My Austin Rebuild

Discussions regarding bus to motorhome conversions are welcome here.
dropbear68
Posts: 22
Joined: Sun Jun 26, 2011 7:00 pm

Re: My Austin Rebuild

Post by dropbear68 »

Fiddly farty jobs not much to show really, lots of stuff underway, bugger all finished, how typical, cant just work on one thing gotta have 300 jobs going at once, but winter is coming so that weather for me is much more better for working inside.
dropbear68
Posts: 22
Joined: Sun Jun 26, 2011 7:00 pm

Re: My Austin Rebuild

Post by dropbear68 »

Got exited today and thought before I get around to mounting them bucket seats in the front I should square up the paint work and get it all finished, so I did lol, I so love that big old steering now so glad i decided to keep it, might do the last of the carpeting for the passengers area tween the seat box and the engine cover tomorrow, its raining again so im on the prowl for rotten leaks again. I know this is all going to be worth all the hard yakka in the long run when its finished and were touring.
kelvin12
Posts: 9
Joined: Wed Dec 01, 2010 6:58 pm
Favourite Vehicle: Austral, King of the Outback
Location: NSW Mid North Coast.

Re: My Austin Rebuild

Post by kelvin12 »

Good thing that it is raining, well from time to time that is, otherwise how would you be if you hit the road and found it pouring in behind somewhere where you couldn't get to easily.

Dirk
dropbear68
Posts: 22
Joined: Sun Jun 26, 2011 7:00 pm

Re: My Austin Rebuild

Post by dropbear68 »

Yeah major piss off that one Dirk specially if its behind a wall or one of the crazy roof leaks u cant find, but i have silicone and Im prepared to use it lol
kelvin12
Posts: 9
Joined: Wed Dec 01, 2010 6:58 pm
Favourite Vehicle: Austral, King of the Outback
Location: NSW Mid North Coast.

Re: My Austin Rebuild

Post by kelvin12 »

They sort of develop out of the blue at times. Even after weeks of none all of a sudden one pops its head up.

Dirk
dropbear68
Posts: 22
Joined: Sun Jun 26, 2011 7:00 pm

Re: My Austin Rebuild

Post by dropbear68 »

Im stepping the pace up now, too many unfinished jobs need to start squaring stuff up, Im making a box to go on the rear to house the air con unit and some space for hoses and leads etc will fit a new rear bar and lights to this, plus I have to make a new front bar as the spare tyre is going up front, hoping this wont affect engine cooling, then I have to make the roof rack and ladder etc, but what i really need is someone very light to get up on the roof and sand the roof back for me and seam seal the joins and then I can finish coat the roof with numerous coats of white kill rust enamel.
dropbear68
Posts: 22
Joined: Sun Jun 26, 2011 7:00 pm

Re: My Austin Rebuild

Post by dropbear68 »

Think I have everything now to fit the water tank, when the rain buggers off ill get under there and strike a blow, got plastic and brass fittings coming out my ears YIKES!
dropbear68
Posts: 22
Joined: Sun Jun 26, 2011 7:00 pm

Re: My Austin Rebuild

Post by dropbear68 »

Got me kitchen sink and mixer tap, Ive been slack for a while so full speed ahead from tomorrow, much to do
dropbear68
Posts: 22
Joined: Sun Jun 26, 2011 7:00 pm

Re: My Austin Rebuild

Post by dropbear68 »

Made a start on the kitchen, have fitted the back of it to the side wall, will construct the rest of this as I go along, no set plan for the kitchen just see how it evolves I guess
dropbear68
Posts: 22
Joined: Sun Jun 26, 2011 7:00 pm

Re: My Austin Rebuild

Post by dropbear68 »

Stove top aquired, Nifty oven scammed, carpet for the rear fart sack floor sourced, busy week next week lol
CCCC
Posts: 718
Joined: Sun Apr 05, 2009 6:42 pm
Favourite Vehicle: Silvereagle and Scenicruiser
Location: vaucluse

Re: My Austin Rebuild

Post by CCCC »

We need a pic update.
User avatar
plough
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri Feb 17, 2012 8:25 pm
Location: Newcastle NSW (Truck sleepercab OZ wide)

Re: My Austin Rebuild

Post by plough »

It may be on ebay soon as an unfinished project ????????
lol
There are 2 football teams with a swear word in there name. Arsenal and #%$#ing Manly.
dropbear68
Posts: 22
Joined: Sun Jun 26, 2011 7:00 pm

Re: My Austin Rebuild

Post by dropbear68 »

Keep on dreaming guys, i sanded the roof today
dropbear68
Posts: 22
Joined: Sun Jun 26, 2011 7:00 pm

Re: My Austin Rebuild

Post by dropbear68 »

Ill happy snap it this week some time
dropbear68
Posts: 22
Joined: Sun Jun 26, 2011 7:00 pm

Re: My Austin Rebuild

Post by dropbear68 »

Rebuilt the solex carby today and she fired first go, she doesnt rev hard but its a typical long stoke pommy truck motor, has good oil pressure and is dead quiet, think she will be ok the old donk, ill shout her some new plugs ans an oil change and a few other bits, am attacking the roof with much gusto, seam sealing, sanding, hopefully painted by end of next week then I can do the side walls and it will finally look like someone loves it
dropbear68
Posts: 22
Joined: Sun Jun 26, 2011 7:00 pm

Re: My Austin Rebuild

Post by dropbear68 »

I have made major inroads with the old tart, aircon unit mounted, just have to plumb it and whenn thebus is wired for 240v it can be gassed and tested, I want to finish the outside paintwork before I continue too much inside, got a million jobs on the hop and theres only one me, aint it always the way
aec1960590
Posts: 16
Joined: Tue Nov 15, 2011 9:08 am

Re: My Austin Rebuild

Post by aec1960590 »

keep goin mate u keepin us all enthralled....'there's only me' which means it gets done properly my way first time...cant wait till she's on the road....seeya there !
dropbear68
Posts: 22
Joined: Sun Jun 26, 2011 7:00 pm

Re: My Austin Rebuild

Post by dropbear68 »

I have put pics up under painting begins,, Im doing it all my self with no outside help, I have the skills to do it all except the wiring,. just time or lack off at times, Ive started fitting new lights to it outside today, done the marker lights and started one side of the rear stop and tail etc, lots more lights to go on yet
dropbear68
Posts: 22
Joined: Sun Jun 26, 2011 7:00 pm

Re: My Austin Rebuild

Post by dropbear68 »

Having some frigging wiring issues, lots of dead stuff that just wont friggin work, think the old fuse box might be cactus so I might wire in a new one, Ive been replacing the blinkers and stop tail lights and marker lights on it, non e of which are working, I hate electrical gremlins they really piss me off and this pos earth is bull crap too
dropbear68
Posts: 22
Joined: Sun Jun 26, 2011 7:00 pm

Re: My Austin Rebuild

Post by dropbear68 »

Was playing around with the motor in the old girl, gave her a degrease, fixed some split vacum hoses, pull the thermostat housing of it, no thermostat!, knowonder they say these motors give trouble in the heat, they only have like 1 inch water gallerys from block to return water to radiator, typical pom motor, anyways theres a small hose between the housing and block, I have replaced this with new hose and clamps, cleaned the two housings up and de rusted them and painted them out, so with a new cold thermostat and new radiator hoses this should work ok, the radiator has a small leak so its out and will be stripped and rodded out and repaired, ill look at the water pump and see if it wants replacing if I can get one, welsh plugs look fine, I will upgrade the tiny little 6 bladed pom fan and I mean its pathetic to a clutch fan and fit a mega thermo on the front of the radiator, hopefully this will keep it all running cool otherwise its radiator upgrade time, the poms exported trucks all over the globe with the BMC range youd reckon heating issues would have been upgraded in the early years, surely India and African based vehicles would have run as hot as our models here.

I need to fit a box behind the back wheel arch in the side wall to hold a genset and some space for annex etc, when I upgrade the exhaust which is also pitifully small to decent 2 and quarter inch system which will be routed so it come up and the back of the bus and and exit above the roof line like a modern coach, Im visioning fitting a small inch exhaust piupe to the genset with a small muffler that will run along side the main exhaust, hopefully this will quieten the genny enough to keep other van park dwellers onside, I am also in the process of fitting a snorkel up front, guessing the engine will go a little better if its getting fresh clean air not the crap the oil bath cleaner is picking up under the engine cover, the inlet for this will be just under the front window on the left side, plenty room in the wheel arch cavity to take the piping and mount the modified Ford air cleaner that will house the filter so much easier then cleaning oil bath set up.
dropbear68
Posts: 22
Joined: Sun Jun 26, 2011 7:00 pm

Re: My Austin Rebuild

Post by dropbear68 »

Shifted the silly oil bath aircleaner today bought it home for clean up and paint, throttle shaft on carby is well flogged out so Ill have to rebush it somehow, major source of vacum leakage there
dropbear68
Posts: 22
Joined: Sun Jun 26, 2011 7:00 pm

Re: My Austin Rebuild

Post by dropbear68 »

I scrubbed the poor old motor clean, used the spray truck which has a powerful pump unit made light work of all that cake don old oil and grease and dirt etc, even used it to flush the cooling system out, couple piddly jobs to do on the motor and I can restart it again and see how it goes now all the vacum leaks are sorted and the carby is spot on.
dropbear68
Posts: 22
Joined: Sun Jun 26, 2011 7:00 pm

Re: My Austin Rebuild

Post by dropbear68 »

queen size bed went in today with its ensemble base, getting the base in through the door was like trying to put a water melon through a footy sock but we got there, it takes up the entire rear floor I made from side to side end to end, very nice though, least if I get the arse from home I have somewhere to camp
dropbear68
Posts: 22
Joined: Sun Jun 26, 2011 7:00 pm

Re: My Austin Rebuild

Post by dropbear68 »

were having our lounge carpet changed which is only under a yea rold but is water damaged due to storm so Im keeping the greater majority of it to line the Austin out, its flash stuff too,
Havent done much of late but I have resealed the front door, fitted the curtain wires and proper stainless saddles no wobbly eye screws here lol, refitted her manufacturers plate in the stair well, will try and do some more this week as the weather is nice, my brother is coming up for a couple weeks to pitch in with some of the big stuff I cant do on my own so we will give it a good shake up, have to give her a clean up kind of looks like a chinese brothel inside, Im missing a vital piece for the door which is buried somewhere, so when its cleaned, new pics up.
dropbear68
Posts: 22
Joined: Sun Jun 26, 2011 7:00 pm

Re: My Austin Rebuild

Post by dropbear68 »

Carpeting underway, gee it looks nice too, inside is really looking like a home now
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