It absolutely amazes me how some people can look on the positive side of rot like that and just get on with it and fix it, me I'd run off in a panic! Excellent work
When I restored my first van years ago before I did this for a living, I remember thinking the same thing, rising panic at what I'd taken on, but half the battle is understanding how it all goes together, once you understand the way the van is constructed, you can break it down into manageable sections in your mind which makes it less daunting I think. Or just buy an import
Good stuff going on here makes me believe maintenance isn't an issue (if you know how to weld - which I don't)
Thanks for posting up the picture Fletch and thank you everyone for the great comments. As with all old vehicles it's always best to cut out all the old dodgy repairs and this will be getting a full waxoyl to help preserve it for longer. So hopefully she will be collected from Fletch on Monday and taken to the bodyshop for a prep and then a nice fresh coat of paint. I have ordered all the rubbers for the vehicle from Custom & Commercial, they do a complete bundle along with new primed bumpers to be painted and they came really quickly. Whilst all this is being done I have the engine at work being stripped down ready for a tidy up & service, so it's all coming together nicely.
So it's been a while since I've added anything, so thought it was time for an update. I had a call and a few pictures from the bodyshop saying it's in paint and they are now painting the doors, bumpers and all the other bits that need bolting back on. Not seen her yet, but can't wait! Better get the engine sorted now!
So it's been a while since an update, so here we go. Vera arrived home early May for us to start building her back up. This is her arriving home from the paint shop The wife finally sitting behind the wheel! So the inside was stripped out by Fletch and a blank canvas was ready for us to fit out! I have posted these pics before, using a 9mm ply for the infill the fitted a 3mm top and I was really pleased with the result. And finally today I fitted the contract floor covering and I am really pleased with the out come, what do you guys think? I was so happy I thought I would test fit all the new interior I ordered from Stirling Automotive in Newbury and really make it feel like I have made progress today. I have some trimming to get it perfect, but we are both over the moon with how everything's coming together.
Thanks for the comments I brought it from my local timber merchants using an 8x4 sheet then a half sheet for under the cupboards so there wasn't a join in the middle. The 3mm and the 9mm was about £70 together all cut to size
So while all the interior stuff has been coming along nicely, the engine has been sitting in the garage after a freshen up and some painting, now waiting for the tinwear to come back from the painters, then got a few other dress up parts, keeping the orange and white theme. I've replaced the carbs that were on there with a new weber carb setup with manifolds, new heat exchangers from Just Kampers and an electronic ignition system to hopefully make it more reliable. I just need to decide on an exhaust. Not heard great things about the Empi ones, so was think of a standard replacement. Any thoughts or recommendations?
Total respect for the expertise on display. Just one thought: if that's a 'good solid bus', what does a minter look like
I've gone with the standard exhaust on my type 2 both times I did a refit. Very happy with the ease and sounds of it. Can't go wrong with a factory set up, I figure VW spent thousands of $ to insure each part was useful and correct.
