This was a short week with Easter coming early so the restoration didn’t progress too much in week 5. And Volker had a few other jobs that took up some time too. Including salvaging what he could from a ’72 that was at the end of its life (he’s always on the lookout for metal & other parts he can use for future restorations).
He did get some more parts off, including the dashboard. We had originally thought it could stay on but as we looked closer it made sense to pull it. The wiring for the alarm system being just one good example.
The other thing you can see in this photo is the broken heater cover. I doubt I’ll be able to find a replacement so it will get repaired one way or another. Of course I’ll ask the VW family to see if there’s one out there. Perhaps it’s a candidate for a 3D printer?
Here are a couple more photos of Babe from this week…
For my part, I continued to do some research on parts. I’ve order the Truck Fridge from Karl at Westy Ventures. And I’ve been looking at all the various options there are for solar charging systems. The trick will be getting close to what I want at a price I can. MPPT controllers are more efficient than PWM so I can get away with smaller panels. Of course they cost more. I have a 40 watt panel so I can defer buying an upgraded panel until I’m on a road trip in the States.
I’m interested in fold-able & roll-able technologies to help with storage & transport. The products that PowerFilm makes are quite interesting. Expensive though. I’m in no rush though, as long as the controller & wiring is all put in place I can swap out panels as technologies change.
Next week should be a little more exciting. We’re almost into April and thoughts of camping are creeping into my mind!
OMG – I had no idea it was this extensive. Amazing!