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Post by FredTransit on Jan 21, 2014 17:05:30 GMT 1
have the inner wings gone by the bonnet hinge? They are easy enough to plate up. Seems a shame to cut up a potentially roadworthy van for just those bits..... I have a spare steering box, and they can be reconned too.
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Post by dodgerover on Jan 22, 2014 0:18:39 GMT 1
Have you got any of the bits they need ready cut off one of your previous scrappers Fred? You could do a trade.....seems a shame to cut it up if its half decent.
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Post by FredTransit on Jan 22, 2014 11:02:38 GMT 1
no inner wings but I do have loads on vans on the road that have been repaired!!
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Post by Steve on Jan 23, 2014 21:43:32 GMT 1
Hi People,
Sorry I haven't posted for a couple of days as I didn't know how to reply.........I do totally agree with you on the merits of breaking it! I personally own two 1968 Vauxhall Victor's and the mere thought of someone breaking a one that is savable would be an outcry...........however, it's not actually my van. It's owned by a bus preservation group that I co-founded.
When we purchased our Transit minibus it was because I fought for it to be saved. I'm a Transit fan and it's very significant for bus preservation in our area in that era. The other members of the group are not that bothered about it and prefer proper buses. We had a group meeting on Saturday night over a few beers and I put it to them, I mentioned that there may be people willing to take on the van to restore it. The unanimous decision I got back was "either break the van to fix the minibus or sell them both". They then commented that selling the minibus might not be a bad idea as it would allow time and funds to be spent on a 'proper' bus, and 'who would want to take 'that thing' to a show'!! That leaves me in a difficult position as either way, one of them will be broken as no one would take on the minibus. It is truly rotten! Believe me, I restore 60's Vauxhall's, I know what rotten is! The inner wings are not really repairable, they are rotten around the shocker mount, bulkhead, bonnet hinges, top edge and where they meet the headlamp panels. Remember, this was a service bus covering 50k a year in all weathers in the North East and operated by a company used to operating proper buses with a proper chassis!
I've made the decision that the minibus must be saved! To that end, unfortunately the van will be broken. We will keep everything we can use. I've always adopted the philosophy that you can't have too many spare parts. To that end, we will put the inner wings onto the minibus as they are mint, we will keep everything else that may come in useful in the future like switches, clocks, steering linkage, brakes, servo, axles, springs pedal box etc etc. The remainder of the van will be available, we can take some comfort from the fact that the roof and other parts will help to get / keep other vans on the road. The van will be broken sympathetically and nothing disposed of, everything we don't need will be available and not for silly money. I don't know the value of stuff and you lot seem a decent bunch of genuine enthusiasts that would keep me right. Anything we sell that will help other vehicles will soften the blow of this one being broken.
Steve
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Post by irishtransit on Jan 23, 2014 22:45:14 GMT 1
they sound like a hard bunch you have there.anyway it is a proper bus just a small one !!my dad used to drive buses in the 70's and 80's for bus companies down south,nice old things.
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Post by Steve on Jan 23, 2014 22:53:09 GMT 1
I do make it sound that way! We've ran a successful preservation group in the North East for 10 years and unfortunately you need to be ruthless to be successful. We learned very quickly you don't have money or space for everything you'd like and you can't save them all as much as you'd like to. The hardest thing to do is not let your heart rule your head!
Steve
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Post by FredTransit on Jan 24, 2014 1:03:00 GMT 1
They would die if they saw Winnie! She's got 35,000 on her and only just came out of a warehouse last year, after 12 years indoors......
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Post by dodgerover on Feb 26, 2014 0:54:51 GMT 1
Hi Steve, have you got any further with this yet? Thanks Giles
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Post by paulyn on Feb 28, 2014 13:40:08 GMT 1
hello,any one got a wing mirror for a 1983 ,drivers side.
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Post by Steve on May 18, 2014 22:55:34 GMT 1
Hi people, sorry I ain't been on here for a while.
The restoration of the minibus will start July ish, then we will know if it's viable. If it is, the van will be broken, if not, the bus will be scrapped & the van sold complete
Cheers
Steve
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