Operation Ralph!

Hi Tony
Yeah shouldn't be too bad, Dont think I will be allowed to do it this weekend though, Steph already has a list of things for me to do as long as my arm. I have to pull off the front guard to get to the booster, I want to change all the rubber hoses as well and the passenger guard needs to come off to get to the fan motor that smoked, but the brakes are the only thing stopping me getting Ralph registered, so that's the priority at the moment, the fan motor can wait as long as the Gold Coast doesn't have an ice age in the next few months, I don't think I will be needing a heater fan for a while yet. I went out and fired him up last night, he kicked straight away:). I am getting itchy feet about having done so much work on him and he is just sitting there until I get time to sort the brakes. Have to admit, I am really enjoying getting out out on the bike again though. We had a nice weekend away, did 720 km in 2 days, complete with a flat tyre compliments of a piece of animal bone that staked the back tyre, 15 mins later we were going again though, thanks to the repair kit I only bought last week. Best $35 I have spent in a long time. If anyone is out Texas way, drop into the Stockman's Hotel and have a drink, top pub and great people.

Hi Michael,
I do remember waving to you, (Nice Truck you have) but I was a bit late as I was having problems with the brakes biting on the trailer, hope you didn't think I was a ignorant nob. Thanks for the compliment, I am quite happy with the way Ralph has come up. I did manage to get the rest of the seats re-upholstered the night before the show (nothing like leaving it to the last minute). I will take a few pic's and post them tomorrow.

Cheers Ian

Photo of the finished seats and the dash after I removed all traces of the ingenious heater pipes. I fitted another wiper motor cover to the drivers side and mounted the power socket, washer, wiper and fan switch to it. It also gives me somewhere to mount any other technological things I may need in the future!
Cheers Ian

I have pulled Ralph's brakes apart as the 2 bottom wheel cylinders on the front are leaking, Picked all the bits up from the brake guy next to work this afternoon and will have a go at putting it all back together tonight, 4 new wheel cylinders, new bled nipples, new over sized shoes, new rubber hoses for front and back and machined drums, all for $300. Will have to bleed them all again (of course) then I should have some decent brakes hopefully.

Brakes are Done and Dusted. Vacuum bled them on Saturday morning after putting it all back together and hallelujah, I have pedal. I have been thinking of only doing a bikini hood over and down behind the cab with a roll up rear window and making up a tonneau style cover for the load area utilising the tie down brackets on the side of the tub, just need to figure out how to fill in between the rear face of the door top and where the canvas would return to connect to the rear bulkhead. I suppose I could use the front hood stick only and get a motor trimmer to manufacture something, but it would also need to somehow latch (by press studs maybe) to the top face of the tonneau. Something like attached??.

Here's how mine attaches.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...13/11/1523.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...13/11/1524.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...13/11/1525.jpg

Bottom of the rear of the cab is bungeed to some new hooks rivetted to the bulkhead, the front edge of the tonneau clips to a flap on the rear cab.
Only downside is if you want to roll up the back wall the front edge of the tonneau has nothing to attached to and droops into the tub. It doesn't affect it in anyway, it doesn't flap, but it doesn't look as nice. I might have to think of a way to hold it up.

Thanks for that Ozdunc, looks good. I had another look last night and thought I might fit the tonneau to the front of the tub with a sail track rail, with the slide section facing backwards, then I can fit press studs and velcro between the studs to the flat part of the sail track to fix the bottom of the the rear window down. You could fix your top edge that way maybe?. If I use tonneau cover material for the tub I want to get it folded and stitched in the corners so its a firm fit and the use the existing tie downs on the sides and rear of the tub.what did you use around the top of the windscreen an behind the front doors to cradle the canvas, did you use the original soft top screen/ door brackets and the front hood stick or did you do something different?
Cheers Ian

Hi Ian

My hood and framework came from All Wheel Trim in the UK. I'm not sure whether the frames they provide are as the original design, but looking at a lot of 2a soft tops it appears to be very similar. They sell the windscreen mount and the door top surrounds separately.

The sail track would work but I wonder whether manhandling a heavy canvas into the track when refitting the cover would get old fairly quickly. Maybe incorporating an industrial strength zip might be better? Just a thought

Cheers Duncan

Hi Duncan
I have a complete set of frames and hood sticks at home, so I can utilise what I need from them. I'll have a look at their website. You might be right about the zipper, but I did it for 25 years on a Moke and you have to keep the zips lubed with graphite off a lead pencil or a dry lube stick, otherwise they become a PITA especially when they are cold and shrink a bit during the winter months. Might go and talk to the motor trimmer near work this afternoon and see if he has any idea's.
Regards Ian

Here's a couple of photos of the front and the door frames. I'm sorry there's none of the frames without the canvas

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...13/11/1338.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...13/11/1339.jpg

The top of the door frame is square channel and on the inside are 2 tabs similar to the ones on the leading edge to hold the tensioning strap, which doesn't seem to have anywhere to tie off, so I fed it down the sides of the door frames. As its a tight fit down there with the side canvas its holding fine just on friction alone.

I think zips have improved heaps in the last 10years or so, my old surf bags would forever need lubricating or risk corroding and seizing, but recently the big YKK zips just seem to be indestructo and self lubeing even after being covered in salt water and left in the garage.

Looks cool, thanks for that, it gives me a few ideas. FINALLY got Ralph registered last Friday. The poor girl at QT wasn't really up to the task as he has been unregistered for 20 years. Got special interest (club) plates fitted an went on a maiden voyage on Saturday to the GCLRO AGM at Canungra. Went really well, cruised beautifully at 50 mph and was a hoot to drive finally. May have to look at the detent springs on the top of the box as he is popping out of 3rd when backing off and sometimes 2nd just aint there!!. All good fun though. Photo's to come.
Cheers Ian