Ok so just a jokey heading so hopefully nobody will take offence, no doubt opening myself right up there for abuse lol! I've decided enough is enough, I've had Lardy for three years now and I've done loads to get the bus to where it is today. Rather than the woe is me story of text I had written out... I've got to spray the bottom half but a little tinkering with a couple of panels before that can be done. All welding is completed, is well solid but it looks I've been told 'sheddy.' So anyway with money at a squeeze I've decide to bite the bullet and drive it! Go camping and just try and enjoy for a while as he is after all, that's what it's there for surely? Sooo, who else drives/ uses their bus in an unfinished state on here? C'mon make me feel a little better!?
I've used mine from the day I got it registered. No interior so I took a tent first time, I just wanted to use it. And I always drive them until they need a resto and sometimes mid-resto, so have had some pretty tatty ones.
I bet most people on this forum don't have a perfect bus, and indeed drive ones in much worse a state than yours tbh, and at the end of the day, who cares? Mine, as I have often said, is no show winner and there are lots of faults if you look closely enough. The white part of my van is hand painted and close inpection reveals it's not a perfect job, but one which I can improve - pics don't really bear that out. The rusty parts of the lower body that I sorted out have been painted by me in Rustoleum but the colour isn't an exact match (but when is touching up ever gonna produce a match?) and there is a slight dent to the front panel which was probably caused when someone welded a wheel carrier to it. There is a couple of bulges where the filler / fibreglass of old repairs hasn't been sanded enough - I could go on. I've made it look presentable and that is about all I care about as it IS supposed to be used, and will no doubt never be perfect. Doubt the pic will help you feel better, but the bottom 6 inches is clearly a slightly different colour. The corners aren't quite this bad now as I've worked on them but you get the idea: Do what you can, when you can is what I say and whatever other people think doesn't really matter. Sheddy? I'd be having words with them mate - don't they know these busses are a long term project. Even the concours types don't stay that way forever. Use it and love it, I reckon. And if you really feel it necessary give it a cheap paint job pending a proper one in a year or so if you're that bothered?
I don't know how you have the patience to have a van on the drive for ages in bits, make it a rolling resto and use it!
i would hold my head up high in that bus you will still get people looking at you wishing they had one!!!!!
That's the issue fella, I need to finish off the primer and get that rear quarter sorted but fed up not using it. I've got the new paint at the bottom of the stairs, it should be on the van I know but want to paint in one go, don't want to paint parts as I go.
Why not? Thing is you need to do what you can while the weather is good, and if that means doing a panel each day or even each week, at least it begins to look much better each time and you will feel better for it... Rome wasn't built in a day. I reckon you could do the two doors in a day easily then look to the other bits when you have the chance... Sounds like you're needing a motivation boost? And in between use it like it's meant to be
Yeah I suppose so, doors are pretty much ready for proper prime and paint so yeah, when the weathers better next week I'll give it a go
You know you want to The truth is, to do it outdoors in one go you'd need a good week on it, a dry one at that. How often does that happen and always assuming you've got the time off work? One panel at a time is manageable and more realistic given the amount of prep involved i.e. masking etc and allowing drying tome for each coat. Don't lose the faith
