A Catch the Bus bus... What we do and what we can do on our buses!

Yesterday we looked at the history of the VW Buses and Pickups, which I actually find pretty fascinating. Before we get started looking at the different models, I wanted to say a little bit about what we do on each and every one of our restorations. 

Completely disassemble the bus down to a rolling body, much like a "frame off" restoration.


Refurbish any hardware, such as door handles, that are not pitted or too deeply scratched. Replace any that do not meet our standards.


Complete any metal work that needs to be done, replacing any rusted, rotted, or severely damaged metal panels with new metal. 


Complete the "underneath mechanicals," replacing brake, steering, and suspension components that are worn, damaged, or otherwise not up to our standards. (All brake components such as pads/shoes, calipers, master cylinder, wheel cylinders, lines and hoses are all replaced. Many suspension and steering components are replaced as standard procedure as well. Please email me for more details.)


Finish out the body work to prepare the Bus for paint. A lot of people ask if we use a plastic body filler such as "Bondo." The answer is, yes, we do have to use some plastic body filler to ensure that we have a smooth, flat surface on which to apply the paint. We use the least amount that we can to do the job properly. Any damaged areas that are not replaced during metal fabrication (which would only be minor) are worked out as completely as possible using hammers, dollies, and the like before any plastic body filler is used.


Paint your Bus the color or colors that you want using a basecoat/clearcoat system made by DuPont. We can also do any custom paint or car wrap that you want. Here are a couple of buses that we completed. The darker bus is a complete vinyl car wrap completed by Subia in Albuquerque, NM. The white bus with pink flowers is a custom paint job done here in our shop by Shawn and Fallon - and it AMAZING! Here you are only limited by your imagination (and, of course, your wallet).

1965 VW Bus Catch the Bus Flower Power!

1965 VW Bus Catch the Bus Flower Power - Side View

1965 VW Bus Catch the Bus Peace and Love

 After your bus is painted, it is rolled into the assembly side of the shop. Here it gets all the refurbished components replaced, new lights, new rubber seals, a new windshield, five new painted rims with new tires, and so much more.


 In our upholstery shop, your seats are taken down to bare metal frames, repaired if necessary, and the reupholstered using all new materials and the upholstery material of your choice, whether that's vinyl, cloth, tweed, or even leather!


 Our cabinet maker refurbishes the camper cabinets that came with your bus. If they aren't available, he makes new ones! He also makes and installs the wood ceiling, the wood floor, and any other wood components that you have on your bus.


 The engine and transmission are both rebuilt and then re-installed in your bus, along with many other new parts.


 Once your bus is complete, then it undergoes a 250+ point inspection, making sure each bolt and screw are tight, every cable is connected properly, etc.


Finally! Now it's time for the test drive. Our goal on every bus is 100 miles of test driving. And, when you get your bus, you'll get complete break in instructions and access to our technicians for any questions that you have.


So many options are available at Catch the Bus, and so much work is done during the restoration, even here there really isn't room to completely cover it all. For lots of pictures of builds we have completed in the past showing Buses before, during, and after their restoration, visit our online Picasa Web Photo Albums.


I know that I said I would talk about the models next when I posted yesterday, but I thought that it made more sense to talk a little bit about what we do first. On the next post, we'll start in on the different models available. If you just can't wait, there is some great information on our website... Catch the Bus Online. Once you are there, click on "Get Started" and then on "Models." The website is currently undergoing major renovation, but the information describing the models is still good.


Tune in tomorrow for VW Bus Models 101! Until then, have a wonderful evening!


Cassi Hannon
Sales and Office Manager
Catch the Bus, LLC
1400 Black Street, Bldg 3
Alamogordo, NM 88310
888-428-2892
cassi @ catchthebus26.com
www.catchthebus26.com