How To: C8A restoration in Holland

[8threcce]

Originally Posted by Ian McCallum

I restored a number of years ago a PUTR which had been cut very similar to your own, just below the waist line meaning a complete rebuild of both frame and skins. Did exactly the same as yourself and used a donor 13 cab roof section for the rear to both save on making the corners and you should be able to just get sufficient length on the roof profile to take it to the rear of the sliding roof section.

Thanks Ian , with a little adjustment I indeed have just enough material to make it to the rear of the sliding roof, the only bad thing is the round hatch on the donor roof so I have to weld in a small piece of sheet to make it square again.

[Ian McCallum]

Hi Pieter,

Just seen some photos on Facebook published via a MV website and see what you mean about your roof hatch issues. However well out of sight and fairly easy to let a piece in. Also found some before and after pictures of my PUTR that was very similar as a start point to yours. As I was missing the rear door I also used a 13 cab drivers door as a donor item. You can use two sides of the original frame, top and latch sides and part of the rear skin with pressings. Cut the old front skin on the fold line just below the door sill front lip and slide the new complete outer skin behind it. More or less a perfect finish. If you are making/fitting the map case to the inside of the door you can see the pressings of the original skin above it and the case hides all scars! : Ian

[8threcce]

Will keep you in the loop Ian, like to brainstorm on some issues with you thanks

[Ian McCallum]

Hi Pieter,

Found several pictures of my modified drivers door to form the rear door. Only mistake I made was to use the full width, for as you know it is narrower, like the side door. However it certainly gives all the required profiles for the majority of the visible top and latching side plus of course all the door latching mechanism. As you can see modifications are also well disguised if you manufacture/fit the map case.

[Ian McCallum]

Forgot to mention all the 'top hat' type corners on the roof section were salvaged again from the same 13 cab roof used for the donor rear panel.

[8threcce]

Originally Posted by Ian McCallum

Hi Pieter,

Found several pictures of my modified drivers door to form the rear door. Only mistake I made was to use the full width, for as you know it is narrower, like the side door. However it certainly gives all the required profiles for the majority of the visible top and latching side plus of course all the door latching mechanism. As you can see modifications are also well disguised if you manufacture/fit the map case.

Ian,

Do you have detailed information on the mapcase and how to make it??

[Ian McCallum]

I may have my old drawing, not sure. The map case is however common to all the HU family so anyone who has one fitted can supply exact dimension. I have attached 3 photos that will give you a good idea and from which you could scale your needs if necessary. top folds towards the back and is a continuous type piano hinges which allows the front to drop down which again is held in place by a continuous piano type hinge and leaves a retained area to hold in the maps.
Ignore the map table which is shown as this is unique to the HUW.

[Ian McCallum]

This is my old PUTR and my attempt with 'before and after' shots' at making the map case.

[8threcce]

Hi MLU'ers

Please have a look at the pics of my HUP hatch, I need at least one copy of this hatch so I'm planning a rebuild.
Does anybody have spare parts of the hatch locking system like the grips or the blocks which holds the system in place??
Anybody amongst you who did this rebuild?
Would also need more information on the rollers on the outside and the grip locking system, it looks like the grips lock into the tubing when not in use, would like to have more info on that locking system and how to rebuild this.

Questions, questions questions........

[8threcce]

Some heavy metal body building going on.
After a lot of measurements we finally continued on the body building of the C8A, we try to get the frame finished by this year so that we can start sandblasting, and add primer.

when ready things will move fast I guess, with an new soft skin this lady will shine again

[8threcce]

Saturday we finished the first part of the new body frame.
Old and new are now firmly connected again.
We will now proceed with sandblasting first and ad red primer, in the meantime
looking at reconstructing the roof.

[8threcce]

The body is on its way to the blaster, first of the rebuild is now done , I have the frame sandblasted to see where there's more work / welding to do.
The sheeting on the side of the reserve probably needs some attention and there's one more spot on the roof, otherwise I think she's pretty solid.

[8threcce]

I did some surgery on the hatch lever, mine beeing totally corroded however the section gives a nice vieuw on how the hatch is build up and how the lever
moves into a piece of tubing.
I need to rebuild the whole thing....

[Maurice Donckers]

If I can help with the rear part of the roof , let me know , I still got an orriginal rear part of the roof

[8threcce]

Originally Posted by Maurice Donckers

If I can help with the rear part of the roof , let me know , I still got an orriginal rear part of the roof

Maurice,
That would be most welcome, do you have pictures??
Do you also have a spare hatch??

[Maurice Donckers]

No hatch , will take picture tonight.

[8threcce]

Originally Posted by Maurice Donckers

No hatch , will take picture tonight.

Ik wacht het af

[Maurice Donckers]

Here it is

[8threcce]

Originally Posted by Maurice Donckers

Here it is

Maurice

Thanks for the picture, but this part I have, it came with the 2 HUPS I bought
any chance you have door parts like door locks and hinges?

[8threcce]

Please see the pictures of the hatch lever that is located outside the hatch and inside the slide rail (a simple U profile)
You can see that the ball part has extensive wear and is flat on one side.
All levers on the hatch I have are having this flat spot which indicates to me that these ball didn't roll but just slide .....is this correct or should they indeed roll which seems obvious to me ...did any of you ever made new levers ?? I'm wondering with what I should replace this ball, seems to me that it's hard to make or to obtain as a ready made part......any suggestions welcome

Many Thanks

Pieter

[8threcce]

Originally Posted by 8threcce

I did some surgery on the hatch lever, mine beeing totally corroded however the section gives a nice vieuw on how the hatch is build up and how the lever
moves into a piece of tubing.
I need to rebuild the whole thing....

Some more pictures

[Maurice Donckers]

yes i have door locks , and other parts

[8threcce]

Originally Posted by Maurice Donckers

yes i have door locks , and other parts

Would be very interested can you pm me on ptbergman@kpnmail.nl

[Phil Waterman]

Note Pieter had sent be an e-mail, Re: Hatch question I'm sharing my response to the thread with additional question.


Hi Pieter

Yes the bronze ball wheels were intended to turn, but it never seemed to have worked very well. I have never seen a HUP hatch where some of the balls are not flat spotted.

Some of mine are flat spotted in more than one location. My long ago fix for this problem was to smear grease on the rails which does make the hatch slide much easier.

The bearings would need to be pretty small and rust proof.

I still have to fit the new roof hatch on my HUP when I did the restoration ran out of time even though I have new track and new hatch all fabricated just didn't have time to get them fitted so put the old hatch back on.

The lever ball unit unbolt on mine to be removed so I think the first step will be to remove all four and drop them in a bucket of acitone and automatic transmission fluid to see if they will loosen up and turn.

- My additional questions:
The bronze used on my late production HUP, June 45, seems to extremely soft was this the case on early HUPs?

The end of the shafts on my lever arms are swedged to the keep the balls from falling off was this the case on all? Seems like they would only be lost prior to installing the hatch on the vehicle.

Cheers Phil

PS If the spelling is off in this post, the spell check on my tablet seems to have stopped working.

[8threcce]

Originally Posted by Phil Waterman

Note Pieter had sent be an e-mail, Re: Hatch question I'm sharing my response to the thread with additional question.

Thanks Phil for the info.

[8threcce]

added some hatch lever drawings for any one who might need these in future

[8threcce]

Originally Posted by 8threcce

added some hatch lever drawings for any one who might need these in future

Also jpeg added

[8threcce]

Today the body got sandblasted and primered

[8threcce]

Here the pics of the primered body

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Excellent work, it will be like new once finished!