♻️ Grizz’s ~~ ASTRO Van 🚙 Renault SCENIC 1.5dci 🚙 1966 Chevy C10 Restoration “Reboot” 🚘

[grizz]

Continuing my journey of discovery with bare metal restoration techniques this video shows how many false starts I have made. 
 

 

A couple of photos for those who don’t have the time to watch it  

Knotwheel of death left a few spikes embedded in my skin  

 

Found some late at night, vertically embedded in my wrist   
 

No tweezers would work, so a quick dig saw 6mm of steel appear  

Wear double face protection and gloves kids  

 

 

.

 

[93fxdl]

All the pain and struggles will be worth it once the paint starts going on, unfortunately, then the next stage of despair begins, runs, saggs, bloom and many other worries, but keep going, the end will be worth it, even more so, as it's all your own work 

Ttfn Glenn 

[grizz]

Today

 

 

 

 

And 

 

 

 

 

Yesterday 

 

 

 

 

I

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have 

 

 

 

 

 

Mainly 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Been

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

…………………… ??

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes….!!!! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WELDING 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AND 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GRINDING 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AND 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SWEARING 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not necessarily in equal measure. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But I just finished all the patchwork I needed to do. 

Of course I managed to grind holes in good, curved material, not once, not two times……

 

 

 

Nooooooooo………..!!! 

 

 

 

 

 

Three times plus one die grinder slip up.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not sure if I am ready to share the shame yet.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Will you all judge me and banish me from Valhalla ?? 

 

 

 

Picture of some of the scrap. 

 

 

 

 

Nothing like a @Vieux masterclass in rust resurrection. 

 

 

 

.

[93fxdl]

Grind, weld, swear, repeat,

 

and now the rot is gone, may be a tortuous journey but you are getting closer to your destination 

Keep plugging away

Ttfn Glenn 

[Westbay]

Just keep imagining the nice smooth solid metal curves instead of the frilly lace effect ... 😊

[grizz]

19 hours ago, 93fxdl said:

Grind, weld, swear, repeat,

 

and now the rot is gone, may be a tortuous journey but you are getting closer to your destination 

Keep plugging away

Ttfn Glenn 

Still a looooong way to go. 
 

But we go. 

[grizz]

8 hours ago, Westbay said:

Just keep imagining the nice smooth solid metal curves instead of the frilly lace effect ... 😊

Frilly knickers are the only frilly thing I have an interest in. 
 

No, not wearing but tearing off with my teeth  #Faithless

 

[grizz]

Bit by bit

 

Job by job

 

 

 

Ordered a load of wire wheels. 
 

Painful process and progress. 

[93fxdl]

Enjoyed the video, be careful with the vibration from the grinder, can cause, white finger, a nasty affliction which does not go away, keep your hands warm and take regular breaks, massage your hands to improve circulation. 

Wonder if your leather driving glove is intended for golf? 

Ttfn Glenn 

Or maybe these

https://parkerhydraulics-shop.co.uk/products/predator-hide-drivers-gold-gloves?variant=44425243820248&country=GB&currency=GBP&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&utm_source=google&utm_medium=shopping&utm_campaign=all_products&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw47i_BhBTEiwAaJfPprP27UCS9CyD7FylqX8t5tf9JEnF7vR-Bq0V8YvlG3Wlmq0An934hhoC4isQAvD_BwE

[grizz]

22 hours ago, 93fxdl said:

Enjoyed the video, be careful with the vibration from the grinder, can cause, white finger, a nasty affliction which does not go away, keep your hands warm and take regular breaks, massage your hands to improve circulation. 

Wonder if your leather driving glove is intended for golf? 

Ttfn Glenn 

Or maybe these

https://parkerhydraulics-shop.co.uk/products/predator-hide-drivers-gold-gloves?variant=44425243820248&country=GB&currency=GBP&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&utm_source=google&utm_medium=shopping&utm_campaign=all_products&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw47i_BhBTEiwAaJfPprP27UCS9CyD7FylqX8t5tf9JEnF7vR-Bq0V8YvlG3Wlmq0An934hhoC4isQAvD_BwE

I believe gloves were probably used by a Coop delivery driver. 
 

I only have the right one but it was good enough. 
 

I also own a shelf full of various gloves. New, unused  but wear the ones in use till they are just wrist warmers. 
 

Your link are probably what I have 

[Westbay]

"I also own a shelf full of various gloves. New, unused  but wear the ones in use till they are just wrist warmers. "  🤣
 

[grizz]

Next job. 
 

Stripping cab interior. 
 

Do keep in mind, stripping off the existing paint properly takes surprisingly long, I have had a few people comment about various techniques and what I have done wrong. Assholes/opinions ? 
 

Anyway. I am sure every technique has its merits. 
 

So wire brushing the interior…..

What a killer job. 
But it is done.  
 

 

A few pictures for those who don’t watch videos  

I also had a Turkish friend visiting who was a keen shooter. Ekrem has a deadly eye and was dead on the bulls eye  

George was really taken with him as well  

 

A really nice thing to do once the inside was done, was sweeping up the paint removed   
 

I was knackered at that point  but relieved  

 

Obviously many loose parts to clean up and then the second phase of cleaning the cab  

 

Will it ever end?? 
 

 

 

.

 

[kevins]

Appart from paying someone else  I've never come accross a way of stripping paint that isn't unpleasant,  once its done it's the worse bit over and done with and progressively gets better, it looks a great starting point. I'd try to get a thin coat of epoxy or something similar on it while its dry though, the last thing you want to have to do is do it all again to get flash rust off.

[Westbay]

Well folks , today I'm going to show you how to rebuild a Chevy C10 cab using just starting with these pieces  .... 🤣

[grizz]

2 minutes ago, Westbay said:

Well folks , today I'm going to show you how to rebuild a Chey C10 cab using just starting with these pieces  .... 🤣

DIY paint kit. 
 

 

How the red was applied before 

[grizz]

35 minutes ago, kevins said:

Appart from paying someone else  I've never come accross a way of stripping paint that isn't unpleasant,  once its done it's the worse bit over and done with and progressively gets better, it looks a great starting point. I'd try to get a thin coat of epoxy or something similar on it while its dry though, the last thing you want to have to do is do it all again to get flash rust off.

A second round of DA sanding with 120 grit is underway. 
 

Whatsapp on its way 😉

[grizz]

This is funny

My mobile phone is not recognising my finger prints. 
 

Obviously I have been working the prints off them. 
 

Made me chuckle. 

[grizz]

A good friend and retired consultant anaesthetist is busy building this little daily for himself. 
 

 

Mick describes it as such. 
 

So. 
I bought the car in July last year as a somewhat scruffy runner, it's a Rover P4 100 manual with overdrive from 1962. 
The gearbox is noisy and needed a refurb but I already had a 3.6 liter Jaguar AJ6 engine and auto gearbox from a 1989 XJ-S  (eBay purchase on a whim some years ago) so I decided to go for an engine swap

So far I've had the Jaguar engine running out of the car and had to dismantle the front end to trial fit it. I've scraped more than 2 bin bags full of underseal and dirt off the panels and chassis and done some chassis welding - fortunately not much. There's still a lot to do though.

List includes:

Make up a custom propshaft 
Engine & gearbox mounts to fabricate
Relocate the alternator and brake servo
Remake the bulkhead 
Reinstate the heater matrix 
Sort out the fuel system 
Rewire the car adding more circuits and fuses

Also:

Rust repairs to bulkhead, boot floor, front wings and B posts.

After all that it should be back on the road, but I plan to add seatbelts and electric power steering and maybe a longer rear diff too. I might even repaint it 🤣
Cheers M

 

I love these Rovers and look forward to Mick finishing the build. 

[GlenAnderson]

Nice. I imagine that will drive very nicely. My 80 went well, but only if you drove it hard, and the bigger engine and auto box will suit the style of the car better.
 

It would have had a 4.2:1 rear diff originally. A 10-spline, 3.54:1 diff from a Land-Rover 90/110/Discovery/Range-Rover would drop in with minimal hassle. The only thing to check is that some axles have filler plugs, and some don’t, and it’s the same for differentials. Ok if you end up with two fillers, but awkward if you end up with none. 🤣

[comfortablynumb]

That looks a fantastic installation 👍 

Edit - it's just occurred to me that when land rover put a Jag V12 in a Rrc, they had to extend the front end by almost a foot.

I wouldn't have thought a straight 6 was that much shorter, yet that looks like it could have been factory! Just how long is the front end on those rovers? 🤔

Edited Saturday at 17:12 by comfortablynumb
Additional

[grizz]

Today. 
 

Hurt. 
 

Killed off 6 knot wheels of truth. 
 

When they lose plumage irregularly they vibrate like fcuk. 
 

Started at 08.50

Stopped 16.50

Yes I took some breaks. 
 

And yes, objective achieved. 
 

Rum and Pepsi Max reward. 
 

Oh….. and Sally is bringing pasta Carbonara 

 

Perfect till bedtime when I won’t be able to sleep. 
 

 

.

[Bmwdumptruck]

23 hours ago, grizz said:

This is funny

My mobile phone is not recognising my finger prints. 
 

Obviously I have been working the prints off them. 
 

Made me chuckle. 

Every time I do a bathroom refit, after tiling and grouting, I get the same for about a week afterwards. 😂

[GlenAnderson]

20 hours ago, comfortablynumb said:

That looks a fantastic installation 👍 

Edit - it's just occurred to me that when land rover put a Jag V12 in a Rrc, they had to extend the front end by almost a foot.

I wouldn't have thought a straight 6 was that much shorter, yet that looks like it could have been factory! Just how long is the front end on those rovers? 🤔

They’re designed around the Rover IOE six, so there’s plenty of room lengthwise. They’re pretty narrow though. 

[comfortablynumb]

Yeah, seems funny that they could get a straight 6 into a series landy, but the rangies had less room .

Guess they were designed around the V8, but then an original series is a four cylinder.

Land rover logic, or lack thereof? 😁 

Edit- sorry @grizz for threads derailing, bet your neighbours are glad you're done.

Do they like the speckled red effect on everything? 🤣

Edited Sunday at 14:40 by comfortablynumb
Additional

[grizz]

30 minutes ago, comfortablynumb said:

Yeah, seems funny that they could get a straight 6 into a series landy, but the rangies had less room .

Guess they were designed around the V8, but then an original series is a four cylinder.

Land rover logic, or lack thereof? 😁 

Edit- sorry @grizz for threads derailing, bet your neighbours are glad you're done.

Do they like the speckled red effect on everything? 🤣

The new (moved in on Monday) neighbor was asking how long it was going to be 

The resonance on hollow parts is horrendous. 
 

But I have to finish it. 
 

Complete loadbed, bonnet still need to be done. 
 

Loadbed is coated in 20 year old underseal. 
 

So if one side of tailgate took me 2 plus hours, there’s another 5-8 hours in the three remaining insides. Plus paint and filler on the outside. 
 

Bonnet id bigger than a Mondeo roof… more noise. 
 

Tailgate 

[comfortablynumb]

They're going to be REALLY happy they moved....🤣

There's a reason I don't do neighbours...

[grizz]

26 minutes ago, comfortablynumb said:

They're going to be REALLY happy they moved....🤣

There's a reason I don't do neighbours...

By implication you live in a forest. 

[comfortablynumb]

You could say that.

My nearest neighbours are muntjacs😃

[grizz]

On 05/04/2025 at 17:09, GlenAnderson said:

Nice. I imagine that will drive very nicely. My 80 went well, but only if you drove it hard, and the bigger engine and auto box will suit the style of the car better.
 

It would have had a 4.2:1 rear diff originally. A 10-spline, 3.54:1 diff from a Land-Rover 90/110/Discovery/Range-Rover would drop in with minimal hassle. The only thing to check is that some axles have filler plugs, and some don’t, and it’s the same for differentials. Ok if you end up with two fillers, but awkward if you end up with none. 🤣

 

On 05/04/2025 at 17:27, comfortablynumb said:

That looks a fantastic installation 👍 

Edit - it's just occurred to me that when land rover put a Jag V12 in a Rrc, they had to extend the front end by almost a foot.

I wouldn't have thought a straight 6 was that much shorter, yet that looks like it could have been factory! Just how long is the front end on those rovers? 🤔

 

On 05/04/2025 at 18:53, Bmwdumptruck said:

Every time I do a bathroom refit, after tiling and grouting, I get the same for about a week afterwards. 😂

 

20 hours ago, GlenAnderson said:

They’re designed around the Rover IOE six, so there’s plenty of room lengthwise. They’re pretty narrow though. 

 

18 hours ago, comfortablynumb said:

Yeah, seems funny that they could get a straight 6 into a series landy, but the rangies had less room .

Guess they were designed around the V8, but then an original series is a four cylinder.

Land rover logic, or lack thereof? 😁 

Edit- sorry @grizz for threads derailing, bet your neighbours are glad you're done.

Do they like the speckled red effect on everything? 🤣

 

18 hours ago, comfortablynumb said:

They're going to be REALLY happy they moved....🤣

There's a reason I don't do neighbours...

 

17 hours ago, comfortablynumb said:

You could say that.

My nearest neighbours are muntjacs😃

 

I have no doubt Mick will create an awesome car. 
 

He is already talking about bare metal etc.  

 

Maybe I should stop him.  

[grizz]

Want to feel really good about life today? 
 

Watch this video from 5 minutes in or watch it all…….. your call. 
 

 

I have known Bill for a long time, probably nearing 15 years.  
 

He is a moderator on this Chevy/GMC truck board.  
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/index.php

He is also an allround good guy who even puts up with me.  Quite a feat of endurance. 
 

A while ago he asked me for my address. 
Of course I asked if he was visiting or sending flowers.  
Neither it seemed. 
I realised it was about posting a package. 
To which I responded that it was a very costly rxercise, whichever way you looked at it. Thinking he may pop a T-shirt or some stickers or something in the post, I asked him not to overvalue whatever he was sending…… due to Customs and Excise rates plus postal delivery taxes etc being so high. 
 

Imagine my surprise a couple of weeks later when some primer and another box got delivered. 
 

I didn’t notice initially that the one box was “foreign” only realising later whay had transpired.  
 

So I filmed the unboxing, still none the wiser. 
 

Watch the video 

 

Bill had realised at some point that my instrument cluster was as good as the wiring loom in the truck which I had removed previously  

So he had sent me not one complete cluster but most of a second one too  

I had bought bits off someone in Canada years ago for $75.00 plus shipping in the hope that I could build a reasonable one from the parts and my very buggered one but it was still going to be a big job   
 

Keep in mind, hrte in England we have no source of parts like the United States or Canada etc   
 

So Bills incredibly generous and costly gift is a true mind bendingly amazing step forward for my build   
 

We all have the ability to make lives better, and it’s never about the actual cash £-$-¥-€-R currency value, but rather the thought, consideration and generosity of spirit in which we look after each other  

 

I really don’t know how else to say THANK YOU to Bill and those of you who take the time to contribute to my build here in emotional, material or psychological ways, be it a nut, bolt, front lower control arm, original steering column (sold to me by Clem @Tubatruck In Arkansas for 25 cents) dash blanking plate etc…..  a quick visit for a coffee and chat or those amazing people amongst us who take the time to post replies on each other’s threads with advice, teasing, support  

 

Vladimir @vieux in Russia with whom I chat most days had a great comment also included below in the pics  

 

YUP………

 

WHAT A COMMUNITY 

 

THANK YOU  

 

LIFE  IS INDEED GOOD 

 

 

.