members’ updates Bedford CA Crew Bus
Remedial work to the Bedford’s floors is now complete
Welding the floor panels and cross beams of the Bedford CA Crew Bus was completed in early May 2019 to allow the crew bus to be in a presentable condition for the Brooklands Vintage Festival. The bus sat on the Outreach stand where we met the former British Airways employee who painted it in aircraft blue. No wonder the bodywork has lasted so well. It was next to a brightly painted 1958 CA model. Both were very similar to look at, but with subtle differences to the bodywork and interior. For example, the 1958 CA had a bench seat arrangement with seats running either side from front to back. Our vehicle has two rows of seats across the width of the van and smaller lengthways benches in the space behind.
Since May 2019, remedial work has been completed in the new floor and rubber matting has been finished and fixed over the front wheelarches using the original aluminium strips. Talking of the front wheelarches, we didn’t need to remove the wings after all, as the work was completed from below. The pale blue vinyl upholstery has been scrubbed with soap and water, dried and buffed to a shine. Sadly, some of the seat back tops are badly faded due to sun exposure, but the overall appearance is much brighter and the white piping much cleaner. The front wheelarch recesses, into which the doors close, still need work but we are working on this.
Duesenberg Regular readers of the Bulletin will remember the Duesenberg was going to the upholsterer earlier in 2019. If you have visited the Museum recently, you will have noticed nothing has changed. Unfortunately, synchronising calendars has proved troublesome, but we will endeavour to get the work done as soon as possible.
44 BROOKLANDS BULLETIN | JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2020
Gloster Saro Fire Tender With the engine, carburettors and wiring back in place, we filled the Gloster Saro with water, but to our dismay another trickle appeared. This time it was from a crack just above the core plug on the engine block. After some tricky grinding to expand the channel, which required the use of a mirror, a metallic sealant was applied and seems to have had the desired effect. Attempt number two sadly failed to start the engine due to low oil pressure. Some will remember the oil pump, long handled screwdriver and dark hole episode. Well, success and the engine fired. Some adjustments were made to the mixture and the motor ticked over nicely. After strong-arm attempts to get the transmission into first gear, it popped in. We estimate the Gloster Saro had been sitting for six months since the new clutch
had been fitted, so it’s likely it had become stuck. With a makeshift seat, one of the team raised the clutch pedal and inched the vehicle forwards and back. In early June 2019, the tender finally
moved from the front of the Dunlop Mac, almost exactly 12 months after we took possession. Touring around the site, it reached the dizzy heights of third gear, which felt like a great achievement. However, it has not all been roses as we’ve recently experienced electrical problems such as lights and wipers not working. Unfortunately, the loom and connectors sit on the bulkhead and had been affected by heat from the engine. The dashboard and steering column were largely dismantled when we took on this vehicle, so tracking the wires proved challenging. Even so, our electrical hero John Philips has sorted the wiring.
Debbie Crawt
The Gloster Saro can now move under its own power
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