Hi, just posting my MK5 2.5D SWB HI-TOP camper build.

[Terry]

Hi
Forgot about the spotlights.
Yes they are 'period' either Raydyot Blue spot or Notek Bue spot can't remember which (NOT Blaupunkt )
They were useless, so everybody used the Lucas 700SLR or 576SLR ,Often 2x 700 (7") spots in the centre high and 2 x 576 (5") fogs low, and if it was a Mini 2 x 576 fogs to dip onto ! because the quartz iodine bulbs got too hot to have 2 in a single 'shell',(we won't mention focussing) then the Cibie Oscars came on the scene.
Have fun,
Terry

[dachre]

Hi Terry,

Yeah, the Ford Works book you have there will cover all MK1's and the very first MK2's. Which is the sort of shell's you looked after. So Its a very good book for the privateer stuff, ect. I've built a few shells to that sort of spec myself and had a lot of fun with them. But in the late 70's and early 80's a couple of things changed with the set ups.. the escorts started to get a bit more of a race feel. Not so much back end out driving- more of a neutral/balanced feeling, and that's the sort of style I was after...

So even tho the book says it covers GP4 in the book it doesn't really have a lot to do with the full blown later GP4 escorts/components/maths-geometry that I was thinking about putting in the Rapier.

There are a some copies of the later specs of the GP4/GPB escort books going around... bit rare tho.... I think you may have to phone up Malcolm Wilson for a copy....... ...

Ah... the spotlights... So they arnt much good then.... ..... But for some reason, they are in very good nick considering. I think I've only ever known Cibies, never seen these before.....

Cheers for your help Terry, much appreciated... ..

[dachre]

I've been having a go at finishing off the underneath of the van ready for an MOT sometime before winter....lol..


The main thing to finish off under the van is the handbrake system from the F150 foot brake to the std Transit rear brakes.

The F150 has a cable attachment and the Transit rear brake linkage is an adjustable rod type.

So i shortened the std Transit rod and instead of welding the fixings back onto the rod at the right length i ran a dye down the one side of the rod and attached a second hand brake adjuster from a spare Transit.

So no welding was done on the rod itself just a modification which wouldn't alter the strength of the rod.







Then i made an adapter which would fix to the F150 foot brake cable to the Transit hand brake rod.






Everything seems to work ok... you put your foot down on the pedal and it locks the rear wheels... you pull the clutch release mech on the foot brake and it releases the brakes....

I have replaced the cylinders (smallest dia) and the brake shoes on the rear and am currently making up new brake pipes for the axle.

The brakes do seam to be pulling on one side more than the other at the mo using the foot brake, maybe this will sort itself out when i put the pipes on and use the hydraulic brake system... or perhaps i should try to adjust the adjusting system in the brake drums... Best put the pipes on and bleed the system first tho.

One thing i did notice is that on the old brake cable that went from one side of the drums to the other, there was what looks like a small adjuster in the cable on the one side and the new cable that I've just put on didn't have this... Perhaps I've put an earlier cable on and not a MK5 one which is why the brakes are pulling on the one side and i cant adjust it.


I'll have to try and sort this when its a bit sunnier..

Cheers everyone.

[turbovan]

iv been checking eveyday to see more keep your pics and reports coming in,
it gives me a buzz lol i love it

[Paul 1]

Nice work

[dachre]

Thanks for the comments Turbovan and Paul.

Thought id stick a photo of the new foot brake cable fixing-part that i made.

It holds the outer cable in place in a similar way to the F150 but the new part I made bolts to the original Transit bottom hand brake assy panels in the floor of the van. I've made it this way in case i change back to the original Transit hand brake assy and it will be an easy job to change back because i haven't modified anything on the van floor.






Then i cleaned up the rear axle, drums, bits and pieces and painted them blue and silver to match the front suspension parts.






I'll make the brake pipes this week and fit the rear shocks, ect....

Cheers for everything guys...

[Luke]

neat idea with the handbrake mount sometimes the simplest ideas are the best

[Nadjenka]

Excellent As always...

[Bigredbus]

Hi your camper is looking great good work, my camper project has been a bit slow lately due to a couple of injuries and lack of cash.But i just wanted to ask you how did you put the extra bit in needed to make the carver water heater fit neatly, ive just aquired one and need to make it look neat like you have done with yours im planning to fit it the same place as you have.If possible could you add a more detailed photo of it thanks luke.

[dachre]

Cheers Luke and Nadjenka... ...



Thanks BigRedBus...

When i wanted to put the Carver water heater in i realised i needed a vertical surface on the body work of the van for the Carver heater flue to mate up to.

As the Transit has a curvy body i had to modify a small square shape/section of it.

As i had a spare side sliding door i hacked out the part of the door where there is a deep body recess/shape in it (Its the body line/profile that runs the whole length of the van).

This is the part i turned around and used to make the top of the square shape protrude out, so now the top of the square is now vertical/flattened to the bottom of the square.

Its a bit like a patchwork quilt... lots of little bits welded together.






Then i just put a bit of filler over it to smooth it out before painting it.






Now the Carver heater sits flush with the horizontal surface of the floor and with the vertical surface of the van body.


Another person on this Forum did something similar with the fitting of a Carver water heater but they simply put a shaped/carved wooden spacer between the curvy van body and the vertical surface of the flue. They then bonded it all together and painted to match. The good thing about what they did was that they didn't need a welder.

Hope this helps..... ......

[Bigredbus]

Hi again thanks for that i think i can manage something similar.

[dachre]

Gonna start connecting all the new wiring up and finishing all the electrics on the leisure battery/charging side of things.

So i thought id start by trying to get a decent sized leisure battery mounted in the camper.

When i installed the engine i chose a top mounted air filter instead of the original side mounted air filter so i could leave space next to the engine. This is where i had always intended on fitting a leisure battery.

But first i had to make a battery tray that could take a big battery, so i took two standard Transit trays, chopped them up and re-welded them back together to make one big one.

Then bolted the tray in using the standard fitting holes on the inner wings.







The battery that im using temporarily is 130amp, there is plenty of room left in the tray to take a bigger battery, perhaps a 150amp.







So that battery should do for the moment, at least I'll be able to get everything wired up.

Cheers guys..

[madbri]

was that the battery of the the jcb that was in the feild earler in ure fred? im on the phone now 2 crimestoppers . brill workmanship as always

[pedro novais]

nice work, it´s amazing

[dachre]

Cheers guys..


I've been doing a bit of the wiring lately.

Put the main control panel in and wired all that up.





Took ages to crimp and solder all the joints but now its a safe loom that will last a good couple of years.

Just have to sort all the spaghetti out behind the panel. I'll run some of the spiral wrap with some cable ties and 'P' clips to try and make things a bit tidier. Hate messy wiring.





So at this stage I've just connected up the two batteries and control panel, tomorrow I'll connect up to the 240v hook up and check that its ok. Then I'll connect all the rest of the powered equipment like the heaters, fridge, ect... But all the switches, lights and gauges seems to work on the control panel so there shouldn't be any problems....

It'll be good to get 240v power and the camping equipment running.... .... I can have bacon sarnies whilst working on the rest of me camper...... ....

Cheers everyone......... .....