Doullama's 1977 Marina van

[doullama]

So I actually did some work on this van. I fire it up and drive it around the block every couple of months and noticed it was starting to run a bit ropey - the fuel was stale. So I drained and refilled the fuel, and thought while it's out, i'll do a couple of other backburner jobs. Replaced the steering column bushes (identical to early mini, plastic bush up top, oiled felt bush at bottom) and the rag joint. These had been on a shelf in the shed for a rather long time. I had been using morris minor seats which were a bit dilapidated, I had some marina ute seats which had mint upholstery but the frame had entirely rusted out where it contacted the floor. Turns out marina van/ute/presumably coupe lower seat frames are identical to morris minor, I just cut the tubes off the bottom of the minor seats and welded them on to the marina ones and now have great and fairly comfortable o.e seats. The vinyl is a bit stiff so will rub some vinyl stuff into them to make them pliable again hopefully. I have decided I am not really happy with my sticker-murals, next time I have a burst of marina focus I will refinish just that area on each side. I would still like murals, but real airbrushed ones. Ideas include an outsized, leather clad, buxom woman riding astride the boiler of a K class steam engine as it crests the raurimu spiral at midnight, along with a graveyard scene with a gold watched, rotten tweed clad skeletal wrist surging forth from the earth to claw at a leyland 'flying plughole' gravestone, while a hooded allegro and princess sacrifice a morris minor in the background.

[doullama]

You would scarcely believe it but I have a van update. I had a wof booked today, I was going to take my daily ute in but thought bugger it, i'll take the van in - it needs a good run and i'd rather the ute didn't fall due just before xmas. Didn't fly through but pretty good for a 70s BL product that has been essentially parked up for 6 years. Brake lights weren't working - the switch had died during hibernation. It exploded into shards of mediocre 70s plastic upon removing the wires, I had a spare - 3 whole years newer so swapped that in. They didn't like my radiator blanking cap as gas cap - So I guess i'll find a fancier radiator cap, the filler neck is literally a radiator neck - leyland build efficiency. Only other things were headlight aim and front brake imbalance, they are discs with sliders greased & pads changed maybe last year or the year before with practically zero mileage since - I think they just need a bit of exercise. Should get a sticker early in the new year with any luck

[doullama]

Almost there for a wof with the van. Got a new fuel cap, morris minor are the same as marina van/ute, but not car as far as I can figure out. The drivers side brake caliper was not playing ball so I pulled the calipers off and have sent them to apex to be reconditioned with stainless pistons, flex lines etc. Thought I may as well change the rotors, not in terrible condition but are at least 18 years old. The hub has to come off to change the rotors anyway as they bolt to the rear of the hub, so did the drivers side wheel bearings as the outer race was a bit ugly. Pax side was fine and just got some new grease.

[doullama]

Got the calipers & lines back yesterday, they look great and apex in hamilton were good to deal with. They relined my rear brake shoes way back in the mists of time too. Slapped it all back together, painted and polished the wheels since they were off (and then had to do the back ones too since the fronts looked too much better). Took it out to bed the pads in and the brakes are noticeably better, I wonder how much of that is the stainless flex lines. Washed the dust off and now it is (fingers crossed of course with a leyland product) ready for its wof. It'll have to be week after next due to important railway business, a pity as it would have been handy for nats - will just have to bring the dodge instead (sufferingfromsuccess.jpg)

[doullama]

Excellent, let the pesting commence

[doullama]

Extreme morris pesting. Quite funny watching people walk up to the rego label to see what it is - i'm sure '1977 austin 400kg' is very enlightening. Of course technically it is an 'austin-morris 575DL', an inspiring name indeed.

[doullama]

Van still exists, I drove it exactly 3 times during the course of the wof, which was irresponsible as the whole idea was to burn some fuel..  Put the rego on hold today which reminded me to give it a wash, air up the tyres and run it a few laps around the shed. I had put a steel rear towbar 'step' I found on some years ago as a crude bullbar, in a burst of van sympathy I grabbed a bit of ply and some leftover model railway base foam sheet, along with some fabric cadged from the missus and made up a cushion/pad to go on there. I also grabbed a single foam mattress & fitted sheet from te warewhare, fits in there like it was designed for it. 

[doullama]

A mate gave me some road legal LED 7" headlights, the vans  headlights had always been abysmal and they didn't look too super out of place/futuristic so I whacked them in. The improvement in lighting is comical, should have taken a before pic.  Big shout out to lucas electronics for making a pair of incandescents that worked (poorly) for 50 years though. 

[doullama]

Shocking news, thought i'd take this critter in for a wof, and it passed! I solemnly promise to actually drive it at least once a week.

[doullama]

Took the van for a good long drive today (just like how I said I would, I can't believe anybody would doubt my sincerity). Went hard for what it is, I swear it gets more enthusiastic & positive reaction from the public at large than any of my other past random masochism-mobiles.  Yesterday I thought i'd suss out my fuel gauge before the trip, it seemed to be stuck on halfway and i detest a non-functional fuel gauge. Investigation revealed 2 of the wires going to the voltage stabiliser and gauge had been swapped, this had to have been me but i choose to blame immigration. Swapped them back and the gauge was then reading empty. Tested the gauge and it was fine, tested the fuel sender - Open circuit to ground, dead. Tested my very used spare fuel sender - also dead. Bugger I thought and promptly ordered a nos one from blighty, $300 with the lockring, seal & shipping combined with the weak nzd at present. Thought i'd best top up the tank and lo and behold the gauge starts rising and works perfectly - I don't understand what in the lucas dark & arcane netherworld is going on but I guess i'll have another spare sender for my next of kin to dispose of..