Thread: Bunyip rebuild

Hi Peter
I just picked up a series 3 station wagon last weekend so I found your thread to be extremely useful. This weekend I begin dismantling, I have a galv chassis so hopefully not the same amount of work you had to put in on yours. Which is lucky as my welding skills are zero. I look forward to following the rest of your rebuild. Thanks

Originally Posted by debruiser

isn't it super cool when you find stuff like that! I love finding change under seats and things! I found $5 worth of change in one of my cars.

Theres not much of that pocket knife left....

There is not a lot of the base plate in the heater boxes either so I will have a bit of a think about that stuff before I commit to rebuilding the old units.
Even the primer had rusted out of the shot shell.

Originally Posted by Chris66

Hi Peter
I just picked up a series 3 station wagon last weekend so I found your thread to be extremely useful. This weekend I begin dismantling, I have a galv chassis so hopefully not the same amount of work you had to put in on yours. Which is lucky as my welding skills are zero. I look forward to following the rest of your rebuild. Thanks

Hope your path is clearer than mine. I keep thinking about building a tray back just because it would be more useful than the wagon body but for now I will concentrate on getting the front half back together.

Originally Posted by Peter O

There is not a lot of the base plate in the heater boxes either so I will have a bit of a think about that stuff before I commit to rebuilding the old units.
Even the primer had rusted out of the shot shell.

If you give up I have one with a heater matrix in it that I don't need.

Originally Posted by Peter O

Got a call yesterday afternoon to say the work was done so it was around to the Jindera works this morning on my way to another job.
Picked this lot up and started to clean up the threaded holes and dags this evening.
The wife reckons I should leave it unpainted because it looks cool all shine and bling like but I will have to think about it some more first.

Awesome! If you don't mind me asking, how much was it to get sand blasted then galvanised? I've not had much enthusiasm from the local galvanisers down here, so I would prefer to take mine to someone that is happy to do them. I'd happily drive up there - I could drop in and look at yours while I was at it.

Originally Posted by debruiser

If you give up I have one with a heater matrix in it that I don't need.

I will see how it comes up after a tear down and clean up
If I think I need it I will yell out. Thanks

Originally Posted by bacicat

Awesome! If you don't mind me asking, how much was it to get sand blasted then galvanised? I've not had much enthusiasm from the local galvanisers down here, so I would prefer to take mine to someone that is happy to do them. I'd happily drive up there - I could drop in and look at yours while I was at it.

Price of sandblasting was 130 and the Gal was only 90 so pretty cheap really.
If you are going to have one done I recommend that you get some heat and a stripper into the gaps and poor fitting seams to get all the sealer out.
It is what causes the problems with these items according to what they told me before they did it.
I think the early models would be fine but since they started using that white sealer on all the spot welded joints there are problems getting the flux in.
Then when its dipped the heat forces the sealer out and buggers the gal. I had a few of these and had to melt the crusty stuff off, then clean, flux and use the gal solder stick as suggested earlier in this thread.

All in all I am happy with it and it all appears to have a coating on it.



I started putting the furnishings back on it because I have decided to do as the wife suggested and leave it unpainted.
Got a bit done between chores for the wife and daughter
I will try to get the clutch bled tomorrow and need to get the radiator cleaned and repainted so I can start the engine and check the seals I replaced. If its all good the front panels can go on after a coat of green pain.

I spent the entire day in the shed for the most part cleaning small items and bolts and screws so I could paint them and refit to the bulk head.

I got tired of that so I ran the rear brake line and started running the front ones when I noticed if I kicked the axle down the brake hose seems to short. These are brand new but the same length as the ones I took off. I am now thinking about buying two new rear hoses because they are longer and have the same fittings.
The photos show the brake line and hose at normal position and the other side with the spring extended.