Help save my LDV - anyone from Scotland willing for a weldathon? (Money of course available)

[Joseph]

As per my title, I'm in a bit of a problem area.

 

I have an old LDV Convoy recovery truck, which is in need of a lot of welding. Or plating. I can't weld, or plate, but I can pay for both.

 

My issue thus far has been finding anyone to even look at it, I've been let down three times with local welders not turning up, and most recently the garage consensus has been that it's too far gone for them to even look at, after prodding with a screwdriver it is bad.

 

Specifically, both chassis rails near the suspension points, and both inner arches and sills. One hole at rear chassis (which has been a factory hole rotted out).

 

It is located on the west coast of Scotland, and I can assist with transporting it to wherever it needs to go, or picking up whoever wishes to look at it. I'll not have anyone out of pocket who can help me.

 

Finally, please hold any 'set it on fire' or 'bridge it' jokes. If scrap is where its headed then so be it. But I'd bought this in 2019 to start a small business with, since then I've had my ramps stolen, a 'friend' badly rewire the lights and knackered the wipers, both of which I've sorted myself, and then covid hit. So I've lost a fair amount of savings with this.

 

Please see pics, some aren't great but I can try and get more. Thanks for anyone who can help.

 

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[MJK 24]

It looks bad.  But hopefully salvageable with the right help! 
 

Good luck and following with interest!

[Daviemck2006]

I had the same problems getting someone to weld up my 205. Was let down on more than one occasion. A friend of my sons friend eventually did it at mates rates for me. I don't think he would be interested as he has nowhere to do it, he did mine outside on my drive. Anyway we are in Macduff which would be a bit away from you.

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[big_al_granvia]

where on the west coast are you, our tame mechanic in bonnybridge has a mate that builds stock cars, his welding isnt pretty but bloody solid, @flat4 can you mind the boy's name, i know its not secker snr

[big_al_granvia]

what about @GingerNuttz of this parish, restored cpt 70's dolly and acclaim, 

[Split_Pin]

I could not find anybody in Bonnybridge who was remotely interested in welding 2 simple flat areas on my last Cavalier. One guy said he could do it but couldn't look at if for 3 months as he had a backlog of motorhomes.  Useless.

I eventually found a place in Banknock that did a grand job but ultimately I bought my own equipment.

The LDV doesn't look great to be honest. Seconded on @GingerNuttz work, it looks brilliant on @sdkrc Galaxie.

I reckon @DodgyBastard would not be put off by that either as he's had an LDV or two but it does look like a lot of work.

I hope you get it sorted.

[TrabbieRonnie]

I feel your pain, good luck with it. 

Could be a good thing to learn to weld on?  Plating up a chassis has to be strong but not necessarily pretty?

[Joseph]

Thanks all for replies so far..I'd love to learn to weld but sadly I've limited time as I'm about to change career and recommence with the second year of my LLB degree, as well as having nowhere to keep it.

It's on the Isle of Bute, and I'd pick up whoever were to look at it, with lunch included if needed. My biggest issue would be if I took it off to the mainland to someone to then be told 'sorry no can do', then I'm stuck with nowhere to take it.

Hopefully someone on here can help.

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[GingerNuttz]

I'm up to my neck with the Galaxie paint job plus a few others are already lined up after that so I'd not be able to do it till 2022. 

 

[Ghosty]

Bute? You weren't lying when you said west coast  I'd wager that's in rather good condition for an LDV if it's living out there 😅

[Joseph]

Bute? You weren't lying when you said west coast  I'd wager that's in rather good condition for an LDV if it's living out there 

It lived all its life in sunny Cornwall before coming up here, and it seemed to have fared not too badly all things considered.

I drove it up in 2019 over two days from Cornwall to Glasgow and then to Bute, drove spot on

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[cort16]

Welding jobs turned out 50% worse than they looks 90% of the time so it's hard to quote for.

I think the straight chassis rails wouldn't be too hard but anything with captive nuts, crossmember or spot welded on brackets makes it really tricky.

Would it be easier to move the cab and bed onto a new chassis or has it been modified?

[Joseph]

Welding jobs turned out 50% worse than they looks 90% of the time so it's hard to quote for.
I think the straight chassis rails wouldn't be too hard but anything with captive nuts, crossmember or spot welded on brackets makes it really tricky.
Would it be easier to move the cab and bed onto a new chassis or has it been modified?

I've thought about doing so, but finding a good donor and getting it done would be difficult to achieve too. The truck base is also a twin rear wheel with leaf springs and helper coils so - aside from the rot, it has been built to take the weight.

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[jonathan_dyane]

I hate to say it but it would be considerable  cheaper to buy a new truck that wasn’t rotten than it would cost to fix this properly.

The danger is you pay £££ to get it repaired but they just plate over the rust and it doesn’t last. Or the chassis snaps at an inconvenient moment and VOSA tear you a new arsehole.

Sorry.

[Daviemck2006]

Welding jobs turned out 50% worse than they looks 90% of the time so it's hard to quote for.
I think the straight chassis rails wouldn't be too hard but anything with captive nuts, crossmember or spot welded on brackets makes it really tricky.
Would it be easier to move the cab and bed onto a new chassis or has it been modified?

That was true in the case of the 205. The guy took twice as many hours than he thought he would.

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[Mrcento]

As others have said, finding anyone to weld anything on a car is a nightmare/nigh on impossible. It really is DIY only now.

You strike pretty lucky if you find a garage even willing to plate something now. Most just say no, get rid.

Almost nobody will touch that sort of work professionally, Too much time involved, too much labour, too much cost to the customer by the time a can of worms is opened and the customer has a 2k bill instead of a £300 one, all at a time when garages could be using the ramps to do 8 or 9 simpler, less risky jobs that they know they'll get paid for.

Honest opinion on that LDV? Too far gone. Anything is fixable with enough time, skill and money, but that's a massive undertaking. Can see bits have already been plated before etc, realistically by the time everything was taken back to really good metal, you'd be near enough fabricating a new chassis for it. For someone suitably skilled, it's probably not the worst thing ever to fix, but you're still looking at so many hours to get it done right, it's just not that realistic.

I really hope you can find somebody, though.

[Scruffy Bodger]

 

LDV chassis are double thickness in places. Water gets inside and they delaminate between the layers, it blows itself apart. The 6" of visible rot ended up being an over 2' repair. There's actually 2 more plates under the ones you can see there. If you do find someone to do it get it shotblasted first so they can actually see what they are dealing with and the welding job will be night and day better with all the shit removed.

They can be repaired but it's not an economic decision. Plus it's got to be said, looking from just those few rough pics you've put up that one is pretty far gone I'm afraid, you need something somewhere that's good to weld something to.

[Split_Pin]

^^ That's a damn smart van

[Scruffy Bodger]

He likes it. Had it getting on 15 years, lived in it for quite a while on and off. He blew a couple of grand on getting it welded and tarted up. The vast majority would have scrapped it. The banana engine being its saving grace.

[doug]

Chassis donor? In Bute as well.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/4020868868041102/?ref=facebook_story_share

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[captain_70s]

There's a fair few days worth of work in getting that sorted, even before prodding. The issue is that where it's holed is one thing, but the area surrounding the holes is likely going the same way and will be too thin to weld to.

I deffo can't see it being economically viable, even at "mates rates". It's fixable, but only if money/time aren't major limitations...

[Lankytim]

Chassis cabs are fairly cheap, maybe buy a good one and swap the recovery body over?