How to Restore Volkswagen (bay window) Bus: Your Step-By-Step Illustrated Guide to Body and Interior Restoration (Enthusiast's Restoration Manual) - Softcover

Paxton, Mark

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1845840933 ISBN 13: 9781845840938

Publisher: Veloce Publishing Ltd, 2008

Synopsis

The only book currently available that comprehensively deals with the realities of restoring a VW Bay Window Bus. With over 1500 mainly color photos, it clearly guides the reader through body and chassis repairs,  paint work, interior re-trimming and most of the common mechanical  problems. The skills, techniques and even the tools needed to complete  these tasks are explained in jargon free language to ensure that even  those enthusiasts with no previous restoration experience will feel confident in sorting out their Bus. An indispensable and unique guide for lovers of these fast appreciating classics.

About this title

About the Author:

Mark Paxton acquired his first VW Bus, a split screen van, nearly 30 years ago, followed by a Bay and then a few Beetles. A period without owning any of VW's iconic flat fours while running a garage dedicated to more Gallic motors was compensated for by a steady flow of friends. Buses to work on eased the pain. A move into classic car and motorcycle journalism was followed by the chance to intimately reacquaint himself with innermost workings of the Bay Window Transporter and write this book.

Review:

The Daily Star, 29th August 2008
UK newspaper
Circ: 655,000

If you've not been lucky enough to win one of our regular contest prizes of a VW Camper Van why not buy one cheap, then do it up.  This week saw the launch of the VW Bus Enthusiasts Restoration Manual. It covers all types from 1967 to 1979 and promises "clear, jargon-free text."  Author Mark Paxton has been a VW Bus enthusiast for nearly 30 years and gives advice on body, chassis, suspension, steering, brakes and trim.  He also tells you which repairs you should leave to the experts. Admit it, it's something you've always wanted to do.

Volkswagen Owners Club GB,  Summer 2008
UK club website
16,000 hit/month

Another well written and profusely illustrated book on how to restore your bus. It covers the Microbus, Camper, Kombi and Transporter models from August 1967 to October 1979 but does not cover the rear bodywork of Pick-up models. At the very start of this book it states this is not a workshop manual but covers in great detail body and chassis repairs. After having passed (read) all the disclaimers there are 11 chapters that cover comprehensively all aspects of restoration. This book is really for the enthusiast and for a person that has both the confidence and ability to tackle projects that, in all honesty, would frighten the life out of me!

Volkswagen Camper & Commercial, September 2008
UK magazine
 
If you own, or plan to buy, a Bay Window bus then this new book is a simply must-have item! Dedicated exclusively to the Bay models it is a complete guide to the restoration of your Bay, with full coverage of body and chassis repairs, suspension, steering and brakes, plus trim and paint. It also covers the tools, equipment and workshop techniques needed to make your Bus look like new once more. This is the only book currently available that comprehensively deals with the realities of restoring a VW Bay Window Bus. With over 1500 mainly color photos, it clearly guides the reader through body and chassis repairs, paint work, interior re-trimming and most of the common mechanical problems. The skills, techniques and even the tools needed to complete these tasks are explained in jargon-free language to ensure that even those enthusiasts with no previous restoration experience will feet confident in sorting out their Bus. All tasks are clearly explained and based on real life restoration jobs carried out by the author himself, who has been a bus enthusiast for over 30 years making for an indispensable and unique guide for Bay owners!

 

Volksworld, October 2008
UK magazine
 

Seen the fruits of others labor and fancy giving your own restoration a go? This nifty manual from Veloce follows real life restoration carried out by the author. Giving you an in-depth guide to techniques needed to restore your Bus back to spanking new condition, it has 1500 color pictures printed on posh paper (so the grease wipes off easily).
 

Octane, October 2008
UK magazine
 
Given the size of the VW market, and the fact this is a softback, £30 seems a bit steep for this How-To manual. That aside, it's an excellent step-by-step guide to the restoration of a Bay Window camper, shown in hundreds of very clear color shots. If you have a VW bus project, you'll find the outlay worthwhile.

Autoist, September 2008
Magazine for the Volkswagen Club of America
 
This book is a guide to the restoration of the 1968-1979 VW Type 2 Bus, aka the Bay Window Bus. It is generously equipped with color photographs throughout and relies mainly on these captioned photographs to convey its information via step-by-step instructions. The book is intended to supplement existing VW workshop manuals in areas that the author thought were lacking or neglected, such as bodywork. As with previous published VW restoration manuals, this author also includes a brief history of the model as well as key inspection tips (also photographed) for the prospective buyer.  The restoration topics begin with 60 pages of text and pictures on body and chassis repair procedures – more procedures than most VW hobbyists would have the temerity to tackle, unless they had professional welding skills and no constraints on time. It is at least helpful that generous use is made of pre-fabricated repair sections and panels in these procedures. Next is over 20 pages on door and hinge repairs, large and small, up to and including (for the brave) re-skinning your door while simultaneously replacing significant frame rot. The subject of bodywork is completed with a chapter on painting. This is an area that the experienced VW restorer will likely find to be less detailed than desirable, given that many general-purpose restoration guides already exist that cover painting tasks extensively.  Next come chapters covering the bay window mechanical systems-front beam, rear axle, engine (but not tranny), fuel delivery and so on. Many workshop manuals, plus the line of Bug Me Videos, already cover the rebuilding of such components with detailed step-by-step procedures. By comparison, this book uses 84 pages of captioned photographs to convey what the author considers important and/or over-looked nuggets of information on these subjects.  Accordingly, while not a standalone rebuilding guide in these areas, the novice VW restorer should find this part of the book useful in further illustrating many common repair steps. Other than a final chapter on workshop tools and techniques, the author ends the restoration topics with a subject on, which I find almost all VW workshop manuals to be sadly lacking – trim and fittings. There are 24 pages of captioned photographs covering repair steps and/or useful tips on seats, door panels, headlining, floor coverings, seals, bumpers, badge and grill, wipers and so on.  In summation, although much of this book's audience might hesitate to attempt the more complex bodywork procedures, the numerous captioned photographs on Bay Window Bus restoration still manage to convey much useful information not published elsewhere. If you plan on doing your own bus repairs, consider adding this book to your library.

"[This book] has been published in both the UK and the USA so there could be a rush on getting vehicles to work on, so you'd better get cracking right now, with this excellent manual to guide you." – Mid Devon Star
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"Extremely well illustrated throughout, with clear, straightforward, jargon-free explanations." – New Zealand Classic Car

About this edition

• Publisher: Veloce Publishing Ltd
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 1845840933
• ISBN 13: 9781845840938
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 272