61 Van resto

[kerryminigringo]

Since the last post I have cleaned down all the underneath of the load bed and applied a coat of zinc rich primer.I also had to replace half of the seat crossmember as the bottom of the drivers side had rotted when water got into the car during storage.This is what it looked like before I cut it out.


And this is what it was like when I cut out the rotten half.


After grinding off the seat brackets and welding them onto the new section this is the finished cross member.

[kerryminigringo]

I also finished the rear valance closing panels.This is the rear valance without the closing panel and corner closing pieces,the dark grey colour is seam sealer applied along the inner seam.


I used my new spot welder to weld on the closing panel and corner pieces.This made the job very simple and this a rub of a flapper disc on the grinder,the job looks like factory.


This is the finished job.All the seams will get a coat of the zinc rich primer before a slight orange peel coat of stone chip goes on followed by the finish colour.I took in a piece of a door skin to get the paint supplier to match the colour and I got 8 litres of paint mixed.


That is nearly all the welding that I am going to do finished and the next job is to fit the battery box,clean down all the under side,wheel wells and primer it and then it is off to the panel beaters for two wings and the roof skin courtesy of ZakGT.

[BlackSe7en]

How does he do it?

Welds with one hand and somehow takes a picture of himself with the other hand at the same time

[Billy]

Where are your goggles, ya looder?

[The Marcos Graveyard]

and the safety gloves.

[DaveC]

Excellent work as usual.
Interesting to see the cross member replacement as my GT has the same problem on the passenger side

[kerryminigringo]

When I replaced the drivers side rear floor pan I had to take off the battery holding bracket from the floor and like the floor pan it had a lot of rust on it.Here is what I started out with.


I decided to replace the lower part of the bracket and the lower part of the 2 legs that protrude out the back of it so I bent a piece of mild steel to the same profile as the bracket.


I then removed the bracket from the lower piece are repaired the two legs by bending more mild steel and welding it to the bracket.Here are the two pieces ready to be welded together to form the bracket.


This is the finished bracket ready to be welded in behind the drivers seat.The strips of missing primer is where I masked it off to keep it clean so that I can plug weld it to the floor from underneath.

[mad-mini]

BEAUTIFULL WORK

Where and how much did you pay for the spot welder???




Steven.

[just_st3v3n]

i second that!!!
excellent work.. keep it up and you'l have it on the road in no time

steven

[INNY1300]

Well impressive,good luck on the restore,regard's jon

[steeo]

There could be a cheaper version available but Wolf are doing one for €450 inc vat

http://www.wolf.ie/product.asp?id=001742

[kerryminigringo]

I sent the van off to the panelbeaters last wednesday and they have the old roof off and have unstitched the replacement roof from it,s guttering and the inside of it has been rubbed down and primed ready for the finish coat before it is welded on.The front wings are also on and here is a picture of the bonnet fitted which is in the finished colour.


All the hinges and other pieces that were to be painted off the car are ready and will be packed away until assembly.The rear doors are painted aswell.


I also collected the five wheels from the sand blasters today and dropped them off for painting in the body colour.I will use the one remaining rivetted wheel as the spare as I don't want be using it the whole time.

[DaveC]

You should be doing this for a living, that is some work

[The Marcos Graveyard]

Colour is nice, beter than bracken anyway.

[mad-mini]

Is the van going to be a soft-top.

Nice job when are u hopein to have the van finished.




Steven.

[kerryminigringo]

Called it to see the van today and the wings and roof are back on and welded in place.They have started prepping the sides and the drivers side is nearly ready with a final sanding before spraying.


The passenger side is just at the filling stage.


They are going to finish the sides to the point where they are ready for colour finish then put it back on the spit to stone chip the underneath and spray it.I will then fit the brake and petrol pipes and the two subframes in their workshop so that they can roll it around the workshop and into the oven.

[Billy]

The work that's going into this van is incredible. What colour will the wheels be?

Billy

[kerryminigringo]

Same colour as the body,the only rivetted wheel that came with the van was body colour coded so I will keep it this way and I will keep the rivetted wheel as the spare.


Assembled the dash pod with a new chrome bezel.

[The Marcos Graveyard]

looks like the tank is empty.

[kerryminigringo]

It has been a while but there has been progress on the van.This is the underneath of the van,stonechipped and painted in the final colour.

[Billy]

Begod I wonder will it be ready for the IMM?

No pressure there KMG!

[kerryminigringo]

None whatsoever Billy,how is the Hornet coming on?

[The Marcos Graveyard]

Yeah Billy , how is the Hornet coming ?

[Billy]

Yeah Neil, how is the Marcos coming along?

[joebe1]

Neil and billy, God knows ye do fine work but bejezus no man i d pay ye!!