Club 80-90 Forums

Hello guys, I'm a new member and need some help!
I have a 1988 t25 autosleeper... with rust.
She has holes behind the fuel filler and in front of the passenger side rear wheel arch. There is also bubbling along the seams of the rear body panels and underneath the drivers side rear window.

I'm really struggling to find anyone who will take it on and one place advised to either sell it or learn to weld!

I want to keep the van so my questions are: 1. does anyone know a good place to get this work done in cumbria? 2. Is it a good idea to practice welding and have a go? 3. If I have a go am I better to replace full panels or patch up the existing ones?

Im happy doing the mechanical jobs but have never welded bodywork, I have the use of a mig welder, clamps etc. It seems that people who weld say don't do it and everyone else says have a go so I don't know which way to go!

Cheers!

No info on welders, but if you have the place and time, then it can be done DIY for sure. El cheapo MIG welders you can buy nowasays with CO2 gas just work fine. A grinder with few different disks, oscillating tool, metal shears, hammer and dolly, proper welding mask and gloves and some practicing all you need.
However the success rate of the whole project depends on the existing amount of rust. Just like deciding the panel vs patch. Like if you have deeply rusted structural parts, then you will need full panels.
If you post a few photos of the van, then we might figure out

Have a look at some threads in the major repairs and restoration section. I’d bet anything that you have much more rust than you are aware of.

I’ve an 88 (Rustoration thread) and it’s well beyond any sensible repair, but I’m not sensible.

Doing it yourself isn’t hard, it’s slow, and I think it really helps a lot to have it under cover, then there’s no pressure to make it waterproof every time you do a bit. It’s just a case of being methodical, planning ahead, learning from mistakes and resisting listening to all friends and family who think you’re on a fools errand.

You will be on a fool’s errand, but have you ever met an unhappy fool?

Roger speaks wise words haha.
Yeah if youre luck enough to have a workshop or have a garage thats nice dry pop it in there and just crack on. Plenty of videos out there, welding isnt scary with modern mig welders.
Your main issue will be welding onto old metal, you might find yourself making more holes with the welder than filling holes to begin with! Once you have figured out the settings then you should be good. Just practice on bits of metal first rather than going onto the van. Youll get a feel for it, plenty of very helpful youtube videos on welding.

If yours is a petrol van.. personally when welding around the filler neck, Id remove the tank and get it well out the way before going anywhere near it.

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Thanks chaps, I'll add some pics when ive figured out how to attach them!
ive had  good prod with a screwdriver and have got to the stage where i cant get through, I'll hit it with a grinder and find out more.
I don't have a workshop tall enough to fit it in but live next door to a friendly farmer so I'm off to ask him if he has some room in a shed that I can use.
Re welding round the fuel filler I'm going to remove the tank to replace the fuel sender and fuel hoses so the plan is to do it while it's out...

Not tall enough? Got a hightop?

If so it’ll probably look something like mine underneath. Rotten as all get out.

Brilliant thanks!! Did this work? These are the worst bits

Send some more photos of all round the van, concentrating on the seams, and the sills, the lower part of the "fridge" panel (drivers side centre panel above the sill), and if you can get under a pic of the outer rear trailing arm mounts where they join the cross member and sill.

What you have shown so far is typical. Don't use the rear jacking points at all, instead jack under the rear cross member 6 inches inboard of the rear jacking points. You have lost some structure internally above the jp. I wouldn't use the front jp either, again jack inboard of them.

The rust round the fuel filler is quite possibly extending into the forward facing part of the B pillar. Just done mine.

And be careful about hitting it with a grinder, don't cut without working out how you are going to replace with good metal.

Thanks again guys! Here are some of the seams. Under the fridge looks like is going too. I replaced the rear drivers side jp a couple of years ago. I'll jack the van up later today and try to get some useful pics of the jps to post.
My plan wasn't to cut anything out yet but maybe use a flap disc to get the paint off and see how far back the rust goes? I know that won't show me what's hiding beneath but might give me an idea? I know it'll be alot worse than it looks!!

Yeah when cutting never cut on the seam. Cut about 5-10mm away from it and also check the otherside where possible so you don't cut into anything else....

Few more photos of the jacking point... looks like I've got a hole in the middle of it. Trailing arm bracket itself doesn't look too bad...
Also some more pics of the hole behind the sliding door and the seams on the same panel...

That doesn’t look awful, but you could probably do quite a bit of work on it if you think the van is a keeper.

Do have a browse of restoration threads, mine (Rustoration) tho I wouldn’t claim to have gone about it the right way, Big Blue Van has done everything very profesh, but there are likeminded amateurs as well such as bigbadbob’s not a restoration, mshaws My T25 restoration, and adie’s Procrastination. These are the ones I refer to and ask for advice.

First part i would have a go at would be the rusty window bottoms, get the window out and cut in new metal, the main panel edges look like they have rust before and been worked on so could hide more trouble underneath, panel replacement is a big job and could keep you off the road for a long time.