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'55 11-Window"Sheep Carrier"....a bit of a rethink

Posted: Wed Apr 01, 2009 11:14 pm
by kombi1976
Here's the Bus I've been hiding away until I could retrieve it.
I found it 20kms west of Goulburn sitting next to a dam in the dirt and had to pull it out of a hole.
These are the first pics I took of it.
It's got LOTS of rust including the roof but I think it's worth saving.
As for the title, well, there's a story to it but I'll leave it until the vids from the retrieval have been edited together and you can enjoy the full story.

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I'll post some retrieval pics tomorrow.

Posted: Wed Apr 01, 2009 11:38 pm
by Shaven
ohhh you lucky bastard.
very nice score. lots of nice factory bits on the old girl :wink:

Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 12:01 am
by kombi1976
Certainly lots of aftermarket rust though........ :shock:
The vids are good though.
Wait until I get Ash to edit them......if he will. :wink: :wink:

Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 12:22 am
by Leroy
Nice score indeed :shock: Definately worth saving. Cant wait for the vids 8)

Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 7:06 am
by kombi1976
Well, it's not over yet.
The front driver's side drum is stuck.......there's no moving it at all.
I've tried everything to shift it but it won't move and I can't get the damn thing off the trailer.
I rang a mechanic mate and hopefully we can fix that by the end of the day.
If not Kennards will make a mint out of me this week! :shock:

Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 7:24 am
by D-Train
factory safaris.. love them...

cant wait to see the vids either..

Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 7:32 am
by lobus
A hinge on the engine lid,
some glass up front,
horn button,
a can of Ankor Wax
a nd you will be half way there.

Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 7:43 am
by surfkombi
We had a stuck drum when trying to get a kombi of a trailer - in the end just lifted it a bit and stuck a skateboard under the wheel .

Worked a treat - car carrier said he was always going to keep on a skateboard on board from then on!

Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 8:10 am
by winerot
mate that looks alright from here(pics) & bye the bye keep the two windows in the front as well, a bit of sanding & stain they will come up a treat as well.
you pay good money for old window frames at restorer's.

Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 9:03 am
by DubbinDan
Great find Andy. Wow!. That is going to look the goods.

Pete (4tune8) had a cool solution to a stuck bus on his trailer. He backed the trailer up to a light pole - tied the axel/beam of the bus to the pole and drove off. Hey presto! Bus parked on road. Easy.

Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 10:35 am
by cassa
Nice. A perfect hyper rat!

Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 11:04 am
by Tonz Magonz
Andy ,Nice trophy if you dont restore it..!

Another crazy idea for vehicle off trailer removal is to jack bus up and slide a plastic bread crate under the wheel before lowering it back down... The plastic slides on the steel of the trailer and then tie the bitch to a pole before driving off..!
Also try belting the drum with a sledge hammer..!!! Mullerstyle.. :)

Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 11:14 am
by kombi1976
Thanks for the tips, lads.
The skate board sounds good as does the bread crate.
A mate has a palate jack I might try and borrow and I'm also going to hit the drum with a mate's LPG torch this arvo to try and brake the rust.
I have some ideas for shifting it, like making up a piece of square tube with 2 holes in the right spots for the drum and a mower wheel at either end.
But it will have to go on the road this arvo as Kennards have already made enough out of me and the trailer is due back by 5.
Might try your power pole trick, Dan, except with a firm tree which is just outside my house.
I'll take some more pics this arvo and you'll see that the rust is extensive.
But on the bright side the accelerator pedal, which came out of the floor when the rust gave way years back, is sitting in the cargo area and the linkages under the cab floor are all still there!
The pan at the front of the bus under the gear linkage is also there.
It must be the only rusty old bus that still has one.
And yes, it is a hyper rat.
BTW, have tried the sledge hammer liberally and sadly no banana.
But where there's a will, there's a way.

Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 11:21 am
by Tonz Magonz
USE A BIGGER SLEDGE HAMMER... :lol:

Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 11:31 am
by OMR_007
Congrats mate! Looks awesome!!!

Never too rusty to save!

I have had some pretty badly stuck ones in the past, the hammer always seams to work eventually!

Maybe try pull the wheel off and tap around the outside of the drum?

I have also tried about 3 cars to trees in an effort to get them off trailers that are late for return! :lol: That works well too!