Ford Transit Forum

by **malta transit** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 11:23 pm

Hi ,its over a year now since i did something to my van. Thanks to Luke i released the spring bolt in minutes. I cut both sides of the bolt, widened the bracket that hold the spring with a lever and hey presto the spring fell off.

Toady i started doing the side again as i was not pleased with what i had done, cut a bigger gap and made patterens and transferded to metal. I ll contiue another day now.

by **redeemer** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 8:56 pm

Good to hear back from you gerald!
If I were you I would try to cut the panel where it is spot welded with the upper big panel(where there is the groove) so you can re make the inner flange for spot/plug welding. Just to avoid blows and wraps from the seam welding. But if its still sound and good, worth try this way.
As always, if you want to remove the bolt and bush from the spring come and I have oxy-acy set :wink:

just sms.

by **ztorm** » Fri Apr 17, 2009 7:57 pm

You may be taking your time, but you avoid short cuts and Ican see you have pride in your work. Keep it up, it's inspiring!

by **Hellblazzer** » Mon May 11, 2009 10:50 pm

Readed the entire thread now and loved it. Good to see You're back in business. Let us know when you do something new and keep up the great work

by **irishtransit** » Tue May 19, 2009 8:18 pm

just read the whole thread and you're an inspiration to all van owners.i'm getting a mk2 camper soon and she needs work so i'll have to get meself a mig welder i think.

by **malta transit** » Thu Oct 15, 2009 9:44 pm

Thanks to Ztorm's advice after a long period of giving up .i went to tackle the other front half,as Ztorm sad it's good teraphy. After i had tackled the right side front,which is this;

I took a long breath to tackle this side now;

After marking a line with a pencil, i got the grinder and cut a straight line. Then i chiseled the part that meets the A post,the lower part was sepperated with rust holes.

Then I marked 2cm round the footwell arch,from top to bottom . And welded in new metal strip,welding it from underneath.

After grinding the excess welds I left it and called it a days work

by **irishtransit** » Thu Oct 15, 2009 10:44 pm

bet you're glad you got back to it eh!!
nice work by the way.

by **Luke** » Fri Oct 16, 2009 2:11 pm

nice days work

i dont see a problem with leaving a project for a while - so long as you still have the enthusiasm for it it'll get done in the end, sometimes when your working every night and getting nowhere its demoralising, but if you just do a bit at a time you feel like its moving forwards

by **redeemer** » Fri Oct 16, 2009 3:11 pm

Nice to see you back Maltatransit!

And as Luke says its the enthusaism that is needed to go along.
It is about 2 years that Im the owner of my van, and thats the time I have wished to restore it , but someday Il do it slowly.

by **ztorm** » Fri Oct 16, 2009 6:12 pm

Well done Malta!! :wink:

Bet you feel a bit better now. Once the grinder is in, progress is bound to be made :lol:

Good to see someone working so secure and neat (makes my work bodging :lol:

). You're doing a great job!!

by **malta transit** » Thu Oct 22, 2009 9:03 pm

Now its time i tackled the left foot wheel arch from the inside. From behind the cover of the shookabsorber i had a few pin holes. I sanded these with sand paper and weren't that bad,but the bottom corner one got bigger. As i tried to mig weld the pin holes the holes got bigger as the metal was thin,so i just cleaned well and used some filler. The bottom one I welded a new peice of metal,though in some parts metal was thin,so filled with filler.

Holes taken care off.

These two days i made patterens for the missing part i cut out,and welded it in. Then i linished it with some filler.

From the outside ;

From the inside ;

At the end i will drill two holes for the bonnet openner.

by **Hellblazzer** » Thu Oct 22, 2009 9:26 pm

Amazing view to contemplate! lol
You're doin gr8, keep on the good work.

by **ztorm** » Thu Oct 22, 2009 9:31 pm

Nice going Malta! Good to see your spirit is back again!

Aren't you afraid the filler will atract water and the metal will start to rust again? Especially in this area where water and mud will be thrown up from the tyres? Or is it some sort of metal filler? You see, this is my nightmare... water creeping up in the filler and destroying everything you've worked for.. But maybe I'm over concerned.? :oops: