Chug Chug the 1977 Westfalia Helsinki

1.) Fit the new drag link & set it to the same length as the old one. Done
2.) Get new brake pipe from K&J & fit it. Done
3.) Fill with brake fluid DOT3 & bleed the whole system through. Done
4.) Fit a new split pin to my brake pedal leaver where it joins the servo. Done
5.) Check all the nuts are tight on the front suspension & brakes. Done
6.) Torque the wheels to the correct value. Done
7) Take it to ATS to get the tracking checked. Disaster!!!!
8.) Call in Swansea Truck Centre to get my rear hub nuts torques properly.
9.) Fit new split pins on the rear hub nuts. Got them ready
10.) Wire up my reversing sensors. Done
11.) Wire up my tow bar. Done
12.) Wire up my ignition light on the dash (I found out what the blue & white wire I got spare in the engine bay is for).
13.) Investigate & fix why my oil light on the dash doesn't work.
14.) Temporally fit my old seatbelts for the MOT until I get paid then I'll get new ones.
Lucky I got Wednesday off too cos I didn't finish my list.
Hopefully my other wheels will turn up tomorrow so I can get the tires fitted to them & be driving in style.

 

]Painted my battery clamp, I got another one here for my M8 Simon, when I find it I'll paint it for him & stick it on.


To chear myself up I decided to get the reversing sensors done & the tow bar electrics:-
Drilled a hole in the back of the battery tray as far from the battery as I could, I didn't want to but had no way of getting the cable into the engine bay neatly. I have waxoyled the hole & fitted a grommet tube to stop water getting in.


Got the cables in behind the light.


Wrapped & soldered the cables I know most people use Scotchlocks but I like to solder everything I know its a pain but thats me.


Pain in the arse to get to you need bendy long arms but as it was Mr tickles day off I decided to remove the battery & the back light.



Self adhesived the buzzer in place & fet the cable throgh an existing grommet just melted a hole in it with the end of the soldering iron.


I had to drill a hole for the cable to exit into the enginebay, again I waxoyled the hole & used a grommet.


Mounted the control unit out the way so it doesn't get to hot & out of the wet I was going to mount it above the light out of sight but its not water resistant & it could get wet through the vents.


I also wired up my tow bar the same time, this is the diagram I used.


By the way if anyone wants a tow bar supplied or fitted or both contact Dean in Britania tow bars on 01792 475375.
Does a cracking job & loves his VW's so I'm sure he'll look after you.

 

Fitted my battery clamp.


Then gues what turned up. Yippee thanks to Dave in Creative Engineering he's a ledgend:-


Stipped off the arms again.


& you can just about see the old threads are shagged.


Just off out now to put it all back together

 

Got it back on its wheels & oh my god does it drive bad. went straight to ATS for the tracking to be done, they weren't happy they were closin in 4 mins. They done it quickly for me, drove alright coming home but it still isn't right so I'll take it back another day.
More pics:-








Fitted my securicon seat belts, They fitted alright actually, I was going to fit the old ones & buy different ones but they are actually ok the only thing I dont like are the L shape brackets so I'm going to make something latter on to do a better job:-

 

Missed a post right found the reason the suspention went wrong. It was totally my fault, I tried to cut a corner, I don't normally but I did this once.
Only I knew that one of the leaves was broken as it was in the middle I tried to get away with it but when the leaves went in the broken one moved & so the grub screw didn't go in far enough. Anyway I won't cut anymore corners thatone cost me an extra day. I managed to get a new leaf from FBI for £2.00 so its back as it should be now & its driveable again if a little too low for my likeing.

 

Awesome resto dude

 

Fitted the wood panel to the tailgate just missing about 4 clips which I'll sort out again:-


Took some pics of the bus in the dark on the road. & my M8 Kev's Beetle Bluebell has taken its place in the garage ready for its engine to go back in next week, It was at this point I discovered I had a problem with the passinger lights, dodgy connections even though they are brand new, I got to get some Hella ones later on:-

 

Not good news on the MOT front. here is the paperwork I had:-




My brother took the bus down to ATS & they've sorted the steering now so thats happy days.com.
I found out just in time the back wheel had worked loose luckily no damage done its torqued now to 96lb/ft & it drives nice I got to spend tonight sorting the other bits out so I can retest it tomorrow.

 

I should have been more thourugh in my pre MOT test but I was up till midnight & up for work the next day at 4.15AM so I didn't have enough time.
Fixed all the faults now, the brake leak was on th T-piece so I've sorted that now it was a very minor leak it would take about 5 minutes to get a single drip but its fine now & I've bled the brakes again.
The tracking has been redone & it drives nice now.
Beleive it or not the MOT garage didn't notice the loose rear wheel
The hazard light switch had a bad connection so now the indicators are fine.
The headliht Main/dipped relay was a bit dodgy but I opened it up & repaired it & its fine now.
The washer bottle wasn't pressurised so thats why that failed.
Its booked in for a re-test on Tuesday 4.00PM so it should be fine then.

 

Right then to get you all up to speed, I was up untill 2am on Thursday getting the bus sorted, my M 8 Kevin (Mr Bluebell) was with me till 11PM getting the little jobs for the MOT done & I was happy it would pass. I took the bus for a test drive & as I was braking to turn into my drive the beam collapsed again, the bottom bolt sheared out of the threads again.
I rang my M 8's Simon & Darren & they cam to the rescue, we jacked up the front again & welded the bottom adjuster in place. Its stronger than the oriinal design but it does mean I can't alter the height anymore, which is ok because I am happy with the 4 " drop anyway.
On Friday morning I fitted tyres to my freshly painted wheels in ATS & tracked the front end again. The wheels have been painted inside & out (even under the tyre with a strip left in primer ready for the green paint. I had the wheels balanced the same time with all the weights on the inside so you don't see them.
I took the bus to Bristol Volksfest on Friday & stayed there untill Sunday. really good weekend, cracking weather & great company. I'll upload some pics later for you all to see. I bought some more bits too which I'll fit over the next couple of days.
I've booked the Bus in for an MOT today at 4.00 PM so fingers crossed.

 

Here are some pics of Volksfest Bristol:-


Bud my M8 Dean's dog

 

Here are my freshly painted wheels, I still got to do the green but this can be done with the tyres in place.





Bought myself a plunger to operate the sliding door pin switch:-


Also got a quality brushed stainless steel side step trim form Van Werks:-

 

Bought some new bits from RJ's:-

A new funel so I don't spill stuff


Some dash silicon spray.


Some cleaner for my dash, tyres & bumpers.


Some tyre dressing after I cleaned them.


Bumper care for when I cleaned it



Some paint bushes for finishing the detailing underneath.


& a new tax disc holder to prove the government have had my trousers down again, the Type 2 owners one I got is crap & keeps falling off.

 

Bought some bits in the Bristol show from Just Kampers, fair play the guys were really helpfull & friendly.
Bought:-
Thermo blinds.


& Securion seat belts for the rear.


Bought a brand new speedo cable from Danbury motor caravans. My old one is working its just the plastic is covered in paint & a bit scruffy, you can't go wrong for £1.00


Also got a front plate of Firstplate.

 

Fitted my seat belts from Just Kampers tonight & I got to say I'm real happy with the fit.
Got two 3 point inertias either side of the rear seat, even got them past my jail bars without a drama & one adjustable 2 point lap belt in the middle.
I now need a lap belt up front & I may as well get some seat frame mats the same time, so that part is then all finished.

Also fitted my front No. plate, as it happens I think it looks good.

I'm going to see if I can get some foam tomorrow for the back cushion of the bed & the side seat. Then I can order some more plaid material to finish off my upholstery.











& yes I am cleaning my bus in the rain is that sad or what? Its kinder to the paint work though cos the dirt washes off easier.

 

Seen my next project possibly? hasn't moved since 2005 & its only just down the road from me.









Went down the gower the weekend & I tried out my Just Kampers Thermo Blinds, got to say I was impressed the bus was much warmer in the night & wasn't so warm when I woke up as it normally is. It was also darker so I had a better longer sleep, dead easy to fit to even with my jail bars & I could close my curtains over them. 10/10

 

Continuing on from my Gower trip Spent Friday night in my secret free camping location with my M8 Simon in his Chug Chug look-a-like. My younger daughter & her 2 friends slept nex to us in their tent.

















Saturday went down to Port Einon & spent the early part of the day on the beach. There was a biker show nearby with a couple of VW based trikes around.











We then went to Scurlage strawberry picking. picked some massive strawberry's met a nice guy there called Bernard who had a cracking cross over year Bay window.

 

Took my bus down my M8 Ians unit yesterday to have the green painted on the wheels, on the way the bus was driving really strange so I jumped out & checked the passinger front wheel to see if it was loose & it seemed fine, drove a bit more & I had to pul in again only to find the tire tread had a bulge in it about 3 inches hight 18 inches long & about 4 inches wide. I've never seen anything like it before.
Anyway I drove to Ammanford on the backroads doing about 15MPH (took me an hour) When I got there I jacked the bus up on 3 corners & took of the 3 unfinished wheels, took the offending tyre down to a local garage & had a new tyre fitted. Got back to his unit & he masked up the wheels & painted them with the green band, now they are back on & looking awsome, I'll leave the paint harden for a few days & then I'll refit my hub caps.
Anyway here are the pics:-




Also fitted my bumper trim the one that masks off the exhaust so you can't see the paint peeling off in the middle.


I took photos of the tyre with my M8's phone but he's gone to Ascott so I'll upload them when he gets back.

 

Now the Bus was booked in last thursday for a retest but I decided to replace the washer pipes & that brake pipe that was leaking but that I thought I'd stopped so I didn't make it in time & missed my slot. The good news is that the washers & brakes are now 100% & no chance of any leakes for the foreseeable future. I also changed the pipe that goes from the slave brake fluid resevoir to the main duel circuit one on the master cylinder & I'm glad I did the old one was a bit tired. I blead the brakes through again & now they work really well (they did before but now they are even better)
The garage that did the MOT have closed for 2 weeks for them to go on holidays so I had a bit of a dilema do I wait 2 weeks untill they get back or take it somewhere else.

I decided to book it in to Sunnyside garage down the road for 1.00PM Tuesday but because of the problem I had with the tyre I was running late so I changed it untill today @ 2.00PM
Took it down & here are the pics I took:-

T25 in for new brakes:-


Chug Chug ready to go:-




Picked me up on my US spec No. plate & pointed me out to the relavent info on the wall,


I rang the wife & got her to fetch me the UK plate that I didn't fit cos it is too big.




Took a couple of pics of the underside.


Thats the front heater box that will get the treatment soon, I'll get rid of the surface rust & paint it green, I'll do this the same time as I sort out all my heater & ventalation system, new cables, pipe work & the rear y-piece new.


Took a vid of the rear brake test:-