Welcome to our blog, we hope you enjoy popping in on us occasionally and following our adventures to Morocco. We start at the beginning! The new engine and a Tale of Two Wolfi's.
Wolfi 1
Wolfi 2
We met Wolfi 1 in Morocco last year, a chance meeting. A chat next to the van and he says he's a mercedes 608 man himself. In fact, he restores them for a living !! Based in Berlin, he knows all there is to know about our bus,( she who remains nameless! Well, Vannie actually ). Our Vannie, or Bannie as they say in Spain, is a 1985 608D with more miles on the clock than we can calculate, round the clock comes to mind. The engine, an OM314, is a classic, but as she gets older, she tends to drink too much!! Oil that is. She'll keep going as long as you satisfy her thirsty nature. But
But, there has to come a point when you know what needs to be done and I've been wanting it for years. A reconditioned engine. And Wolfi says he's the man!!
So we follow up this thread as the Autumn turned to Winter, many emails and texts. And this is what we came up with. Wolfi has found a second hand engine in great condition and wants to bring it to Wales and fit it!!!! Could we ask for more? Well, some decent weather might have changed the outcome but I have to say ''the weather made it''. It shaped the outcome. With good weather we might not have made it!
We had built a 'structure' to cover the van outside our unit at Crofty Industrial estate. The ground was sodden and the wind blue down the structure, well, I let it go, as it were. The day before the Wolf Gang arrived, we knocked on several larger units and asked for help, 'have you got a spare corner in your shed please? ' and care of Carlo, who runs Gower timber, we were given the keys to a huge shed and the freedom to carry out our job. Undercover.
The milk of human kindness, nothing like. We connected with many of our neighbours on the Estate and everybody surprised us with their interest and help. Two daft old hippies putting a new engine in their ancient bus and everyone wants to help.
So Thursday morning, 13th February at 8 am, the two Wolfi's set to work, and work they do. A straight 12 hours with hardly a break. A day to remember.
Here it is, Wolfi proudly showing off our new engine. Under his bed in the back of his 608. Real snug. I'll let some pictures do the talking.
As well as the odd word here and there!
The Engine is brought closer to it's destination as the lads check out the job.
And the work begins, I know the engine fairly well
but the task ahead is a mystery to me. In theory, it
is straight forward. The reality is about to unfold in front of my eyes. The here and now is all there is. The Wolf's are in the moment. Job on and they want it done today.
A tangle of bodies, they are childhood friends and have travelled the world together, they fit and the work begins to flow. Not a lot said, they know what to do and and are comfortable.
So the job is to go like this, old engine out, new engine in. The 'how it's done' comes next.
And for that, we are lucky enough to be given Chris and his fork lift truck ( Gabeln Stappler in German )
The new engine, a 1978 ex fire truck with about 70,000 miles under its belt, is just run in really. Wolfi tells me that it's been serviced by Mercedes since new and he heard it running before it was dismantled from it's past life as a fire engine. He is under no doubt as to it's credibility.
I am mesmerized by its simplistic beauty,
this is a no frills engine. It would be quite happy in a tractor or a boat. But it's going in our Vannie.
Which is waiting patiently for her new engine.
A new 'heart' dare I say.
Chris maneuvers with millimeter precision, gently cradling the tired engine in his metal arms. There is very little room for error here. Bodies and bolts are in the way, literally, an exact withdrawl is required. and Chris patiently obeys instructions hailed from under the van........ and out she comes
Watch that body! So close.
Happy boys, first part of the play has been completed successfully.
Time for fish and chips and a break.
But not for long, the wolfs are raring to go. There's an engine to put in. Up'n atom.
Take aim, Vannie is waiting patiently. The marriage is about to take place! The Wolf's have brought a small keg of extraordinary fine German beer to celebrate this marriage, ie the fitting of the new engine. We smile and say they can play any games they like, just marry her up!
With millimeter precision, with Chris at the wheel, slowly but surely the engine is offered into place and is accepted, it fits!!! Phew, what a relief. Morocco her we come.
Well, not quite yet !! There is still plenty of work for the Wolf gang to do, like connecting all that needs connecting and starting her up, then there is the marriage party! Loads to do.
It's looking good, almost there.
It's there and putting it all back together goes smoothly. They really are the business these two Wolfi's.
Just the last few nuts and bolts and they are finished. Amazing.
Well that makes me a happy man, smiling like a cheshire cat, we set
off on a test drive and she goes like a dream. Wolfi is very happy at the sound and feel of the new engine and passes her over to me to drive so I can get a handle on our new bus. She feels like a new Vannie!! Goes like a rocket with minimum smoke from the exhaust. White unburnt diesel smoke at cold startup, this is normal Wolfi tells me, he says it's got the right smell!! All is well.
Lets take them for a Welsh pint to celebrate and we can open the keg later, hic!
What a 24 hours. What Wolfi's.
We met Wolfi 1 in Morocco last year, a chance meeting. A chat next to the van and he says he's a mercedes 608 man himself. In fact, he restores them for a living !! Based in Berlin, he knows all there is to know about our bus,( she who remains nameless! Well, Vannie actually ). Our Vannie, or Bannie as they say in Spain, is a 1985 608D with more miles on the clock than we can calculate, round the clock comes to mind. The engine, an OM314, is a classic, but as she gets older, she tends to drink too much!! Oil that is. She'll keep going as long as you satisfy her thirsty nature. But
But, there has to come a point when you know what needs to be done and I've been wanting it for years. A reconditioned engine. And Wolfi says he's the man!!
So we follow up this thread as the Autumn turned to Winter, many emails and texts. And this is what we came up with. Wolfi has found a second hand engine in great condition and wants to bring it to Wales and fit it!!!! Could we ask for more? Well, some decent weather might have changed the outcome but I have to say ''the weather made it''. It shaped the outcome. With good weather we might not have made it!
We had built a 'structure' to cover the van outside our unit at Crofty Industrial estate. The ground was sodden and the wind blue down the structure, well, I let it go, as it were. The day before the Wolf Gang arrived, we knocked on several larger units and asked for help, 'have you got a spare corner in your shed please? ' and care of Carlo, who runs Gower timber, we were given the keys to a huge shed and the freedom to carry out our job. Undercover.
The milk of human kindness, nothing like. We connected with many of our neighbours on the Estate and everybody surprised us with their interest and help. Two daft old hippies putting a new engine in their ancient bus and everyone wants to help.
So Thursday morning, 13th February at 8 am, the two Wolfi's set to work, and work they do. A straight 12 hours with hardly a break. A day to remember.
Here it is, Wolfi proudly showing off our new engine. Under his bed in the back of his 608. Real snug. I'll let some pictures do the talking.
As well as the odd word here and there!
The Engine is brought closer to it's destination as the lads check out the job.
but the task ahead is a mystery to me. In theory, itis straight forward. The reality is about to unfold in front of my eyes. The here and now is all there is. The Wolf's are in the moment. Job on and they want it done today.
A tangle of bodies, they are childhood friends and have travelled the world together, they fit and the work begins to flow. Not a lot said, they know what to do and and are comfortable.
So the job is to go like this, old engine out, new engine in. The 'how it's done' comes next.
And for that, we are lucky enough to be given Chris and his fork lift truck ( Gabeln Stappler in German )
Chris is to become an essential part of the play, a main character. He drives the fork lift truck as part of his living and he's an expert! And we need one because the job is a delicate operation requiring accurate skills.
The new engine, a 1978 ex fire truck with about 70,000 miles under its belt, is just run in really. Wolfi tells me that it's been serviced by Mercedes since new and he heard it running before it was dismantled from it's past life as a fire engine. He is under no doubt as to it's credibility.
I am mesmerized by its simplistic beauty,
this is a no frills engine. It would be quite happy in a tractor or a boat. But it's going in our Vannie.
Which is waiting patiently for her new engine.
A new 'heart' dare I say.
Chris maneuvers with millimeter precision, gently cradling the tired engine in his metal arms. There is very little room for error here. Bodies and bolts are in the way, literally, an exact withdrawl is required. and Chris patiently obeys instructions hailed from under the van........ and out she comes
Watch that body! So close.
Happy boys, first part of the play has been completed successfully.
Time for fish and chips and a break.
But not for long, the wolfs are raring to go. There's an engine to put in. Up'n atom.
Take aim, Vannie is waiting patiently. The marriage is about to take place! The Wolf's have brought a small keg of extraordinary fine German beer to celebrate this marriage, ie the fitting of the new engine. We smile and say they can play any games they like, just marry her up!
With millimeter precision, with Chris at the wheel, slowly but surely the engine is offered into place and is accepted, it fits!!! Phew, what a relief. Morocco her we come.
Well, not quite yet !! There is still plenty of work for the Wolf gang to do, like connecting all that needs connecting and starting her up, then there is the marriage party! Loads to do.
It's looking good, almost there.
It's there and putting it all back together goes smoothly. They really are the business these two Wolfi's.
Just the last few nuts and bolts and they are finished. Amazing.
Well that makes me a happy man, smiling like a cheshire cat, we set
Lets take them for a Welsh pint to celebrate and we can open the keg later, hic!
What a 24 hours. What Wolfi's.
Yeah new engine for Vannie !
ReplyDeleteNice one Jaimie, see you tomorrow for a send off supper.
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