camper parts or info
1969 California Road Runner Camper: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=646780
2015 Toyota Tacoma V6 4x4
Past:
01 Honda Insight, 06 Beetle TDI, 77 Toyota, 96 Geo Metro, 06 Tacoma, 13 Jetta Wagon, 05 Jetta, 96 Corrado VR6
Other ICE Machinery: Alco 251F 16v & 8v

[Pinetops]

I think I'd skip the por-15 and get a welder. POR-15 will just be a pain to get off when its time to fix the floor. It's also expensive. Get a sheet of the cargo floor repair metal and just cut what you need to replace what's needed. You might as well pull the patch panels and see what all you're dealing with.

If you aren't prepared for all that, grind the rust until no red dust comes off it and treat is all with ospho to try to stabilize it. Then put a new piece of wood down and enjoy it until you are ready to weld.

Can you go under the bus and take detailed pics of any rust? Let's make sure this thing is safe to drive
_________________
"A rolling bus gathers no rust."

[69Weekender]

[Pinetops]

I totally understand the budget thing and wanting to enjoy your bus. You can most likely temporarily "fix" it to enjoy until you can get the metal repair done.


Check out this thread

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=131753

POR-15 is ok but it's over priced and overrated in my opinion. It will also be more work to remove when you go to replace the floor. I'd at minimum pull everything up, clean the snot out of the rust and the rest of the floor in general and at least make sure it's solid enough to drive. Then treat the rust with phosphoric acid to stabilize it somewhat.

Rust can't really just be stopped by coating it. It needs to be removed. Prep is the key to dealing with rust. Think of any coatings (POR-15, Paint, etc) as a seal from moisture. If you do use POR-15, follow the steps to a T or it will likely fail.

I'd probably paint the rusty areas with with rustoleum rust reformer or rusty metal primer. Then I'd put some patch panels on it where needed to make it stable and put a new piece of wood down and drive it. Enjoy it for a while and get ready to weld in a new floor at some point or at least patch the floor with welded in patches.
_________________
"A rolling bus gathers no rust."

[69Weekender]

No pictures in this update sadly. But this weekend I started grinding the rust off the passenger area floor. I used a wire wheel on a 27 year old power drill and then bought an angle grinder from Harbor Freight. The plan is to grind off the rust the best I can, coat it with Rustoleum primer and leave it for now.
_________________
Mitchell
ISO any California Road Runner Camper parts or info
1969 California Road Runner Camper: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=646780
2015 Toyota Tacoma V6 4x4
Past:
01 Honda Insight, 06 Beetle TDI, 77 Toyota, 96 Geo Metro, 06 Tacoma, 13 Jetta Wagon, 05 Jetta, 96 Corrado VR6
Other ICE Machinery: Alco 251F 16v & 8v

[69Weekender]

All I did tonight was more grinding.
My dad got mad that a bunch of dust got all over the garage so I put up a drop cloth.

I was driving the bus the other day and it started to cut out at idle. It would just die. So I'm thinking it is something with fuel delivery. For now, I got some carb cleaner and a fuel filter and some hose. This is just a temporary fix until my old man and I pull the motor, rebuild the carb and either get the fuel tank cleaned or do it ourselves.

Here's all the parts I've stripped out of the bus waiting to be refurbished. Got a lot of work ahead of me.

_________________
Mitchell
ISO any California Road Runner Camper parts or info
1969 California Road Runner Camper: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=646780
2015 Toyota Tacoma V6 4x4
Past:
01 Honda Insight, 06 Beetle TDI, 77 Toyota, 96 Geo Metro, 06 Tacoma, 13 Jetta Wagon, 05 Jetta, 96 Corrado VR6
Other ICE Machinery: Alco 251F 16v & 8v

[Tcash]

check the point gap. Should be .016". As the rubbing block wears out the point gap closes up and they will dye at idle.
If that does not do it, pull the plug on the side of the carb and with some carb cleaner clean the float bowl really good. Sometimes a piece of rust will get stuck in the jet and plug it.
YLVW
Tcash

[69Weekender]