My -79 Transit recovery truck

[fredrik]

It might be possible to fix the wings but I think i will cahnge them anyway, it's supposed to be as new when i'm finished with it

The truck will be fully insured when ( if ????) I'm putting it back in traffic again, don't know the exact term but it includes everything, traffic, fire, glass, theft and full coverage if I will hit a elk or just going off road.

Then it's the insurance company who will fix it, there are wings to get in England isn't it ??

[FredTransit]

You must mean fully comprehensive. Rmember with a classic (unless you have a special classic policy) you are in dager of having a financial write off if you have a high repair bill. That is if the insurance company think it will cost more than they think the truck is worth, they will write it off, that is scrap it and pay you the value. Don't rely on insurance too much, at the end of the day if you can't buy the parts or they are very expensive it will add to the cost if you have an accident.

[fredrik]

I think the insurance company can do a valuation of my vehicle, I've done that once before with a renovated Volkswagen.

An insurance agent came by and took some pictures of my car and checked it out inside and out. It was a Golf Convertible that I renovated with new wings, wheel arches rear, new interior and a new paint job.

The average value was about 10-15000 Skr ( 700 -1000 £) and the insurance agent valued my car to more than twice that value.

[FredTransit]

The sad fact is insurance companies rarely stick to thier word, or at least commercial/domestic ones don't. I haven't yet had to deal with a classic car insurance company. I am talking about in the event of a claim.

[fredrik]

Today I've begun to weld on the frame under the cabin, I will replace more or less all of it. The new repair parts will make the frame of the cabin fit better to the rear part of the frame ( from the recovery)



This reinforcement was cut out of the old cabin and will be reused. It's a bit rusted so it will be fixed before I'll put it back in the new cabin.





Here is one of the repair parts welded into the frame. The welding is far from ready, I ran out of protective gas so I can't do anmore welding this weekend





A friend of mine helped me with these repair parts for the frame. They are made of 2mm steel and the small one fits inside the bigger one as reinforcement.

[fredrik]

OK, back for a progress report. I have proceeded with th repairs of the frame under the cabin and I'm more or less finished now.
Hopefully I will be able to put the cabin and the back of the frame together during the christmas holidays, nearly two weeks away from work

Here's some pictures



The right side of the frame cut open.




Welded and ready




The back end of the floor was a bit rusted, but still this cabin is so much better than the other one..




Repaired.




The reinforcement has been sand blastered and welded with new sheet metal as parts of it was rusty.




Painted, this felt like a turning point, now the cabin begins to come together again and there might be som light in the end of the tunnel. But still it feels like it's a long way to go..




A new cabin support was formed out of 1,5 mm sheet metal and welded into the remains of the old one.

That'a about all for now and the status of my project today. I might not have time for any more uppdates before christmas so I would like to wish you all:

MERRY CHRISTMAS and A HAPPY NEW YEAR


/ Fredrik

[FredTransit]

Merry Christmas to you too! Are you spending it out in the garage? That's some work you have done there.....

[stevew]

Merry Christmas from me too!
Just outstanding work you're doing. Keep it up!

Steve

[fredrik]

Merry Christmas to you too! Are you spending it out in the garage? That's some work you have done there.....

More or less all of the holiday will be spent in the garage. The plan is to weld the frame and cabin together and perhaps get som paint on the frame..

[FredTransit]

Thought so!

[rover]

You are probably the most dedicated Transit enthusiast I have ever come acrross Fantastic work! Its really coming together now

Rover.

[fredrik]

You are probably the most dedicated Transit enthusiast I have ever come acrross Fantastic work! Its really coming together now

Rover.

May be so, I'm quite stubborn and the more time I spend on the truck the harder it will feel if I give up. Most of my friends do not share my enthusiasm for old Ford Transits and they think I'm putting a lot of hours on a impossible project.
My next project will be a Ford again but probably a Mk1 or Mk2 Escort with a Cossie engine, I think it will make a good looking team..

[transitgeoff]

Merry Christmas Fredrik ,well done with the Transit, good work, it will soon be finished, like the idea of the mk1 Escort

[fredrik]

I'm back ! , not from the dead but almost..

I know it's been over six months since I wrote anything about my project , and for that I'm sorry. I was actually worried that my membership had been ended..

My recovery truck project has been delayed for several months due to other cars that has needed my attention, anyhow here's som new pictures..



The new front end is now put together with the rear part of the frame.
Carefully welded and when measured diagonally between the front and rear axle, the distance is the same within 2mm on left and right side. I think that is accurate enough..





As the frame is ready ( more or less..) the rust in the cabin will be fixed.
I've begun to fix the rust in th rear part of the front fender, it was not as bad as I thought.





Here you can see the hole





And here the rust is removed





welded and ready, the piece of the fender that is missing will be fixed tomorrow and welded together with the rest.



Hopefully the updates will be more often now, I've started my 4 week summer holliday so the days that it's raining will be spent in my workshop..

Be good and see you soon / Fredrik

[ghost]

Nice to see a recovery being built,keep up the work.
What couour willl cab be painted?