68 Deluxe - Back to full height

[sparkywig]

Nothing wrong with a few dents.

When I was a boy I followed a thread where you made a camper around a few specs of dust left from the original - inspiring stuff and part way responsible for me now being in the bodywork business. I wouldn't do a basket case resto now, though I did a couple before I learned my lesson.

I'm currently building one around a log book and photograph.....

 

[Merlydog]

Cheers mate - I think the owner must have driven round with her eyes shut.

What makes you think it was a woman driving it Steve, hmmmm?? Lol :lol: :lol: :lol:

Sorry to say it belonged to an old lady in the states Sarah. The top coat of paint was painted with most of the damage already there - even the front crash! She must have liked shiney, but not minded dents. Same as me.

Hehe, that's a brilliant history and perfect match then Steve The town she lived in must have avoided her like the plague when they saw her coming!! Bless..

 

[ZedBed]

Spent yesterday removing worn out and broken bits. There's so many!
Lights are done - I've opted for using reverse lights as indicators and adding an aftermarket reverse light.
Exhaust had twin pea-shooters which I like, but one is broken off so I'm bunging on a 4:1 I had lying around.
Old petrol out, lines renewed and a gallon of fresh in.
Windscreen and dash out to access the wiring and remount the fuses box.
Dash wiring sorted and dash back in. Winscreen surround needs attention, but I'll leave it for now.
Today it's drive shafts and I may even start her up before I service the engine.
Then try some oil in the steering box.
I know we all like pictures but it's all destruction at the moment!

 

[ZedBed]

Bit the bullet and instead of filling the steering box with oil I took if off and to pieces.
All good enough except this bit - boo-hoo.

I fixed it today though - hooray.

Then put the bumper back on a fired her up. Sounds ok, but won't idle so I'll have to make more effort with the carb.
Swapped the drive shafts with some I had as the boots were all split.

 

[gninnam]

What is in the picture that wasn't right as I can tell (should be wearing my glasses...)

Sounds like its moving in the right direction :mrgreen:

 

[sparkywig]

How did you fix the steering Steve?

 

[sparkywig]

Just read your post in 'tech.

 

[moler]

.....but you can't fake a proper accident.....

:lol: :lol: :lol:

Nice bus, can't wait to see it's evolution

Cheers mate - I think the owner must have driven round with her eyes shut.

When I was a boy I followed a thread where you made a camper around a few specs of dust left from the original - inspiring stuff and part way responsible for me now being in the bodywork business. I wouldn't do a basket case resto now, though I did a couple before I learned my lesson.

All the best mate.

:shock: ...happy to help :lol:

I like basket cases...look out for a thread on a '72 Dormie I'm doing over winter for a friend

 

[ZedBed]

Dinner time for the stowaway...

 

[Merlydog]

:shock: EEEEKKKK, good job you saw her before she did you, otherwise it may have been an interesting journey from your unit to find an antidote?!! :lol:

 

[Grazy]

You can't beat a "spare on the front" bump.

Keep the indicator like that Zed , looks well cool !

 

[ZedBed]

Just what I thought, but it was too smashed in for MOT :lol:. I might put it back after - with orange bulb shouldn't be a problem with light escaping where it shouldn't?

 

[ZedBed]

What is in the picture that wasn't right as I can tell (should be wearing my glasses...)

Sounds like its moving in the right direction :mrgreen:

Hi mate - put your glasses on! All sorted now. How's your's going? I remember when you'd just made a nice job of the pop-top and were wondering whether to remove the belly pans - bet you wish you hadn't! That was a long time ago...

 

[ZedBed]

wasted a fair bit of time on Sat trying to get the hazzards to flash to no avail, so I replaced the obviously knacked relay with 2x4pin relays, 2x5pin relays and the 4 pin flasher I already had. Works a treat.

Then I bare metalled and painted the steering column and base plate as they were rusty and in my hand - I can't help cleaning painting things while they are in pieces. Ordered seals for the steering box which will come on Tuesday, so time for the paint to harden a bit. Horn checked and bodgy horn button removed and rewired ready for steering column replacement.

All thats left for the MOT now is the steering box, getting her to tick over and re-fixing the handbrake supports that got mangled in one of the many crashes.

While I was doing all this, I noticed a nasty swelling on my forearm with a bleeding hole in the middle. Spider? I felt ok, so I carried on and painted the bits while I waited to see if I started to feel ill. It must have been a stray wire form the grinder wire wheel hit a vein - it's still buised but swelling has gone down. That spider has got me jumpy.

 

[Merlydog]

You'll be making vanfest at this rate Steve?!!! :lol:

 

[ZedBed]

Depends how many spiders lurk! Definitely got bitten, but a glancing blow. :lol: Feel a bit crap and my arm aches like buggery, but otherwise ok. Apparently should be on death's door by now, so that was lucky! I think I'll give it a thorough cavity wax as soon as I get the steering box back on so I can move it...

 

[Nugsy]

I got a spider of some sort lurking inmy bus, i reckon its in the belly pans, the whole rear suspension area keeps getting covered in webs and they are well sticky and hard to remove. If airlined it, steam cleaned its and air again but its still their.

With all these US bus's coming in what is the best way to actually debug them?

My misses says her and the kids cant go in it till there are no more webs

 

[ZedBed]

I got a spider of some sort lurking inmy bus, i reckon its in the belly pans, the whole rear suspension area keeps getting covered in webs and they are well sticky and hard to remove. If airlined it, steam cleaned its and air again but its still their.

With all these US bus's coming in what is the best way to actually debug them?

My misses says her and the kids cant go in it till there are no more webs

It's a problem. Not so much for me though - I'd be happy if one bit my wife - she boogied off with an Elvis Presley impersonator 6 months ago... If only I had her address and a matchbox... :lol:

 

[moler]

Someone was saying that you can use a Bug Bomb from a garden centre, cover the van over with polyythene and bomb it over night. It doesn't kill them, but they usually drop out while trying to escape and you find them legs up in the morning :lol:

 

[gninnam]

What is in the picture that wasn't right as I can tell (should be wearing my glasses...)

Sounds like its moving in the right direction :mrgreen:

Hi mate - put your glasses on! All sorted now. How's your's going? I remember when you'd just made a nice job of the pop-top and were wondering whether to remove the belly pans - bet you wish you hadn't! That was a long time ago...

Correct - wish I had never remvoed them - but if I hadn't would have been driving around in a serious death trap :shock:

Apart from the spiders sounds like you are cracking on a treat - looking forward to the next saga