The rearmost OS window frame has been repaired and is now in primer awaiting the refitting of the glass with new rubber.
Window frame now completely repaired.
The emergency door was removed to allow it’s condition to be assessed and ready for rebuilding as necessary. This entailed also removing the rain deflector above the windows along the nearside. Other work has been the reinstatement of the cover over the body mounting to the left of the entrance steps.
Cover over body mounting in the entrance.
Work continues on the offside framing with the laborious process of drilling out broken screws and filling all the holes in the frame with beech wood dowels.
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.
Work this week has been concerned with making and fitting beading to the nearside, with a view to completing as much as possible before fitting the remaining window and making the rear mudwings.
So far the lower waistrail beading has been completed from the entrance to the rear numberplate box and the upper, half-round beading is almost complete, just the longest run needs trimming to fit between the entrance and the piece that curves around the rear corner. The latter is only temporarily attached as it will need to be removed again to allow the last window to be replaced.
At the entrance, the vertical beading above and below the waistrail and the half-round beading under the small window has been fitted.
Restoration diary of a 70-year old AEC single-deck bus and the trials, tribulations and adventures of our 1966 Bristol bus.
