Fleetfooted - 75 Fleetline - We have ignition :-)

[Dutch_Diver]

Really starting to take on her own personallity.....more please!

[karmakoma]

Thanks for comments guys. Cool Chris! Can't wait, let me know what I owe you for the transport.

Idea is to get under the bus and clean off all the excess grease on the gearbox and engine before going for roadworthy, I have heard the testing stations don't like dirty chassis...

Gearlever, handbrake, steering column etc will all be sprayed . Only when all the mechanical bits are 100% though. This will be a rat bus for a bit, with a sparkling chassis.

Paint brush for the degreaser sounds like a better idea than the bottle's instructions: spray directly from bottle copious amounts onto engine then rinse with jet of water I am guessing an old toothbrush and/or scrubbing brush will also be in my near future


Oh, and that ugly red carpet will go soon, fleetlines all had rubber mats apparently, anyone have some pics of the OG rubber floormats by any chance?

Also on the near future to do list is some masonite for the interior panels. NOT ONE interior panel was left in tact, not ONE! I should really record the noise inside the bus in 3rd gear up a hill at 60. Your ears will bleed....

[karmakoma]

So today I fitted an Empi short shift kit, the bus gearlever has such a long throw, I felt it was not optional.

To give you some idea, this is how close reverse and second gear was to the seat when engaged before I fitted the kit:



Then I started the fitting process, so carpets out, undo the bolts, and DAMMIT CHRIS, your paint comment was hounding me, so I figured while I am busy, I might as well....

Before:

During, and when I had taped the gearlever and handbrake, I noticed the clutch and brake pedal arms also needed a bit of TLC, and then I noticed the state of the petrol pedal. So pretty soon it turned into this !! :



I didn't have any off-white VW paint, otherwise I would have sprayed the steering column as well. Something for next time.

Fitted the short shift kit, and I only had to adjust the bolts twice before my gears worked properly again. Took it for a test drive and I can definately notice the difference. Especially on the reverse and 2nd gear that came back so far...

Oh, before I forget, after pics:



Brake and Clutch arms:



and the petrol pedal:



Only problem is, now the steering column looks REALLY horrific, so that will have to be sorted asap!

Can anyone enlighten me as to whether this is the correct handbrake boot for the fleetline, irrespective, I now notice that both the handbrake boot and the gearlever boot needs to be replaced, someone have spares to sell?



After some long and intense reading on the internet and especially The Samba, I came to the conclusion that there is not much literature or data on Fleetlines, so anyone with any info , please forward to me (especially as to what parts come from what year) - Merlin, Kombination site is down, from what I have read there was a bit of info there?
Fig, if you could be so kind to send any links you might have to sites with info, maybe some info you have compiled over the years? Are the mechanicals more split or more early bay. If needed to buy brake shoes for example, beetle, early bus or bay ?

Shocks, bay, or split? That sort of thing.
Thanks!

[Chris]

Karma,that came out ace!!

Looks great!!

[Blitzkrieg]

What Chris said!

[Merlin]

Can anyone enlighten me as to whether this is the correct handbrake boot for the fleetline, irrespective, I now notice that both the handbrake boot and the gearlever boot needs to be replaced, someone have spares to sell?



After some long and intense reading on the internet and especially The Samba, I came to the conclusion that there is not much literature or data on Fleetlines, so anyone with any info , please forward to me (especially as to what parts come from what year) - Merlin, Kombination site is down, from what I have read there was a bit of info there?
Fig, if you could be so kind to send any links you might have to sites with info, maybe some info you have compiled over the years? Are the mechanicals more split or more early bay. If needed to buy brake shoes for example, beetle, early bus or bay ?

Shocks, bay, or split? That sort of thing.
Thanks!

Yes, those are the correct boots. I imported new ones for my bus. Try www2.cip1.com or http://www.wolfsburgwest.com

Fleetlines are a mix of parts from the split bus years. You need to be specific with what you want to know...

KombiNation has been down for years and is unlikely to be resurrected, for various reasons. I still own the domain though, and perhaps one day I will get around to removing the link.

Brakes shoes: ask Fig. I have mine rebonded.

Cheers, N.

[karmakoma]

Thanks for the feedback NIC, will pay WW a visit

[lowlight]

As far as I know the brakes are the same for splits and early baysUp to 72

[karmakoma]

Thanks Lowlight, reason I ask, there are two modications that I would like to make to the bus (for safety reasons mostly), seatbelts and disk brakes up front.

So my question is: has anyone done a disk brake conversion on a fleetline, where did you get the caliper brackets etc?
OR, would early bay front disk brakes (if available) be a straight bolt on?

[Pine]

So my question is: has anyone done a disk brake conversion on a fleetline,

Are you SURE you wanna do that??

[karmakoma]

It's a fleetline, not a LADA, and don't you have a buggy to finish ?

[Merlin]

Thanks Lowlight, reason I ask, there are two modications that I would like to make to the bus (for safety reasons mostly), seatbelts and disk brakes up front.

So my question is: has anyone done a disk brake conversion on a fleetline, where did you get the caliper brackets etc?
OR, would early bay front disk brakes (if available) be a straight bolt on?

You can bolt up a '68 Bay' beam. It sits approx. 1.5 inches higher than the equivalent splitty beam, and you'll need to turn, cut, and weld the torsion blades to get it sit right again - which is already stiffer as a result.

...then you need hubs, discs, etc. from a later bus.

...before you even start getting all of that working.

I have a '68 front and rear suspension set I'm considering selling.

Nic.

[fig]

So today I fitted an Empi short shift kit, the bus gearlever has such a long throw, I felt it was not optional.

To give you some idea, this is how close reverse and second gear was to the seat when engaged before I fitted the kit:

That's a baywindow shift lever. The correct split one is much shorter.

Karma, read my write-up on Fleetlines in the History forum; it's has most of the answers to your questions. AFAIK there is nowhere on the internet with any info on Fleetlines that didn't get the info from me.

I've been out of circulation for the poast two weeks; I'll send the seatbelt pics shortly.

[karmakoma]

Thanks Fig, but did you have to use the BEFORE pic

Have read your fleetline write-up, several times in fact , will assume for now that most mechanical parts are pretty much the same as split parts. Will cross the incorrect parts bridge when we get there....

[fig]

Thanks Lowlight, reason I ask, there are two modications that I would like to make to the bus (for safety reasons mostly), seatbelts and disk brakes up front.

So my question is: has anyone done a disk brake conversion on a fleetline, where did you get the caliper brackets etc?
OR, would early bay front disk brakes (if available) be a straight bolt on?

My suggestion would be rather get the stock brakes working as they should before making any radical changes. I find stock Fleetline brakes to be plenty powerful enough, even for a loaded bus. If, after getting the brakes working, you find you can't live with them, only then consider changing to discs.

I've driven a fully loaded split bus both ways up and down Swartberg Pass, through Baviaanskloof, over most of the well known Cape mountain passes, both paved and gravel, as well as up and down some very rough, steep trails in the Ethiopian highlands, and I've never felt the stock brakes were inadequate or unsafe.