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The Restoration of
Dual Door MCW Atlantean L835
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The restoration project over 2006/7 was dual-door converted Met-Cam Atlantean L835 (FKF 835E). L835's history can be seen on its own page in the Vehicle Collection section. It took 12 months to restore the bus and below its restoration is broken down month by month.
July-August 2006
The bus was stripped of those exterior panels which needed to be replaced.
September 2006
Offside repanelling is carried out.
October 2006
Nearside repanelling is
carried out and the rotten centre step is taken out.
November 2006
The main rear panels are removed, the main front panel is put on and some extra smaller panels are attached.
Her rear axle is overhauled.
December 2006
The front and rear domes are removed and the front one is beaten straight.
January 2007
The rear dome is replaced with a dome removed from a scrapped Atlantean.
Her radiator is checked and sent for overhaul.
Inside, the upstairs seats are removed and work begins on removing the old lino upstairs.
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February 2007
Most external beading strips are put back on.
Work on the interior is continued and it is found that the vast majority of the upper deck floor is rotten and needs to be replaced.
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March 2007
The lower front panels are paint stripped and her fleetplates and registration plates are taken away for restoration. Her freshly beaten front dome is reaffixed. She is given a coat of red oxide in preparation for repaint.
April 2007
The bottom coats of paint are applied whilst the weather is nice.
The new upper deck floor is put back in. New seat rails are made up to hold the seats onto the floor.
All her upper deck seat frames are removed and rubbed down and given a coat of red oxide in preparation for repainting back into light grey.
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May 2007
A final top coat of gloss is applied. L835 regains her identity as her fleetplates go back on
The upstairs lino is laid so that the repainted seat frames can go back in.
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June 2007
Inspection of her lower deck floor showed that it unfortunatley needed to be replaced
behind the stairs and also the small section in front of the nearside wheelarch. Though thankfully this work was carried out over a single weekend and the new lino was aplied the days after, so it didn't impede progress too much.
The upstairs interior is completed.
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July 2007
New wheels and tyres are put on
and painted. The repainted lower saloon seat frames are put back in and the fiddly interior bits are finished off. Her aluminium skirt is cleaned up and put back on. Her engine pods and bonnet were refibreglassed and painted up in time for MOT. The roof was painted into livery. Her centre doors are reattached and the bus is entirely finshed before her debut appearence at Woodvale 2007.
