Can we fix it???

[StevieTerrier]

For all you people sat looking at your rusty bucket of a bus, and thinking "I'll never fix this, what the hell have I bought?" fear not - you can fix anything if you want it enough!!

Get yourself a roof....

Get yourself a new front clip..

Replace all of the cabin floor, the seat pans, complete front arches / steps, the load floor, lower "B" posts, those bubbles behind the front wheels, all the outer and inner sills, most of the outriggers, rear inner and outer arches and wheel tubs and that bit between the inner arches, lower rear quarters, tailgate, engine lid, sliding door, cab doors, outer rear sill, those bits around the engine bay which carry the engine foam seal, both battery trays, and weld the front and rear chassis legs and inner rear sill as required. Then put some paint on!





And there we are, only 3 years of pain, grief and endless amounts of ££££££. Now just the roof, interior, suspension, wiring, brakes, and the engine to sort and we're up and running.

So, can we fix it?? Yes we can!

 

[gumbo]

Fair play

 

[dazza1975]

You should have left it as a convertible :lol:

Looks a nice bus :shock:

 

[Fortunate Son]

Great work 8) 8) 8)

 

[Resto-raider]

Respect for all the work, craftmanship and the stunning results so far.
looks awesome.

My only question is why? Why not start with a complete one?

 

[gninnam]

Show off :lol:


Nice job though and will be a very smart bus when finished 8)

 

[StevieTerrier]

Respect for all the work, craftmanship and the stunning results so far.
looks awesome.

My only question is why? Why not start with a complete one?

Fair question. And an easy answer.....ebay and red wine don't mix! I got caught up in the moment and paid way too much for a complete shed. I also have a personality flaw which means that once I have something it becomes my responsibility to look after it......maybe I should just have bought a kitten?

I should have" thrown it straight back on auction" (wife's words, she was right as usual!) but thought it would be fun to learn to weld, do the bodywork, trim etc etc. And it was fun, but in the end it turned out to be such a huge job that I had to get professional help or it would never have even got to the stage it has now.

Once the metalwork was finished it looked so good that I didn't have the heart to spoil it with a cheap paint job, so it just stayed in the body shop. Just the doors to finish now, stick the undercarriage back on and then she can come home and I can finally get stuck into the fun bit of building her back up.

I could probably have bought four decent vans with the money I will have spent by the time it is all finished and back on the road, but that's life I guess. Would I have started it if I had known the work, time and £££ involved? Definitely not! But now that the finishing line is in sight (albeit barely visible..) I am as excited as that day three and a half years ago when I "won" the auction.

As we are all aware, every Bay needs a name. Took a long time, but it came to my long suffering missus one day when I was heading for the garage again for yet another day of grinding and cutting. (Think it was the 13th consecutive day of my 14 day "holiday" and I still hadn't taken Mrs Terrier to a tea room or National Trust garden...). "You're not going in there again are you? It's like Groundhog Day with you and that bloody van...."

So Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you The Groundhog Bay. 8)

 

[gas1man]

Great story .
Good on you mate.!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:lol: :lol: :lol:

J & P

 

[Sausage]

Good work!

 

[lard]

Groundhog bay - love it - 3 years in half a dozen pictures - reminds me of my mammoth 10 year triumph gt6 build in a dozen piccies

Now you've got somewhere to put those countless splittie christmas mugs, magnets and assorted bits!

 

[StevieTerrier]

Ha ha! You're right Lard, it makes it seems a piece of cake, wreck to complete and painted bodyshell in 5 steps! I did think of putting the other 500 pictures on but to honest one piece of terminally rusted metal looks pretty much like any other. I'll stick a few more one when I get time though. GT6, nice motor. Used to have a Vitesse convertible, went like stink. My brother snapped a drive shaft on it and dragged the back end along the road to hasten its demise. They look a bit dated now of course, but back then with a small leather steering wheel and some massive (!) 5.5 J wheels on it looked the business..

 

[cotswoldiver]

Lessons for everyone :lol:

Great story, look forward to reading more

 

[Resto-raider]

Most of us probably recognize the unexpected overspending. One simply gets caught up.
You spent a lot on it but in the end you have a result to be proud of.
I hope you're not too afraid to drive it when it's all done