1975 Fleetline Split Window

[75fleetline]

Hi Guys,

Just joined, and just got my first split window bus,

I see there are mixed reactions to the fleetlines, but, i dont care, i am happy with mine, and it is still a split window!!!

The vehicle has had one owner since new, no respray, no body putty!! still everything original!! A little bit of rust to sort out, but i am going to enjoy my bus first before it is going anywhere for a re spray.

Attached some pics, tell me what you guys think.









Regards
Dwayne

[jolas]

Hey Dwayne, love your Fleetline ! Congrats, when did you buy it?

It may have had a touch up / respray at the rear at some stage of it's life, as it is missing the "Fleetline" logo on the rear hatch.

Nice to see she still has all the seats, interior panels, etc, etc. Good condition Fleetlines are cool, with the 1600 engines, and being relativley "younger" than their German split counterparts, they feel "lighter" and "tighter" and more responsive and generally more pleasurable to drive - my 2 cents worth - enjoy it dude

[fig]

Cool Fleetline!

I agree. Enjoy it! Bodywork can wait!

[karmakoma]

Thats a very nice original looking fleetline.
Love it!

[splitfan]

congrats and welcome ! nice bus dont worry about the whole Fleetline thing we all like em except maybe Pine..........

[Donovan D]

Welcome !
Nice looking Fleetline,

[louisvr45]

cool!! Another running fleetline! Keep it going

[Pine]

congrats and welcome ! nice bus dont worry about the whole Fleetline thing we all like em except maybe Pine..........

I like it! cool Bus

[YvaneS]

Thats a good looking bus! Drive it as is, and keep it like that!

[75fleetline]

Bought it on monday, has some things to sort out,just the mechanicals, steerng box needs to be re done,( ALOT OF PLAY ON THE WHEEL) or a new one found somewhere? If anybody knows a place that could help with that, and the brakes, they pull to the right when braking, so that has to be sorted out, and the fuel gauge doesnt work or is not connected, and that is all that i can find wrong with it thus far.

Dwayne

[karmakoma]

as I am sure the bus experts will advise, the steering box is the last thing you need to replace.
Check the drag link, and the rest of the front suspension components before replacing anything steering box related. You can of course adjust it as well if everything else checks out.

If the brake drums and shoes are ok, then it probably just needs to be adjusted correctly to stop it pulling to a side. There are holes in the drum to adjust the " star" brakeshoe adjust screw and also to inspect the brake shoe condition to a certain extent. These things are not difficult, and it would stand you in good stead to learn to check this yourself.

[75fleetline]

I had a lie down under the car while a friend just rotated the steering wheel just in the play area, and the arm coming out of the steering box wasnt moving, well almost noting, checked the drag links, and ball joints, they need replacing aswell, but i aam talking about a lot of play about a 3/4 turn of steering wheel

[DR WATSON]

What a Pearla, she is a beaut. Wishing you many happy kilos

[fig]

It's possible your steering box has been damaged through over-adjustment. As karma says, check out everything else in the steering system before messing with the box. Drag link and centre pin are the usual suspects, while tie rod ends, king and link pins and wheel bearings can also cause play in the steering.

Apart from replacing the thrust bearing, there's not much you can do to rebuild a worn steering box, although some engineering shops will remachine the worm and nut for you, but I don't know how successful that is.

[Dam]

Nice find, not many originals around
(To keep it original, remove the fuel filter from the engine bay, otherwise you might end up with a toasted back end, or a whole bus!)