GLADYS: GOING "BACK TO BEIGE' 68 RESTO.

[uber cool]

some good work there. Keep the photos coming it's inspiring for other in your situ just starting out for the first time on a bay camper, well done, reminds me I should go in the garage and do more on my :mrgreen:

 

[Mickey Sam]

Cheers Uber, gonna try to get a few more pics up tonight.

Nick, jacking point is on the right way it's just that the rest of the van is wrong !!!!

Seriously, you're right, the angled bit of the jacking points should all face into the middle of the bus. Sorted this little 'problem' now and will try to get pics up to date ASAP,

 

[Mickey Sam]

Quick look into the interior. When I bought it, it had a camping interior which was not a recognised conversion and was well past it's sell by date so out it went.The head liner was ripped to shreds so it had to come out. Wasn't sure what to expect when I started to pull it off..

Not too bad..

Mainly a bit of surface rust where the bows were and plenty of adhesive from the insulation
Side trimming off next. Still quite surprised how good it was underneath the material

Drivers side, some welding to do around the rear side window but I'll do that when I replace the panel on the outside.

Passenger side

Started prepping, rust treating etc

Back to bare metal in places and well treated ready for etch primer

Started to spray the inside, just wanted to get a few areas clean, sound and protected ready for final painting. Also it's nice to walk in the garage and see something that looks well on the way to being finished rather than climbing underneath to see some results,

Plenty of primer on the floor , must remember to fill those bloody holes up !

Another one of the floor looking suspiciously like the side at this angle !!
Can't seem to get the hang of rotating a picture on photobucket. I go through the motions, it tells me the picture is rotated and shows me a big green tick, then when I load it it's the same bloody way. Anyway, you get the jist...

Roof, not the best picture but there's enough paint on there to make up for it !

Nick, still fancy that 'race' ? Although I'm still not up to date yet with the pictures I still reckon you'll finish before me.

I'll post another update ASAP ( all this posting is using up valuable 'bus time' )

 

[Nick-Rackham]

Nick, still fancy that 'race' ? Although I'm still not up to date yet with the pictures I still reckon you'll finish before me.

I'll post another update ASAP ( all this posting is using up valuable 'bus time' )

Hmmm..... not so sure now! :lol: Looking good Mickey how many updates to go before we're up to date? Looks like I'd be better off spending more time in the garage!

 

[Mickey Sam]

Nick, gonna give it a good crack tomorrow night to get up to date, will get something up at least.....

 

[Mickey Sam]

Slowly realising just how many photos I've lost ( when I say lost I mean I can't find on the computer or sent off into cyber space, lost forever !).

Anyway, here's a few more..


Unbolted the dashboard for a butchers..

Scary shit !! Note to self.."every one of these wires actually has to be re-attached to something at some stage"

I'm sure these photos will mean something when I'm putting it all back together !!

Took a few more photos to remember where it all goes..

You can just about see the new passenger side floor panel...

Welded in.

( The crystal ball to the right of the picture was crap, it said I'd be on the road in two years !! )

And after the the usual grinding , blah blah blah..........you know the score.

Started cleaning and rubbing down now the steering column, handbrake, foot brake. clutch, accelerator etc was out of my way ..

After a few boring nights, all rubbed down, rust treated and zinc primed. Just got to deal with the drivers side floor panel but I'll deal
with that when the front wheel arch goes on..

But while I'm waiting for the arch I had a .. ... (see if you can see a bit of a pattern forming here) .....

You guessed it, clean, rust treat and prime, clean , rust treat and prime,...

Sometimes , on a cold, quiet, moonlit night in Epsom, when the rest of the world is sleeping, the only noise you can hear for miles around is the sound
of some poor sod walking round his garage mumbling and babbling insanely to himself . "clean, rust treat and prime, clean , rust treat and prime".
Think I've spent too many hours on my own down my garage, I think I'm at the stage where I'm losing me marbles !! Anyway, enough of this bollocks, I've
got cleaning, rust treating and priming to get on with ....

Ready for the new wheel arch

This is the bit that could be a bit of a kick in the nuts while you're doing a resto like this. After spending God knows how much money and countless
hours of your free time grafting away, you look round one day ............

AND IT STILL LOOKS WORSE THAN WHEN YOU BOUGHT IT !!!

Open wallet surgery won me the '68 only' US door picked up at Volksworld show at Sandown park. Shame about the holes where the big ol' yankee mirror was
but what's a bit more welding in the grand scheme of things ??

In the photo you can just make out a bit of progress around the rear wheel arch area.
I've got a few photos of the arch work but I'm gonna see if I can find some decent ones, lost in cyber space probably but I'll have a look
( I'm am so 'kin crap with computers it's painfull !!) so I'll catch up a bit more soon

( Nick - nearly there mate .)

 

[Nick-Rackham]

Looking good mate Know what you mean about "AND IT STILL LOOKS WORSE THAN WHEN YOU BOUGHT IT !!!" but, it is loads better than when you started which is the main thing On the road for next spring? I'm down at Leatherhead once every 6-8 weeks (That's not far from Epsom is it?), I'll give you a shout when I'm heading that way and drop in to give some moral support :lol:

 

[gninnam]

(...clean, rust treat and prime, clean , rust treat and prime,...) :lol:

Love your mantra.
Hope you have better (as in clearer) shots of your wiring as they look a little blurry and hard to work out what-is-what :shock:

Plus you and Nick both mentioned about it looking "still looking worse than when you bought it"! I kow that feeling very well also

Coming along nicely though :mrgreen:

 

[Mickey Sam]

Cheers Andy, I know what you mean about the wiring, it's gonna be a nightmare, it's like a plate of Spaghetti.
As things are progressing it looks like I might have to go for a new loom as I am finding a lot of cracks and bare copper in the existing wiring .
I don't fancy it burning out due to a dodgy wire !!


Nick, I'm 10 to 15 minutes from Leatherhead, only 5 minutes walk from Hook Road Arena where BB starts from.
There's always a beer or coffee on the go in Epsom mate, be good to meet up.
I never turn down a chance to bang on about about the bus.
My missus looks at me as if I'm talking Greek sometimes when I corner her and talk bus 'at' her ...

 

[Nick-Rackham]

Cheers Andy, I know what you mean about the wiring, it's gonna be a nightmare, it's like a plate of Spaghetti.
As things are progressing it looks like I might have to go for a new loom as I am finding a lot of cracks and bare copper in the existing wiring .
I don't fancy it burning out due to a dodgy wire !!


Nick, I'm 10 to 15 minutes from Leatherhead, only 5 minutes walk from Hook Road Arena where BB starts from.
There's always a beer or coffee on the go in Epsom mate, be good to meet up.
I never turn down a chance to bang on about about the bus.
My missus looks at me as if I'm talking Greek sometimes when I corner her and talk bus 'at' her ...

Mickey, wiring shouldn't be too bad! just take it slow, follow the labels you have and the wiring diagram (samba is good for specific years if you haven't got a decent diagram) and double check each connection. Test and try one thing at a time, and then test the next and the previous and so on. It's just being methodical

OK bud, I'll give you a shout when I'm down, may even give you a hand on the wiring side! I know what you mean, my kids glaze over when I get into "bus speak" and the conversation usually ends up with, I'll have left home before it's ready to go on holiday!

EDIT:- and the Bug has to be finished before then so she can learn to drive! mmm........."drifts off into thoughts of early retirement!"

 

[Nick-Rackham]

(...clean, rust treat and prime, clean , rust treat and prime,...) :lol:

Love your mantra.
Hope you have better (as in clearer) shots of your wiring as they look a little blurry and hard to work out what-is-what :shock:

Plus you and Nick both mentioned about it looking "still looking worse than when you bought it"! I kow that feeling very well also

Coming along nicely though :mrgreen:

Andy, unless I've missed it have you updated yours lately? what's the current state?

 

[gninnam]

Andy, unless I've missed it have you updated yours lately? what's the current state?

Nothing
Been working away a lot (Germany, Ireland, Denmark, etc) and got a thousand and one things at home to do so nothing yet.

It will get done, oh yes, it will get done :?

Thanks for asking

 

[kevinhall]

Scary shit !! Note to self.."every one of these wires actually has to be re-attached to something at some stage"

I've got a shot just like that Roll of stickers to the side, lots of wires labelled up, and me behind the camera with fingers crossed that when i come to reconnect them everything still works!

 

[Mickey Sam]

Kevin, you're so right about the 'fingers crossed ' bit on the wiring. Just checked out your thread, your tramping on a bit now mate ,
looking good!.
Can't believe how good it looked at the start but it's the same old story once you start having a poke around , good luck.



Found a few more photos. Few shots of the engine bay, nothing exiting but it's still got to have the obligatory prep work..
You need to be a contortionist to get around the back of the wheel arch !

All in all not too bad, cleaned up nicely except small hole under fuel tank..

Patched,

And 'pretty'.... well , perhaps a bit more grinding and some weld paste .

Still haven't heard of an early bay that didn't need a new battery tray so didn't expect to get away without replacing mine.
out with the old...

and in with the new
Sneaky preview of rear new rear corner and wheel arch ( Still can't find the photos but not given up yet)

Other side as well (of course),

Out with the spray gun ( love doing this bit ) even if it is only primer..

Need to tidy up the joints where the wheel arch and corner meet..

And voila ! another area ready for the next stage..
Bring on the Savanna Beige !! ( one day )

Little mosey on down the front..

Seat belt anchor point ???

If this conforms to BS AU 48 1965 then I'm a Chinaman..

New repair panel, ( you want rice with that ? ) Bit better now. Hopefully up to BS standard, we'll see what the MOT fella says ..

The other side ... naturally

 

[Nick-Rackham]

Looks like you're nearly done! A few litres of paint for Christmas and job done! Seriously though, looking good. I didn't relaise that the 68 didn't have a plate / firewall bit above the rear arches! in the 69 and on there's a plate that's flush with the fuel tank firewall going right across both arches. So I'm going to have problems getting into above the arch, just got access through the filler neck! unless I chop them out and go for the 68 look! Looking pretty handy with the spray gun. Much better once paint starts going on Keep it up bud

 

[gninnam]

Great job 8)

Amazing how a general tidy up a lick of paint changes the looks

 

[kevinhall]

^^ What he said! Looking superb

Kevin, you're so right about the 'fingers crossed ' bit on the wiring. Just checked out your thread, your tramping on a bit now mate ,
looking good!.
Can't believe how good it looked at the start but it's the same old story once you start having a poke around , good luck.

Just wish i had the time/skill to do it myself. Total respect for the diy restos on here :worship:

 

[Mickey Sam]

Cheers Andy / Kevin.

Nick, re the firewall over the arches, I see what you mean about getting access on the 69. With a bit of luck it'll be as clean behind the plates as it was behind the main firewall !

 

[Nick-Rackham]

Cheers Andy / Kevin.

Nick, re the firewall over the arches, I see what you mean about getting access on the 69. With a bit of luck it'll be as clean behind the plates as it was behind the main firewall !

Hopefully! we'll see!

Cheers for comments on my resto thread, mucho appreciated

 

[Mickey Sam]

Can't find the missing photos so here's what I have got..
Couple of examples of the usual rot and filler. Won't bore you with 'what used to be'

Opposite side to battery tray going in before the rear corner. Nice drop of filler and fibreglass to get shot of.

In place ready for new corner.

Corner on. Filler and fibreglass gone !!

Left side outer wheel arch skin off

And on with the new one

Closing panel rear of rear arch

Closing panel front of rear arch

Seat belt anchor point

Then the usual grinding, weld paste and zinc primer..

Pretty much the same on right side rear. It might be getting a bit boring repeating the opposite handed photos but bearing in mind how many I've lost,
I need to post them on here then so I can't lose them !!!!



Right corner

Battery tray

Rear of rear arch closing panel. Can't find a photo of the front of rear arch closing panel and seat belt anchor but I did re-new them.
( Fortunately they can both be seen in the photos already posted of the inside and floor)

Outer skin off

Nearly back on

Arch and corner ready for prep, coated in rust treatment till then..

Y, otra vez, mas pintura ..muy bonita....

A lot of the photos are not in the correct sequence but at least the're posted.
Nearly up to date now, will get a few photos of the front arch work up soon...........