Fresh Metal (at last)!!!

I’m finely at the stage of putting some of the new metal into the van.

With the old inner sill cut out:

The new one gets clamped into place to provide a fixed point as I replace the cross supports (all are going bar one which I’m saving):

Trial fit of the front outrigger which didn’t need too much fiddling to get in the right position (I think?):

Fifth floor support cut out (far right where the space is):

And new one clamped and tack welded to the chassis:

Middle Outrigger trial fitted to the new floor support (fit seems good):

It feels good to be finally putting some metal back into the van after months of cutting it to bits. 

Now to just carry on with replacing the rest of the floor supports. This is why I’m replacing most of them; the I beams were bulging with rust:

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Shot Blasting

I finally got the shot blaster in yesterday to clean up the underside for me. I was down there for a mammoth 12hrs as I needed to completely empty the unit for the guy, move everything back in after (inc. Engine, Front Beam, Roof, all doors, tools etc) and give it a coat of paint.

All out:

Shot blaster in:

I knew it would be messy work but the entire workshop was covered in about an inch of sand afterwards (it looked like a beach!). It took me nearly 2hrs to completely clean the workshop (it only took the guy about 1hr to blast the entire underside!).

And the finished result, I’m dead impressed with it:

Then it was back in with the spraying gear:

and all done with a fine coat of zinc primer:

Now just to get some fresh metal back in:

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More bodges!

I’ve found some more delightful bodges on the van this week. 

Offside panel has quite an impressive amount of filler on it:

Offside wheel arch had this patch on it (not even fully welded on, just some tacks in three places):

and underneath:

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