Hi guys Just thought I'd start a thread on here so I can keep track of our '74 late bay resto so here we go.. We picked Henry up middle of July 2016 from a chap in Rippon ( NYorkshire) and on first impressions i though "yep it's a van - that'll need some work but looks sound enough" whereas my other half thought "he's awesome I want him!" After an UNBELIEVABLY problem free journey back to the Midlands with just 2 stops we parked behind the house with me thinking wow that was easy?!? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Welcome from Cheshire, is your bus raised? I've never seen anyone need step ladders to reach the Windows before
HA! Its not raised as such just a bit jumped up at the moment I think. He will most likely start off with drop spindles or a beam chop or both.. That my step lad though.. he isn't the tallest to be fair
July 2016 So.. 1st Pic is the day after we got him home. Lou wanted to wash him, put some curtains in, few cushions and away we go . Me on the other hand having played and worked on VDubs in the late 80s and 90s though it was better to get him on a ramp and have a good smack to see what was going to fall off.. We met with a half way house and went for a few short trips and all was well. It was MOTd in May so it couldn't be THAT bad..surely.. mots are the law right?!?! lol..
So at this point it probably worth pointing out that Ive got a very good old mate who used to restore vans and bugs for a living, so Im not running into a lot of this blind - Woollies Workshop. He is now dealing with Porsche 924/28/44 spares and has moved to the dark side.. In a previous decade though he was pretty much the "if he doesn't know it" it wasn't worth knowing about VDubs. So with this in mice the above mentioned take it to a ramp and smack it to see what falls off was done at his place.. Luckily we both look all over the usual nightmare areas and said it wasn't as bad as it could have been at all..
Still in July 2016... We did notice a fair smearing of a brownie black slippy liquid under the gearbox/block whilst he was up in the air, so though it was time for an engine pop-out and check over.. Running wise it had just made it back from North Yorkshire of a distance around 150 miles so I though it couldn't be that bad.. The guy who had it before us did say he had started to do a restore, but backed out due to lack of funds and knowledge but pointed out that it was MOTd and it had just had a new clutch April 2016 time.
First Engine out time to see what the brown slippy stuff was under the van.. Oh well you can't beat a good garage for a clutch change.. just bang a new plate and all is good.. Maybe if I could have asked him for the garage who did the change in hindsight I could have taken a new oil seal to them and rammed it up his a.... oh well after a good clean up and replacing the oil seal which they should have obviously done it went back in.. for good measure we chucked in a new set of plugs, points and rotor, tweaked the carb, checked the filter and timed the dizzy to be left with a purring little 1600..
Hello and welcome from down here in the depths of the New Forest; looks like a nice little '74 Devon (all the nicest ones are ) Looking forward to hearing the continuing story
Couple more of the engine bay for good measure - Im guessing that the orange is the original and they just couldn't be bothered to take the engine out to spray. Eventually Henry will have an all over new coat - but for the sec he is going to need to get panels and structures dealt with..
The purring might have been a bit of an exaggeration.. The exhaust is about shot and need replacing badly but it runs as is so a real quick bodge job of chopping the rustiest bit out would do for the sec..
What the colour?? I needed to get a few tins of spray just incase I wanted to blow anything in for a quick fix - luckily Mr W has original VW colour card swatches from the factory so we pulled him into the daylight and got as close as we could get.. Quite liked the orientblau.. has a good ring to it.. lol - The better half still wants to get out and use the van at this point and I am fighting it as hard as possible to say we need to start cutting welding and stripping.. (things you do for a quiet life lol) We had arranged to meet some friends in Cornwall for the August bank holiday and all excited from one side and worry worry worry from mine we set out down the M42.. M42 complete be it all about 6 miles.. now M5... things are going well!! ... ish until we get to the water jump at Bristol.. "hmm can you smell eggs?".. and it smells a bit petrolly... Time to pull over QUICK... Luckily Green flag membership purchased - Hi yeah we've broken down on the S/B M5 by Bristol.. (god I remember these trips from being a teenager...) We lift the lid to hear a hissing battery and a leaky carb.. ( think the carb was actually just condensation) but anyway - looks like it was the regulator that had failed as I put a meter on the battery and got 19.3V out whilst ticking over... Flat bed turns up and we get a free ride home at least - needless to say I then belted down there in the car with a tent so we still got away.. A not very well Van
August 2016 Got back from Cornwall and though it was time to sort out the fuse box and test all the electrics at the same time as changing the regulator.. Wiring chop out and rewire time... Ordered a new regulator and fitted new battery.. Van firing up on the button again and not cooking batteries.. September 2016 Lou and I decide to try and make it to BusFest at the 3 counties show ground in Malvern at the end of October so its Tart up and make good for the coming trip.. The floor was a mixture of chipboard lined with REALLY crappy stick down lino squares.. Few holes in the cargo pan = Wooden sponge to soak up water and lift the said squares..NICE.... No time to fix properly in the 2 weeks ahead so nipped to B&Q and got some more (crappy) stick down lino.. Can see it very well cos our friends dog decided to take root but it did so we could get away..
BUSFEST Well we made it to Malvern..ish..Pulling into the show ground and my foot goes over at 45degress.. that'll be the accelerator pedal rivet snapped or corroded away on the left side of the plate..well it was the OEM fit so its managed 44 years but now its given up..I managed to baby it into the field and thank god for one of the oldest members of the VWT2OC who managed to get me a cordless drill, drill bits and a few other tools so next morning i drilled bolted and sticky taped the pedal back in .. worked a treat to get us home at the end of the weekend.. Wasn't the nicest sight when I lifted the carpet to fix the pedal..
Busfest was a great weekend and just goes to show the friendship of the members that makes it worth being an enthusiast!
November 2016 Time to start getting serious about some work on the van so looked at a few bits on Ebay.. Managed to find an absolutely cracking door to replace the O/S ..virtually rust free (small amount of surface but no deeper), for £100 in Southampton.. Flew down and collected it.. even had an opening quarter light and original door card for good measure ! Just a strip down prep and spray needed...