Trials and Tribulations

Just Getting Into Rolla

Front with Top Popped


Back Interior
Engine (Type II)

So, after thoroughly reading John Muir's book "How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive: A Guide for the Compleat Idiot". I began going through the step by step procedure for diagnosing why the bus won't start. After checking the battery, I began on the fuel system, where I discovered no flow of fuel. So, after trying to blow into the gas tank (with the hope of hearing bubbles) with no luck, I took the fuel line off but still had no flow out of the tank. So, I shoved a wire into the tank and twirled it around until gas started to pour out. Success!, but still no starting. Now I am down to diagnosing the ignition system. I think we have a bad starter. Also above are some pics of the bus.

The Story of Our Bus as We Understand It

So, Dave, Diane and I recently purchased a 1978 VW Bus Campmobile (Westfalia). It isn't exactly running as of now, but hopefully with a few adjustments and replacements it will be. Here's it's history: Some guy in California, won it in his divorce (even though it was his in-laws originally). He then eventually moved to Wisconsin. On a drive through Missouri at some point around 2005, he met these gas station owners (who we bought it from) while in Lebanon. Well his mother got cancer so he had to fly out to California immediately and put the bus in storage while he did this. He stayed quite a while in California (is actually still there) and couldn't afford to come back for the bus. So over telephone and email he sold it to the gas station owners (the only people he knew in the area). They were ecstatic and wanted to fix it up to take on a trip to Biloxi, Mississippi. Unfortunately they were not well funded, and the bus continued to sit for the next 3 years (out of storage and in the rain now). Then we saw it on Rollanet, and swooped in to save it.

It's not in as bad of shape as it could be. The rust is fairly superficial and will just take a little sandblasting and repainting to fix. When we first got it back to Rolla, we tried to start the engine (which was turning over) but with no luck. I'll post pictures soon.