2 hospital jobs where the owners had been well and truly shafted previously and my own long term project. All need to be complete in a couple of months time. First up, a blue one with a concertina type roof, except the roof just covers the hole - no canvas or springs etc. This grew from a panel or 2 to a complete resto when the previously ripped owner could see it was going ok. Then both rear window surrounds, a new rear hatch, lots of bare metalling the layers of god knows what on the white bits... Painty paint and nearly finished reassembly.
The floor was a brush painted bonus. Someone had fitted it but only painted the welds inside the van. As it's a repro the other paint is transit only. The rubber underlay probably didn't help. Edit to add : That made it sound like I just slapped paint on, but actually I sanded, ate the rust with acid, primed and painted with curing yacht paint.
Next is a Devon Moonraker. I did a thread on this one ages ago. Poor welding for grown up money. This first pic might look like filler, but that's the rear of a new rear arch panel and a new rear corner. There is no filler, just a dusting of primer. Lord knows what happened! Warped panels anyone? It's best if the panels touch... Hmm.... I'd always advise keeping neat folded corners and welding out of the way somewhere else. Obviously he was undecided how to sort this so didn't! And bits that had been ignored. The welding was finished apparently. And all the windscreen surrounds etc. I seem to be short of pictures. [Edited to add: 40 of your English pounds per hour were charged for that pitiful work.]
Anyway I left in in the corner and the pixies must have mended it. While I put the one above together, my mate Paul is painting it for me.
Then in Third place is mine, but I need to get these others done and dusted first. He was a bit rustier than he looks here. He had belly pans so all sills outriggers were replaced, and all the arches, the deformation panel etc etc. ALL the normal stuff - 6 weeks 6 days a week solid welding.
Very nice work .I thought you were turning away from body work stuff tho ? It really is nice to see jobs done proper like
I am (supposed to be) but to be fair I do quite enjoy it. I'm a soft touch is why I'm doing these two, I don't like to see people ripped off and I like a happy ending. It's not all about money.
I love the way a couple of snap shots make it look so easy when in reality it's hours and hours of graft! I've really enjoyed doing the metal work on mine and have successfully tackled most of the usual jobs, I wouldn't want to do it all again though and my hat comes off to anybody who does it day in day out.
I'll be sick of it again by the time these three are done, but I'm having a break then to build a bigger engine.
I should have said it's not always about money. Sometimes it's about nothing else. One has bills to pay.
does one... after 12 years you become less sentimental especially when you repair it on the cheap and then see it on e bay a week after...
twice and another kept it 1 month ,but I still accommodate people on the free campsite, so feel like I spread the love without getting metal in my eyes...
The blue one has gone and number 2, the moonraker has colour though under the strip lights you wouldn't know it on the pics although in the flesh it's blindingly flourescent. So I opened the door to let some natural light in.