MK1 CAMPER REVERSION

[FredTransit]

OK, remember this -











£205 off ebay. Comments like wiegh it in were passed. I knew otherwise.

[FredTransit]

Yes, as a camper it was a good van. As it goes the van is solid and has no dents. All there and working, by the time it had been an hour in the garage, two thirds of the paint was off.



The major bad points it turned out were -

The Mk1 seats had been skinned and reskinned with Mk3 seat fabric. Not actually in a reupholstery way, just plonked on top and stitched up with string!!! Thanks to Pete 4X4 for the seats and door cards.
The door trims were wood effect hardboard, as was the headlining!!
the badges had been removed, not de badged, just pulled off and the holes left in the panels.
The vandalism was complete with somebody SANDING the chrome bumpers and painting them

Good news is it has a Mk2 servo so she's ready for disc brakes.

[FredTransit]

The grill had some wierd electric fan sticking through it. Reason being for this was there were NO fins left on the original fan, god knows why. So the grill had to be repaired.

[FredTransit]

Obviously th roof had to come off. Thaks to Geoff for the replacement. We didn't fancy disturbing the windscreen so opted for joining the roof at the rib at the back of the cab. Madvanman is a genious, you can't tell or see the join.

[FredTransit]

Next to go were the windows, I can hear Niel cheering from here!



Ironically madvanman had just fitted windows into a smiley, so the red bits you can see here are the metal panels he cut for the holes! Near perfect fit! This pic also shows the new roof line.

[FredTransit]

the wings are sound in the usual places, but had bizarre rot in unusual places, like being good under the headlamps but had a hole at the bottom near the wrap around corragations.

[FredTransit]

Finally she was ready for paint, the first coat went on and almost immediatly reacted and turned to orange peel. That had to be taken off. Eventually we got this -




then at 9.30 at night the starter motor packed up! A rumage around at home found 2 brand new ones, but one was defunct. the second worked perfectly.

The last night was the longest. I din't sleep, didn't even have a lay down on the seats for half an hour. It turned out the headlining couldn't be replaced with a real one, as some of the lip it tucks under had been remeoved. So I cut a huge lump of headlining fabric from the pop top and stuck it directly to the hardboard that was up in the cab, look OK but no showinner.

One of the wheels was Mk2, and wouldn't take the trademark chrome hub cap. Thanks again to Geoff. the hubcaps came from all over the place. Two were from midniteclassics, one from Craig his mate who is into cortinas, and one unbelievably came out of Gary's mum's garden where she had been using it for the wild bird's water!!!

[FredTransit]

The van was due at a viewing in Regent's Park at 12.00 on 8 January. I tried to get a transporter as we hadn't had time to test her (she will pass) so I booked a test local to me and decided to drive. Was a bit of a bitch to start, but start she did and I set off. Didn't get far . Madam had a tantrum and overfueled, never to start again, despite Ant desprately crafting a new carb gasket by the side of the road whilst we waited for the RAC.



So I still haven't taken her far under own steam. To add insult to injury after all that the Art Director didn't like the single back door. So fame will have to wait for Kimberly.

[FredTransit]

She might not yet go, but shee still looks nice huh? Miracles do happen!!!
The Ford lettering is all my own work BTW! I had to make them cos they didn't turn up on time!!!

Forgot to mention, the whole process took 2 months and I am well pleased with the result.

[Luke]

back from the dead nice work fred

[transitgeoff]

did you pay for the roofrack Fred

[FredTransit]

No Geoff, it was for the part and it's gone back to the Art Dept, soon to bee seen being worn by Dave's SWB.

And thanks Luke! Another one saved. I couldn't have done it on my own, if I had she would still have the pop top on! All the same if I had the time I would have plodded along and done it, it is possible and I have now proved it. So go on people, have a go and save an ex camper!!

[chadmat]

If I was wearing a hat, I would take it off.
Every respect to you, that looks mint

[FredTransit]

I think even Ant would agree the effect is brilliant, but close up cos of the problems we had with the first coat of paint close up she still has a way to go. But it's really just finishing.

[FredTransit]

BTW I called this Camper Reversion cos we put the van back to how it left Ford (almost, she was a custom ). A bit of me has to think we did it just to prove it could be done, but I read in the Transit Van Club newsletter there is at least 5 reversions going on, dunno if ours was one of them or there is six!