Seth
South East
MorrisOxford TriumphMirald HillmanMinx BorgwardIsabellaCombi
Posts: 15,514
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Well, a little bit of progress on this one in the last couple of days so I thought I'd start a thread on it over here. First, an introduction! This is our '72 Morris Sun-Tor camper, converted when new by a company in Devon who made about 150 of them - now about 60 or so left with about 20 on the road. They used last of the line BMC, (well, BL by then!) 1/2 ton vans that had been in prduction since the mid fifties. This one was bought new by someone in Chichester who I think moved to Guernsey and took it with them where it received a Guernsey registration. Its second owner was a Catholic father of one of the Geurnsey parishes who had it 'til '86 when it went to Birmingham and another catholic priest (I think the first one retired there). It was transferred back on to its original registration. Then through several owners south of Birmingham and across to Herefordshire in the late 90's where we got it - it had been in a lock up since '98. I'm pretty sure it went to Le-Mans in '91 as at the bottom of a box of pans in one of the cupboards was a newspaper from the race! Anyway, to get it roadworthy last year I completely replaced brake cylinders and pipes and had to weld a small section of the chassis rail and that was about it.  I don't normally like steering wheel covers but this has a leather one that is worn though in the position you drive at with one arm on the window - it's been there forever and has to stay!  Cooker, sink, wardrobe etc...... The curtains are missing but the tie-backs are still there - and a very lovely shade of orange they are  We'll stick something a bit more tasteful in there me thinks.  Front seats fold down flat to make a double bed  WIth the roof up there's 6' 4" head room  Recent progress has entailed sorting out the rear bumper. I had kinda been looking for a new one as the old one was bent and then I thought "why don't you just straighten it dumb-ass" so last week with the help of my vice, a couple of bits of wood I had a go and am pretty pleased. Also got black n silver plates on there now too. Before  After  I've taken the overriders off as it looks much smoother without them and just got some new bumper bolts from a friend so they'll go in later. Shame I'm going to ruin it all by sticking a tow bar there  (just bought a trailer tent so there's room for the baby when we go away this year  ) Also chav'd up the front indicators with clear glass lenses and orange bulbs but then the big orange lenses looked dumb at the end of the stainless & chrome grill. That'll do for now. More updates as and when. |
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Last Edit: Jul 27, 2006 21:11:14 GMT by Seth
Follow your dreams or you might as well be a vegetable. |
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That really is a lovely old vehicle you have there, I'd love to take it on a holiday cruise round the coast for a few days. 
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that is SOOOOOO cool.
love it to bits!
Never seen a vehicle you can sleep in where its the front seats that become the bed!!
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That is fantastic! I love retro-campers of all kinds Superb! |
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Davenger
Club Retro Rides Member
It's only metal
Posts: 7,272
Club RR Member Number: 140
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gotta love it dude
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Lovely, and the tasteful touches are improving it.
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Stu
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,913
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Looks ace! My Dad would love this, he is a member of the 'Classic Camper Club' and sees alsorts of weird and wonderful camper conversions on classic vehicles at their meetings. Not sure I've seen one like this before but he probably will have done!
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'89 BMW E30 325i Sport, '04 MINI Cooper S, '09 Volvo V70 D5
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Seth
South East
MorrisOxford TriumphMirald HillmanMinx BorgwardIsabellaCombi
Posts: 15,514
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I got fired up after the UK Kustoms Hangin Dice weekend in Nottingham and have come over all enthusiastic. My Oxford (in the Avatar) is going to end up off the road for an extended period and its a bit boring not having anything particularly custom so I've decided to give the camper a bit of a mid 50's mild custom make over as quickly and cheaply as possible. Ingredients are to be a pinch of lowering, a smattering of fender skirts and a dab of lake pipes with some full hub caps possibly thrown in. Here's the aim thanks to paint shop pro...  I'll be ordering some front coils this week that will drop the front somewhere around 2.5". I'll be able to tune the ride height a bit with spacers under the spring pans as it needs to sit level or v slightly tail down (it has 1/2" spacers from the factory to compensate for the stiffer van springs). I've already got some 1 1/2" blocks and long U-bolts to go on the back. I've been looking into sources of tube and bends for the lake pipes (buy American ones with crappy chrome for £150? You must be joking!  ) Made a start on the fender skirts yesterday. I intend to make the lower edge follow the line of the lower rear quarter and then curve down to the height of the sill just in front of the tyre. This is the shape I ended up with in cardboard. Lower edge has to curl in as well to follow the profile of the sill.  The rear wheel arch on these vans and pick ups actually has a recesses joint between inner and outer arch unlike the usual 90 deg bend in so it'll be quite easy to get these skirts flush. First job is to make the outline using steel rod over which I'll lay the sheet steel. Rod was bent up in two sections to make it easier as I only had to concentrate on one set of bends at a time.  Once they followed the contour correctly both were taped on and marked where they were to be joined.  So I've ended up with a nice curved profile all the way along. After this pic was taken I welded the two bits together (off the car obviously ) and filed off the weld.  I'll go and get some sheet steel today so I can carry on later.... |
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Follow your dreams or you might as well be a vegetable.
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side exit pipe |
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 once again rocking with 1117cc and 4 gears! |
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Jun 26, 2006 10:35:07 GMT
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Very nice Seth! However IMHO it needs something on the spat where the wheel centre would be - difficult to explain, but a kind of winged emblem* facing the front of the car (& handed for each side) as this would continue the dynamic theme of the chrome side strip.
'Flying A' FTW!!! ;D
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qwerty
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 2,410
Club RR Member Number: 52
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Jun 26, 2006 12:37:54 GMT
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IS gunna look ace!
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Jun 26, 2006 14:17:29 GMT
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Excellent work Seth, I take it you've got this months CC?
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Seth
South East
MorrisOxford TriumphMirald HillmanMinx BorgwardIsabellaCombi
Posts: 15,514
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Jun 26, 2006 21:38:04 GMT
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Samyboy, side exit exhaust is factory on these ;D Not with stainless end though Paul interesting idea about the trim but its a Morris so a flying A would be a bit wrong Will see once I've got them done. Rmad, yep, seen CC but not read it properly yet. My skirts will be a bit easier as there is already the recessed lip in the body for the skirt to sit against so no need for stretchy shrinky stuff on a bit of angle. Not much progress today unfortunatly as I had to get some work done and the weather was curse word. I did get out to buy the steel and starting forming the curve on one of them in the shed. Hopefully more luck tomorrow. |
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Follow your dreams or you might as well be a vegetable.
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Paul interesting idea about the trim but its a Morris so a flying A would be a bit wrong Will see once I've got them done. Oooops!!!!  |
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Seth
South East
MorrisOxford TriumphMirald HillmanMinx BorgwardIsabellaCombi
Posts: 15,514
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Actually Paul, I've just had a thought. Bearing in mind it was actually BL by the time this van was built I could use a couple of Leyland roundel thingys  |
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Follow your dreams or you might as well be a vegetable.
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Seth
South East
MorrisOxford TriumphMirald HillmanMinx BorgwardIsabellaCombi
Posts: 15,514
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Jun 27, 2006 20:19:10 GMT
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Managed to get some time on the fender skirts again today. Flat sheet with wore form laid on top.  My initial idea was to use some wood and a tube to help for the bend but it was going to curve the sheet with too tight a radius. At least it got me started though.  Manged to put a nice gentle curve in using the tube in the vice and then with my hands pushing down and curving the edge over so it matched the wire form.  Traced the outline of the wire with a permanent marker and then set to with my nibbler leaving it a bit over size.  Tacked the wire form on in several places using the marker line as a guide.  Then ground the edge closer to the wire with a flap disc for a smoother form. Put my original cardboard pattern over and traced the lower edge as a guide to what needs trimming off the bottom. The cardboard pattern didn't wrap under as much as the wire form so I've ended up cutting it a bit differently at that point.  Finally some trial fitting to see whether I need to take any more metal off anywhere to clear the tyre. It is quite close at the back edge so am thinking on it at the moment.    Once I've decided on the exact final shape and cut this one to it then I''ll use it as a template for the other side. The other one should be easier as I won't be finding my way through the job. |
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Follow your dreams or you might as well be a vegetable.
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Jun 27, 2006 21:45:36 GMT
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Looking good already, nice job. (is the second filler cap for a water tank?)
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phatphord
Part of things
Scorpilow
Posts: 674
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really impressive. I was excited about the cc feature and then it goes on about using english wheels and sheet benders...like i have them in my shed! Nice to see lateral thinking (wood+tube+vice ) As for the side pipes, check out www.jetex.co.uk/website/jetexcustomexhaustparts.php for some stainless etc. |
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1994 Ford Scorpio Lowrider
um...and some bikes...
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Seth
South East
MorrisOxford TriumphMirald HillmanMinx BorgwardIsabellaCombi
Posts: 15,514
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whoo hoo! Just had a call to say my front springs are done. Going to pick them up next week, so stick here we come! Also got some 40mm stainless tube on its way for the lake pipes with which I can then use my secret source of bends Only annoying thing is that I worked late last night so I could spend some time today on the fender skirts and its raining. ArrgghhhH!! But generally, I should have all this done by the NSRA supernats which is what I was aiming for though the skirts may not be properly painted by then. |
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Follow your dreams or you might as well be a vegetable.
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Thats gonna look so when its finished, really hope you come to Uxbridge now, I want to have a good gawp at your camper ;D |
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We'll stick something a bit more tasteful in there me thinks.
(just bought a trailer tent so there's room for the baby when we go away this year 
) Also chav'd up the front indicators with clear glass lenses and orange bulbs but then the big orange lenses looked dumb at the end of the stainless & chrome grill.
)
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