Ok, so I am a Lazy Blogger-but making headway with Irene...

As is usual for me, I have several projects that I am working on concurently-several of them Irene related. I am refurbishing the front door panels-and fiting the new speakers so I can have the essential road tunes; and working on the whole rear interior-which has me trying to figure out if I should "fish or cut bait" half the time. So, at this point I have a lot of half done projects awaiting the glorious day when they can all come together to create a harmonious interior. Take a Looksie:

This is a big ol collage I made as the replacement panel for the main wall in the rear cargo area-it is an old map of the U S of A, with 50's-60's vintage postcards modge-podged all over it! Groovy




And This is the Amazing product I am using to provide sound deadening on the cheap-it comes on a peel and stick roll-super easy install-and only time will tell how well it works. But, I figure it has to be an improvement over the usual howlin' loud VW Bus noise for sure!

lets fix her up- and live the dream!

Ok, Ya Gotta love a bus that came with "the foot". It was stashed under the drivers seat- turns out it makes the gas pedal too heavy- Bummer.
Next up prep! the Key to a good paint job- and in staving off the Rust! also a Lot of hard work- so , I prioritized, figuring it will be easier to replace a door than the whole floor pan! I kicked A$$ on the floor- used a dremel, and got every little inch of rust to go bye bye. should have worn hearing protection though. My ears were ringing for 2 days!

So, I got it prepped to Death, and then...



I Shot the whole thing with rattle can truck bed liner by duplicolor. 10 bucks a can- I needed 3 for a good solid coat. I figured it would be an awesome combo of rust preventative, And provide some sound deadening due to the rubberized texture. Smart move I think....time will tell.

Then, I "patched up" the many holes in the floor with metal tape. They were all pretty small-and mostly leftover from previous camper equipment- but there were a few small "through rust" spots that I fixed up really good.

Progress feels Good!

The Before Pictures....

Samba Glamor Shot

Ill fitting Z-bed. Going bye bye.

She is a Happy litttle bus, she just needs some love. I really like the way the dove grey and black look together- but alas, she is gonna be a Kustom Bus! I Am keeping the stock interior wherever it is still lookin good- mostly up front.

The Dreaded engine compartment, where many of her "Issues" reside- along with one of her assets- a peppy 2L engine!

Overall, she is an easy fixer. Multiple Bondo Spot Syndrome-and a striped out interior- keep her from being a restoration project. Plus the fact that I wasn't Looking for a restoration- I wanted a bus that I could make my own. She will be a glorious creative outlet that will yield the end rewards of many happy years of family fun!

Our Reward!

We were cold, and road weary, and Pambiche was an oasis for us on that NW December day. It was recommended by the man who bought my Double Cab- local knowledge is The Best way to get a good meal. The atmosphere was delightfully warming. But the Food-OMG it ranks up there as one of the Best meals of my Life. So, when in Portland, Go to Pambiche- go twice if you can. My first taste of Cuban food-but it won't be my last!
























See how freakin Happy we look? That is what a good meal can do to a couple of cold,hungry girls! Ahhhhhh, Pambich


FYI-Pambiche is what the Cubans of Florida call "Palm Beach"- which I think is totally Bitchin'.

Bus swap in Portland

First glimpse of Irene, downtown Portland.

A painting of Irene as "E.T."- by Jill, who was previously "owned" by Irene... but alas, nobody needs a car in Portland. Best dang transit system in the USA.

Jill says "goodbye", and ....

I say "hello"...

Debbbie reluctantly follows me as we deliver the Double cab to her new home-and Irenes' clutch screams at her the whole time! We got to listen to that scream anytime I had to change gears, so we were mighty happy that most of the way home was on the highway .

Delivery Complete! and Now, On to our reward..... to be continued

Roadtrip!

Leaving Bellingham, 38 degrees. Soon I will be a Human Popsicle!

I took this picture while Driving!

Debbie made me soup, and a sandwich, and more coffee! Plus she got us foot warmers- had to have the foot warmers. And then we were off and running.

Portland, Here we come!

We Finally arrive at the hotel, just in time to ward off hypothermia!

weird empty space will be filled with Misc Road Photos....

How it all began....

I love VW's- especially Buses. I just get a happy feeling inside when I am driving a VW Bus. I owned a 1971 DoubleCab pickup for 12 years or so- a Long time- and I loved it; I thought I would Always have it, forever and ever. I even wrote it into my Will to go to my son- which he must know on some energetic level, since he was mighty pissed at me when I sold it. He's 9, and doesn't quite get the whole "well, I can sell the truck, or we can lose the house...." deal. But that is what it came down to.

So, once I came to terms with that, I decided I would need a new "toy" to replace it- something cheaper, so we would still get the necessary funding to maintain our lifestyle, but I knew I needed another cool old rig to soften the blow. Besides, I Used the Double- it was a workhorse for me- a rare and collectible workhorse- but a workhorse nonetheless. So I actually did Need to replace it with another hauling rig.

Early on, I fell in Love with an old Ford pickup I saw on Craigslist- sweet old truck, all original, Cheap- plus it had a Winch! I could be a Really macho chick with a Winch! But, as time went by, and I got to the point of considering partial trades for the Double, I started thinking that an old VW camper would be Sweet. It Rains in the NW- and camping in the rain Sucks!

So, fate intervened, and as I perused the ads on The Samba, I found one that stood out for me. Her flaws were assets. Her attributes attractive. The price was right. However, I still needed to sell the Double. I needed a no nonsense decisive buyer for my truck. And finally he found me. Worlds easiest transaction- he gave me my asking price, sent a Western Union deposit- followed by a check for the balance. Christmas was saved- and so was the house. Close call- don't want to be There ever again.

And, as luck would have it, Sandro, the nice man who now owns my old double, lived in Portland- which is Also where Irene was waiting for me. So, I offered to drive the Double to Portland, made arrangements to buy Irene from Jill, and I was all set. My longtime friend and all around awesome person Debbie offered to come along for the ride, I booked a hotel, and we were good to go. And then it started snowing. and snowing.

Our plans were delayed by 2 weeks, but then, we were off to Portland! It was a glorious good time, but I do have this to say: Never underestimate just how cold a metal box can get while flying (hmmm, is 55mph flying?) down the highway with No Heat. It was the coldest road trip ever! Plus it took forever since I didn't want to take any chances while driving a rig that was no longer mine. Luckily, I had booked us a motel with a hot tub-Ahhhh, the thaw!