Mk1 VW LT 35 Tipper Truck 'Lucky Lloyd'

A possible counterpoint, Teaboy, is that Dan is actually a real, honest-to-goodness saint, patron of all things rusty? What else could explain these metal miracles he keeps delivering?

Dan, I still say you could be working on any of the premier restoration palaces now contributing so much to the UK’s economy. Amazed that you can stay motivated.

Kind regards,

John, Connecticut, USA

Hi John, thanks for your kind words.

I do seem to be drawn towards all things rusty. My downfall is that I always see things for what they could be, rather than what they are.

I left school with virtually no grades. From about the age of 13 all I ever wanted to do was metal work/body work. Unfortunately all of the auto-tech schools wouldn't even let me have a look in because they want to see grades on paper. I tried so hard to convince local bodyshops to give me a chance. But because the Auto-tech wouldn't let me do an apprenticeship, it was virtually impossible....they couldn't give a dam about what I said I could do. So I went and did landscaping as my parents wanted rent money.
I did manage to get work in a BMW and Porsche approved bodyshop about 6 years later, but it was on the prep and paint side. It didn't pay very well either. I couldn't get a mortgage with what I was on, so 2 years...ish later, I left and started work at a private prosthetic limb centre....20 years later, I'm still there. I like it there....but my heart is still with the metal work. Ideally, I'd like to start my own business....but I'm not brave enough to take the risk.

Anyway.....sorry to bore you with a cut down version of my life story 😅
Glad that you're still enjoying the thread.

Regards,

Dan.

🤣🤣🤣.....thanks James 👍.....if only VW still made all these panels! It certainly would've been a lot easier.....if not a hell of a lot more expensive. There are a few aftermarket panels available for the cab, but some of these are really poor quality. I have bought a few and regretted it.....but more on that later.

As for the Prosthetic Limbs....or the Prosthetic Limb centre at which I work, there's lots of interesting things going on there. I was going to start a thread in Readers Other Modifications....but just haven't got round to it yet. I've been there for 20 years and I'm the senior Technician for both Prosthetics and Orthotics. I'm also the assistant workshop manager and carbon fibre specialist ( I have to blow my own trumpet where can 😄😄 ). There's been a few claims to fame as it were over the years. I've built limbs for Doug Naylor ( co writer of Red Dwarf ), Heather Mills ( once married to Paul McCartney.....and yes, I got to met him twice. Once when he was given a tour of our workshop and another time when he passed me in the clinic hallway. We had a 20 minute chat....and genuinely was a really nice chap ). Billy Monger ( F4 British racing driver...now an F1 commentator/puntit). There's also Alex Brooker from Channel 4s Last Leg   ( not really a fan of the show if I'm honest....but a really nice chap nonetheless )....and I was the one who made the Paralympic gold leg that was presented to Adam Hills on the same show back in 2012.

But, it's not all about the well known clients....it's the everyday people that walk through the doors that I find most interesting. Among many inspirational people we see, is a young lady called Hannah Moore who is a paratriathlete. Over the years I've manufactured all of the cycling limbs for her. This one is the latest that I made for her.














It may not look like it, but hours and hours of work has gone into it. The design of the blade has been air tested so the dimensions have to remain perfect. It's incredibly lightweight due to being made with the same carbon fibre technique as F1 cars. It's exoskeletal.....so its hollow on the inside.

Here's a short YouTube video of Hannah using the limb if anyones interested




There's loads more I could talk about, but I think have to save that for another time.

Dan.

So glad you have spilled the beans on your day job.

Maybe Now people will get a better understanding of just what level your radar is set at.

Beautiful work on the prosthetics.

Wow, interesting life, thanks for sharing a small insight.
Any decent resto shop would be mad not to take you on but sometimes the day job hobby project works better.
BTW Think VW do still make a version of this cab for the South American market. Will try and dig up a photo.
James

Ignore me I’d already mentioned the South American market things, memory is going !

VW are certainly getting their money's worth from the cab tooling! The L80 was another model using the same cab, and the Worker looks like it's using the same doors at least.

Very interesting aside on the day job.

Thanks Rian 👍

I knew that at some point in this thread I'd end up mentioning it.

Like I say, I still might do a thread over on Readers Other Modifications. Possibly, once I'm all caught up and up to date with this thread.

 Thanks James 👍

I often wonder if it's the better way round for me. It's possible none or very little of this thread would ever of happen if I was also doing this kind of work as a day job???




😂😂........ no worries James, I repeat myself constantly!.....plus, an interesting subject is worth repeating 👍

I've also seen these trucks mentioned on the LT owners groups/sites on Facebook.......which if I remember rightly, your also on  matfenwick ?

There was a link on there once, which I followed..... and it took me to a parts catalogue for all the panels for these truck's. There was everything form complete roof panels including all of the internals ( which would of been so handy on this build ) to all of the floor panels etc. I was after a complete passenger side floor pan, which was in the catalogue, but after making a few inquiries via email about cost and shipping etc, it all came to a dead end? So....out came the welder....again.


Anyway....here's a picture I found ages ago of one of these trucks that I rather liked.......




I was toying with idea of painting Lloyd in a light beige and having the same side stripes. I have since decided to stay with white.....but the stripes are something that I'm still considering??

Another one for white with those stripes !