Anyone remember this at Vanfest 2006?

Lurking underneath this battered rusty turquois painted old Panelvan waiting to be discovered was The Electronic equipment Co logo'd delivery van from Lacost in Texas........

mdcooperuk wrote:
Hello eveyone, i have just worked out after several years how you clever people upload Photos...!!!!
i have recently started a 58' panel van that was bought at Vanfest in 06 by a friend, and as we lay underneath it and saying what fantastic condition it was in apart from all the holes everywhere, little did i know but i was going to own it one day.
My Friend Kevin who used to be into salvage and straightened out the cab with a hydrolic ram as it was hit as you can see but i watched as the cab came back into shape and the door lined up perfectly....Clever guy that kevin.
Keniv then sold it to another friend paul within a week it then sat for 3 years in a Taxi repairers workshop in Hackney London for 3 years covered in Anchor wax until i could take it no longer,made him an offer he couldn't resist and we brought it back to Enfield.

I had just finished my 64' BWA Bus and was hungry for a new project.
The Panel had sat in the Navada dessert for a long long time and it seems to have missed out on bad repairs and bodges it looks like i'm the first person to touch the body work,no filler at all....
I am not a purist at all and wanted to build another BWA van so i have removed the old gearbox mounts and fitted Creative legs.

The problem i had was that pre 59 vans have a round rear rubber mount and the nose cones cant be used so after coresponding with Brian Box i made up a iron support to take a later gear box mount and welding it in between the new creative Irs legs.

I have removed the cargo floor and was pleasantly suprised.









I met a guy at Bugjam and he told me to check to see if the chassis was full of sand and a bag and a half later i was so pleased i met him.unfortuneatley he had to replace all of his outriggers as that was how he found out about the sand...poor guy
I have finished the roof off with rust beater and was well please with the result.



I fitted the wheels on today and am running 185 60 R15 on the rear.the van doesn't sit low enough and will lower further tomorrow...Aint it fun playing with Vw's...!!!!
Here's my other Van which runs a 2276cc...

Tidied your pics up a bit there!!! Nice looking panel do i spy some signwriting lurking under that top coat of paint??????

Sean

x

i do love a panel (especially 58's ) - keep up with the pics

whats the plans??

Dagboyblue wrote:i do love a panel (especially 58's ) - keep up with the pics

whats the plans??

i wanna get the geomentry right first once happy with it sitting good i'm finishing off the welding and then get a auto roller to make the underneath perfect.....i want the engine bay as mint as my yellow vans but tkeep the OG original as possible...... try and remove the top coat of nasty bright blue,
i was inspired when i watched The Wheeler dealer run at big bang and want to make the Panel shift as quick as i can get it to go....i dont want a turbo....i wanna keep it real.
I have a 68' front beam going on with bay disc brakes and if the rain goes away should get it done this week......

Well its 30th dec Wednesday evening and i braved the rain and started to remove the front beam...all was going well but i couldn't undo the front union of the gear selector shaft......i drilled out the two bolts but still couldn't budge it even tried lots and lots of heat and after 3 hours i gave up and tried to slide the beam off the end od the shaft then......Snap it was all over....when i looked at the hollow tube i found it was badly corroded...anyone got another one.. PLEASE ....i'm sure i can make one if i cant buy on as its only a long length on steel but would be easier to locate one.....so if you can help call me on 07904 943 780 (Michael)
I'll take some more pic tomorrow....

Found the gear shaft at Custom and commercial and should get it next week.
started to fit the long outer sill and the inner will take some pics tomorrow...







Unfortuneatley the custom and commercial sill was an inch short!!!! so luckily i had the original section to weld in.. the general fit was pretty crap and i had to jiggle it around to fit..wish i had fitted Auto craft panels..............






Dont know what has happened with this Blogg....seems to have doubled up on itself....



stripped out the floor all good so far.....apart from the front left corner..it seems the van was left with its doors open for years looking at strange places it has rotted.....



it had the wrong engine lid and bought one at Van fest for £250......wow



fitted the other sill but cut it off and threw it away.....ordered Auto craft correct fit....



Thats a better fit...!!!

in goes the new floor.....lovelly perfect fit...









i cut out the b post and replaced...

now ready to tackle the front..you cant buy a floor foor a 58' so i had to make it up from a later floor that didn't fit...

look what i found under that nasty blue and grey



I tried to keep as much of the van as possible so just welded strips in...







perfect fit.....

now the van had been in a smash years ago and the right hand A post was shot so i had to find a donor clip to remove and fit...bit of a night mare but had a go..



went to Stonor Pk Henley and picked it up

















it amazes me when people sell these old vans that havn't been weld and insisting that they are rot free..i bet if you pull the front off you will always find rot........


so cut out the front panel to expose the A post and carefully removed it....

i'm now thinking am i capable of stitching this together........????

then it gets worse the new donor A post is rotten....


but with some magic welding...



Here's the two A posts......once repaired it was ok to use

I had to buy another door at £250...


and used correct fit to make sure it all lined up.....





and the front panel ready to stitch




now for the correct fit lower front panel



bit of magic filler...for dressing obviously....





And Voila'





now to the front floor.....



The problem with these early vans is you have to leave the middle part of the floor in if you can.....
i bought a rooler off ebay..made the job easier.....









All the metal on the van has been treated with Rustbuster.....




must used 12 litres or so....hope it works

now for an easy bit...





another new bit...






Started working the paint....




a nice set of pop outs



amazing what a coat of paint can do....





just fitted the creative steering...


and a 4'' narrowed weedeater 2 beam from creative...
still got lots to do...get the gearbox built at Cog box

just found out today the my king and link pins are shot...more money....
i have stuff for sale gear box front original beam in excellent condition if anyone wants it and other parts too...

All the paintwork has now been completed and the rust is now dead...i finished it off with a Matt Lacquer...
i have painted the underneath with obviously rust buster..4 coats of undercoat and four coats of dove blue.....
i didn't take pics of the repairs underneath cos i forgot....mainly the central rigger and a couple of outriggers...



Just stripped the old beam down and found the spindles are shot and the torsion bars were snapped in half....
waiting for dropped spindles from Transporterhaus and having the new torsioin bars shortened in my local engineering shop....

hopefully will be fitting the new CSP discs soon and getting her down on her wheels....looking forward to that...!!!

Its been ages since i can updated this .....but now back on track...

SORRY FOR THE REPEATS AT THE BEGINNING...Cant seem to get rid when i edit it goes back to singles..very strange

Full credit to ya mate, your doing a great job ...

nice bus dude....

Awesome!

What a great job you are doing (as said above )

Keeps getting better and better.
What wheels have you planned for it?

eric.

Excellent work , really like the sign writing

I have some old chrome 356 steels to use for now and if they look cool just get some 356 hub caps or similar for them..

my drop spindles will arrive on Monday and tomorrow i'm picking up the shortened torsion bars.....

hopefully by the following weekend it should be down on the front wheels.........looking forward to that....

great work mate.