Gadget Boy
Well-known member
Gadgets 68 Deluxe Bay Cool to The Touch
Ok this is the first time ive done the gallery bit so if I ramble pm me to shut Up
After getting my 1st bus at 20 which was a uk rhd and mullered i spent 4 yrs welding her up Yep 4 yrs on its side welding it in a field I gave up.
I searched round and spoke to Italian Fred who when he couldnt find a 68 to 70 crewcab managed to find me this and the rest is history .
Model
1968 9 seater microbus italian market spec manuf 16 feb 1968
Shipped to Di Domenico Tino di Ezio a Lancia /Fiat/Vw dealership in
Pescara Italy
Not much is known of the early history but I do know the bus was stored for 14 to 15 yrs as the original service stickers on the dash show the original milege at just 44000 km on 10/5/1983 ( 27500miles from new )
At the time in June 2000 I paid quite expensive money for her but she had 60001 km on her and wanted a little welding i.e 2 small patches on the inner sills and both the back corners had to be pushed out too .
^^ This is an early pic running Og Chrome Empi Sprints
Spa 2010
The list of mods thats been done are endless but i will try to list a few
The bus was lowered by me and after asking a few people I did it by redrilling the front beam i.e Not cutting and turning . when i lowered the bus back down id dropped it 6 '' or 150mm and i nearly shit my pants as id never seen a bay that low before This was 4 weeks before Bug Jam 2001 . I also fitted an early Csp disc kit non vented which also narrow the track by nearly 10mm :wink:
I lowered the back 2 outer splines and the bus had all the ball joints replaced as well as all the track rods etc . The shocks all round are Toxic shocks which although firm the bus rides really well being this low . Thats one of the things people say when they jump in how well it rides for such a slammed bus :wink:
The gearbox was swopped out after a year and now runs a 1302S box which at the time experts told me you couldnt do and it wouldnt fit :roll: but after lengthening the gear linkage by 30mm and modding the clutch tube it worked and she now cruises well at 75- 80 and even 100mph on the way to newquay one year
Shes changed wheels quite a few times and currently has a set of og painted sprintstars on in 4.5 and 5.5 tyres are 175/55/r15 smarts frt and the rears are 175/65/r15 pirellis on the back
Ive got/gone through that many different sets of accessories for her its untrue but the full lenght rack is going back on asap . After sleeping in the minibus seats for nearly 2.5 yrs i finally managed to track down an original 698 only westy interior european spec and fitted it in ....What a differnce now caming in style too . And theres a loud enough stere hidden away to piss off the neighbours too
If i say one thing the modification no one ever spots is the painted switch panel under the heater vent controls its the original ashtray front flipped upside down and drilled to take the aircraft style toggle switches which control the front spots amps etc
Theres even a guy in doncaster whos painted his bus identical to this after seeing her but i think hes got the colour shades just a bit out
Shes been featured twice once in Camper and Commercial and once in Ultra Vw shes been on have I got News For You when Martin Clunes presented it and shes also been on Men & Motors when the did RTTS too . Also countless websites i was blown away the first time i saw someone had posted pictures of her on The Samba.com
Any way heres some photos Ramble over ............
P.S Shes NEVER For Sale as im keeping this one :wink:
^^ The super trapp exhaust
Auto meter Rev, temp, Oil pressure gauges
^^^ Original service stickers
^^ In the Euro tunnel Spa 2009
i have recently added adjustable rear sprig plates from creative and im soon to fit a adjustble narrowed front axle with dropped spindles :wink:
In early 2009 I fitted a Slamwerks 4'' narrowed King an Link pin beam and tweaked the back down some more
^^ Getting ready for the Volksworld Camper an Bus feature in Nov 2010 :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
^^ Waiting to get on the Spa Circuit @ Spa 2010
Thanks for viewing folks
Gadget :wink:
Ok this is the first time ive done the gallery bit so if I ramble pm me to shut Up
After getting my 1st bus at 20 which was a uk rhd and mullered i spent 4 yrs welding her up Yep 4 yrs on its side welding it in a field I gave up.
I searched round and spoke to Italian Fred who when he couldnt find a 68 to 70 crewcab managed to find me this and the rest is history .
Model
1968 9 seater microbus italian market spec manuf 16 feb 1968
Shipped to Di Domenico Tino di Ezio a Lancia /Fiat/Vw dealership in
Pescara Italy
Not much is known of the early history but I do know the bus was stored for 14 to 15 yrs as the original service stickers on the dash show the original milege at just 44000 km on 10/5/1983 ( 27500miles from new )
At the time in June 2000 I paid quite expensive money for her but she had 60001 km on her and wanted a little welding i.e 2 small patches on the inner sills and both the back corners had to be pushed out too .
^^ This is an early pic running Og Chrome Empi Sprints
Spa 2010
The list of mods thats been done are endless but i will try to list a few
The bus was lowered by me and after asking a few people I did it by redrilling the front beam i.e Not cutting and turning . when i lowered the bus back down id dropped it 6 '' or 150mm and i nearly shit my pants as id never seen a bay that low before This was 4 weeks before Bug Jam 2001 . I also fitted an early Csp disc kit non vented which also narrow the track by nearly 10mm :wink:
I lowered the back 2 outer splines and the bus had all the ball joints replaced as well as all the track rods etc . The shocks all round are Toxic shocks which although firm the bus rides really well being this low . Thats one of the things people say when they jump in how well it rides for such a slammed bus :wink:
The gearbox was swopped out after a year and now runs a 1302S box which at the time experts told me you couldnt do and it wouldnt fit :roll: but after lengthening the gear linkage by 30mm and modding the clutch tube it worked and she now cruises well at 75- 80 and even 100mph on the way to newquay one year
Shes changed wheels quite a few times and currently has a set of og painted sprintstars on in 4.5 and 5.5 tyres are 175/55/r15 smarts frt and the rears are 175/65/r15 pirellis on the back
Ive got/gone through that many different sets of accessories for her its untrue but the full lenght rack is going back on asap . After sleeping in the minibus seats for nearly 2.5 yrs i finally managed to track down an original 698 only westy interior european spec and fitted it in ....What a differnce now caming in style too . And theres a loud enough stere hidden away to piss off the neighbours too
If i say one thing the modification no one ever spots is the painted switch panel under the heater vent controls its the original ashtray front flipped upside down and drilled to take the aircraft style toggle switches which control the front spots amps etc
Theres even a guy in doncaster whos painted his bus identical to this after seeing her but i think hes got the colour shades just a bit out
Shes been featured twice once in Camper and Commercial and once in Ultra Vw shes been on have I got News For You when Martin Clunes presented it and shes also been on Men & Motors when the did RTTS too . Also countless websites i was blown away the first time i saw someone had posted pictures of her on The Samba.com
Any way heres some photos Ramble over ............
P.S Shes NEVER For Sale as im keeping this one :wink:
^^ The super trapp exhaust
Auto meter Rev, temp, Oil pressure gauges
^^^ Original service stickers
^^ In the Euro tunnel Spa 2009
i have recently added adjustable rear sprig plates from creative and im soon to fit a adjustble narrowed front axle with dropped spindles :wink:
In early 2009 I fitted a Slamwerks 4'' narrowed King an Link pin beam and tweaked the back down some more
^^ Getting ready for the Volksworld Camper an Bus feature in Nov 2010 :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
^^ Waiting to get on the Spa Circuit @ Spa 2010
Thanks for viewing folks
Gadget :wink:
