Restoring Mollie (69 Bay) 500+ Photos

[Nick-Rackham]

Could be the camera angle and shadows but,looks to me like the bottom stud on the left isn't pressed square against the hub...could be why the pcd is out...Dave

I had a look at these today, gave them a few taps with a hammer and they started to square up. Might be worth knocking the studs out and then try refitting them straight.

Cheers Dude. Will have a look at getting them square!

 

[Nick-Rackham]

A few bits done over the weekend but mostly cleaning up bits and pieces!

Meg's other half has taken an interest in helping out so put him to work Cheers Mac

and not to be outdone she wanted to help too!!

meanwhile a couple of bits that I hadn't finished I decided to have a go at

Rear corner waistline repair piece. just needs a bit of fettling and it'll be welded in

Rear of nearside rear window. Just kept blowing through

so that'll get welded in

Kids have done a good job hopefully they'll get this finished tomorrow!

Beam split down again, no pics, so lower arms can be sent off for machining!

 

[Nick-Rackham]

Bit more done today

Rear waist line bulge repair welded, ground back, etched, red oxide and high build

Will need a couple of high bits reground back but not too bad with no filler!

Rear window corner repair welded and part ground back

Need to finish this but Mac was grinding welds so headed outside to look at the sliding door away from the noise! There's too many pin prick rust holes and thin bits on the sliding door lower window

Anyway, I picked up one of these a few years back for repairs to the opposite sliding door panel, front rear and lower where it joins the sill.

But as it's a LHD panel the window opening and waistline profile are perfect for the sliding door on a RHD (I hoped!) so...

Seems a waste of a panel but it will all be used! and it fits

Instead of going for one long repair I decided to split it into three so I'll do the corners first leving the centre in place for reference, and then fill in the centre part at the end!

But that's all I had time for! so hopefully a bit more tomorrow!

 

[Carlyle]

wouah nice job, i read your post since the first page, and you are a crazy man !! :mrgreen: :mrgreen: good job, and you motivate me for attack my bus !! (next winter :msn4: ...)

 

[Nick-Rackham]

wouah nice job, i read your post since the first page, and you are a crazy man !! :mrgreen: :mrgreen: good job, and you motivate me for attack my bus !! (next winter :msn4: ...)

Merci

 

[Nick-Rackham]

Not a lot achieved today but did get one side of the sliding door window done

Fits well and happy to go

Nearly done

and in high build!

One low spot and two high spots. Will sort those out when the rest is done!

 

[K@rlos]

8) will pay you a visit tomorrow if ya about?

 

[Nick-Rackham]

K@rlos kindly popped round and started cleaning up the underneath at the front! Cheers Dude

Remnants of the braking system

and the underneath coming up nicely

Meanwhile I was having a look at sorting this

With this

However, somethings not right with the panel join line, can't get it straight! so I made a template to check the profile of the panel (should have done this first! Hindsight is such a wonderful thing to have!

and it's not even close! and the culprit is!

I haven't got the tub in the right position! ****!!! Seriously pissed off! a monumental ****** by MOI !!! What a TWUNT! 5-7mm out looking at it :roll: So I'll need to rotate the tub 5-7 mm anticlockwise looking at the arch! Had a look at cutting the closing plate and letting it back in, but the profile of the tub would still be wrong and the panel would never look right!

So drilled these lovely spot welds out!

Marked it up!

and off it comes again!

On a bit of a downer! but will sort it out soon!

 

[K@rlos]

Glad to help mate, I've gotta have a clean chassis to bolt your Slamwerks beam too 8) the tub is a minor set back, chin up

 

[Nick-Rackham]

Not much happened in the last few weeks! Chest pain a little worse, had an angiogram earlier this week and in for an op to fit a stent next week so will be taking it easy for a while! It will get finished one day!

 

[XMG623G]

Hi There,

I did a search for XMG623G recently as I used to own this Bay from about 1999 to 2010 - the return was your posting asking for history on XMG623G

Great vehicle which we loved - left the church in her on our wedding day and spent our honeymoon for 2 weeks driving round Cornwall.

Unfortunately, kids, funds, time out of the country etc led to us selling for little money with quite a lot of rust.

I assume from your post asking for any history on the vehicle that you are the owner and restoring.

It would be great to see some photos or know more about the restoration.

John

 

[Nick-Rackham]

Hi John, many thanks for your post on here. Not that you'd know but this is a belated birthday present for me I've owned Mollie (as my daughter has called her) since September 2009. This thread is everything I have on her as I received no history with her when we bought her.

Progress on her restoration has been slow over the last year or so due to work and latterly health issues however health is now restored so I'll be cracking on with her over the forthcoming weeks and months. Ideally I'd like to get her to a state where I can drive her and then she'll become a rolling restoration rather than sitting looking forlorn in the garage!

I've sent a private message with my contact details. If you have any photos, history, in fact any details or information, I'd love to see.

Many thanks and regards

Nick


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[Nick-Rackham]

OK, so after a couple of weeks R and R I've had a few hours yesterday and today in the garage.

Built up the NS rear suspension so I could try one of these on for size

Won't be running 205/60/15's but wanted to check how much drop I'd get with Slamwerks adjustable springplates and Butty's Bits horseshoe plates

Will need to radius the IRS arm bracket

and may need a bigger notch!

The profile of the rear tubs limits the drop a little

so cut this out, folded a return

shrunk the return to curve the sheet

bit too much

stretched again

need to remove this

done

and start to prep a replacement for the closing panel

and one for the front

so this is the end result. new profile for rear tub

 

[Nick-Rackham]

Needed to replace the return on the front of the arch

to fit here

a rough cut on the part to be removed and a trial fit with the replacement piece cleco'd in

lined up for the cut

and done

clamped and tacked

last fit before welding it up

and welded (almost)

whacked my head and with anticoagulants it wouldn't stop bleeding so that's it for today!

Hopefully more tomorrow!

 

[gninnam]

Ouch :shock:

Rear tub work looks good too :mrgreen:

 

[Nick-Rackham]

Cheers Andy hopefully have it finished tomorrow, welded in and then look at getting the arch back on for the weekend!


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[Lee C]

Nice job on the metal work!!?

Sorry to change the subject, but your pic struck a chord with me as
My Dad's head always looked like that when I was growing up!!!
Usually off the number plate screws through the engine lid & anything else he could bang it on!!!!!
Setting fire to his overalls was a favourite trick too!!!

As you were!!

 

[Nick-Rackham]

Cheers Lee and yes, my dad always had lumps missing out of his head too! Oh ****! I've turned into my dad!!!


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[Lee C]

:lol:

 

[K@rlos]

Nick son, the bus is looking good! Top quality work as normal 8) I know I keep saying it but I will pop round soon. Just having to use every spare minute to finish mine for Jimmy's farm.