The van formerly known as "Tootle"

Got chance to unpack my parts from schofields today, this lot should keep me busy for a while

 

Im looking forward to following this build along
Thats a very tidy and spacious workshop you have

 

Well-jel! As I think is common parlance amongst the 'yoof' of today!

 

Not only am I "well-jel" of his Schofields hoarde but I'm also well-jel of his workshop too. The old green-eyed monster is alive and well and living in Milton Keynes! !

 

Nice project fella.

 

You've got some time used up to get those in where they need to be!!!! Good luck (not that you'll need it). Don't forget to keep us posted! LOL

 

Good luck with the resto. That lot will keep you busy and I suspect there will be more panels needed!

Looking forward to seeing this one progress.

 

I think so too, I'm just going to stop looking and poking for now though for sanity's sake!

I will concentrate on the bits I have got and then move on.

 

Managed to get a couple of hours uninterrupted yesterday after work so I turned these


Into this......

I had forgotten how much I love being on my back with molten metal and lumps of burning underseal falling on me!
I chopped them out with the plasma cutter so still have to drill the spot welds out from above to get the return edges off


My new book turned up too, thanks for coinciding the finished article with the start of my project!

 

i've said this before and i'm sure i'll say it again....... you people that can be bothered to restore these when they have that much rot have my respect although i fear you must be mental, i would never entertain it while there are rust free shells still around, the cost in time and financial loss must far outweigh importing a straight one.

 

At least with a full restoration/rebuild you know how solid your bus will be, good luck

 

this is true, don't get me wrong - i just couldn't be bothered.

 

After your epic wait for bolly, I don't know if I could cope with importing, I'm far too impatient

 

true, but it worked out well in the end, 3 years i've had her and not one fail or panel replaced, true you have to keep on top of it and there will be cash to spend in the future but i can at least ensure it will never get that bad.

 

Each to their own but personally I got sick of looking at 10k "solid" bus's that weren't solid at all, it's so easy to make them look the part with patches and filler

Take the inner sills on mine for instance looked solid and would resist even the most savage prod with a screw driver! Behind it though was just the flaking remains of the middle strengthener, stuff like that bugs me and without opening it all up you would never know any different

Granted I would love It to have less rust but it is what it is, at least I know it will be 100% solid in all the right places when I strap my young children in the back of it

For what it cost me plus the price of the panels to make it right definitely wouldn't get me a truly solid bus

I think I am slightly mental though

 

Got another couple of hours on it today, managed to drill the spot welds out of the sills from above with no problems to remove the last pieces. Then after assessing the top hat sections the rear two need replacing from the chassis rail outwards.

After a few measurements trial fitting the new inner sill here it is cut out, the support bracket on the rear one took a little while to get out without damaging it.

Middle three are nice and solid so just need a good clean up

 

I can tell from your approach that this is going to be a cracking bus when finished

 

Good plan tbh

 

I don't agree with you saying that the financial loss outweigh importing my bus only own me about 2 grand as it sits and I am about to paint it and when finished I have a right hand drive rust free bus

 

I guess it depends how you value your time