Cunning Bus Project

[krusty]

Looking good with the wheels tried on.
How long will it be until you drop it down on the wheels?

 

[cunning plan]

I know! That is the exciting part - will it be low enough?! How much spring will the suspension have?! So many questions to be answered :lol: :shock: :?

Not sure buddy, hopefully I can get the other side together tonight and put the 14" stocks on as they have tyres, then drop it down to see where it sits.

I would have been either further ahead, but I had to work on my car yesterday evening as the rear lights were messing around.

I don't think it will be anywhere near as low as yours Krusty though :|

 

[cunning plan]

After getting in from a long day at work and commuting, I was out in the garage for 3 and a half hours taking the dropped spindles apart to fix the leaves which weren't allowing the other side to go on properly, then putting it all back together again.

Anyway - done now :msn4:

I'm pretty pleased with the kit - quality is excellent. The height could have been down a little - like 1/2" - but it's fine. I plan to take the over-all height down (not wheel arch height, I mean bus height) by using skinnier tyres on the front - pictured here with my old 14" with 185/70/14s on.

I also let a bit of air out of the front tyre for the last shots just to simulate having smaller tyres on.

The suspension travel is amazing - it is like a bouncy castle compared to before. However, dissapointly, as andyo11 pointed out - the Red9 Spax coil-overs are not tall enough to use with the d-spindles, so I am going to have to buy some better suited coil-overs. So, looks like my entire Red 9 kit is up for sale!!

So, yep, pleased with the height. Compared with before, I think it's raised about 1".

But as I say, I hope to regain that 1" (or close to it) by putting skinnys on the front - like Graham L's:

I never set out to have a slammed bus, just a lowered one that drives well, so hopefully this is the solution - a low 'over all' height of the bus, but still have lots of suspension travel - the one compromise being you can see a bit more of the inner arch - so the wheel doesn't fill it as well.

 

[gninnam]

Good work my man :mrgreen:

I like the height that you have it at, especially knowing that you have a good range of suspension travel

 

[cunning plan]

Andewilson's rollers are on (with adapters to wide-5) ready for rolling.

I just have to move quite a bit out of the garage to make the space and double check that at the highest point the bus won't hit a low storage rack suspended from the garage roof joists.

 

[gninnam]

Good luck with the bus rolling :shock:

 

[krusty]

Can you film the bus rolling for us, ive neve seen it done before and very interested!
And if it does go wrong you could be in with a chance of £250! :lol:

 

[cunning plan]

Can you film the bus rolling for us, ive neve seen it done before and very interested!
And if it does go wrong you could be in with a chance of £250! :lol:

:lol:

I'll see if I remember amongst the rolling fun!

 

[cunning plan]

With all the hassle of rolling it, I didn't think to take a video - sorry.

A few pictures though..

Amazing how much more you can see when it is rolled. Although there are a lot more dodgy patch plates on the chassis than I first thought. Which puts the project behind again :roll: :|

 

[gninnam]

With all the hassle of rolling it, I didn't think to take a video - sorry.

Forgiven, but issues did you have?

Amazing how much more you can see when it is rolled. Although there are a lot more dodgy patch plates on the chassis than I first thought. Which puts the project behind again :roll: :|

Sorry about that

 

[cunning plan]

With all the hassle of rolling it, I didn't think to take a video - sorry.

Forgiven, but issues did you have?

Just the usual with getting it safely over, working out the space we had to work in, moving everything around etc.. :?

 

[cunning plan]

With the bus rolled, Jason from Dubs and Classics came over again to assess yet more welding to be done on the chassis :?

So, Jason left me with instructions to get cleaning and grinding ready for when the bus goes to his workshop.

The plan is to grind out all rubbish ready for fresh to be welded back in and wire-wheel / clean / metal ready / POR15 everything else.

Took out the centre heating pipe along with the cables etc. Plan is here to connect up a Eber / Propex heater using a modern flexible pipe into the original front section heating system so you can still direct heat onto the front screen but have efficient heating that is ad-hoc.

Wire-wheeeeeeliiinggggg.. :character0036:

Hmm dodgy steering linkage!!!!!!!!

 

[gninnam]

So much easier when the bus is on it's side.

Sounds like you are enjoying yourself

 

[cunning plan]

Sounds like you are enjoying yourself

Hmm not sure about that :lol: :shock:

 

[cunning plan]

Grinding, wire-wheeling, de-greasing, grinding, wire-wheeling, de-greasing etc, etc.

Some new parts have arrived for the steering mechanism:

But I am reusing the idler arm, so that gets wire-wheeled then put in the vinegar until I paint it.

 

[cunning plan]

Took a day off yesterday to tow the bus to Dubs and Classics.

Fecking beautiful day, sun was out all day. 8)

Now Jason can get stuck in and finish the structual work that the old UK '68 needs :|

Andewilson's rollers coming in useful again arty0006:

Some of Jason's other customer projects and his own super cool roof-chop Beetle - stunning work :mrgreen:

 

[gninnam]

Looks like its in safe hands.

Looking forward to some great updates now

 

[cunning plan]

Yes bud, Jason has some massive skills - as you will see with some picture updates! :mrgreen:

 

[cunning plan]

Manky!

A repair was also needed to the axle tube :?

Jason starting to do what he does best.

See, this is why I have gone to a professional restorer - I was tempted to get all the kit myself and have a go, but you just don't get these skills over-night - that is a tidy repair 8)

 

[gninnam]

See, this is why I have gone to a professional restorer - I was tempted to get all the kit myself and have a go, but you just don't get these skills over-night - that is a tidy repair 8)

Know the feeling - my welding is cr@p..........