luckygti
Posted a lot
I need to try harder!
Posts: 4,912
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Jan 14, 2015 23:33:47 GMT
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Well, there's been an interloper in the garage over the Christmas break and finally on Sunday it was time for it to be put outside   It's off to the body shop for all of the welding and repairs as I want to get the van finished and we could be moving in the next couple of months so really need to be mobile! So, that done, I could get back onto the bodywork. More filler, more sanding and tonight I made a start on keying the silver paint that covers the front end...... What a dull job but first panel done less the bottom few inches where the body shop did the welding (the finish is curse word to be honest, so it'll end up with more filler on it than I'd like!) Last year I bought some second hand rear light surrounds with a view to cutting them to fit across the rear deck lid (which stretches from light to light whereas on a normal van the engine access lid is a lot smaller) and I finally got round to having a proper look at them. The reason they've sat around a while is because I couldn't believe how bad they were when I first looked at them and just shoved them back in the box. They're no better on second viewing either pretty much only fit for the bin! And they weren't cheap either.   Yes, they really are that bad. Needless to say, they will not be going on the van..... Pete |
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Last Edit: Jan 14, 2015 23:37:01 GMT by luckygti: Appalling spelling!
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1980 VW T3 Double Kabfr€$h&m1nt¥
@freshandminty
Club Retro Rides Member 99
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I've ust read this from start to finish seeing as the wind and rain is keeping me awake.
Great determination
Great fabrication
Great storyfication (story telling but fitted better with the first two)
Subscribed so I can follow this to the end and hopefully see it at RRG, that was your target at the start if the thread right? (Albeit 5 years on)
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luckygti
Posted a lot
I need to try harder!
Posts: 4,912
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Jan 17, 2015 18:47:51 GMT
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I've ust read this from start to finish seeing as the wind and rain is keeping me awake. Great determination Great fabrication Great storyfication (story telling but fitted better with the first two) Subscribed so I can follow this to the end and hopefully see it at RRG, that was your target at the start if the thread right? (Albeit 5 years on) 5 years? Eeeeeeek! (4 and a half surely.......) yes I really must get it finished. So I've kept plugging away. Still filling bits but have now moved onto the front half of the van which is all still in the original silver paint. It's actually in pretty good nick, almost a shame to change the colour but to be honest I hate the silver, so it's getting changed even if it does mean more work  ? I am going to leave the roof in silver for now though, I have plans for it and it doesn't involve the new body colour at the moment, so that will save me some work. Boring pics of slightly Matt paint then......   I've taken the door off now which makes it easier to get at the door shuts and the boss did some scotch briting!  it's all in pretty good nick actually, there are a few dubious lumps of seam sealer and surface rust but no additional holes. Thank god! I'm planning on rolling it outside and cracking out the sand blaster so that will sort the worst bits, then Furtan, prime and filler and finally paint! Yay! We dropped the Mini off at the body shop as well, so as we had the trailer I picked up some external ply for the load bed floor. Sadly it doesn't come wide enough to do in one go, so I've had to do it in 2 parts. Still not sure how best to attach it and seal it, but it may end up with the old stainless panel on top anyway. I'll have a play and see what I come up with! Sneak peek:  |
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hamps
Posted a lot
www.medwayrscentre.co.uk
Posts: 2,077
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Jan 17, 2015 20:53:35 GMT
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Just read this from start to finish, well I say finish, I mean the last post, can't wait to see it finished, doing a wicked job mate.  |
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Jan 19, 2015 19:53:46 GMT
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Loving the work you're doing here, always had a soft spot for these vans.
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luckygti
Posted a lot
I need to try harder!
Posts: 4,912
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Jan 24, 2015 21:09:31 GMT
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Thanks Hamps and Lister (sounds like an eighties sitcom!) glad you're enjoying the my ramblings. Another day and more sanding. All of the doors are off now, and in varying states. And I've started on the door shuts too! Plenty left to do but just plugging away at it at the moment. In other news I finally found something that I've been searching for for the best part of 3 years. Wheeeeeeeeels! Here was the problem with the new wings on,   8 1/2s are just too wide for the front, which is why the old wings were stretched, and up until last week this was going to happen again. And then a set of 7/12 x 17s turned up on a popular internet auction site but in Germany. So I whacked a cheeky bid in, watched anxiously, put a few more bids in and finally won them! Result! They are the first set I've ever even seen, so feeling very lucky. They're nice too....  And a perfect fit!  Three more!  I'll grab the best, and then sell off a set of staggered 17 inch Borbet A's 7 1/2 and 8 1/2s. Should be worth a few quid |
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Last Edit: Jan 25, 2015 9:21:39 GMT by luckygti
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stevietuck
Posted a lot
Never argue with idiots,they drag you down to their level then beat you with their expertise!
Posts: 1,350
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Jan 25, 2015 11:45:11 GMT
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Nice find mate they couldn't fit any better  |
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luckygti
Posted a lot
I need to try harder!
Posts: 4,912
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Jan 25, 2015 15:58:39 GMT
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Nice find mate they couldn't fit any better Yep, chuffed to bits, I've been looking for ages, looking at other wheels but just not finding anything. I'd resigned myself to a set of 6x15 steels or 16's if I could find them and then these came up. They've always really made the van for me (and SWMBO) and been on there since the beginning so, yep, I'm pretty happy. So, having slept in and missed a breakfast meet in the Escort I dragged myself into the garage and did some more sanding. And because I'd dithered around for so long I thought 'stop dithering and get some paint on'! The plan has always been to roller it and I've had a tin of Combicolour paint for, well, quite a long time. So, I got on with it.  It started off full of bubbles, but I remebered reading something about dry brushing to get the bubbles out so I gave that a try and it seems to have worked ok. The internetz says that it'll take 3 to 4 coats anyway with a wet sand between each coat, so I reckon this will come out ok. I stopped at doing the door as I want to reduce the number of bubbles so I'll crack into that tomorrow. Oh, and I did some more filling   Away to the states next weekend and want to get as much paint on as I can to give it a good chance to dry! Pete |
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stevietuck
Posted a lot
Never argue with idiots,they drag you down to their level then beat you with their expertise!
Posts: 1,350
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Jan 25, 2015 17:50:38 GMT
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The paint looks really good mate, when i first heard of folk doing paint jobs with a roller i thought that is just gonna look gash! but I'm a total convert now after seeing Darrylweb's paint job and many others. Love the colour too by the way I'm a sucker for a grey it looks like ford moonstone blue, i had an rs turbo van back in the day in that colour shiz i loved that van looked great in that colour, didn't look so good on its roof in a ditch though lol! cancel the trip to the states and spend the money and time on your vdub dude |
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luckygti
Posted a lot
I need to try harder!
Posts: 4,912
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Jan 25, 2015 21:34:56 GMT
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Yep, I've always been going this way to be honest, I just know too many people who've thrown shed loads of cash at a spray job and been disappointed when it had flaws. At least I've only got myself to blame if it looks pants Oh, and it's RAL7016 which is basically an anthracite grey (which is pretty much the same colour as my daily! I'm a sucker for grey to it seems!) Oh, and I'm going to California with work....... Should be a nice break from the cold if nothing else! |
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Last Edit: Jan 25, 2015 21:35:56 GMT by luckygti
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Jan 27, 2015 15:42:17 GMT
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Coming along nicely |
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luckygti
Posted a lot
I need to try harder!
Posts: 4,912
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Jan 27, 2015 19:15:01 GMT
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Coming along nicely Thanks bud, feel like I'm making headway at last So I headed back out last night and having read up on the internet I knew that I had to really soak the rollers in paint to get rid of all the bubbles. This is what I saw as I walked in   Not perfect and with quite a few bubbles, but this will be sanded back as its only the first coat. Actually I'm quite pleased, and I love the colour so, I thought I'd give the door a bash....  Ah, bumhats! I left it a while and some of the bubbles went, dry brushed which got rid of most but I think there may be a bit of a uneven mess awaiting my next visit to the garage. I've bought some mohair rollers which apparently reduce the bubbles massively, and I think the cold may be having an effect, so I'll bang the heater on and warm up the panels with the blower before I start again. As a first stab though I'm actually pretty happy, and it can only get better. Getting too much done before the weekend may be a stretch though.. Pete |
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luckygti
Posted a lot
I need to try harder!
Posts: 4,912
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So I've been steadily plugging away, sanding, filling, sanding filling. 2 steps forward, and with the side door, dramas as I filled and primed and then used some filler primer. Which reacted. Badly. So strip, fill sand. Spray. Same again. FFS ? anyway, we finally got to the stage where we could start some painting, so the escort got evicted for a couple of days and I got the doors out and gave them a good clean, and then dried out in the sun. Today, we rollered!!       So, a couple of things. 1, I love the colour. 2, I may have used a too harsh grade of emery cloth in a couple of places as the scratches show through and 3, after a couple of coats with a wet sand between each, I think this is going to look the dogs! 3 weeks til we move...... |
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stevietuck
Posted a lot
Never argue with idiots,they drag you down to their level then beat you with their expertise!
Posts: 1,350
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Paint looks great bud |
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luckygti
Posted a lot
I need to try harder!
Posts: 4,912
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Paint looks great bud Thanks dude, it's going to take a bit of sanding and a couple more coats but I'm pleasantly surprised at how well it's gone on! We'll see but I'm pretty confident now that it can look good enough, especially for the minimal outlay! So, with the paint drying nicely, and after packing up some house stuff (moving!) I headed to the loft to dig out the old Scooby back seats. Plan is to fit them in the back, but this is the first time I've properly looked at the how. The good news is that the backrests will be nice and straightforward as they can just be mounted direct to the bulkhead. The base will take a bit more doing and the original seat pans are no good, so, seat upholstery removed and I'm left with these;  I'll use these as a template for a plywood base for both seats. They'll probably lift as two parts as I can then have individual storage under each.  Looking at this I thought I could slice the bottom off so I get a flat base. So that's what I did!  I think it looks like it'll work, so that's the plan. I'll do the other one tomorrow and look at the plywood bases. Happy with the concept though, I'll just need to make an actual frame to put them onto now! |
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luckygti
Posted a lot
I need to try harder!
Posts: 4,912
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Well, a house move has got in the way of DoKa progress over the last couple of weeks, but in and around packing/throwing stuff away I have managed to get a bit done. Just not as much as I'd like ? I carried on mucking about with the seats, and have a rough plan for where they'll go. I just need to design and build a frame, decide whether I want them to be the width of the van, in which case I'll have to make something to bridge the gap, or whether I fit some kind of cupboard affair for storage. This is with the seats just resting on a packing crate!   I like the look so just need to sort the frame! In other news, I needed to load up the bed with stuff so I refitted the stainless load bed that was fitted when I bought it.  Love the contrast with the new colour, so that will be staying, but obviously needs securing properly. As we've lost the garage (yes, I am heartbroken) the van had to follow us the 100 or so yards to the new place (that has a single garage, which is rammed full of everything out of the old garage! No space for cars!) We're getting a workshop in town in a couple of weeks but for now it's sat outside the front door! With a tarpaulin and the old 205 car cover over the cab to try and keep it dry! This was just after the 'drive'! And where it sat for about an hour before the hurricane winds forced me to tuck it into the space between the garage and the front door!  Obviously the doors had to go back on! After more sanding.  Normal(ish) service will resume in a couple of weeks! Happy Easter everybody. Pete |
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Last Edit: Apr 5, 2015 18:31:13 GMT by luckygti
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stevietuck
Posted a lot
Never argue with idiots,they drag you down to their level then beat you with their expertise!
Posts: 1,350
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I cant believe you built that big garage and now your letting someone else have it!!
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luckygti
Posted a lot
I need to try harder!
Posts: 4,912
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I cant believe you built that big garage and now your letting someone else have it!! Tell me about it ? the new owner rebuilds T2's though so it will be getting used properly. Planning is in for a new house, and we have a workshop on a 3 year lease which will get us through.... Hopefully. |
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It's good to see this doka finally coming together ,good job..
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66 Beetle
63 thunderbird
97 mx5
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Apr 11, 2015 18:59:12 GMT
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Great to see some more progress!
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Ich habe kein Geld!
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? I am going to leave the roof in silver for now though, I have plans for it and it doesn't involve the new body colour at the moment, so that will save me some work. Boring pics of slightly Matt paint then......
