Old Nells conversion from rusty old bucket to our dream bus

[Old_Nell]

I then took out the scabby EBay interior panels I had just bought (Buy cheap buy twice!) and after some fettling and scrubbing replaced Nells old interior panels.





Doesn't she look good!

 

[Old_Nell]

Day trips!!

Then the fun began.

We drove out a few days, just in a rough direction and made it up from there.







Happy Camper!







Look at that back end! :lol:





Quite a transformation eh?

 

[BoggyB]

I like that interior layout a lot.

 

[Old_Nell]

Thanks, its modeled on an early 70s Devon Moonraker.
Its a bit snug to sleep in, but it has everything you need to be comfy.

FYI, the upright single seat houses the Leisure battery and all of the electrics.
The actual base of it is detachable to give you another seat in an awning or just more floor space.

 

[Lee C]

Cracking resto job!!!!
Love the interior!!!!
And the big roof rack!!!!

 

[Old_Nell]

Thanks Lee C.

The Interior was a labour of love. Its my favourite part of a resto to be honest. It's when it all starts to come together and you can start to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

The Roof rack was an anniversary pressie from the misses. I like it too, but we've not used it yet other than carrying a couple of fence panels back from the merchants last week.

 

[matty74]

Great Read and Restoration ... hat's off indeed :anim_19:

 

[Old_Nell]

Thanks Matty74

 

[Old_Nell]

A couple of things we've noticed since we've started riding around in her.

We can talk to each other in the front when driving.
The noise I was expecting to hear is non existent, or nearly anyway.
Nell is the third bus we've owned, all tin-tops (The second we converted to Westy, but thats another story).
They have all been really noisy to the extent that when we've got to our destination, it'd take 5 minutes or so for our hearing to feel 100% again. This could be down to the exhausts I had previously, when Im now running a VS, but I think it's more likely the sound deadening mats I've applied.
I bought a box of about 40 squares of the stuff. It's really good stuff and easy to apply, but I'd recommend wearing gloves to fit them. I managed to cut my fingertips to ribbons applying the stuff.
I believe it works by taking the vibration out of the panels. However it works, it's good stuff.

It's bloody cold when the suns in...
Admittedly, Nells Heat exchangers aren't connected to the heater pipes which doesn't help, but she's bloody draughty too. Since we had the new front steps and front panels fitted, there's been an unhealthy gap at the bottom of the door. I was hoping that the door-seals would sort this out, but they haven't at the bottom.
I know a lot of people have had problems trying to get after market panels to fit correctly and I know Steve tried hard to get it all as good as he could, but its still draughty in there.
The misses is alright as she can cover her legs with a blanket, but I'm stuck...
I'm toying with buying myself a welder at some point this year to remake the gap beneath the door. We'll see. A propex heater has been agreed as a joint pressie between me and the misses for our birthdays this year.
It needs sorting.

Lowered stance equals noisy drive.
When Nell came to us, the front beam had already been cut and welded to give her a 3 inch drop at the front. If I'd had my choice originally, she would have gone back to standard height, but as it was I now love the 3 inch drop all round.
The only issue I have at the moment with the lowered bus is the knocking. It drives me mad. I can put up with the slowing down to the walking speed of an asthmatic ant with heavy shopping for speed humps but the banging noise from the rear shocks apparently bottoming out does my head in. It was worse originally prior to having the chassis notched, with the arms hitting the chassis, but things like small potholes remind you constantly that you have lowered your bus and must therefore pay the cost. If we keep Nell long term, as is the current plan, I'm gonna have to do something about it before Nell or more likely I break...

Rolling roads are well worth the money.
Nell was taken to our local guy for the day and I think he charged us about 100 pound.
Nell went from being a lumbering dinosaur, coughing spluttering and fighting to pull away, to a dream of a drive, eating up hills, albeit sometimes in 3rd or worse case scenario 2nd gear.
Nell has twin Webers fitted and I was under the impression that the jets would be the correct ones as thats what the ad said on E Bay. However; they weren't. Fortunately the rolling road blokes noticed this and sorted that out too.
We plan on taking Nell back every year for a check up. Its a hundred quid well spent.
She starts on the button now too.

Forums and YouTube are a godsend.
Up until now I've been employed overseas, working 6 weeks on 6 weeks off. In the 6 weeks on I dream of all of the things I want to sort/fix/adapt/attach to Nell. This 6 weeks gives me the time to research all of this and in some cases watch others doing it to their buses on YouTube.
I'll admit I know my way around a VW engine quite well as my first car was a beetle and the engine was out most weekends for 'modifications'. But it's nice to be able to come to forums, such as this one, and just confirm what I think I should be doing. It also gives me ideas for what I'll attempt next and likely suspects to approach for help if I get it all wrong... again... So thanks for that.

Anyway, that's about it for now.
This job comes to an end at the end of this month with the contract finishing, so it looks like I'll be working from home for a while doing a proper job. This'll give me less time to work on Nell, but on the brightside, I can go to whatever show or meet I fancy as I'll be home! :bliss:
I hope to see you all soon out and about.
TTFN!

 

[Old_Nell]

Woohoo Roadtrip!
Just booked us a few nights into Bude Holiday Resort at the start of next month. arty0049:
Pics to follow, hopefully full of happy smiling faces, not grumpy/bored, and with oil stained hands...

It'll be a big test for Old Nell.
The furthest we've been so far is to Skeggy and back, about 175 miles total. Give here her dues, she ran beautifully albeit it was freezing with the draughts.

So, job list for when I get back from work on the 1st June - no pressure:

Oil Change - Really should have done this before now. I rebuilt the engine last year with new barrels, pistons, bearings, oil cooler, etc and I must have racked up a couple of hundred miles since then, so need to drop and put in fresh oil.

Draught Excluder - I've got some old door seal from the original trim that we ripped out on the dismantle a few years ago which I reckon I can probably glue to the bottom of the arch inside the door where there's a massive gap. Gonna check around the front vents too to make sure all is as it should be and maybe adjust the vent rods.

Curtain Rail - On the back left window there is the curtain strip that needs a couple of screws in which will also hold the roof lining down so double whammy there... :roll:

Interior lighting - I noticed on our last overnight trip that our lighting had stopped working so I could do with sorting that out. Not too important as we have external lighting for in the awning.

Tyre pressures - Nell will have been stood for a month or so by the time I get home, so tyre pressures will be checked. What pressures everybody putting in their tyres at the moment? My tyres are 185R 15 I think.

There's a sharp edge to the new trim on the sink unit which needs filing down to make it safe.

New window winder mechanism to drivers door - I'm not sure if its down to the mechanisms I've bought or the seals that have been retro fitted to the door, but this'll be the 4th mechanism that Nell has had. She had the original which was knackered when we bought her, A GSF unit that was dog toffee, then a unit from JK which was better but still clicked at the top and didn't completely shut the window. Fortunately, when I bought the last one from JK, I bought 2 instead of 1 by mistake, so I'll swap them out... again :roll:

I think that's about it.
It'll just be a case of topping up the water tank, loading the van up with beer, food, beer the misses, the daughter and her two mates... :shock: some beer and then heading off.
Roll on the morning of the second of June.
Give us a wave if you see us and wish me luck!