AEC Regal

7/6/2019

Finished cutting and fitting the floorboards, I didn’t make the best  job of it but it will do as the lino will hide most of the rough bits.  Part of the problem was trial fitting the gearbox cover seemed to mislead me as to the position of the boards at the edge of the opening.  I think edging the opening with some aluminium angle will be the solution once the lino is on.

Once the boards were screwed to the frame I was able to trial fit the entrance step bay sheet metal work, this is a much better job and also serves to cover up some of the bad cutting of the floorboards.

Trial fit of floor boards.

Trial fit of floor boards.

Tomorrow I should be able to start drilling holes to mount the bay, whilst the floorboards will get a good soaking in preservative ready for painting.

Step bay sheet metal in place

Step bay sheet metal in place

 

AEC Regal

6/6/2019

Oxided the floor plate for the entrance this morning.   The rest of the day was spent cutting and sanding floor boards to shape for the entrance area.  These should be drilled and finished   tomorrow ready for a dip in preservative.

AEC Regal

5/6/2019

Started the month of with the following jobs. First, removed the remaining screws from the angle-iron floor support by the entrance.  Removed as much corrosion as possible then checked that it was structurally sound.  Gave all of the steelwork in this area a good coat of Vactan ready for oxiding.  Last job of the day was to cut the top step to size from a piece of mahogany.

Next, I oxided the angle iron frame for the entrance floor, two good coats.

Silvered the N/S chassis member, two coats applied, one first thing and the other late afternoon using spray and a mix of smooth and hammered finish hammerite.

More painting , two coats of silver hammerite on the entrance floor support frame.

Next, I trimmed the lower step to fit the frame taking into account room for the riser panel and the csk screw heads to mount the riser.  Ordered some 25mm No.8 screws for fitting the wooden step treads from underneath.

Exhaust clamps arrived but no sign of the tubing!

I primed the exposed woodwork in the entrance floor area then cut a small section of floor board to fill in to the left of the step well.

Painted a coat of grey onto the primed woodwork from yesterday, ready for installation of the new floor.

Cut the triangular floor plate out of galvanised 3.5mm steel.  This will support the new floor in the entrance area. Primed it with some Hammerite  “T-wash” that I’ve had for a very long time and came from Ashley Autos on Ashley Down Road!.  Cut the first floorboard piece out of spruce tongue and groove.

Restoration diary of a 70-year old AEC single-deck bus and the trials, tribulations and adventures of our 1966 Bristol bus.