A bit of a makeover

[FredTransit]

For those that didn't make it onto the 999 forum....

 

 

This is Norma Jean. As bought, her previous owners called her Florrie the Lorry and in her previous life she was a Horse box (though before that I suspect she was a luton). I always wanted a Mk1 luton, so after the only job she had (This is England, started last Tuesday, Channel 4) ended in her engine (2L pinto on points) dying in spectacular fashion on the way home on the M1, it was time for a change! Potentially there is another job in the offing, so for speed the pinto was replaced by my mate Muttely, but ultimately I would like Norma to be a diesel.

 

On set and sign written for This is England

 

 

Getting a new engine (on the left is Bobbi the builder earning her keep taking away the old one)

 

 

 

Then the big work started.....

 

The previous paint was pretty poor, I think after the (recent ish) wings had been fitted, she was driven past a shop that sold primer....

 

 

After more prep, I rollered the bodywork with coach enamel. Given the era Norma is from, I did think of brush painting her, but didn't have good enough brushes to do it with.

 

She now looks like this, but isn't finished yet, the back still has a nasty metal skin on what I am convinced is a nice wood floor. You can see the planks the floor is made of by looking up at them from the road.

 

[FredTransit]

Now good news and bad news.

 

Good news -

 

 

After God knows how many years, I reinstated the FORD lettering! No more holes in the grille.

 

Now the bad news. Took up the (first) floor, thin steel plate, then thick ply. Found another thin steel plate . Under that was the floor boards, in good nick as I expected. Now, holding in what was above them was a skinny ally angle, pop riveted in place with some normal little pop rivets (about 12). Nothing huge and structural, no coach bolts or anything going clean through the side, infact it was hardly attached at all. Seems that horse wee is very corrosive stuff!

So we half took up the floor, on the passenger side. This revealed a gap, and whilst I was wondering what to do with this, I realised the whole SIDE had dropped.

 

 

Seems those piddly little pop rivets were holding the floor to the body, and it was now floating. By now it was getting dark, but we couldn't even get the door (ramp) shut. The huge springs on the door was putting tension on the corner of the van, and with the ramp open (and the spring at full stretch) this had twisted the body and sent it about 3 inches out of true.

After much kicking (literally) and pushing we managed to get the door shut, and on it's catches the body slipped back into true. Now we have to re attach the floor, and have to decide what to do with the door long term. I am thinking go the whole hog and get rid of the ramp all together. It's damn heavy and obviously doing the body no good. It's the one thing that connects her with once being a horse box. I am thinking the little side groom's door can go too. Would two barn doors be the answer?