Having laid the lino, which still requires some internal finishing around the edges, I was able to fit the steel sill (manufactured some time ago) and finish hanging the boot doors and getting them lined up nicely with good gaps all around. This necessitated shimming the top and bottom hinges and sanding yet more wood off the bottom of the doors where they were striking the sill. I also had to make some modification to the door locking mechanism in order for it to fasten correctly at both the top and the bottom. The top edges of the doors were very uneven and the gaps equally bad, so I built up the top surfaces with filler and sanded it back to a good shape. Not the best of solutions but should be ok.
Boot doors aligned and gaps made good
I also completed assembly of the step light, with the exception of the brass hinge pins which still haven’t arrived.
This week work has returned to the boot. I made a template for the boot floor and then cut a piece of new lino for it. Rebecca helped to glue down the lino, however we didn’t quite get it in exactly the correct position so some remedial work is needed. I was annoyed to find the new lino had some cuts and scratches in it that were not done by us! Having fitted the lino, I was able to fit the new steel sill (after painting the underside) that I made a while ago, then I hung the doors. This revealed several fitting problems that hopefully I can overcome by shimming the hinges.
In between doing the above, I found time to paint the step light inside with some white paint and cut two rubber gaskets, one for mounting against the body and the other for sealing the lid to the base. I also found some thin clear acrylic so I cut two pieces to form one thick piece for the small window in the light. Still waiting for the brass hinge split pins to arrive.
The wheelarch mudwing is now painted (first coat of madder red) and Abigail and I installed the flexible black piping that seals the joint between the wing and the body at the wheel arch. This enabled me to refit the curved beading.
Nearside rear mudwing replaced.
view looking towards the rear.
Whilst this work was in progress I refurbished the entrance step light. This involved making a new base (complete with lampholder bracket) for the light unit as the original cast alloy one had corroded to the point of being unusable. This is now finished in red undercoat and awaiting the final paint, white inside and DG red outside. I also drilled and tapped the mounting holes for the assembly in the step bay. I’m also waiting for a replacement for the small piece of glass through which the bulb shines.
Restoration diary of a 70-year old AEC single-deck bus and the trials, tribulations and adventures of our 1966 Bristol bus.
