1970 Michigan Missile.

[*Sam*]

Hi, I bought my bus last April and have slowly been re commissioning it.
The bus originates from the Grand Rapids, Michigan and was delivered with sun visors on the cab windows as an extra which it still has !!

I sourced and imported the van myself with the help of a mate in California which is where it has spent the majority of its life.
It is a bit beat up and I will eventually get the worst of it sorted but do want to retain as much original paint as possible.

Here is a few pics of it in California and then when I collected it from the dock.

There were some nice cars at the Cali doc.

I tracked the progress my bus was making on water via an app, it was good to keep the excitement up.

Once customs cleared I rented a low loader from local company and set off to collect it from Chatham doc.

At this point the build became a father son project, it's been quality spending time doing this with my dad and I only hope I get to do the same with my son when he is older ( 2 years old is probably a bit young)

 

[*Sam*]

This photo was taken at my mates house who also imported at the same time, he kindly let me use his driveway as at the time I lived in a terrace house.

 

[*Sam*]

There was a few nice motors at the doc but I only managed one photo due to my excitement.

 

[*Sam*]

I had a reasonably strict deadline for getting the bus to its first MOT.

So the strip down began, it's was pretty grotty inside due to a mouse or two clearly living in it.

It looks like one of the previous owners was a blind sales man.

I found some cool history in the van ranging from a receipt from the Tahoe Inn, Tahoe lakes dated 1974 with the names of all parties stopping to a cheque book !!
I have written a letter to each person but unsurprisingly I have had no reply.

 

[*Sam*]

With strip down completed the bed foams and buddy seat were sent away for new foams and covers.
Whilst they were away I cleaned and painted the floor, made and fitted new interior panels with the help of my Dad.

 

[*Sam*]

Some more panels made and fitted.

My dad applying some varnish, it was so hot we did the whole van 2 coats in 1 day.

Flooring being fitted, I used Mad Matz tiles but will probably change this in a year or two.

And interior going back in, we had to carry out a few repairs on the units.

 

[*Sam*]

Rear cushions and buddy seat came back from
the trimmer, I'm really pleased with them, I used Cube Upholstery they are nice people top quality and very well priced.

Shaping the silent silent Gliss curtain rail.

My wife decided she wanted to fit the curtain so she popes round with my son.

Jonah gave it the seal of approval

 

[Analog]

That retrim looks really good 8)

 

[Trikky2]

Nice 8) Looks like you got yourself a good rust free bus there.

 

[*Sam*]

Thanks Analog, I am really pleased with it, I have just had my cab seats rebuilt and trimmed along with door cards and one of Faux roof beds for my son.
I will slowly get this thread up to date and put pictures up of all the re trim.

I can't praise Cube Upholstery enough, quality work at sensible prices

Trikky2 cheers mate it's not bad for what I cost me !

 

[*Sam*]

I decided that I wanted to lower the van so having got hold of some BBT Sprints from T2D I order some spindles from them.
All fitted with along with rear spring plates.

Rear bumper purchased and fitted, needs new irons really as these are twisted.

 

[*Sam*]

Cab build up came next

 

[*Sam*]

 

[*Sam*]

New steering wheel fitted

 

[68_early_bay]

Nice 8)

 

[*Sam*]

Now I'm sure there was plenty more in between fitting the steering wheel and an MOT but I don't have any photos to jog my memory.

At this point the van was so dirty it was unreal but I wasn't gonna get a chance any time soon to wash and polish it as I had all sorts left to do to it, to add to the ever growing list the drive to the MOT centre proved that the motor needed a re-build and the gearbox was shot so I got busy sourcing parts.

Whilst waiting for a slot with my engine builder and a decent reasonably priced AT code gearbox, I cracked on with some interior jobs

Propex that I got on a deal from JK as part of a big order i had made.

I also fitted a Zig Unit, but don't really have any photos of that, other than this side on one.

Bought some new bumper irons, painted them and bolted them on in our old dinning room, I was getting pretty desperate for our house move to hurry up now as I needed a garage big time.

 

[*Sam*]

Nice 8)

Cheers mate, it looks a lot better now with seats etc re done hopefully have a few pics up soon.

 

[Myvanway]

8)

 

[justcruzin]

Wow, the interior is coming along nicely! I love watching these things go from rags to riches!

Great job.

 

[*Sam*]

Cheers for the kind comments ref the interior it really transformed a bus i think.

Fast forward past Christmas as it was to cold and snowy to work on the van.

May arrived and finally our house sale went through and we moved, lucky for me this was when the engine build was booked in so it got the van out the way for moving day.

I was intending on doing the gearbox my self as its pretty easy but as we hadn't finished moving house yet and sure as hell when we had moved house I would be busy decorating I opted to get my engine man to fit it.

Turns out its a Mexican case

Pistons and barrels needed replacing

Also required a new head as one of them had cracked between the valves.