After driving around France, Spain and Portugal in the summer of 2005 clocking up 5,000 miles over 3 months, we decided old Dottie needed a bit of a winter makeover. The bottom six inches where starting to bubble and rott due to the 40 degree heat of sunny Spain and filler started to apear all over the place . Anyway she made it back to sunny Yorkshire without a single splutter.
It was time to get stuck into the ord lass and bring her back to her former glory!
Me and my brother Carl ripped out the interior which was glued in more or less as one whole unit, what a nightmare to get out. After a full day of carefully removing the interior bit by bit we finally managed to get it out without to much damage.
We then started work on getting the front and side cargo doors off.
After a few clouts with the hammer and some fluent French from me Dad, the doors where off and the new ones where on. Dottie was now ready for the 12mile trip to Super Norms at Driffield.
Here are some pics.




I think this corners about had it!

'Flying without wings'


Heres Dad ready for the trip to Norms, with only a couple of windows left in the Bus, good job its sunny Yorkshire!!

Norm wastes no time hes on to it like a rat up a drain pipe!


Off with her head!!!


Will keep you updated with the next installment off Dotties winter makeover.........
Up dated 16.01.06
The whole of the bottom 6 inches of this side was rotten including B-post



The whole of the back end has been replaced including both battery trays


Most of the welding done now.


Starting to take shape now.

Front arch on.

Hopefully all the body work and the paint job will be finished for early March, then its time to put the old lass back together!

Here are some more pics from Norms Workshop. All the welding is done now and shes ready for the undercoat.
Heres a pic of the new rear end. Solid as a rock.


Ord Norms even spraying under her top hat!


Will update next week

ooooh, looking good.

even though I love nice resto'ed busses.... I do like to see a good project in progress.

Going to get a start on mine tomorrow (maybe) or I will probably spend it phoning round all the parts companies buying up all the bits I need to finish mine off once she's painted.

I reckon it'd be easier to take that engine lid off. I wonder how many times that brush has been kicked out.

Looks good though..

Norm hasnt kicked the brush out once he dances round it

looking good........always loved the name of the bus.......

Thanks dudie dude!

Big respect for tearing it all out and going for it with what's obviously a well loved bus.

Will keep an eye out for the next update

Hello Dottie the bus

nice work, keep us posted

Are you keeping it the same colour?

Thanks. No we are changing the colour to Dove Blue and Pearl white.
Will post some more pics soon.

Hiya Dottie:

This pic clearly shows an overhang of metal on the RHS of the corner repair:



How did you "lose" that in the next shot? did you just trim it back and weld it to the edge of the engine bay? I need to do this so tips gratefully received!

Ade.

Yea think you just trim it back and weld it to the engine bay bit.

I don't suppose you took any pics of the corner repair work. I'm thinking of re-doing the corners on my bus.

Cheers

Top work, keep us posted.

Soon be ready for her new paint!

Same Colours?