Tourneo Tales....

[archersam]

I don't need the last row of rear seats and in fact my insurer wouldn't let me keep them even if I got them with the van. As I often carry odds and sods, wood and art and stuff I needed to work out a way to protect the rear windows. The simple solution was ply, BUT I have got very used to the visbility having windows offers and wanted to retain this feature.

Originally I was going to drill zillions of holes into some thin steel, but I managed to get this waste from a laser CNC machine firm which after a wee session with the angle grinder came out like this



Once the windows are black out tinted you won't even know it is there.



Also plan on doing rear screen, but have to locate some suitable fixing points before I can do that....

[bigjohnthomas]

looks good that
a little sharp though

[archersam]

Gaffer tape around the edges and although the cut outs are sharp, only if you run your finger down them............

[transitandy]

looks good

[archersam]

Got round to fitting the rear screen protector. Ended up removing the plastic surround and fixing straight to the tailgate.



Had to change the reverse light switch as not worked since I bought the van.

This lot of insulation for engine and box had to come off first.



Well okay not all of it had to come off but as you can see there is a MASS of oil in the foam and I wanted to get to the bottom of where it is coming from. Looks like something at the rear of the rocker cover as a good degunk and hose down cleaned it up pretty good.

Debating whether to put it all back or not......

[archersam]

Nightmare on Friday. Had to go to Brighton to collect a whole load of art from the framers and take to a gallery in London (W1). Other than the traffic being terrible due a fire on the A23 I got about 1/2 mile from the gallery and the van was making a terrible noise and smelling of burning metal very BADLY. Limped it to destination and then it wouldn't start. Mr Orange RAC man very helpful and confirmed that starter motor was kaput, gave me a tug and off I went back to Folkestone to drop the van (very carefully leaving the lights so as not to stall it!!!) and pick up my car so I could get on with the installation.

I had put a new starter motor in the 95 SWB In Feb (and I have kept her just in case of emergencies like this) so off with one starter motor and onto the new van. Only problem was that someone had done something to at least one of the threads on the gearbox so it was a bugger to get out, but all done and now it starts like a dream again.

[robbie.cee]

Mate just read this all, wicked stuff, nice van, great ideas and work!!!

[archersam]

ah thanks. Just had to put new tyres on her and both back boxes. Noticed that the flexi joint has perished on the downpipe but not blowing.....hoepfully will pass her MOT on Saturday......

[robbie.cee]

dont mention anything when at mot! only how pleased you are with it and how well it drives and how smooth n quiet it is "with all these miles on the clock"

fill washer bottle, all the usual bollox hopefully theyll just fail some perfectly good bulbs and charge you for not actually replacin them. had a bmw that after standing for 2 years, passed mot only had to "replace" side light bulbs... i checked EVERYTHING worked b4, but £40 pass is all good(was like 10 yrs ago tho)

what are your next plans for the van??

[archersam]

well it goes to the same place all my vans have gone and if it fails it goes straight to the mechanic who puts all his commercial MOT vehicles through them.

No real plans at the moment as I am living away from my usual home so have no space or time to tinker with her.

I need to sort out the oil leak which I think is coming from the rocker gasket as the posh building I am living in down here in Bristol are getting upset at the black puddles on the concrete floor of car park.....

I ripped out all interior so at some stage need to put carpets and sounddeading back in as it is quite noisy........

[transitandy]

Where did you get them grilles from

[archersam]

From a scrapbin at a place a mate works! They make industrial vents/airflow etc and this was a sheet of 6x4 that they had laser CNC the small boxes from (hence the hole shapes). I cut it down with a grinder and gaffa taped the VERY sharp edges for installation....

[archersam]

here are some pictures from of the tinting job







MOT at 8.45am

[archersam]

Failed the MOT. but am not surprised nor that disappointed.

Some small bits of welding in areas near to seat belt and spring hangers plus new anti-roll bar bushes other than that the Tester said was in good shape and as a Minvian is only class 4 so I got a cheaper MOT as well.

Should have seen his face when I was telling him about the LEZ and hence why I have a nice Tourneo and not a van..........even the good ones learn stuff every day.....

[RustWidow]

Wow, there's no stopping you is there? Well done mate - intuitive thinking to use somebody else's rubbish! But then, they say that one man's trash is another man's treasure and in this case it certainly seems so. Liking the look so far, can't wait to see what you do next