TheSamba.com :: View topic

Sat Jan 05, 2013 12:29 am

Hey all,

Been a long time reader of the forum but not joined in to much.

I'm a Bristol Boy from the South West of England who moved out to Australia with my family nearly 6 years ago.

Always been a VW van as my old fella has a 1960 Beetle that he still drives round, still OG box & engine and still using his semaphores !

Never had my own VW while in the UK, not enough time with a young family, shift work and a big mortgage..always been into air cooled though and was heavily into old Lambretta and Vespa scooter, got involved in the scene over in the Uk and did a lot of rallies and made a lot of good mates.

Anyway, met some good good people here in Australia and proud to be part of a growing scene on the Sunshine Coast, Qld.

I have a May 1955 Yoot which I have tried to restore and keep looking stock ish but have made it very usable in today traffic and a pleasure to drive on long runs on the open roads here.

It has a 1916 twin spark engine, AT single side plate box, IRS and a red 9 front end with bay discs etc etc

Here's a pic...

Our latest project is a March 54 RHD barny, bought locally ( within 20 miles ) where it had been sat in hiding for a few years.

It has been painted by hand with about 6 / 7 layers of house paint, lots of lovely colours, and needs the usual bottom 6 as well as a Bulkhead,firewall and a sunroof and belly pans !

Plans are to Straight Axle and probably fit a bay / split beam with a big ish motor and drive drive drive it.

I've spent lots of hours taking the paint back by hand, using oven cleaner and just rubbing away, getting there bit by bit.

I'll be asking lots of questions and hoping for some good advise over the course of the build.

Big thanks to all the lads from the UK and here in Aus who have helped so far with parts and advise.

As it was when it came home to us...

And it sits today after taking a lot of paint off to try to save as much OG dove blue as possible...if only they wouldn't have rubbed back before rollering the outside with house paint !...

Cab came up a treat...

And the engine lid...

Long long way to go but I'll get there...

Ian

Sat Jan 05, 2013 5:32 am

Awesome looking car, maybe next time I venture up north I might see you cruzing about, will you be going to the nationals in Sydney this may?

Sat Jan 05, 2013 10:37 am

Cool bus :-) whats on the roof? Is there a sunroof hiding under there?

Sat Jan 05, 2013 10:53 am

"..and a sunroof..." :wink:

Sat Jan 05, 2013 11:31 am

So, a Bristol boy moved to Queensland with a nice single cab and a cool 54 barndoor in the making- a man after my own heart.

I'm from just South of Bristol myself and own a 54 SC and a 65 13window delux.

Back in the late 70's and early 80's I spent a lot of time in and around Brisbane/Noosa/Gold/Sunshine Coast, always had a hankering to return after I left in 82 with the intention of just 'going back home for a few months' -I met the future wife whilst home and the rest is history!
Iv'e not been back to Oz since 89 and I gather there have been more than a few changes.

Your pics bring it all back to me and I'm envious.

Keep up the good work on the 'Barny and make sure you post up loads of pics (but try not to show too much sunshine and blue sky in the background!!)

Sat Jan 05, 2013 4:20 pm

splipete wrote: So, a Bristol boy moved to Queensland with a nice single cab and a cool 54 barndoor in the making- a man after my own heart.

I'm from just South of Bristol myself and own a 54 SC and a 65 13window delux.

Back in the late 70's and early 80's I spent a lot of time in and around Brisbane/Noosa/Gold/Sunshine Coast, always had a hankering to return after I left in 82 with the intention of just 'going back home for a few months' -I met the future wife whilst home and the rest is history!
Iv'e not been back to Oz since 89 and I gather there have been more than a few changes.

Your pics bring it all back to me and I'm envious.

Keep up the good work on the 'Barny and make sure you post up loads of pics (but try not to show too much sunshine and blue sky in the background!!)

Thanks all for the welcome..

It sure is a wonderful place here and there have been a lot of changes, even in the 6 or so years we have been here there has been a fair bit of change regarding housing, roads and new hospitals being built, it's good but it also means it's getting busier.

Nothing like the UK but you do notice it, I guess change was always going to come and it's good that it's gradual.

I'll be sure to get more pics up as I go along, I'll be asking all sorts of questions and looking for advise and points of view !

Thanks again for the wlecome.

Ian

Sat Jan 05, 2013 10:44 pm

Very cool of you to start a thread for your progress and story to be shared.

Belly pans and what appears to be a sunroof+RHD = one very low # produced bus. What ever you do...do it right!

Sun Jan 06, 2013 1:46 am

Cool BarNdoor you have Ian rhd sunroof Kombi,I'm in the uk and about 30 miles from bristol

Sun Jan 06, 2013 10:36 am

very cool... :wink:

Sun Jan 06, 2013 1:44 pm

Nice to see some West Country boys on here, if only I could hear the accents !

Be proper !

Best

Ian

Sun Jan 06, 2013 3:06 pm

Cool bus, looking forward to seeing the progress of this one...

Sun Jan 06, 2013 10:28 pm

Hi I grew up 30 miles North of Bristol and have also left the UK - somewhat colder where I am!

It is an awesome find

Was this one not in the BD registry then?

Does anyone know how many sunroof BD's are known (excluding deluxes) ?
You cant be counting using more than fingers....

How was the interior?

Mon Jan 07, 2013 12:20 am

The hole in the roof is from an old pop-top when it was a camper. Did you get the metal with it to replace the bulk head and engine fire wall it left NZ with? Post loads of pics, its a cool bus.

Mon Jan 07, 2013 4:27 am

lo-lo55 wrote: The hole in the roof is from an old pop-top when it was a camper. Did you get the metal with it to replace the bulk head and engine fire wall it left NZ with? Post loads of pics, its a cool bus.

Hi,

Yes I have the metal to replace both the firewall and bulkhead.

Story I got was that a pop top camper roof was cut in at some stage and used as a camper.

The bulkhead and firewalls were cut out as it was used as a wood shed so they were cut out with a gas axe, actually made a good job of it so letting in the " new " metal shouldn't be to bad.

Sorry to confuse people if you thought in was sunroof bus..I meant that I will keeping it with the hold in the roof and making it a sunroof bus and adding belly pans.

Few more pics..

Roof line after hours and hours of paint stripping in the sun..

Few battle scars that are staying

Front bumper after a few hours work..

And nearly there..

Mon Jan 07, 2013 4:33 am

ducatis wrote: Hi I grew up 30 miles North of Bristol and have also left the UK - somewhat colder where I am!

It is an awesome find

Was this one not in the BD registry then?

Does anyone know how many sunroof BD's are known (excluding deluxes) ?
You cant be counting using more than fingers....

How was the interior?

Still got the accent ? Where you to now then ? Thanks for the interest.

Ian

Mon Jan 07, 2013 9:42 am

Well never really had a strong accent, its gone now - thats 12 years in London for you...

Now in Finland with another 10cm of snow due tonight :)

Not quite your sunshine :D

Wed Jan 09, 2013 3:31 pm

Nice bus, I'm from Bristol moved down to Devon 6 years ago, got a 54 too 8) keep us posted!

Fri Jan 11, 2013 12:43 pm

I'm another brizzle boy, still have my accent though, proper job! We casnt got nun of they barn doors round ere. 8)

Fri Jan 11, 2013 8:16 pm

Simon uk wrote: I'm another brizzle boy, still have my accent though, proper job! We casnt got nun of they barn doors round ere. 8)

Kingswood boy meself, you ?

Sat Jan 12, 2013 2:08 pm

Oy Simon! where bist now then young-un?