MattBlackMinibus - Progress Report

[snap-on]

Saw the matt black minibus at Billing (AACI) on sunday looks nice I'd love to see it with pinstripping on

[MattBlackMinibus]

Saw the matt black minibus at Billing (AACI) on sunday looks nice I'd love to see it with pinstripping on

Cheers matey I'd love to have some pinstriping done, it'd look great on the matt black,
but it'll have to wait till I've sorted out all the bodywork bubbles

[MattBlackMinibus]

Just picked up my Ford fog-lights from the post office
Bay bargain at £9.50 inc P+P

Gonna create a double bed in the back at last.
It's taken me about 6 months to figure it out in my head,
and now's the time to get it done.
It's going to pop up out of the floor, allowing me to still have the full load space for work.
Pics soon...

[MinorMatt]

Excellent - lets see em on

[MattBlackMinibus]

Excellent - lets see em on

Erm, yeah, gotta chop out the holes ... but it's plastic Alan...help!

Started the bed today.
It lays flat on the floor, 35mm thick, and is in two halves.
The right side is two foot wide,
so can be used by me when there's tools in the van.
The left side is two and a half foot wide,
making the whole width a nice four and a half foot double for me n the missus.
The mattress also splits into 2' and 2 1/2' halves.

It's five feet long, and brings the mattress up level with the rear seats,
which adds another foot. 6 by 4 1/2' ... oh yes

I can still load up motorbikes, tools, camping gear, kids, whatever.
Pop up the bed, drop the mattress down from the roof, job done.

Chop up some wood, notch out for hinges


Right side up


Metal angle on floor to position uprights


Both sides down


Left side up


I need to add an upright plinth against the seat frames,
which the bed uprights will slot into, keeping them rigid when the beds are up.
That'll come tonight, so more pics to follow later.

Also hope to box in the wheel arches, which I've left room for,
and which will add more support to the beds when they're up.

Better go away this weekend and give them a thorough 'testing'

(P.S. Please excuse the antique. It's too heavy to get out for now!
and if you're interestedhttp://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... 0345526851)

[Muttley]

Looking good there mate, I have an odd roll of silver double pinstripe if you want to mess about

[MattBlackMinibus]

Looking good there mate

You fibber, it looks like crap ... temporarily

I have an odd roll of silver double pinstripe if you want to mess about

Ooh Tempting

(P.S. alternator trouble was due to the adjuster bolt falling out at the engine end ,
and now the belt no longer screaches )

[AlanN]

So you took the belt off then
Now to the serious stuff....

...stop talking and post up pictures

[MattBlackMinibus]

So you took the belt off then
Now to the serious stuff....

...stop talking and post up pictures

Alternator light came on whilst on the motorway on Saturday, then alternator rattled for a few seconds Uh-Oh
Pulled over, kept the engine running and took a look at the alternator and belt.
Belt looked fine, alternator was turning ok but clicking randomly.
Phoned my local 'the nuts' mechanic / recovery man / Ford restorer, who advised me to keep the revs down.
Drove on 70 miles to destination, no probs. Picked up an alternator for parts the next day,
then found that the bolt at the engine end of the adjuster bracket had gone
Fitted a new one, adjusted the alternator and all was tickedy boo, and no more shreak

[AlanN]

Whats up with this bloke, no bl**dy pictures again

[MattBlackMinibus]

Now to the serious stuff....

Quickly knocked up some wheelarch boxes today which will stop the beds from moving when they're up.
Cut the mattresses to length, up to the rear seats.
And fitted insulation into the roof, which was made incredibly easy by the sticky bitumen already up there Sweet.

...stop talking and post up pictures

Nope ... Maybe saturday
I apologise Sir Alan, cameras on the blink (as in f**ked)

[AlanN]

OK

[MattBlackMinibus]

Latest pictures of the new bed system.
Just returned from a quiet weekend at Billing,where the bed got it's first set up and use.

Beds flat, with new wheelarch boxes


Me lifting one side


...and the other


Get the centre supports straight


Jump up and down on it to show the missus it's not gonna collapse


finally, add foam (not yet made their covers) and some bedding


I'm planning to cover the rubber matting and the boxes with thin carpet,
and varnish the bed/floor ply (is polyeurethane varnish the thick tough stuff? what's the toughest? yaught varnish?).
Carpet would be no good on the beds/floor cos of bike oil,rubble,old fencing,cement etc.

[Luke]

quality

[MattBlackMinibus]

Cheers mate It works