The last couple of days were spent in further demolition removing the last vestiges of a steel plate that links a boot crossmember with a siderod at the forward edge of the boot.
I also ground back any proud screw remains from the timbering of the boot front in preparation for replacing the steel boot front stress panel.
Further demolition included removal of the boot floor perimeter rail – full of woodworm – on the nearside rear.
Next job was replacing the lower section of the second side rod rearwards from the wheelarch. I spliced this in with a simple lap-joint below the boot floor level and mortised it to the lower floor bearer. I did this before the replacing the siderod behind the wheelarch in order to maintain a datum point for the bottom rail and lower edge of the wheelarch.
The last few days have been all about making the timbers for the wheelarch framing. I have now managed to assemble the forward half of the wheelarch frame, including a new steel flitch plate, and have finally aligned the lower perimeter rails with the rear of the bus so the sides will be straight as Weymann intended.
Wheelarch timbers assembled and new flitch plate fitted.
The rear half of the wheelarch cannot be assembled until I have replaced the lower half of the first side rod behind the wheel opening.
Today has been spent continuing to manufacture the timbers to rebuild the nearside wheelarch. The parts are mostly complete, I need to make the packing that gives shape to the outer face of the pillars and then give the parts not treated a good soak in preservative.
Restoration diary of a 70-year old AEC single-deck bus and the trials, tribulations and adventures of our 1966 Bristol bus.
