Restoration of Only Rossendale Dennis Dart

Mancbuses aim with this wonderful Dennis Dart is to restore it back to 1998 when it was new with Rossendale Travel. 

This is a Dennis Dart SLF (Super Low Floor) from 1998. It helped to start what we know today as normal and take for granted. Back then step entrance was still around and in regular use. 

The History

This Dart registration S114KRN started its life brand new to Rossendale Travel in 1998, It stayed with them until around 2013. When the vehicle was no longer required and was scrapped. Although it had a scrap title it was saved from the cutting tools by a motorsport company near York which used the vehicle once in a blue moon to shuttle customers around the airfield where they were based. It came for sale in 2021 which is when Mancbuses bought the vehicle to add to their collection. A little argument with the DVLA saw the vehicle lose its Scrap title and got its ticket to be allowed back on the road.

So Far

In 2021 Mancbuses started the restoration of the vehicle. The job list was quite large before we could even look at putting it for an MOT. We had many electrical faults to solve and repair, The doors didn't work. Then with use around the shed moving it about and shunting it, some problems started to find their way to the surface. To this day the vehicle has had: Door regulators, level switches, body panels, a fuel tank, a fuel pump, top plates, batteries, plus more and a lot of blood sweat and tears of work put into the vehicle.

What we are fundraising for?

With all this work carried out we have one big issue. We got the vehicle through the 1st MOT since that MOT the fueling system has been giving us lots of problems to such a level that for 6 months the vehicle was unable to move without a little bit of manpower. We have managed to get the vehicle running again and we are coming to the realisation that the engine is at the point in its life where with many years of cold starts and being floored to build air from cold it is at the stage where it needs a professional to refurbish and overhaul the engine to return it to the best standard possible and bring the emissions under control. We currently have signs that the engine is burning oil and the only place we can see that the oil is coming from is the piston rings urgh.. We also have at least one injector that is not working correctly due to wear and tear on the engine. Our Cummins engine last had a major overhaul back in 2005 according to the engine plate we have. 

Why is it important?

Without this major service, it is limiting the life we have in the vehicle and we want the vehicle to live for as long as possible for the newer generation to enjoy and sample what it was like back in the day. This vehicle is a good bit of history that we have had many comments and emails saying they remember it running around or they remember going to school on it and they're so glad that it is saved and in preservation. We aim to take the vehicle to events and allow people to ride on it for free and sample this history. At shows, we also like to interact with the younger generations and show and teach them about older vehicles. This vehicle is a great example before computers took over our vehicles.

What do you get from it?

As mentioned before you are taking part in the restoration and preservation of a wonderful vehicle, allowing more people to sample it. In return, we are also offering everyone that does contribute to this engine refurbishment we will do a plaque inside the vehicle with everyone's name on it that has given to the fund as a thank you for helping giving this vehicle a 2nd chance in life.

In the future

When the vehicle has been returned to its former glory we would attend more transport festivals and community events where we can offer free rides on the vehicle as well as a shuttle to and from the events enabling more people to attend them. The free shuttle would enable families that might struggle to get there an opportunity to have a day out and do something different.