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Time to tidy my van.

Posted: 09 Mar 2014, 20:19
by Woodyyellow
So, with spring well and truly with us at long last, it's time to work on my van. I thought I would share with you the work being done, we all like pictures and reports of projects!
I have had my van, 'primrose' for 18 months now, last year used as a day van on many trips, just to get to know her. Some body seams need sorting, rear windows have rust at the bottoms, heater blower does not work and the paintwork needs  sorting - roller paint DVD ordered.

So this is how she spent the wet winter,
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and yes I know many say not to cover but I was unhappy about the condition of the paint work and know there are possible leaks around some of the windows. I have checked the interior on a regular basis and started the engine almost every week, just to keep things sweet.
So first job, to remove the bumper irons, why you might ask, I am doing a swop for a tow bar! Fellow owner in Devon wants to swop for bumper irons, fair deal I think. So all cleaned up ready to go
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Now to turn my attention to the real work. Over the last year I have made a list of things to do. First job, heater blower motor. So dash out job, plenty of good advice on the wiki that I have read many times.

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So a short time later this is what I have

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Trying to split the case I situ was impossible so I removed it

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This now gave me the opportunity to clean the behind dash area and check for rust, very pleased with what I found. No rust around the lower windscreen, just good solid metal and paint. Am I lucky or what?

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Well, think I spoke too soon, passenger foot step rusted out!

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Drivers side is similar so first repair panels to be ordered!
I eventually managed to split the heater box and yes the motor is seized solid so that's on the order.
With the fine weather forecast to last the week I hope to do more! Whilst I wait for the heater motor on order I can turn my attention to the other bodywork required.

Re: Time to tidy my van.

Posted: 10 Mar 2014, 20:26
by Woodyyellow
So, I managed a few hours on the van today. Firstly to examine the drivers foot step and as I thought will need replacing. Mr VW did get his design wrong here by having the holes for the rubber step mat. When I've replaced there will be no holes!
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Back to the passengers side and found on the top of the wheel arch an area of rust. Not reaching the seat belt mount so no real problem.
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Now for the windows, not something I was looking forward to but really not too bad. First the sliding door window, a small amount to rust could be seen and then with it out this became visible.

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Rear window behind the sliding door a bit worse, need a bit of work here!

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Now round to the window behind the driver, pleasantly surprised, yes work to do but not as much as I was thinking.

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So all in all not bad at all! Some 1.0 mm steel to cut and fit, a bid of a fiddle in places I expect but hay ho!  I plan to prep all the areas needing work, treat with Vatcan, cut patches to fit, then do all the welding at once.
:D

Re: Time to tidy my van.

Posted: 13 Mar 2014, 20:12
by Woodyyellow
So after two days off, time to work again. First remove door cards ready for recovering. One of the previous owners had glued fabric onto the original surface to resurface them. This had torn and stained so was removed, leaving a glue deposit impossible to remove. I will make new cards covering them with padded vinyl.

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For a long time I have been aware of a rust line around the high top joint and have now noticed the top parting from the roof! 

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Should I just clean, push glue in then repaint? No, metalmick8y would not approve! So I tentatively tap a softwood wedge into the gap and find that the glue parts quite easily! 

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So many wedges later I find the the top becomes separated all round.

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I  have to remove the lining, carpet wrapped plywood but then the top is ready for lift off! With my wife and two daughters helping the top is lowered to the ground. This has only taken just three hours, I'm quite amazed.

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I rather like the low roof line that I now temporally have, should I keep it like this, go for a pop top or put the high top back on after sorting the rust line? I am so glad I decided to remove the top, the rust area due to condensation over the life of the van is all the way round but fortunately only has gone through in 4 small places!
So, what's next?

Re: Time to tidy my van.

Posted: 13 Mar 2014, 21:52
by Dazco
Looking forward to seeing the rest :ok

Re: Time to tidy my van.

Posted: 14 Mar 2014, 13:00
by b-f-c
Looks like you caught the roof in time. Looking forward to seeing more :D

Re: Time to tidy my van.

Posted: 17 Mar 2014, 20:49
by spongebob1
Looks like we've both got a project to keep us busy theese cold spring days,you keeping the original colour or are you going radical.lol :D

Re: Time to tidy my van.

Posted: 17 Mar 2014, 21:16
by Woodyyellow
Thanks for the comments guys. Not sure about the final colour, am thinking possibly going for the VW Bamboo Yellow, a richer deeper yellow but we will see, keep watching!
Not much time spent lately, domestic chores SWMBO!
However started to cut new door cards, padded vinyl ordered, rear bumper rubbed down and a coat of Hamerite Smooth black applied.
Also managed to look at the roof high top join; drivers side A pillar top corner

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:(
And looking along drivers side towards the rear
:(
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Amazingly this cleans up quite well, does not seem too thin so should be OK!

More to follow!

Note to others with high tops: if you see any sign of a rust line between roof and top beware!

Re: Time to tidy my van.

Posted: 17 Mar 2014, 22:17
by spongebob1
where did you order the padded vinyl from very interested in that !!! :wink:

Re: Time to tidy my van.

Posted: 17 Mar 2014, 22:40
by Woodyyellow
A company called "Fantastic Fabrics"
 www.chcross.co.uk/index.php?route=produ ... duct_id=62
£9 a metre plus postage.
I asked for a sample first, very pleased with quality.

Re: Time to tidy my van.

Posted: 18 Mar 2014, 07:10
by CovKid
By the way, I didn't have a towbar on mine but someone gave me the towbar plate, socket and ball from a previous car they'd owned (Hackney taxi). I'd had it for ages and was faffing about trying to decide how it could be fitted when a neighbour (who welds up steel structures in factories for living), happened to come out.

He took one look, laughed, reappeared with his mig welder and before I knew it, he'd cut and welded some heavy guage tube (scaffold possibly) between the inner faces of those two brackets, from one side of the van to the other, then using equally heavy rectangular box section, he mounted the ball and plate to that from underneath. He was very careful to get the ball height exactly right. Took him 30 mins at most and nothing was left unwelded. I ought to photograph it sometime but man is it strong - and uses the original bumper mounts and bolts below whilst still allowing the bumper to bolt on:

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Re: Time to tidy my van.

Posted: 18 Mar 2014, 13:32
by Plasticman
hehe,exactly what i did on my last van, dead simple too
mm

Re: Time to tidy my van.

Posted: 26 Mar 2014, 22:42
by Woodyyellow
This is how the gutter looked, above the drivers door
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I was worried when I saw this thinking the roof was completely shot! However when cleaned up with an abrasive disc it didn't look too bad.
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By the way, does anybody know what the row of holes could have been used for? Some still have the remains of a pop rivet in them but they are all around the roof, could the van have had a pop top on at some time?
Final stage was to give a coat of Vatcan to all exposed cleaned steel
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Re: Time to tidy my van.

Posted: 27 Mar 2014, 18:47
by Woodyyellow
Well, thanks to "andy e" and "aj5string" I now have a chin spoiler and tow bar to fit during the current work.

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Today, between snow and hail I managed to strip the front of the van. Again very pleased with what I didn't find!

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:D

Re: Time to tidy my van.

Posted: 02 Apr 2014, 17:11
by Woodyyellow
What have I done! .......... So looking at the welding needing doing around the windows and saw that the lining carpet was very close to where I would be working. Initially thought about shielding carpet with heatproof mat but then noticed that the lining had badly faded around the windows and could really do with replacing. I could either add it to the list of jobs to do this year or leave it till next year! The thought of stripping the van all over again next year was a no starter! So given myself more work to do this year, but hey better to do it correctly than bodge it!
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Need to add lining carpet to the shopping list - should I think of remaking the furniture to complete the interior or put the old back? Decisions, decisions!

Re: Time to tidy my van.

Posted: 11 Apr 2014, 16:28
by Woodyyellow
So, I have now stripped out as much as I can from the inside and I have removed the last of the high top bed base from the roof. Cleaned up all the gutters, removed the last of the high top glue and made good ready for the top to be replaced.
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Had a look at the fibre glass high top to remove the remains of the glue. The glue looks very much like a bathroom silicon but it can't be, can it! I turrned the top over to make it easier to work on the inside.
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Quite amazed at how little there was in places holding it on! I think I shall use a silicon  dissolving product to finally clean the surface, though a Stanley knife has done a good job.
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The blocks of wood were the places where the internal lining boards were fastened. I intend to fully insulate the top behind the trim.

Had a look at the n/s rear wheel arch, where a small repair was done many moons ago (not by me!).
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Looks like a scrape down the side of the van resulted in damage to the arch edge that then rusted. It had been filled and painted over. I intend to cut it out and fit a patch. Does anyone have this part of the wheel arch left over from their own work that I could buy. I hope to cut out just these two small holes and weld in for repair.