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Well..
This is how it all started, Dave purchased the bus in 1994 for
£1500! From a garage owned by two young lads in Holdenhurst Rd,
Bournemouth.
It was looking a little worse for wear, and originally had quite
a hippie paint job! (no photos dammit!) After picking the bus
up on a Sunday morning, it was painted that afternoon (in the
rain) in the colours you see on the left, then, on Monday driven
to Cornwall for a week! The van behaved as good as gold the whole
time and even drew the attention of the local new ager’s in a
bay window that commented “ bow to the age of yer van man!!”
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just three months later disaster struck! For the engine burst into
flames! Though, fortunately, this happened just a mile away from
the nearest fire station! So the raging inferno was quenched quite
quickly and (most of) the bus was saved. However as you can see
right, the damage was quite extensive, and the lovely paint work
was wrecked! So the poor van was parked on Dave’s infamous (and
currently very busy) driveway for around six months while Dave worked
on other projects. |
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But
he wouldn’t let the old girl rot just yet and started the long road
to restoration with a lot of much needed welding! First he replaced
both rear corners and the bottoms to both the barn doors, then the
bottom 6inches of the front panel and the front valance. After all
that was done, he spent around eight months giving her a good rub
down and around three coats of hi-build primer. Till she looked
as she does on the right. Hmmmm, primer, I wondered what I had forgotten
to do on my bus…. |
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the second paint job Dave did on the van himself had a lilac roof,
a silver stripe ‘n’ ‘vee and a purple lower, er…hmmm bit. Lush I
think you’ll agree? (note the stock wheels!!!) However, the story
certainly doesn’t end there, as I’m sure you well know. Although
the van stayed like this for about four years, then Dave separated
from his first wife and it was her who had chosen the original colour
scheme, so, it just had to go… |
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In
2001, after replacing one of the sills (of course it had to be
the long one that went) both the front wheel arches, SIX of the
outriggers, a new engine lid, a new rear valance replacing the
beam with a ‘68 ball-joint counterpart and finally IRS’ing the
back end. Dave stripped her down to bare metal and put a rough
prime coat on ready for the garage to spray her.
On the right you can see the van in slightly more familiar colours
but with just a little bit of work left to do…
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The
rest of the ‘spray job’ was done by the infamous Mr *’*** (Is
that how he spelled it? Who cares!?!) Dave was ever so happy
with the work he did!! Oh how he sings the man’s praises! You
just ask Dave what he thought! (But make sure you’re wearing ear
defenders and no children or sharp objects lay within a 30-mile
radius). Anyway, moving swiftly on… The van came back to Dave
at the end of March 2002. Then came the interior rebuild…..
On
the left you can see the Mistress hiding under Dave’s car port
in need of a few bits… like windows… or seats… or perhaps even
an engine?
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the Scorpion alarm was fitted by Matt of Weymouth Car Audio; It’s
the choice of the professional!! (No plug of course) Then Dave did
all the woodwork for the seats, speakers, doors etc. using the original
wood for the seats (though slightly modified) and MDF for the speaker
boxes. Which Dave’s lovely assistant (and wife) then covered in
blue vinyl. Jenny also hand-made all the curtains which were |
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constructed from zillions of hand cut little squares, all stitched
together. As if that wasn’t enough, she then constructed whole new
seats using the same blue vinyl and a shed load of foam. Now why
cant all the female partners of the club be so devoted to their
man’s vehicles? Oh, actually, better not write that bit, Danielle
might read it. Anyway, the interior covered, it was time for the
stereo, woo-hoo! This monster system is made up entirely of Kenwood
components, they consist of, the full mask head unit 10 disk CD
changer, 2x 6oo watt amps, 2x 12’’ subs a pair of 6x9’s and a pair
of 6’’ components with separate tweeters. Nice. Go on, stick your
head In between the subs, I dare you. (oh and it also has a handy
James bond style beer storage rack, see the web site for photo!)
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And
finally here we see The Mistress in all her glory and that spanking
chrome engine too! Nuff said. The picture says it all…
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Article
By James cairns (with a little help from Dave) (but just a little bit
mind)
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