Topic: Resto on "Graham" our 72 crossdresser (Read 530 times)

SkidmarkII · « **on:** Mon 11/01/10, 19:35 »

If you can guess why she is called Graham I salute you lol

Ok here we go....we have said hello, put a pic up of us and posted pictures of our "Graham". So here we go with the all important resto thread to see the work and how we go with it.

The plans are to use the bus for holidays around our fair Island and abroad. Of course the shows but we are planning on doing alot more European shows after this year so the bus is an important part of the plans. So I need to get a wiggle on.

The concept........you will have to wait and see the progress!

Ok here we go with pics

Not to bad for a 72 running bus for a grand really........here are some of the parts I have collected as well. These came from Southern Kombi's who are very nice chaps from my experience so far.

72 only front arches

72 only complete rear end

I came across the parts by accident when I was looking into the best way to lower me mates bus. I got them not because I am a "pureist" and want the van to look correct for its year but to make my life with the resto less stressfull with fitting all the new panels. It just so happened tat thye are for the right year as well

Now onto the work!

SkidmarkII · « **Reply #1 on:** Mon 11/01/10, 19:53 »

Getting her home to the new garage..........som ewhere to live for the next year or so lol

Starting to have a little poke around

Next thread the work satrts. The plan is to start with all the little bits to try and get the bus semi solid then attack all the big panels on the outside starting from the back as the front is the worst part and I want to do it last so I can look at the rest and know its worth it.

one more for luck

dog · « **Reply #2 on:** Mon 11/01/10, 19:54 »

looking forward to seeing the rear end going on. now that will be a job and a half

hailfrank · « **Reply #3 on:** Mon 11/01/10, 20:41 »

cool, keep the pics coming

lost-en-france · « **Reply #4 on:** Mon 11/01/10, 21:04 »

The back end is a big job ....what`s wrong with the old one?

Neptune blue is a great colour...

HorTs · « **Reply #5 on:** Mon 11/01/10, 21:12 »

Couple of hours work.

MarkC68 · « **Reply #6 on:** Mon 11/01/10, 21:18 »

Good luck with the resto, you have some work cut out for you but with some time & patience she will be great again. Looking forward to seeing more here!!

75tintop · « **Reply #7 on:** Mon 11/01/10, 21:24 »

shes been neglected by PO's thats for sure, but at least she is goona get some love now.Keep the faith it WILL be worth it.

SkidmarkII · « **Reply #8 on:** Wed 13/01/10, 17:22 »

I seem to have missled some of you.....I am not going to replace the whole rear end, I am just going to use the parts I need from it including the corners, battery trays, rear valance (inner and outer) and any other little bits I need along the way.

Then wot ever is left over I am sure me mate can use as his bus has got a nasty big arsed dent in the back upper quater.

I want to do it this way as I know what i cut out from the complete rear will be easier to graft in than repo stuff!

SkidmarkII · « **Reply #9 on:** Wed 13/01/10, 17:31 »

And here is some more. Me and Emma decided that we were going to get heating from another source so I started to remove the heating ducts that run under the bus as IMO they are just rot traps, so if I take them away and plate and weld all the holes that means I wont have to do it again in another 20 years.

Also I run J-Tubes on my engines so would not have heat anyway lol

Bits cut out so far

I am also removing all the "bad" repairs that were done on the bus before I got my grubby mitts on it which is where the holes in the rear arch have come from in this pic

Here is a pic of the said "bad" repairs

Not back in the garage till Friday so wont have any updates for you till next week now. But as and when I do the work I will put it up in here.

Skids

BaG hEaD · « **Reply #10 on:** Wed 13/01/10, 21:11 »

Keep it coming Skids...

Good effort

scott wilson · « **Reply #11 on:** Thu 14/01/10, 11:08 »

nice base bus and those skp boys sure are handy folks to know..is it a british bus? looks like your doing a fine job.

SkidmarkII · « **Reply #12 on:** Thu 14/01/10, 21:24 »

Yer dude its a UK bus so not that bad really considering its never had any major work done on it from what I can see so far. It has patches welded like most cars but thats it.

Well managed to get in the garage for a couple of hours tonight and got on with making some of the new panels.

1st up the N/S rear arch.

Then the 2 holes in the rear floor where them nasty heater tubes were. Just need to do a bit of drilling and plug weld the 2 bent parts together and then cut them to to fit the hole there is. Then weld the new plate in the floor then all sorted

Then I got a bit carried away cos I had a little spare time. As this is my 1st resto on a bus I thought I should rip the belly pan off and have a gander to see how things go as I need to do the sills. I came to the conclussion that you need to lift the floor to put the rear one in which is a right ba*ta*d as the floor is ok. Anyone know of a way it can be done without lifting the floor?

Anyways here are the pics

Anyways thats me for the night..........will crack on with her tomoz and me and Emma are on it so i should get some welding done!

Skids

Birdy · « **Reply #13 on:** Wed 20/01/10, 22:03 »

Though it doesn't look it, those belly pans seem to have saved the floor from the tin worm quite well.

75tintop · « **Reply #14 on:** Thu 21/01/10, 09:10 »

when youre done will there be any original metal left!

keep it up...

SkidmarkII · « **Reply #15 on:** Sun 24/01/10, 17:03 »

Quote from: Birdy on Wed 20/01/10, 22:03

Though it doesn't look it, those belly pans seem to have saved the floor from the tin worm quite well.

yea they saved the floor, but where he has had repairs done they put plates over it so some of the main chassis has gone and all the out riggers etc.

Will be making my own repairs and redesigning what VW have done to make it more user friendly in the future. Will post up the home made improvemnets when I crack on with them.

SkidmarkII · « **Reply #16 on:** Sun 24/01/10, 17:24 »

Quote from: 75tintop on Thu 21/01/10, 09:10

when youre done will there be any original metal left!

keep it up...

lol there will be from the swage line up................. ....I was not even thinking about having a bus again till this popped up. Its tax free, got the steering wheel on the right side and I just could not say no as I love a challenge.

But to be honest I really want it for the trip we have planned for 2011 where we are doing a 2 week jolly to Bad Chamberg, the factory at Wolfsburg and Ebi! I just could not cope with how many times we would have to put a tent up and down lol

SkidmarkII · « **Reply #17 on:** Tue 26/01/10, 21:31 »

Ok had half a day in the garage today and managed to get on with the bus a little. Here are the pics and what I have been up to.

I have removed the main heater tube that runs down the middle of the bus, I have also taken out the 2 heat exchanger controls and all the tubing they use. It looks a lot tider and less chance of “crap” getting caught and trying to rot Graham out again.

So the starting point of the bus is going to be the chassis. I had a quick look and found I need to replace the following……..outriggers, some parts of the main chassis rails and so on. So that’s where I started, the front cross member.

Then after a bit came up with this

This looks like this on

I have left all the little holes up the top as I want to get the good old wax oil in there.

I then measured up a few more parts and set to it. Here they are on the sheet all measured out. The thick lines are for cutting and the broken lines are for bending

After cutting with the plasma

Then onto folding

And the finished parts

So far I have made parts for the front and rear cross members and some strengtheners to go across them and the outriggers. I have the measurements to make the replacement outriggers that also get rid of the dreaded jacking points, which IMO are another rot trap and I don’t ever use them so cant see the point of having them on there.

I am planning on being in the garage all day tomorrow so should get a bit done and will update on here when I have!

BaG hEaD · « **Reply #18 on:** Tue 26/01/10, 21:34 »

Fair play, my mate.. Looking bad, but soon to be good...Keep at it.

Birdy · « **Reply #19 on:** Wed 27/01/10, 00:43 »

Good luck in the garage tomorrow. I'll be thinking of you when l am doing my community rounds tomorrow in the warmth of my patients houses

Author Topic: Resto on "Graham" our 72 crossdresser (Read 530 times)

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