MK5 LWB awaiting Camper resurrection with Mr Whippy colours!

[markcranfield]

Hi all, first main post on my van, I have done previous work on the rear chassis but I will write that up soon - nothing that you have not seen before! I took my van in for MOT yesterday, I knew it was going to fail on the inner back panel and it did! Started the cut out on the outer to peel back and glimpse at the fun ahead. Absolutely rotten to the core! Not worth fabricating - so need to buy an inner panel from Ford! Has any body bought one of thes before for a MK5 LWB before, are they readily available at Ford? Anybody, got any idea of the rough price?

Regard Mark

[markcranfield]

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End corner plates not too bad so can be saved!

[RustWidow]

Shall watch this with interest, good luck!

[MinorMatt]

The outer is available as a pattern panel - but on the SWB we found a piece of 3mm wall box section and welded that in to replace most of the box section

[markcranfield]

Thank you for the reply Minor Matt, Yes, I think I will fabricate something up, I already have the outer panel as I knew this day was coming, bought from Tim on here! I will make a start today!

[markcranfield]

Spring Hanger back chassis section has moved when I cut out the back panel (oh bugger), I have included photo's. The question is should the spring hangers be slightly higher as the other side which has not moved is or should they all be consistently flat. I am going to remove the spring tomorrow to do some rectification on this - so any information would be kindly appreciated.
regards Mark

Here is the amount it has moved on the right hand side:


Here is the left hand side ( note still slightly higher but not like the moved right hand side spring hanger:


Here are some general pics of today's progress:

[MinorMatt]

I am fairly sure the rail with the spring hanger bush is slightly higher than the main chassis rail, but not confident enough to confirm it.

I will be spending time under my (already molested) LWB at the weekend and could confirm it?

[markcranfield]

Managed to get the spring off today! It seems the original weld joining this section to the main chassis has cracked! I can clearly see where it need to go now. To ensure there is no twist when I put it back I will use a heft piece of iron bar for flat alignment. Thank you for the help offer Minor Matt!

[markcranfield]

Today, I have got the other spring out and cut away more rot - main problem has been when somebody has just put a panel over the top of another, causing a breeding ground for metal worm! Should be able to start putting fresh metal in tomorrow

[markcranfield]

Today, up to now has been very lazy, Been scouting trying to find some new eye bolts for the rear spring - the local fasteners had nothing suitable but still managed to spend £30 on stainless steel bolts for the roof rack I am putting together - very hard to get a rack for a MK5 hi roof! If anybody knows where I can get leaf spring eye bolts for a lwb mk5 hi-roof please let me know.

Regards Mark

[markcranfield]

Welded on new tabs to the rear chassis and made a repair section from galvanised steel - ready to be welded on tomorrow ( slacking by finishing early today), well the weldable primer has to dry:


Tags welded

Painted with Etchweld

Inner repair centre section made up in galvanised but painted with etch weld!

[Mr RVM]

Don't know where you are (probably too far away) but I have a rear panel ready to fit straight on top of the job you are doing (almost identical to the way I started one of mine but don't think i'll finish it now as ive got too much on with 3 other projects) its been removed from my oldest van as it is solid (the only part that was ) dressed ready to refit, shotblasted and primed, I left the bottom of the inner panel attached to it so would just weld to your new (flat) inner panel

[markcranfield]

It is a little too far to go for a panel - I have made an inner panel up! Thank you for the kind offer though!

[markcranfield]

Camper-van update - I have made up the inner-chassis section which goes behind the rear panel! I have made it in galvanised steel - will last for years, but a bugger to weld! When it came to fitting the new rear springs I found that the spring hangers were too narrow for the uprated springs - they looked slightly rusty - so I have cut them off and will fabricate some wider replacements! I went down to the local engineers and bought some 5mm wall thick box section which I will use as the base for the new spring hangers!

[Badge79]

I have to say reading this really make me want to undertake a project like this good luck with your project. I will watch this to the end.

Cheers Badge