Club 80-90 Forums

Hi all,

First post (of many no doubt) so hopefully won't get shot down in flames for buying an old piece of sh*t!

Bought my first van a few weekends ago and have started about getting it ready for some summer fun, not looking to get it concours before the sun comes out limited budget of course!) on a more regular basis (fingers crossed...) but just want to get a few bits done, including the usual insulating and trying to make water tight... I think I can take some on myself but am no welder/bodywork expert so these bits will need doing by someone local... poss repsray at the end of the year once it's all sorted.

Would appreciate a few pointers...

Here's some photo's... I've posted up the one's of stuff I think needs doing straight away, certainly before I insulate, board up, carpet and even start thinking about interior planning...

Any thoughts from those in the know would be great :0)

Here's how it looked when I picked it up, hopefully a good starter, rolling project, mechanically really good, purred all the way back from Guildford to Soton...





Inside - anyone know what conversion this is? Having stripped it I think it was a home mader! Seats you can see were a bargain off ebay and are just stored there, not planning on having rear view back seats!



Some shots around the outside...















Stripped!



And now for what I found...

Lamp out!



O/S... which is where most of the problems seem... (no pun intended)







O/S sliding window (inside, sorry about the angles!)





I'd just really like to know where to get started as far as getting it ok to insulate and sort out the inside so we can get away in it a load this summer...

Since stripping it out it's rained quite a bit and I haven't found any water inside...

Got loads more pics...

Thanks in advance.

Tony D

Hi, welcome.

Looking at your pics its pretty useless insulating yet. You need to get the windows fixed/ holes welded up as there is water getting in which is why you have the rust streaks on the inside. Insulation will only hold water against the panels.

Apart from that and some bubbly seams it looks ok.

Jim

conversion looks very similar to a holdsworth villa mk1 with a few alterations ie different work top

its rotten. end off but not ther end of the world, i can tell you what it needs to be made right but as you want to use it this summer qand have a limited budget then a tidy up to use would be your best bet and no point throwing money at a repaint if you dont repair the underlying cause correctly
os fridge panal/sill rear wing and front jp together with the inner support for nthe reqar jp/trailing arm pickup may also need work once the wing area is cut off,
front panal needs cutting out and replacing,the list goes on and on see here and look at before then cut open to get a rough idea,
https://club8090.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=110336" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
on the up side do the window surrounds and reglaze with new seals, bung the insides back in and use the van as is as its tidy enough, then decide on how much you feel like spending to make it right if thats your choice
mm

Just how handy are you with a grinder and welding set. Looks like you've got some nasty bits of rust there. Windows need to come out and surrounds welding , front valance needs doing that may also meen bumper cross piece will need welding . As said insulating now would be pretty pointless as it will all need to come out . Long road ahead but stick with it . Daz
Ps welcome to the club and go have a look at some of metalmickeys threads for idea of the work involved. He's the dogs doo dahs when it comes to restos.

interior units are holdsworth,id guess some one has bought the interior and put it in themselves,body looks fairly easy fix,

That could be able to debate
mm

Hi to Tony from us in N. Shropshire

That van looks in many ways very much like our white TinTop looked, just before we stripped it out and sent it to a place near Chester for a full resto. It is due back soon (after a promised 8 week job went on for 15 months = long story )

We had many many good times in ours before we decided it HAD to get get done, so as the others have said, get some "Vactan" rust killer (it's the best but others are OK too) plus maybe careful use of some filler and just tidy up all the rust as best you can, to slow down the problem. Then do a year of fun in it, then think about a "proper job". That's what I would do.

Cheers all for the advice and comments... I knew there was some work to come, but that's why I didn't spend £10k... where's the fun in that!?

So, in summary...

• Hold off on insualting etc
  Get windows sorted asap (surrounds and seals)
  Get fridge panel and sill sorted (hopefully only a small enough hole to sort easily, no need to cut out and replace, I don't think?)
  In the longer term look at - rear wing, front jp, inner support for the rear jp/trailing arm pickup and front panel (Not sure these will have too much effect on getting camping in it this summer so can wait... for now.)
  Paint it (one day!)

So on from that... I have no idea on this stuff...

• I know it all depends on how bad things are but what would I expect to pay for getting the windows sorted? Minor welding/filling, new rubber seals, removal etc etc? Oh, and where's the best place to get the parts if I find someone I know to do it for me?
  Fridge panel wise, can these be bought as replacement parts, I'm not actually planning on putting a fridge back in so all the vents that have been so elegantly cut out and screwed in are pointless, may be better to remove, sort the sill and just put a new panel in?

Tony

PS - def a Holdsworth interior with a bit of customising... I have the gigantic cool box/storage unit as proof! Also threw out the roof locker as it was a mess, kept the water tank (still full with orrible water and leaking when I bought it), hob with grill, fridge and sink units though... maybe there's a chance for some of it to go back in still!?

PPS - I'm useless with grinder/welding set Dazco but I do have a father in law that can wield both rather well...

ghost123uk wrote:Hi to Tony from us in N. Shropshire

That van looks in many ways very much like our white TinTop looked, just before we stripped it out and sent it to a place near Chester for a full resto. It is due back soon (after a promised 8 week job went on for 15 months = long story )

We had many many good times in ours before we decided it HAD to get get done, so as the others have said, get some "Vactan" rust killer (it's the best but others are OK too) plus maybe careful use of some filler and just tidy up all the rust as best you can, to slow down the problem. Then do a year of fun in it, then think about a "proper job". That's what I would do.

Thanks ghost! That's what I'm thinking... Get it useable so it's at least relatively dry and cosy inside, then look at doing more extensive work out of season (it's a good way of dry storing without paying ridiculous private garage costs I guess!)

I'd read about Dinitrol but you say Vactan is best? Probably not even the same thing knowing me!

Tony D

"PPS - I'm useless with grinder/welding set Dazco but I do have a father in law that can wield both rather well... "



Talk nicely to him then

Mine looked in very similar condition when it went in. I will be paying £3,500 but as Mike (mm) will attest, no two jobs like this are the same !

Dazco wrote:"PPS - I'm useless with grinder/welding set Dazco but I do have a father in law that can wield both rather well... "



Talk nicely to him then

He owes me, I take very good care of his favourite daughter!

You should be able to get the interior fitted and use the van this year, doesn't look like anything is in imminent danger of falling off. Make sure what you fit in will come out easily for when you start the work. For temporary insulation you can get pre bagged glass wool about 24" x 24" , that would make it easy to remove.

Dazco wrote:You should be able to get the interior fitted and use the van this year, doesn't look like anything is in imminent danger of falling off. Make sure what you fit in will come out easily for when you start the work. For temporary insulation you can get pre bagged glass wool about 24" x 24" , that would make it easy to remove.

I hope so, two kids wanting to head out in the van asap! I'm going with ply lining which should come out pretty easy in the areas required when I get to fixing them... I'm def doing the windows and fridge panel, had a few hours of very heavy rainfall last night, went to check the van at lunchtime, dry as a bone in the areas that were wet when I picked it up... I will have a think about the glass wool, have read a few threads on here about that so it was probably going to be part of the plan.

Cheers
Tony D