Hi all.

I'm looking at a 1964 11 window this weekend. I've noticed that it's had the bulkhead cut out at some point. If I was to buy the bus I'd want to find a replacement. Are they easy to get hold of and where's the best place to look?

Thanks,

Mark


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I have most of one, needs the edges repairing as it was plasma cut out but 90% of it is there. Let me know if you need any pictures etc and I will dig it out.

Other than that FBI may have one, or possibly AHS.

Cheers

Thanks Wejjy.

Good to know they are out there. I'm seeing the bus on Friday so I'll let you know if I need it after that.

Mark


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Bulkheads do come up for sale but remember there are early and late pressings and cost around £500-£1000 and most will have an inch or so missing each side.

Rewelding cost are £££

BlastingDiePast wrote:Bulkheads do come up for sale but remember there are early and late pressings and cost around £500-£1000 and most will have an inch or so missing each side.

Rewelding cost are £££

Blimey. So even if I'm lucky enough to get one I'm maybe looking at about £1000 (+) by the time it's welded and painted. Deffo a massive consideration when viewing the bus.


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Yes my panel is missing it's bulkhead I found one for sale at £650 which was the correct one but if you budget the same again for welding and paint etc it's costly.

And don't forget the bulkhead is a major part of a vans strength so you really need to make sure who ever welds it back in knows what they are doing.
When removing a bulkhead you can hear the bus pop as the last bit is drilled or cut out....


Last one we did



The gap, the reason you need to know what your doing to fit them.



Finished, but the eagle eyes will see it's a late bulkhead in an early bus.

Here's a picture of the bus. As you can see not all of the bulkhead is missing. This is probably a good thing right? It means I wouldn't have to worry about the edges of a replacement. I guess I could just cut the bus and the new panel to suit each other having made sure the dimension from side to side (taken from a 'good' bus) is correct and weld in.


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Yeah if you left the sides in and cut the replacement to suit and used the measurements taken from the good bus, it would be a lot easier than fitting the whole replacement with edge repairs etc.

Are you planning on doing all the work yourself?

Is there an option to convert to walk through ?

No idea if the logistics and comparison of walk through vs a bulkhead, so just running the idea up the flagpole and seeing if anyone salutes it ?

You can do it, but its more work than putting it back to bulkhead, plus (correct me if I am wrong someone) but the parts are even rarer. I have converted mine, hence the spare bulkhead, but rather than putting the seatbacks in, I installed a fully tied in rollcage and heavily modified the treasure chest area with bracing to replace the torsional bracing the bulkhead used to supply.

markevo30 wrote:

Here's a picture of the bus. As you can see not all of the bulkhead is missing. This is probably a good thing right? It means I wouldn't have to worry about the edges of a replacement. I guess I could just cut the bus and the new panel to suit each other having made sure the dimension from side to side (taken from a 'good' bus) is correct and weld in.


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Looks like mine did when I got it, I found a replacement through Alan Schofields for about £500. It was the best I could find at the time and pretty complete but still needed work, especially to the lower edge. When I fitted it in my bus I used a ratchet strap to squeeze the bus together to get rid of the gap either side

They rust at the bottom and the edges so you still have the bits which most of them are missing. This should make it easier to find a cut somewhere.

The bottom is available as a new panel, I'm not sure the spare wheel pressing part is though so that'd need a second hand panel.

Deffo easier to restore to original bulkhead than to walkthrough. Panels are easier to find, no worries about extra strengthening (do w/t's have belly pans?), not to mention trying to find walkthrough seats. Unless you're going custom like wejjy of course...