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Post by pk on Oct 24, 2015 0:04:42 GMT 1
Hello everyone, this is it; I was in the market for a small van for the weekends to take the kids quad bikes out. Whilst shopping around last summer I saw an old mk1 transit pickup that Victor had got in from Malta that looked like a fun project. I went over to see him and if you don't know him he is a gent, true to his word it needed a lot of work. In the garage he had a swb mk1 van project he'd already started and I thought that'd suit me better. I made him an offer and we shook hands and that was it. I had got me a mk1 transit swb petrol v4 with a tailgate and so the journey begins! The van seems to have been a camper conversion with windows cut in to the back panels and a pop top roof which Victor has already had replaced with and new roof section and panels welded back in to the sides.
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Post by irishtransit on Oct 24, 2015 0:42:03 GMT 1
looks a good base project.
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Post by jonochap on Oct 24, 2015 8:27:13 GMT 1
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Post by retiredtruckie on Oct 24, 2015 9:11:13 GMT 1
Looks like a good start for you pk
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Post by FredTransit on Oct 24, 2015 10:19:27 GMT 1
Nicely done. I am jealous of your side louvres. Kim the pop top camper reversion doesn't have them.
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Post by pk on Oct 24, 2015 12:32:32 GMT 1
Well before i go too far i got to be honest and say that i am not responsible for any of the following mechanical and welding works you see, one of my brothers Ric has his own MOT garage down in Chichester and he's got a side garage where he does various restoration/fabrication projects for people. He has thankfully taken on the task of restoring the transit for me with me helping (if i can) because im a carpenter and i am good with wood but metals not my thing. First thoughts on this was get it on the ramp and see what its structually like and thankfully the chassis is solid but the body was a diferent story. Mostly the usual situation where people have covered up rust and holes with tons of filler, the first thing he took care of was the headlight/wing area. It seems a common problem with these that water gets passed the headlight and sits in the wing/headlight cowl area. I purchased a replacement part and had one that came from Victor with the van so both were re-newed. As you can see there was a section of the wing that had gone too far aswell so he has fabricated a section to repair the wing and give him something to weld the headlight cowls to.
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Post by FredTransit on Oct 24, 2015 18:59:51 GMT 1
You do know the headlight bezels and cowls are supposed to be screwed in place don't you? It's so you can get to the sealed beams.
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Post by pk on Oct 24, 2015 20:07:37 GMT 1
Yeah that would be a problem wouldn't it! ? I had meant the panels behind that had rotted out, the cowls and bezels are screwed in, sorry for the confusion. Just out of curiosity, does anyone prefer the look of the diesel front end. Or is it just me?
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Post by FredTransit on Oct 24, 2015 20:37:37 GMT 1
I prefer the flat front, sorry. The profile of the bull nose is too much like the Mk2. As you know I do like a Mk2. But the Mk1 is of it's day, and the flat front IS the Mk1.
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Post by pk on Oct 24, 2015 21:00:47 GMT 1
Thanks for the input, I'm getting that maybe the flat front has the majority with almost everyone I've spoke to.
I personally prefer the bull nose front; particularly the one with less slots and the FORD in the panel. Not sure if that's the earlier one or not.
I think I am going to be putting that front on to this one, no shortage of people wanting the grill and bonnet from the flat front.
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Post by pk on Oct 24, 2015 21:07:44 GMT 1
This is the one I was thinking of.
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Post by jonochap on Oct 24, 2015 23:45:33 GMT 1
Certainly opens up your options on engines if you do change...and according to national sources there are only a few bull noses left
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Post by cadill69 on Oct 25, 2015 0:59:28 GMT 1
The vast majority of mk1's are bullnose downunder so I find the flat ones quite exotic. The bullnose does look an older shape though ie 50's style.
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Post by jonochap on Oct 25, 2015 8:37:04 GMT 1
I think there are plenty here too, it's a reference made to a quote on a do-up-a-car show on telly here earlier in the year for the love of cars did a tranny mk1
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Post by pk on Oct 25, 2015 10:35:49 GMT 1
Jonochap: I am not sure how they worked that one out either, I'd never seen a mk1 transit before I got mine last year and I've seen a few bull nose ones about. Next up was the side steps and sill's, I purchased a drivers side step sill and the rest was patchwork fabricated to fit. Looks rough there but once it's ground down and painted you'll never see it. The other side was just the step plate and there was some welding done under the mat by the wheel arch but haven't got any pics of that.
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