alixcompo

Fantastic. Supurb flying display and really friendly. Ditto what evryone else said.

See you all next year

No one has mentioned the grass; the whole site ws seeded after last years show and proved it's worth.

Another great event.

I'm guessing 24 CFM is on 3 phase then...?

Yes I thought it was quiet too. Arriving Monday with wellies and flip flops

If in doubt use a product called 'K Seal' this is what car traders use to fix head gaskets. More than up to weeping core plugs. You should pay about 12 quid for a small bottle. Trust me it is worth it.

Thanks for the input chaps, it is very helpful.

The photo is really useful. That is a very early CA. The rear side windows seem to be extra sets of front door items.

Excellent.

Bought yet another pair of rear window seals but these actually fit.

Just about to put some proper wiring into the old van. It will be on alternator; can't be ars*d with dynamo's. Too many bad memories.

It's a bit odd about the lettering. The only body markings were on the front doors and they were just the vehicle number.

So I'm not sure what marking it should have or if they shoud be stenciled or vinyl lettering.

Wow that is a long time since I last posted and it is the time of year where (to avoid the embarassment of not having done a thing since last year) I have a mad panic to improve the old jalopy.

As an update I got the van to the W&P rally last year and it was very well recieved. More to the point (as I was there for seven days) I actually got it running and drove it around for a bit.

It was running from a can of fuel next to the drivers seat, hot wired ignition and rear brake hose clamped off. After I while I was even able to select different gears without stopping.....!

While originally, my idea was a rapid rolling restoration. The plan was to see the chassis brakes and steering serviced into working order and the bodywork tackled at a later date.

So of course I got started on the body and.............

But in the main I discovered what a hobby is as opposed to all the obsessions and infatuations I'd had in the past. Somthing which I can enjoy immensly without having to get stressed over a timescale.

So it has been a bit of a journey. If that doesn't sound too soft. And I have recommissioned 3 other vehicles over the last year; though sadly not old commercials.

As I mentioned elsewhere, I have still been collecting bits. I finally managed to find a set of original 16" wheel rims. After spending 2 years to find a set I wasn't keen to let a shotblaster near them. They wern't exactly pristine, so, one at a time, I pickled them for a couple of days in my electrolisis tank, then rotary wire brushed them, gave them a coat of 'Aqua-Steel' then primed and painted them. It took weeks.

This isn't actually one of the set but the principal of electrolisis is the same.

This is a hub cap tree. I tried painting these body colour (as I believe they were originally) and the looked naff.

So white it was and I am rather pleased.

The full effect of the wheels fitted..........

Lovely big wheels short little van. I love it.

Sorry about the piece of Gaffa tape holding the rear side window closed but did you noticed the front door windows?

First set I have even had a sniff at in two and a half years. Cost a fortune. Fantastic

My first W&P was 20012 at the Hop Farm and my 2nd the Racecourse.

I still just think that it all fantastic but there was so much walking last year and poor signage that found us blocked by drainage ditches.

The racecourse really has excellent potential though.

I get the impression from speaking to people that there were less rules at Beltring and it was very much a boys at play weekend

Oh you spotted the untouched axle. Yeah those upskirt shots can really embarrass an ol' girl.

Originally my plan was to try and turn the van around really fast but circumstances and the fact that I really enjoy slowly tinkering have meant that it has progressed in fits and starts.

My intention is to has it running and driving accepptably and then treat axles/engine etc as winter projects.

Thanks for you interest.

Well despite having finished 99% of the exterior bodywork and driving the van around at last years War & Peace I have done virtually nothing to it since. I have sourced some bits of unobtainium and even got a set of 16" wheel rims (which I am refurbing as we speak).

Sadly I have been distracted by these

The Bedford will be at W & P again this year and be more finished than it was last time.

The van and I are about the same age. There is no rush and we will stumble forward into antiquity together.

I antisipate my last words will be " I've just got to do ......... to the CA and it will be done....."

That's fantastic. Do you have early, pre restoration pics??

Love the project. If it was easy everyone would do it.............. You have definately found a challenge

Ah a mention of 'Joe Lucas'. The Prince of Darkness............:-)

Could the king pin location groove be the result of the easiest mistake.?

Insert the pin to mark the groove position forgetting that it drifts further into place on final assembly.........

Sorry i thought the river was there to keep the Towie croud out of Kent.:nut:

I don't suppose they know where Kent is..!

Restorations like this are an inspiration to the rest of us. Well done.

Supurb. Well done:wow:

lost the land-rover key on the beach, picked the doorlock, unscrewed the dash and then had a security guard knock on my window... are you stealing that land rover?, i told them no one in there right mind would steal that thing. he laughed and went away.the earth switch i bypassed with a 10mm bolt that i screwed in ,

i made a bodge with a spade fuse to connect the ignition wires and fired the starter motor with the other wire.

 

 

worn diesel linkage i fixed with a hairband,

worn petrol linkage cable got fixed with a wire from the carb through the vent flap and i pulled to accelerate.

extremely worn contact set, i used a file to flatten the surface and it went, same as the rotor metal came loose, i used stone adhesive to fix it.

 

no lights at the rear of the vehicle... i got a trailer board as i had juice on the plug at the rear, i made it so that the cable for the tow hitch plug had the beginnings in the engine bay.

 

faulty doorlock, rope to secure it to a bracket at the bulkhead,

2.5 diesel solenoid went bust, removed the internal and started straight up.

 

i was three hours away from home when the thermostat housing gasket failed. i walked a mile to a diner and got a bar coaster, used that to make a gasket and away i went. i don't know how long it will last, but 3 years ain't bad so far.

 

i had 600kg concrete tiles in the back of the 109, the rear spring hanger broke from the outrigger. jacked the vehicle up and got it so the spring end fitted in the hole it left, got the job done and a day later it got fixed, the day after that we did a run to fetch parts from Brighton what proofed to be 28,5 hours on the road, driving from Heemskerk and had 3 cans of petrol with us as support.

 

for me, running crappy trucks is a way of life. field repairs are needed to keep my brain in shape.

cheers, Arjan

I think I may have bought several of you previous vehicles.... Lol.

Your attention to detail is an inspiration. But your patience has become legendary. I am in awe (still)

Great work. Well done

A repair for a broken motorcycle throttle cable used to be fit the longest bit of what remained of the cable onto the carb, cut down the 'outer' and tie the other (broken) end into the front brake lever. Remembering to disconect the brake cable first of course.

This worked very well and on more than one occasion.

That same Anglia van (which I must have sold to some poor unsuspecting idiot) finally had a rattling big end.

This was it I had to sell it..... So I popped the engine out fully intending to split the con rods and fit some kitchen foil under the big end shells..... But the last owner had beaten me to it. B******d

So I had to fork out for a replacement set... NEW PARTS. that was about 15 quid then.

Back driving it the same day.

In the late 70'S I had an Anglia van which I bought from a windmill repair man for £23.50. It was the most abused vehicle I ever had yet always got me home.

Once the mechanical fuel pump packed up. Fortunately windscreen washers had become compulsory by then.

I tipped the water out,got some petrol into the washer bottle, used the screen wash plastic pipe to the carb and drove home giving a couple of pumps on the washer button every now and then.:laugh: