Meet Sputnik.

[graysummers]

Meet Sputnik. Love it to bits. It's our first and already much loved. Causing headaches already though. Don't you just love the challenge of them. Someone gave me an old metal Merchant Seaman's chest for the back and I aim to keep my van lifestyle in it and go light. Camera [with film], bit of tea and snap/snacks, somewhere to lay your head, a few good books.......enough already. Emergency Tools ? Sit in one of the inside cupboards and will probably get added to after each crisis !! As yet, the need to use only an adjustable spanner to tighten up floppy left windscreen wiper that flapped all over the place in a rain storm. It danced so wildly I thought it would come off. No spring washers under the nuts. Oh ! And a bike pump and pressure gauge permantly in situ behind the driver seat to pump up the washer pressure. A must at the start of each long journey. Gets to 30 psi and complains by crying baby tears over the cab floor though. Need a look for the air leak I guess. Hhhmmmm.

 

[MAYO1608]

Nice van mate, vw plate as well!

 

[graysummers]

Cheers. I've been waiting an age for this to be repainted and delivered. Got the usual teething troubles you get with an old 'un. Petrol stink inside the van when driving down from Wales to visit the parents. Carbon-monoxided up to the gills....should know better with me a nurse. :idea: Local to Coventry Mechanic had to remove the engine to get to and fix a couple of well-leaky pipes p*****g petrol all over the top of the tank. He changed the low thrum of an added back exhaust box while he was at it to a nice new exhaust box giving a ''natural'' VW sound. I'm wondering about steering wheel movement and play at the moment too. I pull on the steering wheel and it moves a little bit more than a little within the housing. It had a recon steering box in 2001 and I'm praying it's still ok and maybe it's just a bush up top end or something simple. Got no horn either. Got a few starting problems too. Stut/stut/stuttering start followed by a peach of a consistent ride once warmed. Those first 10 minutes are hell with stopping and starting and, yes, I do follow John Muir's ''how to drive'' advise and sit there contemplating my bits before gently easing into 10, 20, 35 and 50 mph mode up the gears like it's a lamb and not a roaring over-revved lion. I need to get my hands dirty and get stuck in I reckon or Dub Billy Bud's gonna get way out of control. But I'm a bit in awe at the mo. Good ain't it ?

 

[uber cool]

Nice van, welcome to the forum. Just get stuck in, we all had to start somewhere, so no question is too daft. They are easy to work on and drain your bank of every last penny!

But them again driving them puts a great smile on your face :mrgreen:

 

[easy]

Hello and welcome :mrgreen:

 

[lard]

Nice looking van 8) - silly question.....what's that green bottle mounted behind the passenger seat?

 

[neil'69]

Love the interior, very nice!

 

[cotswoldiver]

Looks like it was worth waiting for. And no bad thing to have the fuel lines changed right at the start.
Look forward to hearing about more adventures and seeing more stunning photographs

 

[graysummers]

Thanks for the welcoming notes. The green bottle is just an Oxfam pick up for a pound. It just kind of found it's way there.

 

[NickJ]

Hi Graham, good to meet you yesterday at Ynyslas and great looking van, loved the interior 8) sure to catch up again soon. Nick.

 

[graysummers]

Hi Graham, good to meet you yesterday at Ynyslas and great looking van, loved the interior 8) sure to catch up again soon. Nick.

Nice to meet you too Nick. I'm spotting a fair few T2's again in this area on the local and main roads [maybe the owners are holidaying around our way and not just passing through to North/South Wales ?]. Been waving quite a few times to the owners on my travels. More T2's than T25's actually. You'll have to get to Ynyslas with a few mates over the coming months and let me know when you're there. I can meet up with you. Nice bus of yours too. I left at 7.00 that evening and was sorely tempted to stay overnight on the dunes. But as I say....T2's don't float and I had no idea of tide patterns. Summer solstice is the time I reckon it will be a real late nighter as most of the surrounding locals [especially from Machynlleth] like to get down there and become true hippies. :shock: I'm going to take my guitar and relive 1969 myself. Good fortune and nice to meet the face behind the name. Many regards to your lovely family too.
Gray