I thought it might have been, it was a long time ago! They're getting about... Stock steel ones for the win.
These are what I have Yours appears to be different I think the pickup engine bay roof may be different to a bus @Bay Dreamer sorry for the thread hijack but would you mind taking some pics of the ones in your engine bay?
Yeah apologies for the thread hijack, I’ve taken a photo in the same orientation as your pic which makes it more obvious where the extra infill piece is for the missing spare wheel well. I’m pretty sure this is what you need.
Excuse the crudely drawn line but this is the bit missing from yours which accounts for the wheel tub coming through from above
I painted most of the places where I finished the welding but where I prepped it I left it ready to go. It sat in my garage without rust for years. I didn’t intend it to be outside under cover for so long. I also expected the cover to protect it a little more. 10 years ago everyone was raving about POR15 so I bought the expensive stuff and used it where I could. It is marketed as specifically for over rust, and is quite difficult over smooth clean metal, with the necessity of POR15 Metal Ready Liquid. I understand your point about POR15 though. I tried to use it only on clean metal and I will be lightly sand blasting the surfaces again before painting.
Ouch, the current value is now down to £1k and if I do the rest of the welding except the roof £2k? I appreciate the advice about moving forward in general but I wouldn’t sell it for £1k.
If the cab doors are rot free and haven’t been repaired then there worth a grand for the pair So the bus is worth more than that. I’d imagine you’d get £3-£4K for it It’s the rotten roof that would put most knowledgeable buyers off
The question now is, if you were offered 3k for it, would you sell? Best guessing the current market value does not really help. Its pie in the sky. Better to list it as it is on ebay with say 3k reserve and see what happens. You could dismantle it and sell the parts but that is a lot of effort and would take time and hassle. I do get the impression from your opening post that selling it is a strong option and maybe keeping and restoring it over the years, would be a daunting prospect for you, but an exciting project for someone else.
Hate to say it but anyone with a clue seriously intent on restoring a T2 and actually completing the job wouldn't look at this one. The parts have become far too expensive to restore this kind of van. IMO Who would plan to throw £10-15K at this? That's a DIY estimate too, parts and materials only, on the road completed panel van - camper. You need another dreamer to take it off your hands but now it's in pieces exposing particularly the inside of the roof*, the rose tinted glasses won't work on most. *I expect you removed the headlining and exposed that yourself?? - been there done that, it's a nasty surprise that can/should cause one to reconsider before beginning to throw money into the hole. Do you really want to invest 5 figures in what will be a cut n shut panel van? No, you can buy one that isn't for less, save the thousand hours of labour and use it from the day you buy it. Honestly matey, the sooner you take your losses on the chin and draw a line under it the better you'll feel. I really would not bother doing any more work unless you intend to finish it, it won't help the price IMO. In the same position I lost about £6k at a time when that £6k should have bought an A1 bus requiring no work at all. But then using that acquired knowledge and focussed by that heavy loss I bought an almost perfect van for £1500 - more than halving my loss if you look at it like that (I had to!). Loosing money is better the owing money in my world. Imagine if you borrow the money and buy a crap van, then borrow more to fix it, then owe so much you have to sell it and still be left with £k's of debt and no van.
Thanks, the doors aren’t rust free but I would imagine sortable. I do think that so much of the underside is good, especially when I see other major projects, but I know there is no getting away from the roof issues.
At £4K I would sell, but every pound under that makes me more reluctant. I would always intend to sell to fund an early bay Devon pop top, but the question now is whether it would be worth me doing anymore panels and welding or just selling as is. I will probably list on FB and then maybe eBay. I don’t really like the bidding aspect of eBay and would rather do a classified ad I think. I could break it but I think that would be such a shame considering how good the chassis is. I also don’t know what amount I could end up with if I broke it.
I get that roofs are difficult to repair and require body cuts from donor vans. However, when I see some other projects advertised, they need chassis rails, floors, and lots more. I know the cost of panels have gone up over the years, I remember when a genuine rear arch was £150. However, I don’t see the £10-15k DIY cost you are saying. I know it needs roof cuts, front panel, rear corners, battery tray, rear arches, rear valance, paint. I don’t see the £10-15k DIY cost in that though? I do get your point overall about stopping and drawing a line now and you really have got me thinking about that seriously from your post. I am surprised that it wouldn’t fetch anymore money if I finished off the lower panels. The whole van didn’t look too bad but the inner sills were patches on patches and the outer sliding door sill was chicken wire and paper with filler over. So much was hidden by filler and paint. I do appreciate your honest words and opinion and know that ultimately I have to let go and accept it.
