AEC Regal

13/3/2021

The long gap between the previous entry and this one is largely due to the time it has taken to complete  the rear number plate box that incorporates the single rear stop light and the combined tail light/number plate light.  The work comprised the following tasks:

  • stripping the chrome off the brass porthole light lens holders and then polishing the brass to a good shine
  • Drilling the steel box for the mounting screws
  • Making a new face plate to hold the portholes
  • Fitting new lampholders to the wooden batten that is screwed inside the box behind the face plate
  • Painting and wiring the batten
  • Making and fitting a reflector to the batten
  • Mounting the batten in box
  • Painting the box, cream on the outer side and blue on the inside
  • Forming the beading that surrounds the number plate box
  • Drilling and countersinking the screw holes in the beading

In order to wire the batten  I had to consider the wiring in the boot in general so devised the circuit and cable layout for all the rear lighting and the boot light.  I also drilled the large holes for the rear indicators in the waist rail either side of the number plate box.

Whilst waiting for paint to dry on the number plate box project, I stripped and primed the beading for the front destination box.  I also removed the rear reflectors from the old boot door skins and salvaged the actual  reflectors for reuse.  I removed the scratches from these on the polishing machine and then prepared and spray painted black two new frames for the glasses.

Today I was able to install the new number plate box  in the opening in the frame above the boot doors.  The beading and face plate need to be fitted and painted before the job is complete.

 

AEC Regal

1/3/2021

The last week or so has been spent on restoring and painting the rear number plate and fabricating a replacement box for it and the original rear lights.  The box was fabricated from zintec, I was able to fold it up all except for the rounded corners and their flanges which needed to be formed separately and welded in.  A very time consuming job. I also cleaned the paint off the two porthole glasses which form the rear lights. The inner light (tail light) has a frosted red glass to reduce the light output and the outer (brake) light a plain glass. Illumination is by two 24v bulbs mounted behind the glasses.

Trial fit of number plate box

AEC Regal

15/2/2021

Since the last entry, all the roof sheets have been fastened back to the nearside cant rail with the exception of the rearmost window which is still awaiting its glass.

When that job was complete, I replaced the rainstrip over the entrance door.

The paint around the front destination screen was stripped and the window beading and  glass removed so that the interior of the destination box can be repainted, the blind installed and the lighting rewired.

The beading was replaced from the front destination box to the rainstrip above the door, this was a reclaimed piece which I’m not entirely happy with but will have to do.

The vertical beading between the front fairing and the entrance door was replaced too, with a new piece and finally today I made a plywood template for the replacement glass for the front destination box.

 

 

 

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