Got an old van...

[Haverstock]

Here's my van

 

lots of service history... I think I paid £100, 20k miles racked up since then

 

Haver

 

 

[Micrashed]

Nice old van.

Welcome by the way

[RedSparrow]

Welcome.

Don't think Ive ever seen one of those badged as a Datsun before.

[Haverstock]

Thanks, am hopeful the van qualifies as autoshite, or simply a banger. I've been told this although lots of people admire it or giggle. Then they see me driving it every day and carrying loads or camping and they admit it's handy and run on a shoestring budget

 

The Nissan badge was weather beaten so I got some Datsun ones fitted. The thing that sold it to me was finding the old Cherry engine I knew from the first car. Easy to work on. A good take on the VW. Can still get spares but not all of them easily.

Rust is a bit of a problem

 

Haver

[dollywobbler]

Aye. They do rust! Which is why I'm surprised to see one still in use. Great stuff.

[Haverstock]

PS I took it to a Nissan dealer last year so they could do the free inspection they were promiting - but with the real intention of sourcing some hard to find parts and striking a deal. Not so. They would not haggle at all and quoted outrageous numbers that were not explained rationally.

 

The Datsun badge fooled them though, told me I had one of the originals or something like that, they knew a smattering of Nissan history but not when the names changed. I did chuckle

 

They did inform me the brake pads were down to the rivets so didn't leave empty handed

[Haverstock]

Some welding in the floorpan needed doing. The black stuff is all new metal welded to the good stuff after cutting back the rusty stuff

 

[wackywacerwill]

Nothing like a good old cutting and gluing session is there. You didn't happen to be driving this towards Welling the other day by chance as I saw something mighty similar.

[binhoker668]

Hello and welcome fella...

Where did you buy this from by the way? Looks suspiciously like my friend's old one!!

[Haverstock]

Aye it might been me was on the M25 heading to Canterbury last Saturday. Blimey it was HOT that day.

She didn't miss a beat 300 miles 9 hours on the road. Can't say I wasn't a little... apprehensive. The rad is original and begins to overheat above 60-ish. on the motorway drive according to the temperature guage not the speedo

 

I bought this off me mate Andy for 100 notes, twas 4 years ago. Funny how these things go. He found in a farmers field and it went through the MOT so he had it for quite a few years then just when the rust really got going it ended up as my rolling resto project. Next MOT approaches in a few weeks...

[HillmanImp]

Welcome along Haverstock.

 

 

I was theeere maaaan!

[Timewaster]

My mate is breaking one of these, a camper no less. Let me know if you are interested. Gearbox is buggered btw.

[Negative Creep]

I had one of those in NZ. I could barely fit in it, my knee was right against the window winder, the gear linkage was so worn on the column change box it was almost impossible to select first, I nearly set it on fire, and it was absolutely great. I want another one.

[Haverstock]

LOL that cracked me up HillmanImp. I will post a pic of an Imp if I can and an Avenger that live round my way

 

Breaking a Vanette? Well dash my distributors

 

Got a few problems only one actually needing bits right away. Always interested in chance to get some bits though, is it the Petrol one your mate has?

 

The No 1 problem is farting mongoose living under the passenger seat where the good lady sits and so does the hound

 

Exhaust manifold crack I recons, to be sure it's hidden under the carb with a cacoon like shield. no carb icing at all though but makes it more complicated to diagnose

 

But t'is the main thing I'm looking for at the moment. Also a steering box.

 

PS Me old man's first cars were from the 30's. He has tons of stories of the stuff he's run on a shoestring. He got me into this style of motoring and haven't looked back. Precision engineer by trade

 

So he doesn't want me to buy one from Nissan but it's making sense and the bastard salesman there knows he's got me by the balls and is rubbing his hands together. Some rough idling and misfiring on pull away by time I got to Canterbury but was fine when cruising. Probably blasted out the coke from the crack after the heat opened it up. But now it's ok again after a few days local journeys, must have shifted back to original position.

[Haverstock]

Hello all

 

Just got to add today, the MOT has been passed

Only a wiper blade needed replacing after spending half the summer of mig wielding mania

 

The advisories will keep me busy next season but we are back in business

 

PS I should mention me new car is back on the road as well. It's a purple R reg Micra I bought for 265. Had to bypass the immobiliser on this baby. Been waiting a looong time for the bubble shapes to fall into my price range only to discover the reality of modern electronics and shape shifting symptoms that leave you reaching for the scrap man's phone number. Arrghhhh

[Haverstock]

Listening to a Fall documentary on youtube. He's talking about driving old bangers I think. He misses the society where people put effort into keeping cars on the road for minimal cost. But there's lots of people doing this even with modern cars and old school stuff is still around by gum. From Micra K10's to a lot of crazy stuff. When I check a contact point gap it's a body blow to 'the machine' which requires an anal probing to satisfy the guvnor. Welding is the achilles heal said the artmistress to the gardener