My Hi-Tops gonna be cool.. So Nyeuur. 8^)

Loving your wood
Looks great against the nice clean white finish of the interior paint work

 

Ta Guys.. It's all about the wood.. Haha. Just in the process off revisiting the wheel arch tubs with some all singin n dancin sealer/stone chip. Has to be applied with a special powered gun. Applied in thick beads where required and then the nozzle can be adjusted for a fan shaped spray pattern. It gives the thick stippled effect you see on the sills and inside the boot/engine bay on new cars, typically VW's. I'm looking forward to seeing the results and will post pics on here when complete. The guns £150.00 to buy but I've been fortunate enough to borrow one from a comrade in a dealership. The tubes of Goo are supposed to be around the £12 mark but with a bit of discount gerrin em for £7 each, ordered 12 tubes. I'm expecting this effin van to float when I'm done.. ;D
Will keep ya's posted on the results of this stuff as I said.. Speak soon guys n gals.

 

Any updates?

 

Hey all.. Wow I been away for ages, just had stuff n fings goin on. Hope you all well.. I've been lurking around in the back ground though, got to meet Mr Mears recently who so graciously gave me some leaf springs to get me out of schtuck. Thanks again. I've just finished for a fortnight (gonna be in work cracking on with the bus though) so fully intend on bring this thread up to date. 8^)

 

Kool lookin forward to your updates

 

Hi again, back with some pics of progress in the last couple of months, not got as much done as I'd like to of have but hey ho, no deadlines, enjoying this resto now and gettin to the good bits.. Well, picking up from where I left off I started to build up the suspension/braking system with the van rolled, First thing I had to do was complete the axle ready for fitment including relocation and widening of the servo bracket as the axles a lefty.









I also re-visited the wheel arch tubs as I wasn't satisfied with the protection stone chip was offering. Borrowed a super duper special gun from a collegue, bought £120 worth of goo in 12 tubes, and applied liberally, The guns cool as the 'fan' of the sealant can be adjusted as in narrow/wide. The finished effect is the gear you see on modern cars, around shocker tops and in the boot in places, really nice rubberised coating, cack just pings off it.. well hoping so. once done I recoated with the marine paint. Nice finish but would be costly to completely do an underside. 12 tubes did my 4 wheel arch tubs with a trickle left over.










Initial fitment of brake and clutch pedal assemblies, took a while to track a servo link rod down, was going to get a Brazilian one from JK's but they were on back order for ages, aquired one via an old flyer from a show 12 months earlier, I recalled the guy saying I might have one at home.. luck would have it he did and he didn't even lift my legs. Nice chap.

 

And so here follows a few pics of the suspension/braking system rebuild. I hit a stumbling block when re-building the rear torsion arms and spring plates. I didn't have a starting point, marks and such obscurred by powder coating etc. Tried trawling the web to look for a pic of the rough position of the spring plate in relation to the 'ledge' on the rear axle on a van that had been lowered a spline mayb., No joy so had to guestimate and educate myself on the set-up. As most of you will be aware with different spline rotation combinations between the inner and outer splines, (52 one end and 56 ther other.. i fink.. can't remember already haha) any ways this ingeniouse complication allows the rear of these vans to be adjusted in approx 6mm increments. Not quite sure wether I've got mine right, have dropped it to the bottom on the front adjuster.. and I know the rides gonna be crap. probably wont be using like this, but gotta check out the full extent of suspension travel aint ya.. The rear is a little higher currently but with a couple of my collegues on the back pretending to be an engine and box it squared up nicely. Also thinking of putting big tyres on the rear, 215/70-14, reinforced possibly and staying with 185/65/14 on the front. The aspect ratio of the tyres will lift it a little further at the rear too. I was well chuft dropping it on its wheels after so long on the spit, that happened today and I'm still buzzing.





















Above pic is where I set the spring plate in relation to the 'ledge' on the axle, a guestimate at 1 full spline fom stock. I remember having to 'ping' the spring pate over the ledge when removing, so the suspension is actually loaded when stock height as the spring plate sits on this 'ledge under tension. Like I said earlier a good set of pictures of this angle (unloaded) would be an excellent reference for those who are starting to re-build rear suspension with a view to lowering a spline or two without reference marks. I kinda just altered the inner and outer splines untill I could slip my index finger in the gap up to my first knuckle exactly the same on both sides. Wether I've got it right remains to be seen when fully loaded. I suspect I will have to raise it maybe 1 or 2 increments, (6 -12mm).

 

Had the calipers blasted, gave em a polishing, some high heat silver paint and a new seal kit.

 

A couple of the lads representing the engine and box for loadiness...


Loaded....


No load...

 

Did a little sex wee when i stood back.. haha.













Well thats it up to date peeps. Gonna roll it again this week and do the brake lines, will be back with more progress next week hopefully.

 

Looking tremendous, Are you doing that a college, as the workshop looks a bit too clean!

 

That's looking very good.

 

Awesome!

 

Very Impressive

 

Who's doing your new loom then Deano?

Looking great by the way!

Thanks
Scotty.

 

Cracking pictures. This thread not only shows some good work but because of the colours and the lighting, it will be an excellent reference thread for a lot of people working underneath their vans. Thanks.

 

Great reading, pics are awesome and you're very lucky to have premises like that! Cracking job

 

Thanks guys, yeah the workshop is a blessing. Also having students help along whilst learning is brill. Gonna get back on it next week, gotta spare 1 day though to replace the front suspension cones on the mini, well overdue!

 

Hey Scotty, wiring, again is gonna be a student evolvement project. We have a group of lads who just make looms all day for trailers etc, these lads along with some apprentice auto electricians are gonna have a crack under close supervision. Gonna be running 3 systems more or less, fitting a Subaru lump and this is going to be contained, ecu n all to its own fuse box, then normal van electrics plus leisure electrics.. Headache. Not really my thing wiring but looking forward to starting this as its nice n simple.. Well, once simplified.. Haha.