OUR CANVAS - This is the basic vehicle, now mechanically sound and in need of a good paint job and a fantastic vinyl wrap. But that is not all. A custom vehicle like this needs a performance engine to increase reliability and to cope with towing over long distances.  Copyright photograph, 26 April 2017, all rights reserved. You will need the permission of Bluebird Marine Systems Ltd to reproduce this picture.

Production of the air cooled VW T2 kombi van, or camper, ceased in Germany after 1980 and finally came to a halt in Brazil some thirty years later. The Miss Ocean van was one of the last to roll off the production lines in Europe and is unusual in that it has twin sliding doors, a feature that could be very handy for all the events that are planned. She is fifty years old next year making her an antique, if she had been a piece of furniture. As she is a vehicle, she is a classic. But older vehicle do not have the performance of modern transport.

Fortunately, camper vans are extremely popular because they are practical and also because they are nice to look at and fun to drive. This is a shape that millions of people around the world adore and recognise. For that reason there are some very useful accessories to help get more from the air cooled boxer engine.

BLUE ENAMEL - The old rusty fan housing was replaced with a new unit that has no heater take of ducts to improve the engine cooling. First the steel was primed with a rust inhibitor, then a heat resistant enamel was applied. The only colour that would do for this engine is ocean blue of course. When installed you don't get to see the conch like sculpture at the rear. What a pity! Copyright photograph 10 May 2017, all rights reserved. You will need the permission of Cleaner Oceans Foundation Ltd to reproduce this picture.

OCEAN BLUE - Other parts of the tin fan housing were also painted along with various aluminium engine parts such as the alternator mounting, that is also the oil filler tube. Other engine tin ware will be chrome plated. Copyright photograph 10 May 2017, all rights reserved. You will need the permission of Cleaner Oceans Foundation Ltd to reproduce this picture.

Many performance parts for Volkswagens such as the Camper van and Beetle cars revolve around cooling either the cylinder heads or the engine oil, and for good reason. The more the cooling the longer the engine will last and the greater the potential performance without harming the pistons or cylinder bores.

We are fitting a sump booster that adds another 1.5 liters of oil capacity. That gives us more oil to cool. We are also adding finned alloy rocker covers, and that also helps to cool the engine oil. It all helps to give us a vehicle that will stand up to long distance touring when we are traveling to event. This bus will also double up as transport for routine deliveries of parts to the team of engineers who will build the AmphiMax and SeaVax ocean cleaning equipment.

PREPARATION - Kyla lent a hand with the painting of the pulley wheel, learning how to remove old paint and rust to give a firm foundation for a coat of primer. Copyright photograph 11 May 2017, all rights reserved. You will need the permission of Cleaner Oceans Foundation Ltd to reproduce this picture.

PRIMER - We used a rust inhibiting all in one paint to go from bare steel to grey in preparation for a top coat of ocean blue. Copyright photograph 11 May 2017, all rights reserved. You will need the permission of Cleaner Oceans Foundation Ltd to reproduce this picture.

SPRAY PAINT - Tough heat resisting enamels are available in small cans from Halfords and other good car accessory shops. Finally, the top coat is applied. Twenty four hours later the enamel will be fully cured. Copyright photograph 11 May 2017, all rights reserved. You will need the permission of Cleaner Oceans Foundation Ltd to reproduce this picture.

TINWARE - This is how the new pressings are delivered, in a sheradised finish that tends to prevent rusting, but not for long periods. We want to protect the tinware for longer and match the other engine components. Copyright photograph 12 May 2017, all rights reserved. You will need the permission of Cleaner Oceans Foundation Ltd to reproduce this picture.

Sherardizing is a process of galvanization of ferrous metal surfaces, also called vapour galvanising and dry galvanizing. The process is named after the British metallurgist Sherard Osborn Cowper-Coles (son of naval inventor Cowper Phipps Coles) who invented and patented the method. This process involves heating the steel parts up to ca. 500°C in a closed rotating drum that also contains metallic zinc dust and possibly an inert filler, such as sand. At temperatures above 300°C, zinc evaporates and diffuses into the steel substrate forming diffusion bonded Zn-Fe-phases.

Sherardising is ideal for small parts and parts that require coating of inner surfaces, such as batches of small items. Part size is only limited by the drum size. It is reported that pipes up to 6 m in length for the oil industry are sherardised. If the metal surface is free of scale or oxides, no pretreatment is needed. The process is hydrogen free, therefore a hydrogen embrittlement is excluded.

RUST INHIBITOR - Having keyed up the sheradised surface, we applied a coat of a rust inhibiting primer in a gray colour. Once this coat is tack dry, we immediately apply the topcoat enamel in the chosen colour. Copyright photograph 12 May 2017, all rights reserved. You will need the permission of Cleaner Oceans Foundation Ltd to reproduce this picture.

BLUE ENAMEL - The finished product is then placed in an oven to speed up the curing process so that we can assemble the engine 24 hours later. Copyright photograph 12 May 2017, all rights reserved. You will need the permission of Cleaner Oceans Foundation Ltd to reproduce this picture.

ELECTRONIC - This is a replacement to the trusty Bosch 009 distributor. It is claimed that this unit will get rid of the flat spot in acceleration and improve fuel economy. Another selling points is the elimination of the contact points that wear with each spark (despite a condenser) and need constant adjustment to maintain peak performance. The translucent blue cap is a nice touch that will complement the other engine performance accessories. Copyright photograph, 11 May 2017, all rights reserved. You will need the permission of Bluebird Marine Systems Ltd to reproduce this picture.

SHAPING UP - Sanding the body filler smooth before priming is an experience for our newest volunteer. Kyla has not painted a vehicle before, but is keen to learn new skills. Copyright photograph 11 May 2017, all rights reserved. You will need the permission of Cleaner Oceans Foundation Ltd to reproduce this picture.

VW LINKS & REFERENCE

http://www.r-techwelding.co.uk/

http://www.r-techwelding.co.uk/news/r-tech-welding-equipment-meets-robo-challenge/

http://www.alanhschofield.com/

https://www.vwheritage.com/

http://www.coolairvw.co.uk/

http://www.justkampers.com/

http://www.volkszone.com/

http://www.robochallenge.co.uk/

http://www.volkswagen.co.uk/

 VW HOME - BODYWORK - ENGINE - GOLF - LOGISTICS - STAINLESS STEEL - SUSPENSION & BRAKES - VINYL WRAPPING - WELDING