It's been a while

I have not updated this for a while. Bobby is sat at my parents awaiting light restoration but the Polo and Beetle (Michelle) are in the way at the moment.
The plan is to get some panels and start working on Bobby in summer while doing other jobs on the Polo and Beetle.

I believe that it would pass a MOT with a new set of tyres.

MOT pass :)

Well finally, after two new drums, brake discs, pads, a calliper and some brake pipe we have a certificate :) followed by tax....
Thanks to Jon and John at motogo in Beverley

MOT repairs & parts

Whilst Bobby has been at the garage Jonny discovered that the O/S/F calliper was past it and had warped the front disc, so add to the parts total a set of pads, discs and a calliper (typically for me, mine uses the rare horizontally opposed callipers rather than the single piston one)....this should teach me to keep the van parked up over winter not used!!
On the upside, the rear braked have been done and the hand brake cable was released (it was very seized by all accounts).

I forgot to mention last week, when Bobby had his 'smokers test' (the emissions test), he was only .1 (yes point 1 %) away from passing the more modern and more stringent cat test!
So running lean, running green :)

This morning I took a delivery from Neil via Stuart who very kindly collected the boxes and met me at the services.
So I now have three decant replacement head lights and frames, one decant headlight frame, two used (but not automatic folding when you go past 40mph) wing mirrors and a water tank for the conversion.

So, please please please hear my warning.....if you don't use your van over winter then expect a HIGH MOT repair bill!!!!! I know mine will get used weekly from now on no matter what!!!!

FAILURE!

I kinda knew it was going to be a fail today, the way things seamed to work out.

Luckily, the majority of the work is easy serviceable items, just labour intensive.
So the fail sheet goes as this;

• O/S head light beam (glass is bad so a replacement required)
• Steering rack gaiter split
• Front anti-roll bar bushes (advisory)
• O/S/F brake binding
• N/S/F wheel bearing - play
• Both rear drums warped 
• Rear brake pipes corroded
• All tyres cracked (to be fair they are past it though the tread has plenty of life left in them)

So really, its not too bad, and the MOT tester did comment how solid it is underneath for a 28 year old van.

Will hopefully have a pass sheet in my hands next Saturday :)

Preparation

With Bobbys MOT tomorrow, today I was sorting out the little niggly issues.
The job the annoyed the sheer hell out of me was the washers!
What at first I thought was a dodgy switch turned out to be the pump, I did get a pump before but unfortunately that one decided to not work either. So, a simple, quick fix with a external pump I thought.
Worked well at first, then the O/S washer blocked up, then the N/S....a quick blow through with the compressor attached, a full clean of the pipes and we now have washers.....oh and a flat battery for good measure :( (the battery lasted 363 days since fitting on the 24/2/12 before going flat lol).
The rest of the jobs were pretty straight forward under seal and a little seam of weld for good measure.

So now it is just charge the battery and drive home for the sleepless night with a little bit and worry added in (how I dread MOT day).

Thats my boy :)

Bobby has not been started for about three months, and fired up first time! 

All the lights are working perfectly (wonder if they will when it gets to MOT time like last year when the indicators stopped flashing on the N/S when side lights were on and then as soon as away from the test station they worked perfectly). 
I did note that the washers are not working - a issue I remember from the September camp, so that's a job to look at over the weekend, but at least there isn't any other electrical issues like I was dreading - I was expecting to be spending the day on Friday sorting electrical systems out.

A pic from this time last year.

Well...

With work on the Bug well under way, Bobby hasn't really done much recently.

I have booked his MOT in for the end of Februaury though and been looking into the panels I need for his body work I want to do in May time next year (wont be camping much next year due to the pending arrival). I have also sourced some new, comfier front seats which again will be fitted April/May.