GPO Van Re made.

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MattsGPOvan
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GPO Van Re made.

Post by MattsGPOvan »

Hi to all, after many years of owning this rare 1969 GPO Red postal engineering van l,m slowly putting the body work back together and will need all the Motivation by you to keep me going.

The van will be a OEM concourse finish which is a very huge challenge for a van which was found in a garden sitting on grass.

Please follow this build it will mean a lot to me.

Many thanks Matt.
Last edited by MattsGPOvan on Mon May 18, 2020 11:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.
MattsGPOvan
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Re: GPO Van Re made.

Post by MattsGPOvan »

Here are a few pics of panels being re made like the rear load floor for a GPO spec van with the letter (E) stamp die .and new cab to rear body panel re made with OEM bead pressing.

Image Image Image Image
jagnut66
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Re: GPO Van Re made.

Post by jagnut66 »

Hi Matt,
Good luck with this.
My dad was a GPO telephone engineer, from when he was demobbed, after fighting the Japs in the far east, to when he passed away in 1986 (at that point a retained pensioner on BT, as it was by then -- remember jobs for life).
So he would have driven a green GPO engineers van in the Reading area originally. I expect he drove them in yellow for a while too, although he finished up a Senior Technician in the Friar Street offices in Reading.
I remember tales of parking up the green vans of an afternoon to go and watch the cricket..... :D
Those were the days..........
Probably why they changed the colour scheme...... :wink:
I look forward to your restoration updates and pictures.
Best wishes,
Mike.
1954 Series 2: 4 door: "Sally" -- Back on the ground with (slave) wheels and waiting to be resprayed......
1970 Triumph Herald 1200: "Hetty" -- Driven back from Llangollen in Wales (twice.....)
MattsGPOvan
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Re: GPO Van Re made.

Post by MattsGPOvan »

Thank you Mike, my Grandad Dennis Cheese.... yes Cheese 🤣 was a gunner on the flying boats then worked for the GPO for 30 years finally becoming a workshop Foreman in Tunbridge Wells he was 96 before has innings were out ... born 1921...👍

Now you know why the famous John Cleese changed his name.😉
MattsGPOvan
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Re: GPO Van Re made.

Post by MattsGPOvan »

Today’s Pics of completed panel note all the Full Bead pressing... now we need to do a dry build of the whole floor including the GPO wooden floor broads.

Image Image Image
jagnut66
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Re: GPO Van Re made.

Post by jagnut66 »

Looks good but is there any chance of larger pictures?
Best wishes,
Mike.
1954 Series 2: 4 door: "Sally" -- Back on the ground with (slave) wheels and waiting to be resprayed......
1970 Triumph Herald 1200: "Hetty" -- Driven back from Llangollen in Wales (twice.....)
MattsGPOvan
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Re: GPO Van Re made.

Post by MattsGPOvan »

Hi Mike, try clicking on the pictures it should work,

This morning’s pictures are they original load floor with GPO fixtures....😉

Image Image
Image


Can you see where the cage and pruning guard was .

I think I will reuse these original parts... it’s all part of the history.😉
dp
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Re: GPO Van Re made.

Post by dp »

MattsGPOVan: do you do this for a living looks professional quality?

Jagnut, what is the difference between a retained pensioner and a pensioner? Did the GPO make them turn up every so often to do something? A few of my friends put up with a lot at BT because they were on the final salary pension but were then pushed off to defined benefit anyway. Seems like they were coerced away from something that should have been their right contractually.
Image
MattsGPOvan
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Re: GPO Van Re made.

Post by MattsGPOvan »

Hi Dp, l,m 49 tomorrow and yes have been in the car trade since 88 for my sins ...

We now have a Highend panels fabrication / restoration Company which we started on the 6/1/20 so not a great year to start a new business but we are fully booked to the end of the year.... and have been lucky to have a Ferrari 275 GTS rhd which was valued at 2.5 million... The insurance alone for the month was £850 So stressful times..... would rather restore a Morris Van 🤣🤣🤣.

As for politics I leave that alone.... there is already too much in his trade.

Cheers Matt.
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Re: GPO Van Re made.

Post by MattsGPOvan »

49 today..So what better time than to do my Morris Van .... dry fitting first ... crosschecking... then spot welding ( Note as the Gents in factory did it !!!! , I could’ve used the compass to space them out but that would not be right.

Just like Fred and Bill,s on the Production Line.


Image Image Image Image Image Image
Last edited by MattsGPOvan on Fri May 22, 2020 10:40 pm, edited 3 times in total.
les
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Re: GPO Van Re made.

Post by les »

Happy Birthday Matt. I see where you’re coming from, even copying the factory shortcoming for originality, but you wouldn’t get a robot doing that !

MattsGPOvan
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Re: GPO Van Re made.

Post by MattsGPOvan »

Thank you Les, one year older , but one year closer for my old Van.

On here now, the LCV Forum is now to messy now that they have changed the format... shame.

You have been a Rock to so many BMC fans..... you should get a knighthood... Sir Les sounds quite good😉.

On the subject a spotwelds... we live in a world that we are trying to make to perfect...

Life is not perfect.... not even close.

The Ferrari I did last month the spotwelds were spaced with a compass for the client... but classic Ferrari bodywork is quite poor ...
les
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Re: GPO Van Re made.

Post by les »

I keep in touch with the lcv forum, although it’s quiet some times.
You’ll find more informed folk here than myself Matt :D
I don’t know how much more resto work I’ll do now, not that I’ve done many, Van, pickup. I might be temped by a series 3 lambretta though ! Reliving the past. Sad isn’t it.

MattsGPOvan
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Re: GPO Van Re made.

Post by MattsGPOvan »

Hi Les, as my Top go to Morris Van fan ... how does my restored C. post fit to the rear panel.

Does it sit on top and was then gas welded?

Or do you cut out a piece of the rear panel so that the C. Post sits maybe 2/3” below the Top of the rear panel. ????

As you know Les my van was in VERY poor state and with bloody lockdown I can see any more vans , hope you or somebody can help me.

Cheers Matt.Heathfield.

Ps . Kevin is pop down to see our new Workshop.👍

Image Image
les
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Re: GPO Van Re made.

Post by les »

It actually drops through the rear panel Matt, I believe there is a gap for this to happen. I’m sorry not to be able to elaborate, it was a while back and that particular sequence was one of many issues! I have attached a picture of a new side panel with the piece at the rear that drops through. The flap at the end is spot welded to the panel once in place. In fact, I think it has to be welded before the outer rear panel is fitted.
EBA7709C-E5B1-4885-AC26-435716D7CC6E.jpeg
EBA7709C-E5B1-4885-AC26-435716D7CC6E.jpeg (68.87 KiB) Viewed 2315 times

MattsGPOvan
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Re: GPO Van Re made.

Post by MattsGPOvan »

Arrrr..😉 That flap .... when l restored the C.post l made it a lot longer than it was needed.... But what I didn’t do was add this flap .
So l will do this and shorten the Post a wee bit.

So that flap Spot welds to the inner rear panel for extra strength for the quarter panel.

Thank you Les.... spot on .

Pop down to are new workshop for a play on are Ranalah wheeling machine.
Last edited by MattsGPOvan on Tue May 26, 2020 10:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.
les
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Re: GPO Van Re made.

Post by les »

That sounds like a plan!

MattsGPOvan
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Re: GPO Van Re made.

Post by MattsGPOvan »

Also Les is the flap part of the C.post ?.

Or part of the outer skin of lamp panel area?.

Because it looks like it’s part of the lamp panel.?

I can appreciate it very difficult to explain.
les
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Re: GPO Van Re made.

Post by les »

C8C66B87-731D-4333-922F-042C4DB9AFA4.jpeg
C8C66B87-731D-4333-922F-042C4DB9AFA4.jpeg (21.19 KiB) Viewed 2288 times
It’s part of the side panel, or lamp panel area, the bottom of the c panel rests on the floor.

jagnut66
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Re: GPO Van Re made.

Post by jagnut66 »

Jagnut, what is the difference between a retained pensioner and a pensioner?
My Dad was employed by them from about 1949 (not sure exactly which year he left the army) through to 1986, at which point he was able to retire and take his pension (from January that year). As far as I understood it at the time, he chose not to and to remain in his position (probably because he'd only lost my Mum a couple of years before and it kept him busy), which they were happy to have him do, valuing his years of experience (something you don't see these days).
A pensioner is someone who has left work and is enjoying the fruits of his years of toil........
At least that's what they used to do when pensions were worth something.........
Best wishes,
Mike.
1954 Series 2: 4 door: "Sally" -- Back on the ground with (slave) wheels and waiting to be resprayed......
1970 Triumph Herald 1200: "Hetty" -- Driven back from Llangollen in Wales (twice.....)
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