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Anon
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Howdy from Beddie and Bedhead...

Howdy everyone,

I recently got myself a 1979 Bedford CF 250. I absolutely love it. It came as a non-runner (the only thing I could afford) and since then (October 2009) it has become roadworthy again and now roars happily along all kinds of roads with constant minor repairs pretty much taking up all of my spare time...



I may or may not be Jim and I'm currently wintering out in South Yorkshire. I am not big on the idea of settling and due to the nature of my work I spend at least half the year traveling abroad. Most of it overland, with a vehicle. Up to now I had been using a 10 year old car for most of the traveling, but after spending several months living in it on a few occasions (not out of choice), I realized I needed something a bit bigger.. With cheaper spares... With simpler mechanical stuff that I can easily repair on the roadside without having to ever use a garage. Add a whole load of character, and Beddie was found coughing and spluttering, unable to start, being terribly neglected by its 5 previous owners, doing an average of 27 miles per year...

I was heartbroken when I saw him like that.. I just had to save him! Remember folks, a Beddie is for life, not just for Christmas!

So several repairs later, I am now about ready to set off for a roadtrip to Eastern Europe... Expecting to do about 5000 miles in a bit more than a month, from the North Sea to the Mediterranean and from England to Eastern Slovakia, the Baltic states and down to the Balkans. I am putting all my faith in Beddie, my toolboxes, and a vanload of spare parts.. We have to be hitting a specific different town every day, with an average of a 6 hour drive per day. The nature of the trip is meant to be entirely unrelated to automotive history, or is it?

Well, if I succeed, I'll have proven that a 31 year old vehicle can be as much of a workhorse as anything else, at a fraction of the cost, while at the same time being a lot more fun and having loads more character.

Place your bets with the bookie please..!


.......and wish me luck!

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Thu 04 Mar 2010 @ 00:13 Edit this messageQuote this messagePMQuote this message
Anon
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Good luck to you and your beddy ;-)

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Thu 04 Mar 2010 @ 01:06 Edit this messageQuote this messagePMQuote this message
Anon
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Your van looks lovely and your trip sounds amazing. I have no doubt that you will do it - massive good luck and lots of photos please

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Thu 04 Mar 2010 @ 07:22 Edit this messageQuote this messagePMQuote this message
Anon
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I suspect you may well not be Jim then, Jim!

But whoever you are, Jim, good luck on your trip.:D

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Thu 04 Mar 2010 @ 10:02 Edit this messageQuote this messagePMQuote this message
Anon
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Fair play to ya, enjoy and good luck.;]

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Thu 04 Mar 2010 @ 19:08 Edit this messageQuote this messagePMQuote this message
Anon
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Very impressive- and a handsome van too!

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Thu 04 Mar 2010 @ 19:58 Edit this messageQuote this messagePMQuote this message
Anon
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Thanks everyone! I'll be heading off in a couple of weeks, so at the moment I'm doing all the last minute repairs and getting all the stuff together.

Here's a piccie of the rear end to keep you going for now:



Unfortunately, Beddie hates the winter as much as I do, and has developed quite a bit of rust since October, when the pics were taken. I'm trying to repair it as soon as it comes up, so I can postpone any major bodywork repairs for a couple more years. Very few holes at the moment, nothing structural. So mainly wirebrush, primer and black topcoat for now, and some filler on small pinholes to prevent water from getting in. I hope that within the next couple of years my welding skills will have improved enough so I can tackle anything like that myself.

I'm hoping to shoot loads of pictures of the trip which will of course be posted online. Since I'm doing all the work Beddie needs on my own, I'll also be shooting pictures of that and posting how-to's, but probably after I return, until the next trip. I expect to not be online often from when I leave until late April/early May.

More pics soon.. Thanks again!
Thu 04 Mar 2010 @ 23:24 Edit this messageQuote this messagePMQuote this message
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