Cat in the Hat

[vanell]

Its an original 11 window, I call it a deluxe coz it had full trim and seats, two tone blue and white, maybe im wrong calling it a deluxe, but you wouldn't call it a standard kombi, if I can get the roof up when Morts turns up I will see if it has the raised section around the front of the roof cut out, that will tell us if it was a sunroof bus. You can see why when I look at this bus it must have been stunning when it was brand new, an now its an off road vehicle. Ian

[splitthis]

I’ll wait for someone who’s an expert to confirm but sounds like it was a microbus. All the pretty bits on the inside and two tone paint but without extra windows or belt line trim.

[vanell]

Yeah your right, a Microbus, not a deluxe, a bit like potato scallops not potato cakes.

[splitthis]

Haha I wasn’t being a smart ass you grumpy old bastard , I was genuinely interested. I didn’t realise this bus had belly pans it’s not a walkthrough is it? Perfect candidate for some off-road work with the pans for strength and now it’s going to be solid.

[morts]

Jesus that cross member was toast! Did they put belly pans on campers or was this a sunroof bus pre fitout?

It is a German factory 9 seater microbus, factory 12 volt, painted sea blue/cumulus white in nitro lacquer paint, with mesh grey trim, built on 17 March, 1967 and delivered to Ramsgate, England where Canterbury Pitt fitted it out with one of their oak interiors and with a thin red and white striped elevating roof. (hence Cat in the Hat) The M plate codes are:-

• 737 – unknown, but seen on RHD ’67 deluxes and ’67 microbuses delivered to England (wonder if this might be a roof with sunroof but no skylights??)
• 757 – unknown, but seen on RHD ’67 kombis, ’67 deluxes and ’67 microbuses delivered to England and German ’67 High Roof buses
• 396 – complies with English regulations (RHD, amber indicators)
• 025 – mountings for safety belts
• 043 – complies with Swiss market regulations
• 061 – unknown, seen on RHD ’67 kombis, ’67 deluxes and ’67 microbuses delivered to England
• 191 – belly pans
• 543 – supplied without seating in the load area (thank goodness for that!)

[morts]

I recon they are the genuine belly pans to the bus because of the paint colour inside, anyway had to trim the rot off of them and I folded them inside the chassis rail and inside the outrigger, only way to save them, but they are OG, that's good right?

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IMG_3720.JPG

Is OG is good! Well, its OG under the red somewhere anyway - apart from the rear cargo door which we found out was turkis ha ha. What a bitsa, bit at least now its a solid, rust free bitsa ready for the next 30 years of outback trekking!!

If it's not ready for this year's RATeX it will be definitely ready for the two week 2020 odyssey to Uluru via the Gawler Ranges, Coober Pedy, The Painted Desert Ulluru and back through Kulgera, Finke, Mt Dare, Dalhousie Springs, Oodnadatta, Coward Springs and Woomera - can't wait!

[morts]

Luckily Ian decided not to keep my bus and give it back to me. (thanks Ian!)

So now it is with the painter and I want it to look something like it did before it got all cut up, grinded and welded back together again. I am looking to get some sea blue over the majority of the lower repair work and then some of the dull red over that so it can be rubbed off to try to get the blue to show through again in places. (get it??) I am also going to try and get some of the dull red off the upper half to show some of the og cumulus white through. (I know what I am trying to achieve but don't want it to look too patchy, too shitty or too fake - so will just have to see how it all pans out...)

[rusty 55]

Looking great Morts
The Wizzard has worked some more magic
Such a great bus

[morts]

As I said the aim with this paint job was to paint all the repairs/new metal areas in the original colour of sea blue/cumulus white before over painting these with the maroon colour the old girl came with when I found her and then rubbing this through in some parts and waiting for stone chips to take other areas back to the blue and white overtime.

And so the evolution continues...

[vanell]

Come on mate , that was months ago, where's the recent photos? Ian

[Beatts]

This looks recent

[morts]

Come on mate , that was months ago, where's the recent photos? Ian

C'mon Cuz, you know we're slow down here in the south, especially now that you are a good 'ol southern boy too...

Anyway, I didn't want shiny as I wanted it to look just like it did before it went in for it's plastic surgery.

[MID WEST DUBBER]

Coming up nice Morts

[braddick]

Looking good morts
Nice bit of burn thro faktina

[morts]

I didn't actually like the flat look how it came out so I asked the painter to give it a bit more of a shiny look and this is how it turned out.