Page 28 - Transporter Talk

ERIC THE VIKING
The only downside was that the wheelarches had been put in the wrong places as well by the previous owner and one was rubbing the passenger door with the inside of the step. Amongst other problems. Stuart chopped, stretched and welded both sides to get everything in the right place (over 10mm too low on the nearside, over 6mm too far in on the offside). This left only the B post on the nearside that was too vertical and needed a bit more of a curve. Someone had chopped the B post near the seatbelt mount and put it back together as a straight section. Instead of chopping and spending loads of my cash to fully reshape everything, we discussed a compromise, and Eric now has a shaped cover to bring the shape back to the B post and only someone with a tape measure will be able to see that the B post is about 3mm too deep. If they notice, they will be shown the exit!
The constant brake fluid leak was traced to a split in the brand-new brake fluid reservoir, undoubtedly caused by heavy handed pushing to get the rubber bungs into the cylinder. I thought the bungs were the cause of the leak and after buying 3 sets, it turns out they were early Bay not late Bay which are slightly bigger. Fortunately, I had assembled the rear brakes correctly and much of the loom as well, leaving only the optional extra
bits to be added – horn, reversing lights, trailer electrics and rev counter.
I also outsourced the tiny rubbers for the clutch and brake pedal and the kongs for the rear suspension stops. No matter how much time I spent warming the kongs, twisting and swearing at them, they simply would not stay on the bump stops. Similarly, the little rubber stops seem to be impossible to fit.
The front doors are not only fitted but have their glass, rubbers and opening quarterlights. The sliding door has had all of the mechanisms fully dismantled and cleaned, taken over to Stuart who has fitted them.
The engine had gone in with stripped and painted sound deadening covers plus the original sound deadening pads at the top of the engine bay. It all looked fab. Then Eric was found to be stuck in gear. Engine out, gearbox out. The strip and clean of the gearbox had left Eric’s centre selector shaft in gear which stopped the intermediate shift level operating correctly, effectively keeping the gearbox in reverse. The fix was simple – open up the nosecone and take the centre selector shaft out of gear. A rookie error that took a number of hours to resolve but at least it was not a problem with the gearbox itself.
28 | Transporter Talk Issue 196