also,I havnt put it in for an mot. I will do next month just to see what I need to do to it. I have a welder,it's just finding the time in my otherwise busy schedule.Know what I mean? I assure you,it's safe to drive.
What it boils down to is if you have an accident any vehicle inspector will see the rot, and give the bus a good going over and the insurers will try to get out of their obligations. In negligence an individuals actions are usually benchmarked against what the reasonable person would do, however you have already told us you are a trained mechanic so the expectations for you would be set higher. Are you prepared to take the risk? From what I have seen I wouldn't.
Like I said,it's been sat for ages,but I intend to start work on it in January. I won't bother too much with the cosmetic side of things,as I'm sure there's still a call for the 'rat look', but just the general solidness of the bus,brakes,fuel lines,tyres,etc. I will take it for an mot just to see what needs doing,then do it over the next year. I ain't in no hurry.
Oh,and mechanics ain't my job,I'm just trained as one...many,many years ago. It's just something I kept up as a hobby,hence vw's, motorbikes,push bikes,anything which needs mechanical work. My main job is a professional gardener. I just think that there's a connection between the two, as pretty much all of the van came out of the ground in one form or another,and sometimes,some of it leaks back in!
insurance companies will squirm they way out of anything , and if some one thinks that rot like that is safe to drive in is mad , its structural and unsafe , if vosa or traffic branch stopped or inspected it they would go through you like a dose of salts , if you where to try and sell it it would not do it any justice
You'll be ok to drive it ..........................................as long as its in some dodgy country like Pakistan, Afghanistan, Syria, Iraqi and Yorkshire.
