It all started when our hero was informed, by the owner of the garage where he’d been keeping his chopped Beetle(s), that the garage was up for sale.  He could either buy or else move out.

Being a bit on the high side for the sake of keeping a jigsaw of various Beetles (three to be precise) turned into a convertible, our hero decided to pass on the Bug to another owner and get something that could easily be kept outdoors without causing him any sleepless nights.  Several adverts later, with the Bug failing to attract any serious buyer, a swap was agreed to with the owner of a 1968 Bus.

Our first impression was somewhat cold, except for that of our hero (who will, from now on, be referred to as our benefactor).  He had been looking interestedly at Split Screens for quite a while.  Not having succeeded in finding a suitable example, this Bay Window seemed to fit into the picture like a glove.

The finish on the van left much to be desired, to put it mildly.  Some rust spots promised more of the same beneath the quantities of hard metal that were easily detectable.  Upholstery had seen better times and most of it was past saving.  Early drives also showed several faults, which tended to turn every venture onto the road into a hazardous adventure.

Our benefactor’s initial enthusiasm ensured that the most serious mechanical problems were looked into and rectified.  But then, the Bus just sat below its new owner’s balcony for months, mainly gathering dust and other debris, just looking sorry for itself.  Until early last summer.

Another project, which our benefactor had initiated earlier in the year, got seriously delayed due to unsatisfactory workmanship.  So, an appointment with an upholsterer for the rejuvenation of the project’s interior was kept by the interior of the Bus.  And the results were satisfying, to say the least.  So much so, that our benefactor’s enthusiasm was immediately fired up and he set about sanding down the various brush-applied coats of paints that the Bus had acquired during its sad past.

The project then took a turn for the better.  For, on being told about this sudden turn of events, my partner and myself convinced our benefactor that the whole venture would present a more satisfying finish if the previous owner(s) handwork was removed entirely.  Acceptable repairs were also to be effected.  A couple of days’ hard work and several coatings of Nitromors (and other brands of paint remover) later, saw the Bus back in its birthday finish, that is, bare metal.  This process showed us how wrong our misgivings had been when the Bus had joined our benefactor’s fleet.  For the various layers of hard metal hid nothing more than modifications to the panels of the van.  No doubt applied by an enthusiastic driver, the damage inflicted was ‘repaired’ by a similarly enthusiastic handyman who made no attempt to reduce the dept of the hard metal that had to be applied.

At this stage, the project was moved to more convenient premises, where a steady progress was maintained throughout summer.  After it had been stripped, the Bus was wiped down in thinner, coated in acid rust remover, rinsed in thinner, and coated in Trustan rust converter.  Next, some panel beating (or should I say, bashing) took place.  Nothing extraordinary, mind you.  We just got the dents straightened out as much as possible, but did not have the tools or knowledge to refine the work done .  We also sought the help of our English handyman with a welding torch to remove some of the rusty panels as our initial attempt at doing things ourselves left much to be desired.

The project then moved to the preparation stage prior to painting.  Various layers of hard metal were once again applied to ‘straighten’ the rest of the dents that our crude panel beating attempts could not cope with.  Again, our expertise was somewhat lacking, especially in handling the hard metal before it starts to harden.  So, we had to gradually build up the coatings until we got what we thought was a reasonably straight surface.  Naturally, this meant a lot of time going by in sanding down the latest layers added onto what was already there. 

Next on the agenda was the base coat.  Two coats of Hammerite Rust Inhibiting primer were applied, partially by roller and partially brushed on.  The two methods were experimented with to determine which would provide the most satisfying finish.  This mode of painting had to be resorted to since attempts to find a suitably sited garage where we could actually finish the project in spray paint proved fruitless.  Neither finish was up to what we had expected.  This was probably due to the fact that the paint was not adequately thinned, we eventually found out.

Nonetheless, we then proceeded to apply the top coats.  The base coats were flattened prior to application of the final coats.  The Bus was finished in blue (lower half) and white (upper half).  Our benefactor initially wanted to use Hammerite’s Smooth Finish, but this proved to be unmanageable.  So enough paint for a single coating was bought from ICI.  Although attempts were made to thin the paint by heating it, the end result was far from satisfying.  Brush marks were visible to the naked eye, even in poor light.  In fact, the standard joke current at the time was that the Bus had been restored to be used on dark nights only.  But having failed to locate a garage wherein we could actually spray paint the Bus, we had to make do with what was available.  The premises in use are in an inhabited area and we did not want the long-suffering neighbours to go through the hassles of thinner fumes.

After re-assembling the lights, locks, etc, the Bus was taken out for a test drive.  Performance was poor but it still got us to Fomm ir-Rih, where it played an important role in helping us gather a good quantity of bajtar tax-xewk (a wild fruit) for a barbeque later on the same day.  On the way up to the barbeque, engine fumes were very strong, causing heavy eye watering and even nausea.  Nonetheless, it made it back to base from the first drive as well as Mellieha, where the barbeque was held.

At this stage, prudence took hold of us and we subjected the long-suffering engine to a mild service.  The oil strainer was caked in oil sludge that was surely restricting the flow of oil.  Plugs, having been replaced in the initial burst of enthusiasm, were not disturbed but the points and timing got looked at very closely, especially since performance had been rather poor throughout our benefactor’s period of ownership.  Brakes were adjusted and the steering box end float reduced to acceptable limits.  The front suspension and steering were also greased.  These efforts transformed BUS-068 as did a new set of tyres.

The first V-Dubs event, at which BUS 068 made an appearance, was the drive held in September, when we ended at Buskett for a cold beer.  Notwithstanding the poor finish, BUS-068 drew a lot of attention during this event.  First of all, it got Kevin Widmann, the English guy on our committee, motivated to the point that he got his own Split Screen bus going to take part in our next event, after a prolonged absence.  Secondly, and the more important of the two, it got Joe Galea, a fellow member and a sprayer by trade, into such a nostalgic mood that he offered to spray paint the van all over if we flattened the paint down ourselves.

Further events to seal the fate of BUS-068 were in the pipeline.  The Old Motors Club, of which our benefactor is also a member, was organising a rally for vehicles up to 1973.  And our benefactor, being an adventurous type, had long been planning to take part.  The only hitch was that the vehicles taking part had to be in pristine condition.  This was merely a week after our own event.  And the rally was due to be held within three weeks.  Some urgent consultations took place and we started to flatten the paint. 

During the first week, the blue coating was reasonably flattened and on the Saturday, we all turned up at Joe’s Garage in Mriehel where, by early afternoon, BUS-068 had gained two coats of hardner paint.  Needless to say, we were more than pleased with the end result.  During the second week, we got going on the top part of the Bus.  But this time round, we did not finish sanding everything down by Saturday.  This was due to several factors, the most noteworthy of which were the decision to remove the glass panels on the van (something that had not been done the first time round) with the exception of the front windscreen.  We also decided to remove the two door channel cover plates.

These decisions entailed some more panel bashing and rust treatment.  On the second Saturday, the body work was finished but the bumpers and the VW emblem, which now proudly embellishes the front of the Bus, had to be left till the eve of the event.  In the meantime, we got busy locating rubber packing for the glass panels and re-assembling whatever we could.  By Saturday morning, we still had to re-assemble two of the glass panels, the door channel cover plates, bumpers, etc.  By late afternoon, all the paintwork had been finished but time was running out for us.  And a lot of work still had to be done.  We started off in early evening and finished off at 2.00 am the following morning.  The Bus, resplendent in its new finish, made it on time to the starting grid of the rally, even if it did not make it into the top three places in its class.  For the curious amongst you, we eventually finished in seventeenth place, having gained substantial penalty points after missing a turning at Attard.  Not a bad finish for a first time out.

We have now taken some time off this project to concentrate on other pressing jobs.  Tasks still to be concluded include spraying the dash-board, painting the road wheels, fitting the interior panels in the passenger area and installing a period radio cassette.  Long term tasks include sourcing a new front panel, as well as repairs to the front floor panel to keep the rust bug at bay.  We also plan to overhaul the brakes, replace a broken engine mounting and, above all, keep it clean and pristine.

Some final clarifications.  The title refers to the period of day during which most of this work was done.  As all three of us were rather busy with our routine jobs during the day, most of the work was carried out during the summer nights (panel bashing being an obvious exception).  Working hours varied from 18.00 to 22.00 hours but these were frequently extended to beyond midnight.  Especially on the final day before the Old Motors Club rally.

Having spent so much time on the project, the benefactor’s wife rightly declared that he could no longer claim title to the Bus.  In fact, our benefactor’s major role throughout the project was financing it.  Minor contributions in carrying out the required tasks were also attempted but these instances were few and far between.  Driving sessions by our benefactor have also left much to be desired.  So now, the Bus has been taken over by the owner of the garage, where it is still kept, and myself.  Hence the change in name from hero to benefactor!

To conclude, a word of thanks to our other halves, who were so understanding throughout the project. They promptly provided Mars bars and other refreshments, especially during those sessions stretching into the early morning hours, which fuelled our determination to see the project to its end.

KARL CIARLO’