Brakes bled and Molly hits the road (Grass)

We have temporarily borrowed Dolly's gear stick, though we are still endeavouring to find her a replacement. This enabled us to move her onto hard standing and get her bottom in the air.

We removed the old seized wheel cylinders and fitted the new items along with new brakes lines.

Then Rachel jumped under the van and we began the bleeding process. We quickly noticed the unions we had forgotten to tighten up and after that all went well. So, for the first time in our ownership and in the last 11 or so years, Molly took to the road (grass) in (relative) safety.
Rachel and Molly lapped the paddock time and time again with no problem although the heat and fumes from the exposed engine were a bit much after half an hour or so.

After this we need to get the headlamps and wipers working, get an exhaust tail piece, reattach the drivers door, fit new locks and get a horn. Then it's MOT time.

The Devil is in the Detail

Whilst the Osborne boys pondered the electrics...

I decided to do something useful and find more surfaces to cover with orange floral fabric.  

Sun visors!

Completely pointless but I'm no use with the mechanics/electrics so I have to find something to do... 

Quick update

Molly is now running a fine Accuspark electronic ignition.  It's a very smart little kit that sits beneath the distributor cap and takes a matter of minutes to fit.  She starts and runs well.

All the wheels cylinders are now fitted and I have given the old lines to a mate of mine so he can copy them.  Next weekend we'll hopfully get the brakes bled and take Molly for a short drive down the lane.

Another friend of mine pop over the other day and put his mind to the electical problem we were having.
Molly now starts and stops properly and the dyno is charging the battery as it should.  We also have a mechanical oil pressure guage fitted and an ammeter.  Next is to get the front and rear lights working and fit a fuse box.

Molly Says 'Boycott Tesco'

Molly is an old fashioned gal.  Made of great British Engineering, designed for luxury leisure in the green fields and woods of our fair isle.  She supports local economy and business, cherishes good craftsmanship and only allows us to cook real free-range farm eggs on her little gas hob. 

Molly has peacefully protested for issues dear to her heart since her youth and is very proud to say “I survived the scrappage scheme”, last Thursday she was protesting against the gentrification of Stokes Croft.

In an interview on Friday Molly said, “Think local.  Boycott Tesco.” 

A pap shot of Molly on the front line during the anti-tesco protest in Stokes Croft on Thursday 21^st April ’11.

Molly protested for equal pay for women in 1968.

Even more rot

We've been making idle sotees into fathming the electrical faults but haven't come up with anything at present.  She still runs fine and starting isn't a problem but once the battery is attached the ignition is permantly on and the engine cannot be stopped without removing the battery once again.  Anyway, the voltage regulator looked a crap so we swapped it out as a matter of course.  It's all connected up again now with new connections and wires.  While attempting to find out why the headlights didn't work  found the reflectors to be utterly ruined; something else to add to the list.  We have also just purchased an Accuspark electronic ignition for Molly so we'll fit that when we next get a free weekend.

More Rot

The driver's door had already fallen off and now the passengers door was begining to sag a lot so I decided to pull them both off and repair them as properly as I could.  I've not done repairs of this type before so it was always going to be tricky.  First of all I cut away the fibreglass and dug out the old wooden frames that had turned to mulch over the last forty six years.

 

I then cut the wood to a rough shape and treated it.  I held it in place with a few crude screws and then began laying the glass fibre on inside and out having got access by removing the fibreglass behind the door pannels.  The second picture shows what wood was left in the door.

Once dry I removed the screws and sanded back the fibreglass ready to drill the new holes for the hinges.
I have used some slightly larger stainless countersunk bolts to hang the doors with so had to take out the hinges by 1mm.  I then made up some 2mm galvanized plates to spread the load on the door frame when tightened up and drilled them to suit the bolt configuration.  The driver's side door is now back on and is solid but I have not yet got aroud to sorting the passengers door.  Too many jobs at present.

On your left you will see the Dinette and Master Bedroom...

 

Rachel has all but completed work on the rear half of the van.  The work started by relieving the cupbaords  of their forty year old peeling varnish.  They were then taken back and given several coats of oil and then the handles were repainted and refitted.  Both bench seats were reupolstered as well as the edging along the rear part of the van.  The old door panels were made from ply board covered with plastic veneer so were replaced with oiled wood to suit.  New curtain were made to fit for the entire van.  We also fitted some additional lighting so we can get rid of the nasty stripe lights that it came with (see below)

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