Thanks so much @Mully_89 . I can't wait for it to get used by lots of different people as I find it to be such a joyous vehicle! I will definitely be treading carefully then when I get to start chopping... got a big patch consisting of the drivers side a pillar, front wheel arch and cab floor so that'll be a puzzle I imagine!
Small update for the new year... It's been a pretty draining few months mentally and emotionally, so haven't had as much space to work on the van as I would have hoped. I have managed to get my rollover jig painted up to stop itself from rusting to death though and got all wiring and heater cables out. Also made a discovery as to why my heating never worked...
Done a few plods over the past couple of weeks. Got some time to work on it this week. Still stripping it all down but nearly there. Still got the floor, a few bits of carpet and the wooden frame on the top to go. The mountain continues to grow... Got a pesky spun out rear tail light screw as the nut on it was rusted solid. I've got to replace the corners anyway so thinking I might cut away the corner with it in place so I can get some better access to cut/grind the teeny nut to bits. If anyone has any nifty techniques for stopping the bolt from spinning around in the plastic light housing, I'd love to know! Went on a welding course at Bridgewater & Taunton college in Feb which was ace. First time doing some welding and I love it. Can't wait to have a go on the van (after a bit more practice!). Even managed to have a go at Tig which was so theraputic. I'd really reccomend the course I did. It's currently fully funded for anyone on low income or universal credit and is 4 full days. You can basically focus on whatever you wish, so I said to the instructor I'd like to focus on thin sheet techniques and managed to learn heaps. The course is called Welding Progressive Fast Track. Dog special for you all. Now THAT's how to chill...
Ahh amazing! What was your dog's name? He's actually a 'pure' bred I'm pretty sure. He's my younger brothers dog. Has been such a great presence for him.
Hi Joe, I love what you are doing, though I worry a bit about the time and space you have for the project. I loved my resto journey with Lottie but after 5 years was pleased to be on the road. A roll over frame is a great idea and greatly improves the ease and quality of work below. I was limited on headroom and improvised a roll over frame with timber and castors. I will follow your progress with interest and wish you well.
Oh come on matey, I was just getting in early so when it gets abandoned in a million pieces with one now rusted new panel attached I can point to my post and say "well....". But really it's because I hate to see an ok-ish bus pulled apart and abandoned loosing the owner many £k in the process. It really does make sense to fix a bit that doesn't need too much wrecking, like a rear corner, and see how you're going to get on.
Best advice I was ever given about these old vans was from @rickyroo1 - DO NOT do a nuts and bolts resto where you pull it apart and make it unusable so you eventually fall out of love or de-prioritise it when you have a working van with an MOT - it is not a good path. Enjoy it as much as you can and remember - next to none are perfect.
He was called Sunny. We lost him last year due to heart problems. It was the amount of fluffy bits that made me think cross as yours has about the same as Sunny which we didn't think matched the full flowing locks of the stock google image for Saluki. He was however a lot more slight than a greyhound and full of Saluki attitude!
Appreciate everyone's advice and concerns. I understand that this is a BIGx100000 adventure from what you've all shared, and that I don't even know how it will feel like just yet. You can't know what ya don't know and all that jazz...! I get so much peace of mind from working on it, which is a big one for me. Also, because I'm going to be setting up a charity or CiC with it (which I've had some more ideas on how to combine with my career as a musician & visual artist) I feel confident I will see it through the multiple years. If it was purely just for myself, I know I would find it much harder to push through the challenges on it. I'm by no means looking for perfection with it and recognise it's going to take a wee while. I 100% would not have even dreamed of tackling it without this forum, so big props to everyone on here for being so helpful and sharing your knowledge
Ahh he sounds lovely! Was he a rescue? I know my bro has told me they get more shaggy if they get castrated, which he isn't atm, so maybe that's a thing here...? No idea aha. I've never been around a dog that naps so much. He's pretty aloof but does enjoy a cuddle in the morning when I come down the stairs which fills my heart with joy!
He was a rescue and had the snip… All sounds familiar, slept alot, could be very aloof but also very soft and cuddly once he got to know you. He took a long time to get used to me and about 6 years to get used to my dad!! Useless recall as well. Couldn’t train the instinct to disappear into the distance at 25mph out of him! I showed the mrs the pick above and she said “I don’t remember having a yellow wall!”
Ahh fair! Maybe Sunny with the snip is the same as Oscar without... Love what your partner said. They sound very similar for sure haha. Wish they could have met! One thing that is different tho is my bro got him as a pup and has done an outstanding job at training him, so his recal is actually awesome! It's taken a lot of work tho. If he sees a bird or some other animal he is off in a flash though. They can't help themselves can they!
Been a fairly productive week. Got all the carpets off, flooring out, pop top fabric safely stored. I was hoping to reuse the original Devon lino floor as it really makes it feel of it's time, but sadly the lino was so full of holes and has become so brittle and stuck to the rotten fibreboard it's not salvageable Also after much measuring, managed to cut out my first bit of bodywork, which was the passenger side engine bay skirt section which was covered in dodgy repairs. First time using a die grinder properly and I love it! Also needed to get it off to assess the condition of the rear chassis section as there's some rot around the sleeves that the engine support brackets mount through. There's a hole on the top of the chassis section too. Unsure whether the best approach is to chop the whole thing out and put a fresh section in, or patch the area round the mount holes and the hole on top... from tapping with a ball pein hammer the rest of the chassis section seems solid enough. Anyone else had to address rot around the engine bracket mounting holes or replaced this entire section of chassis before who has any tips? I know places do repair sections for this part of the chassis, so assume it's a fairly common spot for rot, just not too sure which approach would be easiest... I'm hoping I can make up some decent patches for the engine bay skirt section, as the curved edges are in good nick. Will be a good way to learn some sheet metal working techniques! We'll see haha
I'd patch the chassis, butt weld pieces in. When you cut out, aim for fairly small patches but expand the holes until you find the steel is full thickness. The rust above the hanger holes looks like damp mud or something was piled up on the hanger. The sleeves look ok?
Ace, thanks so much for the tips! Really appreciate it The sleeves look okayish. The holes for the engine bracket bolts aren't perfect, a bit concentric but I'll have another poke around of the sleeves when I'm next at it on Thursday. If the sleeves are toast, I'm guessing they're welded to the inner side only, as you wouldn't be able to weld them to the outer when the two chassis halves are joined (or it could be the opposite! Thinking I could always cut around the sleeves, make a patch with new sleeve pieces and weld in place, like the dotted line in this pic: