[PAVAN KADAM]

Rise and shine for today's office

darn that headache. I start driving to office, midway i felt "Buddy get home and get some rest".

Reach home, think of taking some headache pills and rest " Naa.. I'am home early, lets see what i can DIY today.

The nearest thing i find is the Bus engine, which is lying behind the Buggy with lot of unfinished business(See the previous pic, bare engine lying in the Bug"

I decide, let me put this thing together... (ha ha so much for my persisting headache)

I start after a hot cuppa tea. Let pics do the talking..

[kannan666]

Nice going Pavan ! Good thing to be doing after bunking office for the day !

[srikant]

Wow that shows some real good progress sir. How i wish i was in Bangalore, i would always be interested in helping you in such stuff. Anyways . . kudos to you.

[PAVAN KADAM]

Originally Posted by kannan666

Nice going Pavan ! Good thing to be doing after bunking office for the day !

ha ha, reasons buddy, reasons.... Good thing is this job is done.

Originally Posted by srikant

Wow that shows some real good progress sir. How i wish i was in Bangalore, i would always be interested in helping you in such stuff. Anyways . . kudos to you.

Real slow progress indeed Sri,

You know, i was the first to dismantle the engine during the startup and i am the last one to put it back together, i am happy, that i have learnt and become a half mechanic.

But the biggest problem at hand is

1) Shabbir(headers Guy) has lost my original Bus Muffler :< ---I have no clue how to manage that now, Shivajinagar Gujri does not have it, getting a new one will burn a real BIG hole in my almost empty pocket. Waiting for Donor's :-D lol...

2) The Zen carb needs to be fitted, i dont have that much skill to fit it. Need till next Thursday for my mechanic to return from his home town(He's leaving on Friday to meet his newly wedded Wife)

12 more days, this project of mine will complete its FIRST ANNIVERSARY lol.......

Darn.. Yet not complete

[sabsubs]

wow!!! After going through this thread I am so much motivated that I want to start a restoration project immediately. This is amazing Pavan. I really appreciate your passion. I live in Bangalore and I would like to see the microbus once you finish restoring it and take some snaps. Thanks a lot for sharing the pics and your narration of the whole episode. I am just keeping my fingers crossed and waiting for the day when you would post the pics of the completely restored microbus.

[srikant]

Originally Posted by PAVAN KADAM

1) Shabbir(headers Guy) has lost my original Bus Muffler :< ---I have no clue how to manage that now, Shivajinagar Gujri does not have it, getting a new one will burn a real BIG hole in my almost empty pocket. Waiting for Donor's :-D lol...

Sir can you have a recheck in his place for the original. There are chances you may get it after several attempts, cos its of no use to people who dont know its value.

Otherwise you can fabricate one from a local guy for time being and later on get the original, what say?

[PAVAN KADAM]

Originally Posted by srikant

Sir can you have a recheck in his place for the original. There are chances you may get it after several attempts, cos its of no use to people who dont know its value.

Otherwise you can fabricate one from a local guy for time being and later on get the original, what say?

@Sabsubs:
wow!!! After going through this thread I am so much motivated that I want to start a restoration project immediately. This is amazing Pavan. I really appreciate your passion. I live in Bangalore and I would like to see the microbus once you finish restoring it and take some snaps.

Thank you subs,

Dont jump into a restoration just for the sake of it, its as tough and intoxicating as getting into a relationship. Welcome home any weekend, you can see the progress on the Bus happening.

Sri,

I've gone 4 times to his shop and godown, no chance of finding it. Looks like the might have put it to salvage

Hunting for one , if not found within this week, will have no other go than to get one fabricated.

Weekend arrives

My weekend started Friday evening itself lol....left office a bit late though, went straight to get the hardwood material, found them and to my good luck, i was carrying all the dimensions. Paid a bit more and had them machine cut precisely. : )

Saturday morning got all the boards inside the bus to ascertain the measurements were correct, and thank god they were just perfect.

Material used : 4 mm hard wood
No., of sheets: 2 lenghts ( 4*8 feet each)
Cost : Rs. 600/-( As opposed to Rs. 1300/- quoted by upholsterer)

Monday evening onwards the doorpad work starts, and hope to finish the cosmetic part of restoration by next weekend.

[srikant]

If you continue this way, you can start your own restoration shop. Cheers

With all your DIY you must be an expert now sir. You dont even need to visit a garage for service.

[PAVAN KADAM]

Originally Posted by srikant

If you continue this way, you can start your own restoration shop. Cheers

With all your DIY you must be an expert now sir. You dont even need to visit a garage for service.

Saving money you see

On a serious note to say, i serviced my Beetle myself for the 15000 kms service, and to my surprise, the tuning is so nice, since last 500 kms i've driven over 1 month, i've got an average of 13 kmpl, tad lower than what my mechanic achieves, but overall, I DID IT, you see.

Passing on a bit of my skills to my kid a little too early.

Any DIY work, i get my kid along, she just loves to do something or the other when i am working on automobiles this helps because she gets that kind of bonding with the automobile and it also increases her knowledge, i hardly see any 3 yr old familiar with words like " Carb/sparkplug/Petrol/Engine/Gearbox etc...etc"

Spent a little of this Sunday in fine cutting the door pads and also fitting the flywheel/clutch and the loading plate after getting it faced.

[pradipk]

Hey Pavansir,

Though I haven't posted any comment, I used to visit this thread regularly.

Really doing nice job. I would love to visit your place with "enough time" not a "flying visit". Keep us posted on progress.

[sabsubs]

Hi Pavan,

Good to see that you are making progress. It is also pretty to see your daughter playing around inside the vehicle, she sure to be a good automobile enthusiast once she grows up; I think she already is one. You are passing your passion for automobiles to next generation.

[ajay99]

Originally Posted by srikant

Sir can you have a recheck in his place for the original. There are chances you may get it after several attempts, cos its of no use to people who dont know its value.

Otherwise you can fabricate one from a local guy for time being and later on get the original, what say?

The muffler is an important part and it is better not to use fabricated ones.
It is always nice to use the NOS genuine VW muffler with the VW logo embossed on it.It is still available one ebay or else HARNAM of madras can get one imported for you(of course it will be expensive!!)
By the way OE muffler manufacture ERNST (germany) items are still available abroad.

[leadf00t]

pavan,

I have been following up thsi thread right since you were playing hide and seek about what this vehicle is that you have taken for restoration..

must say you have aloads of patience and passion to put it together.

way to go.

Desperate to hear the engine started. and the restoration being completed.

[PAVAN KADAM]

Originally Posted by ajay99

The muffler is an important part and it is better not to use fabricated ones.
It is always nice to use the NOS genuine VW muffler with the VW logo embossed on it.It is still available one ebay or else HARNAM of madras can get one imported for you(of course it will be expensive!!)
By the way OE muffler manufacture ERNST (germany) items are still available abroad.

NOS is good, but its almost 15000/- to import one, I'll fabricate one for the time being, and by God's grace one will come searching me soon,

Originally Posted by leadf00t

pavan,

I have been following up thsi thread right since you were playing hide and seek about what this vehicle is that you have taken for restoration..

must say you have aloads of patience and passion to put it together.

way to go.

Desperate to hear the engine started. and the restoration being completed.

@ KarlosdevilleRatilal had one bus muffler with him a couple of years back. Have you inquired with him?

Checked with Ratilal, they are now out of stock

For a restorer, Patience & Passion are integral part of his life.

Going out to my fabricator to get one vital component fabricated, and maybe within few days, the Bus might fire.

And that time is not very far.......

[karlosdeville]

Ratilal had one bus muffler with him a couple of years back. Have you inquired with him?