My wife's great! - Bedford CF content

[dollywobbler]

Yep, she's caught the bug. We've just arranged to go and collect a Bedford CF 'hippy wagon' tomorrow that belongs to my best mate. It's got a very funky but DIY paint job, has some crusty bits, has a smashed side front window and hasn't moved for several months.

 

What could possibly go wrong?

 

Here's the only pic I have of it, taken two years ago.

 

[shite_meister]

Is it an Auto Sleeper conversion? they're really good conversions if it is.

[dollywobbler]

Um, I have no idea at all. All I know is that I slept in it once on a very wet night, and it did leak a bit.

[VWPowered]

looks ok that (from what i can see )

[dollywobbler]

Yeah, should have more pics of it tomorrow, and my friend will be relieved to know that there won't be any more with her sitting hungover in it!I think it was a little crusty in the front wheelarch area, but it has T&T, so just getting home is the first priority!EDIT - The Bedford CF group on Facebook has a lot of pictures and it would suggest that it is an Auto Sleeper. Cool.

[FredTransit]

Are windscreens still easy enough to get then?

[dollywobbler]

Windscreen is fine, it's the passenger door that got smashed by some in-bred fuckwits.

[FredTransit]

Oh I am with you, I bet they are still making those.

[dollywobbler]

I've managed to blag one already! Result.

[dollywobbler]

Right, wish me luck. I'm about to travel to Birmingham to see if this ropey old van that hasn't moved for months will make it back home...

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Good luck wobbler!

[dollywobbler]

Thanks Mr B. Your 'good luck' must have worked as we made it home with very little trauma, other than it starting to rain just as we were leaving, and I had no passenger door glass. Oh well. Sunny now!

 

Got as far as Northampton before I realised that the thing had overdrive. Dropped-rev-tastic! Sadly, the exhaust is blowing ridiculously so it sounds almost as bad as a Harley Davidson and stinks a bit. Lovely to drive though - light steering, a peculiar driving position and lots of go from the 2.3-litre slant-four Vauxhall engine.

 

Panicked when we got home as the dipstick came out covered in cream. It has had a failed head gasket repaired but my calm wife just kept shoving the dipstick home, pulling it out and wiping the crud off and the oil turned oil covered again - must have just been emulsion in the lengthy dipstick tube. Certainly no crud under the oil filler cap.

 

Brian Damaged, who some of you may know from various fora, has already sorted me out with a replacement window for the smashed passenger one. Looking forward to getting Bernard sorted over the summer (came with name, but is a girl still apparently) and enjoying some camp action. Oooh, lovely.

 

To the pics...

 

 

Chod-tastic!

 

Broken

 

Colourful

 

It's great though. Has central heating (not got that working yet - complicated) a sink (running water also not working) and hammocks for the kiddies to sleep above your head.

[pogweasel]

That's well quality. I would love something like that.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Gotta be honest, I thought matt black rattle cans were my least favourite paint job, but maybe theyre not any more. Love CF's though, grew up rattling around in my dads CF butchers van, delivering meat to ladies throughout the fens

[Father Ted]

Brilliant, Preston plates too - I think I would have remembered that paint scheme.I wonder if the original supplier was Todds or Maddisons?

[dollywobbler]

I suspect the paint was a fairly recent thing. The history file includes some shots of the van in bright blue, looking absolutely stunning when it was pretty much new. I think it was still in Preston as recently as 2006 judging by the MoT history.