Bangers and Mash

That looks great Minh, good luck with the restoration. The engine out of your SL55 will be a good fit in it...

tonym posted:

That looks great Minh, good luck with the restoration. The engine out of your SL55 will be a good fit in it...

Thank you Tony. I can now see the appeal of having a front row view of the engine:

Looks like you're starting with an immaculate and newly restored shell - would be good to see the restoration goes!

Duncan Mann posted:

Looks like you're starting with an immaculate and newly restored shell - would be good to see the restoration goes!

The campervan was acquired from a father and son team who spent several years restoring the bodywork. I really like the colour scheme that they chose because it really accentuates the charm and character of this rare beauty. I'll be more than happy to post updates of my progress!

Minh Nguyen posted:

 I'll be more than happy to post updates of my progress!

Excellent - looks like a fun project, Minh

james n posted:

Minh Nguyen posted:

 I'll be more than happy to post updates of my progress!

Excellent - looks like a fun project, Minh

There isn't an aftermarket supplier for parts so I'll need to fabricate some of my own. A steep learning curve is ahead but I'm really looking forward to it James.

Looks fun...

Over one million Bedford CA campervans were made during their heyday. From the village school bus to delivering the post, this versatile van was converted for many different purposes. 

The interior of the cabin had undergone various repairs and alterations. There was rust in some areas in addition to dents and dings on the dashboard and wheel arches. To give the van a new lease of life and make it good for another twenty years, it was necessary to remove most of the paint back to bare metal. Filler was used where required and sanded to a smooth finish before two layers of primer were applied. A further three layers of colour were applied and allowed to dry for two days. The dashboard was sanded flat and then polished to a lustrous glossy shine.

If you need any bits, the Beaulieu Autojumble at the beginning of September would be your best bet. It's a great day out anyway,

I sometimes have a stall there flogging old motorbike parts and literature but it's mostly car stuff.

Looks like a labour of love, and the finished project will look stunning, if these early photographs are anything to go by. 

I love the sliding doors and the candy stripe extending top.  I'd be very tempted to keep it as period as possible. Enjoy the rebuild Minh.  Can't wait to see it when it's finished.

Pev posted:

If you need any bits, the Beaulieu Autojumble at the beginning of September would be your best bet. It's a great day out anyway,

I sometimes have a stall there flogging old motorbike parts and literature but it's mostly car stuff.

 

Thank you for the suggestion Pev. I haven't been to this event before but it looks like a lot of fun!

dave marshall posted:

Looks like a labour of love, and the finished project will look stunning, if these early photographs are anything to go by. 

Indeed it is a labour of love. A straight forward minor task can literally explode into a rusty can of dusty worms from a mere observation. Sometimes it feels as though I'm erasing sixty years of the past. The dashboard had four layers of paint. This van had entertained decades of holiday makers. The choice of colours captured the decadence of distributive devolution. She was a stunner when she left the factory: I hope to honour her heritage.

Simon-in-Suffolk posted:

Looks fun...

I must admit that it's not all fun and games. There is sixty years of stubborn dirt and grime to remove from all the crevices. In addition to sixty years of bodged repairs and modifications. 

Minh Nguyen posted:

dave marshall posted:

Looks like a labour of love, and the finished project will look stunning, if these early photographs are anything to go by. 

Indeed it is a labour of love. A straight forward minor task can literally explode into a rusty can of dusty worms from a mere observation. Sometimes it feels as though I'm erasing sixty years of the past. The dashboard had four layers of paint. This van had entertained decades of holiday makers. The choice of colours captured the decadence of distributive devolution. She was a stunner when she left the factory: I hope to honour her heritage.

I know where you are coming from

I'm part way through a restoration of my Mk1 Granada and even the smallest of jobs can turn into much bigger ones. 

Guinnless posted:

Minh Nguyen posted:

dave marshall posted:

Looks like a labour of love, and the finished project will look stunning, if these early photographs are anything to go by. 

Indeed it is a labour of love. A straight forward minor task can literally explode into a rusty can of dusty worms from a mere observation. Sometimes it feels as though I'm erasing sixty years of the past. The dashboard had four layers of paint. This van had entertained decades of holiday makers. The choice of colours captured the decadence of distributive devolution. She was a stunner when she left the factory: I hope to honour her heritage.

I know where you are coming from

I'm part way through a restoration of my Mk1 Granada and even the smallest of jobs can turn into much bigger ones. 

You are more than welcome to post updates of your restoration here. This thread could become a place where enthusiasts share knowledge. I'm in the process of learning how to leather wrap the steering wheel. I have never done it before so it may take me a few practice runs before I finish up with something acceptable. It should look nice in beige leather with red stitching whilst retaining the original polished aluminium Bedford insert.

Richard Dane posted:

I love the sliding doors and the candy stripe extending top.  I'd be very tempted to keep it as period as possible. Enjoy the rebuild Minh.  Can't wait to see it when it's finished.

Great minds think alike Richard. I am retaining the period features where possible. The interiors were very modest in comparison to what is available today so they are in dire need of upgrading. I'm planning to take the campervan on mini excursions to explore the country so I'd like it to have modern conveniences. The steering is being converted to power steering and the brakes and suspension are being upgraded. The engine is from a Ford Capri and it is a vast improvement over the original. There will also be a fridge, sink, hob and heating with sleeping arrangements for four adults.

Minh Nguyen posted:

Guinnless posted:

Minh Nguyen posted:

dave marshall posted:

Looks like a labour of love, and the finished project will look stunning, if these early photographs are anything to go by. 

Indeed it is a labour of love. A straight forward minor task can literally explode into a rusty can of dusty worms from a mere observation. Sometimes it feels as though I'm erasing sixty years of the past. The dashboard had four layers of paint. This van had entertained decades of holiday makers. The choice of colours captured the decadence of distributive devolution. She was a stunner when she left the factory: I hope to honour her heritage.

I know where you are coming from

I'm part way through a restoration of my Mk1 Granada and even the smallest of jobs can turn into much bigger ones. 

You are more than welcome to post updates of your restoration here. This thread could become a place where enthusiasts share knowledge. I'm in the process of learning how to leather wrap the steering wheel. I have never done it before so it may take me a few practice runs before I finish up with something acceptable. It should look nice in beige leather with red stitching whilst retaining the original polished aluminium Bedford insert.

Hi Minh,

Very nice of you to offer.  I'll find some pics over the next week or so and pop a few on

My Granada is of 1977 vintage; a 2.0 litre model in 'L' trim, most survivors are Ghia models with a 3.0 V6 engine.
My dad bought the car in 1985 and it was used to go on a family holiday to Cornwall.   An 18 year old (me!) who'd not long passed his driving test drove all (almost) the way there from Manchester.  The car was then used up until 1990 and an assessment of its condition was made by my mate who found lots of corrosion, holes in floors and suspension mounting points corroded away; and advised that there was a huge amount of work and it wasn't worth fixing. My dad and I were very disappointed and it was then I decided I would do the welding myself even though I'd never welded before.  My mate repaired the suspension mount for me and left me to fix the rest which I duly did.

The Granada was then my daily driver for the next four years until I bought a Sapphire Cosworth in early 1995, this then became my daily driver and the Granada was then used by my dad till the late 90's.  "Old faithful" as it became known was then put in the garage as further work was needed - sadly it took me eleven years to get around to it. Shameful

Around 2002 and prompted by my other half to do get it back on the road it returned to the road with a few minor bits of welding and was use for a few years.  It was known then that another layup was needed to get it back in a position where it would have a long term future.  And so here I am several spools of welding wire later...and another 10 years off the road <sigh>     However, things are looking good and I'm able to do high quality paintwork (2K) myself working on a panel at at time (non-metallic so no blending needed).

I've rebuilt the original engine to the highest standards I possibly can  including a full racing spec balance. The original gearbox will be going back in to replace the five speed fitted many years ago from a scrapped 1.8 Sierra.  Apart from springs and shocks all suspension and mechanicals are original. I even painted the engine block in the living room as it was freezing outside

These are the sort of images that would have a lot of people in despair   But I worked on it section at a time.  If you look at the whole of what you've got to do you would just pack in and put some music on instead. 

There should be a floor here.

I had to cut the scuttle out to get to the rot.

And oh yes, there was rot!

A bit of tin bashing and things start to look better

A bit of Nevada Beige...

The front passenger door has now painted and refitted. Sill and door aperture also painted.

Working on rear door and quarter panel.

Good job!

Hi Guinnless

Your restoration looks as though it is really coming along. I can see that you've had to tackle some serious issues to get to where you are now. The Nevada Beige looks perfect for the Mk1. I love the subtle detailing on those panels and it must have taken you a while to get the lines/curves on that fender just right.

After reading the "This is how NOT to speak to a prospective customer over the phone" thread, I'm wondering whether there is a dress code for driving vintage vehicles? Apparently, there are people who can tell how much money a person has from the way they dress and carry themselves. I suppose it would be disingenuous to pull up in a dirty Bedford when meeting a prospective dealer? Would it create the wrong impression with bell bottoms and baskets? 

The dress code for a 1970's car is flared jeans, a wide collar shirt and a tank top