The Glen Restoration.

[Richard]

Hi Don.
Here is a photo of the Silvasheen after it has been applied with a roller, it come up very nice but you just have to watch out for runs on any verticle surfaces.

Although the Glen went out on its first run last weekend to Coledale, Ill keep the photos in the sequence of it being finished.

The interior of the Glen with its finished coat of paint.

The interior has been painted a light cream with a very light green panel for the lantern roof.

As I was painting all of the cupboard doors, in my spare time I cleaned up the chrome hinges with some 00 steel wool and soap. I also cleaned up the original door handles which looked a bit sun burnt.

But again cleaning with fine steel wool and soap under running water they came up like new.

I then started on the outside of the van painting the light grey paint first, again using a 5mm nap roller.
After this had been done and left to dry, I then masked up the dark grey panels and painted those.

I used the blue ( anti bleed ) masking tape to mask up the strips for the van, but I found I could not get a nice curve with it on the curve just in front of the door, so I had to use normal masking tape, but I painted the join with the light grey paint first to stop any bleed.

The outside painting finished.

[Richard]

As the Glen doesnt have a roof hatch, the owners asked if we could install some kind of ventilation in the roof. So I went looking for something that would give good ventilation and not look too out of place. I came across these solar roof vents made specifically for the purpose, and being solar would not require any wiring or turning off and on.

I actually purchased these vents while the frame was being built, so I installed some extra timber to support the lining when the 118 mm holes were cut for the vents.

[Richard]

Now that the outside painting has been finished it was time to start putting everything back together.
The original Glen had hand rolled aluminium gutters on the front and back over the windows. These helped to get rid of the roof water run off and also helped to weather proof the windows.
After a quick look around the shed I found that the galvanised edge roll used for roofing was nearly identical, only the top edge was a little longer. So I ordered a couple of these and fitted them, making sure that the aluminium J mould would fit under the sides later.

[Richard]

Now that the roof gutters were installed I needed to waterproof the top edge of the front window, as the rain would blow in when towing the van.
So to overcome this I used a piece of grey vinyl and fixed it across the top edge of the gutter, and fixed the bottom across the top of the window. This worked so well that I added this to the back window as well.

Then to finish off the outside I fixed the J mould to the external edges, fitted a towel rail across the front and 2 handles as well. These should come in handy when manovering the Glen.

The next couple of jobs involved me laying on my back for a few hours.
To start I needed to add a roller on each side of the axle to carry the brake cable. These were bolted up in a position so that the cable would not rub on anything.

Then inbetween the axle and coupling I also added some cable supports, as these would help support the brake cable and stop it from hanging down under its own weight.

Once the brakes were complete I then fitted the water tank. I first added a couple of timber joists inbetween the chassis to carry the tank. It was then strapped in position with 2 galvanised steel straps and bolted into position.
The 40 mm inlet hose was connected as well as the 20mm outlet, which was then connected to the water pump.

[Richard]

Now that the outside was complete, it was time to turn my attention to the inside. The first job that I did was to finish off the radio,which I think turned out really well and blends nicely with the original cupboards. The only thing I was disapointed with was, I had spent about an hour trying to get the radio knobs off only to break one in the end. So Iam now on the hunt for a replacement.

The 240v power was wired up by my electrician, using double pole power points etc. Then I wired the 12v switching and light shown below. The 12 v power will come from a battery under the rear seat, as it was originally.

The Sunvent finished on the ceiling side. They do a great job and not to obtrusive.

Then it was time to fit the cupboard doors. I wasnt looking forward to this job as each door had 18 tiny screws as well as fitting the handle, but it had to be done.

[Richard]

Kingsley and Genevieve decided to attack the upholstery themselves, and I must say they have done a great job. The old bed bases were stripped of the old stuffing and springs, and using the original timber frames new webbing was stretched across the bottom and new foam and wadding used to give the support and shape. The whole lot was then covered with calico, so that removable covers could be used.

The top bunk of the front beds folds down to form the back rest of a settee. The top photo shows the bed base with a bolt protruding each end. These bolts needed to be knocked into a hole drilled into the wall, this then makes the bed hinge. With two slip bolts on each side at the front of the bed base, these are then slipped into another hole to lock the top bed into the up position.

It is a bit hard to see the holes in the photos. While building the frame of the van I also added extra timber to carry the hinge and slip bolt holes. I also added a small steel plate oved the slip bolt hole to reinforce it and to stop the wall from getting damaged.

[Richard]

The 300 x 300 marmoleum floor tiles laid. They are easy to lay once you have a centre line marked out to work off. The tile adhesive is just spread with a small notched trowel, about the size of a hack saw blade, and once the glue gues tacky the tiles are layed and rolled down.

It has taken a while to get here but the van is ready for rego. It passed the blue slip with flying colours, but I did have a bit of a run around with the RTA.

The Glen at Coledale, it wasnt quite finsihed at this stage, but it was a good outing to iron out any bugs before it was handed over to Kingsley and Genevieve.

[Richard]

Well we have come "Full Circle" on this restoration and Kingsley and Genevieve now have the Glen on their property safely tucked away in a custom made carport or should that be caravanport.

It has been a major job to rebuild this van that took about 8 months to complete, with a 4 week trip to Tassie in between. I was sorry to see it go after all of the hard work that has gone into it, but also glad too see it go in another way, as I now have some spare time on my hands. But dont tell Linda.
I hope Kingsley, Genevieve and their family get as much enjoyment out of using this van as I did rebuilding it.

[Richard]

A slide show that I have made of the Glen restoration.

[Richard]

It seems as though the Glen has come of age as it is now the main attraction in a stage show.
Genevieve has emailed a link to the stage show where the Glen is now part of
one of 13 sets for the Play I Love Todd Sampson
The play is a Pier 2/3 in Sydney and the photo below shows the Glen ready to hit the stage.