Irish Mini Owners Club

This English-reg van has been in a shed near me for nearly 30 years and unfortunately had rotted badly around the roof and front.
The sides and loadbed were in very useable condition so last week myself, Darran, and Tony set off to salvage the best bits.

All tools used in the salvage are available from Laois Hire. http://www.laoishire.com/index.html

Photos courtesy of Tony Cooney.



















WD40 and a set of spanners will see the rest of the useable bits from around the engine bay retrieved in the coming weeks.

Tony, perhaps you could load the videos you took......

Edited to include Laois Hire's website.

VIDEOS:


http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee70 ... 85571e.mp4


http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee70 ... 3045d1.mp4


http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee70 ... 0d6a27.mp4

Funny looking rescue....
What's going to be done with all them panels?

Don't worry Joey, I'll find a home for them in due course.

I'd no qualms about breaking this van as it was way too far gone so at least this way it might keep something else on the road.

Billy

I will think twice before i let any of you three vandals near my garage, but well done nice to see you saved most of it.

Ohhhh id luv them side panels

Iv seen far worse restored!!

D.M.G.T wrote:Iv seen far worse restored!!

+1 but i won't say much more because i too would love to get my hands on those panels... will collect too

Didn't look bad at all apart from the roof, pity .

Lads,

Don't cry too much about it. It was on English plates with no paperwork and if there was any chance of restoring it, I'd have been the first to take it on as a project. I had taken advice from a panelbeater who restored two of my Minis and he reckoned it just wasn't feasible and would have been cheaper to buy a complete restored car.

We considered pulling it out of the shed but it was sunk into muck and with the detached roof, the panels would have buckled under the stress. Like with any Mini, it always looks better in the photos but close up, it wasn't worth the effort.

Billy

You should use the side panels on your estate and make a clubmanvan
There so cool looking

Joey,

You're ahead of the game. The same thought has crossed my mind. For now they are safely stored away a dry shed. Have you seen the Australian Clubman vans? They had external hinge doors and wind-up windows just like Shay's Australian Clubman saloon

Here's one that could use my side panels:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtiR8HZhqYY

Billy

how much for the load bay floor billy???? could use one for my pickup!!

What year of a van was it ? it looks like a flat roof one in the photo's ?

It was a smooth roof van and by its reg was pre-1963.

Kenny, haven't decided what to do with the panels yet as I may use them for a future project.

First dibbs on the floorpan

Folks,

I have seen this van and it couldn't have been saved. See my own van rescue in the main website gallery, similar to mine the bulkhead was like tin foil and when I got the car home it was a good four inches shorter due to braking.

My roof, the only good bit, ended up on KMG's van, so I am sure these good panels will help save some other mini.

Adrian.

Just got sent this photo. Anyone recognise it?

Change of plan so these panels are now for sale in the For Sale section.