Justin Case Posted November 19, 2016 Share Posted November 19, 2016 Nice to see those photos of Mitcar, it does seem a long time ago. I saw the van there, very impressive what you have done to it, that award was well deserved and I look forward to seeing the other projects at future Mitcars in due course Vin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sudsprint Posted November 20, 2016 Share Posted November 20, 2016 Fantastic thread Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vin Posted April 30, 2017 Author Share Posted April 30, 2017 Wowsers, update time. I still haven't finished this 4x4... After I stripped the driver side front suspension off, I did the repairs to the inner wing. I cut the rotten section out and repaired it on the bench and then welded it all back. This meant I had to take out the interior in the drivers footwell...joy. This was all welded back in and then closed up by forming a section on the vice using a hammer and dollies to cover it. No pics I'm afraid... The front crossmember has a section to where you locate part of an arm on a 2-post lift. The drivers side had been flattened and plated over... It should look like this. Pictures from my 750L... What the MOT bloke had done in the past was bash it all flat with a hammer and weld a plate over it, to the point where now, if you put a jack under it, it would make crunching noises... I cut the end of the outer sill off and this met my eye... And this is what i ended up cutting out from the crossmember, floorpan and inner sill... The bit in the middle is the welded over repair. The bit at the bottom is the remains of the original crossmember. I replaces all the rotten sections of floor first and then rebuilt the crossmember using templates and measurements off the 750L... I the replaced the inner sill sections and rewelded in the outer sill... Here is the finished inner wing and front end all primered up... Everything is now all painted in POR-15. Including the suspension which I put back de-rusted and painted. This means I now have to take the passenger side suspension apart as that is covered in rust and shite, so it doesn't look right. This means I am going to have to do the back tod as that will be put to shame by the front...old cars eh. Anyway, this has now been moved outside and I will continue during the long hot summer evenings to come... I have taken the opportunity of this bank holiday weekend to clear out the garage and it is now my intention to bring the van back from it's winter lock up and prepare it for it's second MOT. It needs a new ignition switch (I can only start it by bridging the starter motor with a piece of wire...) and instrument stalks (there is a short that makes the horn go off randomly, thus the horn had to be disconnected)... vulgalour, uk_senator, Cavcraft and 12 others 15 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tooSavvy Posted April 30, 2017 Share Posted April 30, 2017 I did post the other week I saw a 'van/ette' with [likely] pop-up, same blue, 'A'reg. RHD... On the way from Keswick to Penrith. TS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
worldofceri Posted May 17, 2017 Share Posted May 17, 2017 Bump for a real fred. Cor! Weldin' skillZ! Cavcraft 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vin Posted February 16, 2018 Author Share Posted February 16, 2018 I haven't updated this for a while... The Sisley 4x4 is still up in the air, but all the bodywork underneath has been repaired. All the suspension has been dismantled, derusted and repainted in POR-15 and then put back together...I put new rear wheel bearings on it. I removed all the gear linkages and the 4x4 leverage mechanisms. I stripped them and cleaned and repainted them. The 4x4 leverage was all pretty well seized up, so I was surprised it worked. Works lovely now... I'm getting there with it, but I have no new pictures... I do have picture of the removable bed I made last summer for the van. I used it for a long weekend at a festival with my step-brother and his family (they were in a moss covered LDV Convoy...of which the high top roof has decided to seperate itself from the body...but that is another story...). It was comfy, but you don't need more than a weekend in it... CGSB, NorfolkNWeigh, Asimo and 21 others 24 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mercrocker Posted February 16, 2018 Share Posted February 16, 2018 That actually looks a lot more appealing than many so-called conversions.... Vin and chaseracer 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sudsprint Posted February 17, 2018 Share Posted February 17, 2018 Yup - even in my Amigo a couple of nights is quite enough. Scruffy Bodger, Skizzer, CGSB and 4 others 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheffcortinacentre Posted February 17, 2018 Share Posted February 17, 2018 In the late 70s these were the top selling camper van. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drivewaymyway Posted February 18, 2018 Share Posted February 18, 2018 Fantastic thread... I wish I could weld but more importantly, I wish I had the confidence to cut a car around and fix it up.. But even more than that I wish I had a house / garage like yours... Basically I wish I were you.... There... I said it... Vin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mk2_craig Posted February 18, 2018 Share Posted February 18, 2018 Loving the curtains! adw1977 and Vin 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drivewaymyway Posted February 18, 2018 Share Posted February 18, 2018 My first car was a 1978 Fiat 127 1050c in this colour I got it in 1987 for £200 with 40k on the clock from an old couple who were giving up driving.. Reg was something like RTJ858T.. Funny what springs back to mind... I put Strada convertible alloy wheels on it ( look like wire spokes ) and the obligatory fog and spot lights along with the 8 speaker bodge noise radio / 40w amp / sub ( which was a speaker in a piece of 6 inch plastic soil tube ) and who could forget the graphic equalizer.. MMM had it all in the 80s..... Lets not forget the black cotton seat covers to go over the beige plastic originals.. God I loved that car I went everywhere in it, the day I was legal to drive I went from Reading to meet a mate in Devon to go surfing.. No money, No experience just the freedom to travel.. Wages were £17.50 a week and £5 went in the car.. And they complain about poverty these days.. lol Skizzer 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madrat Posted February 18, 2018 Share Posted February 18, 2018 Brilliant thread. Always fancied the camper van version of this. I had a Panda 45CL in red, loved it. also had a Marea weekend in light blue but it was the 105JTD, loved that too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vin Posted April 28, 2018 Author Share Posted April 28, 2018 A bit of an update... The Panda 4x4 is now out of the garage. It isn't finished, but is now on on all 4 wheels for the first time in about 18 months!! Basically, I had set a deadline to get it out by Easter, as the Saturday after Good Friday I had to vacate the Lombardi from it's current farm storage (the farm is now for sale...) The plan was to put the Lombardi in the lock-up garage that the 127 Fiorino was in and the Fiorino would replace the Panda 4x4... So, Lombardi collected and transported to garage. Fiorino removed and Lombardi takes it's place... Fiorino on trailer... Fiorino is now in garage. I now had a chance to assess all the boxes and bits in the back of the Fiorino. I had a week off work after Easter, so got the 900T from it's lock-up and moved some boxes of bits and old panels from the Fiorino to the village lock-up were the 900T is resident. It also meant that after 2 years of Fiorino ownership, the 900T and Fiorino finally met, FACE TO FACE. Also, the 900T passed an MOT on Friday. I say passed, but it failed due to a loose petrol tank bolt and all the the steering track rod ends not having split pins in the four castellated nuts. Now, when I put it all back together, I didn't put split pins in because I didn't realise it was necessary and the track rod ends didn't come with split pins. BUT, it passed two MOTs like that. For this MOT it went to my regular garage (not the one that did the last two) that MOT's my Marea and I trust very much. The Tester said if it was nylocs, then it would be fine...They sorted it and it now has 12 months ticket... This is why I will always get stuff tested, regardless of age... uk_senator, Tickman, vulgalour and 16 others 19 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vulgalour Posted April 29, 2018 Share Posted April 29, 2018 Does this mean we're going to get 900T levels of updates on the Fiorino? The 900T updates were a really good read when you were doing all the work on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vin Posted September 9, 2018 Author Share Posted September 9, 2018 I got the Sisley 4x4 MOT'd and back on the road during the summer, so that's all OK now... I had the recent bank holiday week off work and intended to do some work on the Fiorino. The exhaust wasn't fitted to the van when I got it, so that was something that needed doing. There was a collection of old and new bits to make a full system, but I sourced new bits to replace the old bits and also the correct hangers and clamps (they form part of the hanger, so have holes in them). I needed to offer it all up and then fabricate a rear silencer hanger because when the bodywork was done, they chopped off and replaced the rear of the chassis rail, but didn't replace the exhaust hanger. I will have to fabricate one and weld it in. This shouldn't be too dificult as they are the same hangers as the Panda 4x4, so I will make up something similar to that... Anyway I didn't get round to doing that... I did the rear panel instead. When the previous owner had the welding done, he couldn't get a rear panel, so they chopped up a mini van or pick-up panel and used that. This is all well and good, but I was able to find the correct panel on Italian E-bay. I'd also got a new bumper from Italian E-bay and this panel had all the mounting holes for the bumper in it. So I cut the rear panel and put the correct one in... The fabricated rear panel... The correct rear panel and new rear bumper... Cut it out... Put it in... With bumper loosely fitted. Obviously, most of the panel is covered up and you won't see it, but I now know it's right... What I also did was spent time underneath, scraping off and cleaning up the sections of split and cracked underseal on the floor pan, this led to patches of solid metal but with surface rust on. Some bits will need cutting out and tickling with the MIG, but only where the rust has turned fixing holes into squares and the like. Not a big job at all... I've also been doing work on this tractor - a 1947 Ferguson TE-20. It belong's to my Step-mother. The tractor is an early one so has the Continental Z-120 engine in it rather than the Standard unit... I did have to free the engine off by putting diesel down the bores and leaving it for a month or so. It was then able to be freed off using the starting handle... There was a stuck valve though, so I took the head off and was able to remove them all but one which was stuck solid. As a result I got some new valves and guides and the head has been sent to have the valve removed and new guides put in. They are also repairing the broken thermostat housing mount that you can see in the picture. I had the broken off piece. Should be ready next week apparently... I took the brass drainage tap off the block after lubricating it for a week. It then took me a week of soaking it in deox-c, then paraffin, and then eventually heating it, I was able to dismantle it. It had been left in the open position, so it was drained many years ago, but once I got the tap working properly I could put it back. But first I put the pressure washer on a narrow setting and put it up to the drain hole and gave it a blast. I also blasted each water channel form the top of the block too. There was brown water and rust flakes all over... I've put the tap back in and filled the block with deox-c. I'll agitate it with bottle brushes and flush it through. I'll deox-c it a few more time and then pressure wash it again... It's current state...the cylinders are stuffed with oil soaked rags. Also the head gasket is that colour because it's made of copper. Anybody know how to go about getting a replacement made?? It appears to be two layers of copper sandwiching something else (I don't know - yet) Skizzer, Exiled_Tat_Gatherer, oldcars and 16 others 19 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DodgeRover Posted September 9, 2018 Share Posted September 9, 2018 You can either reanneell the gasket or buy new parts are easily available for the Fergy, I would assume continental engine parts are no exception as they made enough of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
somewhatfoolish Posted September 10, 2018 Share Posted September 10, 2018 Ferguson-T20-TE20-Continental-Z120-Engine-Tractor-Head-Gasket Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vin Posted September 10, 2018 Author Share Posted September 10, 2018 You can either reanneell the gasket or buy new parts are easily available for the Fergy, I would assume continental engine parts are no exception as they made enough of them. Ferguson-T20-TE20-Continental-Z120-Engine-Tractor-Head-Gasket Oh yeah I know that parts are easily available for the Fergy, just not Continental engine bits. You can get main engine components, such as I have with the valve and guide set, but they have to come from America and it does take a while...it's the smaller engine components and accessories that are a problem... Thanks for the gasket link. I was aware of that, but the tractor was converted to run on TVO, probably when it was new, so to alter the compression the common practice was to fit a thicker head gasket, which I guess is why it has the thick copper gasket on it...I had thought of just getting the gasket set you linked and converting it back to run on straight petrol... I'll have to have a ponder... somewhatfoolish 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asimo Posted September 10, 2018 Share Posted September 10, 2018 Tiny Valves! Not tuned for top-end power I guess. somewhatfoolish 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
somewhatfoolish Posted September 10, 2018 Share Posted September 10, 2018 Can you even buy TVO? If originality is important there are companies which will copy gaskets to the required thickness, although not necessarily using the same materials as some composites contain asbestos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tigerfox Posted September 10, 2018 Share Posted September 10, 2018 If the head gasket is solid copper it needs to be annealed before being reused as they are quite thick. Used to have a vintage car that had a solid copper gasket. You can also get a aerosol of copper gasket cement to use instead of jointing compound. I suspect it is copper asbestos from what you describe and would be best to replace it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vin Posted September 10, 2018 Author Share Posted September 10, 2018 Can you even buy TVO? If originality is important there are companies which will copy gaskets to the required thickness, although not necessarily using the same materials as some composites contain asbestos. There are various recipes out there on how to make a petrol/parrafin mix. This tractor left the factory running on straight petrol, Ferguson didn't offer a TVO version until about 1950...Converting it back to run on petrol would mean a lot less hassle to be fair If the head gasket is solid copper it needs to be annealed before being reused as they are quite thick. Used to have a vintage car that had a solid copper gasket. You can also get a aerosol of copper gasket cement to use instead of jointing compound. I suspect it is copper asbestos from what you describe and would be best to replace it Thanks, that is interesting to know about. Probably another good reason to convert it back to petrol... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DodgeRover Posted September 10, 2018 Share Posted September 10, 2018 The standard way to convert to TVO was 2 head gaskets and a decompression plate sandwiched between them, plus a cover over the inlet manifold to get/ keep it nice and toasty.For a TVO recipe try4 parts kerosene1 part petrol1/2 part diesel or a bit of 2 stroke oil. Depending on the work it's doing you may need to add more or less petrol to the mix.You need the engine to be warm before you switch over but contray to rumours there's no need to blank the rad off/ cover it in blankets etc, they are more economical running on petrol though and less likely to foul a plug. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Felly Magic Posted September 10, 2018 Share Posted September 10, 2018 You have a very interesting toybox, nice update, and it is well over a decade since I've seen a Fiorino in the metal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RRT22R Posted September 11, 2018 Share Posted September 11, 2018 I love a Grey Ferguson. Mine is a 1950 TE A20. Straight petrol with the Standard engine. Vin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cardinal Wolseley Posted September 11, 2018 Share Posted September 11, 2018 Another superb thread and yet more fantastic restoration skills on show, congratulations on completing so many projects! Especially loving the van action, for some totally unknown reason I've always had a thing for light commercials. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drivewaymyway Posted September 11, 2018 Share Posted September 11, 2018 Fiorino is the same colour as my first car, a 'T' plated 127 1050c.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted January 2, 2019 Share Posted January 2, 2019 Here's a video of Vin's van. It was as lovely as I dreamt it was. Amazing work. If you haven't read through this thread, then you probably should. Burnside, mk2_craig, Sudsprint and 5 others 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tayne Posted January 2, 2019 Share Posted January 2, 2019 Loving the facial hair, Vin! Sudsprint and MorrisItalSLX 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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