1968 Campervan conversion

[gninnam]

Glad you are still working on the bus

Looks like you have done a good job with the roof - used plenty of POR 15 (not cheap) and like you say, hope it does what it says on the tin

Looking forward to the updates :mrgreen:

 

[joaonar]

so, here i'm again 8)

Since the tasks in Hugo's bodyshop are almost over, it's time to start planning and executing the new interior. For that I decided to use the rest of the blue one to act as a "cast" and after some parts are finished, transfer them to the bus.
So first, I had to move some cars from one side to the other, starting with this one that I use as safe for some of mine vw parts.

.... and then I had to move the blue one.
Since I got another one, I had extra work for completing this task.

After changing places, I had to store them again...

 

[joaonar]

After changing cars places I went to Hugo's bodyshop where we started another task. It was time to use his new bodyroller.
To start making the brackets between the bodyroller and the bus, we pushed the bus inside as well as the two bodyroller parts.

after we took the correct measures, we bought some pieces of metal tube and started building the front one:

We "found" the horizontal center of the bus, to find the correct height of the bracket :

... and some more measurements:

I just loved this machine... what an excellent tool for the task:

 

[joaonar]

While Hugo was cuting tube and welding them, I decided to see if this purchase was functioning correctly.

I guees they will work for what I'm planning 8)
Meanwhile, hugo was making progresses in the front linkage:

 

[joaonar]

A couple of hours later, the front bracket was almost finished:

... and with the help of a friend, we bolted it in place:

and joined it to the front bodyroller part

 

[joaonar]

after correctly welded and bolted in place, it was time to give it a try:

... and it worked! 8)

... up in the air:

so, if it's working, why not try it to its maximum?? :lol:

hugo and his new toy:

Since the front bracket was done, we started making the rear one:

 

[joaonar]

next day morning, Hugo was already making the rear bracket:

Meanwhile, I went to buy some more bags of sand to use in the sandblaster.
On arrival, Hugo was already finishing the rear bracket:

and the rear part of the bodyroller was already with the same height as the fron one:

 

[joaonar]

When finished, it was time to bolted it in place:

but some welding excesses were in the way.....

so, when grinded, the bracket could be bolted in place correctly:

and then, we joined the bodyroller parts with the proper linkages:

 

[joaonar]

and ready to try it for the first time:

and it worked!

The first attempt (but with both suspensions, it was too heavy!)

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pu5uW3IMsPE[/youtube]

 

[gninnam]

Great work as usual from Hugo

Now it's in the air and ready to be rolled over, what are the plans now ??

 

[joaonar]

thanks Andy 8)
Plans were clean it again and paint it with POR-15... but these aren't just plans anymore

Next day we pushed the bus outside and we started doing what I was planning for a long time (3 years :lol: )
Without suspensions two guys can make it rotate 360º

and of course, Hugo was very proud of his new toy :lol:

I then prepared everything for the exciting task of sandblasting

and it could almost be placed sideways...

 

[joaonar]

But before sandblasting it for the last time, to remove all the superficial rust due to 3 years without any anti-rust treatment, there were some few and last parts to remove...

but one of the pipes from the heating system was obstructed and after several attempts to unblock it, Hugo decided it was time to cut it off:

and for the rest of the day, I spent several hours on this so exciting task:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joMIqXOZw7g[/youtube]

 

[joaonar]

on the next day, after buying 3 meters of new pipe, I took it to Hugo's bodyshop, so he could start welding it into place. But before, there were some welding excesses to be grinded (from the new jack points):

.. and the new pipe:

... almost in place:

But to be in the same place as the old one, Hugo needed to bent it and cut it while pushing it into place:

 

[joaonar]

when in the right place, Hugo started welding it:

And after welding it... a few more hours of sandblasting.
After we made the attempt of rotating it 360º... and it worked!
Cool! 8)

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guy1mhD_dxw[/youtube]

 

[joaonar]

... and it was time, finally, to weld one that should be the last piece of sheet metal in the bus (excluding both cab doors). The replacement part that I bought from Alan Schofield almost a year ago:

After I cleaned the area with the sandblaster, Hugo removed all dust....

... and prepared the area with a can of spray from Wurth and started welding the new part in place:

 

[joaonar]

And done! The part is already in place.
At the end of the day, Hugo spent some minutes grinding the last welding spots. It's so much easier welding, cutting and grinding in this positon rather than laying beneath the bus or standing with your arms up.

.. and it stayed this way, for the next day:

 

[joaonar]

Next day, I finished cleaning it with the sand blaster. After, I spent several hours cleaning all the sand. But I didn't clean ALL of it... as it seems to be an impossible mission :evil:

Meanwhile, I took the "mold" for the Unity brackets....

 

[joaonar]

On the last day, I spent more hours trying to remove all the sand, using a vaccum cleaner and a compressed air pistol:

... but the more I blew into pipes and holes, more sand appeared:

... and more sand ended falling from the bus, while I was rinsing it with water, after using Marine Clean and Metal-Ready:

 

[joaonar]

Next day, after it dried well, Hugo painted it with POR-15 Silver:

.... but at one point, Hugo left the bus rotate alone, since it was to heavy for him to rotate it without any help and some sand that was still inside the bus fell on top of the paint... well, nothing that I can't clean... moreover, now that I've seen it live.

Despite these small areas, it looks awesome 8) :

Finally I'm seeing some light at the end of this long, long tunnel :mrgreen:

 

[gninnam]

The POR15 silver does look good 8)

That's the problem with sandblasting - it gets everywhere and can be a bugger to totally remove it!! I bet you will still be finding sand next year :lol: