1970 Cali Westy "Ramona"...now legal, let the fun begin! :)

[Vinco]

After selling my last aircooled ride a few years ago (first child born) ive missed them dearly.

Spend 2years or so months driving T4's (i know, i know - sorry!) :roll:

Anyhow skip forward to the end of last week......the T4 sold to a lovely new family and this meant we could purchase our new family wagon! :mrgreen:

So, here it is! A 1970 Westy fresh in from California. I purchased it from an import business in Birmingham (big thanks to IANJ from this site as i didnt originally see the ad on here until afterwards)


DSC_6206 by Vince Hutchings, on Flickr

In California it looks from the pink slip that it has been sat in the Ramona/Cali sun (and sand!) since early 1998!

Its an incredibly solid bus, only welding needing attacking is one battery tray and a small patch up in the front behind the bumper. Sills, quarters, arches corners are all bootiful! this is great news to me as im no welder!


DSC_6267 by Vince Hutchings, on Flickr


DSC_6268 by Vince Hutchings, on Flickr

Main things on my list are electrics, rubbers and getting it running, nd as per the title my deadline is Glastonbury (2011!)
So ive had a full weekend on it this weekend....parts ordered/picked up. Plan for saturday was new fuel lines, check basic engine electrics and get her purring again.....the last thing i did was to fit my new plugs.....well, i think i found the reason she has been sat around doing nothing.....


DSC_6277 by Vince Hutchings, on Flickr

2 nice oval holes where plug holes used to be (one in each head!) :x gutted. Never mind, sourced new heads now and whilst the engine is out im doing engine mounts, clutch etc and generally have more room to move and do other jobs out back.

Sunday was spent doing the electrics, still not to further forward with this, the sand/dust as got everywhere so ive got alot of contacts,components to clean up. Currently missing high beam and main low beam,rear tail on the drivers side (i havent yet converted to UK spec for the MOT.

A box of parts should be here tomoz from C&C so weather permitting im cracking on! :mrgreen:

Wish me luck! getting alot of inspiration and motivation from you dudes!

 

[thru_a_lupe]

vincent! good to see you made it on here!!! so thats why you were after a pair of heads!!!
this IS a keeper right?!? knowing your track record for selling on rides!!!

might have to cruise down sometime and take a looky..... :mrgreen:

 

[Vinco]

JP! :mrgreen: whats up brother!

Yeah, this is a keeper! yup, thats was what the ad was for. Gutted, never mind.

Pop over whenever dude, its going to be sat on my drive for the foreseable few weeks whilst i work on it

Did Marty T mention you had some spare wide 5's going in your garden or is that me going mad??

In other news, tonights jobs included:

Nearly sorting electrics back to normal, think ive got a sketchy headlight relay
Grease up the linkages/moving parts on all of the pedals
Took apart the gearstick, base, and grease up and adjusted
Fitted new pedal rubbers, wiper blades, inner sliding door handle and door pulls

A good evening, brakes tomoz!

 

[thru_a_lupe]

alls cool mate! well except i tried to start a conversation on fcebook wiv ya and then you fecked off!!!!

so whats the plans with this thing then?!? remember.... post lots of info and pics as you go... thats what we all like on here!!! :mrgreen:

stocker...or not?!?

i dont have any wheels except for a beautifully detailed set of SA sprint stars..... think you were there at Tobys all those years ago when i bought them..... but i am inclined to hang on to them!!!!!

jp

 

[Vinco]

Sorry dude :lol:

Plan is MOT it first then a little fettling after

Rain tonight so not much done outside, gave me a chance to clean up my relays though, hopefully this would have a made a difference on my sloppy indicators and no high low beam (i could hear a click but nothing wasnt happening)


DSC_6307 by Vince Hutchings, on Flickr

 

[Vinco]

A few other pics from when i bought it


DSCF0577 by Vince Hutchings, on Flickr


DSCF0578 by Vince Hutchings, on Flickr


DSCF0566 by Vince Hutchings, on Flickr


DSCF0588 by Vince Hutchings, on Flickr


DSCF0570 by Vince Hutchings, on Flickr


DSCF0600 by Vince Hutchings, on Flickr

 

[Vinco]

Another good day on the bus today.....

Jobs done included:
Stripping brakes down to see what internals i needed (rear shoes and cylinders on order now)
Brakes flexi hoses replaced
Cleaned and painted up drums/wheels as they looked tatty
Fitted new clutch release bearing
Stripped out driveshafts so i can replace boots and regrease (arse of a job with all the grime under there!)
Took out steering bush thinking id ordered one (nope, no i didnt - doh! lol)
Fitted new OOOOAAARRRGGGGAAAA horn
Wirebrushed, rubbed back, rust proved surface rust in drivers side cab floor

Got another full day on it tomoz, by brother is coming over to tidy up the tin wear so when my new heads finally turn up, and GSF have pushrod seals in, i could put that together.

Just trying to work out weather to go dropped spindles now as all my balljoints are going to need doing......i say yes, my wallet says otherwise

Some pics from todays work, and a few random pics i took :mrgreen:


DSC_6322 by Vince Hutchings, on Flickr


DSC_6325 by Vince Hutchings, on Flickr


DSC_6327 by Vince Hutchings, on Flickr


DSC_6331 by Vince Hutchings, on Flickr


DSC_6332 by Vince Hutchings, on Flickr


DSC_6335 by Vince Hutchings, on Flickr


DSC_6336 by Vince Hutchings, on Flickr


DSC_6340 by Vince Hutchings, on Flickr


DSC_6345 by Vince Hutchings, on Flickr


DSC_6348 by Vince Hutchings, on Flickr


DSC_6349 by Vince Hutchings, on Flickr


DSC_6357 by Vince Hutchings, on Flickr


DSC_6361 by Vince Hutchings, on Flickr


DSC_6366 by Vince Hutchings, on Flickr


DSC_6373 by Vince Hutchings, on Flickr


DSC_6383 by Vince Hutchings, on Flickr

Bit grubby today!! haha :mrgreen:


DSC_6387 by Vince Hutchings, on Flickr

 

[Vinco]

Well, update time......

Due to Glasto seemingly coming round alot quicker that i thought i was concentrating on the van and not the world wide tinterweb :lol:

Important news though, we are legal......!!! MOT'd, registered - happy blumming days! :mrgreen:

Final bits done (and not photo documented) were:

Full brake refurb (after finding shot front cylinders)
Engine rebuild
Electrics
Window/door rubbers (not all)
Ball joints
Wheel cylinders
Tiny bit of welding up inside front chassis
Other odds and sods!

Anyhu, pics of its maiden voyage up the M5 (Excuse the plates, US style now fitted - ran outta time!)


DSC_0199 by Vince Hutchings, on Flickr


DSC_0202 by Vince Hutchings, on Flickr


DSC_0206 by Vince Hutchings, on Flickr


top speed - 56mph (me, the wife, my brother and all our stuff/food/endless booze for 5days!)

DSC_0215 by Vince Hutchings, on Flickr


Made it!

DSC_0241 by Vince Hutchings, on Flickr

Now i'm home, got the steering to tweak still, got the idler pin/drag link and box to replace/recon. Then enjoy!!

 

[Airtime]

Congrats that you made it! It's a cool looking bus and you got some nice photography skills! 8)

 

[cyberdyne systems]

Good to see you get the van on the road and enjoy using it!

 

[dubscum]

brill! 8)

 

[thru_a_lupe]

good work vince! still a little on the high side though?!? :mrgreen:

 

[Vinco]

It's been ages since i updated this!

Been sooooo busy, the poor thing has been neglected. Have been away though for the wifes birthday which was awesome - once we got there!! Turns out brand new Euromax carbs from GSF are a bag of crap!! :x so after a quick trip to South West Splitz to pick up an emergency second hand unit, we were on our way (bar at half throttle due to a cable issue!!)

Also had the pin fall out of a "new" fuel pump from GSF on the way to Bude.....honestly, you cant beat the old stuff!!

Pic of the great campsite in Bude - highly recommended - Wooda Farm


2011-08-19 17.01.15 by Vince Hutchings, on Flickr

Once back from camping for the weekend, and fed up with a bus that was really struggling (not just old aircooled struggling) i decided to investigate power upgrades for a 1600 SP.

I decided to purchase some twin 40 Kadrons. Now i then found out how hard it was to find SP manifolds for Kadrons!!! i almost succomnd to going down the TP route but it was alot of money for not alot of increase, and liked the idea of old school SP power.

I eventually found some in the States, now sat in my garage to be cleaned up, along with the carbs and fitted (more to come on that)

The other worthy mention is my current 4WD ride height! lol ....a mate of mine had recently gone to K&L front beam so i have purchased his 4" narrowed weedeater and full late bay brake set up followed by some Horseshoe plates from Dave (loweredlight) on here.

I then topped it of with some slightly patina'd polished 4.5 and 5.5 BRM's

So.................i got a busy Winter ahead, and with a new baby (real human kind!) on the way (and a toddler) by life is going to be busy :mrgreen:

 

[CHILDSEY]

Nice van mate and good luck with your busy life.
I`ve got a 5 year old boy and a 1 year old girl,
oh and a whole house to renovate :roll:
Luckily my van needs no major work
Paul.

 

[Vinco]

Cheers Paul.....to add to the mix, i have now slipped a disc in my back! :lol: man alive

 

[issit]

Sweet looking van mate

 

[justcruzin]

Love your pics!! You bus is very nice! I love the color and style! I have the same year and all! I haven't been able to drive mine yet though. OH and I love that tent that has the haul that attaches to the bus. Very cool!!

Good luck on your winter projects with it. Can't wait for updates!

 

[Vinco]

Big updates are coming guys......due to being laid up with a prolapsed disc (thats decided to squished my sciatic nerve!) ive spent a little too much time on the internet and not alot on the bus :|

Hence the list below, now either to be cleaned up/ready to be fitted/on their way:

4" narrowed Weedeater beam
CSP wide 5 front discs
Sprintstars
Horseshoe plates
Overriders
Full rebuild kit for the door rubbers/trims

And, due to a stripped headstud (un-repairable) a new 1600 shortblock, W100 cam and Twin 36's :mrgreen:

Spring is gunna be busy again!!!

Pics and progress to follow :mrgreen:

 

[ib-bus]

Just read your thread , nice bus and good photo skills.
I live about an hour away from were your bus used to live Ramona , CA.
Ramona is within San Diego county where I live , you can't beat California buses.

 

[clyde]

Ive got exactly the same back trouble Vince, been signed off for a few weeks. Any tips.
Vans coming together nicely.