'D', my '72 Crossover Danbury

[Danbury Doug]

Ok, here is 'D', my newly purchased, very original '72 crossover tin-top Danbury, based on the Microbus.
The bus is extremely solid, and had never been welded until last year, when a couple of small patches were let into the cab floor, a small repair section was put in to the nearside lower windscreen surround, and a small repair done to the bottom of the sliding door.
Some of you will already have seen a few sneek preview pics, but here are a few more.

As you can see, the interior is 100% original, which is just what I was looking for.

Buying this van (my third bay, but my first lowlighter) is quite poignant for me, as I have been almost a lifelong Danbury fan (since my parents bought theirs, brand new, also in 1972, when I was just 6 years old!).
For many years I thought I must have been pretty much the only Danbury 'anorak' in existance, 'til I started browsing the forums and started getting to know fellow Danbury fans! Certainly I don't suppose there were too many little boys like me about in the 1970's who would insist in pointing out to his parents every Danbury he saw! :roll: :lol:

To be honest I wasn't really planning on buying another bay just yet. Whilst I liked the idea of one day owning a Danbury, I thought I'd probably end up getting an early bay LHD import, but this particular bus fulfilled quite a few criteria for me in that it is a tin-top (my prefered choice), solid, completely original and un-modified, not so pristine that I'd be afraid to ever take it out :lol: , and, as you will see from the picture below, it happens to also be a crossover, and in the same colour scheme as my parents' original bus, so it was just meant to be, I reckon!

Doug

 

[D-FENS]

Wow that's at least 2 of us still sitting on the original faded seat covers then!

I was looking for a bay 9 years ago and blundered across this in the free ads paper. Still got the original far out curtains too although they are getting a bit threadbare in places. It's a 71 (small rear lights) still running on the original 1600 @ 130,000 miles inc. original heads :shock:

Ant

 

[Camperdan]

Hi Doug,

Very nice indeed! You must be really chuffed to be back behind the wheel of a Danbury..... especially one that resembles your parents original one so exactly. Obviously meant to be!

Dan

 

[olance]

brilliant!!!!! another blue/white crossover!

 

[Wannabay]

Doug

very original, very nice (not biased at all!)

and it looks like it's got a tick tock clock too - lucky you!

what's the box of tricks hanging under the dash below the switches ?

not sure about those speakers in the overhead...............mmmmmm

definitely have to have a 'danbury' day

gerry

 

[Danbury Doug]

Thanks for all your comments!

Ant, there are three of us sitting on faded cushions, :lol: as Wannabay's (Gerry's) are original too. I don't think they are as faded as mine are though! :lol:
There is a piece of trim in your bus, Ant, that I'm after, but I need some details from you about it. I'll PM you a bit later when I have more time.

Dan, I'm so pleased to be back behind the wheel of a Danbury again! 20 years without a Danbury in my life has been too long, and I've been sooo envious of you all, but now I can join in the Danbury fun! :mrgreen:

Olance, blue and white crossovers rock! Have you got one and are there pics? I'll check the threads. 8)

I'm not sure what the box thingy under the dash is, Gerry. I think it is some kind of tape player, but I've not really had a good look yet. The clock is cool, but I've not checked to see if it's working yet. There are a couple of electrical issues I need to sort out.
I agree ref the speakers on the top locker. Funny thing is I'm used to them, 'cos my dad put some in exactly the same spot on our old Danbury. He did that so that when we were holidaying in the van we could have our childrens' stories playing in the back, but my folks could turn the speakers off in the front! :lol:
I think those two will be coming off at some stage though!

Doug

 

[halfpint_fighter]

I want original coat hangers for our Danbury.

We have one small cushion uncovered but the rest have got covers over them so we could join the cushion crew if we wanted to

Very nice buses.

DD i will have to come and have a nosey at your tow bar at some point. I have one in the garage which is meant to be for a crossover.

 

[Bin jammin]

8) Very nice, and it's great to hear your story of Danbury growing up, it's funny how you get kind of hooked on them isn't it.

There's a 72 Danbury crossover that i would like to find from my past, i just need to remember the reg number, now what was it *** ***L , must dig out some photos :roll:

 

[Danbury Doug]

Halfpint, let me know when you want to pop over and we'll fix something up. I'll take the cover off my bus and we'll get some piccys of our two side by side. 8)

BJ, I hope you can locate your old bus.
Our old Danbury was VRV266K. It stayed in the Portsmouth area (where we lived) certainly up to the mid 90s, but it does not show up as having been taxed or sorned for some years now, so unless it is languishing in a field or lock-up somewhere, I feel she may now be in the big scrapyard in the sky.

By the way have you all seen the lovely Danbury in the thread I've put a link to below (third photo down)? I stumbled across it last night. Hopefully one day my bus will look like that. 8)

http://forum.earlybay.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=7053

Doug

 

[halfpint_fighter]

I think i have met that Danbury (and it's owner!) at a couple of shows. Was restored a few years ago.

Where about in Hampshire are you?

I'll have to get my bus working before i go anywhere :roll: Engine out last weekend for a flywheel oil seal replacement. Got it all back in but then the generator warning light came on. Turns out the dynamo brushes are worn out. If they could have worn out a day earlier it would have made life simpler. Spent this afternoon swapping bits over so it now has a alternator we had lying around. Now need to change the wiring.
Oh and i wired up the reverse lights seems as they didn't do it in the factory on cross overs and now they just stay on, hopefully the switch just needs some spacers.

Still... gotta love the v dubs :mrgreen:

 

[Danbury Doug]

I think i have met that Danbury (and it's owner!) at a couple of shows. Was restored a few years ago.

Where about in Hampshire are you?

I'll have to get my bus working before i go anywhere :roll: Engine out last weekend for a flywheel oil seal replacement. Got it all back in but then the generator warning light came on. Turns out the dynamo brushes are worn out. If they could have worn out a day earlier it would have made life simpler. Spent this afternoon swapping bits over so it now has a alternator we had lying around. Now need to change the wiring.
Oh and i wired up the reverse lights seems as they didn't do it in the factory on cross overs and now they just stay on, hopefully the switch just needs some spacers.

Still... gotta love the v dubs :mrgreen:

They like to keep us on our toes, these vans! :roll:

Mine has a few electrical issues to sort out, though nothing major. The horn and brake lights don't work, and just occasionally the starter won't work when I turn the ignition key.

I'm in the Hythe /Waterside area, so I'm on the 'right' side of Southampton Water for you.

Doug

 

[Danbury Doug]

I'm in the Hythe /Waterside area, so I'm on the 'right' side of Southampton Water for you.

Saying that, for some reason I thought you were in Dorset, but anyway, I'm only a few minutes from the Southampton end of the M271.

 

[halfpint_fighter]

The only time i get down to Hythe is during the day when i visit one of my accounts, John Boots Music.

I had a sticky starter motor. I thought it was a dodgy ignition switch but when i took off the starter motor and cleaned it inside and out plus fitted a new bush in the gearbox housing it sorted it.

 

[Guest]

heres some more earlybay danbury porn, one i shot some pictures of at my club meet a fortnight ago, og paint and seat covers etc. very nice! 8)

 

[Danbury Doug]

Aww beautiful! 8)

It even still has its original interior light cover.... very rare indeed! :lol:

 

[Danbury Doug]

The only time i get down to Hythe is during the day when i visit one of my accounts, John Boots Music.

I had a sticky starter motor. I thought it was a dodgy ignition switch but when i took off the starter motor and cleaned it inside and out plus fitted a new bush in the gearbox housing it sorted it.

Hmm could be the same problem with mine then, as the ignition lights still come on.

Let me know next time you think you'll be heading this way. I work nights, so if I'm 'on shift' I'm sleeping during the mornings, but I'm usually always about in the afternoons.

Doug