Billie Bud Renovation Process: Third Stage.

And so……the last photos received were these. What has happened has been that Paul, the renovation wizard, has been changing workshops. He has a bigger, brighter palace to work in now. Better for the soul I should imagine. I actually haven’t seen some of these later stages in the flesh, so to speak. Just the photographs you see above and the furniture in situ below. I’ve seen the bodywork all solid and safe, underneath and the grey spray stage. But now you can see the massive shift in bringing the bus (Billie) back to life. Of course, when the bus was on the road a few years back, I had that furniture in place. The cooker, sink and a fridge were present too. Tap on the photos and you’ll get the bigger photos show up.

I polished up the hub caps. Got rid of rust by soaking them in white vinegar and cleaned with aluminium foil and a soft brass brush. Some turned out better than others. I’ll keep looking to replace them one by one as I find better quality alternatives. Below is the bus getting along nicely.

As you gather, I’m not going to bore you with the technical inclusions. The photos provide imagery of how the project has developed from rust to solid.

The next stage from now is, waiting for when I get the bus back. I can then take more photographs top to bottom. Also, I reckon over the coming years, I will be aiming to source original stock furniture for inside. I want it to look as close to how it looked in 1972. The thing is, the original colour though. I can source that from the information on the M plate in the bus. I have a feeling it was some sort of yellow or yellow/cream. Love green, so may forgo that original feature. Depends on whether it looks like a canary or a nicer subtle colour shade. I’ll keep you up to date. Cheers.

6 thoughts on “Billie Bud Renovation Process: Third Stage.”

One good thing coming up, which may affect what I do, is that after 20 May Lofty will not require the new more stringent EU MOT, ‘designed’ for modern vehicles of course. I and my mechanic mate are more than capable of deciding whether he’s safe on the road. After the winter outside, unavoidably under trees, he looks terrible so first I need to get him cleaned (I cannot do it). Then decide whether I keep him for a while for short ‘camping’ trips – definitely no more to, across and back from Romania! But the Yorkshire coast, or Lake District, should be OK.

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graysummers says:

April 17, 2018 at 1:12 pm

Hi Roger. Been looking at this new ruling myself. It’s discussed on earlybay.com by the members. I have 100% confidence in Paul handing a completely solid bus back to me too. He’s a VeeDub Guru. Engine, bodywork, history….the whole bundle of knowledge. Although, I want to get back on the road before this new ruling comes into force. So, I will put the bus through an MOT to get her back on the road soonest. It would be great if you got Lofty out there again. The summer approaches and Yorkshire, especially Robin Hood Bay Area, is one of my fave spots. I can imagine Lofty trundling the area with a whistle, a song and a smile.

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Isn’t that strange? Robin Hood Bay is a favourite with us too – have stayed many times at the campsite at the top of the hill (farm), forget the name. Another is a working farm at Flamboro’, a walk to sea birds on Bempton Cliffs.

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