Chugsy's 69' Deluxe

[Chugsy]

After a few months searching and stressing i ended up purchasing, no only my first bus, but my first aircooled motor
arty0053:

As it says in the subject she is a 69' deluxe tin top, bulk head model, originally a microbus from sunny Cali. I picked her up on sunday so as of yet not much has changed with her appearance since i got her. So far just stripped out the back ready to get sound proofing.

My plan is basically to put a full width r n r in the back, change the seating in the front for a full width bench 8) and recover everything. There will be a bit more to it than that but im terrible at making decisions so thats all for now :roll:

She has already been slammed and narrowed with a 4'' wagonswest ball joint beam and ww drop spindles so sits pretty sweet at the moment and even with the 45's on the front rides pretty smooth

I'd better get some pictures up anyway before Leon has a fit Lets see if i can follow the instructions and get them up successfully first try

You'll have to excuse the quality of the pictures, they have been taken with my phone

 

[Chugsy]

Decided last night i was going to try and get a bit more shine out of the deluxe waist line trim. I know people will probably say the trim goes with the look of the bus but its my bus and i fancied a shiny contrast :mrgreen:

Before

After (a lot of various grades of wet and dry and constant back and forth motion )

A bit on the bus

Still alot more to do on that being as it took me about an hour and a quarter to do the rear nearside quarter and the back!

 

[Analog]

cool bus chugsy, very, cool 8)

 

[5erge]

Nice looking bus. Started to clean up my trim, it's in the same condition as yours, think I gave up after 1 piece. If I manage to revamp 1 piece of trim a month I'll be happy.

Des

 

[Chugsy]

Nice looking bus. Started to clean up my trim, it's in the same condition as yours, think I gave up after 1 piece. If I manage to revamp 1 piece of trim a month I'll be happy.

Des

Haha. I'm plannin on Getting mine done by Saturday. £20 an hour an I'll do yours for you :lol: so it'll probably work out at about a grand!!

 

[leon]

Don't know if i said before, but funking cool bus 8) .

Have you noticed that your number plate is almost 'CHUG'. Was that the deciding factor to buying it?

 

[mattd1984]

Nice bus pal....running 45's up front dam thats small

 

[sam@bugeyeddesigns]

Really cool!

I'm hoping mine will look similar to that once its finished.
Its the same colour and has the same patina

8)

 

[ant]

Went to see this the other night.... rad looking bus

Bloody loads of early bay tintops in Stafford now 8)

Although Leon doesn't know yet he and i going to help jon(chugsy)pull the engine soonish. As it apparently needs the thrust bearing replacing.

If i remember right there are a couple of different clutch kits. Does any one know if the thrust bearing differs from kit to to kit?

 

[leon]

Went to see this the other night.... rad looking bus

Bloody loads of early bay tintops in Stafford now 8)

Although Leon doesn't know yet he and i going to help jon(chugsy)pull the engine soonish. As it apparently needs the thrust bearing replacing.

If i remember right there are a couple of different clutch kits. Does any one know if the thrust bearing differs from kit to to kit?

nothing like a forum to find out you've been hired :lol:

 

[californiasoul1969]

nice bus dude, can now see what my bus will look like once my 15" steels are back from powdercoaters ....... and i like it alot arty0049:

 

[gninnam]

Good result with the new bus - wish my first was as good as that 8)

Well done my son

 

[faux]

I have to say as a first bus this was an excellent choice.

SWEEEEET! 8)

 

[Chugsy]

Don't know if i said before, but funking cool bus 8) .

Have you noticed that your number plate is almost 'CHUG'. Was that the deciding factor to buying it?

Leon you can say it till the cows come home and i wouldn't tire of hearing it

Yeah i love the 'personalized' plate, it may of had something to do with my purchase of the bus lol

 

[Chugsy]

Really cool!

I'm hoping mine will look similar to that once its finished.
Its the same colour and has the same patina

8)

Sam is yours a rhd? U got a thread for it dude? Would love to see it. What is the name of the blue? ours look a bit diff to neptune. Similar to dove but i thought it was only a splitty colour?

Thanks guys for all the positive comments Igotta say though, the pictures dont really show up the scuffs and scrapes on her. She is hard as! Constantly getting comments from people 'not in the know' asking when is she getting straightened and sprayed! Next door but one said i'd get 50 quid scrap for her! :evil:

I'm toying with the idea of Jge torkers or some detailed flat 4's. Or should i just keep the steelies and spend the cash on other bits for the bus? Hmmm decisions.

 

[STUMP]

Cool bus dude and defo keep the steelies or sell them to me 8)

 

[Barkafer]

Oh, what a super cool first bus! You gotta love these dry Cali imports. Let me know when you're selling your bench seat as mine is all gaffer taped up!

 

[67westy]

Nice bus, trim looks like it came up well. Don't think I'd have the patience for that!

Went to see this the other night.... rad looking bus

Bloody loads of early bay tintops in Stafford now 8)

Although Leon doesn't know yet he and i going to help jon(chugsy)pull the engine soonish. As it apparently needs the thrust bearing replacing.

If i remember right there are a couple of different clutch kits. Does any one know if the thrust bearing differs from kit to to kit?

Yes they do as I bought the wrong kit a couple of weeks ago :roll:

 

[Chugsy]

Nice bus, trim looks like it came up well. Don't think I'd have the patience for that!

Went to see this the other night.... rad looking bus

Bloody loads of early bay tintops in Stafford now 8)

Although Leon doesn't know yet he and i going to help jon(chugsy)pull the engine soonish. As it apparently needs the thrust bearing replacing.

If i remember right there are a couple of different clutch kits. Does any one know if the thrust bearing differs from kit to to kit?

Yes they do as I bought the wrong kit a couple of weeks ago :roll:

yeah it's come up ok. Close up there are still a few little pits in it but I think it looks good as is. If the bus was straight and shiny I wudnt be happy with em but it's not so an excuse not to go overboard on cleaning them :lol:

 

[Chugsy]

Absolutely threw it down for half an hour or so today so thought it a good idea to drive over to where im keeping the bus and see if/where she is letting in water considering she has those lovely hardened seals coutesy of the Cali sun. I was pleasantly suprised, only two places where the water had managed to squeeze in and one of them was because the window had been left open :roll: Anyone know of anyways to maybe patch it a little? I wudnt change just one window seal because the rest are fine and it would look out of place. Duck tape and a rag inside is my best idea at the moment :lol:

I've been busy in the back of the bus the last week or so (whenever i could get the chance) just sanding down the sliht patches of surface rust on the floors and getting them prepd for a bit of hammerite action. They are rock solid and probably didnt need it to be fair but she's in the UK now so probably best. Ill pop some pics up over the weekend of before and after shots