Another van.

Let us all know what you are up to with your current restoration project. Get that Minor on the road!
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midget
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Another van.

Post by midget »

Late start to this one, but it wasn't supposed to be a restoration at all!
As others have found when tackling a supposedly small piece of localised rust, it has turned into a full restoration which I frankly did not expect. Started a month ago when preparing it for first MoT under my ownership and knew there was a problem at the offside B post, and didn't take long to realise I had a much bigger problem.
A previous owner had used "torch on roofing " to cover the floor section in front of the seats, gutter bolts to attach cab side to patched floor, and rivets elsewhere, all covered of course with the obligatory black goo.
Have now stripped whole vehicle down and discovered chassis was also in need of major attention--so much so that I took the plunge and collected a new GB made chassis from ESM.
Have also assembled all the other panels together that I think I need and am busy preparing them all for priming with Zinc rich Electrox before glueing it all together. My welding skills :-? will not be used as having taken the decision to go this far,and taken advice from others whom I trust, I know that it is critical to align the cab to body flange that impact on the door fit etc, and need to get this as good as possible.
Therefore I am contracting the primary build stages to a well known(and personally trusted) LCV specialist to carry out. I will however be completing the rest myself including bringing forward the planned upgrade of 1275 Marina VAN engine mated to a Midget gearbox.
I will try and update regularly.[frame]Image[/frame]
Last edited by midget on Sat Oct 08, 2016 7:32 pm, edited 2 times in total.
John
midget
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Re: Another van.

Post by midget »

More pics.[frame]Image[/frame][frame]Image[/frame][frame]Image[/frame]
John
irmscher
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Re: Another van.

Post by irmscher »

Looks very good and looking forward to your restoration pictures
midget
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Re: Another van.

Post by midget »

]A little more done. Cleaned and painted chassis axle and rear suspension parts. Quite a bit of prep on the new chassis, not primed very well and no sealing of flanges. Hope to get the suspension fitted tomorrow making it easier to move about. Need metric fasteners in places that I haven't got so could delay things[frame]Image[/frame]
John
olderisbetter
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Re: Another van.

Post by olderisbetter »

Sorry to see a small repair has become a full restoration but at least then you know its all good, and we get to see a nice project buld.

midget
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Re: Another van.

Post by midget »

A little progress. Rear suspension fitted, rotten cab replaced, now off to welders for a couple of weeks--I hope.[frame]Image[/frame][frame]Image[/frame]
John
irmscher
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Re: Another van.

Post by irmscher »

Chassis looks great
midget
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Re: Another van.

Post by midget »

Good progress report and pics from welder who I speak to almost daily. (The pick up rear panel is for jigging only).Completion estimate is about 2 more weeks which is roughly what he originally thought. Only slight disappointment was him having to remove headlining as I have heard what a pain they can be to refit. Had to be done though, as roof edges/gutters needed welding. Better for painting though I guess.
Think that I have have bought all that I need to complete body/chassis build, but struggling to find a Midget box (1275) despite travelling around and discovering that they were not as advertised (1098). Any leads would be welcome
Got agreement with local paint shop mate to top coat when I have prepped and primed. Handy for me as he's less than a mile away---wish the welder was :wink: . Budget is on course so far but not any where close to the original hope of owning a nice van, due to buying the seemingly decent base for £5500 to start with--which was only £50 more than next bid on Ebay with a years MoT.
Live and learn

Image



Hope you can get pics--only way I could send!
Last edited by midget on Thu Nov 10, 2016 9:42 am, edited 1 time in total.
John
midget
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Re: Another van.

Post by midget »

More progress.


Image

Image

Image
John
BrianHawley
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Re: Another van.

Post by BrianHawley »

Looks like you are making good progress.

I notice you mention a Marina van engine. Was that different from the car engine, or you just happen to have one from a van? I've got a Marina A+ in my old girl and just wondering.
Brian

Image "Jodie". '67 Traveller, 1275, discs, suspension mods etc.
ManyMinors
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Re: Another van.

Post by ManyMinors »

That looks excellent progress. You'll have a very good van eventually. I've never been brave enough to cut a door pillar off! I wouldn't worry about the headlining. If it has been removed in good condition it should pop back in without trouble. I found the headlining much harder to remove then to refit!
Good luck with it all.
midget
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Re: Another van.

Post by midget »

Yes Brian, the Marina 1275 engine is from a van about '78. It was offered to me by a contact who broke a rotten one mainly for the axle, which is I believe much stronger than the saloon.He Rallies an ex works Marina and a TR7 V8.
I do have 2 other Ital 1275 "A plus" engines which I have, but would, I believe be wasted in a Van.My Van will not be speed machine! I do have "other uses" for these. I assume,but not certain, that the Marina Van engine will have the lower compression dished pistons as the 1098 ones.

Many Minors--Yes thats the plan. I too would be very wary of rebuild after major surgery to B posts, but welder assured me that as long as you have the (Ideally) pick up back panel to keep it in shape then it less of a headache. He has done this before with his own and 2 customer vans as well. I've seen 2 of them and they are super. As to the headlining, yes , we had trouble removing it when I delivered it to him(clips on front rail) and he agrees that they go back on more easily. Probably get a new one as there is already some primer on it.
John
BrianHawley
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Re: Another van.

Post by BrianHawley »

Never knew the Marina van 1275 was different.

I wonder what I have. I'll have to check the engine number with one of the gurus.
Brian

Image "Jodie". '67 Traveller, 1275, discs, suspension mods etc.
midget
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Re: Another van.

Post by midget »

This week the nearside begins.
Image

Image


Image


Image
John
les
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Re: Another van.

Post by les »

Wow, I dream of workshop space that you have! I had to rebuild mine squeezing between the van and brick walls. It explains why it took years and why another ain't going to happen any time soon !! Good luck, it's coming on well :D

midget
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Re: Another van.

Post by midget »

les wrote:Wow, I dream of workshop space that you have! I had to rebuild mine squeezing between the van and brick walls. It explains why it took years and why another ain't going to happen any time soon !! Good luck, it's coming on well :D

Thanks Les. Wish it was my shop but (having checked with his permission) it is the great J H Evans Shrewsbury who is constructing the cab due to my poor welding appearance. I do have a reasonable self built workshop which I built myself to house a large motorhome in the past. you can see it pics in the above posts. The only thing I can criticise of him is he's 130 mile away with a cr*p route from here!
My input is every thing else, but may have the final top coat applied by a local body shop.
John
les
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Re: Another van.

Post by les »

Oh I see, well it looks like he knows what he's doing and has all the gear, which is the main thing. Yes pity it being over 100 miles away, that's some distance to travel, looks worth it though. Hope you find as good a paint shop. Will you go original colour or do your own thing?

midget
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Re: Another van.

Post by midget »

Yes, Old English White Les--well that was what it was supposed to be, but must have been painted at different times 'cos body was much different shade of white to the rest. I am told that there was two different OEWs, one from MG and one from Morris, but cannot confirm this.I live and always have lived 9 miles from Abingdon factory and 14 miles from Cowley with long family connections there.
I believe that it had some GPO history, but nothing left to verify this, as it had an earlier restoration in '09 ish.
Was always in your area actually south east region.
Dont worry 'bought paint shop job, I went to school with owner :wink

Image

Think this shows the differing shades. BTW this was only back in February of this year!
John
midget
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Re: Another van.

Post by midget »

Yesterdays efforts.

Image
Image
Image
John
olderisbetter
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Re: Another van.

Post by olderisbetter »

Cracking effort your putting into it, a decent work space makes all the difference to a project, i just need one i can get a bedroom and a bathroom in.

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