[*]Evening everyone I'll introduce myself quickly first.

My names joe I'm 22 from leicester (any locals?) I've been into classic cars since a young age and always loved splits.

So today I put a deposit down on my first bus it was from bugs on here and I'm very happy with it.

It's my first major restoration but I have some welding experience and have been tinkering with cars for around 6 years now.

So this is going to be my first big challenge,

It's a 1966 11 window walkthrough kombi and is LHD.

Here's some pics









Does not look to bad just needs outriggers doing and a good clean and and seal, by the looks of things.




There all I have at the moment until it's collected sometime during this week. Overall very happy, as it's pretty much complete, engine, running gear, all panels, glass etc.

Roof is in good condition with just surface rust and 1 dent, floors have gone in the usual places but still solid just need tidying up and outriggers sorting.

I'll obviously know more once it's home and I've had a prod around.

I look forward to all your lots insight and wisdom and I'm really looking forward to starting.

Cheers guys

Joe

Welcome to the world of split screen buses


Love your bus Looks fab whats your plan's ?

enjoy and I'm really glade to see you started a build thread it's the best way of picking your self up when you feel you're not getting anywhere ....Just pop back a few pages in your thread and Booom you'll see ya being ok and making progress


I have a little old thread on here of my build see below ....You may find some help in there with things you will be doing




viewtopic.php?f=8&t=77632




Make sure you post lots of pics coz the bus picy porn lovers are everywhere




And don't slack on ya resto or the rest police will come A Knocking on ya door


All jokes aside

welcome and enjoy my friend


Chat soon

Mark

P.s .... I'm watching

Cheers dude. Have had a read through yours and I'm amazing.

Well I'm looking at a pretty major restoration. So gonna be hopefully stripping most bits. Also replacing every rusty panel. An engine rebuild and obviously to enjoy it

Don't worry my past build threads have been full of pictures etc so ill make sure not to disappoint

Thanks

Joe

Well bus is due to be picked up Tuesday so will be able to get more pictures of it then,

Starting to jot up what panels I think I need.

And will be placing once big order soon. The work may have to wait a wee bit to start as I've got to finish my house first (I promised the other half) so I've got to do my bathroom and a few other bits so hopefully not too long as I can sort them do them quite quick.

I really can't wait to crack on.

Joe

Bought myself some reading material as I eagerly await the arrival of my bus tomorrow

looks like a nice project mate, I'm semi local Loughborough. Give me a shout if you need anything.

Steve

silversteve wrote:looks like a nice project mate, I'm semi local Loughborough. Give me a shout if you need anything.

Steve

Will do mate hoping to do the project in 3 stages, welding and mot, respray and details, and then interior. Splits the cost up a bit then.

Woooooo today the van came home.

So excited and had a really good look around it now, there's a few bits that need attention but nothing to worrying that I can see

Here's some pics.














This seems the worst bit, all the main structure is fine just the panels so all will be sorted soon

Other side is solid apart from the usual battery tray








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Is this the standard 1500 engine??



That's all for now folks I've started ordering a few bits and going to be placing a big panel order tomorrow were would everyone say to start, the rear engine bay? Outriggers and floors etc?

Can someone explain to me how the floors made up what are the bits that run down the left and right that the top hats and outriggers fit onto as mine are rotten and want to order the right bit.

Thanks a lot guy

Joe

Had an hour lifting the floor today the I-beams look ok

Here's some pic's



Is this anything to worry about?? Or just a bit of weld and grind back

Main bit that needs attention but going to renew it all.


Should I renew this piece of chassis rail or just fold and weld a new piece of metal in its solid around it.


hopefully update more tomorrow

Been out there today to carry on ripping the floor up,

It's about there now but I killed my angle grinder so need to order another.

Here's some pics







Also had a delivery of panels




Hopefully get another grinder tomorrow and start getting rid of the rust and priming up the solid pieces,

Going to be ordering more panels soon to just so I have a decent amount to crack on with.

Cheers guys

good progress mate.

steve

Had a few more hours on the van here's the pics

Started by removing the top hats outriggers etc..




Some decent metal under all that rust.


Are anyone else's heater pipes plastic??


I'm not going to be running the standard heating so don't think I'm going to put the tube back in, should I just plug up the holes in the cross members??



Started striping the rusty gutters back to treat the rust and prime up.



Had a bit of a slow night so decided to strip down the pop outs

For anyone that didn't know underneath the outer seals are two grub screws holding the frame together there's 2 either side so 4 in total, once undone the frame just pull apart.




All my frames are shagged so all are being replaces but can salvage the original glass as it's in excellent condition just grubby check the difference after a quick spit shine.


Catch you next time

Apologies for being a bit slack guys I've been busy sorting out my shower room in my house, but it's finally taking shape hopefully another month and my house should be complete. Leaving all my time to get stuck in.

I've got a lot of repair panel etc now, I've decided to replace the whole floor everything except the two main struts running from front to back.

Paul quick question what's the best way to get the long panel off the reinforcers with minimal damage to them?

Cheers guys hope your all well

H joe

Best way to get the short and long side panels off is to cut out bits of the panels between the strengtheners, just leaving strips of panels spot welded to the strengtheners.

Then what I do is get a flapper disc and grind down the outer strips of side panel from the outside to make them a bit thinner, the grab one end with some mole grips of pliers and twist round and round , peeling the stripes of side panel from the strengthener s lime opening a tin of sardines.

Once all removed, the you will need to a bit of hammer and dolly work to just push flat the little holes in the strengtheners where the spot welds popped out.


Others may do it a different way, but that was the way I did mine.

Jon

Hi and welcome

I can see a lot of similarities between our buses, a lot of it rust

Good luck with your build.

Steve