Sept '67 (1968 MY) deluxe, another Blakes Bus

sparkywig · Last edited by sparkywig on Sun Jul 06, 2025 3:56 pm; edited 2 times in total

Hello there, I think it's time to document the last 5 years with my "new" bus.
It all started in 2018 with some pics of a blue bay I was sent by a friend who bought a few buses on a picking trip to Blakes Yard, nr Erie, Colorado.

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Dragged out and ready for the trip to the shippers.

sparkywig · Last edited by sparkywig on Sun Jul 06, 2025 3:57 pm; edited 2 times in total

At the time, due to the yellow paint pen all over the shell, I thought it was a 1969 MY deluxe.
So fast forward to 2020, imagine my excitement when looking at the shell in the container once it had arrived back to the yard in Bristol, UK, and seeing the door handles, chassis no. and M Code plate.

12th September 1967 build.
A deal was done, and with some roller wheels fitted the deluxe went on the 400m journey to my workshop.

sparkywig

Ready to start the clean up.
The inside of the shell was coated with a combination of gearbox oil and sand, and along with the rodent nests in the headlining, it had a certain aroma.

I barely touched the headlining and it fell with a cloud of rodent nest material. Glad I had a mask on.

sparkywig

Starting to clean out the muck.
Two bags and counting of rodent nests.

Plenty of TFR and scraping.

sparkywig

Fuel tank removal and engine bay clean.

L/H battery tray seems to be OK,

but the R/H one needs a bit of work.

The engine bay seal metalwork has been removed as well.

sparkywig

Brakes are bound up, so moving the shell around on dollies atm.
I'll strip the brakes completely so that it's easier to push about, as I'm planning to completely replace all the running gear.

Not as easy as I thought to get the drums off, I've had to resort using a wheel adaptor, a big three leg puller and heating the drums to remove them.

I'll refit the drums so I can bolt the wheels back on.

sparkywig

Now it's a bit cleaner inside I can start on getting the roof a bit straighter.

A trolley jack, some timber and a partially deflated football should do the trick.

That's much better.

There's still a dent in the L/H rear corner, but if I push that out the crease at the front R/H corner pops down, so it's as good as I can get it.
I've pushed the roof support rib back up and repaired it, panel bonded the roof to it to regain some strength and added some weight to hold it in place.

sparkywig

The next job is to fix the R/H cab door as it doesn't latch shut and is secured with a galv pipe clip.

Just a case of replacing the small spring inside the lock mech, and the door now shuts fine.

The sliding door was difficult to open, but that was due to the nylon block being damaged. So a new one fitted and that opens and shuts just fine as well now.
The paint looks to be OK as well with a bit of WD40, I'm surprised at how straight the bus is after all those years in the yard with the forklift whizzing around.

sparkywig

Time for a steam clean inside and out.

Roof doesn't look too bad in the daylight.

And I've managed to source a decent Neptune Blue Euro dash from Europe.

sparkywig

I'm very happy with how the paint looks after an Ajax wash.

I think I'm just going to Owatrol Oil it to protect the patina.
Unfortunately I'm losing a lot of the yellow paint pen in the process.

sparkywig

To stop the roof "oil canning" I've decided to sound deaden the roof.
And then decided to do all the interior panels completely.
I've also sealed the two holes in the roof with rubber grommets and panel bond.

sparkywig

Front tubs have arrived from Trailer Queen Restos.

It'll be a while before these are installed though.

sparkywig

Next job is to remove the damaged front screen.
I was a bit apprehensive as to what would be waiting under the rubber.

Nothing too serious thankfully, a quick wire brush and rust treatment followed by a couple of coats of primer and black Rust-oleum and it's ready for a new screen.

sparkywig

A few months have gone by, and it's now Dec 2020.
Just been on a parts picking trip.

The engine is a fresh 2058cc (80x92) build for my squareback that I've just collected from Hector Howe nr Ipswich.
The hopefully matching engine lid came from Suffolk and the Porsche tombstones from an 80's SC nr Stamford.
They'll need a little fettling to fit the tubs.

sparkywig

It's now Jan 2021, and I've started a long term contract in the centre of London.
The deluxe is going on hold for a while as I can't find anyone to fit the tubs and notches and carry out the couple of rust repairs.
Been let down by someone after transporting the bus to them, so that's cost me the best part of £500 with nothing gained.
Anyway, on the way home for a weekend I picked these up.

Always wanted a bus on Fuchs.

ALLWAGONS

Awesome Bus! If you were closer, I would offer you an NOS headliner for your bus. But I am on the other other side of the pond.

Martin
allwagons
_________________
I'd be UNSTOPPABLE if not for Law Enforcement and PHYSICS.

I recycle old cars and parts, other than when I rot, that's as Green as I am going to get.

Thanks to my Tesla driving neighbors, I feel more relaxed driving my SUBURBAN and old VW's.

Everything sounds good on paper!

sparkywig

It's now Dec 2021, and I've completely lost interest in the deluxe.
Been driving my other bus ('69 tintop) and the squareback.
Then sold the squareback and bought a 996.
I did give the deluxe a coat of Owatol Oil and clean the engine lid back in the summer, but that was about it
Also found a bit more rust that needs repairing.

And the tubs have got a coating of surface rust.

sparkywig

September 2022 has arrived and still no progress on the deluxe.
Was chatting to my mate Nick, who has his own garage where his two boys work as well, and he said "why not let us have a go at the deluxe?"
OK, so I need to make the bus mobile now.
Steering would help.
NOS ignition block out of storage.
A steering column and bracket stripped, refurbed and fitted along with a steering box and coupler.