Newcomer with a 1971 bay project

[vantocampervan]

Hi everyone
Really pleased I've found this site where we can share our joys and woes in our quest to restore an old V dub.
I used to own a 1971 microbus bay which was converted by Danbury. It was one year old when I bought it and we had 10 wonderful years with it.
I've always had campervans since but I moved on to the larger LTs and converted them myself from a van.
I've been a chippie for many years and now i've retired I have converted a number of vans into campers and sports vans for various people.
I've now come across a 1971 Bay camper which is almost identical to the one I owned back in 1972. This one is a late J reg and my old one was an early K reg.
This van has a full history with it having covered 195K miles with 5 previous owners. She's been standing for the last 3 years and needs a full restoration . She is 100% original and still has the original Devon mooraker interior. She's rusty underneath though and so she will get a complete overhaul. I'm just restoring an old barn into a suitable workshop to get her under cover and do the work. I've reckoned on spending a few £ooo and probably a year to get the job done.
Anyone who's interested, can visit a website I have begun to record the progress of the makeover. I hope that I get there before I pop my clogs!
http://www.myvwbaycamperproject.co.uk

 

[Lee C]

Nice website!!
Nice bus you found there too, looks like it's going to be a good resto thread!! shame you didn't keep your old one, that would have been a cool story

 

[gninnam]

Agree with Lee 8) :mrgreen:

 

[Marriedblonde]

Looking forward to this

 

[Barkafer]

That's a really cool website and workshop and project and everything!
8)

 

[Danbury Doug]

Hi and welcome.

Nice bus and nice story too!

Similarly in our family, a Danbury was bought in 1972 by my parents (new), which also was a tin-top and on a 'K' plate, but a Crossover, and based on a Kombi. Apparently its claim to fame was being the first 1700 Type 4 powered bus sold in Portsmouth! (I see you are in Havant. )
We kept ours until 1988.
The love always stayed with me, and my current bus is almost the twin to our old one, in being a Danbury from the same year, also a tin-top, and the same colour, with the only minor differences being that it's Microbus based, and on an 'L' plate. 8)

I look forward to following your progress!

Doug