Bench seat frames finished :)

Managed to brave the cold & finish them!


Also managed to cut the construction time of the 2nd bench seat by 50% after finding these little beauties at B&Q:



They're screws that don't require pilot holes as they've a serated edge on the thread. It might only be a small tip, but it saved me changing the bit in the drill a million times! Handy eh? :)

More work on it Thursday. Gotta get lino for the floor & cut my kitchen cupboards to fit the slant of the side walls. Also got a guy looking at why the FEAD belts keep snapping..

Alternator & p.s. belts keep snapping

Managed a 122 mile trip though!

Ok, took it out on it's first trip this week.
On the positives.. it got me from Derby to Northampton (and almost back!)
On the negatives.. one of the "twin alternator & steering pump" belts ( i think they're called FEAD belts decided to snap halfway home.

Subsequently, the alternator didn't receive enough power to charge the 2nd battery i got within 2 miles of home before having to jump start with a spare.

I've drawn a number of conclusions as to why this is now the 2nd time NEW belts have snapped:

a) power steering pump sticks/needs lubrication/needs fluid
b) alt/engine/p.s wheels are not aligned properly
c) alt/engine/p.s spindles are bent

Here's a pic of it parked up outside my club



It might be worth pointing out for those of you who are reading this because you have a similar vehicle, that the V6 3.0l Essex engine in a Transit Mountain Ambulance is NOT listed in any spare parts catalogues in stores such as motorworld or halfords. I obtained replacement belts from Derby Bearings Ltd for £8 a pair which were suitable length & shape (poly V).

Test Driving Disaster

Bugger!

After a somewhat exciting outing locally in the Ambi, i decided i'd make a longer trip up to Nottingham along the A52 to pick up a mate.

A short way up Brian Clough Way & i noticed a drop in power. This could only mean one thing. . . belts had snapped & the secondary battery wasn't getting any juice.

I quickly turned round & managed to keep the beast going without a stop or stall until i got on the driveway. The remaining belt that was lodged in the engine bay was mangled to say the least. Perhaps i made a mistake on the belt types? Perhaps the power steering packed up momentarily and threw the belts off?



I await a call from www.motorworld.co.uk who are investigating the 'official' types of belt required rather than the mechanic-ordered replacements it previously had. Do they run parallel over the same wheels? so many questions. Lets hope it gets me to northampton and back tomorrow...

TBC

Interior 3 - carpeting

Spray glue. Great in enclosed spaces :)

As mentioned, i managed to get some cheap carpet, so set about cutting it to size and spray glue-ing it in place. Not only does it cover the many marks & dents in the fibreglass interior panels, but adds an extra layer of insulation.




The carpet is trimmed using Galvanised Steel channelling used in the electrics/plastering trade and was 99p a length from Wickes which is a far cry from the proper carpet edging they supply at £8.99 a length in gypsy gold colour.

Ok, its not dead fancy but when i've pop-riveted these in (as opposed to the temporary screws i used) they'll look great. I found out that there was an alu bar going the length of the ambulance for securing internal fixtures to, so it'll be a nice tight finish.

Tomorrow, working on the first bench seat. Got a 6ft sheet of hardboard for £2.59, also from wickes. Also managed to get some 12v neon style tubing from fleabay which i'll try and incorporate into the finishing touches.

Great news!

Went to tax my ambulance today, and due to the V5 stating it's body type and taxation class as 'Ambulance'. . . . . it's tax exempt!