Just a little follow-up from last weeks post about retrofitting curtains to my ’73 tin top VW bus. If you missed it, go check it out here. Keep reading to learn how I put up the rear curtains this week.
Now that you’re up to speed, you’ll see that I still had some work to do to put up the curtains over the rear window. Since the time of that post, I’ve finished that project. Now, I want to share my progress and show you the finished result!
The rear of the bus was the only part I haven’t painted, so I needed to take care of that first. I could’ve done a little more prep, but honestly, I just wanted to get this project marked complete. As you can see in the following picture, the hinge of the rear hatch is completely exposed and the ceiling paneling doesn’t come down to where the curtains needed to connect.
First, I taped everything off. I didn’t want to get any paint on the ceiling or gunk up the hinges. Next, I used white semi-gloss paint plus primer on the metal between the hatch and the hinges. A few coats was all it took and it was really quick.
Next, I used the same Liquid Nails I used on all the other lath, but this time instead of connecting wood to wood, I was connecting wood to metal. It took a little longer to grip but I’m still really happy with this adhesive and its hold!
As you can see, because the lath wasn’t attaching to the ceiling, I used the same adhesive to adhere two pieces of lath together to make it twice as thick. This allows enough space for the hooks to screw in. There are no nails on this part of lath, but I may go back and put a couple just for peace of mind.
And that was it! Curtains for the rear of the bus are finished. As you can see, the rear curtains are very gathered. This was intentional when I made the curtains, but looking at it now, I think I may re-sew them to a narrower dimension. The black-out backing is thick and makes it difficult to open them fully.
Sometime when I need a little side project, I’m going to cover the hatch using the idea one of the folks in my VW groups suggested. I’ll be putting essentially a fabric cover over it using Velcro. I think I’ve decided to keep it neutral and just go with white.
Next project? Replacing the distributor and putting up the headliner in the cab of the bus! I think I’ll have a little help from a dear friend with the headliner. Stay tuned!
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