Norms Restoration - 31 Seater Projects

1952 AEC Regal III [2547]

2017

September Body

Norman Julian
27 September at 18:05
Both doors are complete. Let's recap.
They were stripped down and the frames (steel) were stripped of rust back to bare metal then painted. The aluminium frames where stripped of paint and some panel beating was done.
The hinge that holds the leafs together was stripped and sanded back and painted.
The hinge pin was greased before putting back together.
The glass was replaced with new. The side rubber is new the door frame side rubber for sealing was replaced.
The old hinge leather was replaced with tonneau material.
Billions apon billions of pop rivets were drilled out and replaced when put back together.
I have reused the glass rubber because it wasn't too bad but replaced the locking rubber.
Greg Scott
Great job norm !
Norman Julian
Thanks for that Greg.
Just imagine I have the Leyland to do yet.

Norman Julian
23 September at 15:58
One door down and one to go. It has taken nearly all day to clean and strip paint off 4 glass rubbers and place them in position.
I would hate to think how much time I have spent all up on these doors.
From pulling them down to this stage but lots of time I'm thinking.
I'm not in a hurry to do the Leyland.
Greg Scott is the only other that would know.

Stuart Brown
Loving the work...Looks really nice.
Just left wondering/a little confused, about how the paint works on these.
It seems backwards to put it all back together before paint.
Does the doors being Gal mean the window surrounds are just not painted at all?
Norman Julian
If you had ever put this glass and rubber back in you would understand. Doing it on the bench is far easier then putting it back on later. As I said the Greg Gibson, I would rather mask up then having to put them back in later. The doors are not gal by the way they are aluminium. The kick plates at the bottom are gal but that is it. Originally they were mild steel. Not all the glass will be put back on before painting. The passengers sliding and fixed glass will go on after being painted.e
Amy Farrell Excellent work.
Greg Scott
We'll done norm ! They look great ! Yes it took me about 6 weeks just to strip mine and cut all the rust out ! Still yet to repair all aluminium and rebuild !
Norman Julian
Thanks Greg, Stuart and Amy. Painful job.
Norman Julian
19 September at 17:20
One finished leaf. Ready to paint

Greg Gibson
Do you paint it with the glass and rubbers in?
Norman Julian
Yes Greg! It is the lessor of 2 evils.
Norman Julian
Putting this glass in laying down on the bench it is hard enough.
Doing it after it is painted would be that much harder.
It is far easier to mask up.
Greg Gibson
Keeping the paint off the rubber will be very hard.
You will need to do a really good masking job that's for sure.
What about if the rubbers shrink or settle and expose the raw panels?
Norman Julian
The rubber is 65 years old. I don't think so
Norman Julian
This was painted in the first place with the glass in.
I know because I stripped it and I took the glass out I found no paint just raw metal where the rubber sat.
Norman Julian
By the way Greg Scott. When you put your doors back together don't put the door handles back on till you put the glass and rubber back in because as you can see they can get in the way of putting the rubber back in.
Amy Farrell
I just want to go through those doors right now.
Reminds me of the school bus.
There was never any seats on that bus so we all had to stand on our tippy toes and hold onto the pole above our heads. Not much fun being a boy though.
The state school down the road hated us catholic kids so any chance they could dack someone they would.
My poor brother fell victim to this once.
Your bus door panels are lovely Norman.
19 September at 12:11
2 down 14 to go. Here I have reused the original glass rubber but I'm replacing the locking rubber and new glass.
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Greg Scott
Looking good norm ! Gee I there is a lot of screws in the hinges and rivets in the doors much better going in than coming out ! Lol
Norman Julian
I have spent so much time so far on these doors. I think longer than anything else so far and still more to go.
Greg Scott
Can I ask where you got the rubber from norm ?
Norman Julian
The glass rubber is original. The locking rubber is new. The original rubber was basically in good condition. On some of them there was a few cracking at the bend but not too bad.
Greg Scott
Sorry norm I meant the long end rubbers ?
Norman Julian
I got the rubber from a local store which is now gone.
Norman Julian
This rubber was a standard size which just happened to be the same width as the original, Greg Scott.
Norman Julian
The rubber they used on our buses Greg are only half this thickness but they used 2 together. Not sure why but I used one that added up to the 2 thicknesses.
Norman Julian
18 September at 15:32
Another small job out of the way.
Made 2 new mounting plates for the new pedal rubbers.
I picked this rubber up from Sydney when I was there a month ago now. Now we have tread.




Norman Julian
17 September
Because this area of the bus was battered, bruised and very rusty it will take a little time to sort out and get this to fit the way it used to.
The old perspex that was here never really fitted properly.
I will have to make a template for a new piece of hardened glass.
It has to look right and seal or I shall not be satisfied. The other thing is to get the bumps and bruises out of this angled quad. Good luck you say.
I am surprised that all this fits very well because the base frame was all replaced in this area.

Norman Julian
17 September
I painstakingly cleaned and straightened the angled aluminium angle that holds the glass in and primed and painted them the original colour. The glass is now in position but not sealed in.




Norman Julian
13 August
Today is the first real day I have felt like doing anything constructive since my op. over 4 weeks ago.
Today I did 5 of these oval windows.
The first took over an hour but by the time I got to the 5th it was 15 minutes.
I had to make a decision as to whether to wait to put the glass in these panels or wait till after the bus is painted. I would imagine it is a pain trying to do this after because it is almost a pain doing it on a flat bench as they are here.
You have to put pressure on the rubber putting the locking rubber part back in so up in the air trying to do it would be a nightmare.
I think I would rather mask it up afterwards.
Norman Julian
New glass here and new rubber. This glass is toughened like the original.
James Leonard Garrod
Here's a tip even an Idiot could understand Norm.
When it's time to paint, prise up the edges of these window rubbers and push a length of thick electrical wire between the rubber and the metal.
Mask the rubber off but you will end up with a slight gap between rubber & panel that you can prime/paint beneath.
When paintwork is finished and is good and dry, carefully remove the masking then the wire and the rubber will actually be sitting on top of paint with No masking line visible.
Norman Julian
To quote someone famous: "You're a legend in your own mind".
Norman Julian
James Leonard Garrod you are a master of idiocy and crapetry.LOL
Norman Julian
10 September 2011 ·
This sign was near the bus when on display in Forster - at Where was this photo taken?
Chris Dempsey
From fleet lists Norm 2547 - ( 4/79 ) sold ( 80 ) to Winmalee Youth Group Springwood regd KDL.347 then resold ( 80 ) to C.Goodsell ( HCVA ) for preservation reregd BS.2547 - then HCVA - 2547 - then to N. Julian Orange for preservation
Greg Scott
It makes me wonder how many miles my bus would have travelled all up considering it travelled extensively as a motor home for 20 or 30 years after all it's years of government service !
Norman Julian
Indeed Greg.
My bus covered 1.3 million kms in 27 years which these days is nothing but can you imagine those kms being made up of stops every hundred metres or less.
Greg Scott
Yes norm and the hills and all the cornering stop start traffic ! A true work out in the inner city !
Norman Julian
9 September
Recommendations.
The one on the right was easy enough but the left one needs a little more thought.

Stuart Brown
You need to beg/borrow/steal an oxy from someone....


Norman Julian
9 September
It has more patches in it than a quilt.
Bob Gioia
More hits than Elvis.
Norman Julian
More waaks then the American army.
Norman Julian
I'm thinking that I might make 2 newys and patch these up for the Leyland.
Greg Gibson
Get your mate James Leonard Garrod to make them out of fiberglass
Norman Julian
9 September
This new rubber I got a few weeks ago will do nicely for these destination/route number glass windows.

Norman Julian I will trim the excess off with a knife.

Norman Julian It moulds around the glass quite well.

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