, a fear of Rusty Mk6's, a love of Mk5 Pickups, a new (Warm) shower, a Thatcham Mk5 Body repair manual, a Mk5 Chassis Cab with a chassis that is way too good to scrap and the promise of a good run of work for the next 4 months, I've decided to start a post on restoring my Mk5 Pickup.I'II be modding it later, and I'II be putting a 24V Cosworth Boa in it too for a mock up. But I'II stick with the restoration theme at the mo as knowing me it will probably take me the best part of a year by which time I'II have every panel disassembled.
I want to try and take off both the inner arch panels in an effort to eliminate the rust between the spot welded seams.
My idea is to remove rusted panels and crossmembers etc. completely, repair them, get them and the rest of the Transit shotblasted and then put it back together again. Mk5's aren't like the good old Mk1 -3's, as the rust seems to creep in everywhere and cause major problems and there seem to be that many more factory laminations that are done to a far shittier quality of build.
I am only thinking of doing the repairs this way as I am in no hurry and judging by the quality of Fords Panel joining work will probably look as good when it all done. (No disrespect to Ford Assemble Workers but it is a slur on todays Robo tronics and throwaway culture which is instigated from the top).
Being a chassis cab its a little less daunting than a van so I am thinking I will remove as much as possible without the need for an alignment jig.
I'II be taking the upper chassis rails off complete with crossmembers so as I can get inside the lower chassis members and put in some new laminate steel to replace the ones that are starting to rust out. Don't actually think by the condition of it that the outer chassis section will need a repair, as its just bulging inwards between the spot welds along the tail end bottom side of the lower chassis rail from the expansion of the rust from the inner lamination. It should just hammer out straight, though if I need to patch it it will be seam welded.
Chassis Cabs have a hard life, much more so than Tourneos and GLX minibuses so they are impossible to get in pristine nick, although the other MK5 I am running comes pretty close.
I'II use this one as a learning curve, especially in learning how to tackle those hidden laminated water traps that start bulging and bursting open with rust despite the maintenance and genuine low mileages.
If I just repaired it it would get through the MOT, but really I want more than another 3 years tops out of it.
Here is the result of Sunday and this evening so far: Engine Gone, Shocks off, Seats & Dash out, Wing off, started removing some more spot welds...
Well here it is.
Wing off - found it had been repaired and the bodgers (Well, time is money) drilled right through to the inner A Pillar Panel with the spot weld drill bits when they got the old factory wing off, needless to say they left it as untreated bare metal and the damp got in between the outer and inner A pillars, so a bit more work in line...The initial accident damage and the repair probably contributed to the erosion, although offsides are always bad.
I've been using spot weld cutters and am finding they don't last very long so that is going to be a few £££'s... Been using another drill to drill a small pilot hole half a panel deep to guide the cutters, I think I need to get the spot weld drills as it will be a lot easier and no grinding off the weld nuggets afterwards.
Been scraping off the underseal and seamseal in an effort to track down the elusive spot weld positions and mark them off with a pen, think I have them all now. I wasn't planning on it as there is no rust here, but I'II have to separate the two inner wheel arch panels after all as the inner A pillar is spot weld sandwiched between them. Using a bluntish chisel to scrape off the underseal and its not damaging the primer any (It will stay outside for a while yet)
What is this extra laminate reinforcement for?? Lifecycle design? I think Ford introduced this when they redesigned the MK4 with 90 degree extra mount brackets, as the MK4 with 45 degree brackets featured a one piece chassis top and bolts & saddle to secure the mounts brackets to the top of the chassis. I want to get shot of this chassis top plate too as its paper thin around the edges. I think I will have to use some spot weld drills for the short section that it underlaps the cab floor, where it ends as there is no other access and the weld nuggets from a spot weld cutter wouldn't stop it being freed from the cab.
Anyway once this top chassis plate is out if the way, I can get inside the chassis leg....and possibly remove the sandwiched inner leg too...see how it looks when I'm there
Rather than grind them all off, I'II be leaving some weld nuggets on the remaining panels so I don't get any hassles with panel alignment when it has to be put back together again.
Trying out some 45 degree MK4 engine mount brackets I acquired the other day, all line up OK and should (In theory) marry with the SVO Cologne V6 engine mounts, I hope.
Anyways, for a first timer, lets hope I don't end up with a pile of disassembled scrap metal a few months down the line.
Taking things apart is a whole lot easier than putting them back together again and I live in hope!
Humpty Dumpty springs to mind!
I hope this thread will be of some use to someone as a referance for how MK5's are actually put together, I'II try and keep it to the point, but if it gets too long I'II have to be putting in some charitable donations for the server space.
Anyway less words!!
At least Mk5's are fixable.