Date:         Thu, 7 Sep 1995 14:40:03 -0700 (PDT)
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         David Schwarze <des@teleport.com>
Subject:      '72 Westy update (was Re: '71 single cab pickup?)

Bradley writes:
> 
> On Thu, 7 Sep 1995, David Schwarze wrote:
> 
> > I'll give you my 72 Westfalia for it!!!!  Seriously, I will!
> 
> Of course David forgot to mention that there won't be an engine in the 
> Westy.  :)

Actually, Braaadley, there will!

Jeff's 72 Westy has been sitting in my garage for a while now.  In that
time, I have been working on it slowly.  It ran like a champ all the way
down from the Bay area (with the engine from DaBoat) but it recently
failed smog.  On the way back from the inspection station, it started to
sputter and miss badly, and felt like it was running on two cylinders.
I haven't had a chance to look into the problem yet, but i suspect it's
something minor like points.  I will probably troubleshoot it this
weekend.  I am going to leave the 1.8 engine from DaBoat in the '72
Westy and get a 2-liter w/ hydraulic lifters for daboat.  The 1.8 is a
good solid engine which I rebuilt 4 years/30k miles ago.

Here is some of what I have done to the '72:

Washed it.  Inside and out.  And did it ever need it!  The high pressure
sprayer really got the dirt off the poptop when I held it a few inches
from the surface.

Remouted the fold out table to the drivers side wall.

Replaced both hinges that hold the engine hatch on.  Replaced seal with
a good used one from the junkyard.

Replaced sliding door seal with a good used one from the junkyard.

Rubbed out the paint with rubbing compound - not the whole bus yet.

Removed rear bumper, pounded out dents, painted.  Will do same to front.

Found original vinyl spare tire cover and some original westy curtains
at the junkyard.  Moved spare back to original location in left rear.
Installed curtains.

Installed licence plate bracket (from the junkyard again) on the front
of the bus.  The license plate was strapped to the front bumper before.
I don't like it there.

Here's the funny part.  At the junkyard, I also found the cot that goes
in the poptop!  Looked to be in good shape, too.  Got it for $12.95.
Installed it - looks nice!  Wonder if I can fit up there?  I remembered
something about a 200lb weight limit, no prob. I only weigh 165.
Climbed up there, and found I fit pretty well (I'm 6'0").  I could sleep
up here in a pinch.  I lean up to open a zipper in the tent, and
*riiiiiip* my big 'ole butt punches right through the canvas and I fall
through to the floor.  Good thing the table wasn't set up!  So now I
have a $13 cot that's ripped to shreds.  :(

But in any case, Jeff's ex '72 Westy is alive and well and living in San
Diego.  And I'd be happy to trade it for a single/double cab pickup, any
year, any condition.

-David

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David Schwarze                     '73 VW Safare Custom Camper  (Da Boat)
San Diego  (Actually La Mesa)      '72 VW Westfalia Camper      (Da Project)
California, USA                    '73 Capri GT 2800            (Da Beast)
e-mail: des@teleport.com           '87 Mustang Lx 5.0           (14.17@99.34)
http://www.teleport.com/~des       '93 Weber WG-50              (Da Piano)
============================================================================