HELP! Looking for someone to do MK1 body work in East Anglia

[fioroe]

Hi,
Is there a miracle worker/bodyworker out there or can you suggest someone to restore my poor sad Mk1 camper to its former glory? Its been off road for 3 years & was ok mechanically then ( I have a mechanic friend to take care of that side). I have added some shots of what they would be up against!
Ive managed to get wheel arch, step, door Sills & rear valance off e-bay.
We took it off road as the bodywork let it down, people laughed at us when we stopped at traffic lights.
I couldn't get the bits or find anyone to take it on then BUT after seeing all your amazing rebuild transformations i realise it could be possible to rescue it? We've had the van 15 years & cant bare to sell it.
Thanks Fiona


(sorry for picture sizes)

[redeemer]

That cant be said to be in good condition, but it can be saved, or It Should be saved
The removable panels like bonnet , mudguards, doors etc if they are in bad condition they would be bette be replaced , as welding and patching is very time consuming.

About the body if you have a look here in the progress section, there have been worse and better than this one. What I suggest , first of all its better to buy a small mig and do it yourselves, but I can tell you that it needs some effort to be put in, so any estimates wont be low.
Also about the surface rust , it will be more worth it to shot blast it , to avoid the sanding down by hand which would cost you a far lot more.
maybe the other lads can help you more than me.
And as I can see,, Welcome to the Forum.
redeemer.

[fioroe]

Thanks Redeemer,
What you said makes sense. Think the wings are sound enough to repair. They've rusted at top under seam where they attach below windscreen section. Wings are also shot behind bumper or is it the front valance?Rest of them seem ok. I will keep an eye on e-bay. Also driver side wheel arch seems ok!? All doors a bit "bubbly" near bottom. It had some body work & a respray 12 years ago & i wax oiled doors, panels & wings then !!
Ive had to screen the van from road as got sick of people offering to buy it when all ive needed is someone to fix it so i can keep it! I will add some photos of its better bits Sadly me & husband havent a clue where to start so i thought id ask for help.
Thanks Fiona

[Luke]

what i'd to with that gutter is get a rotary wire brush (on a drill) and go down it get all the flakey rust off (wear goggles) and just give it a coat of white hammerite - just to stop it getting any worse
who ever does it properly will take the hammerite off but at least it will stop it getting any worse untill then

the van doesnt look that bad i'm sure with a clean up you could get it up and running and get bits done as time and money allows - the step is a fairly easy job for somone who knows what they are doing and you can still get reproduction step panels easly

[redeemer]

Yes as Luke said, do what you can so not to let it get worse. there is a hamerite product called Kurust or something like that that is good fo the job. then apply a with coating on it.
and better if it is kept inside, and remove the roof lining (I dont know whats is called exactly maybe the upholstery ) to see how deep is the problem.

[fioroe]

Thanks Luke & Redeemer, will get some hammerite...Wish id done that earlier! I have checked inside roof & cleaned it, that looked ok.Its got wood sides to the pop up roof thank god. Luckily weve got a mk2 C.I motorhome too which is usable so we can still go camping. I do miss driving the Mk1 though!
Fiona

[baconsdozen]

Buy yourself a cheap gasless MIG welder,get some old body panels or bits of them from the scrappie,borrow or buy a book on welding or have a look on the interent (there are even mig welding tutorials and forums) and have a go.
If you are stitching a submarine together or a bridge over a motorway you need loads of experience,but patching up bodywork just isn't that critical.
You can always ask on here if you get in a muddle but you might be suprised what you can achieve.

[Neil]

the gutterlines had it,not a diy job

[Trinny]

Buy a few classic car type mags and look for body repairers in your area
or yellow pages,someone will take pity on it and yes those gutter bits look like they need a professional to me, get a written quote!!

It will be worth it when its done right.

[baconsdozen]

I still stand by what I said.
Some of that could be repaired easily and is worth having a go at,even if the hard stuff has to be done by a professional.The alternative is to sell it for next to nothing or scrap it,so what do you have to lose?.

[fioroe]

Thanks for comments i will look into your options/ideas. I know the other half wont give it a go & is too busy but i like getting my hands dirty & hate girly jobs! except for if it improves my van . (i did make a set of decent van curtains on gt grandmothers treadle sewing machine : & will do so again if & when vans done). Maybe the mix & match approach could work at least any progress photos would be unusual
fiona

[madmark]

theres some work and money to be done there!

[travlinman]

not worth wasin time and money ,will never be worth what it cost to do buy one ready done its cheaper

[Campertess]

Such a similar story to me and Tessie.
15 yrs is a long time eh.

good luck on your mission lady.

[fioroe]

Have had an offer from a local enthusiast who would be happy to do my poor van so am very pleased ! It cant be started till next spring as another mk1 has to be finished first but im more than happy to wait. thanks all for comments