this is what the bus looked like when i bought it
life got in the way andits sat a year or 2 with not much hapening.while it dident need a full hit.it did need batery trays and front panel upper and a nice paint job
i started by removing the front panel it rerally wasent that bad but found it had had bodged accident damage lower down and couldent live with it.once off i found the inner to be slightley corroded so that allso had to go
a good friend started by shrinking the late bay badge buldge out of the new front pannel.
then we atempted to fit it.it was a bitch trying to get the door gaps right but we got it in the end.
next i started striping the whole van back to bare metal.panel at a time shot blasting in to all the hard to get bits.i couldent belive how good it was.no major repairs or rust anywhere.i couldent belive it.even right down at the sills every spot weld in the right place and not even serface rust.so a panel at a time i worked round the van etch priming behined me so the rust couldent move in.
floors were fairly good with just the westy sink hole needing to be welded up and small amount of serface rust
the rear bumper was like most and battered . after a year looking i managed to find a NOS rear bumper which had a trip to the shot blasters before paint
i stuck some sound deadening down on the rear before paint
i primed the whole thing and the guide coated and sanded(defo the shittest part of the whole resto)that shit i failed to take pictures :x
it was time for paint.inside first(no pics again) :x
and then the outside along with cab
then came the good bit.i bought a stainless rebuild kit and cleaned up as much as i could before fitting stuff back
sound deadening overload
next it was suspention time
then a 1776 was bunged in the back,its been out since this pic for me to repaint the firewall and add new 40dells and new mahle barrels and pistons.
stuff i seem to have lost pics of are all the new seals.every seal on the bus was replaced with the best i could find.also fitted new deluxe screen trims.alloy inserts.and load of other bits.new carpets new ply headlining new westy canvas.the list is endless but i think the money and work has payed off.
MOT DAY
first trip out
life got in the way andits sat a year or 2 with not much hapening.while it dident need a full hit.it did need batery trays and front panel upper and a nice paint job
i started by removing the front panel it rerally wasent that bad but found it had had bodged accident damage lower down and couldent live with it.once off i found the inner to be slightley corroded so that allso had to go
a good friend started by shrinking the late bay badge buldge out of the new front pannel.
then we atempted to fit it.it was a bitch trying to get the door gaps right but we got it in the end.
next i started striping the whole van back to bare metal.panel at a time shot blasting in to all the hard to get bits.i couldent belive how good it was.no major repairs or rust anywhere.i couldent belive it.even right down at the sills every spot weld in the right place and not even serface rust.so a panel at a time i worked round the van etch priming behined me so the rust couldent move in.
floors were fairly good with just the westy sink hole needing to be welded up and small amount of serface rust
the rear bumper was like most and battered . after a year looking i managed to find a NOS rear bumper which had a trip to the shot blasters before paint
i stuck some sound deadening down on the rear before paint
i primed the whole thing and the guide coated and sanded(defo the shittest part of the whole resto)that shit i failed to take pictures :x
it was time for paint.inside first(no pics again) :x
and then the outside along with cab
then came the good bit.i bought a stainless rebuild kit and cleaned up as much as i could before fitting stuff back
sound deadening overload
next it was suspention time
then a 1776 was bunged in the back,its been out since this pic for me to repaint the firewall and add new 40dells and new mahle barrels and pistons.
stuff i seem to have lost pics of are all the new seals.every seal on the bus was replaced with the best i could find.also fitted new deluxe screen trims.alloy inserts.and load of other bits.new carpets new ply headlining new westy canvas.the list is endless but i think the money and work has payed off.
MOT DAY
first trip out
