Restoration costs..

If it's only £800 why even bother to get it roadworthy? I'd buy it and use it for storage - would last longer than many sheds of a similar price.

Or convert it into an open-sided sun canopy and sell it for a fortune to an "I saw you coming" southern type.

 

I like that idea. Could keep chickens in it.

 

Looks ok for £800 , it's probably in better nick than many shiny £8k busses, buy it

 

Yes I appreciate £800 isn't a lot for a bus, my aim was to get Rob to be realistic about how much it will cost to get this £800 bus into a useable condition.
Say it cost £3,000 for materials and paint alone alone (It will cost more than this, I guarantee it)
Then decide if it is better to just spend £3,800 on a different bus

Perhaps I should have just said " do it with you eyes wide open", rather than don't buy it
I bought a solid bus, used it for ages, before getting it restored with my eyes wide open to the real cost (I was emotionally attached to it)
I'll be celebrating 20 years ownership later this week

 

Yep, free range, air-cooled chickens. Could sell them eggs for a fortune to an "I saw you coming" southern type as well.

 

I guarantee you any bus for under £4k will need all the same work, £800 is scrap money, you'd get that back by breaking it,
Get stuck in, you might enjoy it

 

I very much doubt it!
However a far,far more comprehensive set of pictures taken in decent light are required for any of us to make informed judgements. I'm very surprised you (the OP) didn't take a good portfolio of pictures to put in your opening post in this thread. Also, with respect, choosing already what colour to paint it is somewhat jumping the gun!

 

My post was partially in jest, and the pictures are crap, but the point was you can see exactly what you're buying and £800 doesn't get you much. You can (and plenty of people do) buy a van for 8k that is in just as bad confition, but it's been hidden by filler and shiny paint. 90% of people are obsessed with shineyness and assume it means theyve bought a solid awesome bus. Then end up still spending many thousands on a restoration....

 

there speaks a man who bought a rotter

 

And mine wasn't even that shiney

 

I'd forget about paint for the time being: it's the least of your problems .

The biggest issue you're going to have IMHO is motivation. There is a lot of rot in that bus, including stuff you haven't found yet (it is there, believe me). At some point, you're going to get heartily sick of it, especially as you can't take it out for a run to get your spirits up.

Up to you!

 

Can't see from Pictures so can't comment on £800 value but my van was off road 25 years paid £1600 for it. This after looking at rust buckets with an MOT for £6-7k. I've spent £2k so far and hope to get her on road for another £2k and that's doing all work myself and cheap labour welder/brother
When it's done at least I'll know it's solid and safe not like some scary ones I looked at!
We travelled miles and miles to collect parts but have saved a fortune by travelling around, and consider it as nice days out lol.

Sent from my Moto G Play using Tapatalk

 

So is this an appropriate point to add in the most contentious point - what price do you put on your own time as labour?

How many people have factored that in, especially people that reckon they make money on every car/van they've owned?

 

according to his other thread on here, this van has sat on an allotment for 15 years. not in a barn unfortunately.

his other thread shows some pics taken in the dark but what we need is a decent set of daylight pictures.

 

My time working on my own bus is my time and my choice to be doing it. My time doing my job is what I get paid for to be able to choose what I do with the rest of my time!

 

I enjoy using it after I've enjoyed fixing it knowing I've done a good job

 

Rob re the paint, where are you getting your info? Is the standard thinners to wash out the gun? Do not use standard thinners in your high build primer it causes microblistering due to the water in there. All your painting equipment especially the gun must be ultra clean too. Are you sure about a mixing ratio of 1:1? 2k solids are usually 4:1 paint to hardener with 10-30% 2k thinners depending on which coat you are doing at the time (dust coat 10% - wet coat 20%-30%) & also the paint. Also re the laquer you are supposed to apply laquer within a certain length of time after the final coat or wet coat, however this is under the ideal conditions of a spray booth if you don't leave it long enough in cooler conditions, it has a tendency to drag the top coat. Re the spray gun there are different nozzles for various stages of paint ie high build primer needs a larger hole than a finishing gun. Hope this all helps - youtube may be of use too.

 

Do we have any knowledgable members close to him?
It's a bit far for me to pop for a quick look round?