New Toy: 1972 Mercedes 0 309 Omnibus

[rbgerrish]

Just picked this up:

- OM314 4cyl Diesel, 4 speed. Needs some minor clutch work, a seat, a couple tires at some point and some awesome Euro paint. It was a bus with windows but they were removed and sheet bolted over the holes. It's empty in the back, ready for a camper conversion or Haflinger Hauling. The rear doors were removed and a roll-up door added.

Video:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rbgerrish/6107636372/in/set-72157627455332545/

Fun project!!

 

[Overland Hadley]

Now that thing is amazing!

 

[rbgerrish]

Did more work on it today. Cleaned it out a bit, bled and cleaned both fuel filters, and drove it around the block a few times. Fun stuff! Here are some progress pictures:

The inside before:

Tore out the partition:

Under the old wood walls are the window areas, insulated.

We're going to redo it for camping!

 

[jeffryscott]

This looks awesome, what a cool find.

 

[Iain_U1250]

Great project - get a copy of John Speed's "Travel Vans" - he has converted on that looks just like that, will give you loads of ideas.

 

[rbgerrish]

I would like to do the interior walls and floors like the new sprinter. I took some pictures, but was wondering if anyone knew what the wall and floor materials are called, and where I might find them. (Or similar) I can always go to TAP plastics and get some kind of sheet, but I thought I'd check here first. Any info on the finish washers in the pic would be great too!

Walls: (some kind of light corrugated plastic)

Floor: (thick and hard)

Thanks for any help!
Ryan

 

[nick disjunkt]

the floor looks like buffalo board to me. It's essentially a birch plywood sheet with a patterned phenolic laminate. The walls I'm not sure of, but something like wisa multiwall works well and comes in various thicknesses.

http://w3.upm-kymmene.com/upm/internet/cms/upmmma.nsf/lupgraphics/multiwall_EN.pdf/$file/multiwall_EN.pdf

 

[rbgerrish]

Thanks for that information, that Multiwall looks like nice stuff!

 

[rbgerrish]

I started tearing the old floor out and discovered some treasure! Under the rear panel is an old Webasto heater:

And next to that was the roll of original MB tools!

 

[rbgerrish]

I am jealous.




As one eurotruck sycophant to another, I'd be willing to loan you my copy of said book if you'd like.

Good luck with project. I tried to revive an O-309-D bus like that and failed. I also failed on a 407-D doublecab pickup, and a 207 firetruck. I'll be watching you and rooting for your success

Thanks!

If I may ask, why did your restoration projects fail? Were they too rough to begin with? What happened to the trucks?

 

[rbgerrish]

They fail because my ideas are bigger than my attention span. I got bored and moved on three times.


The gas 408 fire truck was the coolest of the bunch.

Ha, I actually went and looked at that truck at Zaks! Pretty neat rig, but I think he might be asking a bit much. The Blue Doka looks similar to the one that came by Mogfest out in Sheridan, Oregon a few weeks ago.

Thanks for the info, it's great to hear more about the Buses that are already here in the states!

 

[rbgerrish]

Ryan,
If you recall my radiobox, I used Plas-tex PolyWall as liners inside the doors.
I managed to get it as construction scraps. Otherwise its about 22$ per 4'x8' sheet for the .06 thickness, Its available up to 5/8" if you really want to spend money!
So as the washers go, I expect they could be purchased through Freightliner or M-B spareparts dept.
H.A.

Thanks H!

 

[rbgerrish]

Small world, eh?

Shrinking it a little more: I think I bent the ear of the former owner of your bus for about 2 hours several years ago when it was based out of somewhere in the SF East Bay. Maybe it was a different one, but that roll-up door and the window deletes look pretty similar.

Yeah, the gent I bought it from, Gary I think his name is, bought it from a guy in the SF area who had 2 of them. It was in Klamath Falls...

The roll up door is trashed- we're going to put some swingers back on it eventually.

 

[Ray Hyland]

Are you going with covered walls or big windows? I think it would be awesome with big windows with a cool tint and some nice blinds. Kind of a merc/Euro/GMC Royale

:ylsmoke:

 

[rbgerrish]

We're going to cut and install a couple camper windows where they are wanted once we plan the interior.

Right now I'm finishing up gutting the interior walls and insulation. We're also going to rip out the old wood roof, and then re-insulate everything and put some new wall in. I just added some diesel kleen additive to run through the engine to hopefully clean it out a bit, since it's been sitting for so long. I'm planning to change the oil tomorrow morning, and begin to fix the clutch. Gotta drain that old diesel too.

Ryan