All About FLER

[MinorMatt]

just a working engine....

[Altransit]

just a working engine....

ok ok you win ......... well done Matt

[MattBlackMinibus]

Well done Matt ... All progress is goooood, and a running engine is a fairly major part of any van

[MinorMatt]

Something arrived today that looks a lot like a boat....

seperating the fibreglass from the metal is a right PITA!

I havent got as much done as I hoped, I managed to scrape the 'scorts bumper on a wall so I have been tidying that up and getting my alloys on it sorted.

There should be more progress (and pictures) tomorrow

[supersport]

my offer still stands and i can be there from about 12 tomorrow.

[Nadjenka]

Now where are the pictures?? Let's see the boat!

[MinorMatt]

tomorrow....

Supersport, cheers but I should be ok!

Matt

[MinorMatt]

My Boat:



Spent all day removing the metalwork stuck too it. Got this far by lunch time



and finally got to this just as it was getting dark:



The way I found was best to remove the sides was to undo all the bolts holding the hoops on then cutting the gutters off with the recipricating saw. When the 2 sheets are prised apart half of the box section can be prised off. Then its possible to prise the piece of metal that is left on the side off relatively easily. its then easy to get a serrated knife between the 'glass and the remaining metal. once thats off its easy to knock it off.

The bits round the semi high metal roof bit are a real PITA and I didnt find an easy way to do it. The front came apart very easily just a bit of brute force and ignorance

[dachre]

..... I remember that....!

I called mine a boat too..... ...

I got my hoops off in a similar way but i also used a bit of heat..... The sealant would go very soft with a bit of heat to the metal sections.... then stretch and then i just used a flexible bread knife to slice into the soft sealant whilst using spacers between the fibreglass and steel..

Wouldn't it be great to fill in the back door sections, mount a big v8 with a massive propeller three foot in the air like those Florida swamp air boats.....and go get some gaters..... ....

Good luck with everything...

[MinorMatt]

What suprises me is just how heavy it still is!

[dachre]

I thought it was a bit heavier than the metal roof but not that much heavier.

But it isn't light, that's for sure.

Is this one the standard high top-roof or is it the bigger one from a high-cube?.... there's about 2" hight difference, I used the smaller (lighter) type.

[MinorMatt]

its from a normal LWB, not a high cube

[MattBlackMinibus]

Oh dear, you got me thinking silly ideas now
I have thought in the past it might be nice to have a pop-top on my bus,
but think the roof ridges would make it a pain to seal.
But a transit roof might fit on quite snuggly

Will you be removing it carefully Matt

[MinorMatt]

Well the bit over the cab will be staying for the moment... and you wouldnt want my roof anyhow! ALL the seams have rotted out to the extent that they are just about waterproof, but if a gnat landed on it, it would fall through!

[MattBlackMinibus]

you wouldnt want my roof, if a gnat landed on it, it would fall through!

Aaah, old Fords, don't you just love 'em!