The San Fran Van

[fife t4 new]

Cheers Marcus. I think back to when I bought it. All I thought I had to do was kit out the back! haha more fool me. It's taken ages to get this far because I do get pissed off with it, and I'm learning as I go. I'm too far into it now emotionally and financially to give up. Plus, secretly I love working on it when I do pull the finger out. And I'll know it's all been done (cough) properly. I've been hitting it hard over the last couple of months worth of weekends, and the odd day I get an early finish and I'm starting to see progress. Which spurs me on. If it's mot worthy any time this year I'll be happy with that.

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[marcushamblin197]

I thought similar about mine, then you realise there's a lot before you kit out the back. The more you look the more you find. Mines a 2003 and its starting to go both rear inner wheel arches, floor below sliding door, fuel flap area and osr outer arch at front of rear wheel , and i know I'm going to find something behind rear bumper ,but I'm trying not to yet....there's a gas mig welder at work i can help myself to but not mig welded much, did a fair bit of oxy acetylene gas welding in the 90s.

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[S49]

I learnt oxy acetylene first, in fact when i weld with a mig i still do small circular motions with my right hand as if i had a welding rod in it.My City and Guilds tutor would be proud, Mig is much better for body repair.

[fife t4 new]

Si, I use a kinda 'c' motion when I weld because this was what I was taught at college to do lead welding. We used oxy acetylene for that.

Marcus, I've basically to go right around my van doing every panel you can buy. I've a long list still to do yet. Hopefully finish floor this weekend. Then on to inner/outer rear arch on osr

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[marcushamblin197]

I will have my wood floor up next week , see what surprises are lurking under there. Got the metal from when i cut out the windows to use on the arches .

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[fife t4 new]

We may have to move the van in the next week or 2 while working on big Kevs garage. I've never looked at the key since I parked it up. That was about a year and a half ago. The key sits on a shelf at Big Kevs door which is frequently open. A new 1 needed I think.


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[S49]

Gentle clean on a wire wheel and you'll be away.

[fife t4 new]

Gentle clean on a wire wheel and you'll be away.

Did you get out today Si? Still crap weather up here. No t4 time this weekend

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[Activ8]

Buy some food grade citric acid and drop it in a small plastic container with boiling water for 30 mins. Brush it with and old tooth brush then leave it for another hour. Repeat until your happy then wash off in clean water, dry it then leave it somewhere warm, quick spray with a silicon based furniture polish to protect it. Tip the now rusty solution down the kitchen sink. As a quantity guide, 50g of ctitic in boiling water will descale your kettle in a few hours.

[S49]

Did you get out today Si? Still crap weather up here. No t4 time this weekend

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I did mate, got the door step seal flange repaired, the last hole in the inner sill done and Mol rubbed down and Bilt Hambered the screen surround.

[fife t4 new]

After 2 shit weekends of weather this weekend the sun was splitting the sky's up here so I made the most of it. Got to the farm at about 10.30 am on Saturday. After a couple of doobies work commenced about 11. First jobby was to repair the chassis piece. then weld it in.
I spent the rest of Saturday cleaning and prepping the floor. And making a patch piece.
My mate Chopper has a t4 and just replaced his shocks. He offered me his old 1s for £30. I took them on my way home. They couldn't be any worse than mine. I kept my springs though. His look worse than mine.
I decided to leave any more floor patches for the now. Thinking my time could be better spent doing the rear quarter panel whilst the weather was good. So I set about cutting it out.

Stripped it out a long the seams. Next job was to drill the spot welds out the inner arch. This took ages. When I was doing that Dinky fitted my shocks for me.
I got the inner spot welded in nicely and cracked on with the outer panel
I got as far as tacking it in before time beat me. Got the sliding door temporarily on. Called it quits and started tidying up at around 9pm. Have to mention Michelle as she's been a wee trooper finger Sanding her wee heart out and painting on hydrate 80. The deal was if we worked late we'd get a takeaway . Quite happy with my busy weekend

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[marcushamblin197]

That looks good, was you nervous cutting the rear quarter? I done my inner rear arches. Here's a picture, welding definitely not the best, but hey ho.

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[marcushamblin197]

I just cut a rectangle, bent it halfway, cut a line two thirds down welded it and tapped and welded as i went.

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[fife t4 new]

Looks like a decent enough job. Ive still a couple of patches on my tubs to do. Similar to yours. N.a. I wasn't too worried about cutting it as I did the passenger side last year. It took me a lot longer. Far more indecisive that time. I could've had it all welded in today if it wasn't for sanding back and hydrate 80 the rusty bits. Waiting on it drying was soul destroying.

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[fife t4 new]

The rest of your floor looks pretty clean

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