My 1990 MK3 100L Campervan

[Bryan]

Photo:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/638otskfdfo0m ... 2.jpg?dl=0

I bought this a few months ago from a very unreliable seller in Newcastle. I had flown over from Northern Ireland to collect it and it was described as starting and driving fine - not exactly true. The clutch was so badly adjusted I couldn't get 1st, 2nd or reverse gears without switching it off. I was then left to drive it like this 160 miles across to Cairnryan to get the ferry! Not to mention the alternator light that was also on (but mysteriously and thankfully went off before I needed to use the lights). Being a trusty Transit it made it all the way home without any mechanical problems.

Once I got it home I didn't even want to look at it after the disaster that preceeded! After I had calmed down I ventured on here to find answers to the clutch adjustment issue and found a solution.

It has sat in the driveway for about two months before I started into working on it today. It's actually in very good shape for a MK3 but does need welding. It's going to need all 4 wheel arches done (they're all full of filler). I plan to install IFS front suspension and a better ratio rear axle as well as a banana engine if I come across a van for breaking.

The crappy gold stripes will be coming off as well and it'll all just be plain blue eventually.

[Mr RVM]

Doesn't look a bad old bus shame you hadn't have been aware of what you needed/wanted when you were over this way (I'm only 15mins from Newcastle) as I have most of the stuff you mentioned above (4 good engines, wings and Ifs front bits incl new shocks and springs) not to mention clutches and loads of other stuff

[Kedishen]

College blue is such a nice colour

Got ne pics of inside?

[Bryan]

Doesn't look a bad old bus shame you hadn't have been aware of what you needed/wanted when you were over this way (I'm only 15mins from Newcastle) as I have most of the stuff you mentioned above (4 good engines, wings and Ifs front bits incl new shocks and springs) not to mention clutches and loads of other stuff

That's a shame! I have been a member here for many years but I haven't owned a Transit for a long time. I've always loved the MK3 Transit LWB which is probably part of the reason why I bought this one. I had a model LWB in British Gas livery when I was younger and in fact I probably still have it. The MK3s are becoming thin on the ground now.

I've found a few swb vans over here that I could use for parts but I currently have no way of transporting them.

My plan is to get a later mk5 van and use the front and rear axles (obviously with mk3 swb shocks) from it as well as the banana engine. I've spotted one locally that I have to call and enquire about. That way I'll get power steering as well.

I'd love to go down the 2.5TD engine route but they are like hen's teeth. I could even go really mad and use the semi-built Rover V8 I have in the shed for it

[Bryan]

Here's some more photos of it:

Interestingly it has hightop doors which I presume have been added at some point from a MK5?



The passenger side step only required a small patch



The passenger side rear wheel arch is a real piece of work - bodge after bodge. I'm not even sure if a replacement wheelarch panel will have enough metal on it to attach to any solid steel!



The driver's side sill and wheel arch are totally shot and this is where I've started. I tried to take off the mudflap and the whole area came away from the van with the mudflap still attached. The wheel arch was just totally full of filler.




And finally - an interior shot:



The interior needs as much work as the exterior. I'm in two minds whether to gut the whole thing and start again or just work with what is already there.

I'm not sure if this was originally a factory built camper conversion but the high top seems to have been done to a high standard. The interior has certainly been bodged by the same person who bodged the wheel arches over the years though.

[Mr RVM]

Pretty sure Tim (dieselhead123) can do all the panels you need for that But as a "backup" I'm sure I have both wings,front arches and sills for a Mk3 (i'll have to check later on today) Tim will be cheaper than me as he can do a "one off" delivery charge of £12 regardless of the size of the order

[dieselhead123]

Here's some more photos of it:
The passenger side rear wheel arch is a real piece of work - bodge after bodge. I'm not even sure if a replacement wheelarch panel will have enough metal on it to attach to any solid steel!

Is this supposed to be a Mk3?
Looks like a Mk4/5 rear arch in the above pic

TIM

[Bryan]

Yes, it is a mk3.

If you actually look closely at the photo you'll see that it is actually what appears to be two wheel arches cut and joined together with copious amounts of filler.... dear knows what they originally came from.

[Keef]

I've seen that done before with a pair of SWB arches cut n shut to make one awful LWB arch

It was many years ago and I seem to remember you couldn't get LWB arches at the time.

[MinorMatt]

yeah thats a mk3 100L with mk5 rear doors

[jimbo439]

Hi I have just bought a mk3 campervan and was wondering about what parts are interchangeable from different marks, interested in the fact that this one has mk5 rear doors- is that a straight fit or does it require mods?

[Bryan]

Pick this scrap MK5 up today for parts:



The plan is to swap all of the running gear from this one onto the camper. Just need to find a pair of MK3 front shocks now. I'll also be removing the entire mk5 dashboard etc but I don't know if I'll install it in the mk3 or not.

I'm also still busy working away on the driver's wheel arch and step area. It needed a lot more work than I first thought.

[Bryan]

Been pretty busy over the past few weeks. The white van has been stripped down I've cut up and disposed of the shell. All I have left now are all of the mechanicals ready to go onto the mk3.

I've still been working on the driver's side wheel arch:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/5mwbnod5editw ... 134230.jpg

I had to create a new lower "inner arch" from scratch since the old one fell out. I've also welded in a new inner sill panel as well in this photo.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/6kjmx70on1raf ... 173829.jpg

This is the new wheel arch and sill panels welded in place - using plug welding on the lip edges.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/wlg7n1aff2dxl ... 175436.jpg

And finally with a coat of etch primer to protect it from the elements for the mean time.

Next up will be both rear wheel arches!

[Bryan]

I had a day off work today so spent most of it working on the van. I had already taken out the driver's seat and noticed that the floor mat was soaking wet and the floor was rusty as a result. So today I took the passenger seat out (3 out of 4 bolts snapped off ) and removed the floor mat to try and let it dry. After removing the floor mat I noticed a trail of rusty-ness leading to the bulkhead. Then I discovered two nice big holes in the bulkhead so I decided to remove the dashboard to get better access.



Nice big hole in the bulhead... luckily it's just surface rust on the A pillar though.



I welded up the hole in the driver's side of the bulkhead. The remains of the battery tray will also have to come out at some stage too!



This is obviously where the water was getting in - a badly fitted windscreen had allowed the lower lip to rot away. Luckily I kept the bulkhead out of the scrap mark 5 so I should be able to salvage the necessary section to repair it.



I've also discovered that the mk5 heater box/matrix does not fit the mk3 bulkhead which means I can't swap the dashboard to mk5 so the mk3 dash will have to go back in.

[nicnod]

I feel your pain mate , I bought a bodged mk4 camper from a dodgy guy on the isle of Arran in Scotland , its a lot worse than yours in terms of rust

It actually had 10 months mot ! I bought it in the middle of a storm with a bad hangover and drove it back to glasgow in the pissing rain with no windscreen wipers ,the next day I had a proper look and I was gutted , sat on my driveway for a month

The interior was just as bad , ripped the whole lot out in anger ! it sat on my driveway for over a month before I even went near it , never welded before in fact only changed a wheel for the first time last year , but now 7 months later I've got tools and a welder and I'm starting to patch it up , replaced the rear wheel arch so far and started on the step

I've started on the interior too , I'm finding it a bit overwhelming sometimes but I am making a bit of progress now and again , currently I'm making outriggers from sheet steel and attempting to weld them in , upside down welding under my van is not fun ! But necessary , I just hope I can get it through an mot !

So I feel your pain mate , it also looks like you've got some skills there