Stevie The '64 Splitscreen

The pictures make them look way better than they are; they’re pretty rough around the edges so are going to need a fair amount of work to get them into a more respectable shape.

I’ll be getting some epoxy primer on them over the weekend and then replacing the hinge pins so I can get them attached back to the shell to give me a reference point for the new front arches.

I’m starting by trial fitting the front valance which shows that the passenger A pillar is out by a fair bit as the headlight panel has a massive dent in it (confirmed by fitting the passenger door and the gaps being off). My current plan is to get some bracing welded into the cab area and then start cutting away the passenger front arch and headlight panel to see if the a pillar can be persuaded back to where it should be.

As long as I keep trial fitting surrounding panels we should be able to get everything lining up again nicely.

The old hinges for the tailgate had been crudely welded together presumably after they started cracking so I’ve replaced them with s nice new set from Schofields.

I’m not taking on any upholstery work for customers currently but I did manage to squeeze these in between feeding and looking after the baby. 👶

I’ve had a clear vision of how I want the interior for our splitscreen to look for quite some time, but it’s taken a little while to find and then decide on the right materials for it. @boyriven_ltd to the rescue as usual with this fantastic tan vinyl and olive fabric combination.

I wanted a outdoorsy vibe for this interior in materials that’ll still look good in 20 years or so. The fat biscuit pleats complete the look for a comfy but tough look.

These won’t be fitted to our bus for a good few years as I still have a lot of work left to do on the bus, but it’s nice to have a look to help guide the rest of the project.

I’ve marked them both up for plug welding so both pans will now come back out to have holes drilled for plug welding. I’ll also be getting some epoxy on the undersides of them before they get welded in.

This month I’m hoping I can get the cargo floors welded in. 🤞

The only panel available for this area is the whole tool chest at a fair expense so it’s nice to be able to make something up.

Some fiddly pressings and bends to replicate but I’m happy with the outcome, ready to weld in over the weekend.

A previous restorer had cut it in half, and with some of the seams bulging with rust I decided to just replace the whole panel.

I’ve got the new panel mocked up, which fits nicely along the front and side edges, but the rear will need some further work as the cutouts for the brake cable guide tubes are in the wrong place and the drivers side of it needs bending up to be inline with the rest of the edge.

I’ve not touched it since March so it was nice to get another chunk of metal welded back in. First of the four jacking points welded in tonight. 💪

Aiming to get the others done over the next week or so.

The last month or so I’ve been sorting the garage to have enough room to work on the bus. My 3 phase air compressor has moved on to a new home and I’ve managed to take down the 3 shelving units I put up by moving everything I don’t need into the loft and continuing to sell bits.

I spent a few hours yesterday re-establishing the cargo door gaps and am currently prepping the jacking points for welding in.

It felt lovely to be working on this outside in the sun. 🌞

Having only decided to move out of my Wimborne workshop last month as the rent has doubled this year, I’ve had a lot to sort through and either sell or chuck in the bin.

The workshop is pretty much empty now, but the white elephant in the room has been Stevie, the splitscreen project. The only way I could keep this was to make room in our single space garage at home which has required quite a bit of work. The old up and over door was on its last legs with only one spring supporting it and the frame rotting out. I removed this and then built a pair of metal framed swing out doors from the metal salvaged from the shelves I had built for the workshop.

It’s been very close to the wire getting this done in time, with the paint on the frame still drying from painting it the night before getting Stevie recovered from Wimborne yesterday.

I only finished getting the cladding on the door at gone 7pm last night but at least I know she’s now safe and dry.

I didn’t sell my compressor in time so managed to just about squeeze it into the back of the split to hopefully sell later in the year.

The plan for now is to carry on with the metalwork from our garage here, with a longer term plan of moving to somewhere a little more rural with enough room for a nice big workshop. 😁