Viking Restoration, Blood, Sweat, Tears, Tragik

Done some more today,

Rust soup,


After cleaning it up with a wire brush, the rust has gone, but theres a fair bit of pitting.




These 2 I cleaned up with a wire brush on a grinder as they werent too bad and the paint was holding on quite well.


Primed with aerosol etch, and wanted to see what it'll look like,


Little bit of work to do tidying up the welds and couple of small repairs needed to the mounting points around the spark plugs.


Just the main fan housing tin to go, then I'll get them all painted, and put it all back together with new stainless screws and gaskets.

 

Looking good dude i cant wait to see them painted

 

nice work on that tinware buddy

 

Fantastic resto fella, comming together real nice. That grinder lip incident looks nasty,

 

Good work!

I'm loving the MGF Seats, I think these are now on my list to buy....do they fit ok and is the driving position ok?

 

K+ for using the electro rust removal

the tin ware is comming up well, I've got to do mine soon and its a bit crusty

keep up the good work - its no fun in this weather!!!!!

 

All painted, but no photos, I'll do a proper update on Sunday night.

Cheers Dog, its tedious work, but someone had previously handbrushed them with Dulux gloss

The seats seem to fit well, I've removed a coupled of the original mount brackets, so now have just the runners sitting flat on the wheel tubs, so will bolt through as normal. Driving position seems good as they're not as high as say Saab seats, so good for shortarses like myself.

Cheers Dale, the electrolysis worked well and was probably the best option for the somewhat delicate tinware, as blasting would have probably blasted it to bits!

Anyone pushing on with restos or working on their vans at the moment gets my respect, as the recent sub 5 degree temps make most of the jobs postponable - but as theres no overnight elves around the workshop, its a case of knuckling down to try and get it on the road for this season

 

As we've lost a week with the forum in meltdown, I've got a few things to add and update on, but this will wait until Sunday night as I havent got too many photos at the moment. but I wanted to add this separately as I think it might be of interest to some people.

I'd been looking at the options for mounting the spare wheel underneath, but quickly came to the conclusion the only way this would be possible is by using a narrow spacesaver wheel from something else, having looked at lots of options and sizes I've gone with an 18" spacesaver from a mk5 golf with a 125/70/18 tyre its 3.5J (width) so low profile enough to mount under the van beneath the chassis rails uptowards the crossmember under the cargo floor. Rolling radius of the wheel is 3% smaller than the standard 185/14 tyre so just about within the limits of useability, and as the spare will only be used to get me out the Marmite, I dont see it as a problem, I'd rather use a can of foam if possible.

The centre bore of the golf rim is 57mm with the T2 needing to be 66.6mm. I was going to get it machined out... but the plasma cutter was begging me to use it, so basically the spigot/centre bore of the wheel needed removing, and with it being easy to run a plasma cutter around the central ring of the wheel, I went for this approach and then used a belt sander to tidy up and sharp bits. The wheel holes fit over the wheel studs fine despite what I'd researched, but think I'll get some tapered nuts to use with the spare as the bay uses radiused wheel nuts.

Just need to make or modify a wheel cradle now, along the lines of those used on 106's/saxo's or zafira's.

Removed the protruding bit in the middle.


No during shots, but it fits


Just about fits inbetween the chassis rails.


Looks like it will be fine for ground clearance.


Back on it tomorrow, to be continued.....

 

Interesting. I didn't even know you could get larger diameter space savers. I've only ever seen 16" ones.
How much ground clearance does that give? It looks like a speed hump could be a problem.

 

I see you've using the electrolysis for rust removal. I've got to say my son and I tried the molasses and water bath, (for rust removal) and it works great. Just like your method but no hard chemicals. Should try it, 9 water to one molasses. Believe it or not!!

 

Not sure on the clearance issues, but it looks to be no lower than some of the underside water tanks I've seen fitted.

Seen the videos for that on youtube, but think it takes alot longer, either way they're bot good non abrasive processes.

 

Youll be fine with clearance with that space saver dude as my heater and a westy gas tank sit lower

I understand its just a get you off the hard shoulder option but i wouldent like to do many miles home on that

 

Can I be the voice of doubt and point out that it won't be much fun accessing it when you have a flat tyre and it's piddling down.

 

It literally is, and as should only be a get me to the next garage tyre

I know its always the way when you get a flat, but I should be able to make a quick release cradle, or if I'm wearing my Sunday best I could phone the RAC

 

Cant beat chucking logic at a dub owner lmao

If we all thought like that we wouldent own old knackerd expensive to run vehicles

I took the easy but uncool option of having the carriers to carry two spare wheels on the rear of the bus

That spacesaver underneath may not be the most easiest option when you have a flat but it could be the £100 to £250 difference of being towed of the hard shoulder

Mud,sweat and tears i can manage money is somthing scrace about the place

 

Did some more tedious work on the van this weekend, sandblasting A lonely, dirty and all round horrible job, especially when you are sitting within the 'cabinet' under a van.

The chassis rails under the cargo floor needed blasting as there was lots of old dry underseal, rust and flaky red oxide primer all caught up in the hard to reach areas of the crossbeams and floor supports, although most of it has been replaced, I wanted to do a proper job of prepping for the epoxy primer and stonechip that's going on.

So looking enthusiastic and ready for action.



I'd made a nice claustrophobic booth under the van to contain the mess and recover the media to reuse.





Attacked what I could with a wire wheel on a grinder, but there's soo much under there which is impossible or too fiddly to get to.



Taking a breather, & looking hacked off, and somewhat alot fatter then normal.



Finished and topped in aerosol etch,





And this is going back together nicely,



So all in all fairly productive, but I've got no desire to have another go at sandblasting! getting sand in your eyes, ears, nose, between your toes etc is rubbish!

 

Looking great dude
Blasting isnt the most pleasent of jobs but your bus will be a hell of a lot better because you have done it

 

Thanks for the comments guys,

Alot of time spent under the van at the weekend, with what appears to most to be no progress! so heres some samey looking photos!

Got the underside primed with Jotun epoxy primer, well all except the front cab area, as this is still to be blasted/prepped etc and the front beam needs to be removed and the van had to be out of the workshop by Monday morning, so doing it in realistic stages.



Spent alot of time cleaning up and treating the chassis behind and around the rear suspension/beam, as its a pig to get and required the suspension arms to come off so they got tidied up and painted aswell, just painted in hammerite - will see how long it lasts though!



This side will hopefully happen next week,



Finished the small bits in the engine bay, and washed sealer into the joins, now this is ready for paint.





Keyed up the primer with red scotch and then finally sprayed the underseal/stone guard on, used Upol gravitex and so far used 3.5 litres rearwards of the front wheels, so 6 litres will be enough for the whole underside.







Think this was a halfway through shot, as the battery tray/rear corner got the stoneguard aswell!


Then had to quickly get the bus back on its wheels and out the door, but wanted to compare the colour chip Paul Weeding sent me of 'proper' Sea blue, as The colour I'd had mixed shown on the right was wrong, and my guesswork mix as seen on the left on the bus was too light, so will be able to get the paint ordered soon.



Feel like I'm getting somewhere with it now, and hopefully the underside will be finished by the end of the month, and then aim for paint by April??