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Sept 25, 2010 11:31:02 GMT
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Hi, just joined retro rides. Looks like a cool site to share my project Bedford! Any advice greatly appreciated as this is a big task for me...... I was going to buy a VW transporter to turn it into a camper but then I saw this and it looks much more interesting and I'm a sucker for punishment! From the drivers seat backwards the van is in very good condition for it's age. From the drivers seat forwards, it's pretty rotten. The chassis legs are fine though so it's just a case of patching the bad boy up hopefully! 2.3 litre petrol 3 speed auto which did fire up to put it on the trailer to bring it home, now it doesnt as the fuel shut off valve fell off on the journey. It's going to be LPG'd and will be getting a nice interior too so me and the wife can get away for some camping holidays! Pics of it as I bought it..........     Just started doing some cutting out......   Might be slow progress....we'll see! ;D |
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Sept 25, 2010 13:42:37 GMT
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Welcome to RR! That looks bloody awesome! (rust issues aside) gonna make a great camper - LPG plan sounds a good'un, will you be sleeping on stretchers? ;D
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Sept 25, 2010 16:55:40 GMT
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You have one advantage over a VW, sliding doors on the front. Drove an ex GPO van around Northern Spain and it was awesome with the doors open even in the rain, puddle hoping was never so good specially as we were driving on the wrong side of the road.
Be a cool van once the rust is sorted
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Sept 26, 2010 1:10:06 GMT
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Nice. You got some work ahead of you but looks to be well worth it.
they still put these things free tax as an ex-emergency vehicles thing? Not sure how that all went back in the day (talking ten years ago or so)
--Phil
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rod
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Posts: 1,953
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Sept 26, 2010 11:03:55 GMT
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Great choice! Had a couple of these over the years,but never with so much rot. Not sure whether the screens are still avilable,seem to remember being hard to get hold of back in the day? Always built them with a set layout as it seemed to work....toilet/shower cubicle behind pass seat (floor as shower tray ,then stand portaloo on this). Behind driver,side facing seat that converts to small length bed for kids. About midway down drive side ,table mounted under window ledge,with forward facing and rear facing seats (sits 4) All folds down using table as 'bridge' across seats to form d/bed. from toilet cubicle to rear was the sink etc and fridge.(wouldnt bother with this if I did one nowadays,as there are only 2 of us,and don't 'do' washing up etc ) We had years of great hols all over uk in our ones with 2 very small kids. Hope you have some good times! Ask if you need any tips mate!
Funnily enuf I'm just starting to consider outing my t25 to get a van to build a camper of,as we need a proper loo and shower nowadays .
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Last Edit: Sept 26, 2010 11:06:49 GMT by rod
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Sept 26, 2010 11:10:35 GMT
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Nice. You got some work ahead of you but looks to be well worth it. they still put these things free tax as an ex-emergency vehicles thing? Not sure how that all went back in the day (talking ten years ago or so) --Phil I wondered that too. Local guy my dad knows runs some ex military and services vehicles and they are tax free. Hes got a few that are MOT exempt!! |
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v8jim
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Posts: 1,304
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Sept 26, 2010 11:49:14 GMT
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thats got the makings of a very cool camper,and a lot of rust good luck
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Max sig pic size: 80px
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Sept 26, 2010 14:30:23 GMT
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Thanks for all the kind comments especially the layout tips!
I havn't even started thinking about layouts yet but that sounds like a pretty good way of doing it. I definately want a shower squeezing in there somewhere.
Think I'll take the front beam and engine out now to give it all a spruce up and so I can stitch the floor back easily!
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rod
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,953
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Sept 26, 2010 14:40:57 GMT
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I seem to recall a mate who had one that had probs with worn carbs. Might pay to check it out when the engine is out.Think there was a weber conversion available for them at one time. The floor area where the cab joined the rear part was always a mish mash of panels TBH! Mine were manual g/box ,but always wanted an auto one like yours.This thread has brought the memories flooding back...days on the beach,camping at night in beach front car parks.Happy Days !!
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Last Edit: Sept 26, 2010 14:44:11 GMT by rod
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Sept 26, 2010 16:19:53 GMT
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I dread the screen breaking! I can't imagine what it would cost to have one made! It's huge. I asked in autoglass and they said they wouldn't be able to get one. If it broke and I claimed on the insurance I think they would write it off!
Like the idea about stretcher beds too, that would be cool, I want to try and keep it as much ambulance as I can.
It comes up on the dvla website as £205 tax a year which I think I will be able to get down when it's a motorhome?
It's defo got a weber carb on it so hopefully it had the upgrade!!
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Done a bit more today. Rolled the engine and beam out which was pretty straightforward with the removable front panel, love the design.  Used a bit of old oil boiler to fix the chassis leg, what a cheapskate!!!    Starting to fix the floor and wheelarch, bit of a ball ache but i'm pleased with it for my first bit of fabrication effort.   hopefully get a bit more welded in next week! |
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Welcome to the board.
Bollloxxx to the overpriced Scene of camperbusses.
Something interesting and different, thats the way to go.
This will be on my watch list for developments.
Looks like you have welded before as well.
Great progress so far.
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Lawsy
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Posts: 2,615
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this is going to be awesome
keep up the good work and welcome to the board
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Oct 23, 2010 19:17:35 GMT
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looking at what you have to work with this is going to be a sweet ride, looks to me you are lucky in the fact the fibreglass makes the front arches so you have no complicated fluted bits to replicate, one thing I WOULD do while you have the engine out and accessible like that is check the tappets. because trying to refit them rocker cover gaskets in situ is the biggest pig of a job ever invented as there is nothing to hold them in place till the cover is clamped down...
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Oct 23, 2010 19:37:28 GMT
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wow- good job for rescuing this one! I have to agree with grizz. I cant understand why vws are worth so much...overpriced common overdone boring small space inside...
Bedfords are waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay cooler! and cheaper, more useful.
Watching this one!
If you need any advice on building/plumbing a really good shower in I have built 4 now and have worked out a great combo of waterheater/pump that works fantastically! Not expensive or hard to build a decent shower and it makes camping away soooo much better.
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Oct 23, 2010 20:09:57 GMT
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I must say, reading through some of the other epic threads on retrorides i've found it really inspiring to get cracking. Especially tonybmw's panel making thread. I feel ashamed of my hasty curse word fab work now. The more I work on it, the happier I am I didn't go down the dub route. I think you are right yoeddynz that the dubs are too small and a bit boring.
I could definately do with some advice on how to build some sort of shower tray. I can only think of some sort of altro non slip floor affair, although my mate has made race cars so he might be able to knock something up in fibreglass. I've not thought too much about the interior but after a recent visit to brownhills (massive motorhome sales place in Newark) I now have high ideals and want it to look like the £60,000 Burstner I saw. Off to Newark autojumble tomorrow to see what tat I can buy!
I'll update this tomorrow with a bit more welding hopefully..........
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Oct 23, 2010 20:15:44 GMT
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Oh yeah rottie, you are dead right, all my shonkey welding will get covered up with the lovely fibreglass panels that are not in bad condition at all. Just cannot decide whether or not to take the engine apart or not yet?  ? It sounded ok for the five minutes I had it running. Maybe a compression test will help me decide. I did buy a very nice full gasket set. I would like it all sparkly like other peoples engines maybe with a baby blue painted block if I can find high temp in baby blue?? |
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Oct 23, 2010 20:48:26 GMT
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I think it's got to be worth giving the engine a good check over and clean up whilst it's out.
Good luck with the rebuild.
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That's a sweet bus. Looks a treat to work on too from the pictures you've shown so far.
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Been a while since an update due to time and workload, but I've got a bit more done and i'm starting to feel a bit more positive about the outcome. I was getting a bit overwhelmed with the scale of it but my lovely welder is a treat to use:  Started out on saturday morning with this mess on my hands....  This bit was totally rotten and annoyingly under he fibreglass body, wasn't quite sure how to do it so I just started chopping... (sammy snail didnt last long unfortunately)  welded this bit in which extends under the fibo body and is tagged on to the cab structure inside.  grinded and etch primed  cut this bit out  to fit in this hole  really boring bit that I could not be bothered to do but its done now!   to relinquish the boredom got to work on the interesting wing  tacked it on and then bent over suprisingly easily with some grips     Quite pleased with saturdays efforts, not looking forward now to the boring step section that has all but dissappeared to dust............ and this is only the nearside!! bored, weary smiley |
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? It sounded ok for the five minutes I had it running. Maybe a compression test will help me decide. I did buy a very nice full gasket set. I would like it all sparkly like other peoples engines maybe with a baby blue painted block if I can find high temp in baby blue??