Im thinking of having a delux type trim on my bus but made out of polished oak Good idea or bad idea?
Apart from the mirrors and the vents thats the most sticking out part of the bus So it would be practical if i had to squeeze down narrow country lanes Id like practicality and pretty at the same time
Delux trim of any sort...bad idea imo.. they never all seem to line up quite right and/or look wonky on at least one panel, especially round the rear corners...I know the thought of drilling loads of holes in the van puts alot of peeps off..
The corners are going to be hard. The original metal trim has hidden spring clips. How about... That ali stuff with the rubber insert.
Not specifically, that's the idea. Something a bit different. Thinking about it, the back will be flat and won't sit on the curved swage . It would have to go on the flat below which would defeat the object somewhat.
I like the idea of doing it like a Moggy Minor. I saw this a few years ago at Stonor Park so it shows anything is possible.
I think the combination of olive green and wood trim would work, so if you can get around the practicality of fitting it, I say go for it.
I like the idea Para 8). I reckon the corners may be difficult though. It might be doable if you use thin oak strips, and steam and laminate them?? I know my dad (many years ago) decided he wanted a different project, so bought an old governess cart. Most of it was rotten and he had to make replacement shafts. These had quite a curve in the so he replicated this using strips of ash that were then steamed in a home made steamer in the back yard. The strips were clamped in to shape, then dried out and glued together. Oak grain is shorter and tighter than ash. Ash is naturally bendy/bouncy - I think the framing on a Moggie was ash wasn't it?? Looks like ash was used on the bus in Birdys picture as well?? I reckon oak is going to be more difficult to do the curve you need with a single piece of timber than ash, but if you had strips of wood that were really thin it might work .
Now try to not gasp in horror for a second, just bear with me. You can buy rolls of simulated wood grain vinyl for restoring old station wagons and such that had it from the factory. It's quite affordable ($40 a roll if I remember) and easy to apply. I suspect you would really want real wood or nothing, but for the price and ease of application it would at least give you a fairly clear picture of what you're going for. If you apply it and love the look, peel it off and wood it. If you don't like the look, peel it off and forget it. You'll have done no drilling or otherwise irreversible damage in the process.
