Shiplee' s 1969 California westy

[shiplee123]

 

[shiplee123]

 

[shiplee123]

My headliner came from rackhams. Best around , they use metal templates.
Despite this I had to adjust mine because I had no j channels , had to fit my own.
My j channels were maybe mm out of place when I fitted them as I had to guess a bit but this made a big difference when fitting the headliner.

I've made templates of the original for a later date , I may sell them on here at a later date for a small fee? And these are the exact original size !

 

[shiplee123]

Engines back in

Nearly crushed my machanic as the engine dropped on him when he was underneath and I was struggling to use his jack

All was ok in the end ... Not good tho !

I'm pleased with how it looks, nice and clean

 

[shiplee123]

The reason for the engine out was the flywheel
Teeth worn, also on starter
Bush worn too so maybe this was the culprit ?
All these have been replaced

This is the old flywheel . Maybe u can't see in the pic as my I phone doesn't have macro but teeth very worn !

 

[woz]

8) Progress

Glad the mechanic was ok :shock:

 

[Carlyle]

clean job !!!

I'll prick idea of how fixing headliner! 8)

 

[Bigbear]

Engine bay looks good mate,(is it as good up close) what process did you follow to get that finish? How many cans of each paint did you use?

Trying to find time to get my engine out in the next few weeks so might aswell paint the bay if it's easy enough

 

[trebor]

It will be like staying in the Savoy or Ritz Hotel when your finished

 

[shiplee123]

Bigbear

My friend / customer of mine was gonna 2k my engine bay but he was to busy for a few weeks and I needed it sorting ASAP. He used to work in a local vehicle spray shop. He knew what he was talking about when he came round to have a look.

First he told me off for not prepping enough, ( I should know better lol ) he said as I'm sure we all know prep is the most important part.

I had gotten my drill out on the engine bay with a wire brush attachment but he said it needed more and told me to buy a hand sander and spend some time getting rid of the sharp edges of any remaining paint.

Next was 2 or 3 coats of etching primer

Then 2 or 3 coats of high build primer

Then 2 or 3 coats of top coat .

I'm happy with the results

Def good enough for the ritz trebor lol :lol:

 

[shiplee123]

Back seat in now
Just gotta fit the cushions to the bed
Fitted belts too!

 

[shiplee123]

 

[shiplee123]

Then tonight I went to shut my sliding door and it won't shut properly ?
What the heck, I've not even had the bus out the garage!
Had a quick look but I can't fig it out?
I'll have to pull it all apart , oil it all up n put it back together!

One step forward , two steps back is how it feels sometimes :roll:

 

[SiDev]

Sweet interior, who trimmed the seats?

 

[shiplee123]

Ian at classic core in norwich
He done the door cards to!

Highly recommend him, he's a nice bloke to!

He also did the headliner in my panel van before I sold it

 

[shiplee123]

 

[shiplee123]

 

[shiplee123]

 

[shiplee123]

 

[shiplee123]

My bus is not uk registed yet
I decided to write to the owner of the bus from the states as the persons address and name is on the title document .
I always like to build a history on my busses

Got this today
Pics to follow



Hello there!

Let me start by telling you I got teary-eyed when I read your letter.

I try to live with as few regrets in life as possible, and letting my Geri Lou go is something I still can't fully get over!

It's been 5 years, give or take, since I signed her over to my brother. He's not the most responsible person, so I am not at all surprised that he didn't have it transferred to his name. When he sold it, he tried to hide it from me. This bus meant the world to me, and he knew it.

I lived in San Francisco, 2006 when I found her on Craigslist. She was being sold across the bay in Berkeley from a full grown man who didn't even say good-bye when we left because he was in tears! He was the second owner, I believe, and had her for 12 (?) years.... His name was Tom, he ran an outdoor/ sporting goods store in Berkeley.... I am racking my brain to remember the name of it.... He only sold it because his wife was due to have a baby and they needed the money.

I learned to drive her on the streets of S.F. having no experience even driving a stick, but caught on quickly and developed a love for driving her and working on her. Her name Geri Lou came as a tribute to someone I knew named Jarred, but I wanted a female name, so Geraldine. I got her home that first day, put on some Credence Clearwater and gave her a bath. "Mary Lou" came on, and without a second thought, I was dancing and singing "hello, Geri Lou, good-bye heart...!"

June 4, 2007, my then-boyfriend and I adopted a dog and left the city. We headed to the Arctic Circle- Inuvik, Northwest Territories, to be exact, to celebrate the coming summer solstice. we made it as far as the Liard hot springs, then split from the Alcan to the Cassiar highway in Watson Lake, Yukon to head back (detouring to Hyder Alaska).
At 23 years old, it was the most amazing thing I could have done with my life, and all because of Geri Lou!

Almost everything I did became and adventure because of her. Camping trips all up and down the west coast, any time we could, camping at Crater Lake on New Years, impromptu BBQing with countless other VWs at Ocean Beach in S.F. (we would park, then one by one they would line up with us, whether or not we know them!) One time her clutch blew in Santa Cruz. I didn't even have a jack- I used a skateboard and blocks to pull the engine! It only took me a half a day, 100 degrees outside, I was in a mini skirt! But I loved her, so as frustrating as it was, I did all the work on my own (or with the help of my boyfriend). I could go on and on! Yesterday at work, my co workers got an ear full, the whole shift I was regaling them in story after story, adventure after adventure! You really opened a can of works by sending that letter!

Is she in England now? I noticed the return address. Please tell me how you acquired her, is she still doing good? Running strong and beautiful I hope?
I know I can find more pictures if there isn't enough attached, I know I can come up with 1,000,000 stories too! Is there anything in particular you would like to know?

Give her a kiss on the spare tire nose for me (if shes still got it!)

I look forward to hearing back from you,
Rachel