Bongo Fury

Further update! New head fitted and the new vehicle has life. Yes fired up like a gud un bled the system and all seems OK. Road test delayed because of stupid government tax laws. Must tax new vehicle at post office but post office ain't open on first so tried to tax it today "cannot tax a vehicle in advance" was the mantra in the local post office. You can tax it from 1st August if you want" So waste a months tax? No I just want it taxed from September.
No can do Do I get a reduction cos I cannot tax it till the 2nd. No why not Stooopid!! We will see what my MP thinks of this.
It is a tax issue that could be sorted with a simple amendment to the regulations along the lines of "Where the first day of the month is such that the post office is closed it is permissible to tax in advance of the start day on the last working day of the previous month that post offices are open"
Rant over.
Just need a road test and the a bit of welding (this is where I came in) ha ha.
Ian G

Amazing ruins to rags tale FCL

Well done getting Bongy sorted, and well worth giving the Great and Good a rocket.

Back on the road. Freda taxed. Tested the bleeding operation (excuse the language) and all OK. Took the Freda up winnats pass (my usual test after a bleed) Great to be driving a proper car again. An automatic where our elbows don't clash at every gear change. Vauxhall Costa provided by Direct Line was a poor substitute but as they say better than nout.

Tomorrow the cruise control will be fitted and the solar panel wired up - nearly there.
Ian G

fatcatlawyer wrote: ↑Tue Sep 03, 2019 9:15 pm Back on the road. Freda taxed. Tested the bleeding operation (excuse the language) and all OK. Took the Freda up winnats pass (my usual test after a bleed) Great to be driving a proper car again. An automatic where our elbows don't clash at every gear change. Vauxhall Costa provided by Direct Line was a poor substitute but as they say better than nout.

Tomorrow the cruise control will be fitted and the solar panel wired up - nearly there.
Ian G

Remarkable recovery ftom the the edge of darkness

Update (5) well I have struggled with the cruise control. A mixture of problems - dirty contacts and speed sensor connected to wrong terminal at back of binnacle! But now operational. Solar panel wired up and working. This leaves ........ fuel filter swap (bigger than original to accommodate my use of cooking oil). Tow hitch, rear reversing camera, dab radio and sat Nav so nearly there but some of these must await the cheque from insurance co!
Ian. G

Well done Ian.

Yet another update. Solar panel and cruise control now done and working. I have also fitted one of them dash cams that fit on the mirror. All that wiring and getting it behind and above the headlining. Sore fingers! Threading the camera lead through the rear door another painful exercise but now all done.
Repaired my melted dab radio module and the extra USB ports.
This still leaves the welding and respray that will be completed within the next seven days. That will leave the roof netting. This has now been bought from a place in Staveley Some tape has been acquired and then it will have to be fitted.
Has anyone attempted replacing the netting without removing the roof? Any tips would be appreciated.
Ian G

Has anyone attempted replacing the netting without removing the roof? Any tips would be appreciated.
Ian G

Yes! Here's a link to where Allan has shared some good old VW restoration advice, which saves me typing. It's even easier if you have one person inside and one outside, to pass the needle back and forth through the fabric. https://www.allansvehicleservices.co.uk ... ongo-tips/

If you can recover what’s left of the fire damaged Low Coolant Alarm (and if it’s one of ours) send it back we will either fix it or replace FOC....
Bet you don’t get that offer from any other supplier

haydn callow wrote: ↑Mon Oct 21, 2019 11:17 am If you can recover what’s left of the fire damaged Low Coolant Alarm (and if it’s one of ours) send it back we will either fix it or replace FOC....
Bet you don’t get that offer from any other supplier

And who said there was no room for sentiment in business. Well done Haydn

Thanks for the offer but as the Freda had a cylinder head issue I sourced a Haden alarm from bongo spares along with the head cambelt water pump and cruise control. It was fitted before the test drive. 1000 miles on all is OK. Car now at garage for welding rear arches respray and waxoyling should be back by Friday fingers crossed. Then the replacement netting.
Freda does not have electric blinds and it would be nice to get that but of luxury transfered as well. When fitting the extra USB ports I noticed that the wiring to the switches was present so it might be just a question of swapping them over. Time will tell!
Ian G

My Freda is home! New rear arches - partial respray looks rather nice. One issue that is really bugging me. My old bongo has a clear rear screen. My new one has a tint. I don't like the tint. It may have had the tint since new. I don't know. If it was an "extra" fitted in the factory is it possible to remove said tint or is it like the rear screen heater, an integral part of the glass.
I could of course swap the rear door or swap just the window but if it just a case of applying some steam that I can do myself.
The thought of all that rethreading of the reversing camera wiring fills me with dread. Too cold and wet at the moment but experienced advice is needed before that part of the transformation is attempted.
Yours Ian G.