Mk3 Camper, UPDATE homemade fuel cap

[Anton2k3]

Well, i've been meaning to do this post for sometime now.

I bought this van with my girlfriend back in March last year, as 12 seat minibus, with a shoddy camper conversion which basically comprised of a bed, and cupboard.

Unfortunately when we bought it, I hadn't found the delights of the transit forum, and didn't give it as through looking over as perhaps I should, so we ended up parting with far too much cash, and got a sh***er!

We decided that as we were going to be keeping the van for a good few years, it would be worth doing the job properly, so the pannels were ordered: 2 front wings, 2 front arhces, front crossmember, 2 rear wings, 2 rear doors.

Little did i know that these would be the easy bits!

Everything i did, i found more rust and Rot!

So in the end, i did the following:

Sorted the rear floor, cut out patches, welded new plates in
Cut out rot around windscreen, put new side channels in, formed plates for the curve around the top, and got all that welded up. At the same time, noticed the door frames were rotten at the top so sorted those.
Did both steps, new plates where required
New sills both sides all the way along
Sorted rot under the arches
Fixed the rot on the chassis
Repaired rear crossmember
Replaces the rear wings, sorting out unbelievable amounts of tin worn while doing it!
Fixed sliding door bottom
Replaced front wings and arches, again sorting rot
Replaced front cross member
Replaced Rear doors

So, was thinking it was ready to take to the paint shop....but nooooo!

Looked on the roof and there was masses of cracked filler! Chipped it all off to find rotten roof, and gutters. So went down the scrappie armed with a petrol disc cutter, and cut the required section of roof out of another transit.
Got back, cut rot out, welded new roof in, and built gutter back up.

FINALLY it was ready to be resprayed, leaving the finished article, at least for the outside.

Some obligatory pics of rot (just on the inside!)!:

















Pics before body shop





















After (will get more it interested)



Interior:

Can get pics of interior if interested

My parents were wanting rid of their caravan, so i took most of the parts out of that for the interior. So inside has:

Hot water
110l of water tanks onboard
Gas heating
Gas Hobs
Gas Oven
Gas Grill
Running water
Toilet

Retrimmed the roof lining in cream faux suede (a bitch of a job for anyone whos thinking of doing it, def use copydex!)
Made overhead cubby holes for above cab (well my dad did!
Made units from caravan fit the van along with a custom wardrobe at the back to house 1 watertank, toiled, and shelving for tins etc (again, muchos thanks to the father)

The floor has been done with laminate, then lino. Did the laminate floor but realised it would not be waterproof, so put nice lino on top (same effect).

Most recent installation was water level gauge, and batter monitor, and moved the hot water thermostat from under the bed, to where the other gauges are to make life a little easier.

All 12v run by seperate 70Ah battery

Future plans:

Convert to diesel
Generator (2kw) With fancy onboard battery charger, and third 110Ah battery
Externally mounted gerry can
Biiiiig skylite above cooking area
Maybe another leaf on the rear axle to help when full laden

Anything else i can think of to make it better!

I need some advice on changing to diesel too. Found a banana manifold engine, is that the 76ps? What wiring would be involved, and does anyone have a diesel tank and lines they don't mind parting with!?

[intransit89]

nice work how bad was your sliding door bottom as mines roten
or was it like that when you got it?

[Anton2k3]

Cheers. I stripped the paint back with nitromorse so i could see the extent of the rust. Then i welded on a 3 " wide strip of thin metal along the length of the door on the bottom. Ground the welds back, then filled it.
On the other side, i used a strip, welded it onto the bottom of the door, then hammered it to the right shape/contour so it could clear the sill, then welded the top, filled with flexible paintable sealer. And that was that!

[intransit89]

Cheers. I stripped the paint back with nitromorse so i could see the extent of the rust. Then i welded on a 3 " wide strip of thin metal along the length of the door on the bottom. Ground the welds back, then filled it.
On the other side, i used a strip, welded it onto the bottom of the door, then hammered it to the right shape/contour so it could clear the sill, then welded the top, filled with flexible paintable sealer. And that was that!

think i might do mine but its got a dint on the middle of the door before the window panel would you just body filler it or cut out and put a sheet of thin metal in?and then grind down the welds and body filler round it?

[intransit89]

this a pic of mine

[Anton2k3]

Depends how deep the dent is. If its deep, i'd put it out and knock it out as best i could, then fill whatevers left. I wouldnt cut shut for a dent, unless it was major.

[intransit89]

Depends how deep the dent is. If its deep, i'd put it out and knock it out as best i could, then fill whatevers left. I wouldnt cut shut for a dent, unless it was major.

ok cheers how bad was it under the rear wheel archers did you have to make new lips so you could spot weld the arch but on or the rear wheel arch as ive got a new one for the back right one and how hard was it doing the front n/s front arch before the wing

[Anton2k3]

did wings and archs at the same time.
As for the lips I cut the lip off, and on the rear filled the gap with expanding foam, then sealed the foam with body seal. Worked a treat, and next time arched need doing, should be a lot easier. On the front wings, i've left the lip off, so the water can drain out, and hopefully not rot the arch again!

There was rot under every panel. Need to be able to weld and fabricate to sort it properly.

[intransit89]

did wings and archs at the same time.
As for the lips I cut the lip off, and on the rear filled the gap with expanding foam, then sealed the foam with body seal. Worked a treat, and next time arched need doing, should be a lot easier. On the front wings, i've left the lip off, so the water can drain out, and hopefully not rot the arch again!

There was rot under every panel. Need to be able to weld and fabricate to sort it properly.

thats been very help full cheers i will be taking all my front end of this summer when its not raining for 3 days

[rover]

Thats some amount of welding you had to do there mate

Good on ya to keep going and the end result looks great

Rover.

[madmark]

Thats some amount of welding you had to do there mate

Good on ya to keep going and the end result looks great

Rover.

i agree what a good job there well done!

[Luke]

agreed top class job

at least you now have a van with all the rot spots renewed looks a good finish on the paint too

[AlanN]

Thats some amount of welding you had to do there mate

Good on ya to keep going and the end result looks great

Rover.

Yes looking good, keep it coming on the interior, always interested in other people work....


...just so I can nick your ideas

[Anton2k3]

Cheers for the comments guys, it was a baaad summer when i was doing it, but was worth it in the end. I'll get some pics up of the interior sometime this weekend.

[intransit67]

What paint did you use.
Looks very shiny!

Dave