Restoration of BUS 670

Started by Buzz Killington, September 21, 2010, 07:36:47 PM

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Ed

Very soon it'll have it's big merc badge back where it belongs (as I managed to source one).

CNG


King of Buses

Does anyone have a wayfarer set for the bus?
because I currently have three driver consoles and 2 validaters in my garage. I would only be able to Donate the one driver console and one validater as my brother has claimed one console and I've claimed a set! One set is from Bus 415 and one from 419 and the one which is my brothers is jammed so we cannot open it to discover which bus it is from!

Buzz Killington

Where is everyone finding these consoles?

Snorzac

We have our own collection, only a garage full ;)

Buzz Killington

Lol, that should assist the restoration cause for a few decades.

King of Buses

I got my three consoles and 2 validators from a Belconnen Mechanic!
One Console is from 415, the other from 419 and who knows what the other one came from as it is jammed shut!!

Snorzac


The Love Guru

** Update June 2011 **

Now sporting a shiny Mercedes "three pointed star" badge courtesy of Ed.

Painting of all the outstanding Interline livery has been completed. Orange paint has come up sub-standard and will be redone at a later date, when time, weather and finances permit.

Still to do :-

Stripping of passenger poles and repainting
Sanding and smoothing out of repairs to window frames
Repainting of orange paint
Repair oil leak in air compressor prior to next rego inspection

Sorry it has been a while since i lasted posted about progress, however time has been fairly scarce lately and very little has been done. That said, the bus is in reasonable condition and should serve all of the ACTION enthusiasts well for years to come.

smitho

I don't have any consoles at all, if that is any consolation...

The Love Guru

To due family circumstances and ongoing costs I have been forced to put 670 up for sale. She is listed on ebay if anyone wants to take a look at her.

Should anyone wish to buy her please let me know ASAP as i have had a very large interest on Ebay. Price is negotiable if it remains as a restoration project in the ACT.


route56

Chris, youve spelt mercedes wrong. i searched and couldnt find it using the correct spelling.

p_stampy

Ooh no :(

Is that why I saw her where she was yesterday?

CNG

Quote from: Chris_Guru on October 21, 2011, 12:27:37 PM
To due family circumstances and ongoing costs I have been forced to put 670 up for sale. She is listed on ebay if anyone wants to take a look at her.

Should anyone wish to buy her please let me know ASAP as i have had a very large interest on Ebay. Price is negotiable if it remains as a restoration project in the ACT.

I am sorry to hear that chris if i had had the money and a hr i would have bought her.

The Love Guru

Quote from: p_stampy on October 22, 2011, 01:37:08 PM
Ooh no :(

Is that why I saw her where she was yesterday?

Yes Stampy, she is here for an inspection from potential buyers. With over 100 people watching her on Ebay will be interesting to see how much she fetches.

That said, its not about the money for the bus, it's just the ongoing cost of keeping the bus going. After a couple of deaths in the family very close to me, we have had to put the little one into child care which is taking the money that was used to keep 670 on the road.

The Love Guru

It is with heavy heart that I must announce that 670 has been sold.

I would like to thank everyone that helped to make the last year very enjoyable. It was a lot of hard work, but the end result though a little rough around the edges, was certainly worth it.

It was only due some very close family moving on to the next life that this move was forced upon me.

If anyone wants to take one last look at her she is currently parked outside my place in Florey Dr. May even take her for one last drive later in the week.


The Love Guru

Just for those who don't know, 670 has gone to another enthusiast, Sydney based. I have been told she will remain in ACTION colours etc and may even venture back into orginal livery.

Kramden

I was angered to read the comments elsewhere by a total knob critical of 670's paint work.  Before I joined ACTION I used to see the old beast parked on Florey Drive and assumed (correctly) that it was in the hands of someone who cared enough about its preservation to do a lot of work on it.  I didn't know at that stage of Chris's ACTION connection.

Since then I've read various posts about its life and times.  It occurs to me that Chris should be admired for putting himself out there with 670 and doing the best he could with the resources at hand.  Good on those others who helped along the way too.  However, to the unfair critic of 670 I say, 'a pox on your house'.  The tone of your critique was all wrong.

CNG

Quote from: Kramden on November 03, 2011, 10:08:18 AM
I was angered to read the comments elsewhere by a total knob critical of 670's paint work.  Before I joined ACTION I used to see the old beast parked on Florey Drive and assumed (correctly) that it was in the hands of someone who cared enough about its preservation to do a lot of work on it.  I didn't know at that stage of Chris's ACTION connection.

Since then I've read various posts about its life and times.  It occurs to me that Chris should be admired for putting himself out there with 670 and doing the best he could with the resources at hand.  Good on those others who helped along the way too.  However, to the unfair critic of 670 I say, 'a pox on your house'.  The tone of your critique was all wrong.

I agree with Kramden, chris you put a great effort into that bus and I regret that I never found the time to ride it. I remember seeing it one night after work in the car and it just brought a smile to my eye that someone was trying to restore actions heritage.

Joshua2036

Quote from: The Love Guru on November 03, 2011, 12:55:29 AM
Just for those who don't know, 670 has gone to another enthusiast, Sydney based. I have been told she will remain in ACTION colours etc and may even venture back into orginal livery.

a update on  670 has been sold to another sydney based enthusiast and will return to ACTION COLOURS but shes needs alot of love and care  and hopefully sometime in the next 2 years make a trip back to canberra

Barry Drive

Return? Thought it already was.

Joshua2036

Quote from: Barry Drive on October 17, 2016, 02:16:41 PM
Return? Thought it already was.

unfortunately whoever did the original paint job on 670 didnt strip it back to bare metal so the interline colours have started to  come through and the Action colours have started to fall off which is shame

743

Many members of this board, who can read your comment, put many hours and a lot of work into the original restoration of 670 - I attended a tour on it during the restoration and I think it looked fantastic.

I think what you might find is it's not so much the original job that's causing its appearance today, it's more the fact that it's sat stagnant for many years without, I believe, any ongoing maintenance. So it's natural that things may start to decay.

I'm not pointing the finger at anyone - these are just the circumstances that the bus has faced.

So good on you for doing something with it, but please remember many people on this board have already contributed a lot of time to the bus, and may take offence at your comments.

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Joshua2036

yes thats a factor too she in a very sad state atm which upsets me abit but hopefully she can return to former glory and poor thing hasnt started in a while but i will keep all of you up to date the best i can

The Love Guru

Thanks for the update Joshua2036.

I did the paint work on 670 along with help from other members on the board here. Unfortunately i was very inexperienced when i did the paint on 670. You ate correct in that i failed to cut back the interline paint work far enough. If i had my time again i would do a much better job of it. I was a little disappointed in how she looked after we finished the painting. I spent a lot of money on some top quality paints however a lack of knowledge negated any quality in the product.

I wish you luck in restoring her and if you have any questions about her feel free to ask on here or via a PM.

All the best and thanks for saving her from the scrap yard.

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Joshua2036

Quote from: The Love Guru on October 21, 2016, 08:17:25 AM
Thanks for the update Joshua2036.

I did the paint work on 670 along with help from other members on the board here. Unfortunately i was very inexperienced when i did the paint on 670. You ate correct in that i failed to cut back the interline paint work far enough. If i had my time again i would do a much better job of it. I was a little disappointed in how she looked after we finished the painting. I spent a lot of money on some top quality paints however a lack of knowledge negated any quality in the product.

I wish you luck in restoring her and if you have any questions about her feel free to ask on here or via a PM.

All the best and thanks for saving her from the scrap yard.

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thanks i will let you know but she has alot of rust now but i will do my best to resheet her to gal steel and frame work and but i need find seats for her since some have moss growing through them or rotted and a ticketing system also , i also chasing the headrest on top of the seats

The Love Guru

Ticket machines are available, there are plenty of them floating around Canberra.

The seats were almost all brand new when i had to sell her. I had almost every seat recovered in grey front-runner type fabric.

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Busnerd

He was after the seat roll tops which I had a hard time finding enough decent ones for 675.

Most operators running ex ACTION 0305's or Renaults tend to remove them as they break so it's difficult to find a full set.

Barry Drive

#80
There should be a few Renault PR100.2s at Access Recycling.

Perhaps not right now.

Joshua2036

#81
thanks for this but may have found a spare canberra merc for parts only minus engine and gearbox.

Joshua2036

quick question did canberra mercs have anything for disabled seating  like red seats or anything?

King of Buses

Quote from: Joshua2036 on October 31, 2016, 09:16:30 AM
quick question did canberra mercs have anything for disabled seating  like red seats or anything?

While I was never around during what I'm told was the glorious O305 era of ACTION, going by a picture in the ACT Bus gallery of an O305G artic (615), the O305G's did not have a red disabled seat. So I if I were to make a guess, the O305s did not have a red disabled seat - might've only been introduced with the Renault PR100.2s. You probably would want one of the slightly more matured enthusiasts to answer that (I was trying to politely say, "older enthusiasts", sorry ;) )

While there aren't (m)any interior shots on an average ACTION O305, the ACT Bus gallery might prove a useful resource for you to use for reference with this project. At least this section might be... http://www.actbus.net/gallery/page/search/tags/%22Mercedes+O.305%22/

Joshua2036

From Looks their is no inside shots of seating expt trial seating

Barry Drive

Quote from: King of Buses on October 31, 2016, 05:59:48 PM
While I was never around during what I'm told was the glorious O305 era of ACTION, going by a picture in the ACT Bus gallery of an O305G artic (615), the O305G's did not have a red disabled seat. So I if I were to make a guess, the O305s did not have a red disabled seat - might've only been introduced with the Renault PR100.2s. You probably would want one of the slightly more matured enthusiasts to answer that (I was trying to politely say, "older enthusiasts", sorry ;) )
Yes, the Mercedes O.305/O.305G era was glorious. You can forget about the "Symphony of Bus 325" since there is no better sounding bus than a Merc at high revs.

But back to the seats. There is no doubt that when new, none of the Mercedes had a red priority seat - but as the 615 photo shows they may have had the PRIORITY SEAT chin guard. Where it gets complicated is that the O.305s underwent a body refurbishment in the 1990s to bring them up to the Renault Mk2 standard - at this point it's possible that they gained red seats, but I can't say for sure either way.

Joshua2036

ah ok 670 parts bus has some red seats unknow fleet number though wasnt sure

Snorzac

If you have a VIN for the donor bus or a body number im sure we can work out a fleet number, I'm sure Barry Drive would love to be able to update the wiki.

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Joshua2036

what 670 looks like now work start on her end of this month and our aim is to have her running on liverpool shuttles (october long weekend)

Joshua2036


Busnerd


ajw373

Quote from: Barry Drive on November 01, 2016, 12:31:29 PM
Yes, the Mercedes O.305/O.305G era was glorious. You can forget about the "Symphony of Bus 325" since there is no better sounding bus than a Merc at high revs.

But back to the seats. There is no doubt that when new, none of the Mercedes had a red priority seat - but as the 615 photo shows they may have had the PRIORITY SEAT chin guard. Where it gets complicated is that the O.305s underwent a body refurbishment in the 1990s to bring them up to the Renault Mk2 standard - at this point it's possible that they gained red seats, but I can't say for sure either way.

When new it would have looked like the picture of 585 below, with the exception the seats were blue (and the seat roll same as seats not vinyl) rather than that horrid orange, or the grey they got during the mid life refurb. Don't recall any chin guards.

http://www.actbus.net/gallery/ACTION-Buses-Disposals/585-Mercedes-O305/Bus-585/Bus585-Interior.jpg

Joshua2036

Quote from: ajw373 on November 04, 2016, 12:10:03 AM
When new it would have looked like the picture of 585 below, with the exception the seats were blue (and the seat roll same as seats not vinyl) rather than that horrid orange, or the grey they got during the mid life refurb. Don't recall any chin guards.

http://www.actbus.net/gallery/ACTION-Buses-Disposals/585-Mercedes-O305/Bus-585/Bus585-Interior.jpg

most likely we are going with mid life since all the seats are grey and we are able to get a roll of that fabric

ajw373

Quote from: Joshua2036 on November 04, 2016, 09:10:56 AM
most likely we are going with mid life since all the seats are grey and we are able to get a roll of that fabric


Well it would be hard to go back to orginal anyway seeing as the midlife overhaul changed the side windows from gasket to bonded and a few other changes. Now if memory serves me right, during the midlife overhaul, the priority seat roll got changed to a yellow vinyl jobbie similar to the one in the pic of 669 below.

http://actbus.net/gallery/ACTION-Buses-Disposals/585-Mercedes-O305/Bus-669/Bus+669+-+Trial+Seating+%283%29.jpeg

The Love Guru

Pretty sure they never bonded the windows, just placed a black cover over the rubber on them so they look like they are bonded.

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ajw373

Quote from: The Love Guru on November 04, 2016, 07:09:34 PM
Pretty sure they never bonded the windows, just placed a black cover over the rubber on them so they look like they are bonded.


Seeing as you owned one will take your word for it.

Though this shot of 618, looks to me like the drivers window uses a gasket, but the passenger windows much more flush like they were bonded. And then compare to the pic of 667 pre refurb where the gasket for the passenger windows is very noticeable.

http://actbus.net/gallery/zp-core/full-image.php?a=ACTION-Buses-Disposals/585-Mercedes-O305/Bus-618&i=Bus%20618%20-%20Belconnen%20Interchange.jpg&q=75&wmk=zenlogo&dsp=Protected%20view&check=97617d0d49b34b0f4fe037a41a54478e196cd4b2

http://actbus.net/gallery/zp-core/full-image.php?a=ACTION-Buses-Disposals/585-Mercedes-O305/Bus-667&i=Bus%20667%20-%20Belconnen%20Interchange.jpg&q=75&wmk=zenlogo&dsp=Protected%20view&check=97617d0d49b34b0f4fe037a41a54478e196cd4b2

Joshua2036

chris is correct they are semi bonded windows they look like bonded windows

Joshua2036

quick update:

670 work will commence over christmas holidays and we hope to get her back to Bankstown her she will be kept and eventually repanled and re framed by customs also 670 is looking for some sort of undercover storage