Fleetfooted - 75 Fleetline - We have ignition :-)

[karmakoma]

The bus is on the road, has a valid license, but when you transfer to your own name, and also from another province (in Gauteng anyway), you have to take it for a roadworthy first....

Shouldn't be too much of a hassle once the brakes are fixed though.

[beetlefanatic]

Dutch and Beetlefanatic, does the bus feel more "bouncey" to drive than a beetle?
OR is there something wrong (shocks etc).

Feels like it could pull a train though!

The bay and the SYncro give a softer ride than what I could remember a beetle feels like, but the split is probably the same or stiffer.

[hitlers revenge]

Must be when you change to another province, cos down here we dont need to re roadworthy.

[karmakoma]

Someone correct me if I am wrong,but afaik the Fleetline has some early bay parts, so that could explain the softer ride...?
Tell you what beetlefanatic, come visit me with groenie and we can do a comparitive road test

[Blitzkrieg]

Congratulations Karma! Are we going to see both the Notch and this Bus on display at the KKKaK next year?

[karmakoma]

Naaah, it all sounds a bit too Kamp for me

The bus will have to come as is, and if the notch is ready, why not, but only if we are met en route by a certain fasty....

[Blitzkrieg]

I hope and pray and urge the rest of ACVWSA to pray too, that the fasty will be ready for the event. I can't wait for the convoy, such an awesome feeling to be driving on route to fig's while the sun is rising... I'm being cautiously optimistic

[beetlefanatic]

Someone correct me if I am wrong,but afaik the Fleetline has some early bay parts, so that could explain the softer ride...?
Tell you what beetlefanatic, come visit me with groenie and we can do a comparitive road test

Sounds like a plan to me!

[karmakoma]

Got a trolley jack and some jack stands today, Autozone has a special on for anyone interested.

Started adjusting the Bus's brakes with my "how to keep your VW alive" open next to me.

Checked for any leakage again and it looked good to my untrained eye.

I started with the left rear drum, the one furthest away from the reservoir first - sticking to the instructions here

Found the brass stars just to the left and right of 12 o'clock, turned them the right way, and could feel the shoes catch, then one or two turns back. Great start. I used the trolley jack on the engine support beam, as it lifted the bus high enough to turn the wheels freely without too much hassle. Hope that is ok, it looked pretty darn strong to me ?

Next up was the drivers side rear wheel, and for some reason the brass stars were a bit more to the left than the other two ?
Everything works as it should though, and it all adjusted as it should, just found it strange?

As I was about to move to the front drums, it started pouring in JHB! So I got in the bus and removed those golf armrests. Fortunately the PPO did not drill any new holes, but looks like he used the doorpanel holes to fit these, one less thing to fix .

Took stock of the interior while I was in there, window frames and surrounds will be the biggest issue, a bit of rust in these areas, and the wiring also needs a good sorting out, but otherwise she is in pretty good shape. It appears as if some form of coating was applied to the chassis at some stage, probably bitumen or similar, underneath lurks what looks to be a rust free chassis

One fuse is missing from the unlabelled fuse box, and I have no hooter or interior lights ( I did check the hooter button and the wire is connected). Also checked the connectors on the hooter, and they were loose, but still no noise even after bending and refitting them. Same story with the interior lights, checked the globes and they are all fine, cleaned the contacts, checked the wires, but no luck, so my first guess is the missing fuse must be for these two, but the wire coming from that fuse is quite a thick guage?! Suppose I better check the book to see the fuse configuration right

If this is a aftermarket fuse box, what would be the easiest way (besides trial and error) to establish what fuse does what?

[Dutch_Diver]

KK, maybe this will help......

[karmakoma]

Thanks Dutch

will give it a look see.

So the brake adjustment continued when we got home later today.

Obviously practise makes perfect, as the front wheels took less than a 1/3rd of the time as the rear wheels.
Also realized that with the fleetline there might be a few challenges, because it is a mixed bag of parts. The afore mentioned manual says all bus front drums adjust a certain way, the fleetline is exactly the opposite! At least the location of the brass adjuster where the same, else I would have been in for a bit of a search through that tiny adjustment hole!

Got the front brakes set nice and tight (and by the amount of turns, new front shoes are definately in my near future).

Time for a test drive! Hand brake takes much earlier, a good sign, and when I step on the middle pedal, there is a distinct reduction in speed, SUCCESS! Checked the brake fluid levels again, all good, so even better, does look like there are no leaks.

Only thing left to do now is get some seatbelts fitted and then its roadworthy time! Hope the brakes are good enough for just one emergency stop ! Will also have to give the bus a good clean. Interior and exterior, lots of road grime, dirty engine, dust etc etc. Any advise on the engine cleaning? What to use and not to use?

After getting back home from a succesful test drive, I had to take a pic!

[karmakoma]

Quick update

After getting FFFF on my name yesterday, I had to buy her something!
Managed to secure a set of new seatbelts with a long cable type stock (buckle side) and started fitting them today.
The installation might take a little longer than I thought, and it will require a bit of drilling here and there, but those belts will be a relatively pain free retrofit, and SO worth it when done. Thanks Fig for the info.

Also managed to get a couple of replacement fuses (old ceramic look type), reconnected a couple of loose wires, and the hooter and interior lights are all now working 100% Is it just me or is the bus hooter LOUD?!

Now to find the correct tyres and we are almost ready for roadworthy!!

Can I risk a complete engine degrease and clean at one of the usual carwash places, or is that tempting fate in such an old car?

Almost forgot, one of the rear bench seats is loose, the floor clamps are missing, anyone have some spare clamps lying around they want to sell?

[karmakoma]

To Continue from the last thread.

Got some new tyres for the bus. 195/65/15 Conti's on the Empi 5's. Should look great once I get the right wheel bolts and fit them

Bought some engine degreaser from builders, before I ruin the bus engine, any advise ???

While scratching around in the bus I found one bench seat floor mount . So now I need only one more. Who has one lying around, will pay cash ?

The other day I was working around the bus when I noticed that the white paint was coming off one of the hubcaps. So I got some metal polish, applied some elbow grease, and managed to get the paint off. Note of warning to anyone who wants to spray chrome, unless you prepare the surface very well, the paint WILL come off. Thank goodness the PPO or PO did not prepare the hubcaps for paint, so they look OK after the polish. Sure, there are some pits and scratches, but this is only a stop gap till I fit the empi's. Will perhaps use them on the notch until the rostyles are finished.

Two of the hubcaps where powdercoated white though, so no amount of polishing is getting that off. The bus thus has a shiny side and a white side. The logo was left white to stand out, and tell you what, if the Empi's did not have the tyres on already, and I had two spare chrome hubcaps, I might very well have retained the stock look.

Replaced those old pedal rubbers and fitted proper bus door handles, removing the old window winders doubling as door handles !

Of course, I know you lot and pictures, so here you are.

Before and After pics below:



















and last but not least, an Empi 5 ready to be fitted:



B.A.B., if you read this and can help, I am now just about ready for some centre caps . Any other ideas anyone?

[Tony Z]

looking good.

Degreaser shouldnt be an issue. I would use clean green myself. Rub on with a paint brush and then wash off.
Stay away from electrics and dizzy with the water.

Dont forget to get under the engine and gearbox to really clean things up there....

[Chris]

...........and spray the gear lever.

Looking good.

Btw,I have your stuff.