April 7th - Stripping down and starting the bulkhead

Another burst of activity happened this weekend!

Now the 'used' 2A bulkhead from Bomag's (Nick) place is good along the top vent section but the feet are past it. Also his tunnel had been modified (badly) by a PO to fit a V8. So that will have to go... so I can use the top section of Nick's and the tunnel off my Series 2 b/h plus new sides feet, and footwells. Job done?

At very short notice my mate Minivin (Rob) came over to help to tackle the bulkhead strip so we could then cut out the transmission tunnel section. After four hours it was in this state.

30 mins later I had the tunnel cut and out and ready to trim to fit. There is now a big hole where it used to be.......

...and one tunnel

What we found though during the strip-down :-

1. Bulkhead was a modified to fit Series 2 or early 2A one (twin wipers) and not a late 2A.
2. A PO had changed from twin wipers to the later 2A single wiper. Probably due to adding the vent/demist assembly. Twins wiper motors would not have fitted with this on.
3. The 'new' wiring loom fitted by the PO was burnt out in places and will need to be repaired (no worries)
4. Starter button was knackered during removal. Found a good on Sunday at Newbury for £6!
5. Steering head bearing needs changing - on order

So a big order in to http://www.paddockspares.com/ yesterday for bulkhead parts. We will hope they get here for the long weekend - but I doubt it?

As an aside at Newbury's vintage sortout there was one retailer (local to me as it happens) that was selling II & IIA bulkheads - repaired and galv'd for £900! OMG. Late IIA front panel in galv was a more 'reasonable' £120. But didn't have any early 2A/2 ones :-*

Roll on the rest of the b/h bits so I can get them jigged up on the chassis and ready for welding.

******UPDATE 3rd November 2009******
Just before the old bulkhead goes to the scrappy for weigh-in this is/was the state of the top rail and vent panel due to 'tin worm'!

March 28th

Well I am off up to Bomag's later today to take another proper look at his spare B/H but his pics show the footwells are shot (no worries) and the feet are non-existent.

Now the existing bulkhead is 100% around the feet so it may be possible to make a mutant from both but do I want the hassle? Originally I planned to restore one B/H ready for the major overhaul /chassis swap. But to have to remove one/strip/chop etc. adds a tonne of work.

Still persuing alternative chassis prices (Truck Utility 109" GS RHD combat chassis) other than Richards - which limits it to Designa, but they seem to be a bit elusive? I sent a request out 5-7 days ago via their web page and have heard nowt. So now followed that up with an email requesting a price in galv and black for comparison. The only downside of galv from them is, I believe, they do not clear the threads after galv and they would need retapping? I don't have many BSP/Whit taps.

Probably will have a dabble with the steering linkage later and swap the TRE's ready for them to go into storage and maybe POR15 the little storage box from under the pass wing that I repaired last week.

One complete set of jobs are the two underseat fuel tanks :)

Designa have come back. They no longer manufacture 109" leaf sprung chassis!