My 79 Super viking resto project.

Discussion in 'Restorations' started by icepug, Oct 15, 2013.

  1. Nice work on the interior. Looks a lot better than the brown they are usually in.
     
    icepug likes this.
  2. That brown will haunt me. I think the red is much better too.
     
  3. Another good day on the van yesterday. I am concentrating on getting everything ready in preparation for the camper interior.
    Managed to fix the interior light with some new parts and a bit of brain power but its little things like this that make me happy. Now when I get home and its dark I do not need to scramble around looking for stuff. I managed to get it working off all the doors so no matter what, I will have light.

    Other than that I have been mostly concentrating on the electrics. I got myself some plastic clad rubber pipe, originally meant for drainage pipe for the sink but works a treat for what I need it for. I laid all the new wires that I will need to be fed from the cab to the leisure battery, I also took the liberty of laying a couple more if I ever need them and a feed for a tachometer if I ever get one. I want the stereo to run off the leisure battery, the eberspacher switch, fridge switch, heated front and rear windscreen and the zig unit to control the fridge, lights etc. The wire was a bit of a bugger to feed into the pipe. I ended up laying the wire down like a wiring loom, fixing the wire lengths as I need them with tape and threading the whole lot through in one go using a long thin piece of metal. I could have cut the pipe but I want a completely water tight solution and this will work fine.

    Once the loom was made, it was just a simple case of marking out in the rear where I wanted it to come out and drilling a big hole. Then got under the van, ran from the front to the back and secured it with cable ties. Luckily the design of the bus makes it easy to find a suitable route for the wire and there is plenty of points to tie off too.

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    While I was under there I did a repair of the heater pipe that feeds the loading area. I took this off originally when the heating was crap to let me have more heat up front but now the heating is all good, it gets too hot and I suppose my passengers in the back might like it too so thats all plumbed in and working great. I must admit I did not realise this was operated off a wire from the heater mixer control but it works so i'm happy about that.

    Screen Shot 2014-06-08 at 20.11.36.png

    Then spent the next 3-4 hours trying to get a heater cable out of one of the conduits, got the bloody thing out in the end but that is not a job for the easily stressed, frustrating and annoying but overall satisfied with the results. That was it for Saturday, hopefully get the heater cable in today and tidy up some bits on the underside. My aim is to get the underslung water tank fitted today but time will tell. Suns out so I will not be on her until this evening. Stay tuned for pics and more resto goodness
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited: Jun 8, 2014
  4. Zed

    Zed Gradually getting grumpier

    Go back to school and learn about paragraphs, I couldn't read that lot! :)
     
  5. Good point, I'll sort it out layer. It was a Sunday morning post. Lucky I could even type to be honest
     
  6. Is that better mate? The written word is not my strong point.
     
  7. Zed

    Zed Gradually getting grumpier

    Much better. I'd have put line spaces between the paragraphs. ;)
     
  8. Some people

    Are never satisfied

    Lol ;p
     
  9. I've just amended my previous instalment with pictures for anybody who likes them. I managed to get the underslung water tank on as well which is a good bonus. I wasn't to sure about the fixings for the straps that hold the tank on as they were only heavy duty self tappers and I'm pretty sure a 40lt tank full of water weighs a bit so I didn't want to take the chance. I actually ended up welding some nuts and bolts in place to give me more secure and permanent fixings. Had to take the belly pans off for access but when I fitted them to start with I did not weld them in, I put them on rivnuts so I could remove them for jobs like this. Simples!

    Screen Shot 2014-06-08 at 20.11.59.png

    I had the tank shield and straps shot blasted and powder coated right back when I got the van so to see them go back on was really quite something. Its staring to look like a proper camper now and I can defiantly smell the finishing line at long last.

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    So, another week has gone by and its Saturday again, I can work on the van and get things moving again. First job of the day was to fit a new flush mounted external hook up. One of the old screws had rusted on but I managed to get to it on the other side and use some mole grips to unscrew it. The panel it fits to isn't the straightest so I put a small line of silicone around the inside of the hole to ensure a better seal.

    Screen Shot 2014-06-08 at 20.12.24.png

    Looks alright so I'm happy with it. After that I needed to earth the leisure battery. My solution was a bolt thought the wheel tub which some big washers. I scraped the paint away under the washer so the contact would be good.

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    I have mock fitted the leisure battery where it will be when the new interior goes in. I have the old piece as a template so I have just used that for the time being. I also went about making the fuse box up for the things that would be using the leisure battery but not wired through the zig unit like the fridge and the interior lights.

    Screen Shot 2014-06-08 at 20.39.10.png

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    Once that lot was sorted I wanted to earth the zig unit. I took it apart a few months back to see what it was like inside as the electrics are quite old but to my surprise the inside was spot less so Im hoping it will do the job nicely. I don't see why not as thats what they are made to do. I ran the wires from both batteries to its also. The zig unit uses the alternators charge to charge the leisure battery while you drive and when its hooked up to the 240v it charges and maintains both batteries

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    Proof my interior light works!!! lol

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    Last edited: Jun 30, 2014
  10. I also did a little wiring up front in the cab. Wired the stereos permanent live to the leisure battery and also wired in the eberspacher and switch also running of the leisure battery. I wired in the switch for the fridge ever though I have not wired the fridge in yet. I've chosen red led in the switch for the heater and blue for the fridge, the whole hot and cold thing, the other two holes are for the heated front and rear windscreen switches.

    Screen Shot 2014-06-08 at 20.39.53.png

    The number of wires in this bundle are going down fast which means that the wiring is getting near to completion, then I can concentrate on doing the upholstery to the bare metal parts of the vans interior as per the original conversions specification.

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    More to follow, stay tuned
     
    paradox and D5andy like this.
  11. told you I'd get round to reading it :p

    great thread, you've done some top work to it :thumbsup:

    shame about the roof and multiple engine troubles!!! ....glad its all sorted

    ....now get on with it ,you've not got much left to do surely? :p
     
  12. Funny you should say that. I have set myself a target to get it finished as i'm going to a music festival 7th August so i'd best get moving. I have been slowly going though my to do list and it keeps getting bigger and bigger. BUT, I will win, I will not be beaten, I will never surrender.
     
    rob.e, womball and Diddymen like this.
  13. Flakey

    Flakey Supporter

    Great work, looks like you're on the home straight.
     
    icepug likes this.
  14. So been busy beavering away with the van. Got a couple more jobs done and sorted. First job was to change the rear screen for a heated one. The screen is in but not wired in just yet. That job is for another day. One thing I did like about the rear screen is that its a genuine part as this is what that fit in the Brazilians.

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    Then I had a brief look at the seat belt arrangement in the back just to get my head around it. I had to get a fixing point welded in which was done over a year ago now, also brought a 3 pout adaptor thingy from @davidoft . They are in position now and look to be about right, I may have to move a fixing here and there but I will know that when the interior is fitted.

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    Right then, seat belts in and rear windscreen all cosy it was time to fit the temperature sensor. I had already done the hard bit of laying the wire's in my previous post so it was just a matter of connecting it all up and seeing if it works. I wired it up the wrong way around to start with but I quickly rectified this and all is well. After the amount of engines I have had, it makes sense to keep my eye on it.

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    I took the liberty of bending the gauge holder in a clamp so I can read it easier when driving.

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    I saw some jail bars on a camper van recently and I managed to convince myself that they would be useful to stop luggage falling against the rear window, although I expect they will be used for drying my clothes if nothing else.

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    After fitting this lot it was time for a well deserved break. The van went off to the painters to have the accident damage back from when the roof fell off fixed and a couple little bits sorted. I had the old vent hole for the fridge welded up as the new fridge is a compressor and does not need one. One less place to leak now I suppose.

    Before
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    After

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    Carpet fitted. I was going to do this myself but I was having carpets fitted at home so the extra cost to have this fitted was penny's and they actually did a rather good job. I opted for some office carpet. Tight weave and hard wearing.

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    Capped the timber edge off with some angled aluminium

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    More to follow so stay tuned
     
    Last edited: Jun 30, 2014
    Neptuneblue and S1mon like this.
  15. Beginning to look like a camper van now but the interior needs sorting. I took sunday to start cladding the internal metal work with vinyl matching the seats and panels using some contact adhesive my dad uses to repair his boat. Can't see that budging any time soon. Same old thing with vinyling, template, cut, stick, template, cut, stick. You get the point. here are some before and after pics, tidy's it all up nicely.

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    This job would have been much easier and took half the time with the windows out but I was not going to get them out with limited time and space. I had to start this job on the drive and it rained most the day so its a good thing I didn't. A few more pictures below, it was getting dark so they are not the best but you get the point. I will finish the rears when I have installed all the wiring.

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    This is a nice fibre glass sliding door cover that was specific to vikings so I thought it only right that I re-vinyl it and re-fit.

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    Well thats its for the time being. Me and a pal have a week to make and install the downstairs interior next next so this week I will be sorting out all the little jobs ready for then. Onwards and upwards.
     
    Last edited: Jun 30, 2014
    Neptuneblue likes this.
  16. looks great!
     
  17. Thanks. It's taking a while but I know it'll be worth it and I'll be able to say 'I did that'. Besides I do not trust anyone else working on the van and don't believe they could do a better job.
     
    Flakey likes this.
  18. MorkC68

    MorkC68 Administrator

    looking very good dude :thumbsup:
     
  19. Definitely looking good :) It's always good to be able to do the work yourself if possible if not for any other reason than to save money, but good idea bundling the hose carpet fitting in with getting the van done ;)
     

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