Yes, the 1971 bus took the 1976 bus steering shaft. It was identical to the 1971 shaft except it fit the 1988 Porsche steering wheel. This is the last post from me to vintagebus about the Porsche steering wheel. Someone on vintagebus wanted to know whether the shaft fit. The answer is yes! and I'm thrilled.
To start the day, I went into the shop to get the handles to the 1976 bus and send them in to Steve Sandlin to get keys made. The 1971 bus had three keys and four doors. The driver's side door wouldn't lock, because I didn't have a key. I had just salvaged a steering shaft from a 1976 bus that I thought would fit the Porsche steering wheel. Steve Sandlin said last nite the he could make me a set of keys that would fit all doors and the ignition, one-key-fits-all. Steve's phone number is 936-435-1324 in Huntsville, Texas. His price was very competitive at $12 for the first lock, $10 for each additional lock, plus three keys total. The price for all this was $58, including shipping at $4.50 each times 2 jobs (I'm having the job done in two stages so that my bus will not set up too long with wire door handles). There are four doors to make keys for. I had thought that one part of the key fit the ignition and another part fit the doors. Steve told me that this was a buncha B.S. One key fits all (I once took a 1973 Thing door handle in to the Volkswagen Store in Dallas, and they made me a key that opened the door but failed on the ignition switch. It was explained to me at the time that the bottom part of the key fit the ignition and the top part fit the doors. I remember that this was correct, because I eventually had the ignition and door keys combined into one key that fit both). But Steve told me that it needn't be that way, because he could make a key the first time that fit both the doors and ignition. Anyhow, I went to the shop and inquired whether the hands had fit the Porsche steering wheel to the 1971 bus. "No! because yadda yadda yadda ...I was told that the bus needed a square plate with 4 holes in it, because the old one was cracked. So, I went to Knights Foreign auto parts and got the part (plus a coupla grease zerks and one rubber O-ring for the Zwitter. When I got back, I waited while they pulled the steering wheel shaft. This time, the electric portion of the ignition switch broke. I went back to Knight's and got the part. When I returned, Scott fooled with the electric part of the switch for about an hour and couldn't get it to click into the mechanical part of the switch. I took the whole steering shaft and the electric part of the switch back into Knight's. I waited about two hours as Angel tried everything imaginable to get it to go. Finally, Angel noted something about the electric part of the switch ... the replacement part had a plastic head on it, the bottom part of which had a small ridge on it. Leeroy filed down the ridge and the electric part of the switch went right into place. It was a bad part that needed filing down so as to fit properly. We had tried two other parts, and they too were badly manufactured. I learned something today, but unfortunately it took all day. I never did get the package off to Steve, but I will Monday via UPS. Sorry, Steve. Don Garies [EMAIL PROTECTED] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To UNSUBSCRIBE send any e-mail to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To email the admin for list help only: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands send any e-mail to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Donations help keep the list going. http://www.type2.com/donate.html ----------------------------------------------------------------------
