1969 - GGL 468G

[BoggyB]

just remember every bodge you fix is another bit of the bus you know is solid and sorted. It'll take time but at least you know it's right in the long run.

Yeah, you're right. In the long run (probably the very long run) this will all be fine.

Anyway, new day, new hole (oo-er) behind the driver side bulkhead.

This one was filled in with squidgy sealant.

I'll be buying some welding gear next week so after I've had a good long practice with some scrap metal I'll try sorting some of these lesser issues. When the floors done I can at least get some sort of interior going so it can be a rolling fixer upper.

 

[BoggyB]

Hopefully the last gap in this part of the bus that I post a photo of before I take it in for welding them shut. There is a fairly impressive amount of filler in this one. I'm surprised at how resilient that stuff is considering it's been in there at least 10 years. Plenty of metal to patch up from though, hopefully.

Right hand side wheel well.

 

[BoggyB]

Todays MOT results. Lots of work to be getting on with!

Reason(s) for failure
Parking brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.B.7)
rear Brakes imbalanced across an axle (3.7.B.5b)
nearside rear rear parking brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.6a)
offside rear rear parking brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.6a)
offside rear rear brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.5a)
nearside front Body or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings cross member (6.1.B.2)
offside front Body or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings cross member (6.1.B.2)
Body or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings middle cross member (6.1.B.2)
Advisory notice item(s)
nearside Front wheel bearing has slight play (2.5.A.3c)
offside Front wheel bearing has slight play (2.5.A.3c)
nearside Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)
offside Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

The wheel wells are fixed at least, so that's something.

 

[georgeyv]

Not the worst I've ever seen!

It's a shame about the welding/corrosion - did they outline it all in yellow so you know exactly what needs doing?

 

[BoggyB]

Yeah, it's on it's way to being fixed now. Shouldn't take more than a few more weeks.

The engine seems to be running well for now, so that's something! Might even get to camp in it next summer.

 

[BoggyB]

So this is probably going to miss this summer now, unfortunately. I gave the van to the guy who does all the work on my rusty old mx5 to get it through the MOT and he's got less time to spend on it than expected. I'm sort of ok with welding but this sort of thing is beyond me.

This is whats causing the problem anyway. It's a good job VW's cant feel pain.

 

[BoggyB]

And the other side.

 

[BoggyB]

Well that took a long arse time.

Before:

aaaaaand almost one year later!

I'm unbelievably relieved. Time get it camping ready now!

 

[BoggyB]

Before and after for the paint. This sort of thing is obviously entirely subjective but I'm really happy with how it turned out.

A few of the edges need neatening up but they'll be done when it's had chance to cure in a few weeks.

I went for L90B Alpine White in the the end. It's sort of a Cornish ice cream colour in person.


Before. Nice and silver.

After. Nice and white. I think it looks a bit happier.

1

2

3

4

The sliding door handle needs fitting next. And the door seals.

Then onto the interior.

 

[mike202]

As you say colours are subjective, but I prefer the white and red combination [emoji3]


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

 

[BoggyB]

Not that you're in any way biased.

 

[georgeyv]

Getting rid of the silver was a great move - it looked rubbish and the white looks ace!

Glad to see it's MOT'd! Bet you feel like you've passed over a big hump in the road now!

 

[BoggyB]

I do, yeah. Only a year behind schedule so far too. I wish I'd kept a photo diary of the repairs like a lot of people on here do but I was getting so depressed by it all I gave up. Part of me wanted to just bin it off.

I didn't think it looked that bad in silver, I wasn't embarrassed to be seen in or anything, but it certainly had more of an industrial look to it and it was always the plan to change that bit. The guy who put the paint on said "it's gone from looking like just a van to a proper camper van" and I think that's fair. I smile whenever I open the garage now, instead of grimacing at the memories of fibre glass chassis rail bodges and rust holes filled in with window sealant. So that's good.



Ideally the bottom rear left corner and the front left wheel arch need replacing but I want to get a year of actual use out of the thing before I start with the major welding work again! They don't look noticeably buggered yet.

Bloody right hand drive buses.

 

[BoggyB]

1 year old ebay bought lenses and surrounds.

Don't buy cheap. :lol:

New ones from A Schofield fitted. A previous repair to the light....hole thing is a bit wonky so I can't get the rubber seal in perfectly but it looks good other than that.

 

[georgeyv]

It does very much look like more a camper with the white top half.

Cheap bits are an absolute curse - I've just replaced all my ball joint / tie rod boots after 1 year (stored indoors too!) as they were all perished.

 

[BoggyB]

I decided I'd better take the wood panels off the roof before recovering it all and....

...what the hell is all that crap doing up there?

 

[BoggyB]

I wasn't really expecting that.

 

[BoggyB]

And somewhat inevitably here lies the culprit.

I wonder how long it's been there.


This length of exposed copper wire is the less amusing part of it.

Fortunately the mice were considerate enough to wrap it in urine soaked tissue paper so it was quite safe. Assuming tissues aren't flammable and water goes well with electricity.

 

[BoggyB]

The custom front seats came out today in an attempt to get some originals back in.

Driver wheel tub

Passenger wheel tub

Not too bad. Those welds need some tidying up, surface rust needs taking off, the original seat runners are still in place but seem to have been hammered flat so they need grinding off and the tubs themselves have gotten a bit squished after decades of beefy drivers sitting on them so they've bowed out and need straightening up.

 

[Raptor14]

It seems odd to start a thread now that my ownership has ended but here goes.

I have no pics of the old girl as she started out (shameful I know) but as this was some 12 years ago & before I'd embraced digital technology, there's a strong chance at some point I'll find some in a random suitcase next time I empty the loft. Let's just say that it was in need of some work & at the time I thought I'd never sell her, so she got a decent refurb.






Then she returned home for the rebuild & end up looking very usable but not concourse, which was just the van I wanted & needed. It meant I could us her & not feel nervous.



Following the rebuild she was enjoyed as intended whenever & for whatever was required.

Holiday in the lakes


Then our wedding


A trip to the Isle of White

transfers Caen
As she looks now


Well you get the idea.
Like I said, the plan was to have a keeper but with a growing family & a house move without a garage meant I had no time or place to really keep her. Then in answer to a recent thread on here & a chat/viewing by Jamie, I realised that it was the right time & he was the right guy to become the new steward of this piece of VW history.

So as I end this 1st post I pass on to Jamie in the hope that he'll keep it updated so that I can keep an eye on her. I'm not disappearing as I was always more of a watch than publisher.

Jamie, please continue where I've left of & anymore pics I'll chuck on for you.

Cheers Nige..

Beautiful one