Topic: 'WILBY' the bay's long term resto (Read 1685 times)

vwbusman · « **on:** Sat 13/02/10, 18:41 »

Hi All, I thought i'd restart my resto thread which was on the old site. The restoration of Wilby started back in 2005 and should hopefully be complete by 2011. As the title suggests this is a long term project!

Here's Wilby back in 2004

and with Vanhassan's bay at Devil's Dyke

Strip down pic's to follow

MarkC68 · « **Reply #1 on:** Sat 13/02/10, 18:42 »

Good to see you back on here

yes you ought to ressurect the thread, it was very good!

vwbusman · « **Reply #2 on:** Sat 13/02/10, 18:54 »

Quote from: MarkC68 on Sat 13/02/10, 18:42

Good to see you back on here yes you ought to ressurect the thread, it was very good!

Cheers Mark, I'm trying to complete all the bodywork by Sept this year.

I will sart with a couple of pic's of the strip down, which involved the all the family!
It all started with this small rust hole!

vwbusman · « **Reply #3 on:** Sat 13/02/10, 19:17 »

Detailed shots of replacing the front panel

Panel & front arches removed - no going back now!

The front chassis section was badly corroded and had to go

New section in place

and a posts repaired ready for the new front panel

Front prepared prior to fitting

and going on

and finally with deformation panel welded in place

75tintop · « **Reply #4 on:** Sat 13/02/10, 21:46 »

great

thread and sage green like mine!

vwbusman · « **Reply #5 on:** Sat 13/02/10, 23:01 »

Quote from: 75tintop on Sat 13/02/10, 21:46

great thread and sage green like mine!

Cheers mate, can't wait to get a coat of sage on all those repair panels!

Next on the agenda was the OS sill area

The spacer sill had completely rotted away (didn't look like it had ever been fitted!) and there wasn't much left of the inner sill. can't believe it passed an MOT like that. Those belly pans did a great job of hiding the rot.

Tackled both the jacking points at the same time

HorTs · « **Reply #6 on:** Sun 14/02/10, 19:27 »

Good work, great use of child labour.

How easy was it to do the front and deformation panels?

HorTs · « **Reply #7 on:** Sun 14/02/10, 19:31 »

Also, what pop-top is that?

vwbusman · « **Reply #8 on:** Sun 14/02/10, 21:23 »

Quote from: HorTs on Sun 14/02/10, 19:27

Good work, great use of child labour.

How easy was it to do the front and deformation panels?

Hi HorTs, The front was relatively easy to do. I cut the very top part of the new front off to save chopping my roof section & butt welded at the top of the A pillars. As for folding the front outer edges around the A posts, I started with a hammer and then finished using a door skinning tool. As the deformation panel was off it was easy to plug weld the lower edge of the front through holes punched in the chassis section.

The deformation panel was fairly easy to cut off, but the chassis behind was a pig to remove.
The welding back on was quite easy.

As for the pop top, it used to be a Devon but I am converting to a Doormobile which I purchased 2nd hand from O'conners Campers.
Here's a shot of us transporting it home

Hope it fits better on Wilby!

Birdy · « **Reply #9 on:** Sun 14/02/10, 22:49 »

Loving the Touran Doormobile but one thinks the dimensions of the pop top are a little wrong

And good luck with it. Green and white devon....you lucky chap!!!!! My ideal colour combo and conversion.

HermioneBay · « **Reply #10 on:** Mon 15/02/10, 08:58 »

Looking forward to seeing more of this thread, and I think that "Wilby" is the perfect name!

Highfield Hendy · « **Reply #11 on:** Mon 15/02/10, 13:26 »

Good work, keep the pics coming

vwbusman · « **Reply #12 on:** Mon 15/02/10, 23:13 »

Thanks for the comments guys, there's plenty more to follow!

Next were the NS sills.

and then the NS B post

Birdy · « **Reply #13 on:** Wed 17/02/10, 01:09 »

[/quote]

It's nice to know that why you paid extra for 2 tone paint, VW really DID give you 2 tone paint

vwbusman · « **Reply #14 on:** Sun 21/02/10, 10:49 »

Next it was the NS rear side panel & inner wheel arch.

repairs to what I think is called the C post?

Then repairs to the inner wheel arch

Got to try out my new shrinker/Stretcher making a repair section on the inner arch

and finally the side panel welded in place

vwbusman · « **Reply #15 on:** Sun 21/02/10, 10:58 »

Then the outer NS sill.

The sill prepped for welding

dubsparky · « **Reply #16 on:** Sun 21/02/10, 13:09 »

wow i am amased with your restoration are you making all the panels your self, looking really good wish mine was comming along as quickly as yours

vwbusman · « **Reply #17 on:** Sun 21/02/10, 19:49 »

Quote from: dubsparky on Sun 21/02/10, 13:09

wow i am amased with your restoration are you making all the panels your self, looking really good wish mine was comming along as quickly as yours

Thanks for your kind words dubsparky. I'm only making the small repair parts here & there and buying genuine replacement panels where possible.
I wish the resto was coming on quicker really as I've been at it for five years now. I only manage to get out in the garage once a week due to work & family committments. I would really like to get it in paint by September this year & finish the interior by the following summer.

Betty is coming along really well, when do you expect to get her painted?

Birdy · « **Reply #18 on:** Sun 21/02/10, 20:01 »

I want to use censored words but can't. The work looks top dollar to me. Good luck and looking forward to seeing your bus finished as soon as poss.

vwbusman · « **Reply #19 on:** Sun 21/02/10, 20:58 »

Cheers Birdy, I've been out there for a few hours today cutting out more rust from the OS rear corner(if only I could take 3 months off work to get it done! Oh well back to the real world).

Here's some more pic's, this time of the rear NS corner which I decided had to go as there was a large rust hole just under the gutter at the back. Spent a long time pondering how I could weld it up at the top & eventually decided to take the inner section out at the top as well so I could weld from the inside. Trouble is it's going to be difficult to weld that back in neatly!