By Alex
Nothing—and I mean nothing—beats the look of a split window VW bus.
When my buddy Adam told me he’d acquired his grandparents’ 1967 Westfalia, my heart skipped a beat. This wasn’t just any bus; it was a family legend. His dad and four siblings (yeah, seven people total!) used to tour the country in this thing. It’s been tucked away in a shop since 1992, just waiting for someone to wake it up.
Adam originally asked me for a trailer to haul it home, but I told him: “Forget the trailer. Let’s get it running and drive it home.”.
The Pain: Sticky Needles and “Widow Makers”
The “Pain” phase hit us pretty quick. The fuel lines were 50-year-old cloth-covered junk that started leaking as soon as we looked at them. I also found a plastic fuel filter sitting right over the engine—what we call a “Widow Maker” because they’re notorious for starting engine fires. We yanked that out immediately.
Then there was the carburetor. It was totally gummed up, so I did a classic “tailgate rebuild” to unstick the needle and seat. But the real headache? The brakes. Day one ended with a pedal that went straight to the floor. We spent Day 2 tracking down a soft line that had swollen shut, blocking all the fluid.
The Victory: 30 Years Later, She Barks!
The “Victory” moment made all that grease worthwhile. After some fresh VR1 zinc-heavy oil and a temporary fuel tank rigged up in the back, she fired right up. Hearing that air-cooled 1500 purr after 30 years of silence? That’s the high we live for.
We pulled that Pearl White beauty out into the Idaho sun, and I’ve gotta say, she looked incredible. We respected the original “Top Speed 60 MPH” sticker on the dash and cruised the 25 miles home at a steady 55. She actually drove better than my last bus!
Keep the History Moving
Seeing the smile on Adam’s face as he drove his grandparents’ bus home was a huge win. This is exactly why we do what we do at DPV. You don’t need a massive budget; you just need to get in there, solve the puzzles, and keep the nostalgia rolling.
Adam’s already talking about taking the Westy camping, and you can bet I’ll be there to help him work out the rest of the kinks.
Wheel it, Wreck it, Wrench it, Repeat!
— Alex
Days of Pain and Victory 
Leave a comment