The VW Bus Bed, Part 7

Finishing Touches on the VW Bus Bed Interior

I’d been trying to figure out how to finish the inside of the VW bus bed; I’d sanded and re-sanded every possible surface, but didn’t want to paint any more — and I wanted to make it feel more comfortable in there. My wife had the idea of using fabric squares from random scraps she’d been hanging on to, and the idea developed to sort of “tile” the inside.

It was sort of slow going with the spray adhesive, but it started to look really neat.

I’d had a thought earlier in the process that a hammock might be a great addition to the lower area; the one I’d found online arrived, and with a couple of clips it was hung in seconds.

Perfect fit. My daughter approved. Warning: contented cuteness on high.

Next I wanted to incorporate a couple of little leather (?) side pockets that had come with my Craigslist freebie pile of Super Beetle bits. I took some wood from an old entertainment center I’d cut up years ago and made little frames for them, and mounted them on either side, right near the front. Perfect for books or stuffed animals.

My wife added a little fabric ribbon around the dashboard, and I secured the screw-buttons in place with little hollowed-out halves of foam earplugs glued in place. You can also see I'd painted the pink selector switch black; you can choose what mode you want to make noises in (Regular, Songs, or Learn Spanish!).

I also added the two rubber (?) handles from the Super Beetle, bolting them to the inside of the doors.

Finally, there was the matter of the classic Volkswagen logo. I’d looked at getting authentic ones online, but they were either too small or too big; the VW bus bed had its own scale, and there wasn’t anything that was just right. So finally I had a decal custom printed, on some reflective silver stock. I painted an orange circle where it would go, and carefully stuck it on.

It looked great! Which was good, because my daughter’s 3rd birthday party was right around the corner. The VW bus bed’s debut would be a trial by fire, right in the driveway.

On to The VW Bus Bed, Part 8