Scrapping a maestro van, anyone want any bits?

[Lankytim]

Im collecting an ex-BT maestro van tomorrow. The plan is to slice it in half, fabricate a tow hitch, blank off the end (nicely) and use it as a box trailer. Apparently the whole van is a bit of a dog, the sills have been patched about a million times, the 1275cc petrol engine is a bit knackered but the gearbox is good. Its basically just a dead van.The rest of the van will end up going spare so if anyone wants any bits LMK!

[Tayne]

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[Lankytim]

 

Here it is, no wheeltrims unfortunately. Actually I may have some other trims for Boll.

[chester drawers]

Tim, unless you have other plans I’d recommend weighing in any left overs at TMEin Cheadle. Being a metal processors (as opposed vehicle dismantlers) they pay very well.

 

An ex-BT Maestro van used to live down my street. That Perkins Prima was quite an effective alarm clock, especially on a cold morning. It also sported BMW E30 wheel trims - a touch ironic that. Photos of it somewhere...

[Minimad5]

How much for all locks + keys and even if it has a shit radio in ... the radio ?Thank you

[whitevanman]

How much for all locks + keys and even if it has a shit radio in ... the radio ?Thank you

I already said you could have a radio !! which type/types do you want and PM me your address and I'll get it posted

[Lankytim]

Chester Drawers, I usually use a local scrap metal recyclers here in Stoke, theyre only about 3 miles away so very handy. Thanks for the link though!Minimad, I wont want much at all for the locks and radio, thats provided it has working locks and a radio. All the Maestro vans ive ever seen have a different key for each lock, either that or a gaping hole where the lock used to be!

[Station]

Does it only have one key?! That's unusual!What PCD are those wheels?

[Lankytim]

I dunno if its got 1 key, 4 keys or 0 keys and a load of busted locks yet. I cant remember what PCD these are, but its different to the cars.

[Station]

Yeah, they look 114.3 to me? I need some old steel rims for winter tyres for next year.

[Minimad5]

Lankytim if you could try out the locks (Please)then if they work just PM me a priceThank You Whitevanman - SORRY !i totally forgot, i will PM you nowThank's guys

[dieselnutjob]

but the gearbox is good.

the only component of a Maestro not made by BL, I beleive. hmm....

[Volksy]

Won't the 1275cc engine, in what ever state, be useful/valuble to Mini people?

[Lankytim]

Volksy, no it wont as on Maestros the gearbox is on the end of the engine, like in most other FWD cars. Minis/Allegros/Metros ect have the box in the sump, the crank is different and I think the block is too. The head may of be of some use to someone I think!

[Mr_Bo11ox]

If I had that maestro van, I might give myself a challenge to see how fast I dared drive it into a tree. I reckon I'd shit myself at much above 20mph, be an interesting exercise though.

[Lankytim]

GOT IT.

 

 

 

Its a right old shitter, engine runs but knocks and the body is shagged out. Should suffice for what I want it for though.

[Captain Mainwaring]

Still looks quite solid actually!Just completely out of interest what's the mileage?

[Lankytim]

Its 114 something K. To be fair, under all the grime from storage and the horrible patches, dents and mismatched paint the van doesnt seem totally beyond repair. The manky body probably would only need a couple of patches to be MOT worthy, the screen is cracked and would need replacement for MOT and the rattly engine could easily be replaced. It would still look totally shit though.

[Cavcraft]

Get it back on the road Tim! I reckon you could get a dirt cheap donor car for the engine and screen and you would have a cool old van on the road for very little outlay.Gearboxes are from VW I believe?

[Lankytim]

Yeah maestros had golf boxes, although I cant remember if its the 1600 that has the golf box or the 1300, like this one.Id love to get it back on the road but I dont really have room for a "full" car-derived-van in my life. Although it is quite unusual, being an EX BT Yellow jobbie.

[Mr H Sceptre]

Yep, I think it looks ace. Either get it on the road or leave it to slowly fall apart on your driveway, where you can still look at it every day.

[Cavcraft]

Yeah maestros had golf boxes, although I cant remember if its the 1600 that has the golf box or the 1300, like this one.

 

Id love to get it back on the road but I dont really have room for a "full" car-derived-van in my life. Although it is quite unusual, being an EX BT Yellow jobbie.

A member of AS who doesn't want a yellow Maestro van? You could get black balled for that henious offence Tim.

Do it up, flog it, job done.

[Lankytim]

But if I tart it up and flog it ill probably only break even, unless someone wants to spend a reasonable amount of dosh on it. Even then it will probably just get scrapped by its new owner at the next MOT. Converting it into a trailer atleast guarantees its future. Sort of.

[Minimad5]

Weird question :Does this have material under the seat to keep the sponge "up" ?or does it have that fine metal wire stuff ?(Only asking as the rebel seats are shagged and i need something to push the seat sponge UP and keep it up when sat on )

[brammy777]

You certainly dont see many Maestro vans still in Telecom yellow! Theres one near Oxford Street, but its in even worse condition than this one. You could save this one, but I guess thatd be hard to 'explain' to the other half....

[Lankytim]

Any "saving" would surely only be a short-term measure. Whatever way you look at it this is a shit end of life van.

[brammy777]

Are you keeping the trailer yellow?

Heres the London Maestro, somehow even shitier than this one...

 

Also if your binning parts, Ill take the badge with/without the grille, for some reason I like that bit....

[Lankytim]

I bet its not quite as crusty as my one! Plus it has evidence of some recent TLC in the shape of a new wing. Still shite though. The P/O had my one resprayed at some point and the yellow isnt quite as lurid as the BT colour, you can tell the difference when compared to the London pic.Im unure on what colour to do the trailer in. Id love to kee it yellow but it will probably depend on what colour of paint is to hand, and cheapest!

[Lankytim]

WTF? Just spent 10 mins typing a megapost with pics, tried to post and the intewerweb has deleted everything again. How infuriating!

 

Anyway..

 

Cleaned/poked holes in the maestrovan today, Ok. Lets take it for a hypothetical MOT.

 

Front chassis under drivers foorwell rotten

O/S sill has a nice big hole

2x patches needed on rear chassis under load area

N/S footwell needs a bit of migging

N/S sill needs tidying/probably a bit of mig action

Both front wings have sharp edges

 

Screen is cracked up- possibly thanks to a rusty surround

Exhaust is blowing- thanks to rust

N/S headlight and indicator cracked

Both mirrors cabbaged

 

Both front doors could do with replacing too, as they look totally shit (not sure if thats an MOT item though)

 

 

 

 

 

All thats ontop of a replacement engine, plus anything I havent spotted, no doubt theyl be stacks more grot to fix.

 

The cab is a bit of a dire place but im sure something can be salvaged for any van-pervs out there. The brown vynil passenger seat is mint and is of the non-adjustable type reserved for mega-povo spec fleet models such as this.

 

 

I allowed the engine to warm up and found the oil pressure light was almost constantly on with a grumbly crank and a bit of a rattle too. Theres a nice electronic dizzy and possibly an unleaded head for the mini gang to play with though.

 

 

Pleasingly the rear load area is free of holes and grot. I was almost certain it would need the services of a clued up welder.

 

 

I did take a few "before" and "after" pics of the cleaning proces but for some reason my digital camera just keeps taking out of focus shots. What am I doing wrong??

 

Before..urgh!

 

After..urgh!

 

Anyway. Ive been offered a nice hitch with jockeywheel and the use of a plasma cutter so hopefully it wont be long before some progress is made.

[Cavcraft]

Probably worth offering some of the remaining bits on the Maestro-Montego forum Tim, someone might make use of it.