XOver rebuild.

[Webbaldo]

Good that it is getting sorted. Heres me complaining I just had to do outer sills and cab floors on my import

 

[graysummers]

Hi Webbaldo. Any work on the bus is difficult to take. But me jealous? Yeh! Good luck and all the best.

 

[graysummers]

Just bought this.

 

[graysummers]

Bought this off eBay. My cab is shot [earlier pics] with some salvageable parts. This looks pretty damn good for using to keep us safe. I'm now waiting (from Paul) for a list of a few panel parts to include in the putting together of a bus to be proud of. Myself, in contributing to the overall aim to get the bus back to its best, is to find pieces that are sympathetic to the cause. In this infancy of experience and knowledge is the fact that I want what's best to keep the old girl on the road. So, I trawl the net to find additions that make the whole project an "I remember" and to be perfectly honest that's all that matters to me. Respray and rewiring and the cosmetics additives are awaiting. But the ambience and maintenance are our responsibility (my wife and myself). We have to be the maintainers of keeping the bus safe. My kids (now 30 and 29) want to enjoy her too.

 

[graysummers]

Latest photographs:

So, the whole underneath is waiting to be sorted, as is the rebuilding of the body panels. Still got to buy a front panel and have been reading with avid interest about late Bay fronts on various threads here and the fiddling of fitting them to Early bays. It's a bit of a nightmare trying to find an Early front panel. Have found one, a 1968, but at a cost. The roof here was damaged by what Paul thinks are possibly attached surf boards. The back corner has been repaired twice too. The guy that originally "restored" and rebuilt the old girl, I feel took the piss. It's what he told me he'd done that rankles. More photos to follow.

 

[matty74]

I know exactly how you feel about you finding previously done shoddy work. We unearthed mountains of filler,
pop riveted repair panels and generally poor fixes. Luckily for me we were taking the exact same approach as you, and getting the bus back to her best. We fitted a new replacement front panel, there was a fair bit of fettling involved but the end result looks great (apart from my badge being about 3/4" too low d'oh) ... check out my thread and you can see for yourself ... following yours with great interest [emoji106][emoji106]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[graysummers]

Thanks matty. No naming and shaming of the original seller. The guy was a ?restorer? And worked from his vw restorer business premises. When I bought the old girl, I filled her up to the top with petrol. The whole van stunk of petrol as I was driving to my parents in Coventry from Worcester (where I bought the van). Worst journey ever thinking I was gonna explode on an isolated country road. I rang the guy to ask advice. "Not my problem mate. It's your van now ". Got to Cov. And I asked my dad, an old REME who stripped tanks and owned and worked on shedloads of vehicles over the years. He reckoned it may have been fuel expansion, a dodgy/blocked overfill hole or just old porous pipe work. Wait and see if the smell goes/evaporates he said? The smell cleared over a couple of days standing and recheck after recheck. I never filled it to the top again. No problems after that decision. Thing is, that guys attitude should have forewarned me of what could lie beneath. I just want the bus sound and get back to using it everyday. I just bought the Bentley manual. Fully intend to become savvy about this project and treasure the old girl. I'll look up your thread. Been reading quite a few resto threads here. Great bunch of guys and gals you are to be sure. All the best.

 

[matty74]

Totally agree, the info and knowledge i've gained from the fantastic folk on here has helped me 10 fold in being confident tackling jobs.
This is our 1st Bus and we wanted to do it right from the start.
We actually flew down to Exeter to pick it up and drove back to Lancashire, having never ever driven one before ... It was February freezing, blowing a gale, no heater, wife was full of a cold but we didn't care, our 5 hour journey home gave us time to plan out the conversion.
2 Years later, I still smile in disbelief every time I open the garage doors.

 

[graysummers]

Read that on your thread about no heat. Same here. No heat exchanger cables from the off so couldn't open the flaps. That's the attention to detail seller/restorer provided. Across from Llangurig to Ponterwyd is bleak....really bleak. It was freezing. I had on one of those world war 2 duffle coats Montgomery used to wear. A huge woollen scarf and I was still frozen to the core. I had my head out the window at times to see where I was going. Slowest journey ever made in a dub. Eventually had to wire open the exchangers in the winter to keep warm and clear the screen. Not too effective though. Same run in the snow and approached a snow plough with dropped blade as it was coming towards me. Got a windscreen full of slush. Panic and the F*** word. I go the long way round now to Worcester. Looking forward to flicking a lever for heat when she's back on the road.

 

[NickJ]

Hi Gray, coming along great he's certainly going to see everything that needs doing so will be really solid, I once broke down in Ponterwyd in my first Beetle about 30 years ago !! ended up coming home on the big yellow taxi. Keep the updates coming 8)

 

[graysummers]

Cheers Nick. What a place to break down. Feel the memories you must have felt clouding my mind as I type.

 

[graysummers]

Just an update.

Bought a second hand Devon (£350 plus courier) pop top and front cab (bargain plus £90 courier) off eBay. Pictures above and to follow. And..

BOUGHT THESE:

Your items are listed below:
1x Bay-window 6 Piece Sill Kit 68-79 RHD SCH802R
1x Front Panel Inner Windscreen Complete Genuine VW 68-79. 211-805-135C
1x Front Door Skin Left 68-79. 211-831-105DH
1x Front Door Skin Right 68-79. 211-831-106DH
1x Front Under Door Repair Left 68-79. 211-831-105D
1x Front Under Door Repair Right 68-79. 211-831-106D
1x Inner Sliding Door Repair 68-79. 211-843-109R
1x Outer Sliding Door Skin 250mm 68-79. 211-843-107R
1x Outrigger & Jacking Point Bundle 68-76 SCH701
1x Cross Member, Front 1972 Crossover Model. 211-703-389
1x Cross Member, Rear 1972 Crossover Model. 211-703-471
2x Chassis Repair Section 800mm 50-79. 211-703-203

AND THESE:

Rear arch repair, rear, height 55cm, 8/71>

Rear arch repair, height 55cm,8/71-

Large rear corner lower left and right , T2 / Baywindow 72-79

AND THESE:

Thank you for your order, detailed below.
Product Qty Unit Price Subtotal
Front Panel to Windscreen DIY Kit 68-72 211-805-035D
1
Cab Floor Half RHD Left 68-72. 214-801-053X
1
Cab Floor Half RHD Right 68-72. 214-801-054X
1


Oh!!!!! And bought a Bentleys manual offa eBay. Worth all the rest and more!!!!

 

[graysummers]

Pop top pics

Should clean up very nicely. Paul says the existing cut out fits nicely. I was a bit worried because I read somewhere that the Danbury cut out was wider than the Devon. All is ok and cosmic ordering still effective.

SO.......This pop top was a necessity. Why? Because I had an upturned fibre glass boat over my head for years. Paul said he didn't know where it originated from. It worked ok though...wind resistance changed me from a 19 mph to a 15 mph...I kid you not. Maybe it was a roof for an old garden shed and was feeling out of place.

 

[Gjb4212]

Where is Paul based? Doing some good work.

 

[graysummers]

Hi Gjb4212. Paul's based in Machynlleth, Mid West Wales Coast. What I like is his openness and his willingness to discuss all things as the project goes forwards. My wife owns a wholefood shop in Machynlleth and speaks to and knows the local community really well. Everyone has good words and vibes about Paul. It was a few people who are customers in the shop who had had their dubs looked at and work done that recommended him.

 

[gninnam]

Slowly but surely - keep up the good work

 

[NickJ]

Hi Gray, that's a fair shopping list, I like the pop top too, I think mine is a dormobile roof but is seriously heavy to lift up without spring or strut assistance. Nick.

 

[graysummers]

Hi Nick, Haven't been too familiar with the efficacy of dormobile lifting mechanics. Is it one of the side elevator types? If so, you'd be lifting the whole weight at once. I had a straight up which meant half up, locked in place, then the other half. Simple and no strength really needed. It was a nasty looking piece of work, but as said, not sure what it came off. It felt spacious. Like adding an upstairs and I wanted the same style when getting a newbie. I actually haven't seen this as I got it delivered directly to Paul. He's squirrelled it away in his house to keep it away from the dust and workshop scenario. Thanks for looking in. The photos of panels will be up and coming over the weeks. And you're right, loads needed. Engine was being dismantled today and assessed. Heard nowt from Paul yet re: feedback. Hope it ain't knackered. If it is.......then I see a Freddy Flinstone mode of getting from A to B. YabbaDUBadoo.

 

[graysummers]

Hi Andy,
How you getting along now? Springs here and weather permits working in comfort. Hoping to get the bus back in enough time to get to some shows.....low key ones. You ready for summer? Been reading about the 50th lowlight anniversary show by Graham (gotta trust a Graham!!) near Banbury. But not sure if XOvers spoil the ambience of low light purity. Wouldn't have thought so. Maybe they'll let the front half in and the back half stays outside the gate.

 

[graysummers]

Talking about the history of input from various owners. When I bought the van, put on the front seat was a collective of historical documents. Amongst were lots of MOT certificates which showed me all the colours (she's been lilac and orange and blue and more.....originally yellow) and all the yearly mileage the bus had been through (some owners took it to the shops half a dozen times a year, some took it over Europe it would seem), lots of garage bills from the 1990s, all the tax discs (now exempt), and this, which showed me the transaction of buying the bus in the mid 90s. The 5 garage bills, which were after the purchase, actually added up to more than the bus cost. I have them too, and can photograph them. It made me think of what input we all put into our bays to keep them alive. I have kept my own bills and it's surprising that I am keeping up the trend. I used mine everyday for years as my only form of transport, well the bus and my two legs. It's cost a lot more than I paid in garage bills. Weird really as to what we all do to keep a beautiful piece of art on the road. See below the bill (didn't photograph the name of the bus owner at the time or garage involved in the work for confidentiality. Once a nurse who protects his patients...always a nurse who protects this particular patient who has to be brought back to health.