2014 Annual Orange Empire bus company picnic

May 5, 2014

Yesterday, I drove to Canyon RV park at the city of Yorba Linda to attend the annual Orange Empire Bus Company’s spring picnic. Initially, I wanted to bring VW parts to sell but I changed my mind because I felt that hauling around piles of junk is a hassle. I have done those for a few years and I am beginning to get tired of it. 

When I arrived at Canyon RV park, there was already a long line of VW bugs & buses waiting to enter the park. A few minutes after getting in line, the park opened the gates and it did not take long before I was able to get in the park. People were just aggressively grabbing parking spots and I did not want to compete with these guys because I just want to find a shaded spot for me to park my bus. 

My parts list only contained 4 items: Cut-offs dog legs for years 1968-71 bus dog legs; 1967 bus rear view mirror; Left & right rockers plus door pillars for 1968-71 bus. 

While walking around the swap meet area, I spotted a guy selling a 1962 front turn signal who wants $10 for it. I told him I can give him $5 for it. He went from $8 to $7…to $6. After I put down the signal light back to his display area, the seller finally agreed to the $5 price. 

There were a few nice pieces but most of them are just parts that are not highly sought after. One interesting thing I saw is this guy who is selling middle seat replacement legs because some middle seats out there have rusted legs. The metal pipes that were used were thinner but that is easily resolved by inserting a metal rod inside the pipe to reinforce it and then weld the replacement part to the seat. 

The only item in my ‘parts wish-list’ is a rear view mirror being sold by this guy at a ridiculous price of $75. Those things are being sold at thesamba.com for $25-$40 shipped. I tried to haggle politely with the seller but he just won’t budge on his price. 

I started thinking, should I wait for the next show hoping that there would be a 1967 bus rear view mirror being sold then? The next OCTO is June 7^th & Classics is on June 21^st. Should I really wait that long hoping that someone is going to be selling the mirror that I need at a cheaper price? If I order through thesamba.com, I have to take time to drive to the post office to buy a money order then mail it then wait for the shipment. Then there is a risk that the mirror I will receive is not exactly a good one. Looking at the pictures in the ads is not a sure thing that the mirror I am buying is in very good condition. The screw that holds the mirror from the metal holder could have been cross thread making it lose. There are risks I have to take if I want to buy at a regular price. On the other hand, the overpriced mirror that is before me at the show is in good condition. The seller pulled a bag full of 1967 mirrors and told me to select the best one. I figured that at least he is giving me a choice among 5 mirrors. I selected the best one and when I installed it in my bus, it fitted perfectly and the whole interior of the front area seemed to feel complete. I was just relieve to finally take out the old rear view mirror that is being held together by several layers of dock tape and metal wires. That was indeed an eyesore. In my opinion, I overpaid by $35 but it did not hurt a lot because there are bus/bug shows that are coming and I will have a more presentable bus to show. 

I am thankful that there is one food stand who decided to sell affordable food. Hot dogs for $1 & sodas for $1 were sold like hot cakes. 

I was able to get a few restoration ideas while checking out the buses at the show that were in different stages of restoration. The show is one of my favorites to go to and hopefully next time there will be more people who will bring parts to sell. 

My day at the OCTO bus show

I drove to the city of Long Beach this morning to attend the OCTO (Orange County Transporter Organization) show. This show is for pre-1967 buses only and the entrance fee is $5. If you bring any other vehicle to the show area, the entrance fee is $50. 

I decided to hold on to my wallet and avoid buying any rare parts that I do not really need. It is really tempting to buy rare parts specially when they are reasonably priced. Some guys have garages full of junk parts that they don’t know what to do with. Yours truly has come to the realization that I need to be in a “parts diet” and avoid falling into the junk trap. 

During the show, I saw a few new pre-67 buses that joined the VW bus community. As expected, rare parts are priced a bit high. Many bargain hunters were aggressively prowling the whole show area. 

I was looking for a good doghouse shroud and saw a few that are in shabby state. I came upon a nice guy who is selling a complete 1600 engine for $350. The doghouse in it is in very good condition and I asked how much is the doghouse. He said that he is thinking of selling the engine as a whole instead of piecing it out. He said that he rebuilt the engine 15 years ago and used brand new pistons. For the cylinder heads, he used a used pair and when he started it, he noticed that cylinder #3 does not have a lot of compression. Though $350 is a good price, it is still a risky purchase because brand new cylinder heads are pricey. The guy is not an engine builder and so I don’t know how well he did in rebuilding this engine. He told me that his wife has cancer and they are temporarily staying in southern California so that his wife can be treated at a specially hospital here. He has sold two of his pre-67 buses and all his parts to fund his wife’s treatment. I felt bad for the guy and wanted to help him. Unfortunately it would be a $350 gamble for me to buy his engine which I am not willing to pull the trigger on. I apologized to the nice fellow and told him that I am hoping that his wife eventually recovers from her battle with cancer. 

The crowd at the show was light. By mid-morning, I decided to leave the show early because I still have things to do at the house.