In defence of RE - I think he is emphasising the need to juggle paying work and favour jobs for want of a better word. Para will have a nice van and he will be camping in it - sooner rather than later I believe.
were all patient, you have to be when your involved with old rustbuckets, and were all eager to get out and about in the fruit of our labours, I dont like getting involved either as there is a lot going on behind the actual restoration of the van, thats obvious, but if you dont wish to be discussed or expect comment, your probably better not to wear your heart on your sleeve, and Im sure para doesnt need you or I to speak for him. Pointing out that Marmite happens during the course of a restoration might help him to realise hes not alone in his fraustration.. thats part of the hobby, coming out the other end is the challenge...personal restorations are not all about the final destination, there often more about the journey, and how well you ride it out and what you find out about yourself...
I'd go further than RedOxide (earlier) and say it's almost impossible to restore a camper for a reasonable sum and be paid a living wage out of that. Some of you will have followed ArtB's link to a splitty resto on the SSVC site where a now office bound bodyshop man does his splitty from a total rot-box to perfection in 2 years. I met him at the splitty techenders a week ago and he said he did 3 hours a night, 3 times a week and by his own admission is the billy whizz of body repairs. 3 hours x 3 nights x 104 weeks @ a reasonable £30/hour = £28,000+ vat = £33,600 in labour alone if you paid someone and this didn't include the painting. He also spent £15K buying the scrapper bus and parts for it so that's nearly £50,000 invested if this had been someone paying someone else. That's someone exceptionally good at it, worked out at a cheap (if you like) rate. I don't see that a bay window is less work, though lets knock off £5K for interior and parts being cheaper, then add most of it back on for paint. How's that for perspective?
Update time So I finally got Para's van into the main workshop yesterday, after having a tool tidy, a hoover, and a throw out First job on this list, finish up the rear hinge panel for the engine lid. Spotted a dent that needed sorting in the rear corner vent Slightly blurred, but 90% out N/S rear jacking point in Then I pointed my attention at the N/S rear arch....
And as I needed to do some inner tub work, I pulled the arch off!! Bottom of the D pillar needs rebuilding!! Pulled the side tray out of the engine bay as it was bent beyond belief New side tray and modified battery tray (so it now has battery clamping) All welded in, just needs a tickle with the grinder, and it'll be done!! More tomorrow
looks great , but some things niggling me , last year para said he was taking it to mot or was getting it ready , i had pointed out that areas not welded ie inner wheel arch closing panel etc , and some areas looked weak , i nearly got eat for saying no wAY would it pass AN MOT HERE , looking at he amount of work that now needed done , i think i can say i was right , owen n w welding and panel work is ace owen n w
No offence Owen but I worked ( helped out on weekends )at a place that imported cars from NI back in the early 80's and they came over with some err ( ingenious repairs) TBH I am not surprised they tightened up the mot over there. There must have been some really dodgy motors being driven around - unless they kept the worst for the English market. I have to give it to the lads over there they were very imaginative in their repair techniques back in the day! In the last ten years vosa have tightened up on the southern trucks being driven over here, Mate they can bend a rule or two as well.
I was working on my van this last hour thinking of this post and it brought back some memory's. Lou and I were mortgaged up to the hilt and I was studying to further my career while working for the company that paid for my study. That company paid for my hgv licence as part of my job as I was in charge of transport. the first weekend after passing my test I did a foreigner for the company above fetching a lorry load of cars for them from Stranraer - I got £75 which was more than I earned all week in my full time job. I got 2 runs a month - The things you do to earn a crust eh.
no one was on about the state of cars on the road 30 plus years ago , cars back then where a joke to say the least , what was aloud through an mot and to what level s they went to , to do it , pop rivets on patches on the chassis ie floors etc , fibre glass , chassis patches etc , yes your right about vosa tightening up, but they are to every driver, out side and in side the uk . irish drivers are targeted all the time but the ones u quoted are from the republic and different from us in the north we come under gb same mot psv etc as main land in the republic its NCT , but the point i made was last year para was for mot ing the van i pointed out about the state of his inner wheel arch .Being cut out and not welded up ps and the ends of the inner sill closing panel not being welded up , LESS TAHN A YEAR LATER THIS IS NOW BEING DONE thats the point i made , owen nw
I just used that as a talking point tbh - every time I read you saying how tough mots are over there I think of those days.
mot s are very tough over here compared to uk drive in garages , here they are goverment test centres u can wait up 6 weeks to get an mot , very tough on cars some times depending on the tester ,they can be a little less agressive on a classic , if the tester him self is a classic car person , owenn w
May be a good thing over here in all honesty, I mean they have said some old classics don't need an mot now? I would imagine they need a stricter going over as they get older!
