Happy Crimbo to all.

Inner windsreen view. Scrape both the inside and out.

exterior paint work

Locks frozen, doors and windows stuck shut.

Ice cooled!

And more snow.

Ive decided to try and not drive Elcie for a few days now until it gets a little warmer!!!

White Out Trouble.

Well Norfolk has been hit proper this year in terms of snow. Had to go out and rescue Lisas folks cut off in west acre - no power, no heat etc. Darren and I headed off with a gas cooker for them. Got stuck as so as we hit the small roads and HILLS!!! Landrover to the rescue!!!! My rear hand brake on one side had locked on, this did not help, but you try being the usual effient VW monkey stuck on a frozen slope! Made it ther and (thankfully) made it home!!! Driving at 45 degrees up hill is fun though!!

Thank you Mr.Landrover man

On the move again...nearly there. This was Snow Joke!! I am worried that a new knocking sound is that of a knackered CV joint or a damaged differencial!!! It knocks as I speed up only on one drive side only??

VW Winter

No chokes, no heat........Yahhhhhh! No water cooled softey shit here!!! Keeps on running!!! ( I did have a windscreen in, though!!) Im dreaming of a Propex gas heater Christmas!!!!!

Winter Service

New bigbore 35mm j-tubes..........loads more space!!

The best of both....i had to keep the original spindel as the two liter starter is longer , and it has more ware than the 1600 spindel. Better solenoid fitted also. A little sealant also.

Get it clean, abrasive paper on the electromagnetic surfaces, cleaned all the brushes.

So with winter fast approaching and with a host of failures , notably the broken manifolds and dodgy starter motor. New j-tubes (no more crappy heat!! :0) with quality slim 11mm brass nuts and ss bolts....new 35mm gaskets also. Also stripped down the dicky starter and it was totally full of dust and rust......so cobbled together the best of two......cleaned, greased and sealed it all it up, fresh.

New concept??

A replica cast 69 bay badge.....this material actually rusts!! Who the fuck would steal that off your bus??? Glue the bugger down as well!! It can easily be modified or cast in ceramic and raku fired!!!

World Record Attempt

World record attempt made today 08/12/09

"Longest distance travelled in a 1974 VW T2 with no front windscreen at 60mph with only a pair of shades and a jacket in the middle of winter"

38.9miles!!!

NICE!#

steering box clean up

Body complete for Gary.

I tghink it would be fair to say that the bodyworks done!!!! WOW. One very tired but happy gary on the return leg.

Wheel arch in, door fitting well, loads of other bits . finishing touches really like - inner wheel arch carpet groove salvaged from dazzers then welded into garys!!

Garys done nice work here - salvaging plates etc.

All repairs done to cabfloor.Just need to trim the step.

No introduction required...

Try not to wet yourselves when you watch this clip.... It's the funky giibbon in one of his many finest hours on the dance floor.

OK Click here to see it on YouTube!

69 Rebirth

Garts new 68 door...............its got more patina than Darrens....its also got a bent hinge which has really pissed him off!! Fits nice thought!!

A good days work. Just a B pillar and outer and inner front wheel arch repair!!!

Compared with the first picture of the day, wow!!!

Door slide lovely with grinding the welds.

Good burn through on the mig.

Notice the inner sill repair plate.

All welded.

Cleaned and zinked and notice that the c post is repaired

What a rude sight for a saturday morning!!!

Ben was busy shaping the new repair section, cut from a new wheel arch. I was cleaning up the underside and getting it covered in zinc primer.....

Offering up the new section looked good, and with sum gentle tapping here and there, it fitted a treat...

Door back on for the first time in a couple of years ;)

Inside it was a bit tricky welding through the inner arch to the bumper mounts, but it was good and strong - welder on max!

Bit of fiber glass filler to flatten the step to make it drain properly and look like an original...

Garry was busy getting his bushes replace on the rear and using a slide hammer to try and straigten the A piller and front clip... Bit of welding and grinding to make up for the bitch work ;)

So next week, Ben will be doing the sill and B pillar repair, then it's just the rear lower arch repair and the sliding door can be put back on!

This time next year........

Free Holidays....

If you are ever out and about and need somewhere amazing to pull the bus into out of the rain how about this http://www.mountainbothies.org.uk/index.asp

Or for aspiring artists a free stay in Sweden http://www.creatorsinn.com/ maybe we should get the play doh out : )

A just little fun

Just a few seconds fun in Bawsey.

Any comparison?

Just found these pictures as a reference!!!!

Blood, sweat but no tears.

An old volkswagen tradition.

Battery tray welded in and all those welds ground down.

Tailgate widow sill treated, upper surface of rear valance treated.

Windscreen lower rebuilt with fiberfiller, still need loads of tlc but I only need to worry about the outer curve to set it correctly.

Original screen back in on old cut rubber....the leading edge of rubber needs to just sit over most of the repair work.

Just fiberfiller and primer.......starting to look convincing.

All welded, ground and sanded, then primered. Patina looking strong.......still yet to panel beat.

Wow shes had a real, rear whack at some time! Original stock replacement rear valance after crash I think.....still has original red paint.

All in all, very solid , if a little rippled!! It wouldnt take much filler to look "Bling"