FSO Cars UK

[Split_Pin]

Approved. Good to see an update from you.

 

Was it your good self that had rescued that very early green Polonez some years back?

[trigger]

Nice to see you on here again Steve!

[CYANIDE STEVE]

Approved. Good to see an update from you.

 

Was it your good self that had rescued that very early green Polonez some years back?

Yes it was along with a couple of friends. We have spent the past two years collecting the panels for it mainly from Poland but some we've acquired from ex FSO dealers when we have bought their entire remaining stock. Hopefully start the restoration next year but it's all stripped now ready.

[oldcars]

Looks like the camper will be smart bit of kit when its done. 

[Andrew353w]

As my avatar shows, I'm with you and your eastern European cars! Glad to hear you're well again & good luck with the camper! Likewise, more piccies!!

[Split_Pin]

Good news on the green machine!

[Adrian_pt]

Wow.

 

They did a camper conversion on the FSO 1500 pick-up - the firm was Madisons of Blackpool. I chatted to one of the guys behind the conversion - apparently it was the same (Polish-made) fibreglass shell that ended up on the Bischofberger VW Caddy conversions. I can't imagine many were sold, even at the very low (sub £6k) asking price. 

[CYANIDE STEVE]

Quick update. Got the floor painted in zinc primer today. Also painted the roof, A and B pillars and bits of the engine bay. The cab is almost ready for the white paint. Just got to prepare the chassis on the back. Started painting the diesel tank too.

[CYANIDE STEVE]

Thought I'd post another update of the camper build. The base vehicle is about a week from completion. The truck has now been resprayed inside and out. The entire braking system renewed along with all steering links, box and idler. The interior of the cab has been completely covered in soundproofing/ insulation. 2 layers on the floor. I've lined the rear of the cab in grey felt. It's usually just left painted metal. I carried out a major service and clean on the engine including water pump, timing belt and pulleys and glow plugs plus the usual filter changes etc. I've checked the gearbox internals and they all seem fine so I cleaned the gearbox and fitted it to the engine along with a new clutch. I fitted them this week.

[Felly Magic]

Your next challenge is to build a Caro coupe

[CYANIDE STEVE]

The engine and gearbox fit.

[Felly Magic]

Chuffin' ell Steve, you aren't hanging about

[CYANIDE STEVE]

I'm leaving to travel around Europe on 3rd April for 2 months, so got to get a move on

[Split_Pin]

Love the metal fillet that they added to the front of the original car to carry the Caro front! Hows things with the green one? Cant wait to see this one done 😀

[vulgalour]

This is coming together now, looking very smart.

[ruffgeezer]

Whatever happened to the two piece one?

[CYANIDE STEVE]

Whatever happened to the two piece one?

Well the original idea when I bought this one last year was to use it for parts to repair the two piece one as I'd tried unsuccessfully for 2 years to get a pair of doors from Poland. I also needed brake drums. This was an ideal opportunity to get the bits and pieces I needed. Once I got the white truck home and cleaned the 4 years of green slime and mud off it where it had been standing on a farm, I found this one to be overall better condition and alot more solid than the blue 2 piece still was even after the welding I'd already done. Not long after I collected this truck my Iveco camper I'd owned for over 10 years had started to die a horrible death with just about everything on the whole van worn out. The price it would have cost to get it through another mot I could buy another vehicle.

I had always had this dream of making an FSO Caro camper. So this was the ideal opportunity but as the white truck I'd just bought was a much better base vehicle, I ended up restoring that and using the parts from the two piece truck to replace faulty or missing parts on the white one. Sadly as I can't seem to source to parts I need for the blue 2 piece one and it still needs alot of work to get it looking decent, plus I have limited time and space, the shell will now be scrapped. Which means I still have alot of spares to keep the white camper going and the other Blue truck I have put away in my garage.

[CYANIDE STEVE]

Quick update on the Camper build.

The truck is now ready for an mot which is happening tomorrow morning. Just some minor tweaking here and there to finish completely.

I started building the body for it yesterday which was exciting. I'll post some more pics as I go along.

Incidentally, I will be back from my European trip by the time Shitefest weekend arrives so some of you will see it there.

 

[crapcarcollector]

Look at that! Brand new again!

[CYANIDE STEVE]

Started work on the body this week. The 6mm ply makes up the interior walls and roof. It's strengthened with 25mm baton and will have celotex sheet as insulation which is also fairly strong. The outside shell will be rigid PVC sheet which will be white so doesn't need painting. Everything is stuck with sikaflex and screwed together. Hopefully by Friday, the body will be ready to lift onto the truck and be bolted in place

[dean36014]

Having delivered caravans for best part of 13 years, and spent many hours wandering round the factory, that will probably be stronger than how they were built professionally. From memory 6mm ply, about an inch of polystyrene and the wafer thin aluminium skin, the only difference is they were all coated and bonded together in a huge low pressure press.  The joint, floor to walls, was rebated and glued and screwed together. Have you gone with the board and celotex on the floor to? its amazing how much cold will pass up otherwise, discovered this when I did a van conversion years ago on a LDV Convoy. Sterling work, looking forward to seeing it finished. Will it be demountable?

[CYANIDE STEVE]

Having delivered caravans for best part of 13 years, and spent many hours wandering round the factory, that will probably be stronger than how they were built professionally. From memory 6mm ply, about an inch of polystyrene and the wafer thin aluminium skin, the only difference is they were all coated and bonded together in a huge low pressure press.  The joint, floor to walls, was rebated and glued and screwed together. Have you gone with the board and celotex on the floor to? its amazing how much cold will pass up otherwise, discovered this when I did a van conversion years ago on a LDV Convoy. Sterling work, looking forward to seeing it finished. Will it be demountable?

The floor, rather than just butt 2 sheets of 18mm ply together, I bought 9mm ply and sandwiched a thin but effective insulation between them and staggered the joins. I don't know the name of it but it was given to me on a huge roll which I also used in my Iveco in places where I didn't use the celotex. I have stripped a couple of caravans in the past for different projects and couldn't believe how flimsy they were. As I intend to use this all year round and will be going to countries with less than perfect roads, it needs to be quite robust

[Elstro1988]

This thread is epic. I follow you on Flickr as well and have been amazed mainly at where and how you find all these FSOs. I remember thinking I'd found the Holy Grail back in early 2012 when I spied a P-plate Caro pickup in my local suburb!

 

That green one with the busted front end...that looks like a hell of a job. Respect.

 

I am intrigued...I need to check your FSO HQ out for myself. 

[CYANIDE STEVE]

Big day today as the camper body was lifted onto the truck.

 

[HMC]

That looks absolutely bloody brilliant. Destination shitefest?

[DSdriver]

Excellent job. Don't forget to check the clearance before reversing back into the garage.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Wow!!!!

[CYANIDE STEVE]

That looks absolutely bloody brilliant. Destination shitefest?

Yes. I'm away for two months around Europe from 3rd April but I will definitely be doing Shitefest this year.

 

Excellent job. Don't forget to check the clearance before reversing back into the garage.

Yes it doesn't fit in the workshop now

[Cavcraft]

Holy moly, that's just superb.

[mouseflakes]

Love the metal fillet that they added to the front of the original car to carry the Caro front!

 

That's great isn't it? It's like the FSO design team put the headlamps and grille neatly together on a shelf in their studio and asked 'How can we mount these on the pick-up so they look just like they do now? Hang on a minute, I can see exactly how...'