Arrgh - just wrote this up, pressed the wrong button and lost it
Anyway... last Sunday (19th) Nada delivered the John Lewis van to my workshop for Kalkat to give it a spruce up...
Up until friday, Kalkat had stripped the van of most of its trim, lights etc - but was waiting for a 2nd person to do the doors (me!)
I got there before Kalkat on Friday and got to work with the welder.
I haven't looked closely, but a quick glance suugests the rear of the van (up to the cab) is 100% solid to the mudflap (only the 1!). I started by attacking the side that looked worst underneath, cut out the rot and welded in a repair to the mudflap mount
At which point Kalkat turned up... and it was decided I should look at the other side, to make the body side as stiff as possible, and get datums fixed for what she needed to do. At this point the rear floor liner was removed (the proper plastic ford one) and the floor pan assessed. Other than it looks like an elephant has been dancing over the axle, on the whole its not too bad, just a few repairs to make on the rear floorpan section.
Starting on the drivers side... I cut away the floorpan where it was rotton above the mudflap, and found the top return on the sill was perforated in lots of places, and the end of the chassis outrigger was also iffy...
So it was all cut out, a repair section made and welded in to place.
The metalwork around the wheel arch, up to the join with the next floor pan section was distinctly frilly, so this was also cut out and replaced and the floor replaced over the inner sill/chassis repair
At this point it was decided to conserve the welding gas until I can get the 2nd bottle refilled - and that Kalkat should start the outer panelwork!
I got on with prepping iffy areas for welding
Caught in time
- The chassis needs one small localised repair on the top hat, but other than that its in remarkably good condition
Passenger side
This has been cut out and prepped (but forgot the pic)
and there are 2 small holes (1.5 x 3") on the rear cross member to do, and an area in front of the wheelarch. There is no readily identifyable corrosion in the join between the wheel arch and the majority of the floorpan on this side - so no full length repairs required...
Oh look... Kalkats done it again....
Before:
After:
.
Theres not a huge amount of space around the van (3-4 ft on one side, 1-2 ft on the other) so this is very much a one side at a time job!