Woo Hoo.we have a boat BUT it has a bay attached, now what do we do.............

Discussion in 'Restorations' started by burntout, Jan 11, 2012.

  1. Hi Guys and Gals, what a very welcoming bunch of people you are! Has been great to receive such a lovely welcome in our introduction post, so we thought it was time we had better start posting a proper resto thread! Here goes:

    After selling our Beetle and thinking about leaving the VW Scene for a change, lo and behold, guess what is found two days later looking rather sorry for itself and in need of a bit of TLC:

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    The temptation was too much, and it was decided that the love of VW's was in the blood to stay, so after a little bit of negotiating our bus came home, to be loved again.

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    We couldn't believe it when we picked it up that the previous owner came along with a folder containing nearly 40 years worth of service history! ;D

    Unfortunately the bus had suffered with an engine fire in August 2010, and sat redundant since, :( until we spotted it! :D

    And now we plan to restore it as the family's project and bring it back to life once again! :-

    Keep posted for more pics, sweat and tear stories and most of all, tales of our special restoration trip! :)
     
  2. looking forward to the pics ;D

    K+ for a new resto thread
     
  3. Poptop2

    Poptop2 Administrator

    Nice one , shall we call you capt'n or skipper ? ;)

    ps you could have a nice little porch light under the overhang at the back and some livestock in the compound on the top :)


    Keep the pics coming and good luck with the resto .
     
  4. First job was to get the roof off, so we could fit it in the garage:

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    Doesn't it look different!

    We both have always said how awful pop tops can look, and this one has to be one of the ugliest we have seen! In fact it's so ugly we kind of think its cool, so for the moment at least, it is here to stay.

    We were obviously very inquisitive to the roof, as neither of us had seen one quite like it before, this is what we found out:

    "The first of the original Bariban Palominos, based on the 2-litre Type 2’s, were produced in 1979. They were designed by Tony Dilnott . Production started around 1978. The Palomino name came from the managing director who had an interest in all things equine. Only new bodies were converted. They were produced in RH and a few LH drive and the only colour Bariban produced was white. The fibreglass roof was made to match that colour. The originals had ‘stylish’ stick on decal strips (go-faster stripes.

    The production run was quite short because VW stopped producing Type 2s in 1979. However, the design was adapted for the new VW T25. The prototype for this model, whose roof was a cut-down of the earlier version, ran into problems when VW refused to guarantee the body of the van if it rolled. This was because for this design, they had to cut out the large central roof bar. These had to be left in place in all future models, covered by carpet and used to support the upper bunks.

    Before production of the T25 really got off the ground, Bariban went bust. Some months later, all the models, roof moulds and stock were bought at auction by a shady but likeable ‘geezer‘ from London who re-opened the works in May 1980 on a much reduced scale and called it Heritage Motorhomes. This firm ticked over for another 14 months producing a few T25s and a few Type 2s, usually for customers who brought their own second hand vans in for conversion but rarely on new bodies.

    Gradually, bills became unpaid and the bespoke suppliers who made the roofs, water tanks, metalwork, bunks etc stopped supplying and the Newton Abbot factory closed in July 1981. The moulds for both types of Palomino roofs were moved to London where its believed roof conversions continued. The later Heritage conversions don’t have the black steel luggage racks on the front as on the the originals. The angle in the roof was especially designed to accommodate the rack. The original roofs were seated onto the body with flanged rubber."

    Hmmm, interesting!
     
  5. That is one massive rear spoiler!
     
  6. Cheers for that, that is the first bit of history I've come across about the Palomino roof!!! :thumbsup:
     
  7. Poptop2

    Poptop2 Administrator

    Looks like Rhubarb without the roof ???
     
  8. Interesting bit of history, with your big history file, does it say when your roof was fitted?

    I'm still with you on the 'its so ugly its cool' :thumbsup:
     
  9. keep the roof fugly but retro coolness...you defiantly wont lose it in a car-park ;D
     
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  11. 10 out of. 10 for the roof but its not for windy days
     
  12. Zed

    Zed Gradually getting grumpier

     
  13. Kruger

    Kruger Sponsor

    What HP is the outboard motor on that thing?
     
  14. MorkC68

    MorkC68 Administrator

    Good luck to you fella, that'll be great once you get it sorted...lowered on alloys though :)
     
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  16. that is a cool roof ....
     
  17. So now the bus is in its new home :thumbsup: it was time to see what we really had:

    Not sure that this battery and set of jump leads is going to help start the engine :thinking:

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    Nah, definitely not, although the engine does still have some compression! :eek:

    This is the interior the bus came with:

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    Now it is time to see what we have really got, and get the screwdriver out to start poking about, daughter thoroughlly enjoyed this task (she is only 7) if only she knew how soul destroying this bit can be :-

    Here is some of what we found:

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    Some is worse than we thought, and some is better, so guess it kind of balances itself out, if that can be the case! :))

    Now to start stripping out:

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    Bit more rot, and gotta say, someone was A***** at fibreglassing! Done a great job, unfortunately, we will only ever be happy with it being proper metal under the paint, so out comes the grinder and of it comes: :D

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    And welding work begins:

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    We've got our work cut out, and its a family project, but hopefully we will enjoy all the highs and lows that go with it! :)

    So for now crew mates, it is time for us to clamber on board and get on with a bit more! 8)
     
  18. shame there are no desperados in there ....

    the inside looks very boat like
     
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  20. Looks a great project although a bucket load of work. The roof is great.
     

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