GLADYS: GOING "BACK TO BEIGE' 68 RESTO.

[jonboylaw]

Just stumbled onto this thread... hats off to you, some seriously high quality work going into this restoration. I am just re-doing the interior or my 71 Devon tin-top and would like to know where you got the insulation materials from. Could you post a few links?

Cheers, and keep up the good work.

 

[Mickey Sam]

Thanks for the comments JonBoy.

Some of the materials 'fell off a rear hatch' :roll:

I'm trying to get some info for you, I'll PM you soon

 

[rallye dale]

Looking good, quality work

 

[Mickey Sam]

Still waiting for the suspension bits to arrive. Also, the chrome frames for the cab windows arrived but were battered so I sent them back.

Got on with a bit more inside....


Painted and waxed floor ....

Covered above the engine and bulkhead with sound deadening and then filled the undulations with 4mm closed cell foam...

Then 8mm of underlay for a bit of extra heat and soundproofing....

And a bit of temporary ply for protection....

Next , the load floor.....

Filled the lower part with closed cell foam......

The heavy duty foil.....

Covered the arches and load floor in underlay...

Test fitted the 'Rusty Lee' rock & roll bed....as a rear seat....

And a bed ...

Didn't enjoy drilling holes in my new paintwork :shock:


primed and painted after drilling....

But you've gotta have one of these ...

Another load of restored parts ready to go in...

( not sure about the white vent covers on the dash top - might re-paint them in black )

And a new loom ready for fitting ....



Getting there !!

 

[Dirty Harry]

Top work your doing there mate :shock:

 

[Mickey Sam]

Quick update:


New main loom and headlight loom from Rocket Ron at VW Endangered Speices

So spent a bit of time fitting it. Only problem was that when I was taking the old loom out of the chassis at the front ,
the pull string that I was putting in came detached so had to spend ages threading a new pull string through but
managed with a wire coat hanger. After that it was plain sailing.....

Original fusebox with new cover

Let's get this party started :shock:

Switch wiring behind dash pod.

You can just about see the metal plate I made up to make fixing the fusebox a bit easier,
stronger and safer

I bolted the original bakerlite fusebox to the plate , then put two bolts through from underneath so that when I had all the wires
in place I could lift the plate over the two bolts and put the nuts on to hold it in place.
Less chance of the bakerlite snapping under the pressure of all that spaghetti !

Finally got round to painting and fixing the bumpers:


Front..

Back...

And the wheels during prep....

And after painting and tyre fitting....

Still sitting too high but the remedy arrived !

Well most of it - still waiting on adjustable rear spring plates to arrive !!!

Where I replaced the floor in the front I finally got round to putting in the new throttle linkage
underneath

Petrol flap re-fitted with original petrol cap and stickers

Sneak preview of the front looking almost finished....

Back soon with some more photo's and update !

 

[Nick-Rackham]

Looking sweet


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[user 422]

Stunning work - love the attention to detail

8)

 

[AGC]

This is great work..... your bus looks fantastic

 

[provost]

That is one great bus. I am loving the photos. I have just taken out my wiring loom, it is in remarkable condition, I am still not looking forward to re-wiring it!!

 

[Olskoolchris]

Wow! looks awesome.. well done.

 

[Mickey Sam]

Cheers for the comments fella's, helps to keep me motivated.


I'm hoping to get the engine and gearbox in next week, fingers crossed !
Maybe even fired up and running for the first time in 5 years !! :shock:

In the meantime here's just a few more pics for the record.............



Dash and cab area coming on a bit....

Got this beauty from Juan ( ib-bus on the EB forum ) all the way from sunny California .....

I stashed a modern CD/Radio out of sight so I can also have bluetooth hands free on the dog and bone and some decent music.....



Now you see me...

Now you don't ...

68 only mirror..

Still not 100% sure about bringing cloud white into the cab colour scheme but am going to run with it for a while . I can always change it later.
It was all in such a state previously that it was always going to need painting anyway so it's been worth the try ...

Steering wheel, handbrake , gearstick, brake and clutch pedals,

I might be able to live with the white vents but need to change the colour of the wipers.

Problem is that they are 68 only and it's not easy to get a chrome pair for less than the cost of a small car !!

Changed the original fixed quarters for openers

Got all the new cab door window scrapers in , (what a f****ng job !! , even with Saraj's write up )
Windows still not moving as smooth as I'd like but am going to give the scrapers a bit of time to wear in.

Slowly starting to look like a near finished bus now.

Got the door locks and handles in but still got some final adjusting on the locks and door alignment...

If I get the engine and gearbox in next week then the following job has got to be the lowering.....

I need steps to get in the cab at the moment :lol:

Iv'e already got the dropped spindles , coil overs etc for dropping the front ,
but still waiting for the rear adjustable spring plates , hopefully be here by next week.....


Replaced the throttle cable, heater cables etc, put the engine seals over the gear box area and on the rear valence ,
and all the wiring's ready for the engine, replaced all the bushes on the gear selector rod, battery's fitted and charged so ......
.... apart from something I'm bound to forget..... it's time to put the engine and gearbox in !!!!!


Back in a week or so with a progress report and some photo's,

 

[marsh]

Looking awesome mate, great work!

 

[Delilah]

Wow Mick, that's a fanrastic resto you've done!!

 

[Mikew]

Must say a thorough restoration.
One question, how and what did you use to cut the rear tail lights after welding the new corners in.

Mike

 

[Mickey Sam]

Hi Mike, sorry for the late response ( Just realized how long it is since I've updated !! )

I replaced the rear quarter up to about half way through the light aperture so I could use the top half as a template for the bottom. I covered the surrounding area with masking tape and drew around the lens as a guide, then marked inside the line by about 15mm as something to aim at, and slowly used a disc cutter and air file until I got the correct shape and size. Easy enough, just a patience game.



I really need to update :shock:

Will take some photo's and get updating ASAP, cheers,

 

[Mickey Sam]

UPDATE:


It's been so long since I've updated that I can't find some photo's of the engine work so I'll save that report until I find them .


Anyway, some more phone pics for the record,


Replacement front beam now in complete with a set of Alex' Transporterhaus Drop Spindles

Adjustable coilovers

Backing plates stripped and rust treated ready for paint.
Spent hours freeing up the brake adjusters, and replaced the brake shoes while I was at it.

I've got photos of the stance and adjustable rear spring plates somewhere :roll: .
Will dig them out so I can finish updating the lowering work and the engine work.
( Engine is in and running like a dream, more on that later. )


In the meantime, a few more little jobs out the way......


Fabricated a repair lip and welded to front of pedal cover

Painted and fitted...

Finished the cab door windows then applied plenty of wax oil

and installed more foil to keep the moisture off of the door cards.....

Made a cover inside the door to stop any water dripping on the speakers...

Got a pair of '67 Panels' now famous rear bumper brackets , painted them up ....

And fitted...luvl'y job ...

Decided the best way to make my load floor into one piece was to 'biscuit' joint it...

Glued and clamped while drying...

Until I dig out the rest of the photos that's about it for now.

Daz and Lizzie of Delilah's VW Upholstery have nearly finished my new upholstery, I have seen a few pics and it looks the business .
I will be collecting the upholstery on Saturday and am booked in for an MOT .... yes, MOT, on Wednesday 05/08/2012 ( brickin' it till then :shock: )


Back soon with loads of pics - hopefully one of them will be a photo of the MOT, first one in 5 years !

 

[Mickey Sam]

LONG OVERDUE UPDATE.


Over the last six months the original 1600 Single port engine has been stripped, reconditioned and rebuilt .......


Strip down started....

.

Cleaned up a bit....

Gear box cleaned back to bare metal....

And etch primed.....

And painted.....

Block back together after recon.........

Tinware stripped and re painted.....

Few bits back on........

The original inlet manifold was so blocked I gave up trying to clear it and shelled out for a new one...

Also fitted a new oil cooler....

Slowly going back together.....

No point not replacing the clutch at this point........

Thought a new carb would be a good investment

And finally ready to go back in the engine compartment .........

Picture reminds me , I must remember to move the fuel filter ( after a few horror stories I've read about on the forum !!)

And back where it belongs .......5 years after it came out :roll:

Done and dusted ..... or so I thought.
When I bought the bus it would not select third gear .
After a bit of tinkering it was selecting third gear no problem so I decided to
use the gear box as it was for a while to see what it was like before splashing
out on a re-con box.
I soon found out ....after putting the engine and gearbox back in I could select
third gear but it would not ' drive' in third gear.
After a few choice words , and a sleepless night or two - out came the whole
lot again and I had the gearbox reconditioned as I should have done in the first place !!

No point bitching about, it's done now - hopefully for a long time to come.........



Back in place ......and the bus now runs like a dream.

New drive shafts all round. I took the old ones apart to clean them and then found out
to my embarrassment that if you take the balls out of the joints they have to go back
in the same joint as they came from - no chance when I had t taken all four apart and were now rolling around in a bucket of de-greaser !! :lol:

Another shot of the dropped spindles...

Found the photo's of the drop...



Front......

and back .....

Anyway, that's enough for now. I will finish the update tomorrow hopefully but one more thing before I go.......


LOOK WHAT I GOT

 

[Irishpete]

LOOK WHAT I GOT

Congratulations! That's not an advisory on there - it's a compliment! :lol:

 

[dubscum]

NOS bus 8)