Project What has two seats, a mid-mounted 6 cylinder engine, and a turbo? Going solar

[mat_the_cat]

Before doing any welding whatsoever, I made an extra long lance from 3 originals joined together. 

This is so I could arrange it in the correct position for optimum coverage, before putting the panel in position.

I used mini G clamps to hold the 3 layers together.

And here you can see how the holes in the outer panel are lined up with those in the middle layer, which I'd previously only tacked into position and ground back.

This meant I could create a decent plug weld, and tie all 3 layers together.

Once I'd done all the plug welds and tacked the front edge, I ground them all back ready for seam welding in stages.

I was trying to minimise the gap to make life easier for myself when it came to welding 1mm steel. I found that on a current sufficient to get good penetration on the first pulse, by the time I'd laid down 3 or 4 more pulses, the localised heat build up meant I was in danger of blowing through, so I just moved on to another location. And repeat...

Finally, it was a case of taking the flap disc to it, followed by the power sander to flatten out any imperfections. This should still be under the seal, so I dont think I need to use filler.

Then a coat of etch primer to protect while I treat the surface rust which is around the rest of the frame.

Lastly I used my new lance to spray cavity wax on the rear of the weld, which did reveal two pinholes...easily dealt with though. Time for bed now!

[mat_the_cat]

Minor update - both A pillars and (quite a few) rust spots on the upper lip have been cleaned up, phosphate treated and ready for masking and etch primer.

I'm hoping for some decent weather so I can bake the paint before the screen is fitted, but not massively optimistic. Thinking at least a week to harden. 

[JMotor]

Tidy job you've made of that.

I used to hate cutting up repair panels. Now it's just easier to take what you need and save the rest for another project or if you need to repair another section later on.

[mat_the_cat]

This last week has been awful for moisture, so I couldn't paint (even under cover) until today. Had to clean up the bare metal again, and painted in BH Etchweld followed by a zinc primer.

Then the exciting part...4 coats of colour! (Think this was only after the first coat or two).

Before going over with 3 coats of lacquer. Really *really* hope it's fully hardened by a week on Monday! 

[2316cc]

As the current custodian of an LT I’ve read through this whole thread at least twice and as well as learning a lot I’ve found it all extremely encouraging. Keep up the good work!

I’ve recently acquired a 2.4TD engine that I hope to swap for the original NA, with the eventual hope that my LT will go up hills, something it’s so far been reluctant to do. 

[mat_the_cat]

Good news and bad news. I don't have to worry about the paint being hard enough tomorrow, that's the good news. Bad news is that Auto Windscreens sent me a message today saying they are struggling to obtain the glass. If they'd said this with more than 24 hours notice I'd have made sure I had a screen there waiting!

Anyway, I did get a coat of green on last week.

Before masking off the inside and aiming a jet of Dynax S50 at the seam.

Watch this space for further developments; the real ballache is I have to clear all 3 vehicles out into the open, as I have concrete arriving on Wednesday to lay the floor.

[mat_the_cat]

When I initially booked the windscreen replacement I was asked whether it mattered about having a tinted strip at the top. I said it didn't matter, I would take whatever is available and the last 4 have all been non-tinted. When the fitter came out to replace he told me that he didn't think tinted were still available.

So when I phoned them back last Monday I was surprised to be told they had cancelled my appointment because a tinted windscreen wasn't available! They could still get hold of a clear one, but needed to check with me beforehand whether it was OK!! FFS - why they couldn't establish that fact more than 24 hours before my appointment, and ask me before they had to cancel?

Anyway, it was rebooked and subsequently fitted. I don't know what it is about LT screens - the first fitter who came out back in 2007 gave up and left me with no windscreen, and the one who removed the screen this time round refused to go back and refit  Obviously it must be a bit of a tricky job to refit, but all looks good now.

[NathanV]

Ive just finished reading through this and thoroughly enjoyed it. I own a T4 and have looked at larger vans. This one looks to be in thar category of big but not too big.

[mat_the_cat]

On Wednesday I realised that the MOT was almost due, so booked it in for Friday. And what better time to prod around the suspicious lifted underseal in the driver's wheel arch? Ah.

On RHD versions of these, the handbrake lever sits between the driver's seat and the door, and consequently in the line of spray from the wheel. It seems like water has found a way in, and been retained against the metal by the foam surrounding the air filter housing. 

I deliberately left a small patch until last where the handbrake rod came through, so I could make a slotted hole before positioning it correctly, and trimming to size afterwards. 

Coated with the last of my Zinga...

...and just a standard primer on the inside.

Covered in Bilt Hamber UB on the outside.

Then quickly plonk the air filter back in just in time for the MOT.

It got a few compliments on arrival, as is becoming more common as more folk haven't seen them before. And more importantly: 

Although I did need to stop on the way as I remembered my number plate bulb was out, but I'd alway been in a ruush when I'd noticed!

[Stinkwheel]

great work as always Mat, your last minute repairs look better than a lot of my 'plenty of time to do that' repairs - which i probably shouldnt admit

Also, why does the tyre look red in the middle picture?

[LightBulbFun]

2 hours ago, Stinkwheel said:

Also, why does the tyre look red in the middle picture?

missing texture?

[mat_the_cat]

5 hours ago, Stinkwheel said:

Also, why does the tyre look red in the middle picture?

Hadn't noticed that TBH, but it's just the light from an old patio heater I've put up. I  was trying to get the paint to dry ASAP! It actually heats the area pretty well, I can feel the heat even stood here:

[Stinkwheel]

1 hour ago, mat_the_cat said:

Hadn't noticed that TBH, but it's just the light from an old patio heater I've put up. I  was trying to get the paint to dry ASAP! It actually heats the area pretty well, I can feel the heat even stood here:

That makes sense now, thank you. And I am surprised it’s so effective, pleased for your sake that it is though 

[Popsicle]

Good news on the pass Matt. I find it awesome that you had a prod Wednesday, welded in and painted up new steel on Thursday and MOT'd it Friday (sounds a bit like a Craig David song)! I'm still fucking about deciding what paint and panels to get!

Just saying like, if you know, you're ever round Derby, pop in and say hello, it'll only take you a couple of hours to paint and fix my van the speed you go at 🤣.

[mat_the_cat]

This developed a serious problem at the weekend, as the gear lever was able to rotate whilst changing gear. First thought was to replace it with something modern and reliable, but once I had got over that brief moment of insanity I set about investigating what was wrong.

I first thought the shaft must be unscrewing from the shift mechanism, but no. The lever pivots at its lower end, and the housing has a slotted hole in which a pin fits, in order to limit the up and down motion for the reverse gear gate. This had dropped out (and was fortunately found) and consequently nothing stopping the lever from rotating. 

No pictures, sorry, but for the first time the van now has cold AND hot running water, after I installed a small water heater. It tucks away quite neatly in the otherwise unused space under the fridge, half of which is already taken up by the diesel heater. I may fit an access panel on the outside for ease of cleaning the diesel heater, and draining the water heater. I also took the opportunity to tidy up some wiring and plumbing whilst I was in there.

There was a bit of a deadline to the work as we are currently sailing to Ireland. After a misunderstanding of the ferry time we spent the last 40 minutes of the journey with my foot mashed to the floor (at a dizzying 65mph into a headwind, give or take 5mph due to gradients  ). Grateful nothing broke, fell off or overheated and we arrived with 4 minutes to spare! Hopefully the trip is less stressful from now on...

[artdjones]

16 hours ago, mat_the_cat said:

This developed a serious problem at the weekend, as the gear lever was able to rotate whilst changing gear. First thought was to replace it with something modern and reliable, but once I had got over that brief moment of insanity I set about investigating what was wrong.

I first thought the shaft must be unscrewing from the shift mechanism, but no. The lever pivots at its lower end, and the housing has a slotted hole in which a pin fits, in order to limit the up and down motion for the reverse gear gate. This had dropped out (and was fortunately found) and consequently nothing stopping the lever from rotating. 

No pictures, sorry, but for the first time the van now has cold AND hot running water, after I installed a small water heater. It tucks away quite neatly in the otherwise unused space under the fridge, half of which is already taken up by the diesel heater. I may fit an access panel on the outside for ease of cleaning the diesel heater, and draining the water heater. I also took the opportunity to tidy up some wiring and plumbing whilst I was in there.

There was a bit of a deadline to the work as we are currently sailing to Ireland. After a misunderstanding of the ferry time we spent the last 40 minutes of the journey with my foot mashed to the floor (at a dizzying 65mph into a headwind, give or take 5mph due to gradients  ). Grateful nothing broke, fell off or overheated and we arrived with 4 minutes to spare! Hopefully the trip is less stressful from now on...

I had a similar misunderstanding back in 2007, and had to rush, but I was driving a TR6 I was delivering for someone, so it was easier to make up time. It's a stressful situation.

[mat_the_cat]

The problem was, as we were planning what time to set off of the ferry, I thought we were talking about the time we needed to be at the port (I.e. last check-in) and she was talking about the ferry departure time. When we realised (after dawdling all morning!) we had 2 minutes to spare before check-in closed, but ended up with a whole 4 minutes to spare so beat the Google maps time slightly.

Over here now, and a slower pace of life generally. We found a nice spot by a lake the first night.

Enjoyed the scenery, followed by an ice cream.

As we were driving to meet some relatives, we stopped to make some dinner by the side of a hurling match, and watched for a while.

Found a tucked away spot in a forest last night.

Then visited somewhere a long way away today.

Currently down near Cork before Puglet's 18 mile rowing race tomorrow!

Water heater is working well and saves boiling the kettle to wash up. Just fits below the fridge, which was effectively wasted space anyway.

The other last minute thing before we set off was the sleeping bags. We've had them for over 20 years now, so we'll used. One of the zips had been chewed by a naughty dog a while back, and she'd made a couple of holes in the outer. I found someone local who could repair, and she's done a really neat job replacing the damaged part of the zip, which needed to match the zip on the other bag so we could zip them together. 

I told her that a functional repair was all I wanted, and not to worry about trying to match the colours, and actually quite like what she's done with the patches.

Seeing as they originally had a patchwork pattern anyway! Probably would have been cheaper to replace with new, but have tried a couple of different bags and they've all ended up feeling clammy overnight.

[mat_the_cat]

There was the odd bit of chod over in Ireland, such as this:

But on the whole seemed similar to the UK in terms of vehicle ages. The LT was the oldest vehicle I saw on the trip!

Some.stunning scenery. 

Woke up to this one morning.

Not me doing doughnuts! 

But we did have one mechanical problem - the gearknob split fairly early on. I think it's probably when I stressed it upon removal and refitting.

It's almost totally polished smooth at the top, and the embossing was almost worn away. Easily fixed with superglue, but didn't take a photo.

Back home now, and the next improvement. Currently to service the fridge I have to remove it totally, so TBH it doesn't get serviced every year like it ought. So I bought an access panel, cheap due to minor damage...

Here I've masked it up so I can spray it green. And painted! 

Not yet marked out where to cut, so a little nervous! 

[High Jetter]

9 minutes ago, mat_the_cat said:

Woke up to this one morning

Where?

[mat_the_cat]

At the top of Conor Pass, looking down towards Dingle. The mountains were pretty good above us too.

[mat_the_cat]

Whilst I'm capable of welding in new metal if I needed to, I always have the fear when cutting out a panel. Happily though, got the shape near enough.

As a bonus, the size and location meant I could cut out two dents, and a previous repair patch which had distorted slightly! The pipework and wiring could do with tidying now access is easier though.

The frame was bedded onto butyl mastic, and riveted into place. Annoyingly I had to drill out the rivets holding the hinges on, as access to the pre-drilled fixing holes behind was restricted.

The hinges were then re-riveted on, and just the trim strip to press into position afterwards.

This was used as a support vehicle for an overnight rowing race (I drove rather than rowed!) and I spotted another VW which had clearly copied my paint job!

[mat_the_cat]

One slight issue with mounting the access hatch was that I had to remove a stiffening box section.

You can see where it was bonded to the rear of the panel here.

TBH, I think it was probably mainly only needed as something to strap items to, as it was perforated seemingly to be able to hook straps onto. But what I did was trim it to the edge of the hole, then rivet through the hatch frame into the remaining box section, so will make it all rigid again.

Although, I measured the thickness of the piece I'd cut out and it may be stiff enough anyway.

No wonder I haven't had too much trouble butt welding in new metal, and there I was thinking it was purely down to my welding skills

[mk2_craig]

On 26/06/2024 at 00:32, mat_the_cat said:

I spotted another VW which had clearly copied my paint job!

So did I.  Is this some sort of VW owner in-joke that the rest of us aren't supposed to understand?  

[mat_the_cat]

No idea about in-jokes if it is! Possibly a nod to the original campervans which were usually two tone. In my case it was because the lower half needed a fair bit of paintwork, and I wanted to add a bit of colour.

[junkyarddog]

On 07/06/2024 at 19:54, mat_the_cat said:

Then visited somewhere a long way away

Not from where I'm sitting it isn't!😆

[mat_the_cat]

On 10/07/2024 at 22:06, mk2_craig said:

So did I.  Is this some sort of VW owner in-joke that the rest of us aren't supposed to understand?  

And another!

 

[mat_the_cat]

Something I've been meaning to do for a while is replace the cam cover gasket. It's been weeping for a while, and there is an improved design of gasket over the original 4 piece cork and rubber job.

Engine looks pretty clean with no sludge visible.

The new gasket is a continuous  section, with sleeves in it to prevent over-torquing....

...compared to the previous one:

Job done in about 15 minutes!

Onto the next, less important job of replacing the screenwash nozzles. The originals had a single jet which left large areas of the screen unwashed. To be replaced with triple jets to cover more of the glass.

Paint needed touching up underneath. The accepted wisdom is that it's impossible to remove them without breakage, but I managed OK. It helped that the weather is warm so they aren't too brittle.

Sanded, primed and painted:

Also injected BH S-50 into the rear of panel, before snapping them in place.

[mat_the_cat]

Just realised that I'd missed the 'money shot' with this job! There is about 1 degree difference between hitting the bottom of the screen or spurting over the roof, so adjustment took a while.

But eventually got there!

The downside is that it drains the already undersized reservoir more quickly - I actually used half a tank just doing the adjustments...

 

[High Jetter]

I use a safety pin as adjuster tool for mingebag h2o consumption

[mat_the_cat]

Yeah, I know how to adjust them - it's just that with the jets being in the same plane as the screen, any adjustment is more sensitive than if they were bonnet mounted aiming at a screen at a different angle.

On the subject of angles, I'm reminded not to leave the roof vent open when under cover, and then drive off before closing it...

At least replacements are available, and easily fitted.

It hit a bit of a milestone on Friday, and finally clicked over 300k miles.

There's a few things which are showing signs of wear, but on the whole it's held up well.

Almost got driven into today, obviously I must have been in their blind spot.