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1979 VW LT 'Advantura' motorhome
Post by vwdan on Dec 19, 2006, 10:13pm

Okaydokay. Been pretty quiet on the car front due to the weather and not having a garage to work in, so the Jetta's hiding under a cover in the side garden till a) the weather improves; b) we've finished welding and rebuilding my trailer and the drive is free again and c) i've regained my motivation to work on it again ::)

So, being bored at work and dreaming of owning a camper and really missing having something old and slow to drive, I came across this on the great bay of goodness:

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So to cut to the chase, basically I managed to win it and i'll be picking it up on thursday afternoon :o I didn't manage to go and see it on saturday, so just took a gamble and went for it ;D There's a shed load of history with it, and the bloke who owns it owns a garage and seems like a decent bloke. Its apparently done 48800 miles, has 12 months MoT (with stacks of old ones to go with it as well as all the manuals etc etc) and is complete, original and in full working order. I'm keeping my fingers crossed its gonna be a good 'un. If not I can always pass it on, but hopefully i'll be having lots of fun weekends away in it next year.

Its probably not to everyone's taste, and i've not really got any major plans for it style-wise, but i'll see what its like and form some plans from there. Here's hoping i've not jumped the gun and stuck this on here before i've picked it up and it turns out to be crap! Wish me luck ;)
Re: 1979 VW LT motorhome
Post by samage on Dec 19, 2006, 10:17pm

Niiiiiice :D


LTs are the way forward!
Re: 1979 VW LT motorhome
Post by vwdan on Dec 19, 2006, 11:30pm

Considering there's hardly any like this about, should be a bit different. Had been thinking about importing a T25 Karmann Gypsy from Germany, but as this one's less than 50 miles from home I thought it'd be rude not to have a go ;D

I just hope its got the 75bhp 6 cylinder VW 2.4 diesel and not the 65bhp 4 cylinder 2.7 Perkins in it ::)
Re: 1979 VW LT motorhome
Post by skodanorman on Dec 19, 2006, 11:50pm

where are the engines in these?

looks great, (no offence), but it looks like a shed. just so square, and the camper bit looks over-sized.

saying that, I think its great. ideal for summer weekends of camping joy.

pics on collection required!
Re: 1979 VW LT motorhome
Post by irol on Dec 20, 2006, 12:10am


ACE. Good work, I'm glad people haven't cottoned on to the fact that for the same mileage you get out of a bay or T3, you can run an LT. Then at least you can stand up in it and all your mates can get in too... Done many miles in an LT, get some 4X4 running gear for extra props, ooh, next you'll want a 7.5tonne Iveco ;D
Re: 1979 VW LT motorhome
Post by mrj on Dec 20, 2006, 6:14am

LTs are great.... dreaming of a LT car transporter, would make things much easier ;D Kick out the diesel engine and throw in an Audi 5cylinder, it fits....
Re: 1979 VW LT motorhome
Post by gotwood on Dec 20, 2006, 7:13am

That looks excellent mate :) A few years back there was a nice green westfalia lt at vanfest and it really stood out amongst the smaller dubs.
I did see a pic of a slammed and scalloped flat bed version once in vw-speed magazine a while back...I'll have to see if I can find it ;)
Re: 1979 VW LT motorhome
Post by vwdan on Dec 20, 2006, 9:10am

Cheers guys - i'm looking forward to having lots of fun in it. Hopefully it should be up to towing the trailer with the Jetta on it - race car transporter anyone ;D

VRS - the engine is up front - between the seats! Like I said, hoping its the 2.4 six cylinder VW diesel engine (non-turbo at this age though) It's certainly square - I purposely didn't put up the side-on pic coz its a bit of a wierd shape - i'll take my own pics at the weekend which should make it look better!!! Also i'll have a better idea about who did the conversion etc etc.

mrj - already got a Transporter with the 2.5i 5 cylinder Audi engine in it which shifts quite well, even if it does sup petrol. Once we've sorted the dodgy LPG conversion out it should be ok again ::)

Re: 1979 VW LT motorhome
Post by qwerty on Dec 20, 2006, 1:28pm

You sooooo need to attatch some huge bulls horns like they do in texas to the front of that!!
Re: 1979 VW LT motorhome
Post by dollywobbler on Dec 20, 2006, 3:09pm

The five cylinder diesel is quite nice too - fitted to T4s. Non-turbo gutless again though!

I like that. Best of all, no beige or that horrible minty green that you see so often on motorhomes and caravans!
Re: 1979 VW LT motorhome
Post by greaz on Dec 20, 2006, 10:36pm

thats sweeet mate, bet it'll be a total child born out of wedlock to work on the engine though, get some stack exhausts and chrome wheels ftw-10 - 4 good buddy
Re: 1979 VW LT motorhome
Post by vwdan on Dec 21, 2006, 5:51pm

Well, its home, or at least it should be as i'm still at work and left dad to drive the remainder of the way home without me following in the van! He couldn't take it over 40mph as the wheels were out of balance :o but apart from that it ran fine although the clutch needs adjusting as its right at the top before it bites.

Confirmed-original 48800 miles from new (not bad for 28 years) and it does have the 6 cylinder VW diesel engine - hooray - 75bhp of pure diesel power ;D

I think i'll spend tonight going through all the history and paperwork as there was a folder full.

The burgandy stripe on the sides is covering the original light brown and is peeling a little in places. I'm thinking eventually respray the stripe in an off white/cream perhaps? Little bit of rust on the bottom of the doors and passenger step, but the seams are perfect and overall its in very good condition considering the age - i'm a very happy bunny - think i've got a bargain :)

Pics will come at the weekend once i've given it a bit of a clean.
Re: 1979 VW LT motorhome
Post by dollywobbler on Dec 21, 2006, 8:15pm

Well, there had to be some light brown somewhere! Glad you got it home.
Re: 1979 VW LT motorhome
Post by vwdan on Dec 21, 2006, 11:00pm

Quick update.

Had a quick scoot around it when I got home (in the dark) and its in pretty good nick allround really - very original even down to the Blaupunkt radio. Its also chuffin basic in the cab - its great!

Motorhome interior is in very good original condition with hardly any wear or damage anywhere.

Only negative is that the mechanic at the garage obviously hasn't got a clue, either that or he's a bare faced liar, as its fitted with a 2.0l Perkins diesel engine and not a 2.4l 6 cylinder VW diesel - so that'd be 65bhp and a maximum speed of around 100km/h :o And fuel consumption in the low 20's.........oh well, can't have everything ;)

Oops, nearly forgot, its actually an Advantura - found the following on the internet earlier:

Advantura motorhomes were made by European Motor Caravans Ltd a division of A-line Caravans. They were made in Kingston upon Hull from the mid 70's to the early 80's. The company was sold out to Carlton Motor Bodies Ltd who had ceased trading by 1985. The bodies were built on various chassis including Bedford CF, Ford Transit, VWLT and even Leyland Sherpa. The original bodies were quite angular and corrugated looking often brown or green but the final version produced from 1980 onwards was more rounded and painted in white, buff yellow and brown.

Found plenty of Bedford versions and a Transit one, but no LT's - it might be the only one :o!!!
Re: 1979 VW LT motorhome
Post by briandamaged on Dec 22, 2006, 11:48am

Think that Perkins is a 4.165 then (4 being the number of cylinders and 165 being the engine's capacity in cubic inches), which makes it about 2.7 litres.
Re: 1979 VW LT motorhome
Post by vwdan on Dec 22, 2006, 12:25pm

Well, I did a Wikepedia search and that said the original Perkins engines that were fitted were 2.7 4-cylinder, but the logbook says 19**cc and there is also a note book from one of the original owners with mileage/petrol fill-ups/maintenance documented, and that says on the front 2l Perkins engine. Original VW instruction manual that came with it also says 2.0l diesel, so i'm proper confused now!

Whatever engine is in it, its definately a 4-cylinder as had a quick look last night :) And whatever 4-cylinder it is, its gonna be slow!!!

I'll do some proper digging at the weekend, oh, and take the obligatory pictures. 8-)
Re: 1979 VW LT motorhome
Post by briandamaged on Dec 22, 2006, 1:49pm

It hasn't had a Perkins Prima retro-fitted has it??? The 2-litre Prima was fitted in the Maestro/Montego/Sherpa and came in turbo and non-turbo versions....it's a pretty popular conversion in Land Rover circles as well, cracking lump.
If it has, it should look like this....
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Re: 1979 VW LT motorhome
Post by dollywobbler on Dec 22, 2006, 1:50pm

Gutted about the engine - a six cylinder LT makes a great noise.
Re: 1979 VW LT motorhome
Post by locoster on Dec 22, 2006, 6:31pm

If its a Maestro / Montego engine.... I can feel a turbo conversion coming on.

Adam
Re: 1979 VW LT motorhome
Post by vwdan on Dec 23, 2006, 4:03pm

I'll take some pics of the engine over the christmas break when I get chance, and try and find some more details too.

Few pics:

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Got a few things inside i'd like to fix, bits of trim and so on, but nothing major. Also close to finishing welding the trailer, so that can be put back together and shifted out of the drive. Dad hard at work:

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Unfortunately as I was writing this, dad limped back in the Transporter with some sort of engine problem.

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So no doubt that'll be the next pile of !$&* to sit in the drive requiring attention!!!
Re: 1979 VW LT motorhome
Post by briandamaged on Dec 23, 2006, 4:14pm

Loving the radio!!! Does it still get Radio 1 on 275/285??
That is one spacious motorhome, love it!!

Brian
Re: 1979 VW LT motorhome
Post by jabbo on Dec 24, 2006, 5:38pm

Very nice. I was watching that on eBay and gotta admit I was tempted to have a punt. Looks in pretty good condition for it's age. :)
Re: 1979 VW LT motorhome
Post by skodanorman on Dec 24, 2006, 6:14pm

that rocks!

love it :)
Re: 1979 VW LT motorhome
Post by rearwheelnick on Dec 26, 2006, 12:39pm

drove an lt around recently not a camper though, shame you didnt get the 6pot. as the one I drove although pretty slow sounded reallly really nice. got to rag it up an airstrip aswell:D haha
Re: 1979 VW LT motorhome
Post by trg1984 on Dec 26, 2006, 2:58pm

love the LT, nicedish on the rear wheels too haha
Re: 1979 VW LT motorhome
Post by vwdan on Jan 1, 2007, 10:52pm

Well, managed to have a bit of a play with the beast and even taken it for a spin - jeesus what a wierd thing to drive, it feels like you're gonna fall out of the front screen leaning forward with a huge steering wheel in front of you, and it leans like mad on the bends - definately not for driving fast on country lanes!

Need to investigate the cause of the wobble on the front end - think its the brake discs as its only really noticeable when you brake.

Looks like the log book is wrong as it has the cc of the petrol verion for some reason (2l) but its definately the 2.7l Perkins diesel one, so thats that sorted. Its not as slow as i'd imagined to be honest, although it is noisy and struggles on hills ;D Think the clutch needs some attantion as i'm sure it was slipping a bit and its right at the end of its adjustment so need to have a look at that too.

As the weather has been so crap, been playing with the interior fixing a few bits of trim and sprucing it up a little - cheap IKEA brushed chrome handles have replaced the naff brass ones and got plans to eventually re-trim it, but that'll come later. Once i've sorted a mains lead out I can test the electrics proper too - got all the instruction manuals for EVERYTHING so shouldn't be too hard to suss out how everything works.

One priority is to re-seal the skylights and all the trim - theres no sign of any leaks anywhere, and I want to keep it like that. Gonna go over it and replace all the screws with stainless ones and clean the aluminium trim up too. Need a couple of bumper end caps, but struggling to find any at the mo.

Its like having a house to spruce-up, but obviously without the mortgage ;D
Re: 1979 VW LT 'Advantura' motorhome
Post by passatman on Jan 1, 2007, 11:38pm

that's an awesome bus you have there...............LT's are the future.........like garlic bread ;D
Re: 1979 VW LT 'Advantura' motorhome
Post by vwdan on Jan 1, 2007, 11:59pm

Well, i'm certainly looking forward to going to as many shows as possible and scaring all the smaller Splits, T2's and T25's ;D

So far i've managed to find only one more the same as mine on the net on someone's home page, which they were planning on restoring, but no dates so no idea how recent it was. Apart from that, no pictures, specs or history anywhere :o. Might be quite rare ::)
Re: 1979 VW LT 'Advantura' motorhome
Post by locoster on Jan 2, 2007, 1:08am

A guy down the road has an LT camper so I had a peek today to see if it was the same or even similar (hadn't paid too much notice previously!). It isn't, its rounder.

There we go, news of the day!

That interior reminds me of the two weeks I spent on a canal boat 3 years ago. It was quite fun really!
Re: 1979 VW LT 'Advantura' motorhome
Post by 425ci on Jan 23, 2007, 2:54am


Any more pictures in the pipeline? I think it's great :-) It has got really good proportions and the camper body suits the style of the cab well.

Have you got any more photos of the interior? Does the rear seating area convert into a bed?

Those Perkins diesels are quite amusing. Very much at home in tractors and retro-fits in old Series Land Rovers, but usually the slightly larger 4.203 and 4.236 versions (they are good at destroying gearboxes and clutches). I know someone who has a 4.203 in his Series II LWB Land Rover and he doesn't have to use first or second gear, unless he's doing a hill-start!

A modern turbo diesel engine would really transform your camper. Something like the Mercedes OM602 (2.5TD - Sprinter, 300D etc) would be a nice installation; they sound good (5-cylinder), are powerful and are good on fuel too!

Mike

:-)
Re: 1979 VW LT 'Advantura' motorhome
Post by vwdan on Jan 23, 2007, 1:28pm

No more pics at present, although I spent a few hours last weekend cleaning it. In the process of replacing small bits of trim and sourcing new skylights/vents etc. to make sure its completely waterproof. I'll remove the trims and re-seal when the weather gets better (eventually) and then give the whole lot a good polish.

Yeah - the rear converts to a large bed - its supposed to sleep 5 or 6 people.

I think the clutch is on the way out as it feels like it slips and is right at the end of its travel - takes a bit of getting used to driving it and my knee nearly touches the steering wheel when I change gear. I've never driven anything with such a large steering wheel either - I feel like a bus driver when i'm driving it ;D

Got an issue with a very bad wobble when it hits about 45mph which is so bad its hard to keep hold of the steering wheel - think it might be a dodgy tyre so need to take the wheels off and get them checked. Will also address the issue of not being able to get to the valves of the rear inner tyres.

Glad you like it though. :)
Re: 1979 VW LT 'Advantura' motorhome
Post by 425ci on Jan 23, 2007, 7:13pm


The wheels are the same all round aren't they - just reversed outer wheels on the rear? If so, you could try swapping the fronts over with a pair of the rears, then seeing if the steering wobble disappears. Are there any balance weights on the front wheels at all? If not, then maybe as simple as someone not balancing them when the last tyres were fitted. Admittedly it sounds as if the problem might be something else if you have trouble holding the steering wheel.

Anyway, looking forward to seeing some more pictures in due course.

Mike

:-)
Re: 1979 VW LT 'Advantura' motorhome
Post by vwdan on Mar 6, 2007, 10:15pm

After being a bit busy for the past few weeks, eventually managed to get away in it last weekend. 8-)

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Hows this for a view from your bedroom window:

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It was great fun. Only stopped in it for a night but it was nice and cosy. Was interesting driving it round the Lake District's roads but it performed OK. Couldn't quite manage to wind it up to 60 on the motorway, but it was happy to cruise at 55 although it doesn't like hills - at one point on the motorway on the way home, in the dark and rain it dropped to 35 on one hill which was a little scary. I think it needs a good tune/service as sometimes it would pull uphill ok and sometimes it really struggled.

Got the wheels swapped round before we left and the best of the bunch balanced and put on the front which nearly cured the wobble. Think the tyres are a little flat in places.

I've fitted one new roof vent and got the front one yet to fit. New spot lights from IKEA will be replacing the rear strip lights once i've fitted some in-line switches so they don't all come on at once, but main priority is to fit the CD from my old Jetta as desperately missed having some tunes to listen to ;)

As the weather gets better i'll start doing little bits to the outside to tidy it up a little which should make a big difference to its overall appearance. Roll on summer!
Re: 1979 VW LT 'Advantura' motorhome
Post by passatman on Mar 6, 2007, 10:27pm

that looks like rydal water to me.....just past ambleside?


nice to see her out and about......it's a crazy looking bus......but 35 on't motorway is a worry :o


8-)
Re: 1979 VW LT 'Advantura' motorhome
Post by reanimation on Mar 6, 2007, 10:42pm

Propper wagon. respect. I couldlive in summat like that and save all my money for retro ride upgrades. :D Cool! just need a moped or bike on the back. :)
Re: 1979 VW LT 'Advantura' motorhome
Post by briandamaged on Mar 6, 2007, 10:43pm

Maybe a bit of a tune-up and some new fuel filters etc etc....and some BP Ultimate Diesel, I tried a tankful of that in our 350,000m Sprinter at work, went like the proverbial and about 3mpg better too. :-)
Re: 1979 VW LT 'Advantura' motorhome
Post by vwdan on Mar 7, 2007, 12:44pm

Yeah, I was getting a bit stressed when it was struggling on the motorway and had to change down to third to rev the nutts off it and try and speed it up again - not fun when its windy, raining, dark and lorries are catching you at a fast pace. On the straights it'd chug along with the lorries though. Need ear defenders though, hense the desire to fit the CD asap ;D Sounded quite rattly at about 53 but much better at either 50 or 56ish :-/

Theres a BP station close to home, so i'll give Ultimate a try and see if that makes a difference.

Did a bit of a web search last night and gonna gather the service items together and then get it done which might help - no previous experience of diesels so no idea how to give it a tune up, so probably take it to a specialist and get it done.

Passatman - yep, got the location spot-on!

Also need to upgrade the headlights - they are the same as Mk1 Golf ones, so gonna find some halogen units and then fit some high-power bulbs which should make a difference. Was 'interesting' driving down the country lanes in the dark and rain trying to guess where the next corner was!!! I think some period fogs on the front will also be on the cards....

I've always wanted a Vespa or Lambretta and one would be ace to stick on the back, but alas money and time to do a test are short at the mo, but maybe one day ;)
Re: 1979 VW LT 'Advantura' motorhome
Post by seth on Mar 7, 2007, 2:03pm

Great to see another old camper out and being used properly :)

Are the strip lights original 12V ones? I might be intersted in having one of them if you're replacing them anyway as there's a broken one in the Sun-Tor and it'd be nice to replace it with something close to the right period :)
Re: 1979 VW LT 'Advantura' motorhome
Post by dollywobbler on Mar 7, 2007, 3:15pm

Is there a retro campers meet anywhere? Our H Van is flat out at about 55mph comfortably so we could have a super-slow convoy!
Re: 1979 VW LT 'Advantura' motorhome
Post by briandamaged on Mar 7, 2007, 3:54pm

^^Count me in....I'd borrow Dad's CF....:-)
You could try here..
http://www.brmmbrmm.com/clientph/brmm4.nsf/clubpages/camper
I know me ol' man's a member, they have loads of weekends away through the summer.....

Re: 1979 VW LT 'Advantura' motorhome
Post by skodanorman on Mar 8, 2007, 10:23pm

I love this. Its such an interesting development.

Big long summer trip planned?
Re: 1979 VW LT 'Advantura' motorhome
Post by guz on Mar 9, 2007, 8:11am

try brickyard forum for diesel help, etc,
a couple of guys on there own LT vans
and there's some high power diesel wedges.
Re: 1979 VW LT 'Advantura' motorhome
Post by vwdan on Mar 9, 2007, 2:27pm

I've got lots of trips to various shows planned and obviously will be stopping over at CARS, but apart from that it'll probably be long weekends away or overnight stopovers.

I can't see me doing an engine change as I don't think its worth the effort - i'm quite happy chugging along at 55-60 as it makes a refreshing change from the drive to work every morning down the M65 ;D - I just want to make sure its running as intended which it isn't quite at the moment.

I want to concentrate on other things like the interior and exterior without spending a fortune - i'm doing that already with the jetta ::) ;D

I might eventually re-trim the seats in the back but I like the curtains as they are - just need lining to keep the light out and splitting down the middle so they can be opened to each side.

The interior's very 70's so I don't want to ruin the 'ambience' ;) Some lino on the floor to replace the user-friendly beige carpet that the last owner installed......new funky lighting, some tunes and get everything working and i'll be happy. Even going to re-paint the original extractor above the hob as it fits in nicely.

I want to remove the burgandy paint off the sides that has been applied over the original light brown - its already peeling a little in places. I know i've read somewhere that some form of kitchen cleaner or household product would do this without damaging the paint beneath, but the thread was a while ago so not sure what to use - any ideas?

I've got a new door for the passenger side as its going a little at the bottom, and might get the cab re-sprayed eventually in time. Main thing is to use it and have fun. 8-)
Re: 1979 VW LT 'Advantura' motorhome
Post by skodanorman on Mar 9, 2007, 6:13pm

its slow and ugly, yet is becoming one of my most favorite "cars" on here!
Re: 1979 VW LT 'Advantura' motorhome
Post by grizz on Mar 9, 2007, 7:57pm

Yep..... It's HUUUUGe, but as I said before, I like LT35's as well, and that schoolbus was soo tempting, just that it was too big to fit on my property. And I really do not have anywhere to park it safely when not in use.
Re: 1979 VW LT 'Advantura' motorhome
Post by locoster on Mar 9, 2007, 8:26pm

The CCF department at my school still has an LT35 minibus from the 80s, and its in regular use. We used it to get to a hockey match once and it struggled to do 60 downhill!
Re: 1979 VW LT 'Advantura' motorhome
Post by grizz on Mar 9, 2007, 8:32pm


Quote:
The CCF department at my school still has an LT35 minibus from the 80s, and its in regular use. We used it to get to a hockey match once and it struggled to do 60 downhill!


This what I was interestd in a while ago, as t was £1250 with silly miles around 48k , 14 or 17 seater bus.
My idea was to gut and then create a camper.

Suspect speed is never of the essence in the case of campers. ;D
Re: 1979 VW LT 'Advantura' motorhome
Post by rmad on Mar 10, 2007, 4:03pm

[image]
Re: 1979 VW LT 'Advantura' motorhome
Post by 83golf on Mar 10, 2007, 4:05pm

change it to 'charged

much cooler ;D
Re: 1979 VW LT 'Advantura' motorhome
Post by vwdan on Mar 10, 2007, 5:56pm

I've nearly just wet myself laughing - that looks ace! Cheers Rmad ;D

It must be possible to lower it a bit......somehow ::)
Re: 1979 VW LT 'Advantura' motorhome
Post by locoster on Mar 10, 2007, 11:50pm

Lowering blocks? Leafs all round arent they?
Re: 1979 VW LT 'Advantura' motorhome
Post by vwdan on Mar 11, 2007, 9:21am

They all have leaf springs at the back, but the LT 28/31/35 have normal springs at the front and the LT 40/45 have leaf springs.

Oh, and the wheels are 6x205PCD so no idea what else I could get to fit. Unless I change them to 5stud like the 28/31 which might give more options, although not sure about only having a single wheel at the rear considering the weight. ::)
Re: 1979 VW LT 'Advantura' motorhome
Post by vwdan on Mar 24, 2007, 8:34pm

Little update. Was supposed to be spending the afternoon on the Jetta at my mates garage, but he's snowed under with work at the mo so its been put on hold again for another two weeks :-[

Soo, thought i'd sort some tunes in the LT - went down to the local car audio shop and they had a special offer on Sony Xplod 6x9's, so thought it'd be rude not too as they'd go well with the Sony Xplod head unit I had ready to fit ;D

Removed these from the doors:

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and after a bit of cutting ::) fitted these instead:

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Removed these from the rear:

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and after more cutting put these in their place:

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Need to make up some small enclosures to go over the backs of the speakers at some point. Also removed the original head unit and put this in instead:

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Not the best of pics as i've been at it since dinner time and it was dark by the time I finished (lots of re-wiring to do), but it matches the dash perfectly. Just a shame its not remote control like the one in the van.

Earlier this week dad very kindly fitted the second new skylight at the front and I fitted a new ceiling light courtesy of ebay (much cheaper than £32 for a new one and I got three!). Going to paint it white as it doesn't match being beige.

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Also got one more window re-trimmed before I ran out of energy tonight:

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Eventually I want to do something with all the window catches which are showing their age. Tomorrow I might remove both bumpers and repaint them (got my eye on a couple of NOS bumper end caps) and also a few other bits of exterior trim. Bought some NOS wheels trims last week for the front wheels which need to be painted together with all the wheels (all 6 of them ::)) Thinking of doing everything in steel grey - what ya think?
Re: 1979 VW LT 'Advantura' motorhome
Post by skodanorman on Mar 24, 2007, 8:41pm

I love this ... lots :)
Re: 1979 VW LT 'Advantura' motorhome
Post by vwdan on Mar 24, 2007, 8:55pm

Its getting better all the time to be honest - little things make a big difference eh!

Going to have soo much fun in it this summer, especially since i'm single again ::) ;D
Re: 1979 VW LT 'Advantura' motorhome
Post by imperial on Mar 24, 2007, 9:05pm

Like it!!! I feel like getting one and selling my place!
Re: 1979 VW LT 'Advantura' motorhome
Post by sparko on Mar 24, 2007, 10:34pm

you could get your steelies banded and painted.....
Re: 1979 VW LT 'Advantura' motorhome
Post by vwdan on Mar 25, 2007, 7:36pm

Been at it all day again today, but I bit off more than I could chew!

Removed both bumpers:

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Also removed the spare wheel and carrier, water tank and diesel tank filler neck trims, door stay and various other bits which needed sprucing up.

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Stripped the rear bumper back to bare metal, but it needs straightening before I can paint it. Also started to strip the front bumper after i'd straightened that a bit but not finished that.

Bought and fitted a new fridge vent and electric supply socket - both had been badly painted beige and looked crap! Unable to get a new extractor vent cover, so will have to strip and paint that myself. Sanded the badly painted hot water heater cubby cover which is ready to paint along with the other bits. Then I ran out of light again.
Re: 1979 VW LT 'Advantura' motorhome
Post by vwdan on Apr 9, 2007, 6:37pm

After spending the last few days working on the Jetta and LT, here's where i'm at with the LT. Rear all fitted up again, just need to sort out a hanger and light for the rear number plate (and decide where to put it):

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Filler trims re-painted, new filler neck sorted, one side of the roof re-sealed and a few other bits re-sealed but lots still to do. Water heater cover re-painted. Battery now has a nice new home in a proper battery box with new quick-release battery clamps and re-wired the split-charge system. Leisure battery still to do. Not finished the front bumper either. There's lots of other little bits that i've done, but i'm too knackered to remember right now!
Re: 1979 VW LT 'Advantura' motorhome
Post by vwdan on Apr 29, 2007, 8:55pm

Who's idea was it to run it on that BP Ultimate diesel? Its been fine up to now. Set off this morning to mums, stuck £20s worth of the stuff in and got a few miles down the road till it coughed and spluttered to a halt in a cloud of smoke and that was that :(

It started to missfire a little after about 2 miles, started to put out grey smoke, then got lumpy and when I pulled over died. Its started a couple of times since and towed it home with the van and got it back into the drive, but it doesn't wanna start now. Aaaaaggghhh, just what I need!!!

No oil in the water and no water in the oil as far as I can tell.

Could do with sussing this one out quickly as found an LT van on the bay which is local, crap body but good engine (136K), and its the later turbo diesel too (6 cylinder). I know theres a lot of differences between the early and late MK1 LTs, but with a complete van to work from a swap shouldn't be that difficult............i really don't need another engine conversion on my hand at the mo though... ::)

Bloody old cars/vans...... >:( ;)
Re: 1979 VW LT 'Advantura' motorhome
Post by vwdan on Apr 30, 2007, 4:50pm

That'd be Ultimate unleaded i've put in instead of diesel.......oh dear :-/

Looking at the internet it looks like its a common occurance at BP stations.....still no excuse though. Dozy tw%$ ::)
Re: 1979 VW LT 'Advantura' motorhome
Post by vwdan on May 1, 2007, 8:20pm

Not got it working yet, although drained all the fuel out the tank and lines etc, replaced the fuel filter (and air filter and glow plugs as they were on the to-do list) and also replaced a few dodgy pipes and stuff here and there. Looks like theres no fuel coming out of the filter but its going in, so need to take that back off and see if theres a problem.
Re: 1979 VW LT 'Advantura' motorhome
Post by vwdan on May 1, 2007, 8:21pm

How ironic is that advert above my last post ::)
Re: 1979 VW LT 'Advantura' motorhome
Post by vwdan on May 3, 2007, 8:36pm

After fannying about with this a bit:

[image]

Got it working! Had to bleed the injectors and its been running fine. Went for a run yesterday:

[image]

And spent a couple of hours this evening getting more trim ready to re-seal. All fun ;D
Re: 1979 VW LT 'Advantura' motorhome
Post by thrasher on May 4, 2007, 2:30pm

Good news. Tough old lumps. :)
Re: 1979 VW LT 'Advantura' motorhome
Post by vwdan on May 4, 2007, 10:46pm

Yep, still won't go over 55 though!!!

Couple more hours of doing this again tonight:

[image]

Thats about half of the thing re-sealed now. Ball ache of a job. Looks better for it though (note the new number plate holder and light too ;D):

[image]

All of the N/S and front to do now. Also got newly painted bumper back on. Need to fit the NOS plastic ends I got to it:

[image]
Re: 1979 VW LT 'Advantura' motorhome
Post by streetrules on May 5, 2007, 12:33am

Lookin' good :)

Great project