1969 Arctic Explorer

[snow_pikey]

Thanks for the comments

Yep! I would go anywhere in an Air Cooled V-Dub they are reliable, simple goodish on fuel for a camper, you have just got make sure you check and change the oil regularly, clean and adjust to points/ tappets as VW recommend. Show a bit of love get a bit of love.

Other than a coil packing up this bus has never let me down so no duct tape stories but I always travel with a good set of tools a small trolly jack and 2 axle stands... enough to take the engine out really you wont be doing much more.

I carry a spare alternator, carb, coil, dizzy, points, condenser, leads, plugs, oil, gasket set, throttle and clutch cable, brake hoses, brake fluid, shift rod coupling, some wire, cable ties, fuses, bulbs and probably some other junk... :lol:

All from learning the hard way from smaller trips in europe and day to day stuff having old V-dubs in the UK

Like having the gearbox out of my T25 in the Alps

That bus was low and would keep bottoming out I had loads of grief with oil leaks and dont think just because your bus is narrowed and low you cant use it here's me and my old 1961 crew cab in action again in the Alps lowered with a 4ich narrowed beam its adjusted up a bit at the back for the snow chains to clear in the arches. I built this bus and got it on the road the day I left its maiden voyage was a drive to Val d isre in winter running in a new engine with no problems. I spent the whole winter down and she was great.

........ at Santa Pod.....

For the record I have actually paddles down a river with my mate Banjo Bails playing the banjo it comes part and parcel I think with camping in Canada

 

[snow_pikey]

So...........

I got a bit done today on the front panel sadly I had to stop because the repair panel for the bottom half was so badly pressed/cut the indicators would have been different heights, I hope its just a mis-stamp and I can exchange it for another.

Made sure I put a new drain in and rust proofed the bits you cant see with a galvanizing zinc primer.

I used masking tape to measure twice and cut once

Then sprayed the tape with paint before removing the tape so I could see clearly where I was joddling

This is the type I am using. I've had it for years and it works really well

Here's the front panel fitted up I had to joddle it because even this high up its really out of shape from the front end damage

After welding the last thing I did was cut off the late lip at the bottom, i left this on till last to keep some rigidity in the panel

Getting there

 

[gninnam]

Great work you have done with the front panel

Where did you get the front panel from then (or are we not naming names...)?

 

[Trikky2]

Thats looking good. Nice bit of joddling. did you learn to joddle in the swiss alps?

 

[Resto-raider]

Cool thread and some very cool pics. Keep up the good work on the bus.

 

[roland]

Love the wilderness pics and the attitude! Would love to see more pics of the northern trips!

 

[Benyon]

Dude I love buses/threads with a bit of story beind them!

I'm of to AB & BC on Weds touring from Calgary, through Banff, Lake Louise, Jasper & Whistler to Vancouver. Any paces you recommend to visit?

 

[matt-me]

your bus is as hard as nails mate, a proper bus. Nice work too..

 

[snow_pikey]

Hey Benyon, I guess you have left now but I hope you have a great time I was living in Banff for the last 3 years and I do believe you are going to have an amazing time that sounds like a great trip they are all good spots

It gets cold at the back of the bus

 

[snow_pikey]

I managed to get a bit more done this evening but really looking forward to the next 4 days off and getting properly stuck in

I took the paint off the bottom of one side and hit the big panels with a guide coat and a 240grit disc to see how bad the R/H side of the bus was but not too dented and only minimal scabs on the sliding door.

Made a start on the front step:

And after hitting the sill with a grinder decided to replace it:

SO...... jobs tomorrow weld on new sill, finnish step and fill in holes on sliding door with weld (maybe start filling and flatting dents in side panel)

 

[gninnam]

Love the wilderness pics :mrgreen:

Plus good work with the cab etc

 

[snow_pikey]

Cheers, nearly one side done starting on the other tomorrow

 

[faux]

Fantastic thread, loving seeing the history, adventure and fun that a bus can bring.

Keep up the good work.

Jon

 

[gninnam]

Work so far is looking good - won't be long before this is back on the road all finished and completed :mrgreen:

 

[Camperdan]

The second I started reading your great story about your travels in Canada I thought... no it can't be the same bus... so I went and checked my holiday snaps from New Year 2008 at the Fairmont Springs in Banff... and sure enough..........

Like any VW Bus fanatic, I simply can't but help take pictures of any Buses that I see when on my travels (much to my now wife's annoyance), and I just had to photograph 'Missy' as knowing the heating capacity of our great vehicles I simply could not believe that someone would be crazy enough to drive a Bus in such weather and conditions.... it was -22 degrees that day!

Still can't quite get my head round you being in your Bus at -40 degrees with your coffee freezing before you could drink it..... that is insane!

Well done you..... and great to read that this Bus is now in the UK and being fixed up in prep for some more hardy adventures no doubt.... top job!

Dan

 

[who?1]

Wowee, Awesome story! Love your bus

Buses should be loved and used exactly as you are in my opinion.

Where did you get the sill panel from? The one I had was no where near the same shape as the one I took off and needed loads of fettling to get it to match.

 

[snow_pikey]

Thats Crazy COOL!!!

I always wondered how many holiday snaps I would be in, I was working in the ski shop which is independent of the hotel and the head of hotel security would always be on my case for parking out the front, of (as you know) a very swanky hotel.

The sill panel on the sliding door side came from GSF and was a really nice panel I was surprised at the quality and cost under a tenner and the sill panel (non slider) on the other side came from Schofields and it has all the right pressings cant remember how much.

Work is coming on well with the bus, although I missed a days work easter sunday because I gave myself heat stroke from being out in the sun for 11hrs saturday (idiot)

Got a bit done today just filling and flatting, flatting and filling it's tough getting the sides straight after 42years of dents but ultimately thats what makes a bus look good or bad when finished after paint (for me anyway) so I will try and get it as straight as poss, practice makes perfect.....

Bad thing is I put most of the dents in :lol: ......still not finished this side I will keep guide coating and flatting till I am happy (could be a while)

 

[snow_pikey]

I came across some VW oldies I thought being early bay they maybe of interest,

I can only blame my parents for my obsession with V-Dubs

Here's some early bays, that's me posing in the first two pictures and my brother is in the next two after that.
This is in the 80's it was a cross over bay called 'Bertie Bus' my Dad bought an old carpet fitters panel van cheap the modified a Thames Dormobile camper interior to fit and narrowed the pop top about 8inches as well.

And this beauty was my first bus she never saw the road. I got her from a council yard for 100quid with a blown engine in about 1995. I had a spare twin carb engine from a variant I had broke to go in, I even brought the panels to fix it (X2 rear corners, battery tray and a front arch) but school commitments and another project meant I broke it and scrapped it, Criminal Really!!! It was going to be smoothed out and peppermint

The Late Bay was my Mum's Bus

 

[r73]

great thread - and love your bus! what plans you got after the bodywork? interested to see if your gonna go lower? as youve owned a variety of heights and models! buses that is :lol:

 

[snow_pikey]

Not sure.... cant make my mind up as I haven't had a slammed vw for a while and this was my first non lowered vehicle....

Not sure I am in two minds, see I have my Syncro project on the go and thats jacked up

http://www.vwt4forum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=96575" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

SO...........

I do have an itch to scratch, here's a 6inch narrowed beam with teeth I built for my beetle a few years back, there's joy to be had driving something too low!

Not decided........