1972 Crossover Dormobile - Full Restoration Work In Progress

[kevinhall]

Looks great

 

[gninnam]

What a great result :mrgreen: notice in the pic that the firewall is not in

Also, with the engine not being aircooled, does the tinware and air tightness still matter??

 

[Haveacamper]

ye the Firewall wouldnt fit. currently there is a air circuit runnign around the back of the engine. it is made out of copper pipe. its not the best, but its only carrying air so does the job. when the bus goes to paint i intend getting this redone in flexi hose and have it all neat, and hopefully be able to fit the firewall.

as for the engine tinware, the engine is aircooled, so the tinware has to fit pretty tightly or as you know, you blow hot air over the cylinder heads. thats the next task, try and modify the tinware to fit in a stock manner. it may be that i fudge something together to get it to fit, and when the bus is in paint, make a decent, permanent solution based on the mock up.

36. Modify tinwear
37. Fit brake fluid hose
38. Fill brake fluid reservoir
39. Clutch cable and Clutch cable wing nut
40. Connect fuel accumulator/filter to engine
41. Connect return fuel line to tank
42. Fit seatbelts
43. Refill steering box with oil and replace cap
44. Fit Drive shafts and CV boots

these are the only things left that i can think i have to do - I think

 

[gninnam]

Why did I think the engine isn't air-cooled...... :roll:

Hope the list is correct :mrgreen:

 

[Loxy]

ye the Firewall wouldnt fit. currently there is a air circuit runnign around the back of the engine. it is made out of copper pipe. its not the best, but its only carrying air so does the job. when the bus goes to paint i intend getting this redone in flexi hose and have it all neat, and hopefully be able to fit the firewall.

as for the engine tinware, the engine is aircooled, so the tinware has to fit pretty tightly or as you know, you blow hot air over the cylinder heads. thats the next task, try and modify the tinware to fit in a stock manner. it may be that i fudge something together to get it to fit, and when the bus is in paint, make a decent, permanent solution based on the mock up.

36. Modify tinwear
37. Fit brake fluid hose
38. Fill brake fluid reservoir
39. Clutch cable and Clutch cable wing nut
40. Connect fuel accumulator/filter to engine
41. Connect return fuel line to tank
42. Fit seatbelts
43. Refill steering box with oil and replace cap
44. Fit Drive shafts and CV boots

these are the only things left that i can think i have to do - I think

45. Drive it like you stole it :shock: - to the dvla

 

[Haveacamper]

Look who's back everyone!

ye drive it like i stole it

 

[Loxy]

Look who's back everyone!

ye drive it like i stole it

I never left

 

[Haveacamper]

ok, i took the day off work today to tackle the tinware. it was something that i have been dreading over the last couple of weeks. when the g/f went to hobbycraft i got her to pic up two massive sheets of card...and...with american hodrod in the back of my mind i set about constructing my card template.

i took the tinware that came with the engine and made identical card templates as a starting point

once i had done this i fitted to the engine bay

i then set about making the flat tinware that is fixed to the engine....

i then took the vertical pieces and offset them closer to the engine. the intension is to use a flat sheet, fold a tab and bend around.

so i took the sheet (which already had a 30mm tab). i laid the card out onto the metal, drew around it and cut the wave. i them trimmed the tab to 20mm, and snipped it in 1" intervals to enable me to bend it. after bending, zipping, bending and zipping i ended up with...

just have to make sure it follows the correst contour and weld up the slits. the next stage is to repeat this on the other side of the engine bay then weld a 10mm tab to line up with the chassis tab.

hopefully i should then have a stock looking engine bay

although maybe not masses of progress i'm very pleased with how much i've done. i'm not sure if this is the best way to make the tinware, but its the way i've come up with

back down monday to get some more done

 

[gninnam]

That looks very good dude 8)

Looks like a lot of work for not much, but it will finish off the engine bay nicely and also serve a purpose

 

[Haveacamper]

it was a lot of work. Having said that I didn't want to ski$p on this as it is the main think that is going to keep the engine cool and running sweet

Just need to finish the other side off now

 

[Justin & Muttley]

Some very nice work there - looking good!! There's always lots of tips to be picked up from American Hotrod I find 8) 8)

 

[Haveacamper]

Cheers guys, I'm I massive fan of american hotrod and has really given me inspiration to try and achieve an amazing van. So they are to blame. Hehe

NaFe

 

[Haveacamper]

my god was it cold last night!!! i managed to see out a full session working on the barn. i'm glad for the massive draft that comes in during the summer months to cool me down, but wish the farmer would sort it out for the Winter

anyway, managed to tweek and trim the first bit of tinware i made last week. then when i was happy with the profile, welded up the slits, and sanded back:

my dad delivered some more sheet metal meaning that i could also make a start on the other side. so first job was to scrib onto the card where the vertical tin would met if it was tight againt the chassis. then i removed the card and inset the line by 28mm. this accounts for the 18mm distance that should be between the engine tin and the chassis + a 10mm lip that will be welded onto the engine tin for me to be able to use the stock foam.

so i removed the card and taped together

my dad folded me a piece of 1.5mm sheet by 180.20mm and 850 long which i marked, cut, slit and bent:

and offered into the space:

as you can can see in the last picture, the horizontal tin extends way past the piece i've trial fitted. this is the same on both sides. once both side are welded up i can trim this back. i was thinking bout keeping it as large as possible as i thought it may help to deflect extra heat from the engine bay, but Loxy pointed out it may just be somewhere where water can collect. what do you guys think??????

the piece in the last picture still needs some tweeking, but its pretty much there. once both are welded up , my dad siad he'd take them into work and TIG welde the 10mm tab on it as this would reduce the heat distortion. we are going to put a bigger tab on it to start which we will trim down - again to minimise the heat distortion.

once this is done, its on with the front and rear of the engine, but i must admit, i'm chuffed how its gone so far.

 

[gninnam]

Great bit of metal work going on 8)

I'd agree with Loxy and keep shape and excesses to a minimum - would hate to see all the good work you have done being ruined in the next few years - but, if the tinwear is treated correctly with rust treatment and good paint, perhaps it might not be to bad.

No, just thinking out loud, I would trim it back

 

[Haveacamper]

ok,

its been a while since the last update. unfortunately there isnt anything really to show but i have been busy. i've been getting the bus ready to trailer to the garage on Friday. Alot of the things i have been doing is things like:
finishing off the tinware
nipping up all the oil hoses to the oil cooler
fitting wiper blades
fitting seatbelts
running vaccuum line from the servo
converting the windscreen washers to electric pump and microswitch
rebulding the accelerator pedal as it wasnt returning fully and throttle body remained open
fit brake reservoir and mastercylinder arrangement
fitting a horn

all i now have to do on thursday is to fill oil and petrol and give it the once over.

the garage is going to tune the engine and give it an mot. they are hoping to get it sorted by Tuesday, as long as there is nothing major...which i hope there isnt.

 

[faux]

Well done Nafe. We will have to organise a celebratory pint for this one.
Jon

 

[Haveacamper]

Cheers mate, I'm surprised is hasn't turned me to the bottle already

So so close now

 

[Trikky2]

Your going to have to change the gear layout shown normally on the ashtray.

Instead of numbers it should now read F, V, E and C.

Fast, Very fast, Extreemly fast and Completely ridiculous. :mrgreen:

 

[Haveacamper]

hehe ye.

i'm just hoping that the garage can sort out my bus with an mot before next friday as i'm going snowboarding for a week then and would really like to have all the paper work to the DVLA so they have the week while i'm away to process it. Otherwise it'll be a wasted week while i'm away in an already stretched timescale.

NaFe

 

[Haveacamper]

the bus made it onto the trailer and down to the porsche garage to have the engine tuned and put through an mot.

i should know what the damage will be early next week.

fingers crossed it wqill have an mot by next friday