Gertrude our 1976 Sopru - Printable Version +- Kombi Club Australia (https://kombiclubaustralia.com) +-- Forum: Kombi Club (https://kombiclubaustralia.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=1) +--- Forum: Members Rides (https://kombiclubaustralia.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=11) +--- Thread: Gertrude our 1976 Sopru (/showthread.php?tid=122) |
Gertrude our 1976 Sopru - onetrackwonder - 05-07-2022 Another dragged over from the dark side Quote:Hello to all, first of all I have to say in the short time that we have owned her what a ride it has been, I would like to introduce both myself and my wonderful wife and best friend Katherine, about 4 years ago we moved from Pitt Town in western Sydney and now we live in the wonderful NSW far south coastal village of Central Tilba, if you haven't heard of it do yourself a favour and look it up, we are developing our 10.6 acre property which was a raw bush block, first we built a big shed and now building our house which we are hoping to have close to being finished by Xmas. Last edited: May 12, 2018
onetrackwonder, May 7, 2018Quote:Great story. Love the Sopru beautiful inside and out. I just put the exact same rear bumper on Harry! Chris and Sharyn
Mr Beckstar, May 7, 2018
Team Fun and Niceness RE: Gertrude our 1976 Sopru Campmobile - onetrackwonder - 05-07-2022 Quote:Excellent intro guys. Kanga Banga - Blue 88 Manual Caravelle CL (T3) Utervelle - Blue 91 Manual Single Cab (T3) http://forums.kombiclub.com/threads/my-t3-single-cab-project.50622/page-17 http://forums.kombiclub.com/threads/kanga-banga-tidy-up.57512/ Quote:From your story sounds like a good van. Lots of patina. Enjoy the ride! Alles Gute und einen guten Tag
Alpal, May 7, 2018Alpal & Carol ________________________ Schmetterling (Butterfly) 79 Bay: DoppelÄrger (Double Trouble) 77 Dual Cab: The Other Bus 74 Kombi Glitzernwanze (Glitter Bug) : 70 Beetle Scoots: 1985 Vespa PX: 1978 Vespa Super: 1959 Lambretta Li150 basket case: Quote:Great re-start to kombi-ing rstucke, May 8, 201 Quote:Welcome back & thanks for the great story. You guys have certainly got a lot of VW & Komb experience. Yesterday is history, Tomorrow a mystery, Today is the PRESENT.
David H, May 8, 2018Pilot of 'Old Boy' 76 Sopru Fuel Injected Co pilot Lauren http://forums.kombiclub.com/threads/76-sopru-resto.54261/ http://forums.kombiclub.com/threads/76-sopru-old-boy.56558/ Quote:That last pic with the dogs is priceless! Great bus, enjoy the ride. paul77, May 8, 2018 Quote:Pristine interior and the just married sign in back tailgate gives all the patina and history of a lovely story, thanks for sharing you kombi journey so far and hope that it continues for you. 72 Kombi 8 Seater Microbus
Wayne murray, May 8, 201872 Double Cab Ute 76 Single Cab Ute Quote:Where did you get the Kombi curtain prints from? Magnificent. I want them. Yesterday is history, Tomorrow a mystery, Today is the PRESENT. Pilot of 'Old Boy' 76 Sopru Fuel Injected Co pilot Lauren http://forums.kombiclub.com/threads/76-sopru-resto.54261/ http://forums.kombiclub.com/threads/76-sopru-old-boy.56558/ David H, May 8, 2018 Quote:paul77 said: ↑ Barry, May 9, 2018 Quote:Great story and a solid looking kombi ..... been a few different colours and the sunburn reveals that [b]Let me out when I call my name, IGOR is ALIVE[/b]
KahunaKombi, May 9, 2018You can call me Bert A A Wright FIPA, FFA, DATDFA Quote:G'day Greg i've still got the 75 bus i bought from you,good to hear you finally got another Last edited: May 9, 2018
sons 75 panel
farquire, May 9, 201875 microbus 79 microbus project 90 syncro panel camper RE: Gertrude our 1976 Sopru Campmobile - onetrackwonder - 05-07-2022 Quote:Hey guys thanks for the kind words, its a pleasure to be back in a Kombi and on here rather than just stalking the site occasionally, we currently are living in our shed while we are building our house, certainly not roughing it thats for sure, Gertrude is parked just outside our cabin section and I don't know how many times that I have opened the door to look out at her, mentioned it to Katherine and she said don't worry I have done the same, we have to keep pinching ourselves, this week I have crawled all over her and had a real decent look, there is no sign of any previous accident repairs, and the underside is in great shape except for one of the floor support cross sections adjacent to the rear torsion bar and it had been impacted with something and one side of the section has been pushed up towards the floor and the stretched metal has split, looks like an easy repair to get back into shape and a small weld to make good, and certainly not structural so of little concern, apart from that the grey primer that you see at both rear corners is where the battery boxes have been replaced, the front panel and drivers door has also had a lick of primer down the adjoining edges and my guess there is that the door has been folded back onto the front panel damaging both but apart from that she looks like original tired paint everywhere and is also blue behind all doors and panels that I have looked at and blue under and in front of the engine bay, and behind the front underside crash protector under the bumper, I have found a couple of small patches of rust that I will get onto sooner rather than later up under the passengers front floor to bulkhead area which looks like a real pain to get too, as for the dogs expect to see them at any event we attended, they all like a pat and only one bites but not very hard, you will have to work out which one David H the curtains were already on the car so I have no idea but I'm sure Google will be your friend, Wayne murray the previous hippie owners bought the car especially to be married in her and then wrote all over it with chalk pens, most of this is under the Ankor wax so unless I strip the wax it will stay there, the previous owner had never been able to get the fridge running on 12 volt and this morning I have had a look and traced the power wire and it went nowhere, connected it to the battery and still nothing, power goes into a small relay and nothing comes out, bypassed the relay just with a jumper lead and yay the fridge works so looks like a shot relay so hopefully an easy fix again, the radio even with the new aerial still doesn't work so ordered a new stereo last night, fuel lines are all brand new so nothing on that front needed, however I still have to chase the rest of the connections on the vent system as the fuel smell is still quite strong and there is no charcoal canister which from memory there should be, onetrackwonder, May 10, 2018 Quote:I agree, you did find yourself a beauty. Love the patina and the writing on the tail gate. Was looking at it in Helensburgh and Berry and imagining that writing being on there for 30 odd years......do you know the story behind the writing?? Borgey, May 10, 2018 Quote:Very important to peen and glue the fuel spigots on both carbs, if you have carb version, as they are regularly a source of fires. cbus, May 10, 2018 Quote:Also meet the couple you bought the van from in Boat Harbour Tasy in feb 2016,they'd recently got married ,all the writing was fresh,he was new to kombis and we talked for quite awhile,had a good look over the van very solid,nice people,small world isn't it sons 75 panel
farquire, May 10, 201875 microbus 79 microbus project 90 syncro panel camper Quote:Borgey said: ↑ onetrackwonder, May 10, 2018 Quote:I'm not familiar with any delorto issues but plenty on here should be able to advise. cbus, May 10, 2018 Quote:If you can smell fuel that’s a problem that needs fixing immediately. It could be one of the breather pipe hoses too. Either way, fuel smell means possible fire. Chris and Sharyn
Mr Beckstar, May 10, 2018Team Fun and Niceness Quote:Hi onetrackwonder, Yesterday is history, Tomorrow a mystery, Today is the PRESENT.
David H, May 10, 2018Pilot of 'Old Boy' 76 Sopru Fuel Injected Co pilot Lauren http://forums.kombiclub.com/threads/76-sopru-resto.54261/ http://forums.kombiclub.com/threads/76-sopru-old-boy.56558/ RE: Gertrude our 1976 Sopru Campmobile - onetrackwonder - 05-07-2022 Quote:Thanks guys, Chris and David I will go over the complete system before she heads out of the shed again, I did replace the sneaky bit up under the spare tyre well last week, what a bastard that was, last weekend when we went up to Sydney and then for the run back to Berry the smell was non existent, it wasn't until our last fuel stop at Moruya that the smell was back and its now extremely strong just sitting in the shed so its now a major issue, and its the main repair on my list I will most likely replace every bit of hose and then I will know that its is ok onetrackwonder, May 10, 2018 Quote:onetrackwonder said: ↑ Yesterday is history, Tomorrow a mystery, Today is the PRESENT.
David H, May 10, 2018Pilot of 'Old Boy' 76 Sopru Fuel Injected Co pilot Lauren http://forums.kombiclub.com/threads/76-sopru-resto.54261/ http://forums.kombiclub.com/threads/76-sopru-old-boy.56558/ Quote:Yep, that looks the same as the one I pulled out and replaced last week on Harry after springing a fuel leak after a refill on the way back from Stanthorpe Chris and Sharyn
Mr Beckstar, May 10, 2018Team Fun and Niceness Quote:Cheers, thanks for the great stories and background, love the bus and it was great to meet up at Berry. Sure we will cross tracks again soon!! Jethro, Jun 3, 2018 Quote:cbus said: ↑ [b]Let me out when I call my name, IGOR is ALIVE[/b]
KahunaKombi, Jun 4, 2018You can call me Bert A A Wright FIPA, FFA, DATDFA RE: Gertrude our 1976 Sopru Campmobile - onetrackwonder - 05-07-2022 Quote:Hello once again guys and gals, and once again thanks for the comments, since my last post we have been extremely busy as Katherine and I are building our new home and we are doing it mostly ourselves so currently the Kombi is not getting all of our love but rather some bits and pieces when we can find the time or when we make the time, I have continued to change out all of the fuel vent hoses and there is now no odour or when we first got her leaks when filling, David H I am yet to do the filler neck hose as at this stage it doesn't seem to be an issue and I'm trying to do the most important things first along with a little bit of bling because I can't help myself sometimes, since Berry we done the trip back to Sydney for the Nationals which was fun meeting people old and new, for the nationals I installed some headlight mesh grills and eyelids, not an easy task as its usually one or the other, while staying at my mums on the Saturday I installed a new power inlet as the old one didn't have a cover onetrackwonder, Jul 28, 2018 RE: Gertrude our 1976 Sopru Campmobile - onetrackwonder - 05-07-2022 Quote:So today was like I said, bling day, lots of scrubbing was done and some polishing to protect and beautify, last week with my order of parts I got some new mirrors as when we got the car there was only one mirror and one arm with out the mirror, the new mirrors from evil bay were like magnifying glass and were utter crap so I got some better ones which are great, I also got some under seat mats as the ones in the but were shot, well what little was left of them, so out with the seats, out with the mats and clean and clean and clean then it was time to put the bling back in, have too say they come up a treat and we are very happy with them, also installed new step treads Last edited: Jul 29, 2018
onetrackwonder, Jul 28, 2018RE: Gertrude our 1976 Sopru Campmobile - onetrackwonder - 05-07-2022 Quote:The seats had been re built by the previous owner and they have been very professionally done, which was one of the attractions for us to buy it in the first place Last edited: Jul 29, 2018
onetrackwonder, Jul 28, 2018Quote:Small things but huge improvements ....... Greg, are you going to put the rubber on the side of the seat mounts - walk through (https://www.thebusstop.com.au/1968–...Interior-68-79/Under-Seat-Arch-Side-Mats-pair) [b]Let me out when I call my name, IGOR is ALIVE[/b]
KahunaKombi, Jul 29, 2018You can call me Bert A A Wright FIPA, FFA, DATDFA Quote:Side mats also available here - https://www.justkampers.com.au/vw-t...ront-seat-tub-side-mats-t2-bay-1967-1979.html [b]Let me out when I call my name, IGOR is ALIVE[/b]
KahunaKombi, Jul 29, 2018You can call me Bert A A Wright FIPA, FFA, DATDFA Quote:Hi Kahuna, no at the moment I don't think I will install the side mat, I have never had them in the two previous campers that I have owned, I don't believe that they were fitted to the Sopru campers but rather the deluxe microbus, not that I'm trying to have an exact replica of the car that rolled out of Sopru, I did however cut and polish the said area that looks rather untidy in the pics and I'm pretty happy with how they turned out, cheers Greg Last edited: Jul 29, 2018
onetrackwonder, Jul 29, 2018Quote:If you do ever decide to put in the rubber mats around the side. Just check that you have a channel down the walk thru sides near the buckles ,as you need that groove to put that rubber in. Only reason I mentioned this as my weekend job was to do the same job on my fathers car, but he doesn't have the channel to put the surround seat pedestal rubber. 72 Kombi 8 Seater Microbus
Wayne murray, Jul 29, 201872 Double Cab Ute 76 Single Cab Ute Quote:Thanks Wayne, I have the groove along the top edge of the walk through and I am fairly sure that the rear near the buckles that wraps around the back edge is held in place with contact glue, cheers Greg onetrackwonder, Jul 29, 2018 Quote:onetrackwonder said: ↑ 72 Kombi 8 Seater Microbus
Wayne murray, Jul 29, 201872 Double Cab Ute 76 Single Cab Ute Quote:Greg, wasn't sure but get the look as it was approach ...... $$$ spent better on something else also [b]Let me out when I call my name, IGOR is ALIVE[/b] You can call me Bert A A Wright FIPA, FFA, DATDFA KahunaKombi, Jul 31, 2018 RE: Gertrude our 1976 Sopru Campmobile - onetrackwonder - 05-07-2022 Quote:Hi Wayne I must have read it wrong but all good,thanks for the advice, We managed to get away for the VW Spectacular and had a great time, managed to clock up just on 2200km for the trip, ran from Tilba up to Sydney where we stayed with my mother for the night, got to wash the Tilba dust off the car that night and check the oil which was all good, then ran up the freeway, thought we would stop at the Leyland Brothers Rock for breakfast only to see it burning too the ground, sad days, anyway we had an awesome time up at Nambucca, lots of very cool cars and people, never checked the oil at Nambucca because it was fine in Sydney, then the run home we done via the coast and just before Nabiac the oil light came on so we stopped and checked it out and the oil was way low, actually halfway down the stick so we filled it up and continued on our way, once back in Sydney it needed a top up again and then the trip back to Tilba we never used a drop, so from Tilba to Sydney nothing, Sydney to Nambucca and Nambucca to Sydney heaps. like 2,0L and Sydney to Tilba nothing, so I am thinking that the oil breather line that I connected to the air filter may be sucking the oil down the carbie at the high revs on the freeway and was wondering what everyones thoughts on that was, I might have to add a catch tank that breathes into the filter and drains back to the sump, as it hadn't used any oil before this trip and the change to the breather onetrackwonder, Aug 22, 2018 RE: Gertrude our 1976 Sopru Campmobile - onetrackwonder - 05-07-2022 Quote:Today we finally got rid of the Vic rego and now have to mount these, happy days onetrackwonder, Aug 22, 2018 Quote:What a great road trip - doing exactly what Kombi’s should do! Kanga Banga - Blue 88 Manual Caravelle CL (T3) Utervelle - Blue 91 Manual Single Cab (T3) http://forums.kombiclub.com/threads/my-t3-single-cab-project.50622/page-17 http://forums.kombiclub.com/threads/kanga-banga-tidy-up.57512/ Quote:Great trip guys and thanks for the pics and the story. Love your new rack!! Dont see many of them for sale anywhere. Jethro, Aug 23, 2018 RE: Gertrude our 1976 Sopru Campmobile - onetrackwonder - 05-07-2022 Quote:Hi guys its been a while since I have made an update on here, we have been extremely busy building our house/home which has taken longer than you would think as Katherine and myself are really the only ones doing all the work, well to cut to the chase last Easter on the way down to the Bus Stop at Mallacoota while being the lead driver/ guide the old girl developed a bit of a miss that would clear itself and then come back again, once in the van park I tried to do a bit of trouble shooting to no avail then on the way back from the big photo shoot she went bang in a big way, the poor old girl had a major melt down and melted the main Venturies in the throat of one of the the carburettors, hence we had to tow her home, luckily we were only 3 hrs or so away and Debbie and Mark Perinich were graceful enough to drop me off at home in Central Tilba on their way home so that I could return with a trailer to pick the bus, Kath and the dogs up, once home the poor old Kombi has sat in the shed ever since without me being able to spend any time to diagnose the exact issue with her which has been very frustrating not being able to spend the time to fix her along with not knowing what is wrong ,with building we initially built a large shed that has been used for storage of the kombi and all our household goods along with a cabin that we have lived in, now we are in the house which is unfinished but getting very close, I have spent the last two weeks believe it or nor cleaning and rearranging the shed now that most of the building materials and furniture has gone, now I am happy with the shed space so this afternoon I dragged the bus around from one side of the shed to the other so that I could get at her and then jacked her up and pulled the engine, I was worried that some of the aluminium from the venturies had gone down the inlet manifold into the head, I wasn't going to risk some of that being in the head, lucky I did because yes there was bits in the top of the head on the inlet side and one big bit jammed against the valve , I now have a bench full of engine parts and I have also learnt a bit more about our engine and its condition, we have an electric fuel pump and when i looked at where he mechanical one was there was no plate over it just a hole, I thought stuff what is going on, they must at some stage welded it up and I have never seen that before, I also had never realised that the alternator has a fresh air inlet to the back of it, also found that the engine mounts were stuffed, also very surprised that the air bellows/thermostat had a broken/missing cable so wasn't too happy about that, I now have to pull the head so that I can see if any aluminium bits made its way into the barrel, I don't think they did as the bits that I have found make up most of the venturies, what lookes like caused all of the problem was that there had been a bit of the fuel line when pushed on to one of the carburettor fittings has taken a slice off the hose and then that has got stuck in the end of the carburettors emulsion tube, here are some photos, cheers Greg onetrackwonder, Oct 21, 2019 |