Observatory's Restoration 60s Ambassador Viscount D919

[Observatory]

CONTENTS: 
(posts are edited occasionally to add new info, updates, outcomes etc... marked by "EDIT" & "date")

Page 1  LIFT OFF! - CHASSIS RESTO

• lifting body off chassis
  
• Z-rail replacement
• trailer rust treatment plus paint

Page 2  Z-RAIL WALL SUPPORT REBUILD; WALL/FRAME REBUILD

• lowering body back onto chassis
• screwing down ply floor
• replacing wooden z-supports RH
  
• rebuilding kitchen side wall frame
  

Page 3   NEW WALL PANELS; WALL STRAIGHTENING

• installing 3 ply wall panels
• re-straightening kitchen side wall
  

Page 4   FRAME REBUILD; REAR-WINDOW FRAME REBUILD

• installing new hatch frame and roof battens
• tying in cabinetry

• replacing wooden z-supports LH
  
• rebuilding door side wall
• rear-end rebuild
• new back window rebuild
  

Page 5  REAR WINDOW FRAME INSTALL; SHINING "ALI"

• windows rubbers/glass refit and frame polishing
• ...more rear-end rebuild
• Rear window frame - installation + silicone sealing
  
• cladding preparation
  

Page 6  ELECTRICITY; FOAM INSULATION

• wheel arches rebuild
• prepping corner moulds
• painting interior plus internal walls
• clearance lights reinstated
• DC lighting reinstated
  
• 240 volt cabling reinstated
• Cladding panel repairs
• Polystyrene insulation install
  

Page 7   HATCH LID; NEW STRIPE

• Roof cladding - prepping
• Hatch lid re-assembly
• Shining & polishing (shiny chrome hinges)
  
• ....more insulation foam going in
• Start of deconstructing the front end
• Refitting the rear/sides' cladding - (now with new "turquoise" stripe)
• Preparing for making wrap around windows
  

Page 8  REAR WRAP AROUND WINDOWS; CLADDING SEAL PREP.

• Cutting out wrap around windows
• making wrap around "form"
• Rear window mounting
• Wrap around window test fitting
• Window sealing - some investigating
• Roof cladding - join surfaces prepping
• Attaching roof cladding for alignment... more insulation
• Front window frame dismantle

Page 9  DOOR JAM; FRONT WINDOW FRAME; DIAGRAMMING

• Front window frame is out
• Diagramming front end
  
• .....more shining and polishing
• .....more deconstructing & diagramming the front
• Cutting out/making new window frame
• Floor - ply panel replacement
• Door jam - joining
  
• Bottom bulk head timber replacement
• .....shaping and joining
• Door fit - door jam adjustment
• Front right top bulk-head
  

Page 10  FRONT-END RE-BUILD 

• ..more top-bulkhead timber repairs & joining
• New front-end "bendy" ply panel - cutting-out and sizing
• Front beams in
• Attaching front bendy panel
  
• Bracing the front wall ply panel
• ...more polystyrene insulation
• New front metal securing plates
• Fitting front-end cladding/alignment
• Test fitting front window before screwing window frame together
  
• Alignment for front window frame assembly
• Alignment/securing front window/bottom to beam

Page 11  FRONT WRAP AROUND WINDOWS; RE-FIT EVERYTHING

• New wooden wrap around window frames
• Front Wrap Arounds - Cutting out; drilling holes/fitting
  
• Shims for front window
• Water tank - fitting tank; reshaping holding brackets
  
• New table/laminate - fitting ali edge trim; installing table
• Cladding - silicone sealing - 1st attempts
• Homemade vinyl piping (for door ali skirting)
• "MacGyver fix" - broken door latch

• TO BE CONTINUED...
  

---

Hi all, it's finally time to restore "The Observatory". I will attempt to document the restoration with photos and comments and technical stuff. Plan is to start at the chassis; then work my way up. This is my first van restoration so I welcome comments and the wisdom of others.

Here's the nice roomy and personal mens' shed:


Pete

[DC3Td]

Gday & welcome Pete.You should call the shed an observatory - its tall enough to be one! Van looks to be in quite good condition & we look forward to the progress & pics.

[Franklin1]

G'day Pete,

Welcome back to posting on the forum! We last heard from you in 2010, so it's good to know you're finally getting stuck into the project. If you're taking cladding off, do keep an eye out for any date info written on the back of the ply walls in crayon. You never know your luck!


Note to Admin: The original thread started about this van is this one: 1966-7? Viscount 15 foot , which is currently in the Members Photo Album section at the top of Page 23. Can you merge these posts into that thread please? (or I can do that for you if you like )


cheers,
Al.

[Observatory]

Thanks it's great to be back and finally getting into it!

Today the door side cladding and front and rear came off. Drilled out all the pop rivets in the floor.
Next job is jacking the van off the chassis so I can replace the Z brackets.
Couple more picks from Day #2

[Observatory]

Day #3 - Up we go! Good ol scissor jack worked a treat. Jacked up each side of the rear 1st; a bit at a time until the pine baton (2.4m 70mm x 40mm) could fit in between the body and chassis and poke out both sides. Then did the same to the front with the 2nd baton.

Note: the chassis jockey wheel starts to come off the ground as the front end comes up... however one relatively stringy male sitting on the draw bar is sufficient weight to counter balance while your handy off-sider shoves the baton through the gap between the body and the chassis;)

BTW.. the wheel guards are attached to the chassis by 4 pop rivets - 2 on each guard - which I did find out the hard way - only on one side, and not too much damage. Remembered to remove the 240v earth and 12v earth from the chassis before jacking up the body

Important: remove/grind out all the Z bracket bolts which attach the wooden body rails to the chassis.

Next week will try levitation and get the body up onto the 4 saw horses. Then pull out the chassis to give it the full overhaul.

[Franklin1]

Struth! - you're not mucking about, are you?!! I can see this van being finished by Sunday!

You'd never get a job in MY shed...you work far too fast! Only bludgers and slackos welcome when I work on my project.


I reckon your van is a 1964 model, based on the info we've collected since we last heard from you in 2010. Have a look at the Ambassador chassis numbers thread in our Down History Lane section. I put all that info together in 2012, including the photos of your van.

cheers,
Al.

[Observatory]

Hi Al, Thanks for pointing me toward the "Ambassador chassis numbers thread". Regarding the date of manufacture of the van; I discovered a date in pencil underside the table: 4/4/1966 a couple of years back. Whether it's authentic or not? cannot say but that was how we came up with 1966.

Work will slow on the van very shortly when the repair bills start to mount


Pete

[Observatory]

Day #4 Houston we have a problem. A very sore - saw horse. Saw horse not rated for man with mid-life crisis and no idea what he's doing



House with bricks. Still standing for now.

[DC3Td]

Not rated for more than the price you paid for them. Better off with a pair of steel or 4x2 timber horses.Guess if the crumped one/s are new or relatively new you might get your money back.

[Franklin1]

I remember helping my son a number of years ago, to put up some gyprock sheets on the inside wall of his house. There's my son at one end of the plank, his wife in the middle, and me at the other end. The plank is on top of two of these type of saw horses. Got the sheet halfway up to its position, when both sawhorses collapsed. First reaction is to let go of the gyprock sheet, and save our butts as we drop to the floor.

Would never use one of these types again...for anything. Only use the fold-up lockable sturdy aluminium type now.

cheers,
Al.

ps. I'm not seeing the first two photos in your very first post above anymore?

[Observatory]

Cheers Al, photos from the 1st post are up again. Somehow they were deleted from flickr.

Appreciating everyone's feedback and will keep the posts flowing as things progress.

Pete

[Observatory]

Day #5 After removing the wheels to get the trailer low enough to remove it; the chassis is out and is looking like it's repairable. All the Z bracket seems replaceable. The chassis is a bit over-flexed down on the kitchen side but could live it.

I'm a bit concerned about the strength of the wood in the body. A fair bit of dry rot and weakened joints means i have to think carefully before continuing down the road of financial no return. If anyone has repaired wall supports before or knows of a thread showing a technique i.e. repairing the main wooden rails that support the side walls and bolt to to the Z brackets, I would love to get more info so I can make a decision whether to keep going.

cheers
Pete

 

[mikeoz22]

Hi Don, I had the same issue as yours in that the z rails on the side were rusted out. So I had new ones fabricated from galvanised steel. Your technique of lifting the body off was spot on - I used two highlift 4wd jacks to do mine and supported the frame as you have done on beams.

In terms of the wall supports, I replaced quite a few of mine and replaced them with meranti but used triangular blocks either side to prevent them from moving giving - stronger structural support. If you have a look at the viscount valiant resto thread Im sure there's some photos there that show this. I totally replaced all the lower wooden beams using hardwood that I got out of some old houses - they were walls joist previously but I cut them down to size on a bench saw. These were then bolted to the chassis using gal coach bolts.

If u want to give me a call Im happy to share with you how I did the valiant walls etc. my mobile no is 0409413635 Cheers Mikeoz22

[Observatory]

Hi Mike, Thanks for the reply. It's Pete actually. I will have a closer look at your Valient restore. Actually it was your Valient restore that inspired me to have a go myself I'm definitely using galvanised Z brackets, should last a lot longer than the plane steel.

Got your number and will be in contact shortly, very kind of you thankyou. I'm taking a trip into Coffs Harbour tomorrow as well, to have a chat with a commercial van repairer. So hopefully in combination we'll get enough info to keep this project ticking along nicely. More posts and pics to come.

cheers
Pete

[Observatory]

Day #6 Had a good chat to an engineer/caravan repairer today and I'm reassured that this job is do-able. He emphasized the importance of having a good base ie straight and solid chassis. This will give the body good support for changing over all the dry rot wood in the body.

So, set to grinding out the old Z brackets which came out very easily. Mostly due to not being much of them left as the photo demonstrates. Also pulled the water tank out for a good clean-out. Found someone to do the welding at mates rates Next job is to get the new Z brackets fabricated out of gal.

[Observatory]

The new galvanised z rails ($70 for 4)just sitting in place to be welded Mon or Tue. Pricing paint at the moment. Rust converter; primer 4 litres and top coat 4 litres will cost around $250. Will wait for the welds to be done then paint the chassis. Waiting also for a quote on meranti in bulk.

[Rattles]

Not a bad idea to place black plastic damp course between the Z section and the Aluminium skin to prevent Electrolysis doing the same again.

Rattles

[Observatory]

Nice tip! thanks Rattles.

I noticed that the reverse is also the case i.e. electrolysis eats away the aluminium skin at the z section.

cheers
Pete

[Observatory]

Busy day today: All the chassis wire brushed, paint scrapered and angle grinded. Welds are all done, cleaned back and ready to paint. Rust converter on, giving the chassis a dark black look. Tomorrow will coat with primer.

[Observatory]

One litre of primer undercoat went on today. Will top coat with one more litre of epoxy enamel tomorrow. Colour will be the obligatory black gloss.

[Observatory]

Top coat is on and looking nice and black. The Z sections I left exposed; as they are already sealed - leaving them visible also gives me bragging rights

[Observatory]

Checked out the underside of the plywood floor and it looked a bit dry under there so gave it a good drink of decking oil - applied with a 4 inch brush. Brought out a nice shine.

before:


after:

[murray]

Observatory ,
Hope you had a safety vest on !!
......and clean undies,
cheers

[Observatory]

These little babies are gonna hold the floor to the chassis.

[DC3Td]

Aug 15, 2014 16:21:34 GMT 10 Observatory said:

These little babies are gonna hold the floor to the chassis.

Hmm,dunno.I personally would use self drilling tek screws.Yeah i know they`re a phillips head (don`t tell Cobber!) but reckon they`ll bed in nice & firm. cheers Gordon