mexicansteve
South West
Posts: 683 
Club RR Member Number: 31
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Well I haven't posted on here for a long time, not since I sold my Datsun to help fund the purchase of my pub. Today I made my way to the boondocks just north of Brentwood, Essex to become the 6th owner of my new van for the pub. There are a few non working bits but it made it way effortlessly back home, 200 miles and via the M25, M3 and A303 through rain and fog! The seller said one of the wheel bearings was possibly shonky and threw in a new one, and a new rotor arm, they couldn't say for sure as apparently it rarely went above 50mph. Tomorrow it's going straight to the garage for a full service and a run down on everything that needs doing. At least one outer sill and both rear wheel arched will need welding but otherwise it seems fairly solid. So that's it, if anyone knows anything about these let me know, likewise if you know where I might source parts like light clusters, steering wheels...everything... Confused slightly as it's Vauxhall badged on the front, Bedford badged on the back and the dvla says it's a Bedford, somewhere else (can't quite recall) I'm told it's Vauxhall. I know 89 was the year when it changed from Bedford to Vauxhall but that's all. Anyway, enjoy the pictures.      |
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BeQuietandDrive
1989 Bedford Astra Van
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rare to see one of them these days , good luck with it its nice
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Bedford/Vaux are one of the same from that era I believe. Neat to see one, never actually seen one in the wild!
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Front has had a bump Bonnet doesn’t match colour of wings and that’s a late (H/J plate) hatch grille. Thought these had the mesh style ones
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Front has had a bump Bonnet doesn’t match colour of wings and that’s a late (H/J plate) hatch grille. Thought these had the mesh style ones Just googled, and this appears to be right  Nice van though, always wanted one of these |
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79cord
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,617
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Wow, Bedford bumper/grille obviously even more rare than the van. Great find.
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if you need a rear wiper arm let me know I have got some new ones
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mexicansteve
South West
Posts: 683
Club RR Member Number: 31
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Well obviously, if anyone found/has a Bedford grille I'd be happy to take it off your hands and yes gtviva, I do need a rear wiper arm, I may have some bits so I'll check first.
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BeQuietandDrive
1989 Bedford Astra Van
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My mate had one of these back in the mid 90s and I used to go to and from the pub with him and his Mrs with me in the back. Never got pulled over thankfully! Nice to see one again. Trying to remember when I last saw one on the road. Good luck with your parts hunting.  |
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mexicansteve
South West
Posts: 683
Club RR Member Number: 31
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Mercedeslimos, in another google picture search I came across this, also an 89, same grille, same stickers on the back ( the other picture on flickr) and even the G551 is the same! So it probably is correct.  |
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BeQuietandDrive
1989 Bedford Astra Van
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mexicansteve
South West
Posts: 683
Club RR Member Number: 31
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Previous bit if wheel arch repair sand blasted to reveal...fibreglass! Clearly needs sills too, other side is the same. I merely touched the interior light lens and it crumbled to bits. On a plus note, I may have found a new lens, I bought a headlamp so all I need now is sills, wheel arches and a light cluster. And time.    |
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BeQuietandDrive
1989 Bedford Astra Van
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l10mcu
Part of things
Posts: 62
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It's the right front for a g reg replaced or not. The facelift came about a year before the rebranding to Vauxhall. Back in the stone ages the in-laws shop had 2 brand new astramaxs both identical one a g reg one a h reg the former badged a Bedford the later a Vauxhall. Both were facelift with the separate grill later instrument cluster etc etc.
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mexicansteve
South West
Posts: 683
Club RR Member Number: 31
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Mar 14, 2018 12:10:10 GMT
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I got some new bits courtesy of Keith May at VauxhallGreenParts.co.uk. This may sound like an ad but what are the chances, in one week, of rounding up the bits I need for an obsolete work van, and they're in the GM boxes! The Van is now down at Y and R motors in Exeter with a brilliant old boy called Ubi (he sorted the sills and floorpan on my Datsun). I was told that Klokkerholm panels are what I needed so we started searching, no one has anything but I gather the company is Danish and still makes the panels. It may take a few weeks but it looks like I can get proper sills, wheel arches/ rear quarter. Game on.  |
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BeQuietandDrive
1989 Bedford Astra Van
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Mar 14, 2018 20:47:58 GMT
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Looks pretty tidy. Be good to get shot of those awful wheel trims.
I've got some amber front indicators you can have for free if you need.
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mexicansteve
South West
Posts: 683
Club RR Member Number: 31
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Looks pretty tidy. Be good to get shot of those awful wheel trims. I've got some amber front indicators you can have for free if you need. The wheel trims are going, I was just goung for black steels. I'll check the indicator lenses, I think they're ok. |
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BeQuietandDrive
1989 Bedford Astra Van
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the chassis member holding the rear beam axle used to rust through on my old courier van . give them a bash with a hammer an see if they rattle with rusty bits inside .great vans .
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Mercedeslimos, in another google picture search I came across this, also an 89, same grille, same stickers on the back ( the other picture on flickr) and even the G551 is the same! So it probably is correct. I’ve got an 89 Astra estate with the same grille on, no idea if it’s original or not tho! Van looks great, must be a rare old thing! |
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Maximum signature height: 80 pixels
87 Nissan Bluebird
88 Mk2 Vauxhall Astra
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Mar 18, 2018 14:24:14 GMT
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The bumper/grill thing going on is just the early and facelift types, the earlier car/van bumper had the grill built in and on the face lift they went to a separate grill, the change over would be done on chassis number rather than year registered, you never knew how long they had sat in fields before they were sold and registered!
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mexicansteve
South West
Posts: 683
Club RR Member Number: 31
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Mar 20, 2018 10:12:02 GMT
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the chassis member holding the rear beam axle used to rust through on my old courier van . give them a bash with a hammer an see if they rattle with rusty bits inside .great vans . There are indeed a few structural bits of welding to be done but that's all getting taken care of while the body rot is being done. Got to do it properly, there are so few of these around. |
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BeQuietandDrive
1989 Bedford Astra Van
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Mar 20, 2018 12:39:00 GMT
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I like the look of this alot...
It's great to see something that used to be so familiar but is now pretty much extinct!
Superb.
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***GARAGE CURRENTLY EMPTY***
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