The Flying Banana

[Viatron]

Been lurking for a while and did some work on my Mk6 to use as a support vehicle for trackdays etc. Recently I decided that i would start using my Van as my daily driver as my Fiesta ST is just too small to carry anything work related other than a lunchbox! I dont carry loads of kit but what i do carry I need pretty much every job. Only issue with using the Van as my daily driver is that it isnt very practical if i need to ferry daughter and grandaughter plus the Mrs so decided some months ago I needed to do a crew cab conversion. Now i truly love my Mk6 especially since Vantuner got his hands on it but the thought of ploughing over a grand into an 06 plate vehicle didnt really add up. I started looking around and eventually found this at the right money. Ex AA with a full service histroy, high miles but with regular servicing it should be ok (famous last words).

Chose this for a couple of reasons.
1. It has working ice cold AC!
2. Already has a crew cab style bulkhead fitted by the AA and the rear compartment has been spray lined over the ply.



Over the last day or so I have been tidyinbg up the middle compartment. First to go was the Sortimo racking which i available for a donation to Macmillan Cancer Support if anyone can make use of it (its in Shropshire). Net the bulkhead was removed and cut down and the cut edge fitted with some u trim.


Next the bulkhead was covered in acoustic carpet. had to be done in 2 pieces but as the seats will be in front of it its not that bigger deal.



Next i removed the corragated plastic trim panel from the drivers side and fitted sound deadening material to the inside of the exterior panel:

Whilst looking for suitable insulation i stumbled across water heater jackets which have the added advantage of being sealed in bags, £8 from Toolstation so used 2 to fill the void before fitting the new panel which i had cut out of thin ply and again covered with accoustic carpet.


This morning i made and fitted a matching door panel.


Going to tidy the edges with some Ali angle and now on the lookout for a 3 seat bench for the back. As i understand it i need this fitting by a company who can issue a certificate in order to change the number of seats with DVLA? and my insurers? Anyone recommenmd anyone in the West Midlands Shropshire Area?

[Viatron]

Another couple of jobs done today. Started fitting the sound dedening to the roof. Anyone got any suggestions on how to do the roof? Acoustic straight to the panel? ply panelling?

Also spotted that my screen washers werent working. Looking att he history this has happened a couple of times in its life. Took the bottle and pump out and tested it from a 12v battery and apart from the perforated rubber grommet needing cleaning out it was all good. Tested at the plug next and only 7 volts....hmmmmm. Stripped it apart and it had got damp and the plug and about 3 inches of wire back was green powder so chopped it back. Decided i diditn want this happening again so have now potted some wires into the pump using 5 minute epoxy and will then fit a waterproof connector between the pump and the loom.




Picked up 2 side windows at the weekend so will be cutting the holes wednesday morning as long as i can find a tame window fitter to come out wednesday afternoon! Any advice on doing the cutting? Presume you just cut flush to the inner panel?
TTFN

[Petest]

That's a job I want to do soon - side windows.
My roof I have stuck the foil bubble wrap to then stuck 25mm polystyrene insulation to. Not covered it yet but been looking at 2.5mm plastic panels like they use for clean rooms

[bigjohnthomas]

There's a how too on here somewhere on fitting bonded windows
Its easy cut hole put a bit of glue on stick it up em

[maciejd]

Definitely it's not going to be a run-of-the-mill van. The color seems to be very fast
I think it deserves a set of matt black aluminium wheels.

[MinorMatt]

Halfords at Meole Brace...

Not that far from me

[Viatron]

Matt
Live in Church Stretton and man cave is at Ternhill.
Alloys will be repainted and moved from my Mk6 before she is moved on.
Cutting the windows this morning and then driving by to a window fitters who is going to bond them in for £50, decided that at that price on it wasn't worth doing myself really.
This morning I will be also finishing the crew cab panelling by fitting a couple of floor to panel trims I painted last night.
Also going to be looking at Double Din head units today am looking for something that has Sat Nav and will take an input from a reversing / trailer viewing camera.
TTFN
Mac

[bigjohnthomas]

Fifty quid Hes laughing with his balls out that "window fitter"
Bit of glue Bish bosh easy

[Viatron]

In the End another fitter locally called up and was in the area so I cut the holes and trimmed and he came to me and fitted for £30 which considering the PU, primer etc would have come to about £20 was a no brainer.







I have checked and my dash Loom doesn't have the wiring in for much more than what's already fitted and definitely want heated front screen and would like electric mirrors and auto headlights so am now debating a wiring fest or possibly just biting he bullet and trying to find a higher spec loom and do a loom and BCM swap anyone done this? I know the dash will have to come out but that doesn't bother me too much. Still looking for a Double din unit and think I may splash some cash and go for A Pioneer unit.

Next on the list is to get the rear bench tracked down as the one I was promised is no longer available, anyone got a genuine Mk6 / 7 rear 3 seater bench going? beer tokens waiting. As soon as that s in then ill et some seat covers and front carpet to make it a little more civilised. Have started planning out the extra wiring for a leisure battery built in charger, inverter etc. so that if I need to I can work out of the van by running a cat 5 cable in through a customers window.

TTFN
Mac

[BigMonty]

Excellent

[Viatron]

Forgot to mention I have also fitted joining pieces between the floor and the side panels which has thankfully massively reduced the squeaking from the floor! 19mm steel angle painted black for between the floor and the side panel and rear bulkhead and a strip of 19mm Ali angle between the side panel and the rear bulkhead.






TTFN
Mac

[Petest]

How much did you get the windows for?