1971 Deluxe Import - A blank canvas

[georgeyv]

Evening all -

Thought I'd find somewhere to document what I do with my recently acquired 1971 early deluxe.

It's not actually on my drive yet, still in the yard where it was imported (Restore and More NE - absolutely top end chaps, been great while I was looking for a replacement for a nightmare of a project)

It's a deluxe microbus, originally from Chicago, seemed to spend most of its life somewhere hot judging by the scorched paint and bone dry rubber!

Anyway here's a few pictures, show what it's like as it is now.

Seems to have some kind of pretty smart aftermarket air con fitted under the dash, could be factory but the M plate doesn't indicate anything like that. Probably going to come out when I get really stuck in as I don't think I'll need it in England, however it is pretty cool looking and suits under the dash amazingly!

Also lots of original paint underneath, needs a good clean and new stonechip to protect it and then will probably top coat in factory colour

Jobs list so far : -
Try get it running on the engine that's in it
check all electrics etc before I start stripping anything.
Remove engine + fuel tank for cleaning
Get rid of the two bees nests I found lurking in the wheel arches
Polish all the original paint
Take it for an MOT somewhere and get a 'to do' list.

There are a few parts I'll be needing so a wanted post to go up shortly!

 

[Lee C]

Looks very similar to my Sierra yellow one that I got of R & more!!!!
Your plans sound similar too :shock: :lol:
Good luck with it !!!

 

[georgeyv]

Looks very similar to my Sierra yellow one that I got of R & more!!!!
Your plans sound similar too :shock: :lol:
Good luck with it !!!

They told me about yours when I told them my plans! I just had a read through your build thread, absolutely mint. If mine's anywhere near as good as yours when it's done I'll be a happy man.

For now it's just a case of getting it roadworthy and getting a bed in the back so I can take my mrs and little girl on holiday this summer!

 

[Lee C]

thanks!!!

Sounds easy when it's typed out!!!! :lol: :lol:
Good luck, if you get stuck, just look at my build thread!!
As you'll see I've had most problems already!!!! :lol:

Where you based like???

 

[Supertramp]

OOOoo I like this.

 

[stuartm65]

Those handprints are a bit 'Blair Witch' :shock:

 

[georgeyv]

Those handprints are a bit 'Blair Witch' :shock:

I thought the same! Plan was to give the whole van a proper buff up and see if I can get the hands off, but I do kind of like them the more I see them. I might try keep them on the bus!

 

[Mr Brightside]

'71 Sierra Yellow Deluxe from Chicago ??

Sounds just like mine


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[georgeyv]

Well, it's arrived!

Got it on the drive and started cracking straight on with a few minor jobs - firstly started cleaning some of the mud and hay out of it - must have been in a barn with animals in it as it is completely minging inside - absolutely tonnes of mud and crap in every nook and cranny. Lots of hoovering, brushing, scrubbing and cleaning to do!

Headlights came out, bowls emptied of mud/dust and cleaned out - ready to fit some RHD Mk1 golf headlights with sidelights built in.

May need a little point in the right direction for that, still getting my head around the wiring!

All looking good so far...

here she is!

Got lots of jobs to do - need to get some keys cut as there are none with it. Took a cab door handle off and took the barrel out expecting it to have a code but it's blank so back to the drawing board there!

So much to do... Hopefully get a battery in it in the next few days and see what happens when I try fire it up!

 

[*Sam*]

Is the air on not a standard VW one.

 

[gvee]

Bus looks aweeeesome 8) 8) 8)

Get your key cut to match your ignition - the handles are easy enough to re-key

 

[georgeyv]

Is the air on not a standard VW one.

Looks to be a DPD unit - apparently fitted at the port as a dealer option and not a factory one. Looks the part though, really nice design and fits with the bus well just not sure yet if I'll be keeping it.

 

[georgeyv]

Bus looks aweeeesome 8) 8) 8)

Get your key cut to match your ignition - the handles are easy enough to re-key

I've had one cut to the sliding door code as it was easiest to get to, if it works in the ignition then happy days - if not then I'll whip the ignition off and get one from that.

 

[georgeyv]

Can't believe how much mud is in this bus... An hour scrubbing after work before making dinner - it's getting there. You can see a patch on the right of the floor, done by restore and more when I bought the van so I didn't have any welding to sort myself.

 

[georgeyv]

A bit more today:-

Had a spare set of headlights from a Mk1 Golf, with built in sidelights and they are the clear lens type with the beam reflector pattern built into the back, I like them quite a bit and they were in stock in my garage so got the approval of the bank manager!

Ran the sidelight wires in through the existing grommet, will connect them up to the existing low indicator sidelight wiring tomorrow when I get a second!

Didn't seem to be able to get the chrome surrounds to go on right, think the headlight rim is slightly larger and makes it a little more difficult - when it's all working I'll take them out and clearance them a bit so they go in neater.

 

[georgeyv]

Key arrived - fits all locks and ignition! Absolutely stoked.

The door locks all seem super stiff so going to strip grease and rebuild when I get a bit of time.

 

[georgeyv]

I had a good crack at the engine last week, huge thanks to George (gveeeeeeee) as he basically brought a whole bus worth of spares and they're now temporarily re-homed on my engine til we work out what's doing what.

When he arrived the engine turned, just. Some oil and a good clean of the spark plugs and we found no spark, so replaced dizzy, coil and leads and voila - all 3 were pretty badly hammered from sitting for so many years so happy to switch them out.

The spark was good but struggled to get anything more than that - even with fuel straight into the carb it didn't make a murmur of starting, just turned and turned. Going to switch out for a spare carb and electric fuel pump and see if we can breathe some life into it.

It will need pulling out anyway to sort tank/lines/electrics but I'll be happier if I know I can give it a real good once over and that it will run.

 

[georgeyv]

A busy couple of weeks working but managed to put a few hours in -

big thanks to gvee for the hard work last week (even though he's now living it up in Bristol.... not too jealous!) - without him it wouldn't be running!



So with the cobwebs blown off, I know the engine is a runner which will at least see me to a test centre and back (fingers crossed!)

That let me start seeing to some of the jobs that want sorting but hadn't got desperate until I got it running.

I had a set of reupholstered T25 seats that were in my late bay before I sold the shell on so I wanted to reuse those instead of forking out for another set of overpriced knackered early bay seats and then upholstering them too.

I got a set of rails off a kind lad on ebay who sent me them for the cost of postage to help me out - I set about the old seat runners with a spot weld bit (that I managed to blast through the cab floor multiple times) and a grinder and eased the old runners out. It was a fairly tidy job, just a small slot to weld where I lost my rag with the grinder and went a bit too far.

I'm yet to fit the runners - will weld the holes up that I created and then tack the runners into place to make sure they're all spot on before I plug weld them into place.

Hopefully some more jobs to sort this week that will get done:

No oil pressure light on dash with ignition on - hopefully a simple one.

Brake lights not converted from US yet - done the rest but still can't quite get my head around this part!

indicators flashing too fast - hoping that I've accidentaly connected the wire to the wrong part of the front indicator so resistance is too low and they're too fast.

 

[georgeyv]

OK So the bus was running, but badly. A horrendous knocking from the engine, possibly the reason they stopped using it in the first place. I'm still undecided what to do with it, I could probably bang it back in and use it to get me to an MOT and back, but I have a spare 1600TP that was due for rebuild so may try crack on with that... Budget will dictate the course I take though!

Gveeeeeee (yet again) saved the day yesterday - sent him a message expressing my intention to mess about with the van and probably get squashed trying to remove the engine alone and he came along with his tools to lend a hand, which ended up being both hands and all his knowledge. It's always cracking to have someone to hand who can help and I am forever grateful!

A couple of pics of lastnights progress...

Going to give the engine bay a right good clean and try remove the compressor which was for the air con when it was still in the van! No longer needed!

Then it's fuel tank out for a good clean and replace all the rubber lines which will be perished to death if the engine ones were anything to go by.

 

[georgeyv]

Todays effort -

maybe not the most riveting of viewing as I plod along - I manahed to get the firewall and tank out - so much gunk underneath the bus I couldn't see 2 of the 4 screws above the gearbox so spent a good half hour ranting and kicking off before i managed to clean it up enough to spot them.

The inside of the tank is better than I was expecting - have attached a pic so opinions on what needs doing really appreciated - Tempted to swill out with petrol and see how I get on.