Totally broke this thread, please delete

[Webbaldo]

Thought id finally stick this on here.

Bought this 71 deluxe off Michael here in the north east (taypic) in march/april and let it sit about for a bit.
71 (oct70 made) Oregon import.

Oh forgot to mention I have a 3month old as well so progress is slow........

When it arrived, its basically a jeckl and hyde job. One side is straight, just needs sanded and painted, the other side has had a bad side scrape and is full of filler and slide hammer holes (luckily no rust). Underneath is rust free too.

As with most imports, mechanics need total overhaul, engine is there but needs rebuild.


Intend having it running within a year and painted, interior I can build at some point after that.

Doors are both rusty and holed from bloody trucker mirrors in a previous life.

Got steve at restore and more to do the more important welding (front cab floors, battery tray, steps)

Ive just finished the outer sills, inner were fine weirdly.

Quarter lights had caused the sliding door window bit to rot

Cut it all out

 

[Webbaldo]

Welded up

covered in a little primer

Door no 1, right mess, cant afford new or rust free one so fixing this one up until i can get a new one later down the line, not the slide hammer marks

Welded up the worst and filled the rest

Cleared out the inside

 

[Webbaldo]

Engine out

Its a type3 engine with the t2 tinware etc

stripped down partially

front panel needed some work

cut out

New metal in

Skim to finish off

Sliding door when first came

Primered

Painted

Sorting side out

bit better

Door prepped

Painted

And thats as far as Ive got!, sanding body lots, windows out for body painting, rear arch on other side to weld yet

 

[Webbaldo]

Looks a bit better than it did lol

far from straight like!

 

[mj_jonesy]

A good start there mate.

 

[georgeyv]

Very nice! A great start, bet it'll be a mint bus when it's done. Sure looks like you know what you're doing!

My bus came from those guys too - absolutely love it. It's a 71 Sierra yellow deluxe too!

 

[squareweave]

And thats as far as Ive got!, sanding body lots, windows out for body painting, rear arch on other side to weld yet

Nice bus!! early 71 have an unique rear fender lip, flared out but still rounded lip. Aesthetically better IMO than the later square lip but not easy to find replacements for. Keep up the hard work!!

 

[Webbaldo]

Yep, Steve at R&S had a good idea of blending in a later lip rear arch. It worked well but did need a fair bit of finishing. The lip is all metal, I just went mental with filler, then sanded most of it off in the end!.

The nice thing about this project is im not looking for perfection. I don't want a rat bus but having a small family I just want something rust free and presentable.

Its probs gonna get dinged and dented anyway!

Neptune Blue with White roof is how im going.

Aye Michael and Steve are canny, this was one of their bargain clearance buses lol so wasn't expecting it to be immaculate.

 

[Webbaldo]

Well last night was productive (until the mental thunder/hail) (Smashed my mates caddy window, dinted loads of cars with golf ball sized hailstones!)

Took all the windows out on the better side and windscreen

Wire wheeled the windscreen frame and rust-killer'ed it.

Sanded down the side ready for some highbuild primer in the worse spots.

Did I mention im roller painting this one? Got sick of spraying Celly (too many coats, prep and reactions) and doing it on the drive so 2pack is not an option (close neighbours cars etc)

Had some good results on some test panels with rustoleum, and if I get sick of the colour in a few year Ill just change the colour.

 

[Webbaldo]

Been thinking about interiors, the rest of the bus needs done first but I already know what im doing with that. Blue and everything stock!

The bug is VERY low, air ride, and nothing is standard. Can be an arse sometimes when nothing off the shelf fits, so bus is going the total opposite way!

I restored an eriba puck last year, and thinking of doing the interior of the bus the same, but changing seats from blue with cream piping to cream with blue piping

The bench work is old school desk tops!, still have some left.

This was it before

And after

Then sold it when found out the wife was pregnant :shock: no way we'd all fit in!

 

[Webbaldo]

Side primed, ready for fine filler in any places I missed (and to tidy up the arch lip)

Dints are staying 8)

 

[mj_jonesy]

Dints are staying 8)

Seems a shame to do all that work and leave the dents :|

 

[Webbaldo]

Dints are staying 8)

Seems a shame to do all that work and leave the dents :|

Forgot to mention, its not getting a full 'as new' resto as I like them a little used

Gonna be a family camper and get dinged anyway.

Plus my bumpers are awesome patinaed!

 

[Webbaldo]

Primed whole side now, and touched up the minor dings

Last welding done as well wayhey! So bus is all metal! (and about 10% filler :shock: )

 

[Webbaldo]

Back and side ready for top coat now

After 4 hours of wet and dry sanding :roll:

Gonna try get the other side done this week before I tackle the roughest panel. The front!

 

[Webbaldo]

Started guide coating the rear quarter

 

[DubBGood2Me]

Looking good Webba.

Try and keep the metal clips for the trim as the after market plastic ones are crap and the metal ones are hard to get

 

[Webbaldo]

Looking good Webba.

Try and keep the metal clips for the trim as the after market plastic ones are crap and the metal ones are hard to get

Thanks for the advice, managed to save around half of them, the rest either snapped or were too rusty

 

[Webbaldo]

Another day another panel!

As you can see in the pics the door needs a lot of work!, will be finishing the step, then doors off, then front panel.

 

[Webbaldo]

Front panel was a sod. Despite having no major dings or any holes, the previous american owners decided to put 6-8mm of filler over the whole panel :shock: :x

Wire wheeled it all off, and rust killed/etch primed just before I start smoothing the panel

Used paint stripper on the rest cause it was that bad. (The real kind, not the watered down nitromors rubbish)