Styled in Italy, built in Britain - The story of the blue Ital Van

[SiC]

now go read about epoxy

 

ive tinkered with cars for 25 years and honestly epoxy walks over anything else - just an honest recommendation i dont sell it

Is that something like Dinitrol RC900?

[oldcars]

This is class, would love a Marina or an Ital. Got to sit in a mint estate Marina at the bmc day. Lovely lady owned it, i think she thought i was nuts. Well bought, lovely story about it too. You should keep hold of it.

[steveo3002]

Is that something like Dinitrol RC900?

dont think so , its just a thick hard drying primer that holds back rust , goes over any prep and can be let as is or overcoated  

[Exiled_Tat_Gatherer]

Excellent save Trigger - a later version of my 'perv' van. I was sooooo close to getting my hands on a Marina version on the blue forum but was beaten to the button by a local NE lad. Sadly, last I heard, it was doomed for fragging........

 

This is a cracker, especially with your history together........ now go write another chapter.

[kinkersaab]

I love this... A butcher neighbour had a maroon one back in the day, i can still here him getting stuck on his gravel drive if he was too eager letting the clutch up. is great how nostalgia works. Well saved. Jealous.

[flat4alfa]

I sniggered all those months ago, well ok maybe just grimaced, but I've got to take it back now. In the proper light now, it looks like a barrel of laughs is in the offing!  Didn't know about the '14-year-old bitch' back story either, missed that crucial bit

 

Besides, anything that gets parked on that driveway spot (historically) gets given a full Triggerification and ends up not far off a show car.

 

Looking forward to the side-exit exhaust you promised.

[tooSavvy]

Looking forward to the side-exit exhaust you promised.

 

My GPO-Phones MM1000 came 'fitted as std' M8

 

TS

[flat4alfa]

That's just the external temporary fuel tank I'm using, i have put some petrol in the tank, I've just not been brave enough yet to connect it and try it yet, although looking in it with a torch it looks clean so i should try it really.

 

I think you're onto something there.  Fix it there permanently, like on Trabant. Maybe a better stick.

 

Then drop the old tank out and use that area for the air ride yo! gubbins.  Classic Van will love it

[Timewaster]

I love the "Styled in Italy" claim.

 

Yeah, the first 6 inches of car maybe.

 

I remember my dad having a BT Ital van. I would be tempted to get this sign written in a suitably 80s style.

 

Im sure AS has some sensible ideas. Any photoshoppers?

[Guest Hooli]

Bodgit & Scarper

 

British Van Restoration Specialists

[I_am_Diesel]

Wow!!! What a nice van, I'm sure it will be very nice when you have worked your magic on it.

 

Word of warning though, once you've owned a van it's very hard not to own a van.

[Inspector Morose]

Our old one was ex British Gas. Now there's a retro livery you don't see too much of.

 

"cookability, that's the beauty of gas"

[Guest Hooli]

Easily turn off n onable...

 

 

 

Oh no, wrong advert, I'll tell Sid about the shares.

[trigger]

I was thinking a old roof rack, a wooden ladder with a red rag on the end and Triggers Wash And Tidy Services on the side.

[SiC]

Triggers Broom Repair Services?

[plasticvandan]

" D.Robinson,Pickett instalations

[Timewaster]

Of course most 80s sign writing seemed to be made up of slightly wonky caravan number plate stickers.

[trigger]

Triggers Wheels And Tyres - Your rim job is our concern.

[Sir Snipes]

I fancy an older van, if I ever go self employed. Like a mk3 or 4 Escort or similar. It would have to be properly clean, which means I would spoil it within about 6 months, especially the interior but it'd bound to get carpark dings from careless builders, too.

[Datsuncog]

That, good sir, is truly the Shite of the Gods. Very well saved, and I'm drooling with anticipation at how this thread might progress! Spoiler looks ace, btw.

[Lacquer Peel]

I have never owned a van I wonder if the dogs would appreciate being driven around in the back of something like this......

My ex's greyhounds liked the back of my Caddy when it was padded out with blankets, plenty of room for them.

 

This Ital is great stuff, good on you trig for rescuing it. The saloon front spoiler improves its appearance a lot.

[flat4alfa]

Im sure AS has some sensible ideas. Any photoshoppers?

 

This is AS.  We have MS Paint.

 

    

 

    

[Billy - Medhurst]

I was thinking a old roof rack, a wooden ladder with a red rag on the end and Triggers Wash And Tidy Services on the side.

 

Been watching confessions of a window cleaner again!!

[MorrisItalSLX]

[RobT]

Triggers Wheels And Tyres - Your rim job is our concern.

Has to be done, even if it's just a magnetic sign. With the capitals in big font just to hammer it home.

[flat4alfa]

My GPO-Phones MM1000 came 'fitted as std' M8

 

Good angle...  how about rubber front wings for this Ital  

 

Buzby on the roof rack

The horn plays a Trimphone warble.

 

 

Best not - the Internet might go into meltdown* and revert to 9600 Baud.

[Parky]

Paint the top half white then you only need some blue gaffer tape to recreate this look.

 

No doubt the engineer told base he had a particularly difficult boiler to sort out that day. Failing of course to mention that her name was Sharon and he'd be doing the servicing at a local dogging spot

[andy18s]

Well done on the purchase

How could you not do anything else after a story like that

[oldcars]

Hammerite has no place anywhere near a car. 

 

This is ace though. Top project!

It's good i find for the brake calipers and disk centres.

[busmansholiday]

Purchasing that has brought some memories Trigger.

 

Back in the early 80's, the Scunthorpe Division of the then nationalised British Steel Corporation (BSC aka Billy Smart's Circus), leased a shed load of these, and a few Metrovans, from the local BL dealer, Kennings, all in that shade of blue. I recall the departmental manager asking me to take our current van, an old Vauxhall Viva HA down to the works garage and collect our new van. It was, bigger, more comfy but not as much fun going sideways around the gravel roads in the quarry as the Viva, but was otherwise OK.

 

Being a small department ours was reasonably well looked after, we'd actually wash it regularly, preferably with the garages' high pressure cleaner. This not only got most of the shite off under the wheel arches but also removed all the BSC badges as well. This made the chip shop run less hazardous! What it didn't do was remove the shite that got behind the rear bumper which eventually rotted and fell off.

 

It wasn't that far into the lease that the bean counters started having squeaky bums. There were more and more bills coming in from Kennings for work required outside the warrenty and T&C of the contract. On one occassion I was driving the van when the drivers door window fell out of it's runner whilst trying to open it.

Arriving at Kennings I was greeted with a "what have you done to this one?" followed with a "at least this doesn't need the inside steam cleaning before the fitters will touch it". They were returned as soon as the contract ended, how many found new homes I don't know, but a fair few 3 year old ones received a one way ticket to the moon, not necessarily because they were shite, more due to the couldn't care a fuck attitude of some of our employees.

 

Look forward to seeing it in all it's glory, but without BSC's copulating caterpillars logo.