Well some of you old timers might remember a Black 15 Window bus set for great things, it was at one time fitted with a full 911 motor, 270BHP, 5 speed box and all sorts of other goodies.
It looked like this!



Well as always families are full of unexpected funtimes, and things took a very sharp turn for the worst about 2 years ago... To cut a long, boring, depressing story short, we lost heart with the project and times were quite tough, I decided to take a few months out of work to look after my daughter, and we decided to sell the running gear from the van and put it into storage!

So after a long break from it all, Im back! Unfortunately the van wont be fitted with a Porsche setup now, thing will be returning a little more to normal. We decided as a couple that we would like to keep the 'low' element of the project, but we could now live without the fast part of it, since life is somewhat slower paced now and we are quite enjoying it that way.

I sourced a Type IV 2.0l from a T25 that had been in a front end smash, it has 59k from new on it with all the history, so seems a solid starting point for a good all rounder. I also bought the box that accompanied it, a 6 rib 091 box, which I think should be good as the ratios will match the motor perfectly.



So over the past few months, Ive been spending what little time I have freezing my ghoulies off and plodding away. It was soul destroying to begin with as everything was so far from stock, it was difficult to know where to start, but slowly things have taken shape. Removing brackets that were no longer needed, and finishing off bits of welding that were part done, it started to build enthusiasm again! Its probably easier for me to stop waffling and put the piccies up now isn't it!

Started off by getting it all back on the rotisserie which itself needed modifying as the frame interfered with my suspension mounts and at the front it stopped the wheels being fitted which meant alignment and trial fitting suspension parts was a nightmare, if not impossible! So i moved them further forward and back respectively.

From....



To...



and



Then I set about the jobs on hand, wont explain, will just photograph!





Sorted, trial fitment for width etc...



Spot on! Just need to sort brake mounts now as the hubs are from an 87 Porsche, the bearings have spacers and fit perfectly, thanks to Dads lathe and skills, but the caliper brackets only exist on sketchup at the moment as they need CNCing. Later for those i think.

Next job was to set about tidying up the chassis, this took hours but culminated in this, it needs a bit of work with a flap wheel (didnt have any to hand) but all good and solid!



Airbag bracket for the lhs...



Sectioning into chassis...



Then plonk it in and weld away!




Next step/job was the engine bay, a Porsche motor is VERY wide so it was extensively modded to suit, obviously this was no longer required so I ordered the appropriate parts from Auto-craft and plodded away at this...



Cut cut cut cut...

Weld weld weld weld...



At the end of a very long day, ended up with this...



Happy!

next day...



Then onto the gearbox mount...started with a 100x100 box, drilled holes for mount etc and started trial fitting and marking/measuring...remember I have no datums as the chassis is so far from stock!





Hmm needed work!



Sorted!!

Time for a full test fit with a ropey T1 1600 I have lying around!



Perfect!



Thats all for now folks. Back to work and will be updating as and when I get a minute free. Hope you still like it, sorry for the lack of Porscheness but a decent T IV lump should be good for a few ponies, and it will still b

Few problems with photo links guys sorry, will sort them later on! They are dropbox and skydrive links, will swap them out for photobucket!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Hey dude - welcome back, great to see the old girl resurrected, look forward to seeing the pics and following the progress

Orb

Welcome back!

Glad life & the bus are back on track.

I look forward to seeing the updates & progress.

It is great to think that even though you went through some tough times, you kept the bus.

Looking forward to the photos.
That 091 box, am I right in thinking that the gear selector is on the side of the box. Are you using the t25 gearstick as well?
Cheers,
Dom.

dombutler wrote:It is great to think that even though you went through some tough times, you kept the bus.

Looking forward to the photos.
That 091 box, am I right in thinking that the gear selector is on the side of the box. Are you using the t25 gearstick as well?
Cheers,
Dom.

Thanks pal, we almost sold it 100 times over, but we held off as we knew things would change eventually. We are really glad we did, as all thats changed is theres a little more rust!

Yeah, the gear selector is indeed a side shift, so a few mods are planned, but if the 915 box worked then Im sure this shouldn't be rocket science! Im planning on keeping the stock lever and doing a bit of hocus pocus on the other (box) end, making it a cable change system. The nose shifter 091's are crazy money compared to this, and they accept scooby power quite nicely I'm told which may happen in the future, but only if we see the need, which I doubt.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Pics finally fixed!! Sorry guys!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Bet you glad we didn't go ahead with a sale!

Looks like your back on track now and life in the slow lane ain't that bad! Means your family have more time to see out of 15 windows!!!

I'm excited to see how low this is going but I guess practical for the family as well.

All the best, Sooty.

Sooty wrote:Bet you glad we didn't go ahead with a sale!

Looks like your back on track now and life in the slow lane ain't that bad! Means your family have more time to see out of 15 windows!!!

I'm excited to see how low this is going but I guess practical for the family as well.

All the best, Sooty.

Yeah, we were so close to letting her go at one stage! Really glad we didnt as shes a part of us really!

Im getting used to life in the slow lane, sold my motorbike this year, that was a real wrench as had one since the tender age of 16! Sold the toy car and bought a Diesel recently too so Im getting used to the idea, plus 15 windows as you rightly said, makes up for a lot! Although Im gutted I never got to try Safaris at 100+ .

Last incarnation sat with the chassis rails about 15mm off bedrock! Not sure exactly how low this one will go, but its tubbed, notched and will most definitely not include the word practical in too many places! Its on Air, thats practical enough isnt it??

Cheers matey!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Its gonna be approx this height Sooty! Hows that?



Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

Off to pick up a nice new toy tomorrow, a lovely old Milling Machine, always wanted one and after tonnes of machine shop visits, and extortionate quotes for getting things made for the bus, I've gone halves with my father and bought a Ginormous Adcock Shipley machine for the workshop.

First job is the Radial calliper mounts for the front Wilwoods, but Im sure there will be many others now we have the facility!!! Excited!!!

wejjy wrote:Its gonna be approx this height Sooty! Hows that?



Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

Meh. Needs slammin.

shelltoes wrote:

wejjy wrote:Its gonna be approx this height Sooty! Hows that?



Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

Meh. Needs slammin.

Haha

You're obviously a Vertigo sufferer too!!

Great to see your back and i will be watching this thread again , all ways been impressed with your ideas and skills , keep it coming mate.

Wow, that bus has had a lot of work! Changing from narrowed beam to Red9 kit?
Is it going to be heavily tubbed at the front to allow it to sit on the floor then? Looks like those wheels sit a lot closer to the lip of the wheel arch than before.

I look forward to seeing how it goes! Really cool bus!