[PAVAN KADAM]

Originally Posted by gowda79

Pavan where did the bus work come to, any updates on the same.

Post some pictures of the bus and hope the engine has been fixed and are you changing the tyres for the bus.

Sorry guys, had been busy with my cousins wedding.

Almost 2 weeks the Bus has been sitting idle, very little but major work has started.

1) The upholstery guy has started work on the seats, as per his commitment, the coming Wednesday all my seats will be fitted.
2) Door pads would be ready by next Saturday,
3) Carb and exhaust is ready, only flanges are left to be made, here i am facing a setback since my mech has his wedding scheduled the coming month, boy am i gonna miss him.

Upholstery is taking time since i want it to be completely stock, no changes but has to come out "ORIGINAL".

If in case he does not come back this Tuesday, all my plans will go topsy turvy and getting the vehicle ready by atleast my kids birthday (06-06-09), would be "MISSION-IMPOSSIBLE".

I can only pray.

[srikant]

Hey Pavan, Great to see your patience and hardwork going into reviving the bus to its original shape. Do continue with patience, i bet you ll have one of the best bus in India.
Cheers pal.

[PAVAN KADAM]

Originally Posted by srikant

Hey Pavan, Great to see your patience and hardwork going into reviving the bus to its original shape. Do continue with patience, i bet you ll have one of the best bus in India.
Cheers pal.

Thanks Srikanth, Yes Patience i dont know but hard work is surely going into the Bus

Some more regular updates, not a great step, but a major detailing that needed was done through this week. The engine work is anyway suffering due to my Mechanic's wedding, I have accepted the fact that my engine will not fire till the end of next month and Since i've stopped relying on my tinker my DIY skills are improving day by day

Work Done:
1) New weather strips all over
2) New lock catch rubbers for all locks
3) New chrome strips for window rubbers.

[gowda79]

Pavan, hope to see your bus in running condition at the earliest.

I hope you improve your mechanic skill so that you don't have to wait for your mechanic to finish your work.

Then no gift for your daughter's birthday.

[srikant]

Cheers sir, Those installs does not look like DIY, nice ones. But where did you source those crome tips from?

[PAVAN KADAM]

Originally Posted by gowda79

Pavan, hope to see your bus in running condition at the earliest.

I hope you improve your mechanic skill so that you don't have to wait for your mechanic to finish your work.

Then no gift for your daughter's birthday.

Well well.... You cant say anything for the next crucial 48 hrs, my mechanic has stayed back for 2 days on my kids request, and presently working on the engine. You never know its done untill its done. Will update soon.

Originally Posted by srikant

Cheers sir, Those installs does not look like DIY, nice ones. But where did you source those crome tips from?

Thank you srikanth, , those chrome installs are available at Automobile accessories shop, you need to keep your eyes open for all available options when it comes to classics and vintages. Some more of such stuff needs to be done, over this weekend i'll finish

[pranava999]

'FLOWER POWER!!' wonderful and beautiful are all i can say. an't wait to see it done. Way to go PK.

[srikant]

Originally Posted by PAVAN KADAM

Well well.... You cant say anything for the next crucial 48 hrs, my mechanic has stayed back for 2 days on my kids request, and presently working on the engine. You never know its done untill its done. Will update soon.

Thank you srikanth, , those chrome installs are available at Automobile accessories shop, you need to keep your eyes open for all available options when it comes to classics and vintages. Some more of such stuff needs to be done, over this weekend i'll finish

Wow thats great news waiting for the D day. Point noted sir, will keep my eyes open to stuff like this. However your DIYs are giving me ideas.

I may be coming to Bangalore this weekend, would love to see your bus then.

[PAVAN KADAM]

Originally Posted by srikant

Wow thats great news waiting for the D day.
I may be coming to Bangalore this weekend, would love to see your bus then.

Great News, i seem to have run out of luck this time around.

Wrong things happening at the right time, just when i thought every thing is falling in place, suddenly some goof-up. Anyways i am not going to sit and mull over this. I know "PATIENCE" wins always.

1) My mechanic who stayed back for the extra 48 hrs, could only work for 48 mins on the engine :( (Yes its sad), he had so many cars lined up for him at the workshop and also outside his house. He's that damn good a mechanic to say.

2) I had handed over my BUS muffler to Shabbir (Ya, the header guy ) just to damp it a bit, and guess what ...? HE LOST IT........

3) The Upholstery guy, (Yeah, the one who's supposed to have given my seats and door pads by now) has shut shop today and not receiving my calls, i know they are not ready.

I am still cheerful, and i'll still wait, sad my kid could not enjoy a ride on her favorite MICROBUS on her Birthday next week ( this is the time we guys miss out on using smilies). But O K, its hers anyways.

Now a new hope, atleast my Brother's birthday is nearing(Aug-15th). I am hoping it'll run by then . : )

[karlosdeville]

Originally Posted by PAVAN KADAM

Great News, i seem to have run out of luck this time around.

Wrong things happening at the right time, just when i thought every thing is falling in place, suddenly some goof-up. Anyways i am not going to sit and mull over this. I know "PATIENCE" wins always.

This is the case with most restorations, especially when the job is divided amongst various specialists. It is tiring, frustrating, but the result always justifies the means. Of course I don't need to tell you that!

I had 5 brand new Firestone tyres of the correct size (impossible to find today), they got 'lost' by the tinsmith. How does one lose 5 tyres?!

I had hidden my Beetle door handles and locks so carefully while painting was on, that I can't find them now!

[PAVAN KADAM]

Originally Posted by karlosdeville

I had hidden my Beetle door handles and locks so carefully while painting was on, that I can't find them now!

, hilarious, this happens most of the times, i had similarly hid a distributor, a horn button, and ashtray fittings, all these at my home but gone missing since last 2 months. Till date no idea where i hid them.

[gowda79]

Originally Posted by karlosdeville

I had hidden my Beetle door handles and locks so carefully while painting was on, that I can't find them now!

Originally Posted by PAVAN KADAM

i had similarly hid a distributor, a horn button, and ashtray fittings, all these at my home but gone missing since last 2 months. Till date no idea where i hid them.

Both are sailing in the same boat.

You guys are also called - Birds of a feather flock together

[harit]

Hello Pavan,

Hope you have learnt one of the lessons in our hobby. Never work on a deadline. At any rally, just go and see which cars did not come. Then find out why. Mostly because they missed a dead line.
When rushing to meet a deadline there is always a chance that some job will be rushed ending in unsatisfactory results. So be cool and calm and get on with the job. So far you have done very well, the van looks very cool.
I suggest not to rush anything.
The only thing in your hands and where you need to take care, this also for Karl, is to keep your parts in place. I know how it is, I have huge stocks of parts all over and yet go to buy when I cannot find. But that is our internal problem (sloppyness), where other agencies are concerned you must not rush.

Cheers harit

[PAVAN KADAM]

Originally Posted by harit

Hope you have learnt one of the lessons in our hobby. Never work on a deadline.

Some costly lessons some times, Its become so damn difficult to get good labour these days

And deadlines are becoming a 5 yr project , which eventually completes 6.5 yrs . Damn...

[PAVAN KADAM]

OK,

Here are the fresh updates.

Seats done. Had to sit late till night with the upholstery guy who was playing hide n seek with the work.6 hours of sitting in his place, all the seats were stitched, else it would still would be lying without any work

Not a great job, but a satisfactory outcome

.