My Mk.5 Transit restoration.

[intransit89]

well this afternoon i picked up my new exhaust that i bought off ebay...
my dad collected it from lincoln and i just picked it up from him at the local services.

anyway its brand new (ok not as in just made but never fitted) with ford parts number labels still on.

so i think during the week im going to see if my mate can fit it or let me use the lifting ramp in his garage after hours.

Iv now got more transit parts in my transit than i have car spares in my garage.

they come in handy as in for fitting exhaust you don't really need a lifting ramp i did my uncles and was raining to but a transit is still better than a car as you don't need to jack them up

[rover]

i dont know why and i hope im not alone....
but is anyone else like emotionally attached to their transit.

Bloody right I am, the blood sweat and angry moments that have gone into my van are ridiculous, just for me to use it for work every day

Hope the restoration goes well

Rover.

[snap-on]

Same here but I dont use mine for work. The wife does come a close second

[millertime_1985]

Update:
Iv not done any work yet....
it is/was my intention to take her off the road when the road tax expires on the 31st December, however as my mechanic has my car , and has had for almost 3 weeks .
so if i dont get the car back before christmas, the van will be going for another few months before i can start working on her.


Currently the intentions are as follows....

# Replace Drivers Door
# Replace Rear Doors
# Replace Front Bonnet
# Replace Passenger Wing
# Strip Out Drivers compartment to clean
# Replace Drivers Compartment floor (rubber floor)
# Strip out rear and repaint


thats the first tranch of work... before i start more work on the exterior before painting her...

[hotrod_boogie]

hope the work goes well mate, be good to see it when its done, i am very attached to my van, have a kind of bond, i'm all grumpy if it goes wrong til its fixed!

[toriitom]

they come in handy as in for fitting exhaust you don't really need a lifting ramp i did my uncles and was raining to but a transit is still better than a car as you don't need to jack them up

That depends on how fat (or not) you are

[intransit89]

yes but once you under you got all that roo, behind the sill as you have more room and last time i went under my uncles i fell a sleep undersealing

[millertime_1985]

Not updated in a while... so here is an update.

The van sat stationallry in my driveway since 30th December... at some point during that period therear brakes locked on....

luckilly after recieving some info from users on here i managed to get the brakes released.


Managed to clear out the rubish from the drivers compartment and have had to bin the seat covers that i had... Still got more rubbis hto remove but ill do that once i can sit the van on the road after its been re-taxed so i can remove the passenger seat/bench to get all the crap thats stuck behind it..
Hvave had a look around and have found the following problems....
# Hole in the Passenger Front Wing panel
# Current/Old bonnet is starting to rust where i tried to fill in the gap (bonnet was a mk.3/4) where the bage was
# Exhaust has snapped at the rear
# Wheel Arches are suffering from further (Major) rot


Not too much... but working away bit by bit....

Currently i have the following Parts :
# New Bonnet (needs fill in sections and lock/slam panel
# New Side Sliding Door
# Replacment Drivers Side mirror
# Set of replacement Rear corner vent covers
# New Exhaust
# Brand New Front bumper
# Brand New Lock Set
# Replacment Fuel cap
# Rear interior light unit
# Pair of brand new rear light units
# Brand new Tow Bar/Ball Hitch


Its currently the intention to patch the exhaust and/or replace danaged sections with new sections.
Rub down wheel Archesand where sensible fill in with cataloy... where its not sensible ill rub down and treat with an anti rust solution before fitting wheel arch covers or panels.
Cut away the Front passenger wing and fit a new wing
Devise a solution to refit the sliding side door guide rail

If possible im also wanting to try and fit a replacement drivers door as the current doors speaker doesnt work and im unable to fit a replacement mirror due to the current mirror not having any screws. and then Planning to cut away and plate over the rear door rot holes.


ill post some pictures of my parts stock, and van in the next few days


edit: oh yeah and im planning to pressure wash the underside and inside of the wheel arches to check for any rust or corrosion that i dont already know about

[Ucof]

regarding the arch pressure washing........ I'd be very wary of doing that - you might end up making a hole if the pressure if too much...

[bigmastif]

regarding the arch pressure washing........ I'd be very wary of doing that - you might end up making a hole if the pressure if too much...

good point mate when we were doing corrosion inspections on the vans in work

we sprayed tfr up into the arch then scrubbed it with a nylon brush

then just used a normal hose to wash it out

[FredTransit]

yeah... she did ... way back when.

i used to sit in her when i first started my job at my break and listen to the radio cos for the first few years she sat doing nothing.
sat in a corner of the yard boxed in... atleast till she was shipped out to romania for a year to move goods about for a charity.
when she returned i got my grubby mits on her.... and i aint let go ...

i dont know why and i hope im not alone....
but is anyone else like emotionally attached to their transit.

i know it sounds wierd but i couldnt bare not to have her about me... when she was in my mates garage for a couple of weeks i hardly slept.

Too right, ours are family. I was distraught when our first Mk1 was stolen, not really over it yet 10 years on. Oh, and I am glad you have notice she's a she....

[jimmy ts mom]

yeah... she did ... way back when.

i used to sit in her when i first started my job at my break and listen to the radio cos for the first few years she sat doing nothing.
sat in a corner of the yard boxed in... atleast till she was shipped out to romania for a year to move goods about for a charity.
when she returned i got my grubby mits on her.... and i aint let go ...

i dont know why and i hope im not alone....
but is anyone else like emotionally attached to their transit.

i know it sounds wierd but i couldnt bare not to have her about me... when she was in my mates garage for a couple of weeks i hardly slept.

Too right, ours are family. I was distraught when our first Mk1 was stolen, not really over it yet 10 years on. Oh, and I am glad you have notice she's a she....

Same here! A friend owns an electrical services business, and from time to time gets tidy vans for sale. So I get offered low mileage, FSH vans at good prices. Do I even consider them? No! And not because I don't want them or can't afford them. Oh no, it's because of the lump in the throat at the thought of my Mk4 being driven off by someone else!

[millertime_1985]

regarding the arch pressure washing........ I'd be very wary of doing that - you might end up making a hole if the pressure if too much...

good point mate when we were doing corrosion inspections on the vans in work

we sprayed tfr up into the arch then scrubbed it with a nylon brush

then just used a normal hose to wash it out

TFR ... a god send.
last time i washed the van with TFR it left the van gleaming weeks after, all she had was an overcast of dust over gleaming paint

[millertime_1985]

Little Update:

not had much time to do anything today due to the fact my arms are bright red from being out in the sun... (working as a postman the fleece isnt suitable for this weather and the long sleeve shirt looks silly... even so thats whats going on tomorrow)

anyway this evening... iv been out and cleaned the inside windows, and scrubbed the dash then wiped it down with a dash cleaner.
iv also had to clean the upholstry as having been sitting since december with all the moisture from the condensation my baby suffered some mould.... (thats why the old seat covers had to go, that plus they didnt fit that well)

Iv also this evening ordered a new wing for the previously confirmed rotted quarter panel, and have been in contact about ordering repair panels for the rear doors, and about a jump lead system similar to those used on RAC Vehicles to fit.


getting there bit by bit...

plan currently is that once the new insurance docs arrive ill re-tax her...
hopefully by the end of next week or no later than the 24th May to have her back on the road... despite her being able to be used i want to sort out a few problems first.


in the next few days (probably monday given work commitments) ill be doing a repair to the sliding door guide rail... details of which are available in another thread...

[millertime_1985]

Quick Update:

Decided on a spur of the monet to just order the panels to sort the back doors...
so iv ordered them and just waiting for the invoice to arrive by email so i can pay...

may as well go whole hog and do the lot