The Saga of Tortuga's "Resto"

Discussion in 'Restorations' started by [:DSbS:], Feb 1, 2014.

  1. Hows the van getting on?
     
  2. @Mully_89 thanks for reminding me about this thread!

    Yeah, so its seems like I've abandoned this project, but I haven't really done any work that's photoworthy - just varnishing wooden panels for trimming and finishing the rear insulation - until recently...

    So this is where the interior was up until four weeks ago;
    [​IMG]

    Then I got a call from my friend Ben (who got married two weeks ago) that started like this;
    Ben: "You know you're using the van to transport some stuff for us? Umm, how many people can it carry?"
    Me: "Potentially four, but at the moment? Two including the driver. Why?"
    On one level I wish I'd never asked. Somehow Tortuga went from being general transport vehicle to wedding vehicle, which meant I needed to install all the freshly trimmed interior panels and seats (thanks @delilah!) and make the inside look suitably presentable (seen here in progress);
    [​IMG]

    Unfortunately I was kept so busy on the day, I never managed to get any photos of all my hard work on the interior :( or the result of all the hard work cleaning the exterior:( although I think the wedding photographer managed to slot Tortuga into just about every shot she took :D

    Having put most of the interior in, I was inspired to get the project moving again and, to avoid damaging the trimmed panels, was forced to remove most of them to work on the wardrobe and overhead locker as the next three photos show;
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]

    Rounding up the work to date, I marked up and cut out the doors in the wardrobe side;
    [​IMG]
     
    Coco, delilah and Paul zen like this.
  3. Looking great so far! Are those seats re trimmed or just covers? They look great. I must update my thread soon, ive been poking about and have spent the last 2 weeks of work chasing and chopping out rot :(, just awaiting an outrigger,tophat and centre crossmember from alan schofield. Anyway keep up the great work I need the inspiration!
     
  4. Super quick update to resurrect the (seemingly) dead thread!
    So things have been manic since last post, but the cupboard is 90% complete and varnished and the celling is now mainly in! God that sums up about three months of blood, sweat, toil, swearing and tears FAR to succinctly...
    Once I get my photos downloaded onto my 'puter and uploaded onto here (may take some time...), I'll be able to show what has happened during those three months - schoolwork and wedding plans notwithstanding.
     
  5. Wow. Possibly should have waited til Easter for a resurrection of this magnitude...
    Quick version; cupboards, etc all sorted and have used the van for some short term camping. Since there was no call for the wedding vehicle this year I've stripped out the electrics; mainly so I know what I'm playing with when I start adding stuff!
     
    Coco, lost-en-france, art b and 2 others like this.
  6. Now the mad rush of Christmas is over I can finally post photos of progress on Tortuga.
    So, here's the interior of the cab after removing the electrics and installing sound and heat insulation on the front panel;
    [​IMG]
    Next, here's the cab about halfway through reinstalling the wiring - I'd already checked through the loom and replaced any damaged sections, so spent most of the time getting the wires in sleeving to keep it neat and tidy;
    [​IMG]
    Finally, halfway through today's work; the dash is back and some of the switches are in place.
    [​IMG]
    It was too dark to take a photo when I'd finished, but the cab is now more or less back to how it was before I started and all the electrics work as they did before.
    The only thing that doesn't work, is the high beams - I replaced the relay but it hasn't made a difference; any advice anyone?


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     
    Merlin Cat, paradox and paul2590 like this.
  7. Nice to see it moving along
     
    [:DSbS:] likes this.
  8. Right; following the advice of various people regarding Tortuga's high beams, I've checked the wiring at the fuse box end (it matches the wiring diagram), I've checked the wiring at the bulb end (it also matches the diagram) and I've checked inside the original relay (rusty as hell).
    I'm guessing this is the root of the problem; the relay's working but not holding. Any advice on how to get rid of the rust without totally destroying the relay?


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     
  9. JamesLey

    JamesLey Sponsor

    I'd just replace the relay. They're relatively cheap.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     
  10. I bought a new one. It doesn't work :( The old one does despite being rusty :D


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     
  11. It's all wrong .....the wiring is supposed to look like a dropped bowl of spaghetti! Not all tidy and bunched up ... Start by undoing that binding and adding in some wires from household 3 core flex...

    Tidy job there.. new relay sorted out our dip

    Sent from my Hudl 2 using Tapatalk
     
    [:DSbS:] and Coco like this.
  12. JamesLey

    JamesLey Sponsor

    Ah didn't see your earlier post! Send it back and get a new one.
    This might sound ridiculous but have you checked the earth cable (if there is one, I can't quite remember if it has one, I know the indicator relay does). I only mention that as I had a iffy indicator relay, bought a new one which didn't work at all and when I switched back to the old one it seemed to work most of the time. Turned out the earth had come off and just by chance ground itself when I tried the old one again! Re-attached the earth wire and new relay and it was fine. Possibly a long stretch but worth a shot?


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     
  13. It's an idea. I had reconnected all the earths, but I spotted one got knocked off when I put the heater tubes back in - that's been reconnected, but Sod's law says one of the others might have come loose...


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     
    JamesLey likes this.
  14. I now have high beams and can flash the headlights! Turned out to be a combination of the original relay not working properly and an extra connection from the live feed to pin 30 on the new relay.
    I've got it on the live side of fuse 7, but I'm not 100% sure this is right; should I change it so it's on the opposite side of an 8 amp or 16 amp fuse?


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     
  15. Well I managed to adjust the height of the steering lock/indicator assembly over the weekend - now I'm getting caught out by the indicators self cancelling!


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     
    Valveandy likes this.
  16. So Tortuga now has front and rear fog lights and wiring to link them to the power. Unfortunately the cables are waiting to be threaded into the cab and linked to the switches I installed a fortnight ago and the rear light also awaits a bulb...
    One day I might get round to installing the reversing lights I bought before Christmas...


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     
  17. Last weekend saw the fog lights fully wired up and working, albeit after some confusion over which way was "off" on the switches. Once that was sorted, I finally installed the reversing light kit, but found the light housings to be decidedly worse for wear...
    I also found the rear safari window seal was leaking, so both C&C and VWH received orders for bits which arrived during the week.
    Today the seal got fitted and I managed to install the rear right light cluster before the cold got to me...
    Rear light cluster
    [​IMG]
    Rear fog light
    [​IMG]
    All lights on!
    [​IMG]



    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     
    paradox and JamesLey like this.
  18. So despite last week being half term holidays, an imminent house move means no further progress on Tortuga apart from repeated runs to the local tip.
    Did manage to snatch last weekend to attempt lowering the rear, but gunk, rust, an annoyingly positioned dent and a lack of blowtorch prevented this from happening.
    I did start "Westfalia-inspired-buddy-seat MkII", but looks like this project won't be moving forward until we've moved now...
    [​IMG]


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     
    Dicky, JamesLey and Coco like this.
  19. Buddy seat nearing completion...
    [​IMG]
    ...and a few photos of the scratch made fittings and how the internal lights fit in the wood cladding headliner.
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    I've knocked up this thingy so I can have a pull chain to sound the horn - going to have to upgrade the horn itself now; "beeeep" just doesn't cut it.
    [​IMG]
    Finally, here's the two centre planks of the headlining complete with horn chain and both internal lights. Now I know they fit, everything's been removed again pending varnishing of the headlining.
    [​IMG]


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     

Share This Page