I took today off to play with the bus!

I welded in hinges for the popout windows I'm adding.  The bus came
with popouts in the back 2 windows, and I'm converting the rest as well.

I used 1" tight pin hinges, which you can get at any hardware store.  I
MIG welded them top and bottom to the body, placing them just above/below
where the screw holes on the windows are.  I then drilled 5/64" holes in
the windows and attached them.  You also have to drill holes for the
latch mechanism to attach to the body.  An important point to remember
is to make sure the hinge is far enough from the lip in the window frame
so you can get the rubber on!  Oh, and don't do like I did and weld the
hinge shut!  D'oh!

Once I ground off the welds and primered them, (and put the windows in) 
they look exactly the same as the factory ones.  The hinges are almost
as stiff as the stock ones, and the windows open and close real nice.

Another hint:  If you are going to store windows until you get around to
putting them in, stand them on edge and don't lay them down.  I ended up
stacking crap on mine and the one on the bottom got cracked. :(  I have
a spare, but that means they won't match until I repaint them.  

I'm am considering having the frames chromed.  I think this would be
real spiffy, along with chromed safaris!  Anyone seen or done this?

Well, I won't get anything done tommorrow - I'm goin' surfing!  Half
Moon bay is hip to shoulder high and Pedro Point is head high, no wind,
swell from the west.  YES!  Sorry, don't have my tide table in front of me...

Thom
'56 Kombi (with tinted popout windows!)
-- 
>> A low yield nuclear weapon is like being a little bit pregnant.
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:    Thom Fitzpatrick                             Transamerica Info Mgmnt  :
:  Systems Administrator                          1860 Howe Ave            :
:  tfitzpatrick@tim.com                           Sacramento, CA 95825     :
:   fax (916) 921-6781                            (916) 565-3346           :
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All opinions expressed herein are mine and not necessarily those of TIMS!