Look what the cat dragged in - Dacia Shifterossa!!!!

[catsinthewelder]

I would concentrate on finding another scrap van or pickup with the same ribbing as that and then you can decide on the neatest way to replace the rotton bits. The alternative would be to lash in an ugly patch for now then collect a complete panel when you take it out to Romania. Best of luck with the restoration, it's great to see this one has found the right person.

[Rmx]

It is bad, but then where would the fun be if its was all plain sailing

[Skizzer]

  On 25/09/2014 at 18:01, Rmx said:

I need you advice on the following:

 

1) Has anyone had a rolling shell dipped in chemicals to basically destroy all the rust?

2) Has anyone had a rolling shell sand blasted?

 

Which one would you recommend, option 1) or option 2)  ?????

 

Might be an idea to send a PM to Scooters of this parish, as he runs a soda-blasting business (or did until the pikeys stole his kit, not sure of the latest on that).  He does/did buildings and pipelines and stuff, but had a partner business somewhere that did vehicles.  He should give you an honest view of the pros and cons.  Tell him I sent you.

[Rmx]

Just sent him a PM, cheers for that...........does anyone have a rough idea on costs?

 

Im exploring all avenues and considering the best option out there, yes it could be done quicker and probably a lot cheaper by not treating the shell but i'm after having it done properly.

[Rmx]

Yes my plan is to visit a few scrap yards, look at a few vans and pick up trucks and see whether there is anything with a similar ribbing / floor. This will most likely be the only way forward as I have even visited the factory and such body panels are long long gone. Parts are very difficult to find as they have stopped making them a while back and especially for a 90's vehicle. The only other option is to visit scrap yards in Romania, but that's a bit too much hassle even for me.

[The Moog]

Scooters did a bit write up on here about sandblasting. Cant find it right now but worth searching for

[Rmx]

Found a cracking number plate for the car: DAC1A - problem is the cost: Ã‚£17k   ................... maybe not then  

 

http://www.newreg.co.uk/search/search_results/homepage/text/newSearch/none/none/DAC1A/1/index.html

[vulgalour]

I've seen the results of chemical dipping, sand blasting and soda blasting and I have to say soda blasting is the one I'd go for of those as it cleans everything out but doesn't appear to cause any of warping you can get with sand blasting or sudden flash rusting of chemical dipping.

 

If you're going to get everything blasted off make sure you can get it somewhere indoors immediately after and the metalwork given a coat of something, ANYTHING, so it doesn't immediately rust all over.

 

Now, I've not done this sort of thing before personally, but from what I've read on other threads I would suggest not sending it for blasting to find out what needs welding most.  Instead, I'd go through the car and do any repairs to the bodywork that you can so there's as much metal there as possible.  THEN send it for soda blasting.

 

This way you should retain as much strength as possible in what's left of the car, and while it means it'll slow you down a bit before the blasting happens it should mean what you get back needs a bit less work and shouldn't be quite so daunting.

 

Also, don't pull the whole car apart,  you'll lose heart.  Do a small area and work out from it to build confidence.  If you're feeling brave, start with the worse bit you can see - that truck bed looks the best bet - and go from there.

 

I would say soda blasting is good to use on a car that is reasonable together so you can highlight and cure localised problems.  This car is quite rusty and really should be repaired before you send it away so you can be sure the car and your repairs are good and solid before you repaint it.

 

Most of all though, GOOD LUCK with the mission.  We're counting on you.

[vulgalour]

Bedford Rascal might offer a suitable donor for repair sections to your pick bed, or the whole thing.  Dimensions look similar, if not exactly the same.

 

[crapcarcollector]

Just a IDE mote, everything has to be off the car for chemical dipping. So no rolling shel for that one....

[Taff]

  On 25/09/2014 at 19:02, Rmx said:

Yes my plan is to visit a few scrap yards, look at a few vans and pick up trucks and see whether there is anything with a similar ribbing / floor. This will most likely be the only way forward as I have even visited the factory and such body panels are long long gone. Parts are very difficult to find as they have stopped making them a while back and especially for a 90's vehicle. The only other option is to visit scrap yards in Romania, but that's a bit too much hassle even for me.

 

might sound a bit out of the box, but is that bed ribbing anywhere close to a domestic radiator?

[vulgalour]

Taff:  that's top thinking!  I've just look at my radiators  and while the ribs are pretty close together, the profiles look right for localised repairs to the ribs on the truck.

[Rmx]

Vulgalour - many thanks for your comprehensive reply. I am toying with a number of ideas at the moment. I would love to say I have endless pockets however that not being the case, I need to ensure a commercially viable approach is taken however as always if this gets done and it will, no corners can be cut.

 

Oh yes, sorry for the confusion. NOTHING and I mean nothing will be left on the shell, and obviously only the shell alone will be chemically dipped if I end up going down that route.

 

Tomorrow I plan on taking advantage of the good weather, im sure saying that it will p!ss down, but i'm aiming to start stripping the engine bay with a view of having the engine and box out this weekend hopefully. The shell will then either be raised or flipped onto its side as I need to assess the chassis legs. IF they need replacing, which I am hoping will not be the case this will be a bigger challenge than I expected. From what I have read, if not done properly the car could suffer from alignment issues and not driving in a straight line. Maybe i'm looking into it too much, and as you've all said.......one step at a time.

 

That bed liner seems IDEAL!!! Where abouts are you located? Would a couple of beers do it?

I'm not sure of the exact course of action but we will see.

 

Cheers for you support all and hopefully it will make an appearance at one of the gatherings as of April/May next year. 

[vulgalour]

I don't own that bed liner, if I did you could have it for saving the Shifterossa!  I found the picture on an old eBay listing, I expect it's the sort of thing that comes up for sale now and then for not megabucks.

[Talbotman]

Easiest way of repairing the bed would be to use Vw type2 or Ford transit mk5 rear floor repair panels....ok the ribbing might not be exactly the same....but they are cheap to buy and plentifully available from any panel supplier?

[Parky]

I would have thought that as all vans have ribbed floors, would anyone but the most ardent concours judge notice if the spacing between the load bay ribs wasn't standard?

 

I reckon you could probably chop the floor out of a scrap Transit/Vivaro/Trafic van and make an ideal one piece replacement floor complete with strengthening ribs built in. One of the currently available vans will have a strengthening pattern similar to the Dacia. It will save you an awful lot of fiddly repairing

[barefoot]

...and I think domestic radiators are made of plastic now, any unused steel radiators from our childhood were all recycled long ago to make into Ka's.

[Rmx]

Today's progress......everything's now disconnected engine and box out tomorrow or Sunday hopefully.

[catsinthewelder]

Could you measure up the ribs or take a close up photo of them with a ruler? I own a VW type 2 and work at a van hire so I'm in a fairly good position to see what else is close.

[Parky]

Love this. Where else in the world is an Internet forum putting its collective head together to assist in the restoration of a Dacia pickup?

 

Keep it up everyone!

[Rmx]

Engine and box are out........welcome to hell boys, chassis legs seem rotten, and that's only the beginning of it, it will be lifted on proper supports next week and we will take it from there, but so far so good.....it could always be worst, or can it!?

[Rmx]

.....

[Rmx]

The angle grinder was out today....

[Sloth in a bowl]

^^^^

 

So that's the RedBull gokart sorted, what are you doing with the Dacia

[vulgalour]

I take it there was enough of the back of the cab there to cut off the rot and let in new metal without disturbing the ribbed sections before you weld it back in?  At least it looks like a nice straightforward construction on this one, though I don't envy you having to repair the chassis legs.  Could another vehicle - something from the Renault stable, perhaps - offer you suitably shaped chassis legs as donor material?

[SambaS]

Pah, chassis legs are just  "U" shaped box section spot welded to the floor pans. In case of my Sambas anyways. I was scared until I started mending mine earlier in the year.

[SambaS]

I would agree though, something you can take out the box and weld straight on would be much much better!

[Rmx]

It's all coming out tomorrow including the rest of the ribbed section. New floor pan of a transit or something similar, cut to size of course, will be its replacement.

 

As for the chassis legs, I need it on its side before I tackle them, but I am hoping to be able to keep most of it and only patch where it's needed, time will tell.

 

I'm thinking about having new vinyl on the dashboard, any tips? Or know of a company that will do it for sensible price? It's all cracked around the edges and needs a bit of a facelift, if it gets done it will be done as close as possible to original spec of course.

[Skizzer]

  On 30/09/2014 at 23:13, Rmx said:

I'm thinking about having new vinyl on the dashboard, any tips? Or know of a company that will do it for sensible price? It's all cracked around the edges and needs a bit of a facelift, if it gets done it will be done as close as possible to original spec of course.

 

Not used them personally (yet), but Martrim are supposed to be good.  They'll sell you the vinyl or do the job for you.  

[Rmx]

Cheers mate, I'll have a look and get a quote of them.