Right I know I've been asking questions here for a couple of months, but we are now starting work on Oscarbus, so thought I'd add our story.

Thankfully the kids are back at school and husband back at work, so that means I can head on down to the unit and do all the little things I can before Oscarbus heads off for a respray over winter (note to self: book in respray!). We have a right schedule unfortunately as if all goes well Lima Bean or 'bump' will be arriving beginning of April, and I can't see myself working on the bus past 8 months - I don't think I'd be able to get close enough to do anything.

So, let the hell, sorry, fun begin!

First proper day working on the bus. After 2 hours of getting practically nothing done thanks to inability to get to anything, turn rusty bolts and generally not knowing what to do! But after sheer determination, grit and swearing we finally got the quarter light frame out,



made the hole for the 'stalk' wider as the new ones were bigger,




and then got the seal on (some mistakes made there, but I'm all for learning and will be ordering a new one when we respray the bus, and when I do the other side.

But before we came home with frames, glass and seals in hand, I thought I'd make sure the seals worked right and tried to put the new frame in. Nope, was NOT going to go. We thought it was the seal pushing it up too much but after comparing it to the original one we saw the problem



So that's it for today, we've left poor Oscarbus sulking in the garage with a big hole in him.


I'm sat in the bath trying to get rid of the grease, rust and much I'm covered in, whilst hubby is quite pleased as he's got the stickers off the windows, cleaned all the windows and got the badge back on. Yes, I did say husband! He did redeem himself slightly in that he used the drill to remove the rivet and make the hole bigger

Great update..... We all make mistakes at some point along the way!

Anyway...... Please more pics of the Scort in the background!

That's our mechanics escort that he uses for rallying - he's quite good apparently! He's got a little Peugeot 205 too but it's not quite as special.

Ah quarter lights and rubbers. Possibly the worst job we did when we got our bus
I remember simon went to work and left me with six pop out frames with 50 year old rubbers( now fossilised ) to remove .
It took around 5 hrs per pop out and my fingers nearly bleeding.
The joy of bus ownership.
Keep up the good work
Joanne

Congrats on the bump by the way, baby seat in the bus now required

Thank you! Must be mad really doing the bus up whilst feeling so knackered! At least having three kids and two adults in one camper will make it cosy!

Keep forgetting that I need to add to this and it's a pain in the arse on my phone! Will have to do it when back home and on the laptop.

On an update note: we have the bus booked in for his new cost on the 2nd December! He'll be taken back to bare metal before being fixed up, smoothed out, primed and sprayed! Should be about a month, but I'm happy if he's back by the end of Feb. it'll give us time to put things back together before the next member of the clan arrives, although I don't see myself being able to get under the bus unless they put it up on the lift

So, the stripping out begins after the 22nd October, as does the little bits of welding for moving the front gutter run offs (as done by MarkP and such a good idea with safaris), putting in the front seatbelts and hooks for the hammock.

Exciting times

Found ya thread guys



I posted the below write up on my thread a wile back


I must tell you all


this bus was amazing to me ..... it belongs to Tash and Allen ..... they have only had it a few weeks at this point and this was it's first trip out ..... I looked around this bus with them and OMG ... it's nearly 100% rust free and mostly original paint work..... Tash and Allen have some great plans for this bus so lets hope they do a built thread ( great chatting with these guy's and there x2 lovely kids )




















Well now the resto police have found you ...... We'll be watching ..... And checking



Don't go thinking a baby is going to slow this build down Tash


....


Chat soon


Mark

Baby is already slowing things down unfortunately my aim this week is to take out everything inside the bus and organise the welder.

Woohoo! We've finally managed to get some work done on the bus! I've been placed on drs orders to rest for a few days, but I managed to get Alan to come and do the big stuff whilst I took off panels, insulation out and some other small things.

Here's some photos and when I've got some time I shall add some descriptions in:


Alan taking out the rear seats, easy just as they aren't bolted in!


After only a few minutes!


Headliner almost out, its now been left hanging over the cab so I can go back in the week and finish off the rest of the small jobs.

I'm a bit weary now though as I found a baby false widow in the bus, and as we've got a glut of them outside our house, I'm so worried there is going to be a load of them! They aren't even supposed to be up this far north! May have to gas the bus before I start work again this week.

Oh right, now I know who you are, we were parked next to you on the Saturday at Tech weekend.

Bus looked great and Mark was telling us and Rocket Ron how good the bus looked.

Good luck.......with the bus and the bump

We'll keep an eye on progress

Remember the rules: pics or it didn't happen, although we can just take your word on the imminent birth......

Mike & Sarah

Motivation is coming back, thank goodness as there's less than a month now until he's put on the trailer and taken for his bare metal strip and respray

So, been down to the unit today and thought I'd open the big doors and let him enjoy some sunshine I'm a good mum



As all the big stuff is now out, its my job to strip all the small things. Started with the front lights, wing mirrors (got a nasty blood blister thanks to that one!), and indicators covers. I've had a quick look at the wiring but its all a bit of a jumble at the moment, so think I'll leave that until everything is completely clear.



Then moved on to removing all the door cards and panels at the front.



Then I tried removing the remaining and dangling headliner - I tried to do it in one piece but there was so much glue right at the front that there wasn't a change. A bit of a shame as someone may have wanted/found need for it, but oh well. You'll also notice that the safaris are out as well as their seals - and guess what....ABSOLUTELY NO RUST!! I almost jumped up and down when the seal came off and they were perfect. A restorer said that they'd be awful and need a load of work, so can stick two fingers up at him now I haven't taken the seals off any other window yet though and know some of them need attention, so not in the clear yet.





I've managed to undo the bolts that are holding the front driver and passenger window frames in but didn't have a big enough cross head to undo the screws, so that's tomorrow's job. Also made a start on removing the blinking seals round the cab doors - believe it or not, they're original and glued on, very cracked and a b*stard to get off. Any tips?



Right, off to post some questions on how to get certain things out.

What did I tell you guys !!!!!!!!


At Vicky farm I said I'd never see a bus so rust free ...... It's a very special find that bus

Great news about the front window frames well done I'm chuffed for you.


Well done guys the strip down is going well ...... Keep pushing as it will turn cold soon so get it all done ASAP ..... Then off to the restorers


Great update Tash ... Thanks for sharing


Mark

Thanks Mark, always nice to hear from you.