1970 devon long winded project :)

well thought i'd start a thread after someone asking me to :lol: plus always wanted to but dreaded all the typing :lol: but here goes

here is my 1970 bay when i got it just over a year ago after seeing it on eBay after looking for a few months saw wanted and bought :mrgreen:



plan with it was to get it on the road asap (bought with clutch broken!!) so could get it to vanfest 2009, as it was the closest show to when i bought it, so gave me a reason and motivation to get it on the road

after getting the van back to my house the plan was to check to see what was going on, chocked the wheels got a mate to sit in it with brakes on and engage first while i had a look at what was going on underneath the back end noticed one of the drive shaft spinning so new it wasn't clutch (but too late had already ordered one). took the hub cap off the O/S rear to see the nut spinning, so took the nut off which was only finger tight and all the splines for the drum were gone :shock: anyway tried to order a drum no luck everyone out of stock with an unknown back order, so quick phone to F.B.I wednesday before vanfest and the sorted me one out next day after telling them the situation, was proper chuffed. as they said came next day popped it on and clutch was adjusted wellllllllll out so was constantly slipping so for peace of mind friday night engine was out. knowing i was going to vanfest on saturday one clutch out one clutch in half eleven test drive an all good :mrgreen:

Anyway it made it to vanfest :mrgreen: , to all of me mates surprise and amusement my first proper drive in the van was just over 100miles each way, they all thought i was mad but armed with me tool kit i knew i could make it



made it there and back no problems so was proper chuffed with it :mrgreen:

the plan with the van is to never miss a season :shock: so this is were the project mission starts

after vanfest went to bus freeze and a few weekends away and then it came off the road to make sure everything was solid underneath. unfortunately this wasn't the case

belly pans off to reveal













after more poking there wasnt much to save the chassis legs were pooped as were the top hats etc sooooooooooooo out came the grinder and



:shock: :shock: :shock:

after that (and purest look away now) i thought the best way forward was to fab me own chassis to keep everything strong and sturdy, so this is it as the floor comes out to pop a new one in and new top hats etc







all the rot now gone to be replaced with new fresh panels

after all that was out i had noticed the back torsion tube was buggered :? the old rot worm had taken hold of everything and made the lot totally unsafe (if you look at the bit on the left it was kinked up and that made the wheel not straight)







so ordered a newto me one :mrgreen:



plus few other new bits an installed them











then once the floor was in and the van was solid ish again onto the new beam



out with the old



big hole left :shock: :shock:





and in with the new to me beam :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

the plan was to get it on the road for big bang but i decided to do a quick top end strip to solve the very leaky push rod tube seals to then find a burnt out valve so i decided to do a full rebuild, went to big bang anyway to get the parts

my orange tent :mrgreen:



by this time it was getting very close to run to the sun so it was a mad rush to get everything together in time

Me an me mate made an entire new wiring loom and installed it (everything except the dash wiring was done), all new brake lines, transporterhauz dropped spindles, rear spring plates, horse shoe plates and T2D slam shocks to give it a little more lowness. :mrgreen: and it was all ready to be off to RTTS



met up with a few mates



all had to follow me at my speed :mrgreen: :lol: :lol:

and then finally me mate in his turned up





have been away in it loads to wales mainly for lotsa surfing and just general camping fun and lots of shows :mrgreen:
also fitted new creative weedeater beam



pre weekend away


bus stop over


bug jam


vanfest 2010


then disaster on the way home from van fest the beam caught the floor and boom creased chassis



but these things happen granted could of done without it a few weeks before i went to newquay but not to worry out with the cutting discs and welder





and made it



after lots of surfing in newquay i did busfreeze 2010



before setting her in the garage for the work to begin again

and now onto this this winter of repairs

front chassis leg was a little rotten so had to be replaced



when i was removing it i noticed a few previous repairs :?





so made a new section (one for each side altho i dont think i'll have time for the drivers side ) and installed them





also this winter wanted to get some on the go heating sorted, luckally have a deisel Eberspächer for when am parked up but this doesnt like working when i'm on the move i think i need to re-route the inlet as i read somewhere it doesnt like being in a draft :? hopefully i can sort it tho but on with the pictures :mrgreen:
new heater Y tube made out of stainless so no more rotting



and modded a LHD front section to fit in the front of mine and more stainless for the front to back section



now just have to decide the best way to insulate all the tubing :? does anyone have any success stories, i've been thinking exhaust manifold wrap for the insulation but this isn't cheap for the amount needed and i'm not sure if it will do the job intended :?

Great thread you have started 8)

Love the constant care and attention you are giving the van too.

Can't help with the pipe wrapping as not started that part myself.

Christ mate, your bus and mine look like they came out of the same bit of sea!!!!

Nice work, wouldnt have fancied the rear chassis chop :shock:

Cheers for the positive comments guys

An couldn't believe how rotten she was I've got about a meter ish of the original chassis leg that was the only bit I could save out of both seems the chassis was the belly pans :S

Rear chassis chop was a Biggy for me, to say I was pooping my self a bit is an understatement, but to be honest it is as simple as measure a million time, get someone else to check your measurements, measure again an slice 4 times and weld back in new one, only took a day to do the bulk the bracing the next day an it was done

Nice thread, lots of work you been doing. Good work 8)

Really great work dooder 8)

you should have called your thread "the bus that's lower then Crazy's" :msn4:

i hadn't realised you'd put some much work in, nice metal work

thats an incredible amount of work. well done and thanks for putting it in the gallery. I think youve proved nothing is impossible.

Brilliant work buddy!

You have some tallent to do all that work on your own. Impressive fabrication skills :mrgreen:

jacks906 said:

so ordered a newto me one :mrgreen:

?

Click to expand...

Wow! I've never seen anyone replace the rear axle before - I have wondered before if it could be done if needed.

How heavy was it? Was it aukuard to get into position?

dubscum said:

you should have called your thread "the bus that's lower then Crazy's" :msn4:

Click to expand...

Hahaha :lol: I had thought about it :msn4: An not many people no what's gone into getting it to a stage were I feel it's solid enough as no one gets to see all the work :lol: Eventually (hopefully this time next year) I'll be doing the body panels. The usual have all been replaced over the time, just not the best job done so the body works really shoddy, it's only metal tho so will get sorted

An cheers for all the good vibes dudes keeps me focused on the job an the end result :mrgreen:

Back end was supprisingly easy to be honest it is litrily 4 big cuts, I trimmed the new rear beam to just behind the outrigger ( similar length each side) measured it on my Chassis and did the chop, kept the shock towers on the new beam and trimmed my chassis down to just behind them, then it was just a case of lifting the new beam in to place on a trolly jack an wiggling it into place, tacked it up rechecked all me measurements and welded in.. Then made some plates to go over the joints to just add extra strength. An job done Altho my one worry was it was going to crab but luckally it didn't

Dave

jacks906 said:

Back end was supprisingly easy to be honest it is litrily 4 big cuts, I trimmed the new rear beam to just behind the outrigger ( similar length each side) measured it on my Chassis and did the chop, kept the shock towers on the new beam and trimmed my chassis down to just behind them, then it was just a case of lifting the new beam in to place on a trolly jack an wiggling it into place, tacked it up rechecked all me measurements and welded in.. Then made some plates to go over the joints to just add extra strength. An job done Altho my one worry was it was going to crab but luckally it didn't

Dave

Click to expand...

Well done to you buddy. There must have been a lot of measuring to make sure it was straight so it didn't crab! :shock: :lol:

Sphincter moving period when you put wheels on and moved the van for the first time :shock:

Very brave and well done :mrgreen:

Great work great inspiration!
Love that you carry on using it after each job, and the "it's only metal" quote!

Im doing a 1970 Devon in a similar state....just waiting to see if I can save it before I put any pictures up.

Keep us posted

Ched said:

Great work great inspiration!
Love that you carry on using it after each job, and the "it's only metal" quote!

Im doing a 1970 Devon in a similar state....just waiting to see if I can save it before I put any pictures up.

Keep us posted

Click to expand...

Get a thread going everything can be done along as you want it enough

I could of got a nice dry bus, if I had done the import myself, for what I've spent on it money wise, I'm lucky I don't have to pay someone to do the welding an fab work. Which is the main killer on any project, a local dude I've been giving a had with his split has just got it on the road, he's shelled out a load on a half arsed part resto at a company an that was before a few of us convinced him to pull it out an we will help him finish it, all it really needed was putting together 2 years ago an they've just taken him for a ride ever since dragging it out an taking his money, we've had to redo loads of there work but only took 3 month an it was on the road.

Not much update on mine except standard heating is now sorted, just got to figure out the control cable tubes but cant do that till bits turn up
Tomorrow finishing cab floor an seam sealing an painting

Then all that is left to do is insulate the front to back tube and front Windscreen lip before its back to being road worthy,
An decide on rim colour and weather to tub an notch it at the front before it come back out :?

That's all for now

8) fair play dude, nice work.really like the stance.kind of hoping you dont paint it as it looks pretty damn awesome :mrgreen:
keep it up dude

71dormy said:

8) fair play dude, nice work.really like the stance.kind of hoping you dont paint it as it looks pretty damn awesome :mrgreen:
keep it up dude

Click to expand...

cheers dude
altho the down side is that the body will need working on at some point, , all the arches have been done and some patches along the side too all by the PO and the work is really bad, all been seam welded so the panels have distorted BIG time

all will be sorted on day tho going to run it like this till saved all the repair panels up then bang them all on with a bit of look

dave