Club 80-90 Forums

Thanks to everyone who has taken an interest in my efforts to restore my old bus, it has taken up a lot of my spare time and cash but when I was humming along in the south of France last week and waking up next to the Mediteranian sea it was worth every second. On reflection the worst part for me was getting those flaming circlips back in place on the pistons through those small holes in the engine block. The sweat was running from my brow as I expected to lose at least one inside the crankcase, it was like defusing a bomb

Another shot or 3 from our recent trip........ . . .

Hello,

I've followed your thread with interest and nay, admiration.

I'm into about the same stage, except I've had to go for engine first.

My target is to go ski-ing with this winter and then a F1 race next year.

I'm going to Lidl tomorrow and getting their compressor and lphv gun, their price is €99,99 for a 2hp compressor, the cheapest rival is nearly 2x the price.

By the way, where are you , I'm in the Limousin (19800).

Cordialement,

Keep the faith Sarran, when you feel like smashing the engine with a hammer walk away and return another day thats the best advise I can think of. I am in the Charente Maritime near Cognac, good luck

The weather is still hot and sunny so we decided to make the most of it and have a few more days away camping on the Isle d'Oleron just south of La Rochelle

A week later and off we go again for an overnighter at our local beach.......... . . . .

realy enjoyed reading this, well done and thanksfor taking the time to post . congrats on a job well done. john.

I must say ( as others have also said ) how great it is to see in pictures as well as in words your progress with your van, It shows what can be achieved with hard work and shear bloody minded approach to ' it needs doing, just get on and do it ' instead of just throwing money at it or not bothering.

I have to admit tho That I couldnt have tackled the bodywork, are you trained in the dark arts of welding/bending and spraying? Or self taught?

Van looks so great, and I know that when you looked down on your van parked in the car park by the water that you would have felt great pride, knowing that you had done all the work and achieved something special, I remember a similar feeling when a couple of years ago I saw a old Spartan kit car still driving around 10 years since I had rebuilt the engine in her for a friend.

moggymorgan wrote:realy enjoyed reading this, well done and thanksfor taking the time to post . congrats on a job well done. john.

Thanks John, by the way noticed your avatar, I've done P company

Pointe, I used to work in the motor trade and have been tinkering with "motors" like forever although I've had a break for 5 or 6 years I've taken it all up again and have the luxury of being semi retired which is a big help.

I felt particularly pleased recently when we came over the Massif Central mountains which would test any vehicle but my old van went over them in great style and on home 9 hours drive in all

tetleysid wrote:Pointe, I used to work in the motor trade and have been tinkering with "motors" like forever although I've had a break for 5 or 6 years I've taken it all up again and have the luxury of being semi retired which is a big help.

Semi retired is that the same as semi skimmed?

Yes young Dandaz very similar. Just to put everyone in the picture Dandaz has recently found what a superiour vehicle the T25 is after many years pedalling a bay window around and slagging off wedges

That is funny for you sid...

pedalling more like pushing when they broke down...

dandaz wrote:

That is funny for you sid...

pedalling more like pushing when they broke down...

Ah yes reliability......... . . . another improvement over the old bay window vans

OK just planning our next trip for the spring and it will be from here to Bordeaux down to Spain, Pamplona then up into the Pyrenees and then down into Barcelona before going along the Costa Brava into France and final stop at Coleoure before a blast north and home to Cognac.