Shorty's 1969 Kombi

Collected all the tinware, valance, fuel tank fire wall and engine bar from the sand blasters this evening

Also replaced the fuel line and inline filter - a lemon squeezy job with the bus on it's side with a drained fuel tank!

Had quite a productive evening yesterday..

My friend finished polishing the roof, so with the underside complete as well, we put the bus back down onto it's own 4 wheels...



We then found some 2000 grit wet & dry... which is leading us to re-doing to polishing already done, but this time going over it with the sand paper first... the finish is awesome, markedly better than previously, the sheen is noticably deeper than before when it was polished without the sanding..





Also, having a dilemma regarding wheels, although I think after this mock-up I have discounted the black stock wheels.. I was thinking of running them with white walls, but I think against the colour of my bus, the black is just too harsh..



also, with the aforementioned sand paper, I set about the marks on the front panel left by a suspected wheel carrier (?)

Before:



After:



and finally, I removed all the lights and rear badge - makes polishing easier, and have tidied my engine build area ready for the start of that... just need to find a brave pill and go for it!

Here's a pic of the engine bay that I took last night...



It's not finished and ready for paint yet.. STILL got yet more work to do on it.....

This is how it started...

Coming along nicely eh

nicely, yes, but slowly....

Looking good fella! I need to get and have a shufty at this...

clockwork wrote:

Looking good fella! I need to get and have a shufty at this...

You're welcome fella.. I down there every wednesday evening from 17:30 till about 21:00 and the occasional friday afternoon.... gimme a bell, we'll sort something out..

Engine bay finally stripped to the point I want it... Primer on next week, then more sanding!

do you have a target date for completion/drivable?

Road Rage wrote:

do you have a target date for completion/drivable?

I am constrained by money at the moment... I hoping for Bristol next June... but it's a keeper so if its another 12 months then so be it.... I've got a wife and am blessed with two lovely daughters who I like to spend time with too.. the bus has to take a back seat and be worked on when I can afford it (time & money!)

Jan 19th 2013 is a hard date in the build plan.. this is when it goes to Bromsgrove Auto trimmers to have a new headlining fitted....

Went to collect my new engine last night... Obviously could not see it running so the tests I could do on it were limited.. Obviously checked end float and took out the spark plugs and rotated the engine by hand... Also, couldn't do a full compression test, but had fun blowing the bungs across the workshop LOL!! Anyway, fingers crossed that this one will turn out ok... I'm not expecting it to be the best engine in the world, just hoping its the best engine I can afford at the moment...



Once back at the workshop, and belly filled with Doner kebab I did a few other little jobs whilst my friend Adam cracked on with detailing the paint... He's almost done now, only the rear left to do before I clear coat it...

Anyway, I stripped the engine lid of it number plate, and also wiped it over with white spirit to remove some overspray from the chassis coating and also some engine grime build up over the years...





And finally, I'm fed up with keeping on moving the new hinge covers around so I've loosely fitted them in position for the time being.. As a note, I'm not at all impressed with the fit of these at all... They are repro ones which may be a problem, but they don't fit as well as I'd expect.. The profile is wrong and the fixing holes are not quite in the right place... Grrr!

I haven't been on here for a bit. Looks like your going great guns Carl.
Good work mate.

I this bus already!

the hinge covers are fine, they go on after the fabric headliner
if i can be arsed i will take a pic of mine for you

Nice one dude, where did you get the hinge covers from?

I think it was custom and commercial.. But can't be certain..

I collected a King & Link Pin beam for the bus this afternoon... Going to get it blasted, fit adjusters and get it powder coated, then fit the Transporterhaus dropped spindles.. Need to get some trailing arms.. Worst case scenario I'll buy those from Thaus too...

I etch primed the engine bay and rear valance tonight...

Looking good! This can be ready for EBI!!

Brought my bus home this evening.....





The red bay in this picture belongs to Mark Lewis... one of only 2 known Early Bay Westfalia Turret tops around! (This one if From Norway)



Shows of the new shine quite nicely....



And now tucked up in my garage at home...

So, I've decided to follow many great wise men and go down the King & Link Pin Beam route..

This beam was very very kindly donated to my project by Jon (aka Faux on EarlyBay). It's a pre-64 bea, with Bakelite bushes..





I have just had it sand blasted to clean it up, I am so so pleased with what I found, this beam is in A1 condition under all the grime...





I know plan to fit TransporterHaus, '63 only dropped spindles, beam adjusters, and give it a like of 'Edd China Special' satin black!

Are you going to get it narrowed?

No, staying stock split width...

I've done soooo much research looking at other people's buses and what their set ups are, a stock width splitty beam (2" narrower than an EB) will give me just what I want..

this is coming along nicely.

let me know when you next over this way and we'll go out for a drive in the bay to keep your aircooled addiction fed.

tango_van wrote:

this is coming along nicely.

let me know when you next over this way and we'll go out for a drive in the bay to keep your aircooled addiction fed.

I give it 2 mins 15 secs before he goes for the 'phantom brake pedal'